CONTROL FOR POSITIONING MULTIPLE BARRIERS APPARATUS AND METHOD

• US 20100087958A1
• Filed: 10/03/2008
• Published: 04/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Watt Stopper Incorporated (Legrand SA)
• Original Assignee: HRH Newco Corporation
• Inventors: Mullet, Willis Jay, Rodriguez, Yan, Bardin, Richard, Garcia, Ben L., Real, Douglas
• Granted Patent: US 8,065,039 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/279
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2009/6845 sensing position
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/68 Operating devices or mechanisms, e.g. with electric drive
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0421 Multiprocessor system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2653 Roller blind, shutter, sunshade

Abstract

A control routine for groups of remotely controlled, variable-position, position-aware, transceiver-equipped actuators manages data discrepancies by issuing a first set of generic actuation commands to start and stop the actuators, then polling the actuators to report their achieved positions. The routine then applies a rule to determine a preferred position value from among the reports and issues a second set of position-specific actuation commands to all of the actuators. The routine can further poll the actuators to confirm the extent to which the commands have been realized, and can retain and apply compensation factors for performance deviations in the individual actuators. The routine can further manage multiple groups of actuators, dissimilar activators within groups, assignment of an actuator to more than one group, and application of variable control factors as inputs modifying the rule applied by the routine for determining the commands to be issued.

Claims

1. A method for operating a plurality of autonomous, processor-controlled, multi-position actuators in unison from a separate control station, comprising:

establishing a wireless communication network that originates with the separate control station and provides bidirectional message transfer between the separate control station and each multi-position actuator;

assigning a processor-readable address to each multi-position actuator;

providing a command set for each of the plurality of multi-position actuators that includes for each command in the command set the assigned actuator address and one of a plurality of executable functions, wherein the command set includes at least one command to realize one position value from a plurality of position values defined for the actuator, and wherein the command set further includes at least one stop command;

assigning the plurality of multi-position actuators to a group; and

defining a plurality of group commands, including in each group command a plurality of discrete commands to perform a like executable function, directed to the addresses of the plurality of multi-position actuators in the group.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

issuing a group command other than a stop command to the actuator group;

delaying for a time interval sufficient to realize a selected actuator position;

issuing a stop command to the group;

determining the respective positions realized by the multi-position actuators through execution of the group command;

identifying a position value among the respective position values realized by the actuators; and

issuing a group command to realize the identified position value.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the communication network further comprises:

incorporating a transceiver and associated antenna into the control station; and

incorporating a transceiver and associated antenna into each multi-position actuator in the plurality of actuators in the group.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein assigning a non-repeating processor-readable address to each multi-position actuator further comprises:

selecting a range of addresses for communication between the control station and the processor-controlled actuators; and

associating a unique one of the range of addresses with a message address decoding and encoding function within each of the multi-position actuator processors.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein providing a command set for each multi-position actuator further comprises:

defining an actuator command for actuation in a first mode, including a first combination of range, rate, and duration of motion;

defining an actuator command for actuation in a second mode, including a second combination of range, rate, and duration of motion; and

defining an actuator command for stopping motion.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

calibrating the actuators after power application by driving at least one movable element of each thereof directly to a first fully traversed position and a second fully traversed position, opposite thereto, including sensing a quantified value for a range of traverse of each actuator movable element; and

storing in each actuator the calibration value for the range of traverse of each movable element thereof.

7. A method for operating a plurality of autonomous, processor-controlled, multi-position actuators in unison from a separate control station, comprising:

establishing a wireless communication network that originates with the separate control station and provides bidirectional message transfer between the separate control station and each multi-position actuator;

assigning a processor-readable address to each multi-position actuator, non-repeating within the plurality of multi-position actuators;

assigning a processor-readable broadcast address to the plurality of multi-position actuators;

providing a command set for each of the plurality of multi-position actuators that includes for each command in the command set the assigned actuator address and one of a plurality of executable functions, wherein the command set includes at least one command to realize one position value from a plurality of position values defined for the actuator, and wherein the command set further includes at least one stop command; and

defining a plurality of broadcast commands that includes for each broadcast command the broadcast address of the plurality of actuators and one of a plurality of executable functions.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

issuing a broadcast command other than a stop command to the plurality of actuators;

delaying for a time interval sufficient to realize a selected actuator position;

issuing a stop command to the plurality of actuators;

determining the respective positions realized by the multi-position actuators through execution of the broadcast command;

identifying a position value among the respective position values realized by the actuators; and

issuing a broadcast command to realize the identified position value.

9. An autoleveling, remotely controlled multiple window shade positioner system, comprising:

a plurality of motorized window shade positioners, each including a wireless radio frequency transceiver assigned to a predetermined frequency band, a command decoder, a command address comparator, a polling reply message generator, a spoolable window shade, a window shade spool, a window shade housing, a window shade spool drive motor, a motor drive circuit, and a calibratable position detector; and

a control station, including a command generator, a wireless radio frequency transceiver assigned to the frequency band of the positioner transceivers, a command generator, and a polling reply data processor.

10. The window shade positioner system of claim 9, wherein the calibratable position detector comprises:

a shaft angle transducer configured to rotate at a fixed rate with reference to the motor;

a shaft angle telemetry storage element configured to record a value of shade position;

a weighted shade end bar affixed to an end of the window shade distal to the spool;

a shade retraction end of travel stop affixed to the housing;

a shade extension end of travel stop associated with the mounted shade;

a shade retraction end of travel stop motor drive circuit over current detector;

a shade extension end of travel stop motor drive circuit under current detector;

a scalable shaft angle transducer value range to shade motion range translation algorithm; and

a scalable shaft angle transducer value to shade position translation algorithm.

11. The window shade positioner system of claim 10, wherein the calibratable position detector further comprises:

at least one offset value storage provision within a first motorized window shade positioner representing a portion of end-to-end travel of a first spoolable window shade in excess of the end-to-end travel of a second spoolable window shade as registered by shaft angle transducers of the respective window shades.

12. The window shade positioner system of claim 9, wherein the control station further comprises:

a control algorithm configured to command a plurality of spoolable window shades to start and run in a selected direction, to stop, to report their respective locations, to start and run to the location of a most-advanced one of the shades, and to stop again.

13. The window shade positioner system of claim 12, wherein the control algorithm further comprises:

a limitation to the control algorithm that excludes from identification as the most-advanced one of the shades any shade that has reached an end of travel in the selected direction.

14. The window shade positioner system of claim 9, wherein the polling reply data processor comprises:

a received data element storage location;

a comparator configured to compute a difference between a received data element value previously recorded in the storage location and a second value associated with a subsequently-received data element;

a rule defining whether the value associated with greater motion in an extension direction or greater motion in a retraction direction is to be stored;

a data overwrite process associated with the rule; and

a polling data element counter configured to report completion of polling reply data processing.

15. An autoleveling, remotely controlled multiple-value positioner system, comprising:

means for establishing a wireless communication network that originates with a separate control station and provides bidirectional message transfer between the separate control station and each of a plurality of autonomous, processor-controlled, multi-position actuators;

means for retaining a processor-readable address within each multi-position actuator, non-repeating within the plurality of multi-position actuators;

means for commanding each of the plurality of multi-position actuators that includes for each means for commanding in a set thereof a retained actuator address and one of a plurality of executable function codes, wherein the set of means for commanding includes at least one means for realizing one position value from a plurality of position values defined for an addressed actuator, and wherein the set of means for commanding further includes at least one stop command;

means for assigning the plurality of multi-position actuators to a group; and

means for commanding the group, including in each means for commanding the group a plurality of means for commanding discrete actuators of the group to perform a like executable function, directed to the addresses of the plurality of actuators in the group.

16. The positioner system of claim 15, further comprising:

means for commanding the actuator group to move in a selected direction;

means for delaying for a time interval sufficient to realize a selected actuator position;

means for commanding the group to stop;

means for determining the respective positions realized by the multi-position actuators;

means for identifying a greatest position value among the respective position values realized by the actuators; and

means for commanding the group to advance to the identified greatest position value.

17. The positioner system of claim 16, wherein the actuators determine the positions of barriers.

18. The positioner system of claim 16, wherein the actuators determine the positions of awnings.

19. The positioner system of claim 15, further comprising:

means for commanding the actuator group to adjust the rates of variable-speed ventilation fans in a selected direction;

means for delaying for a time interval sufficient to realize a selected fan rate;

means for commanding the group to stop adjusting;

means for determining the rates realized by the respective fans;

means for identifying a most changed rate among the respective fan rates realized by the actuators; and

means for commanding the group to advance to the identified most changed rate value.

20. The positioner system of claim 16, wherein the actuators determine the positions of both an upward-moving group and a downward-moving group, wherein the respective groups originate from a substantially common location proximal to an intermediate location.