HK40092268A - Lighting control system with light show overrides - Google Patents

Description

Lighting control system with super control of light shows

Cross-references to related applications

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/051,492, filed July 14, 2020, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Background Technology

Load control systems that automatically adjust the light output of one or more light sources over time are known. Exemplary commercial load control systems (such as the Quantum system offered by Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.) can be configured to adjust light intensity based on a clock schedule (at time A, the light switches to intensity 1, and at time B, the light switches to intensity 2). Residential systems (such as HomeWorks offered by Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.) provide similar features. In another example, a load control system that can be configured to change color and intensity over time (i.e., throughout the day) to mimic light from the sun is the Natural Light System offered by Lutron Ketra.

Summary of the Invention

While such systems aim to simplify light control in space by automatically outputting light over time, sometimes the desired light output does not meet the user's mission-specific needs. Therefore, a system that provides easily adjustable, automated light output is required.

This article describes a load control system including a control device configured to adjust one or more parameter values of light output based on show time. Show time can be equal to the current time of day. The control device can include lighting equipment, window coverings, etc., which can control parameter values such as light intensity, color temperature, color, and the position of window coverings.

The load control system may include one or more input devices (such as a keypad, network device, etc.) that respond to signals received from the user, including adjustments to the showtimes from the user. For example, the user can actuate/press a button on the input device to rewind, advance, or change the showtimes of the nature show. The load control system can adjust the showtimes so that they no longer follow the current time of day, and control the control devices to adjust parameter values accordingly. This allows parameter values to be easily adjusted to meet the user's task-specific needs while continuing to maintain optimal light output on the nature show schedule.

Attached Figure Description

Figure 1 is a system diagram illustrating an exemplary load control system including control devices.

Figure 2 is an exemplary graph showing the changes in color temperature and intensity over time.

Figures 3A and 3B show exemplary graphical user interfaces of a mobile application that allows users to temporarily adjust the settings of Nature Show.

Figure 4 shows an exemplary keypad that allows users to temporarily adjust the settings of NatureShow.

Figures 5A and 5B are exemplary system flowcharts of Natural Show in the load control system.

Figures 6A and 6B are exemplary methods for the system to control and adjust the performance time of the natural show.

Figures 7A and 7B are exemplary methods for exiting system overriding of the adjusted show time of a nature show.

Figure 8 is a block diagram of an exemplary network device.

Figure 9 is a block diagram of an exemplary system controller.

Figure 10 is a block diagram of an exemplary control target device.

Figure 11 is a block diagram of an exemplary control source device.

Detailed Implementation

Figure 1 illustrates a high-level diagram of an exemplary load control system 100. The load control system 100 may include a system controller 150 and load control devices for controlling (e.g., directly and/or indirectly) one or more electrical loads in a user environment 102 (also referred to herein as a load control environment). The exemplary user environment/load control environment 102 may include one or more rooms in a house, one or more floors in a building, one or more rooms in a hotel, etc. As an example, the load control system 100 may enable automatic control of lighting systems, blackout curtains, and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, as well as other electrical loads in the user environment.

The load control device of the load control system 100 may include a system controller 150, control source devices (e.g., elements 108, 110, 120, and 122 discussed below), and control target devices (e.g., elements 112, 113, 116, 124, and 126 discussed below) (the control source devices and control target devices may be individually and/or collectively referred to herein as load control device and/or control device). The system controller 150, control source devices, and control target devices may be configured to communicate (transmit and/or receive) messages, such as digital messages (but other types of messages may also be communicated), to each other using wireless signals 154 (e.g., radio frequency (RF) signals) (but wired communication may also be used). “Digital” messages are used herein for discussion purposes only.

The control source device may include, for example, an input device configured to detect conditions within the user environment 102 (e.g., user input via a switch, occupancy/vacancy status, measured changes in light intensity, and/or other input information), and transmit a digital message to a control target device in response to the detected conditions. The control target device is configured to control an electrical load in response to an instruction or command received in the digital message. The control target device may include, for example, a load control device configured to receive digital messages from the control source device and/or system controller 150 and control the corresponding electrical load in response to the received digital messages. Individual control devices of the load control system 100 can operate as either control source devices or control target devices.

According to one example, system controller 150 can be configured to receive digital messages transmitted by a control source device, interpret these messages based on the configuration of the load control system, and then transmit the digital messages to a control target device for use by the control target device to control the corresponding electrical load. In other words, the control source device and the control target device can communicate via system controller 150. According to another and/or additional example, the control source device can communicate directly with the control target device without the assistance of system controller 150. The system controller can still monitor such communications. According to another and/or additional example, system controller 150 can initiate digital messages and then communicate digitally with the control source device and/or the control target device. Such communications performed by system controller 150 may include programming/configuration data (e.g., settings) for the control device, such as configuring scene buttons on a light switch. Communications from system controller 150 may also include messages such as those directed to the control target device and containing instructions or commands that cause the control target device to control the corresponding electrical load in response to the received message. For example, system controller 150 may transmit messages to change the brightness level, change the shading level, change HVAC settings, etc. These are examples, and other examples are possible.

Communication between the system controller 150, the control source device, and the control target device can be conducted via wired and/or wireless communication networks as shown above. An example of a wireless communication network could be a wireless LAN, where the system controller, control source device, and control target device can communicate via, for example, a router 160 located locally in the user environment 102. Such a network could be, for example, a standard Wi-Fi network. Another example of a wireless communication network could be a point-to-point communication network for direct communication, where the system controller, control source device, and control target device communicate directly with each other using, for example, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi Direct, proprietary communication channels (such as CLEAR CONNECT ^™ ), or various mesh networks (such as Zigbee or Thread). Other network configurations can be used, such as the system controller acting as an access point and providing one or more wireless/wired-based networks through which the system controller, control source device, and control target device can communicate.

In order for a target device to respond to a message from a source device, the source device may first need to be associated with the target device. As an example of an association procedure, the source device can be associated with the target device by actuating a button on the source device and/or the target device by user 142. Actuation of the button on the source device and/or the target device puts them into an association mode to associate with each other. In association mode, the source device can transmit one or more association messages to the target device (directly or via the system controller). The association message from the source device may include a unique identifier of the source device. The target device may locally store the unique identifier of the source device, enabling it to recognize digital messages (e.g., subsequent digital messages) from the source device, which may include load control instructions or commands. The target device can be configured to respond to the digital message by controlling the corresponding electrical load according to the load control instruction received in the digital message from the associated source device. This is just one example of how control devices can communicate and associate with each other, and other examples are possible. According to another example, system controller 150 may receive configuration instructions from a user specifying which control source devices should control which control target devices. The system controller can then communicate this configuration information to the control source devices and/or control target devices.

As an example of a control target device, the load control system 100 may include one or more lighting control devices, such as lighting control devices 112 and 113. Lighting control device 112 may be a dimmer, electronic switch, ballast, light-emitting diode (LED) driver, etc. Lighting control device 112 may be configured to directly control the electrical power supplied to one or more lighting loads (such as lighting load 114). Lighting control device 112 may be configured to wirelessly receive digital messages (e.g., messages originating from the control source device and/or system controller 150) via signal 154 and control lighting load 114 in response to the received digital messages. For example, lighting control device 112 may control parameters of the light produced by lighting load 114 (assuming lighting load 115 is configured to produce colored light), such as correlated color temperature (CCT), spectrum, vibration, etc. It will be appreciated that lighting control device 112 and lighting load 114 may be integrated and therefore part of the same device, or they may be separate.

The lighting control device 113 may be a wall-mounted dimmer, a wall-mounted switch, or other keypad device for controlling one or more lighting loads (such as lighting load 115). The lighting control device 113 may be adapted for installation in a standard electrical enclosure. The lighting control device 113 may include one or more buttons for controlling the lighting load 115. The lighting control device 113 may include a toggle actuator. Actuation (e.g., continuous actuation) of the toggle actuator can toggle (e.g., turn on and off) the lighting load 115. The lighting control device 113 may include an intensity adjustment actuator (e.g., a rocker switch or intensity adjustment button). Actuation of the upper or lower portion of the intensity adjustment actuator can increase or decrease the electrical force transmitted to the lighting load 115, and thus increase the intensity of the receptive lighting load from a minimum intensity (e.g., approximately 1%) to a maximum intensity (e.g., approximately 100%) or decrease it from the maximum intensity to the minimum intensity. The lighting control device 113 may include multiple (two or more) visual indicators (e.g., light-emitting diodes (LEDs)) that may be arranged in a linear array and illuminated to provide feedback on the intensity of the lighting load 115. Alternatively, it will be appreciated that modulating actuators may be used to control other parameters of the light produced by the lighting load 115 (assuming the lighting load 115 is configured to produce colored light), such as correlated color temperature (CCT), spectrum, vibration, etc.

The lighting control device 113 can be configured to wirelessly receive digital messages (e.g., messages originating from the control source device and/or system controller 150) via a wireless signal 154. The lighting control device 113 can be configured to control the lighting load 115 in response to the received digital messages.

The load control system 100 may include one or more other control target devices, such as an electric window cover 116 for directly controlling the covering material 118 (e.g., via an electric motor); a ceiling fan; a desktop or plug-in load control device 126 for directly controlling a floor lamp 128, a table lamp, and/or other electrical loads that can be plugged into the plug-in load control device 126; and/or a temperature control device 124 (e.g., a thermostat) for directly controlling an HVAC system (not shown). The load control system 100 may also, or alternatively, include audio control devices (e.g., a speaker system) and/or video control devices (e.g., devices capable of streaming video content, such as a television). Furthermore, these devices may be configured to wirelessly receive digital messages (e.g., messages originating from control source devices and/or system controller 150) via a wireless signal 154. These devices may be configured to control the corresponding electrical load in response to the received digital messages.

In addition to being configured to wirelessly receive digital messages via wireless signals and control corresponding electrical loads in response to the received digital messages, the control target device can also be configured to wirelessly transmit digital messages via wireless signals (e.g., to system controller 150 and/or one or more associated control devices). The control target device can transmit such messages to acknowledge message reception and actions taken, to report status (e.g., brightness level), etc. Furthermore, the control target device can also, or alternatively, communicate via wired communication.

Regarding the control source device, the load control system 100 may include one or more keypads and/or remote control devices 122, one or more occupancy sensors 110, one or more daylight sensors 108, and/or one or more window sensors 120. The control source device may wirelessly transmit or transmit digital messages via wireless signals (such as signal 154) to associated control target devices for controlling electrical loads. The remote control device 122 may transmit digital messages after actuating one or more buttons on the remote control device 122 for controlling one or more control target devices. For example, one or more buttons may correspond to preset scenarios for controlling lighting loads 115 and/or 114. The occupancy sensor 110 may transmit digital messages to the control target device in response to occupancy and/or vacancy (e.g., movement or no movement) sensed within its observable area. The daylight sensor 108 may transmit digital messages to the control target device in response to detecting a certain amount of light within its observable area. The window sensor 120 may transmit digital messages to the control target device in response to a measured level of light received from outside the user environment 102. For example, window sensor 120 can detect when sunlight directly enters window sensor 120, when it is reflected onto window sensor 120, and/or when it is blocked by external objects (such as clouds or buildings). Window sensor 120 can send digital messages indicating the measured light level. Load control system 100 may include one or more other control source devices. Furthermore, it will be appreciated that the control source devices may also, or alternatively, communicate via wired communication.

Turning back to system controller 150, it facilitates the transmission of messages from the control source device to the associated control target device and/or monitors such messages as those shown above, thereby knowing when the control source device detects an event and when the control target device is changing the condition/state of the electrical load. This system controller can transmit programming/configuration information to the control device. The system controller can also be a source of control messages for the control target device, for example, instructing the device to control the corresponding electrical load. As an example of a control message source, the system controller can run one or more clock operations that automatically transmit messages to the control target device based on a configured schedule (e.g., sending commands to lighting control device 113 to adjust lighting load 115, to lighting control device 112 to adjust lighting load 114, to motorized window covering 116 to directly control the covering material 118, etc.). For descriptive purposes only, blackout curtains will be used herein to describe the functions and features related to motorized window coverings. Nevertheless, it will be appreciated that the features and functions described herein are applicable to other types of window coverings, such as curtains, blinds, venetian blinds, etc. Other examples are also possible.

According to another aspect of the load control system 100, the system controller 150 may be configured to communicate, for example, with one or more network devices 144 being used by the user 142. The network device 144 may include a personal computer (PC), laptop computer, tablet computer, smartphone, or equivalent device. The system controller 150 and the network device 144 may communicate via wired and/or wireless communication networks. The communication network may be the same network used by the system controller and the control device, or it may be a different network (e.g., a wireless communication network using wireless signal 152). As an example, the system controller 150 and the network device 144 may communicate via a wireless LAN (e.g., located locally in the user environment 102). For example, such a network may be a standard Wi-Fi network provided by a router 160 local to the user environment 102. As another example, the system controller 150 and the network device 144 may communicate directly with each other using, for example, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi Direct, etc. Other examples are also possible, such as the system controller acting as an access point and providing one or more wireless/wired-based networks through which the system controller and the network device may communicate.

Generally, system controller 150 can be configured to allow user 142 of network device 144 to: determine, for example, the configuration of user environment 102 and load control system 100, such as rooms in the environment, which control devices are in which rooms (e.g., the location of control devices within the user environment, such as which rooms); determine the status and/or configuration of control devices (e.g., light level, HVAC level, shading level); configure system controller (e.g., change clock schedules and reconfigure scenarios); issue commands to system controller to control and/or configure control devices (e.g., change light level, change HVAC/temperature level, change shading level, change presets, etc.), etc. Other examples are possible.

The load control system 100 of Figure 1 can be configured such that when the network device 144 is local to the system controller 150, the system controller can only communicate with the device; in other words, the two can communicate directly, either point-to-point or via a local network specific to the user environment 102 (such as a network provided by a router 160 local to the user environment). It may be advantageous to allow users of the network device 144 to communicate with the system controller 150 and control the load control system 100 from a remote location (such as via the Internet or other public or private networks). Similarly, it may be advantageous to allow third-party integrators to communicate with the system controller 150 to provide enhanced services to users of the user environment 102. For example, a third-party integrator could provide other systems within the user environment 102. Integrating such systems with the load control system 100 may be beneficial.

Referring now to Figure 2, an exemplary graph 200 is shown that can simulate a lighting show (which may also be referred to herein as a natural show) that can, for example, include natural light including sunrise and sunset, although other configurations are possible. Generally, "natural show" can refer to the programmed variation of parameter values over time (i.e., time of day). While Figure 2 depicts various natural show curves for lighting parameters (such as brightness and color temperature) that can be controlled by a lighting control device, other natural show curves can be included in the natural show to adjust different or additional parameters for one or more control devices (such as any control target device described herein). Parameter values can include, for example, spectral density (e.g., power spectral density), vibration, temperature, the position of the covering material/fabric of window coverings, and/or control of audio and various multimedia (such as volume, on/off load status, etc.). For example, a thermostat or HVAC unit can be integrated into the natural show to regulate temperature over time. Furthermore, although graph 200 is shown herein for illustrative purposes, it will be understood that similar graphs can be displayed to a user on a graphical user interface via a network device by a control application. For example, a user can use a graphical user interface to enable and/or control a lighting function (also referred to herein as a natural lighting function) for one or more lighting controllers, whereby the lighting controllers control their respective lighting loads to generate light according to the light show of Figure 2. The natural lighting function can change the color temperature and/or brightness/intensity of one or more lighting controllers/lighting loads in a pre-selected area to simulate, for example, the color temperature/brightness changes of natural lighting over a period of time (e.g., a day, a portion of a day, etc.). A network device can communicate with the lighting controllers via a system controller as described herein. For example, the natural lighting function can be defined at the network device and stored at the system controller for implementation in the lighting controllers in the pre-selected area. Alternatively, the network device can communicate directly with the lighting controllers, for example, via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE).

When the enable button on the keypad or network device is activated, natural lighting can be enabled for a predefined area, and when the enable button is deactivated, natural lighting can be disabled. Alternatively and/or, natural lighting can be enabled/disabled via one or more clock events. Graph 200 may include one or more x-axis and/or y-axis. For example, graph 200 may include a correlated color temperature (CCT) axis 202, an intensity axis 204, and/or a time axis 206.

A color temperature axis can represent the color temperature to which one or more lighting control devices (e.g., one or more LED lights) within an area (e.g., a room within a building) can be controlled. The color temperature axis can be a range of multiple color temperatures along a blackbody curve. For example, the color temperature axis can range from 2000K to 7000K, or another range therewith. As shown, the color temperature axis can be located as the y-axis on the left-hand side of graph 200, although the color temperature axis can be located in other parts of the graph (e.g., on the right-hand side).

The intensity axis can represent the brightness that lighting controls within an area can achieve. The intensity axis can range from, for example, 0% to 100%. The intensity axis can be located on the right-hand side of the graph as the y-axis, although it can also be located in other parts of the graph (e.g., on the left-hand side).

Color temperature and brightness can be controlled over time according to the curves defined in Figure 200. For example, the color temperature of the lighting control device can have a CCT curve 208, which defines the change in color temperature relative to time. Similarly, the intensity of the lighting control device can have a brightness curve 210, which defines the change in intensity relative to time.

The timeline can display the time of day in multiple predefined or user-defined increments. The length of the timeline can represent the length of a day or a portion of a day. For example, the timeline can start at midnight and end at midnight the following day. In another example, the timeline can represent the period during which lighting controls can be turned on or the period during which natural lighting can be enabled, such as the period between 6:00 AM and 6:00 PM. Furthermore, the time of day 206 shown in Figure 2 can be the show time, i.e., the system time of the natural show. For example, the time of day 206 can be equal to the current time of day. The load control system can maintain the system time corresponding to the time of the performance scene (i.e., transitioning to a specific parameter as defined by the curve of the natural show).

As shown in the figure, the brightness and color temperature that the lighting control device can control can vary based on the time of day, according to the brightness curve 210 and the color temperature curve 208. For example, the color temperature between times T2 and T3 (e.g., between 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM) can be cooler than the color temperature at times T1 and T4 (e.g., dawn and sunset). The brightness of the lighting control device can also vary based on the time of day. It is understood that the brightness curve 210 and the CCT curve 208 are shown only as examples, and the curves of alternative or additional parameter values that change over time can be part of the natural display. Furthermore, one or more elements of the load control system (i.e., the control source device, the control target device) can store portions of the natural display (e.g., parameter values corresponding to the system time) in memory, which can be recalled and executed at the corresponding system time. One or more thresholds can be set on the time axis for the start time and/or end time at which changes in intensity and/or color temperature can be made. For example, the color temperature of the natural light provided by the lighting control device in a space can gradually increase in the early part of the day (e.g., towards a cooler color temperature, for example, to simulate sunrise) and gradually decrease in the later part of the day (e.g., towards a warmer color temperature, for example, to simulate sunset). Thresholds can be represented by vertical dashed lines on graph 200. For example, as shown in Figure 2, graph 200 may include a “start gradually increasing” threshold 220 at T1, a “end gradually increasing” threshold 222 at T2, a “start gradually decreasing” threshold 224 at T3, and a “end gradually decreasing” threshold 226 at T4.

Between the time of day indicated by the "start gradually increasing" threshold T1 and the time of day indicated by the "end gradually increasing" threshold T2, the color temperature of the lighting control device can increase from a minimum color temperature 212 until a maximum color temperature 214 is met. Between the time of day indicated by the "start gradually increasing" threshold T1 and the time of day indicated by the "end gradually increasing" threshold T2, the brightness of the lighting control device can increase from a minimum brightness level 216 until a maximum brightness level 218 is met. For example, the "start gradually increasing" threshold T1 can be set to 6:00 AM and the "end gradually increasing" threshold T2 can be set to 9:00 AM. Depending on the time period between the "start gradually increasing" threshold T1 and the "end gradually increasing" threshold T2, the color temperature of the lighting control device can increase from 2800K to 4000K and the brightness can increase from 85% to 100%.

Similarly, between the time of day indicated by the "start gradually decreasing" threshold T3 and the time of day indicated by the "end gradually decreasing" threshold T4, the color temperature/brightness of the lighting control device can decrease from the maximum color temperature/brightness until the minimum color temperature/brightness is met. For example, the "start gradually decreasing" threshold T3 can be set to 5:00 PM and the "end gradually decreasing" threshold T4 can be set to 8:00 PM. Between the time of day indicated by the "start gradually decreasing" threshold T3 and the time of day indicated by the "end gradually decreasing" threshold T4, the color temperature of the lighting control device can decrease from 4000K to 2800K and the brightness can decrease from 100% to 85%. The color temperature/brightness of the lighting control device can change linearly, stepwise, or according to a sigmoid function (e.g., as shown in Figure 2), etc. The time periods for increasing or decreasing the color temperature/brightness of the lighting control device (as shown by T1, T2, T3, and T4) can be set automatically or selected by the user. The time period for increasing or decreasing the color temperature/brightness of the lighting control device can be defaulted to the sunrise/sunset time at the location of the lighting control device, and can be modified by the user. The lighting control device can have a default minimum/maximum color temperature of 212, 214 and/or a default minimum/maximum brightness of 216, 218. The default color temperature setting and/or brightness level can depend on the type of lighting control device implemented in the predefined area or zone.

While the natural show is activated and controlling the lighting controls according to the show, the user can manually adjust one or more parameters of the natural show. For example, the user can change the show's intensity and/or color temperature by pressing one or more buttons on a keypad, mobile device, etc., to increase or decrease the show's intensity, color temperature, etc., for a given area. Color temperature and brightness can each change with the time of day. Additionally, based on the user's adjustment of the intensity, the color temperature can change with the brightness. For example, if the user wants to decrease the intensity (and therefore the brightness) at time T4, the color temperature can become warmer (i.e., warm-dark), while if the user wants to decrease the intensity at time T3, the color temperature may not change substantially. Examples of color temperature variation with time of day and brightness are described in more detail in U.S. Patent No. 9,795,000, entitled “ILLUMINATION DEVICE, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANUALLYADJUSTING AUTOMATED CHANGES IN EXTERIOR DAYLIGHT AMONG SELECT GROUPS OF ILLUMINATION DEVICES PLACED IN VARIOUS ROOMS OF A STRUCTURE”, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

NatureShow provides users with intuitive natural light that simulates sunlight throughout the day, and can further optimize the Color Rendering Index (CRI). NatureShow can also further optimize metrics such as circadian rhythm stimulation (CS) or other metrics such as melanopsin illuminance (EML). Additionally, NatureShow can be configured for individual and contextual preferences. For example, an early riser can adjust NatureShow to start at an earlier time, or a user might prefer a cooler overall CCT experience. Based on these examples, NatureShow can be adjusted and fine-tuned to suit specific users.

Natural show curves (e.g., CCT, brightness) can be stored in memory and recalled at different times as the show changes over time relative to the show/system time. While the natural show depicted in Figure 2 is shown for a lighting control device with brightness and CCT curves, other control devices can respond to the natural show and change various parameters over time. For example, for a lighting control device, additional parameters such as vibration, spectrum (i.e., power spectral density), etc., can also have corresponding curves, where parameter values change relative to the show's duration. In another example, control devices (such as motorized window covers, audio and/or video devices, temperature control devices, etc.) can also be part of the natural show, having their own curves for adjusting parameters relative to the show/system time, such as the position/height of the window cover, volume, audio channel/type of audio content, video channel/type of video content, load status (e.g., television on/off control), room temperature, etc. Other examples are possible.

After creating and programming a nature show, users can adjust it according to the needs of a specific scenario. For example, the nature show's performance/system time can be equal to the current time of day; however, users can shift the nature show's performance/system time relative to the current time of day to effectively change the brightness and/or color temperature of the nature show, thus returning to a previous (or forward to the future) brightness and/or color temperature according to the chart of the nature show. For example, a nature show (i.e., a predefined gradual adjustment of color/brightness over time in a series of scenarios, as shown in the chart of Figure 2) may have been configured in system setup to provide appropriate bright light and color temperature for a user who typically returns home around 6:00 PM and prepares dinner. However, when the user returns home at a different time (e.g., at 8:00 PM), the user can adjust the system time of the nature show (i.e., temporarily adjust) for example by two hours, so that the lighting controls output light corresponding to the scene (e.g., CCT and intensity) programmed to begin at 6:00 PM.

Figures 3A and 3B illustrate two exemplary graphical user interfaces (GUIs) for a mobile application on a corresponding network device (e.g., network device 144 of Figure 1). The exemplary mobile application allows a user to temporarily adjust settings for NatureShow. For example, the GUI may indicate the current show time 310 (i.e., the system time). During normal operation of NatureShow, show time 310 may be equal to the actual time of day 315. The mobile application may provide the user with options to adjust the current show time. For example, Figure 3A shows a digital clock 314 that the user can actuate (i.e., press) or slide to adjust the system time 310. According to another example, Figure 3B shows an analog clock 316 with one or more hands (i.e., minutes, hours, etc.) that the user can manually press and drag to adjust the system time 310.

The mobile application may also include a slider, such as slider 318, to indicate whether the adjusted time refers to AM or PM. For example, a user could drag slider 318 to the right to indicate PM, or drag it to the left to indicate AM. It is understood that the GUI shown here is merely an example, and other GUIs providing similar functionality for adjusting the current showtime are considered to be within the scope of this disclosure. For example, showtimes may be described as 24-hour time, rather than 12-hour time with AM and PM. Other examples are possible.

Figure 4 shows an example of a keypad 400 that allows users to temporarily adjust the settings of NatureShow. The keypad 400 can be used to replace or substitute for the mobile applications shown in Figures 3A and 3B.

The keypad 400 may have multiple buttons 420-430. For example, button 420 may be configured to turn Nature Show on and off. When the user actuates button 420 to turn Nature Show on, Nature Show may begin playing at the system time, which is equal to the current time of day. When the user actuates button 420 a second time to turn Nature Show off, Nature Show may stop adjusting parameter values over time and may retain the parameter values over time (i.e., maintain static parameter values).

Buttons 422-426 can indicate specific static scenes (i.e., static parameter values that do not change over time). When a user actuates one of the static scene buttons 422-426 while NaturalShow 420 is enabled, NaturalShow can be disabled to support the static scene. For example, the keypad can transmit scene commands to one or more control target devices and/or system controllers to cause the control target devices to change parameter values according to the defined static scene. For example, a static scene can have one or more static parameter values, such as defined light intensity and color temperature outputs that do not change over time. For example, button 422 could correspond to a wake-up scene with high light intensity and high (cool) color temperature, button 424 could correspond to a dinner scene with medium light intensity and medium color temperature, and button 426 could correspond to a bedtime scene with very low light intensity and low (warm) color temperature. It is understood that static scenes can also include parameter values (i.e., static parameter values that do not change over time) for other types of control devices (such as thermostats (temperature), audio devices (volume), and televisions (on/off load status)). Other examples are possible.

Each of buttons 420-426 may include an indicator light 410 (e.g., a light-emitting diode). The corresponding indicator light 410 may be turned on (i.e., illuminated) in response to actuation of the corresponding button 420-426. Thus, the indicator light 410 may indicate which button (or scene) is currently active. For example, when the user presses button 442, the corresponding indicator light 410 may be turned on.

Buttons 428 and 430 can be used to manually adjust the nature show. For example, a user can manually press button 428 to rewind the nature show (i.e., move the current show backward in time), and can manually press button 430 to forward the nature show (i.e., move the current show forward in time). According to the first example, a user can press and hold one of buttons 428 and 430 to rewind/forward the nature show in real time, respectively. When button 428 or button 430 is pressed, the nature show's duration (i.e., the system time) can begin to adjust relative to the current time of day, thereby adjusting the color and/or intensity of the light output in the space, providing the user with immediate adjustment feedback. For example, the color and/or intensity (and/or other parameters) of the light output can be adjusted over time along the nature show curves (e.g., CCT curve 208 and brightness curve 210 shown in Figure 2). According to the second example, a user can press one of buttons 428 and 430 once or multiple times to rewind/forward the nature show's duration in predefined increments, respectively. For example, a user can press button 428 or button 430 once to rewind/forward the Natural Show's performance time by 15 minutes, press it twice to rewind/forward by 30 minutes, and so on. Understandably, other increments (30 minutes, 1 hour, etc.) can be used. Furthermore, the adjustable time increments of the Natural Show's performance time can be programmed/configured by the user.

According to another example, buttons 428 and 430 can be associated with decreasing and increasing intensity, respectively, to change the show/system time (i.e., changing the color temperature and intensity of the light output while following the brightness and color temperature curves of the NaturalShow over time, as shown in Figure 2, for example). Compared to manually adjusting the light intensity of NaturalShow, changing the intensity by following the NaturalShow dimming curve (i.e., also changing the corresponding color temperature) can provide enhanced light output aesthetics and better light quality.

The temporal direction (rewind/forward) and the increment of time to be changed can depend on a predefined and programmable dimming curve for the natural show over time. To produce this change in intensity and color by adjusting the show time, buttons 428 and 430 can be functionally altered based on the time of day. For example, when the user presses button 428 at the first time of day to reduce the intensity, the show time can be rewound relative to the current time of day to produce the desired output. However, when the user presses button 428 at the second time of day to reduce the intensity, the show time can be advanced relative to the current time of day to produce the desired output, as will be discussed in more detail herein.

In addition to the implementations described herein, for example, the keypad 400 can be used as part of the GUI of a mobile application (such as the GUIs shown in Figures 3A and 3B). Other examples are possible.

Figure 5A is an exemplary system flowchart of a load control system. The described load control system may have a control source device (i.e., an input device, such as a keypad or a network device) that transmits commands to one or more control target devices (e.g., shown as a control device for controlling lighting loads and/or window fixtures). A keypad will be used as an example in this document.

According to this example, the target control device can change one or more parameters of its corresponding load based on commands received from the source control device. The source control device can send commands to the target control device based on, for example, the natural show curve shown in Figure 2, at the discrete system time of the natural show. For example, at the first time of day, _Ta , the keypad can transmit command A to the control device. In response to receiving command A, the control device can adjust the light output according to the received command A. For example, the control device can adjust the corresponding color temperature and/or intensity output of its corresponding lighting load based on the natural show's show time for a given command, and window coverings can adjust the height of the window covering based on the given command and the natural show's show time.

At the second time of day, _Tb , the keypad can transmit command B to the control device. In response to receiving command B, the control device can adjust the light output according to the received command B. For example, the control device can adjust the corresponding color temperature and/or intensity output of its corresponding lighting load based on the show time of the nature show for a given command, and window blackout curtains can adjust the height of the window covering based on the given command and the show time of the nature show.

At some point after time _Tb and before time _Tc occurs within a day, the keypad (or other control source or input device) can receive a command (e.g., from a user) to rewind or advance the nature show (i.e., a request to adjust the nature show's performance time relative to the actual time of day). In response to receiving the command to rewind (or advance), the keypad can send the adjusted command. For example, the keypad can send command A to rewind the nature show (back to time _Ta ), or it can send command D to advance the nature show (to time _TD ). In response to receiving command A or command D respectively, the control device can recall the settings for command A or command D and adjust the light output of its corresponding lighting load according to the received command A or command D.

The adjusted nature show can continue running at the adjusted show/system time until a timeout condition occurs, causing the show/system time to reset to match the actual time of day. When a timeout condition occurs, the keypad can send a command X (e.g., corresponding to the current time T _x of the day), and the control device can recall the settings for command X and cause the nature show to continue according to the actual time of day (i.e., reset the show time from the adjusted show time to equal the current/actual time of day).

According to the first example, the commands A-X shown here may include a command to go to a specific parameter value (e.g., intensity, color temperature, or window covering height). In another example, commands A-X may include a showtime, and the control device may receive the showtime and determine the corresponding parameter value (e.g., color temperature, intensity, and/or one or more window covering heights) based on the received showtime by calling parameter values from memory (e.g., from a stored lookup table).

Figure 5B is an exemplary system flowchart of a load control system. Figure 5B may have elements similar to those in Figure 5A, for example, including one or more input devices (control source devices) (which may include keypads, network devices, etc. as shown) and one or more control target devices (e.g., shown as control devices for controlling lighting loads and/or window fixtures).

The system of Figure 5B may additionally include a system controller. The system controller may be configured to receive commands from one or more input devices. For example, the system controller may receive commands directly from the keypad shown in the figure. Alternatively, the system controller may receive commands from a network device via a wired and/or wireless communication network (e.g., via a wireless router, such as router 160 shown in Figure 1).

In the system of Figure 5B, the system controller (instead of the keypad in Figure 5A) can be configured to send commands to the control device. That is, the system controller can track the current system/show time of Nature Show. For example, at the first time of day, _Ta , the system controller can transmit command A to the control device. In response to receiving command A, the control device can adjust the light output of its corresponding lighting load according to the received command A. For example, the control device can adjust the corresponding color temperature and/or intensity output of its corresponding lighting load based on the show time of Nature Show for a given command, and window coverings can adjust the height/position of the window coverings based on the given command and the show time of Nature Show.

When the system controller sends command B at time _Tb and the control device responds to command B, NaturalShow can advance with the system time, as previously described with reference to Figure 5A. At some point between time _Tb and time _Tc , one of the input devices (keypad, network device, etc.) can receive an actuation instructing NaturalShow to rewind or advance (i.e., adjust the system time relative to the current time of day). The input device can then send the command to the system controller to rewind or advance NaturalShow.

The system controller can receive and interpret commands from the input device. For example, a command might include which button was pressed on the keypad, the amount of time (or number of times) the button was pressed (the keypad could be, for example, the keypad shown in Figure 4). The system controller can interpret the command as associating the amount of time (or number of times) the button was pressed with the amount of time the natural show is adjusted relative to the time of day. In another example, a command received by the system controller from the input device might include the user's desired show time to which the current show/system time is adjusted. The show time can be received from a network device, for example, as shown in Figures 3A and 3B. Other examples are possible.

In response to receiving and interpreting a command to rewind (forward) the nature show, the system controller can transmit an adjusted command. For example, the system controller can send command A to rewind the nature show (back to time _Ta ), or it can send command D to forward the nature show (forward to time _TD ). In response to receiving command A or command D respectively, the control device can adjust the light output of its corresponding lighting load according to the received command A or command D.

The adjusted nature show can continue on schedule (as described with reference to Figure 5A) until a timeout condition occurs, causing the show time to be reset to match the actual time of day. When a timeout condition occurs, the system controller can send a command X (e.g., corresponding to the time of day T _x ), and the control device can cause the nature show to continue according to the actual time of day.

As previously described with reference to Figure 5A, commands A-X transmitted from the system controller to the control device may include commands to switch to a specific intensity, color temperature, and window covering height. In another example, commands A-X may include the system/show time, and the control device may receive the show time and determine the corresponding color temperature, intensity, and/or one or more window covering heights based on the received show time by retrieving such values from memory, for example, as shown in Figure 5B. According to another example, the control device may invoke stored parameters of the nature show based on the current/actual time of day and may adjust the show time in response to one or more triggers. For example, the control device may perform and operate the nature show independently of system controller commands and may receive commands to adjust the show time (directly or via the system controller). The control device may then adjust the corresponding parameters of the nature show according to the new show/system time until a timeout condition or trigger occurs, causing the control device to reset the system time to the actual time of day.

Figure 6A is an exemplary method 600 for adjusting the show time of a natural show relative to a time of day, corresponding to Figures 5A and 5B. Method 600 will generally be described as being performed by a device, which will be understood by those skilled in the art as any component of a load control system, such as one or more input devices, a system controller, and one or more control target devices. Method 600 can begin the natural show from step 610, which can be initiated, for example, in response to pressing a button. The control device (i.e., the control target device, such as one or more light sources, window coverings, etc.) can begin adjusting one or more parameter values (e.g., CCT, intensity, position of the covering material of the window coverings, etc.) according to the time of day (i.e., show time T _{_show} ) in response to pressing a button. The one or more parameter values mentioned herein may include (but are not limited to) light intensity, color, spectrum (e.g., power spectral density), color temperature, vibration, room temperature, position of the covering material/fabric of the window coverings, and control of audio and various multimedia (such as volume, on/off load status, etc.). The show time T _{_show} can be equal to the current time of day T _{_actual} .

T _{for show} = T _{for reality} [1]

According to the above equation [1], the _show time T can be continuously matched with the current time T of the day in _time , wherein when commands A and B are sent and the corresponding settings are invoked (e.g., in response to the received commands or as determined by the control device internally), the control device adjusts one or more of its corresponding parameter values in response to the change of the show time, as shown in Figures 5A and 5B.

At step 620, one of the devices in the load control system may receive a request from the user to change the showtime. For example, an input device such as a keypad or a network device may receive the request via button actuation or input from a mobile application. The user may request to change the showtime by repeatedly actuating or pressing a button to increase (decrease) the showtime or by holding down and continuing to press and hold the button. The number of button actuations/presses or the duration of button actuation/press (e.g., on a keypad or network device) can be used to calculate the corresponding desired change in the showtime relative to the time of day. This calculation may be performed internally by the input device, at the system controller, and/or by the control target device.

According to the first example, a request to change the showtime could be a request to increase the showtime by a certain amount _{ΔT_INC} (e.g., transmitted by an input device or determined by a system controller and/or a control target device). According to the second example, the request could be to decrease the showtime by a certain amount _{ΔT_DEC} . According to the third example, the request could be to switch to a specific showtime _{T_new} .

In response to the request, the method can continue at step 630 by determining the _actual current time T of the day. Step 630 can be implemented by an input device, a system controller, or a control target device. For example, the input device, system controller, or control target device can determine the actual current time T of the day via _{a real} -time clock.

After determining the current time of day, the device (input device, system controller, or control device) can then exercise over-control over the showtime of the Nature Show. The over-control over the Nature Show can be formulated by adjusting the showtime based on _{the actual} current time T of the day and the received requests, according to equations [2]-[4] shown in the table below.

For example, when a device (input device, system controller, or control device) receives a request to advance (rewind) time by ΔT _INC (ΔT _DEC ), the showtime _{T_show} can be increased (decreased) by the amount relative to the _current time T of the day, according to equations [2] and [3]. In the second example, when the device receives a request to switch to a specific showtime _{T_show_new} , the device can adjust the showtime _{T_show} to be equal to the specific showtime _{T_show_new} , as shown in equation [4]. Adjusting the showtime to be different from the current time of the day can be a temporary system overrun, as will be described in further detail herein.

After adjusting the showtime, the method can continue at step 650 by determining one or more parameter values at the adjusted showtime. This can be done by one or more input devices, a system controller, or one or more control devices. For example, as previously described in Figures 5A and 5B, step 650 can be performed by one or more control devices when the command transmitted to one or more control devices includes "showtime T - _showtime ". In another example, step 650 can be performed by one or more input devices or by the system controller when one or more commands transmitted to one or more control devices include a specific parameter value corresponding to the showtime T - _showtime .

One or more parameter values can be determined based on one or more tables stored in the device's memory. For example, a table may include one or more parameter values for a specific time of day. For instance, parameters of lighting equipment or lamps may include color temperature and intensity at different times of day. The table can be used to determine one or more parameter values at a given time (i.e., by interpolating between defined times given on the table or by gradually adjusting the parameter values between each given time).

At step 660, the control device may adjust its respective parameter values based on one or more determined parameter values at the adjusted showtime.

After adjusting the parameter values, at step 670, the device can determine whether to exit system overrun (i.e., reset the adjusted showtime back to the current time of day after a timeout condition has occurred). This determination can be done in a variety of different ways, examples of which will be described herein with reference to Figures 7A and 7B.

When the device determines to exit system over-control (i.e., reset the adjusted showtime), the method can proceed to step 680, where the device can continue to adjust one or more parameter values based on the current time of day. That is, according to equation [1], the showtime _{T_show} can be reset to equal the current time _{T_actual} of the day. The method can then end.

When the device determines in step 670 that it will not exit the system over-control, the device may continue to adjust one or more parameter values in step 690 according to the adjusted show time. In step 670, it periodically determines whether to exit the system over-control until it exits the over-control. In step 680, the normal T _show continues and the method ends.

Figure 6B illustrates another method 600' for system overriding of NaturalShow, which involves changing parameter values and correspondingly altering the show time. For example, if a user desires to increase or decrease the intensity of one or more lighting loads (e.g., lighting fixtures, lamps, etc.), the highest quality light output can be achieved by changing the show time (i.e., moving NaturalShow forward or backward). However, depending on the specific programming of NaturalShow, the user may not know how to change the show time to induce the desired intensity change. Therefore, method 600' allows the user to input changes in parameter values, and the system can determine how to adjust the show time of NaturalShow accordingly (i.e., change the parameter values based on a predefined curve mapping of NaturalShow). Method 600' can be similar to method 600 in Figure 6A, where the same numbers correspond to the same steps. For example, steps 610', 630', and 640'-690' can correspond to steps 610, 630, and 640-690 in Figure 6A.

The method can begin at step 610', as the nature show begins and the load control system's devices begin to adjust one or more parameter values according to the _current time T of the day. At step 615', the input device (e.g., keypad, mobile device, etc.) can receive a request to change the parameter value by an amount ΔY. The parameter value change ΔY can be an increase or a decrease in the parameter value. For example, button 428 on keypad 400 of Figure 4 can be pressed once (or pressed and held for a certain time increment, e.g., one second) to reduce the intensity by 5% (intensity change).

In response to receiving a request to increase or decrease a parameter value, the method can continue at step 630' by determining the _actual current time T of the day, as previously described in Figure 6A. Step 630' can be implemented by an input device or by a system controller or a control target device. For example, the input device or system controller can determine the actual current time T of the day via a _real -time clock.

At step 635', the change in showtime required to satisfy the change request can be determined. For example, the load control system can use the requested parameter value change ΔY along with the current parameter value at the current time of day to determine the desired parameter value Y_{_new}. For example, if the current intensity Y is _currently at 80% and the requested parameter value change ΔY is a decrease of 5%, then the desired parameter value Y _{_new} is 75% of the intensity. The desired parameter value Y _{_new} can then be used to determine the change in showtime required to satisfy the change request.

The change in showtime to satisfy the change request can depend on the configuration of the natural show and the current time of day. For example, for the natural show shown in Figure 2, the intensity increases between time T1 and time T2, and decreases between time T3 and time T4. Therefore, if the desired parameter change is a decrease in intensity, when the current time of day is between time T1 and time T2, the device can determine to rewind the showtime to reduce the intensity by the desired amount ΔY. However, when the current time of day is between time T3 and time T4 (where the intensity decreases over time), the device can determine to advance the showtime to reduce the intensity by the desired amount ΔY.

The device can determine whether to advance or rewind the show time relative to the time of day to satisfy a requested parameter value change ΔY, based on the configuration of the natural show. For example, the natural show can be defined by a table of parameter values for different times of day. The device can also determine whether to advance or rewind the show time relative to the current time of day, based on the current time of day and the current parameter value. This can be done in various ways. Because the natural show curve can be of any shape, the device can use analytical techniques to determine the show time on the natural show curve that best corresponds to the desired parameter value. For example, if the requested parameter change is a decrease in intensity, the device can determine the intensity at a time of day before the current time (i.e., the previously recorded value in the table immediately before the current time of day) and the intensity at a time of day immediately after the current time. The device can then compare the two intensities with the _desired intensity Y to determine which is closer. For example, the device can determine that the intensity at a time on a day immediately following the current time is closer to the desired intensity Y _{_new} than the intensity at a time on a day immediately preceding the current time (i.e., the showtime must be advanced relative to the current time of the day to achieve the desired intensity Y _{_new} ). The device can continue to adjust the showtime forward in time to achieve a value closer to Y_{_new} until the difference between the intensities of the adjusted showtimes is minimized. Alternatively, the device can determine that the desired parameter value Y _{_new} falls between two showtimes in a table. In this case, the device can choose to adjust the showtime to the showtime with the corresponding parameter value closest to Y_{_new}, or the device can interpolate between the two showtimes to achieve the desired parameter value Y_{_new} and save the new interpolated showtime and Y _{_new} value as a new entry in the table.

Understandably, this is just one example, and similar results can be obtained using other examples and numerical techniques. For instance, the device can use a table of parameter values to determine local (or global) maximum and minimum values. For example, the device can determine the location of a local minimum for a requested intensity reduction. If the local minimum occurs sometime before the current time of day, the device can determine to rewind the showtime relative to the time of day. If the local minimum occurs sometime after the current time of day, the device can determine to advance the showtime relative to the current time of day. Alternatively, this can be determined using slope, binary search, or other numerical methods.

At step 640', the device can adjust the showtime to a determined showtime _{T_show_new} to satisfy the requested parameter value change ΔY. This determination can be performed by an input device, a system controller, or one or more control devices, as previously described with respect to FIG. 6A. At step 650', the device can determine one or more parameter values at the adjusted showtime (i.e., in addition to the adjusted parameter _{Y_new} ). For example, the device can also determine the color temperature at the showtime _{T_show_new} .

At step 660', one or more control devices (i.e., control target devices, such as lighting control devices, window fixtures, audio devices, etc.) can adjust parameter values based on the adjusted showtime _{T_show_new} . At step 665', the input device that received the request to change the parameter value in step 615' can determine whether an additional request to change the parameter value has been received. For example, keypad 400 can determine whether the user has pressed/actuated button 428 for the second time or has held button 428 for an additional time increment (e.g., one second). If the input device determines that an additional request has been received, the method can return to step 615' and continue to calculate the change and adjust the showtime in real time (and thereby adjust the parameter value, e.g., intensity). That is, the control device (e.g., one or more lighting fixtures) can adjust the showtime in real time (and thereby change the light output by adjusting one or more parameter values). When the light output in the room matches the light output selected by the user, the user can stop actuating/holding button 428 (or 430).

As previously described with reference to Figure 6A, after adjusting the parameter values, at step 670', the device can determine whether to exit system overriding. This determination can be performed in various different ways, examples of which will be described herein with reference to Figures 7A and 7B.

When the device determines to exit system over-control, the method can proceed to step 680', where the device can continue to adjust one or more parameter values according to the current time of day. That is, according to equation [1], the show time _{T_show} can be reset to equal the current time _{T_actual} of the day. Then the method can end.

When the device determines in step 670' not to exit system over-control, the device can continue to adjust one or more parameter values in step 690' according to the adjusted show time, periodically determine whether to exit system over-control in step 670' until exiting over-control, continue normal T _show in step 680', and the method ends.

Although the method described herein discloses adjusting parameter values (e.g., CCT and intensity) based on the adjusted showtime, the parameter values for each showtime can differ depending on whether the showtime is equal to the current time of day or whether the showtime is adjusted (backward/forward) relative to the current time of day. For example, the parameter values for the showtime (6:00 PM) at the current time of day (6:00 PM) may not necessarily be equal to the adjusted parameter values for the showtime (6:00 PM) at the current time of day (8:00 PM). That is, adjusting the showtime can cause the control device to not only adjust the showtime but also, based on said adjustment, additionally adjust which natural show curves are used during the showtime in the natural show. For example, if the show time is adjusted from 8:00 PM to 6:00 PM in the current time of day, the previous natural show could include a show curve for the lighting controls and a show curve for the position/height of the curtain cover, where the curtain cover can be opened/partially opened at 6:00 PM and completely closed at 8:00 PM. However, when the show time is reverted to 6:00 PM, the show curve for the curtain control can be removed from the natural show to prevent the curtain cover from opening to the 6:00 PM show time as defined by the curtain cover's natural show curve (because it may be dark outside at the current time of day (8:00 PM)). Meanwhile, the lighting controls can retain a portion of the natural show and can revert the corresponding parameters back to the adjusted show time (6:00 PM).

In another example, the show time at 6 PM (corresponding to 6 PM in the daytime) can be programmed to adjust the lights to intensity A and color temperature B, and turn the music stage or playlist to volume level 50%. According to the first example, the adjusted show time of 6:00 PM (corresponding to 8:00 PM in the daytime) can be programmed to adjust the lights to intensity A and color temperature B, and turn the music stage or playlist to volume level 50%, thus perfectly reproducing the authentic show at the 6:00 PM show time when the current time of day is 6:00 PM. Alternatively, according to the second example, the adjusted show time of 6:00 PM (corresponding to 8:00 PM in the daytime) can be programmed to adjust the lights to intensity A and color temperature B, but may not turn on the music stage or playlist. According to the third example, the adjusted show time of 6:00 PM (corresponding to 8:00 PM in the daytime) can be programmed to adjust the lights to intensity C and color temperature D. Other examples are possible.

Figures 7A and 7B depict exemplary processes 700 and 750 that can be performed simultaneously with methods 600 and 600' of Figures 6A and 6B and can be further used in steps 670 and 670' respectively to determine whether to exit system over-control.

When the showtime is adjusted at step 710 (corresponding to steps 640, 640' in Figures 6A and 6B), process 700 of Figure 7A can begin. In response to the adjustment of the showtime, the device can start a timer at step 720. For example, if the device is a system controller, it can start the timer when a command to adjust the showtime is transmitted to the control device. According to a second example, if the device is a control device, it can start timing when the parameter value of the electrical load (i.e., intensity, etc.) is adjusted. Other examples are possible.

At step 730, the device can determine whether the timer is equal to or has exceeded a predetermined timeout threshold. The device can determine whether the timer is equal to or has exceeded the predetermined timeout threshold by comparing the timer with the predetermined timeout threshold. If the timer has not exceeded the timeout threshold, the device can continue to perform step 730 periodically (e.g., every ten minutes, or in any other desired time increment) until the timer exceeds the timeout threshold. When the timer is equal to or exceeds the timeout threshold, the device can determine to exit system over-control at step 740. For example, the timeout threshold can be a fixed amount of time, such as one hour; or the threshold can be set by the user. Upon exiting system over-control, methods 600, 600' of Figures 6A and 6B can continue to steps 680, 680', and the showtime can be changed to be equal to the current time of day, thereby adjusting one or more corresponding parameter values accordingly. For example, one or more lighting control devices can use, for example, fade-in/fade-out rates to gradually adjust the light intensity.

When the showtime is adjusted at step 760 (corresponding to steps 640 and 640' in Figures 6A and 6B), process 750 of Figure 7B can begin. At step 770, the device can determine whether the current time T of the day is _actually greater than or equal to the reset time _{T_reset} by comparing the current time of the day with the reset time. The reset time _{T_reset} can be a fixed value, such as 12:00 AM, or the reset time can be set by the user. If the current time T of the day is not _actually greater than or equal to the reset time _{T_reset} , the device can continue to perform step 770 periodically (e.g., every ten minutes, or in any other desired time increment) until the current time T of the day is _actually greater than or equal to the reset time _{T_reset} , at which point the method can proceed to step 780 and the device can determine to exit system overriding. Upon exiting system overriding, methods 600 and 600' of Figures 6A and 6B can continue to steps 680 and 680', and the showtime can be changed to be equal to the current time of the day, thereby adjusting one or more corresponding parameter values accordingly.

The processes 700 and 750 described in Figures 7A and 7B are provided as exemplary methods (i.e., timeout conditions) for determining when to exit system overriding in steps 670 and 670' of Figures 6A and 6B. However, other methods are possible. For example, a user can press a button on the keypad 400 of Figure 4, such as the Natural Show button 420, or one or more of the buttons 422-426 (e.g., Static Scene or Show button), to exit system overriding. When system overriding exits, the show time can be reset to the current time of day, even if the current scene/show is static and does not change relative to time.

Figure 8 is an exemplary block diagram of a network device (e.g., network device 144, as shown in Figures 1, 3A, and 3B). Network device 800 may include one or more general-purpose processors, special-purpose processors, conventional processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), microprocessors, microcontrollers, integrated circuits, programmable logic devices (PLDs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), etc., and/or may also include one or more other processing elements, such as one or more graphics processors (collectively referred to below as one or more processors 802). The one or more processors 802 may control the functions of the network device and, in addition to executing other software applications such as one or more operating systems, database management systems, etc., may execute control applications 803 to provide the features and functions described herein. The one or more processors 802 may also perform signal encoding, data processing, power control, input/output processing, and any other functions that enable network device 800 to perform as described herein.

The network device 800 may also include one or more memory modules/devices 804 (including volatile and non-volatile memory modules/devices), which may be non-removable and/or removable. The memory modules/devices 804 may be communicatively coupled to one or more processors 802. The non-removable memory modules/devices 804 may include random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), one or more hard disks, or any other type of non-removable memory storage device. The removable memory modules/devices 804 may include a subscriber identity module (SIM) card, memory stick, memory card, or any other type of removable memory. The one or more memory modules/devices 804 may store control applications 803 and may also provide execution space when the one or more processors execute the control applications.

The network device 800 may also include one or more visual displays/terminals 806, which may be communicatively coupled to one or more processors 802. The visual display 806 may, together with the one or more processors 802, display information to a user via one or more GUIs of a mobile application. The one or more displays 806 and the one or more processors 802 may communicate bidirectionally because the display 806 may include a touch-sensitive visual screen module configured to receive information from the user and provide such information to the one or more processors 802. The network device 800 may also include one or more input/output (I/O) devices 812 (e.g., keyboard, touchpad, mouse, trackball, audio speaker, audio receiver, etc.) that may be communicatively coupled to the one or more processors 802. For example, the I/O devices may allow the user to interact with a control application 803.

Network device 800 may also include one or more transceiver/communication circuits (collectively, one or more communication circuits 808) for communication (transmission and/or reception) via wired and/or wireless communication networks. The one or more communication circuits 808 may include one or more RF transceivers or one or more other circuits configured to perform wireless communication via one or more antennas. The one or more communication circuits 808 may communicate with one or more processors 802 to transmit and/or receive information. Each module within network device 800 may be powered by power supply 810. Power supply 810 may include, for example, an AC power supply and/or a DC power supply. Power supply 810 may generate a supply voltage _VCC for powering the modules within network device 800.

In addition to GUI-based software modules that include, for example, graphical features and visual images as described herein, the control application 803 may also include one or more logic engines for providing features of the GUI as generally described herein and features of the application. The GUI-based software modules and/or logic engines may be one or more software-based modules that include, for example, instructions stored on and/or executed from one or more tangible memory devices/modules of the network device as shown above. Features of the control application may also be provided by firmware and/or hardware that complements or replaces the software-based modules. Furthermore, the network device 800 is an example, and the control application may execute on other types of computing devices.

Furthermore, control application 803 is described herein as a standalone application that executes on a network device and transmits messages to system controller 150 or directly to, for example, one or more control target devices. In other words, the logic of the control application and the generated graphics associated with said application are described herein as executing from the network device. Nevertheless, the features and/or graphics of the control application may be implemented in other ways, such as a network-hosted application, wherein the network device interfaces with the network-hosted application using a local application (e.g., a web browser or other application) to provide the features and functions as described herein.

Figure 9 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary system controller 900 (such as system controller 150 described herein). System controller 900 may include control circuitry 902. Control circuitry 902 may be one or more general-purpose processors, special-purpose processors, conventional processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), microprocessors, microcontrollers, integrated circuits, programmable logic devices (PLDs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or any suitable controller or processing device, etc. (collectively, hereinafter referred to as one or more processors or one or more control circuits 1202). Control circuitry 902 may be configured to execute one or more software-based applications including instructions that, when executed by control circuitry, may configure control circuitry to perform signal encoding, data processing, power control, input/output processing, or, for example, any other function, process, and/or operation that enables system controller 900 to perform as described herein. It will be appreciated that, in addition to and/or as a substitute for software-based instructions, the functions, features, processes, and/or operations of system controller 900 described herein may also be provided by firmware and/or hardware. The control circuit 902 can store information in the memory 904 and/or retrieve information therefrom, including configuration information/one or more configuration information files, one or more backup files, creation time, and one or more signatures as described herein.

Memory 904 can also store software-based instructions for execution by control circuitry 902, and can also provide execution space when control circuitry executes instructions. Memory 904 can be implemented as an external integrated circuit (IC) or as internal circuitry of control circuitry 902. Memory 904 can include volatile and non-volatile memory modules/devices, and can be non-removable and/or removable memory modules/devices. Non-removable memory can include random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), hard disk, or any other type of non-removable memory storage device. Removable memory can include a subscriber identity module (SIM) card, memory stick, memory card, or any other type of removable memory. It will be understood that memory used to store one or more configuration information files and/or one or more backup files and/or software-based instructions, etc., can be the same and/or different memory modules/devices of the system controller. As an example, one or more configuration information files and software-based instructions can be stored in a non-volatile memory module/device, while one or more backups can be stored in volatile and/or non-volatile memory modules/devices.

System controller 900 may include one or more communication circuitry/network interface devices or cards 906 for transmitting and/or receiving information. Communication circuitry 906 may perform wireless and/or wired communication. System controller 900 may also include, or alternatively include, one or more communication circuitry/network interface devices or cards 908 for transmitting and/or receiving information. Communication circuitry 906 may perform wireless and/or wired communication. Communication circuitry 906 and 908 may communicate with control circuitry 902. Communication circuitry 906 and/or 908 may include radio frequency (RF) transceivers or other communication modules configured to perform wireless communication via one or more antennas. Communication circuitry 906 and communication circuitry 908 may be configured to perform communication via the same communication channel/protocol or different communication channels/protocols. For example, communication circuit 906 can be configured to communicate via a wireless communication channel (e.g., Thread, ZigBee, Near Field Communication (NFC), Wi-Fi, etc.) (e.g., communicating with a network device via a network, etc.), and communication circuit 908 can be configured to communicate via another wireless communication channel (e.g., or a proprietary communication channel (such as CLEAR CONNECT ^™ )) (e.g., communicating with a control device and/or other devices in a load control system).

Control circuitry 902 may communicate with one or more LED indicators 912 to provide indications to the user. Control circuitry 902 may also communicate with one or more actuators 914 (e.g., one or more buttons), which may be actuated by the user to transmit user selections to control circuitry 902. For example, actuator 914 may be actuated to place control circuitry 902 in an associated mode and/or transmit associated messages from system controller 900.

Each module within the system controller 900 may be powered by a power supply 910. The power supply 910 may include, for example, an AC power supply or a DC power supply. The power supply 910 may generate a supply voltage _VCC to power the modules within the system controller 900. It will be appreciated that the system controller 900 may include other, fewer, and/or additional modules.

Figure 10 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary control target device 1000 (e.g., a load control device) as described herein. The control target device 1000 may be a dimmer switch, an electronic switch, an electronic ballast for a luminaire, an LED driver for an LED light source, an AC plug-in load control device, a temperature control device (e.g., a thermostat), a motor drive unit for power window covers, or other load control devices. The control target device 1000 may include one or more communication circuitry/network interface devices or cards 1002. The communication circuitry 1002 may include a receiver, an RF transceiver, and/or other communication modules configured to perform wired and/or wireless communication via a communication link 1010. The control target device 1000 may include one or more general-purpose processors, special-purpose processors, conventional processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), microprocessors, microcontrollers, integrated circuits, programmable logic devices (PLDs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or any suitable controller or processing device, etc. (collectively, referred to below as one or more processors or one or more control circuitry 1004). Control circuitry 1004 can be configured to execute one or more software-based applications including instructions that, when executed by control circuitry, can configure control circuitry to perform signal encoding, data processing, power control, input/output processing, or, for example, any other function, feature, process, and/or operation that enables target device 1000 to perform as described herein. It will be appreciated that, in addition to and/or as a substitute for software-based instructions, the functions, features, processes, and/or operations of target device 1000 described herein can also be provided by firmware and/or hardware.

Control circuitry 1004 can store and/or retrieve information from memory 1006. For example, memory 1006 can maintain a registry and/or control configuration information for associated control devices. Memory 1006 can also store software-based instructions for execution by control circuitry 1004 and provide execution space when the control circuitry executes the instructions. Memory 1006 can be implemented as an external integrated circuit (IC) or as internal circuitry of control circuitry 1004. Memory 1006 can include volatile and non-volatile memory modules/devices and can be non-removable and/or removable memory modules/devices. Non-removable memory can include random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), hard disk, or any other type of non-removable memory storage device. Removable memory can include a subscriber identity module (SIM) card, memory stick, memory card, or any other type of removable memory. Control circuitry 1004 can also communicate with communication circuitry 1002.

The control target device 1000 may include a load control circuit 1008. The load control circuit 1008 may receive commands from the control circuit 1004 and control the electrical load 1016 based on the received commands. The load control circuit 1008 may send status feedback regarding the state of the electrical load 1016 to the control circuit 1004. The load control circuit 1008 may receive power via a thermal connection 1012 and a neutral connection 1014, and may supply a certain amount of power to the electrical load 1016. The electrical load 1016 may include any type of electrical load.

Control circuitry 1004 may communicate with actuator 1018 (e.g., one or more buttons), which may be actuated by a user to transmit user selections to control circuitry 1004. For example, actuator 1018 may be actuated to place control circuitry 1004 into association or discovery mode and may transmit association or discovery messages from target device 1000. It will be appreciated that target device 1000 may include other, fewer, and/or additional modules.

Figure 11 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary control source device 1100 as described herein. The control source device 1100 may be a keypad, remote control device, occupancy sensor, daylight sensor, window sensor, temperature sensor, etc. The control source device 1100 may include one or more general-purpose processors, special-purpose processors, conventional processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), microprocessors, microcontrollers, integrated circuits, programmable logic devices (PLDs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or any suitable controller or processing device, etc. (collectively, referred to below as one or more processors or one or more control circuits 1102). The control circuit 1102 may be configured to execute one or more software-based applications including instructions that, when executed by the control circuit, may configure the control circuit to perform signal encoding, data processing, power control, input/output processing, or, for example, any other function, feature, process, and/or operation that enables the control source device 1100 to perform as described herein. It will be appreciated that, in addition to and/or as a substitute for software-based instructions, the functions, features, processes, and/or operations of the control source device 1100 described herein may be provided by firmware and/or hardware. Control circuitry 1102 may store information in and/or retrieve information from memory 1104. Memory 1104 may also store software-based instructions for execution by control circuitry 1102 and may also provide execution space when the control circuitry executes the instructions. Memory 1104 may be implemented as an external integrated circuit (IC) or as internal circuitry of control circuitry 1102. Memory 1104 may include volatile and non-volatile memory modules/devices and may be non-removable and/or removable memory modules/devices. Non-removable memory may include random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), hard disk, or any other type of non-removable memory storage device. Removable memory may include a subscriber identity module (SIM) card, memory stick, memory card, or any other type of removable memory.

The control source device 1100 may include one or more communication circuitry/network interface devices or cards 1108 for transmitting and/or receiving information. The communication circuitry 1108 may transmit and/or receive information via wired and/or wireless communication. The communication circuitry 1108 may include transmitters, RF transceivers, and/or other circuitry configured to perform wired and/or wireless communication. The communication circuitry 1108 may communicate with the control circuitry 1102 to transmit and/or receive information.

Control circuitry 1102 may also communicate with one or more input circuits 1106. Input circuitry 1106 may include one or more actuators (e.g., one or more buttons) and/or sensor circuitry (e.g., occupancy sensor circuitry, sunlight sensor circuitry, or temperature sensor circuitry) for receiving inputs that may be sent to a control target device for controlling an electrical load. For example, a control source device may receive inputs from input circuitry 1106 to place control circuitry 1102 into an associated mode and/or transmit associated messages from the control source device. Control circuitry 1102 may receive information from input circuitry 1106 (e.g., indications that a button has been actuated or sensed information). Each module within control source device 1100 may be powered by power supply 1110. It will be appreciated that control source device 1100 may include other, fewer, and/or additional modules.

In addition to those described herein, the methods and systems may also be implemented in one or more computer programs, software, or firmware incorporated in one or more computer-readable media for execution by, for example, one or more computers or one or more processors. Examples of computer-readable media include electronic signals (transmitted via wired or wireless connections) and tangible/non-transitory computer-readable storage media. Examples of tangible/non-transitory computer-readable storage media include, but are not limited to, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), removable disks, and optical media such as CD-ROM disks and Digital Universal Disk (DVD).

It is understood that the embodiments provided herein are intended only as representative examples, and this disclosure is not limited to these examples. For example, although a load control system has been described herein as relating to a room or area, multiple rooms in a residence or building may also be part of a load control system. However, different rooms may operate according to different natural show schedules, and the show times may also differ, and these show times may be adjusted independently. Furthermore, network devices described as communicating with the system controller via the Internet may alternatively communicate directly with the system controller. Therefore, the above description of exemplary embodiments does not limit this disclosure. Other examples are also considered possible within the scope of this disclosure.

Claims (54)

1. A load control system for controlling one or more parameters of an electrical load according to the duration of a performance, wherein each of the one or more parameters has a corresponding parameter value that changes over time, the load control system comprising: An input device, the input device including a button, wherein in response to actuation of the button, the input device is configured to transmit a command based on the actuation, wherein the command includes an indication to change the showtime backward or forward relative to the current time of day; Load control device, the load control device comprising: Communication circuits; Load control circuit, used to control the electrical force supplied to an electrical load; A control circuit operatively connected to the communication circuit and the load control circuit, wherein the control circuit is configured to: The electrical load is controlled via the load control circuit by adjusting the value of each of the one or more parameters of the electrical load based on the showtime, wherein the showtime is set to the current time of the day; The command to change the show time backward or forward relative to the current time of the day is received via the communication circuit. The adjusted showtime is determined based on the received command and the current time of day. Based on the determination, the show time is adjusted to the adjusted show time, such that the show time is not equal to the current time of the day; Determine the value of each of the one or more parameters at the adjusted showtime; and The electrical load is controlled by adjusting each corresponding parameter value of one or more of the parameters of the electrical load to a determined corresponding parameter value. 2. The load control system according to claim 0, wherein the control circuit of the load control device is further configured as follows: Determine whether to reset the showtime to equal the current time of the day; and Based on the determination, the show time is reset to be equal to the current time of the day. 3. The load control system according to claim 0, wherein the control circuit is further configured as follows: In response to adjusting the showtime, a timer is started when the electrical load is controlled to the determined corresponding parameter value; and Determining whether to reset the showtime includes: Compare the timer with the threshold; and When the timer is equal to or exceeds the threshold, it is determined that the showtime will be reset to be equal to the current time of the day. 4. The load control system according to claim 0, wherein determining whether to reset the showtime includes: Compare the current time of the day with the reset time; and When the current time of the day is greater than or equal to the reset time, the showtime is determined to be reset. 5. The load control system of claim 0, wherein the command includes a first command, and wherein the control circuit is further configured to: Receive a second command via the communication circuit; and In response to receiving the second command, the system determines to reset the showtime. 6. The load control system of claim 0, wherein the second command includes a scene or show command transmitted in response to actuation of a second button on the input device, wherein the scene or show command corresponds to at least one static parameter value. 7. The load control system according to claim 0, wherein the input device comprises one of the following: a system controller, a keypad device, a dimmer switch, a network device, a remote controller, or a thermostat. 8. The load control system of claim 0, wherein the one or more parameters of the electrical load include one or more of the following: color temperature, light intensity, spectrum, room temperature, load state, volume, or position of window covering. 9. The load control system of claim 0, wherein the command includes one of the following instructions: increasing the showtime, decreasing the showtime, or switching to a specific showtime. 10. The load control system of claim 0, wherein the input device comprises a network device, and the button comprises a clock adjustment on the graphical user interface of the network device. 11. The load control system of claim 0, wherein the input device is configured to communicate with the load control device via one of Wi-Fi, Thread, Bluetooth, ZigBee or a proprietary protocol. 12. The load control system according to claim 1, wherein the load control device includes a first load control device, the electrical load includes a first electrical load, and wherein the load control system further includes: A second load control device, configured to control the electrical force to a second electrical load; The second load control device is configured to control the second electrical load by adjusting the value of each of one or more parameters of the second electrical load based on the showtime, wherein the showtime is set to the current time of the day; and The second load control device is configured to stop adjusting each corresponding parameter value of one or more parameters of the second electrical load in response to receiving a command to change the showtime backward or forward relative to the current time of the day. 13. The load control system of claim 12, wherein the first load control device includes a lighting control device, and wherein the second load control device includes one of: an electric window cover, a thermostat, an audio device, or a television. 14. A load control system for controlling one or more parameters of an electrical load according to the duration of a performance, wherein each of the one or more parameters has a corresponding value that changes over time, the load control system comprising: An input device, the input device including a button, wherein in response to actuation of the button, the input device is configured to transmit a command based on the actuation, wherein the command includes an indication to change the showtime backward or forward relative to the current time of day; Load control device, the load control device comprising: Communication circuits; A load control circuit for controlling one or more parameters of the electrical load; A control circuit operatively connected to the communication circuit and the load control circuit, wherein the control circuit is configured to control the electrical load via the load control circuit by adjusting the value of each of one or more parameters of the electrical load based on the showtime, wherein the showtime is set to the current time of the day; and System controller, the system controller comprising: Communication circuits; and A control circuit, operably connected to the communication circuit, wherein the control circuit is configured to: The command to change the show time backward or forward relative to the current time of the day is received via the communication circuit. The adjusted showtime is determined based on the current time of day and the received commands; Based on the determination, the showtime is adjusted to the adjusted showtime, such that the showtime is not equal to the current time of the day; and Transmit messages to the load control device; The control circuit of the load control device is configured as follows: In response to receiving the message, the electrical load is controlled by adjusting the value of each of the one or more parameters of the electrical load based on the adjusted showtime. 15. The load control system of claim 0, wherein the message includes the adjusted showtime; and The control circuit of the load control device is further configured as follows: In response to receiving the adjusted showtime, determine the value of each of the one or more parameters of the electrical load at the adjusted showtime. 16. The load control system of claim 0, wherein the control circuit of the system controller is further configured to: Determine the value of each of the one or more parameters of the electrical load at the adjusted showtime; and The message includes a control command that adjusts the corresponding parameter value of one or more parameters of the electrical load. 17. The load control system of claim 0, wherein the control circuit of the system controller is further configured to: Determine whether to reset the showtime to equal the current time of the day; and Based on the determination, the show time is reset to be equal to the current time of the day. 18. The load control system of claim 0, wherein the control circuit of the system controller is further configured to: In response to adjusting the showtime, a timer is started when the electrical load is controlled to a determined corresponding parameter value; and In order to determine whether to reset the adjusted showtime, the control circuit of the system controller is configured as follows: Compare the timer with the threshold; and When the timer is equal to or exceeds the threshold, the showtime is reset. 19. The load control system of claim 0, wherein, in order to determine whether to reset the showtime, the control circuit of the system controller is configured to: Determine whether the current time of the day is greater than or equal to the reset time; When the current time of the day is greater than or equal to the reset time, the showtime is determined to be reset. 20. The load control system of claim 0, wherein the command includes a first command, and wherein the control circuit of the system controller is further configured to: Receive a second command from the input device via the communication circuit of the system controller; and In response to receiving the second command, the system determines to reset the showtime. 21. The load control system of claim 0, wherein the second command includes a scene or show command transmitted in response to actuation of a second button on the input device, wherein the scene or show command corresponds to at least one static parameter value. 22. The load control system of claim 0, wherein the input device comprises one of the following: a keypad device, a dimmer switch, a network device, a remote control, or a thermostat. 23. The load control system of claim 0, wherein the input device comprises a network device, and the button comprises a clock adjustment on the graphical user interface of the network device. 24. The load control system of claim 0, wherein the one or more parameters of the electrical load include one or more of the following: color temperature, light intensity, spectrum, room temperature, load state, volume, or position of window covering. 25. The load control system of claim 0, wherein the command includes one of the following instructions: increasing the showtime, decreasing the showtime, or switching to a specific showtime. 26. The load control system of claim 0, wherein the input device is configured to communicate with the system controller via a first protocol including one of Wi-Fi, Thread, Bluetooth, Zigbee or a proprietary protocol. 27. The load control system of claim 0, wherein the system controller is configured to communicate with the load control device via a second protocol including one of Wi-Fi, Thread, Bluetooth, ZigBee or a proprietary protocol. 28. The load control system of claim 0, wherein the first protocol and the second protocol comprise the same protocol. 29. The load control system of claim 0, wherein the first protocol and the second protocol comprise different protocols. 30. The load control system according to claim 14, wherein the load control device includes a first load control device; the load control system further includes: A second load control device, configured to control the electrical force to a second electrical load; The second load control device is configured to control the second electrical load by adjusting the value of each of one or more parameters of the second electrical load based on the showtime, wherein the showtime is set to the current time of the day; and The second load control device is configured to stop adjusting each corresponding parameter value of one or more parameters of the second electrical load in response to receiving a message from the system controller including the adjusted showtime. 31. The load control system of claim 30, wherein the first load control device includes a lighting control device, and wherein the second load control device includes one of: an electric window cover, a thermostat, an audio device, or a television set. 32. A method for adjusting the values of one or more parameters of an electrical load according to a showtime equal to the current time of day, said one or more parameters including color temperature, intensity, spectrum, temperature, load status, volume, or the position of a window covering, said method comprising: Receive input including a request to change the showtime backward or forward relative to the current time of the day; In response to receiving the input, determine the current time of the day; The showtime is adjusted backward or forward relative to the current time of the day based on the received input; Determine the value of each of the one or more parameters at the adjusted showtime; and The electrical load is controlled by adjusting each of the corresponding parameter values of one or more parameters of the electrical load to a determined one or more parameter values. 33. The method of claim 0, wherein the input comprises actuation of a button on a control device. 34. The method of claim 0, wherein the control device comprises one of the following: a system controller, a keypad device, a dimmer switch, a network device, a remote controller, or a thermostat. 35. A control device for controlling one or more parameter values of an electrical load based on a showtime equal to the current time of day, wherein each of the one or more parameters has a corresponding parameter value that changes over time, the control device comprising: A communication circuit configured to communicate with an input device; A load control circuit for controlling one or more parameters of the electrical load; A control circuit operatively connected to the communication circuit and the load control circuit, wherein the control circuit is configured to: The system receives a command from the input device via the communication circuit to adjust the showtime backward or forward relative to the current time of the day. The adjusted showtime is determined based on the received command and the current time of day. Based on the determination, the show time is adjusted to the adjusted show time, such that the show time is not equal to the current time of the day; Determine the value of each of the one or more parameters at the adjusted showtime; and The load control circuit controls the electrical load in response to receiving a message by adjusting the corresponding parameter value of each of the one or more parameters to a determined corresponding parameter value. 36. The control device according to claim 0, wherein the control circuit is further configured to: Determine whether to reset the showtime to equal the current time of the day; and Based on the determination, the show time is reset to be equal to the current time of the day. 37. The control device according to claim 0, wherein the control circuit is further configured to: In response to adjusting the showtime, a timer is started when the electrical load is controlled to the determined corresponding parameter value; and In order to determine whether to reset the showtime to the current time of the day, the control circuit is configured as follows: Compare the timer with the threshold; and When the timer is equal to or exceeds the threshold, the showtime is reset. 38. The control device of claim 0, wherein, in order to determine whether to reset the showtime, the control circuit is configured to: Compare the current time of the day with the reset time; When the current time of the day is greater than or equal to the reset time, it is determined that the showtime is reset to the current time of the day. 39. The control device of claim 0, wherein the command includes a first command, and wherein the control circuit is further configured to: Receive a second command via the communication circuit; and In response to receiving the second command, the system determines to reset the showtime. 40. The control device of claim 0, wherein the second command includes a scene or show command transmitted in response to actuation of a second button on the input device, wherein the scene or show command corresponds to at least one static parameter value. 41. The control device according to claim 0, wherein the input device comprises one of the following: a system controller, a keypad device, a dimmer switch, a network device, a remote controller, or a thermostat. 42. The control device of claim 0, wherein the one or more parameters of the electrical load include one or more of the following: color temperature, intensity, spectrum, temperature, load state, volume, or position of window covering. 43. The control device of claim 0, wherein the command includes an instruction to increase the show time, decrease the show time, or switch to a specific show time. 44. The control device of claim 0, wherein the communication circuit of the load control device is configured to receive the command via a wireless protocol including one of the following: Wi-Fi, Thread, Bluetooth, ZigBee, or a proprietary protocol. 45. A system controller configured to communicate with a load control device for controlling one or more parameters of an electrical load based on showtime, wherein each of the one or more parameters has a corresponding parameter value that changes over time, the system controller comprising: Communication circuitry, the communication circuitry being configured to communicate with an input device; and A control circuit, operably connected to the communication circuit, wherein the control circuit is configured to: The first command is received from the input device via the communication circuit to change the showtime backward or forward relative to the current time of day. The adjusted showtime is determined based on the first command received and the current time of the day; Based on the determination, the showtime is adjusted to the adjusted showtime, such that the showtime is not equal to the current time of the day; and The second command is transmitted to the load control device so that the load control device controls the electrical load by adjusting each corresponding parameter value of one or more parameters of the electrical load to a determined corresponding parameter value based on the adjusted show time. 46. The system controller of claim 0, wherein the control circuit is further configured to: Determine whether to reset the showtime to equal the current time of the day; and Based on the determination, the show time is reset to be equal to the current time of the day. 47. The system controller of claim 0, wherein the control circuit is further configured to: A timer is started in response to adjusting the showtime; and In order to determine whether to reset the showtime, the control circuit is configured as follows: Compare the timer with the threshold; and When the timer is equal to or exceeds the threshold, the showtime is reset. 48. The system controller of claim 0, wherein, in order to determine whether to reset the showtime, the control circuit is configured to: Compare the current time of the day with the reset time; and When the current time of the day is greater than or equal to the reset time, the showtime is determined to be reset. 49. The system controller of claim 0, wherein the control circuit is further configured to: Receive a third command via the communication circuit; and In response to receiving the third command, the system determines to reset the showtime. 50. The system controller of claim 0, wherein the second command includes a scene or show command transmitted in response to actuation of a second button on the input device, wherein the scene or show command corresponds to at least one static parameter value. 51. The system controller of claim 0, wherein the input device comprises one of the following: a keypad device, a dimmer switch, a network device, a remote control, or a thermostat. 52. The system controller of claim 0, wherein the one or more parameters of the electrical load include one or more of the following: color temperature, light intensity, spectrum, room temperature, load status, volume, or the position of window covering. 53. The system controller of claim 0, wherein the first command includes one of the following instructions: increasing the showtime, decreasing the showtime, or switching to a specific showtime. 54. The system controller of claim 0, wherein the communication circuit of the load control device is configured to receive the first command via a wireless protocol including one of the following: Wi-Fi, Thread, Bluetooth, ZigBee, or a proprietary protocol.