Display and control of load control devices in a floorplan

• US 10,429,809 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2016
• Issued: 10/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
• Original Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
• Inventors: Baker, Rhodes B., Bull, John H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Karim, Ziaul
• Application Number:
  US15/143,156
• Publication Number:
  US 20160322817A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,250 Days
• Field of Search: 700295
• 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 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2827 Reporting to a device within the home network; wherein the reception of the information reported automatically triggers the execution of a home appliance functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/105 in response to determined parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/175 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/1965 using handheld communication devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A load control system may comprise an electrical load control device and/or a computing device. The electrical load control device may control, for example, motorized window treatments (e.g., shades), lighting controls, and/or sensors (e.g., occupancy, radio window, daylight, etc.). For example, a load control device comprising a motorized window treatment may control the position of a covering material in the window treatment. The computing device may comprise a processor and/or a graphical user interface (GUI). The computing device may be a server and/or a user device, such as a wireless user device (e.g., a cellular phone, tablet, or laptop computer). The computing device may be configured to provide graphical representations that may be displayed on a GUI based on load control information.

Claims

1. A load control system comprising a motorized window treatment configured to control a position of a covering material in a load control environment, the load control system comprising:

an electrical load control device, wherein the electrical load control device comprises the motorized window treatment configured to control the position of the covering material in the load control environment; and

a computing device configured to;

receive load control information associated with the electrical load control device, wherein the load control information comprises status information associated with the motorized window treatment, and wherein the load control information includes at least one of window sensor information that indicates an amount of natural light directly received at a window, weather information, a global position system (GPS) location associated with the load control environment, or at least one of a date or time;

determine, based on the load control information, at least one of a direction or an intensity of natural light allowed by the covering material of the motorized window treatment in at least one area in the load control environment; and

display a floorplan comprising the at least one area in the load control environment, wherein the floorplan comprises a graphical representation indicating the position of the covering material and the at least one of the direction or the intensity of the natural light allowed by the covering material of the motorized window treatment in the at least one area in the load control environment.

2. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the motorized window treatment comprises a plurality of motorized window treatments in the load control environment, wherein the computing device is further configured to determine an amount of natural light allowed in the load control environment for each motorized window treatment of the plurality of motorized window treatments, and wherein the floorplan indicates the amount of natural light allowed in the load control environment for each motorized window treatment.

3. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the graphical representation further indicates distance of the natural light into a respective area in the load control environment.

4. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the load control information comprises a load control message from an input device, and wherein the load control message is configured to control the position of the covering material via the motorized window treatment.

5. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further configured to:

determine, based on the load control environment, a status of natural light outside the load control environment; and

display a graphical representation of the status of the natural light outside the load control environment in the floorplan.

6. The load control system of claim 5, wherein the status of the natural light outside the load control environment comprises at least one indication of a location of the sun relative to the load control environment.

7. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the computing device comprises a wireless user device.

8. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is configured to display the floorplan to a wireless user device.

9. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the load control system is configured to automatically control the motorized window treatment, and wherein the computing device is configured to:

detect a manual override of an automatic control of the motorized window treatment; and

display a graphical representation of the manual override of the automatic control of the motorized window treatment in the floorplan.

10. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the load control system is configured to automatically control the motorized window treatment, and wherein the computing device is configured to:

detect an override of the automatic control of the motorized window treatment caused by a message from a window sensor, wherein the window sensor indicates the amount of natural light directly received at the window through which the natural light is allowed; and

display a graphical representation of the override caused by the message from the window sensor.

11. The load control system of claim 10, wherein the override of the automatic control is based on an indication that an amount of cloud cover has caused the amount of natural light directly received at the window through which the natural light is allowed to fall below a predefined threshold or an indication that an amount of direct sunlight has caused the amount of natural light directly received at the window through which the natural light is allowed to rise above another predefined threshold.

12. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further configured to access a historical record of the load control information, wherein the load control information includes at least one of a status of an electrical load, a status of the electrical load control device, or a status of another device in the load control environment, and wherein the graphical representation is displayed based on the historical record of the load control information.

13. The load control system of claim 12, wherein the computing device is further configured to receive an indication of a time or a time period in the historical record of the load control information, and wherein the graphical representation depicts an amount of natural light allowed in the load control environment at the time or over the time period.

14. The load control system of claim 12, wherein the computing device is further configured to receive an indication of a time or a time period associated with an occupancy sensor activity in the historical record of the load control information, and wherein the floorplan depicts a lighting load activity based on the occupancy sensor activity in the load control environment at the time or over the time period.

15. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further configured to determine, based on the load control information, a status of a lighting load in the load control environment, and wherein the floorplan indicates the status of the lighting load.

16. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further configured to determine, based on the load control information, an occupancy status of the load control environment, and wherein the floorplan indicates the occupancy status.

17. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the floorplan indicates at least one level of load control of a plurality of levels of load control associated with the load control environment.

18. The load control system of claim 17, wherein the plurality of levels of load control include at least one of a load control for a plurality of buildings, load control for a building of the plurality of buildings, load control for a plurality of floors in the building, load control for a floor of the plurality of floors, load control for a plurality of rooms on the floor, or load control for a room of the plurality of rooms.

19. The load control system of claim 17, wherein the load control information includes information associated with each level of load control, and wherein the computing device is further configured to access the information associated with each level of load control and display a graphical representation of the information associated with each level of load control.

20. The load control system of claim 17, wherein the computing device is further configured to display a different graphical representation for each level of the plurality of levels of load control associated with the load control environment.

21. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the graphical representation of the at least one of the direction or the intensity of the natural light comprises gradients that reflect at least one of the direction or the intensity of the natural light.

22. A method comprising:

receiving load control information associated with an electrical load control device, wherein the electrical load control device comprises a motorized window treatment configured to control a position of a covering material in a load control environment, wherein the load control information comprises status information associated with the motorized window treatment, and wherein the load control information includes at least one of window sensor information that indicates an amount of natural light directly received at a window, weather information, a global position system (GPS) location associated with the load control environment, or at least one of a date or time;

determining, based on the load control information, at least one of a direction or an intensity of natural light allowed by the covering material of the motorized window treatment in at least one area in the load control environment; and

displaying a floorplan comprising the at least one area in the load control environment, wherein the floorplan comprises a graphical representation indicating the position of the covering material and the at least one of the direction or the intensity of the natural light allowed in the at least one area in the load control environment by the motorized window treatment.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

determining an amount of natural light allowed in the load control environment for each of a plurality of motorized window treatments in the load control environment; and

displaying the floorplan with the amount of the natural light allowed in the load control environment for each motorized window treatment.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the graphical representation further indicates a distance of the natural light into the respective area in the load control environment.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

receiving a load control message from an input device, and wherein the motorized window treatment is controlled in response to the load control message.

26. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

determining, based on the load control information, a status of natural light outside the load control environment; and

displaying a graphical representation with the status of the natural light outside the load control environment in the floorplan.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the status of the natural light comprises at least one indication of a location of the sun relative to the load control environment.

28. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

displaying the floorplan on a wireless user device.

29. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

automatically controlling the motorized window treatment;

detecting a manual override of an automatic control of the motorized window treatment; and

displaying a graphical representation of the manual override of the automatic control of the motorized window treatment in the floorplan.

30. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

automatically controlling the motorized window treatment;

detecting an override of the automatic control of the motorized window treatment caused by a message from a window sensor, wherein the window sensor indicates the amount of natural light directly received and allowed at the window; and

displaying a graphical representation of the override caused by the message from the window sensor.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the override of the automatic control is based on an indication that an amount of cloud cover has caused the amount of the natural light directly received and allowed at the window to fall below a predefined threshold or an indication that an amount of direct sunlight has caused the amount of the natural light directly received and allowed at the window to rise above another predefined threshold.

32. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

accessing a historical record of the load control information, wherein the load control information includes at least one of a status of an electrical load, a status of the electrical load control device, or a status of another device in the load control environment;

determining an amount of the natural light allowed in the load control environment based on the historical record of the load control information; and

displaying a graphical representation of the amount of the natural light allowed in the load control environment.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

receiving an indication of a time or a time period in the historical record of the load control information; and

displaying the graphical representation of the amount of the natural light allowed in the load control environment, wherein the graphical representation depicts the amount of the natural light allowed in the load control environment at the time or over the time period.

34. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

receiving an indication of a time or a time period associated with an occupancy sensor activity in the historical record of the load control information; and

displaying the graphical representation of the amount of the natural light allowed in the load control environment, wherein the graphical representation of the amount of the natural light depicts a lighting load activity based on the occupancy sensor activity in the load control environment at the time or over the time period.

35. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

determining, based on the load control information, a status of a lighting load in the load control environment; and

wherein the floorplan indicates the status of the lighting load.

36. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

determining, based on the load control information, an occupancy status of the load control environment; and

wherein the floorplan indicates the occupancy status.

37. The method of claim 22, wherein the floorplan indicates at least one level of load control of a plurality of levels of load control associated with the load control environment.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the plurality of levels of load control include at least one of a load control for a plurality of buildings, load control for a building of the plurality of buildings, load control for a plurality of floors in the building, load control for a floor of the plurality of floors, load control for a plurality of rooms on the floor, or load control for a room of the plurality of rooms.

39. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

receiving information associated with each level of load control;

accessing the information associated with each level of load control; and

displaying a graphical representation of the information associated with each level of load control.

40. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

displaying a different graphical representation for each level of the plurality of levels of load control associated with the load control environment.

41. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

displaying an alert in response to an event.

42. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon program instructions that, when executed by a control circuit of a computing device, cause the control circuit to:

receive load control information associated with an electrical load control device, wherein the electrical load control device comprises a motorized window treatment configured to control a position of a covering material in a load control environment, wherein the load control information comprises status information associated with the motorized window treatment, and wherein the load control information includes at least one of window sensor information that indicates an amount of natural light directly received at a window, weather information, a global position system (GPS) location associated with the load control environment, or at least one of a date or time;

determine, based on the load control information, at least one of a direction or an intensity of natural light allowed by the covering material of the motorized window treatment in the load control environment;

display a graphical user interface; and

display a floorplan that comprises a graphical representation indicating the position of the covering material and the at least one of the direction or the intensity of the natural light allowed by the covering material of the motorized window treatment in the load control environment via the graphical user interface.

43. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 42, wherein the graphical representation further indicates a distance of the natural light into a respective area in the load control environment.

44. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 42, wherein the program instructions further cause the control circuit to:

determine, based on the load control environment, a status of natural light outside the load control environment; and

display a graphical representation of the status of the natural light outside the load control environment in the floorplan.

45. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 42, wherein the graphical representation of the at least one of the direction or the intensity of the natural light comprises gradients that reflect at least one of the direction or the intensity of the natural light.