Configuring a load control system

Abstract

A load control system may be configured using a graphical user interface software. The graphical user interface software may display a first icon and a second icon. The first icon may represent a first electrical device and the second icon may represent a second electrical device. The first icon and the second icon may represent the relative location of the first electrical device and the second electrical device within a load control environment. The graphical user interface software may display a line from a selected icon (e.g., first icon) to a cursor. The graphical user interface software may adjust the line from the selected icon, for example, as the cursor moves. The graphical user interface software may define and store an association between the first electrical device and a second electrical device, for example, in response to the user selecting the first icon and the second icon.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A load control configuration method, comprising:
 causing, by control circuitry, a display of a graphical user interface that includes a canvas portion to display icons representative of electrical devices;   receiving, by the control circuitry, an input indicative of a selection of a first electrical device and a second electrical device   causing a display, in the canvas portion of the GUI, of an icon representative of the first electrical device and an icon representative of the second electrical device;   receiving, by the control circuitry via the GUI, a user input indicative of a connection between the first electrical device and the second electrical device;   creating, by the control circuitry, a relationship between the first electrical device and the second electrical device responsive to receipt, via the GUI, of a user input indicative of a connection between the first electrical device and the second electrical device;   storing, by the control circuitry in operatively coupled memory circuitry, data representative of:
 a unique identifier associated with the first electrical device 
 a unique identifier associated with the second electrical device; and 
 the association between the first electrical device and the second electrical device; and 
   causing, by the control circuitry, a display of a visual indication in the canvas portion of the GUI of a successful creation of the connection between the first electrical device and the second electrical device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining, by the control circuitry, whether the first electrical device is compatible with connection to the second electrical device.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 causing a display, in the canvas portion of the GUI, of an incompatibility warning message responsive to the determination, by the control circuitry, that the first electrical device is not compatible with the second electrical device.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising
 causing a display, in the canvas portion of the GUI, of a visual indicator of a successful creation of the connection between the first electrical device and the second electrical device.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein creating the relationship between the first electrical device and the second electrical device responsive to receipt of the user input indicative of a connection between the first electrical device and the second electrical device further comprises:
 creating, by the control circuitry, the relationship between the first electrical device and the second electrical device responsive to receipt, via the GUI, of a user input that includes a line connecting the icon representative of the first electrical device with the icon representative of the second electrical device. 
 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein causing the display of the visual indicator of the successful creation of the connection between the first electrical device and the second electrical device further comprises:
 causing, by the control circuitry, a change in a display parameter of the line connecting the icon representative of the first electrical device with the icon representative of the second electrical device. 
 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein causing the change in the display parameter of the line connecting the icon representative of the first electrical device with the icon representative of the second electrical device further comprises:
 causing, by the control circuitry, a change in at least one of: a line color, a line weight, or a line type, of the line connecting the icon representative of the first electrical device with the icon representative of the second electrical device. 
 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein receiving the user input indicative of the connection between the first electrical device and the second electrical device further comprises:
 receiving, by the control circuitry via the GUI, the user input indicative of at least one of: an electrical connection, a power connection, a communication connection, a wireless connection, or a control relationship between the first electrical device and the second electrical device. 
 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the control circuitry via the GUI, a user input indicative of creation of an electrical control zone.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 creating, by the control circuitry, an association between at least one of: the first electrical device or the second electrical device and the electrical control zone responsive to receipt of the user input to create the electrical control zone and responsive to the input indicative of a selection of the at least one of: the icon representative of the first electrical device with the icon representative of the second electrical device; and   causing, by the control circuitry, a storage in memory circuitry of data representative of the association between the at least one of: the first electrical device or the second electrical device and the electrical control zone.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 causing, by the control circuitry, a display of a zone indicator proximate the at least one of: the icon representative of the first electrical device or the icon representative of the second electrical device responsive to the input indicative of a selection of the at least one of: the icon representative of the first electrical device with the icon representative of the second electrical device.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 causing, by the control circuitry, a graphical display on the GUI of one or more operating parameters of the first electrical device.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 :
 wherein the first electrical device comprises an occupancy sensor; and   wherein causing the graphical display on the GUI of one or more operating parameters of the first electrical device further comprises:
 causing the graphical display on the GUI of a detection zone of the occupancy sensor. 
   
     
     
         14 . A non-transitory, machine-readable, storage device that includes instructions that, when executed by load control system configuration control circuitry, cause the load control system configuration control circuitry to:
 cause an operatively coupled output device to a display of a graphical user interface (GUI) that includes a canvas portion to display icons representative of electrical devices;   receive an input indicative of a selection of a first electrical device and a second electrical device   cause the operatively coupled output device to a display, in the canvas portion of the GUI, of an icon representative of the first electrical device and an icon representative of the second electrical device;   receive, via the GUI, a user input indicative of a connection between the first electrical device and the second electrical device;   create a relationship between the first electrical device and the second electrical device responsive to receipt, via the GUI, of a user input indicative of a connection between the first electrical device and the second electrical device;   cause a storage, in memory circuitry, of data representative of:
 a unique identifier associated with the first electrical device 
 a unique identifier associated with the second electrical device; and 
 the association between the first electrical device and the second electrical device; and 
   cause the operatively coupled output device to a display, a display of a visual indication in the canvas portion of the GUI of a successful creation of the connection between the first electrical device and the second electrical device.   
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory, machine-readable, storage device of  claim 14  wherein the instructions, when executed by the load control system configuration control circuitry, further causes the load control system configuration control circuitry to:
 determine whether the first electrical device is compatible with connection to the second electrical device. 
 
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory, machine-readable, storage device of  claim 15  wherein the instructions, when executed by the load control system configuration control circuitry further cause the load control system configuration control circuitry to:
 cause a display, in the canvas portion of the GUI, of an incompatibility warning message responsive to the determination, by the control circuitry, that the first electrical device is not compatible with the second electrical device. 
 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory, machine-readable, storage device of  claim 15  wherein the instructions, when executed by the load control system configuration control circuitry, further cause the load control system configuration control circuitry to:
 cause a display, in the canvas portion of the GUI, of a visual indicator of a successful creation of the connection between the first electrical device and the second electrical device. 
 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory, machine-readable, storage device of  claim 17  wherein the instructions that cause the load control system configuration control circuitry to create the relationship between the first electrical device and the second electrical device responsive to receipt of the user input indicative of a connection between the first electrical device and the second electrical device further cause the load control system configuration control circuitry to:
 create the relationship between the first electrical device and the second electrical device responsive to receipt, via the GUI, of a user input that includes a line connecting the icon representative of the first electrical device with the icon representative of the second electrical device. 
 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory, machine-readable, storage device of  claim 18  wherein the instructions that cause the load control system configuration control circuitry to cause the display of the visual indicator of the successful creation of the connection between the first electrical device and the second electrical device further cause the load control system configuration control circuitry to:
 cause a change in a display parameter of the line connecting the icon representative of the first electrical device with the icon representative of the second electrical device. 
 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory, machine-readable, storage device of  claim 19  wherein the instructions that cause the load control system configuration control circuitry to cause the change in the display parameter of the line connecting the icon representative of the first electrical device with the icon representative of the second electrical device further causes the load control system configuration control circuitry to:
 cause a change in at least one of: a line color, a line weight, or a line type, of the line connecting the icon representative of the first electrical device with the icon representative of the second electrical device. 
 
     
     
         21 . The non-transitory, machine-readable, storage device of  claim 14  wherein the instructions that cause the load control system configuration control circuitry to receive the user input indicative of the connection between the first electrical device and the second electrical device further cause the load control system configuration control circuitry to:
 receive, via the GUI, the user input indicative of at least one of: an electrical connection, a power connection, a communication connection, a wireless connection, or a control relationship between the first electrical device and the second electrical device. 
 
     
     
         22 . The non-transitory, machine-readable, storage device of  claim 14  wherein the instructions, when executed by the load control system configuration control circuitry, further cause the load control system configuration control circuitry to:
 receiving, by the control circuitry via the GUI, a user input indicative of creation of an electrical control zone. 
 
     
     
         23 . The non-transitory, machine-readable, storage device of  claim 22  wherein the instructions, when executed by the load control system configuration control circuitry, further cause the load control system configuration control circuitry to:
 create an association between at least one of: the first electrical device or the second electrical device and the electrical control zone responsive to receipt of the user input to create the electrical control zone and responsive to the input indicative of a selection of the at least one of: the icon representative of the first electrical device with the icon representative of the second electrical device; and 
 cause a storage in memory circuitry of data representative of the association between the at least one of: the first electrical device or the second electrical device and the electrical control zone. 
 
     
     
         24 . The non-transitory, machine-readable, storage device of  claim 23  wherein the instructions, when executed by the load control system configuration control circuitry, further cause the load control system configuration control circuitry to:
 cause a display of a zone indicator proximate the at least one of: the icon representative of the first electrical device or the icon representative of the second electrical device responsive to the input indicative of a selection of the at least one of: the icon representative of the first electrical device with the icon representative of the second electrical device. 
 
     
     
         25 . The non-transitory, machine-readable, storage device of  claim 14  wherein the instructions, when executed by the load control system configuration control circuitry, further cause the load control system configuration control circuitry to:
 cause a graphical display on the GUI of one or more operating parameters of the first electrical device. 
 
     
     
         26 . The non-transitory, machine-readable, storage device of  claim 25  wherein the instructions that cause the load control system configuration control circuitry to cause the graphical display on the GUI of one or more operating parameters of the first electrical device further cause the load control system configuration control circuitry to:
 cause a graphical display corresponding to a detection zone of an occupancy sensor on the GUI.