Motorized window treatment monitoring and control

• US 10,139,791 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2015
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
• Original Assignee: Lutron Electronics Company Incorporated (Lutron Electronics)
• Inventors: Lundy, Stephen, Protzman, Brent
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chu, Alan
• Application Number:
  US14/820,420
• Publication Number:
  US 20160040478A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,209 Days
• Field of Search: 160108, 160123, 700275
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2009/6827 sensing light
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/68 Operating devices or mechanisms, e.g. with electric drive
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 11/01 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house

Abstract

Motorized window treatments may each adjust a position of a covering material to allow light into a space in a building. The control information for controlling the motorized window treatments may be stored and/or accessed to understand how the motorized window treatments are operating. The control information may indicate a control state and/or a position of the covering material when an identified daylight intensity is being received at the space. The control information may inform a user of the operation of the motorized window treatments and allow the user to adjust various control parameters by which the motorized window treatments may be controlled. Recommended adjustments may also be provided to the user based on a user-identified problem with the operation of the motorized window treatments. The recommended adjustments to the control parameters may be accepted by the user and may be stored for being accessed and/or edited.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a motorized window treatment in a space, the motorized window treatment comprising a covering material and configured to adjust a position of the covering material in response to received messages, the method comprising:

storing in memory, by at least one control circuit, daylight intensities determined from measurements made by at least one sensor over a period of time;

storing in the memory, by the at least one control circuit, motorized window treatment control information reflecting control of the motorized window treatment over the period of time,

wherein the motorized window treatment control information comprises a plurality of control states over the period of time, and a plurality of positions to which the covering material was adjusted over the period of time, wherein each position of the plurality of positions is associated with at least one of the plurality of control states and is further associated with at least one of the daylight intensities;

receiving, by the at least one control circuit from a computing device via a communications network, a request for the motorized window treatment control information and the daylight intensities, wherein the request comprises the period of time associated with the motorized window treatment control information and the daylight intensities;

accessing from the memory, by the at least one control circuit, the motorized window treatment control information and the daylight intensities associated with the period of time;

accessing, by the at least one control circuit, motorized window treatment control parameters for the period of time, wherein the motorized window treatment was controlled according to the motorized window treatment control parameters over the period of time;

displaying, by the at least one control circuit via a graphical user interface on the computing device, the accessed motorized window treatment control information, the accessed daylight intensities, and at least one of the motorized window treatment control parameters;

receiving, by the at least one control circuit from the computing device, an adjustment to at least one motorized window treatment control parameter;

based at least in part on the adjustment to the at least one motorized window treatment control parameter, determining, by the at least one control circuit, a position of the covering material for the motorized window treatment; and

communicating, by the at least one control circuit to the motorized window treatment via a communications network, a message that includes the determined position, wherein the motorized window treatment adjusts the covering material to the determined position in response to the message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of control states includes an automated control state and at least one override state for overriding the automated control state.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one override state includes at least one of a bright override state, a manual override state, a hold visor override state, or a dark override state.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein displaying further comprises displaying the plurality of positions of the covering material, the plurality of control states, and the accessed daylight intensities in a graph that represents the positions of the covering material, the plurality of control states, and the accessed daylight intensities over the period of time.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the graph further comprises an indication at each adjustment to the position of the covering material, and wherein each indication is selectable to provide a time of the respective adjustment.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the motorized window treatment control parameters include at least one of a visor position, a hold visor override threshold, a bright override threshold, a bright override position, a bright override time period, a bright override hysteresis, a dark override threshold, a dark override hysteresis, a dark override position, a dark override delay time period, a morning ramping period for the dark override threshold, or an evening ramping period for the dark override threshold.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusted at least one motorized window treatment control parameter is associated with a bright override state and comprises a bright override threshold, or is associated with a dark override state and comprises a dark override threshold.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the dark override state comprises a morning ramping period and an evening ramping period.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining predicted motorized window treatment control information based on the received adjustment to the at least one motorized window treatment control parameter; and

displaying the predicted motorized window treatment control information via a graphical user interface on the computing device.

10. A load control system for controlling an amount of daylight in a space, the load control system comprising:

a motorized window treatment comprising a covering material and configured to adjust the covering material in response to received messages to control the amount of daylight in the space; and

at least one control circuit configured to;

store in memory daylight intensities determined from measurements made by at least one sensor over a period of time;

store in the memory motorized window treatment control information reflecting control of the motorized window treatment over the period of time,

wherein the motorized window treatment control information comprises a plurality of control states over the period of time, and a plurality of positions to which the covering material was adjusted over the period of time, wherein each position of the plurality of positions is associated with at least one of the plurality of control states and is further associated with at least one of the daylight intensities;

receive, from a computing device via a communications network, a request for the motorized window treatment control information and the daylight intensities, wherein the request comprises the period of time associated with the motorized window treatment control information and the daylight intensities;

access from the memory the motorized window treatment control information and the daylight intensities associated with the period of time;

access motorized window treatment control parameters for the period of time, wherein the motorized window treatment was controlled according to the motorized window treatment control parameters over the period of time;

display, via a graphical user interface on the computing device, the accessed motorized window treatment control information, the accessed daylight intensities, and at least one of the motorized window treatment control parameters;

receive, from the computing device, an adjustment to at least one motorized window treatment control parameter;

based at least in part on the adjustment to the at least one motorized window treatment control parameter, determine a position of the covering material for the motorized window treatment; and

communicate, to the motorized window treatment via a communications network, a message that includes the determined position, wherein the motorized window treatment is configured to adjust the covering material to the determined position in response to the message.

11. The load control system of claim 10, wherein the at least one control circuit is further configured to:

determine predicted motorized window treatment control information based on the received adjustment to the at least one motorized window treatment control parameter; and

display the predicted motorized window treatment control information via a graphical user interface on the control device.

12. A method for controlling a position of a covering material of a motorized window treatment in a space, the motorized window treatment configured to adjust a position of the covering material in response to received messages, the method comprising:

storing in memory, by at least one control circuit, daylight intensities determined from measurements made by at least one sensor over a period of time;

storing in the memory, by the at least one control circuit, motorized window treatment control information reflecting control of the motorized window treatment over the period of time,

wherein the motorized window treatment control information comprises a plurality of control states over the period of time, and a plurality of positions to which the covering material was adjusted over the period of time, wherein each position of the plurality of positions is associated with at least one of the plurality of control states and is further associated with at least one of the daylight intensities;

receiving, by the at least one control circuit from a computing device via a communications network, an indicated problem with an operation of the motorized window treatment;

receiving, by the at least one control circuit from the computing device, an indication of a time period in which the operation of the motorized window treatment is performed, wherein the period of time comprises the time period;

accessing, by the at least one control circuit, a plurality of motorized window treatment control parameters that were used to control the motorized window treatment for the time period;

accessing from the memory, by the at least one control circuit, the motorized window treatment control information associated with the time period;

determining, by the at least one control circuit, a recommended adjustment to at least one of the plurality of motorized window treatment control parameters based on the indicated problem and at least a portion of the accessed motorized window treatment control information;

displaying, by the at least one control circuit via a graphical user interface on the computing device, the recommended adjustment to the at least one motorized window treatment control parameter;

receiving, by the at least one control circuit from the computing device, an indication to make the recommended adjustment to the at least one motorized window treatment control parameter;

based at least in part on the indication to make the recommended adjustment to the at least one motorized window treatment control parameter, determining, by the at least one control circuit, a position of the covering material for the motorized window treatment; and

communicating, by the at least one control circuit to the motorized window treatment via a communications network, a message that includes the determined position, wherein the motorized window treatment adjusts the covering material to the determined position in response to the message.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of motorized window treatment control parameters include at least one of a visor position for the covering material, a hold visor override threshold, a bright override threshold, a bright override position for the covering material, a bright override time period, a bright override hysteresis, a dark override threshold, a dark override hysteresis, a dark override position for the covering material, a dark override delay time period, a morning ramping period for the dark override threshold, or an evening ramping period for the dark override threshold.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

accessing from the memory one or more daylight intensities during the time period; and

wherein determining the recommended adjustment to the at least one motorized window treatment control parameter further comprises determining the recommended adjustment to the at least one motorized window treatment control parameter based on the accessed one or more daylight intensities.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the problem indicates that the operation of the motorized window treatment results in too much daylight in the space.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining from the accessed motorized window treatment control information a motorized window treatment control state under which the motorized window treatment is controlled during the time period, and

wherein, when the determined motorized window treatment control state comprises an automated control state, the recommended adjustment indicates at least one of an amount to decrease a visor position of the covering material, an amount to decrease a height of a work surface, an amount to decrease a bright override threshold, an amount to decrease a maximum depth of daylight penetration, or an amount to increase a bright override hysteresis.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining from the accessed motorized window treatment control information a motorized window treatment control state under which the motorized window treatment is controlled during the time period, and

wherein, when the determined motorized window treatment control state comprises a dark override state, the recommended adjustment indicates at least one of an amount to decrease a dark override position of the covering material, an amount to increase a dark override delay time period, an amount to decrease a dark override threshold, an amount to decrease a dark override hysteresis, an amount to decrease a slope of a morning ramping time period associated with the dark override threshold, or an amount to decrease a slope of an evening ramping time period associated with the dark override threshold.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining from the accessed motorized window treatment control information a motorized window treatment control state under which the motorized window treatment is controlled during the time period, and

wherein, when the determined motorized window treatment control state comprises a bright override state, the recommended adjustment indicates an amount to decrease a bright override position of the covering material.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining from the accessed motorized window treatment control information a motorized window treatment control state under which the motorized window treatment is controlled during the time period, and

wherein, when the determined motorized window treatment control state comprises a hold visor override state, the recommended adjustment indicates at least one of an amount to decrease a visor position of the covering material, an amount to decrease a hold visor override threshold, an amount to decrease a hold visor override hysteresis, or an amount to increase a hold visor override delay time period.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the problem indicates that the operation of the motorized window treatment results in too little daylight in the space.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

determining from the accessed motorized window treatment control information a motorized window treatment control state under which the motorized window treatment is controlled during the time period, and

wherein, when the determined motorized window treatment control state comprises an automated control state, the recommended adjustment indicates at least one of an amount to increase a visor position of the covering material, an amount to increase a hold visor override threshold, an amount to increase a dark override threshold, an amount to increase a dark override hysteresis, an amount to decrease a dark override delay time period, an amount to increase a hold visor override hysteresis, an amount to decrease a hold visor override delay time period, an amount to increase a slope of a morning ramping time period for the dark override threshold, an amount to increase a maximum depth of daylight penetration, an amount to increase a height of a work surface, or an amount to increase a slope of an evening ramping time period for the dark override threshold.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

determining from the accessed motorized window treatment control information a motorized window treatment control state under which the motorized window treatment is controlled during the time period, and

wherein, when the determined motorized window treatment control state comprises a dark override state, the recommended adjustment indicates an amount to increase a dark override position for the covering material.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

determining from the accessed motorized window treatment control information a motorized window treatment control state under which the motorized window treatment is controlled during the time period, and

wherein, when the determined motorized window treatment control state comprises a bright override state, the recommended adjustment indicates at least one of an amount to increase a bright override position of the covering material, an amount to decrease a bright override time period, an amount to decrease a bright override hysteresis, or an amount to increase a bright override threshold.

24. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

determining from the accessed motorized window treatment control information a motorized window treatment control state under which the motorized window treatment is controlled during the time period, and

wherein, when the determined motorized window treatment control state comprises a hold visor override state, the recommended adjustment indicates an amount to increase a dark override threshold, an amount to decrease a dark override delay, an amount to increase a visor position of the covering material, or an amount to increase a dark override hysteresis.

25. The method of claim 12, wherein the problem indicates that the operation of the motorized window treatment results in movements of the covering material that are too frequent, and wherein the recommended adjustment indicates at least one of an amount to increase a time interval between each movement of the covering material, an amount to increase a dark override delay, an amount to increase a dark override hysteresis, an amount to increase a bright override delay, an amount to increase a bright override hysteresis, an amount to increase a hold visor override delay, or an amount to increase a hold visor override hysteresis.

26. The method of claim 12, wherein the recommended adjustment is further based on whether the time period is during a morning, an evening, or mid-day.

27. The method of claim 12, wherein the recommended adjustment is further based on whether the space is receiving daylight directly.

28. The method of claim 12, wherein the recommended adjustment to the at least one motorized window treatment control parameter includes an amount to adjust the at least one motorized window treatment control parameter, and wherein the recommended adjustment is further based on a weight value assigned to the at least one motorized window treatment control parameter.

29. A load control system for controlling an amount of daylight in a space, the load control system comprising:

a motorized window treatment comprising a covering material and configured to adjust the covering material in response to received messages to control the amount of daylight in the space; and

at least one control circuit configured to;

store in memory daylight intensities determined from measurements made by at least one sensor over a period of time;

store in the memory motorized window treatment control information reflecting control of the motorized window treatment over the period of time,

wherein the motorized window treatment control information comprises a plurality of control states over the period of time, and a plurality of positions to which the covering material was adjusted over the period of time, wherein each position of the plurality of positions is associated with at least one of the plurality of control states and is further associated with at least one of the daylight intensities;

receive, from a computing device via a communications network, an indicated problem with an operation of the motorized window treatment;

receive, from the computing device, an indication of a time period in which the operation of the motorized window treatment is performed, wherein the period of time comprises the time period;

access a plurality of motorized window treatment control parameters that were used to control the motorized window treatment for the time period;

access from the memory the motorized window treatment control information associated with the time period;

determine a recommended adjustment to at least one of the plurality of motorized window treatment control parameters based on the indicated problem and at least a portion of the accessed motorized window treatment control information;

display, via a graphical user interface on the computing device, the recommended adjustment to the at least one motorized window treatment control parameter;

receive, from the computing device, an indication to make the recommended adjustment to the at least one motorized window treatment control parameter;

based at least in part on the indication to make the recommended adjustment to the at least one the motorized window treatment control parameter, determine a position of the covering material for the motorized window treatment; and

communicate, to the motorized window treatment via a communications network, a message that includes the determined position, wherein the motorized window treatment is configured to adjust the covering material to the determined position in response to the message.

30. The load control system of claim 29, wherein the problem indicates that the operation of the motorized window treatment results in too much daylight in the space, and wherein the at least one control circuit is further configured to:

determine from the accessed motorized window treatment control information a motorized window treatment control state under which the motorized window treatment is controlled during the time period, and

wherein to determine the recommended adjustment further comprises to determine the recommended adjustment based on the determined motorized window treatment control state under which the motorized window treatment is controlled during the time period.

31. The load control system of claim 29, wherein the problem indicates that the operation of the motorized window treatment results in too little daylight in the space, and wherein the at least one control circuit is further configured to:

determine from the accessed motorized window treatment control information a motorized window treatment control state under which the motorized window treatment is controlled during the time period, and

wherein to determine the recommended adjustment further comprises to determine the recommended adjustment based on the motorized window treatment control state under which the motorized window treatment is controlled during the time period.

32. The load control system of claim 29, wherein the problem indicates that the operation of the motorized window treatment results in movements of the covering material that are too frequent, and wherein the recommended adjustment indicates at least one of an amount to increase a time interval between each movement of the covering material, an amount to increase a dark override delay, an amount to increase a dark override hysteresis, an amount to increase a bright override delay, an amount to increase a bright override hysteresis, an amount to increase a hold visor override delay, or an amount to increase a hold visor override hysteresis.