Patent ID: 8487474

Claim:
A system for controlling the application of electrical line power to a plurality of electrical loads comprising: a low voltage power and communication network; one or more load control devices operatively connected to the low voltage power and communication network, each load control device using electrical power from the low voltage power and communication network and transmitting one or more identification signals and one or more control signals through the low voltage power and communication network, the one or more control signals for indirectly controlling the application of electrical power to one or more of the plurality of electrical loads; at least one controller device operatively connected to the one or more load control devices through the low voltage power and communication network, said at least one controller device having a configuration means and providing electrical power to the low voltage power and communication network; processing means in each of the at least one controller devices, said processing means for receiving and processing identification signals from each of the one or more load control devices and each of the one of more controller devices and the plurality of loads and using the configuration means to generate a plurality of configuration signals upon initial application of electrical power to the system, the processing means transmitting the plurality of configuration signals to the one or more load control devices and the one of more controller devices, the processing means further for receiving and processing one or more control signals from the one or more power control elements and directly controlling the application of electrical power to one or more of the plurality of electrical loads according to the one or more control signals and the plurality of configuration signals.