Patent ID: 9538618
Date: 2017-01-03
CPC Classifications: H05B,Y02B

Claim:
1. A controller for use in a load control system for controlling the power delivered from an AC power source to an electrical load, the controller comprising: a controllably conductive device adapted to be coupled in series electrical connection on a power wiring between the AC power source and a power device of the load control system; a control circuit coupled to the controllably conductive device for rendering the controllably conductive device conductive each half-cycle of the AC power source to generate a phase-control voltage, the control circuit being operable to transmit a forward digital message to the power device by encoding digital information in timing edges of the phase-control voltage; a reverse receiving circuit coupled in parallel electrical connection with the controllably conductive device; wherein the control circuit is operatively coupled to the reverse receiving circuit for receiving a reverse digital message from the power device via the power wiring, wherein a controller voltage is generated across the reverse receiving circuit, and the control circuit is operable to receive a bit of the reverse digital message by monitoring a magnitude of the controller voltage prior to rendering the controllably conductive device conductive during a half-cycle of the AC power source; wherein the control circuit is operable to render the controllably conductive device conductive to generate a first timing edge at a predetermined reference edge time during a first half-cycle of each data pattern of the reverse digital message, wherein a window time period exists during a second half-cycle of the data pattern after a zero-crossing of the second half-cycle, a beginning of the window time period being approximately one half-cycle duration after the predetermined reference edge time, and wherein the control circuit is operable to monitor the magnitude of the controller voltage during the window time period to receive the bit of the reverse digital message.