Method of transmitting a high-priority message in a lighting control system
US7787485B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 8, 2007 |
| Grant date | Aug 31, 2010 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 9, 2028 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH05B47/196
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A lighting control system having a plurality of control devices coupled to a communication link operates with a communication protocol that allows the system to expeditiously process high-priority events while operating communicate at a low enough baud rate to allow for a free-wiring topology of the communication link. The transmission of regular-priority messages is suspended if any of the control devices has a high-priority message to transmit. To signal that a control device has a high-priority message to transmit, each control device is operable to transmit a break character in a predetermined time period after the transmission of one of the digital messages. After the transmission of the break character, the transmission of the regular-priority messages on the communication link is suspended to allow the high-priority message to be transmitted quickly.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.