Selecting a window treatment fabric

• US 10,032,112 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2015
• Issued: 07/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
• Original Assignee: Lutron Electronics Company Incorporated (Lutron Electronics)
• Inventors: Blair, Edward J., Chambers, Samuel F., Gabriel, Laura M., Greene, Michelle L., Lawler, Andrew J., Parks, Joseph Roy, Protzman, Brent, Quirk, Staci L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Paulinho E
• Application Number:
  US14/677,941
• Publication Number:
  US 20150286941A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,209 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2009/6809 Control
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2009/6818 using sensors
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2009/6827 sensing light
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/24 Screens or other constructions affording protection against light, especially against sunshine; Similar screens for privacy or appearance; Slat blindsoperating, guiding or securing devices or arrangements for roll-type closures E06B9/56; free-hanging flexible screens A47H23/00
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/32 Operating, guiding, or securing devices therefor operation of tilting bars E06B9/307
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/68 Operating devices or mechanisms, e.g. with electric drive
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/20 Design optimisation, verification or simulation optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/04 Inference or reasoning models
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 7/01 Probabilistic graphical models, e.g. probabilistic networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/82 Elements for improving aerodynamics

Abstract

A fabric selection tool provides an automated procedure for recommending and/or selecting a fabric for a window treatment to be installed in a building. The recommendation may be made to optimize the performance of the window treatment in which the fabric may be installed. The recommended fabric may be selected based on performance metrics associated with each fabric in an environment. The fabrics may be ranked based upon the performance metrics of one or more of the fabrics. One or more of the fabrics, and/or their corresponding ranks, may be displayed to a user for selection. The recommended fabrics may be determined based on combinations of fabrics that provide performance metrics for various façades of the building. Using the ranking system provided by the fabric selection tool, the user may obtain a fabric sample and/or order one or more of the recommended fabrics.

Claims

1. A method for recommending a window treatment fabric, the method comprising:

determining, by at least one computing device, at least one position of an automated window treatment that is configured to be controlled by an automated window treatment control system, wherein the at least one position of the automated window treatment causes at least a portion of at least one window of an interior space to be covered by the automated window treatment within at least one calendar day, wherein the at least one position is determined during at least two different time frames within the at least one calendar day;

determining, by the at least one computing device, metrics for each of a plurality of fabrics, wherein at least one of the determined metrics for each respective fabric comprises a predicted performance of the respective fabric when the respective fabric is used in the automated window treatment and the automated window treatment is in the determined at least one position;

ranking, by the at least one computing device, one or more of the plurality of fabrics based on the determined metrics for the one or more fabrics; and

presenting, by the at least one computing device via a user interface, a recommendation to a user for at least one of the one or more of the plurality of fabrics of the automated window treatment to be used for the at least one window, wherein the recommendation is based on the ranking of the one or more of the plurality of fabrics.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determined at least one position of the automated window treatment is determined based on automated window treatment control information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the automated window treatment control information comprises at least one of an angle of the sun, sensor information, an amount of cloud cover, and weather data.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the automated window treatment control system is configured to adjust positions of the automated window treatment in response to at least one light intensity measured by a sensor.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the automated window treatment control system is configured to adjust positions of the automated window treatment at intervals to minimize occupant distractions.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the determined at least one position of the automated window treatment is determined based on a calculated angle of the sun to limit a sunlight penetration distance in the interior space.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

computing at least one score for each of the one or more of the plurality of fabrics based on at least one of the determined metrics for each of the one or more of the plurality of fabrics, wherein the recommendation is based on the at least one score for each of the one or more of the plurality of fabrics.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one score for each of the one or more fabrics comprises at least one of a glare score that indicates a predicted amount of glare resulting in a building from use of the respective fabric in the automated window treatment, a view score that indicates an occupant'"'"'s predicted amount of view out of the at least one window from use of the respective fabric in the automated window treatment when the automated window treatment is installed, and a daylight score that indicates a predicted amount of daylight resulting in the interior space from use of the respective fabric in the automated window treatment.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the interior space is within a building, and wherein the automated window treatment control system determines the at least one position of the automated window treatment based at least on location information about the building.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the determined metrics is associated with daylight entering the interior space through the at least one window, wherein the at least one of the determined metrics comprises at least one of a daylight glare probability, a spatial daylight autonomy, and a view preservation, and

wherein the daylight glare probability indicates a maximum daylight glare intensity over a period of time, the spatial daylight autonomy indicates an amount of floor space in a building where daylight alone may provide light over a period of time, and the view preservation indicates an amount of the at least one window that may be unobstructed by the automated window treatment.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the determined metrics are received from a fabric performance engine that calculates the one or more of the determined metrics based on environmental characteristics associated with a building in which the automated window treatment will be installed and fabric data associated with the plurality of fabrics.

12. An apparatus for recommending a window treatment fabric for a motorized window treatment configured to be mounted adjacent to a window of an interior space, the motorized window treatment comprising (i) a motor drive unit responsive to an automated control system, and (ii) a window treatment configured to be installed on or around the window in such a way that the motor drive unit is configured to adjust a position of the window treatment in response to the automated control system, the apparatus comprising:

at least one control circuit;

a memory coupled to the at least one control circuit having instructions stored thereon that when executed by the at least one control circuit cause the at least one control circuit to;

determine at least one position of the window treatment as controlled by the automated control system, wherein the at least one position of the window treatment causes at least a portion of the window to be covered by the window treatment within at least one calendar day, wherein the at least one position is determined during at least two different time frames within the at least one calendar day;

determine metrics for each of a plurality of fabrics, wherein at least one of the determined metrics for each respective fabric comprises a predicted performance of the respective fabric when the respective fabric is used in the window treatment and the window treatment is in the determined at least one position;

rank one or more of the plurality of fabrics based on the determined metrics for the one or more of the plurality of fabrics; and

present a recommendation to a user for at least one of the one or more of the plurality of fabrics of the window treatment to be used for the window, where the recommendation is based on the ranking of the one or more of the plurality of fabrics.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the motor drive unit is configured to receive a digital message and to adjust the position of the window treatment in response to the received digital message.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the motor drive unit is configured to adjust the position of the window treatment in response to at least one light intensity measured by a sensor.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the motor drive unit is configured to adjust the position of the window treatment in response to the digital message at intervals to minimize occupant distractions.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the motor drive unit is configured to adjust the position of the window treatment in response to the digital message to limit a sunlight penetration distance in a space in which the window is located.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one control circuit, further cause the at least one control circuit to:

compute at least one score for each of the one or more of the plurality of fabrics based on the at least one of the determined metrics for each of the one or more of the plurality of fabrics, wherein the recommendation is based on the at least one score for each of the one or more of the plurality of fabrics.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one of the determined metrics is associated with daylight entering the interior space through the window, wherein the at least one of the determined metrics comprises at least one of a daylight glare probability, a spatial daylight autonomy, and a view preservation, and

wherein the daylight glare probability indicates a maximum daylight glare intensity over a period of time, the spatial daylight autonomy indicates an amount of floor space in a building where daylight alone may provide light over a period of time, and the view preservation indicates an amount of the window that may be unobstructed by the window treatment.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein one or more of the determined metrics are calculated based on environmental characteristics associated with a building in which the window treatment will be installed and fabric data associated with the plurality of fabrics.