US 11,909,204 B2
Direct-current power distribution in a control system
Edward J. Blair, Telford, PA (US); Joseph R. Parks, Emmaus, PA (US); John H. Bull, Slatington, PA (US); Samuel F. Chambers, Gwynedd Valley, PA (US); and Stuart W. DeJonge, Riegelsville, PA (US)
Assigned to Lutron Technology Company LLC, Coopersburg, PA (US)
Filed by Lutron Technology Company LLC, Coopersburg, PA (US)
Filed on Mar. 4, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/809,508.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/813,552, filed on Mar. 4, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2020/0300037 A1, Sep. 24, 2020
Int. Cl. H02J 1/08 (2006.01); H02J 7/00 (2006.01)
CPC H02J 1/084 (2020.01) [H02J 7/00032 (2020.01); H02J 7/00712 (2020.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A load control system for controlling a plurality of electrical loads, the load control system comprising:
a direct-current (DC) power bus configured to be electrically coupled to a DC power supply, wherein the DC power supply is configured to generate a DC bus voltage on the DC power bus;
a plurality of load control devices configured to be coupled in parallel with each other across the DC power bus, wherein each load control device comprises:
a power connector configured to receive the DC bus voltage from the DC power bus;
an internal energy storage element configured to charge from the DC bus voltage;
an internal power supply configured to conduct current from the internal energy storage element and generate a supply voltage;
a load control circuit configured to receive the supply voltage and control power delivered to an electrical load; and
a control circuit configured to:
control the load control circuit for controlling the power delivered to the electrical load;
control when the internal energy storage element charges from the DC bus voltage;
send an indication of a storage level of the internal energy storage element;
receive an indication of a storage level of an internal energy storage element of a second load control device of the plurality of load control devices; and
determine to charge the internal energy storage element from the DC power bus based on a comparison between the storage level of the internal energy storage element and the received storage level of the internal energy storage element of the second load control device.