SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SHADE SELECTION USING A FABRIC BRIGHTNESS FACTOR

• US 20100157427A1
• Filed: 02/22/2010
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mechoshade Systems, LLC.
• Original Assignee: Mechoshade Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Ramalingam, Muthukumar, Berman, Jan, Berman, Joel
• Granted Patent: US 8,319,956 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/597
• 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: G01J 1/42 using electric radiation detectors optical or mechanical part G01J1/04; by comparison with a reference light or electric value G01J1/10
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/20 Coated or impregnated woven, knit, or nonwoven fabric which is not [a] associated with another preformed layer or fiber layer or, [b] with respect to woven and knit, characterized, respectively, by a particular or differential weave or knit, wherein the coating or impregnation is neither a foamed material nor a free metal or alloy layer

Abstract

Brightness factors associated with shade fabric may be utilized when shading a building. A brightness factor may incorporate an openness factor, a visible light reflectance, a diffusion factor, a color, or other characteristics of the shade fabric. The brightness factor may be utilized when selecting a particular shade fabric for a room, building or other location. Additionally, the brightness factor may be utilized by an automated shade control system. The shade fabric selection may affect the building envelope by facilitating the optimization of daylighting, reduction of artificial electric lighting needs, minimization of glare conditions, and reduction of thermal load.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining, by a computer for determining an estimated brightness factor for a fabric, an estimated openness factor of the fabric based on a Munsell chroma of the fabric;

determining, by the computer, an estimated visible light reflectance of the fabric based on a Munsell value of the fabric;

determining, by the computer, an estimated diffusion factor of the fabric based on a Munsell hue of the fabric; and

determining, by the computer, the estimated brightness factor based upon the estimated openness factor, the estimated visible light reflectance, and the estimated diffusion factor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the estimated openness factor is weighted by an estimated openness factor coefficient.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising revising the estimated openness factor coefficient responsive to determining, using a light meter, a measured openness factor of the fabric.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the estimated visible light reflectance is weighted by an estimated visible light reflectance coefficient.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising revising the estimated visible light reflectance coefficient responsive to determining, using a light meter, a measured visible light reflectance of the fabric.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the estimated diffusion factor is weighted by an estimated diffusion factor coefficient.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising revising the estimated diffusion factor coefficient responsive to determining, using a light meter, a measured diffusion factor of the fabric.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the estimated brightness factor comprises:

multiplying, by the computer, the estimated openness factor by an estimated openness factor coefficient to obtain a weighted estimated openness factor;

multiplying, by the computer, the estimated visible light reflectance by an estimated visible light reflectance coefficient to obtain a weighted estimated visible light reflectance;

multiplying, by the computer, the estimated diffusion factor by an estimated diffusion factor coefficient to obtain a weighted estimated diffusion factor; and

summing, by the computer, the weighted estimated openness factor, the weighted estimated visible light reflectance, and the weighted estimated diffusion factor to obtain the estimated brightness factor.

9. A method of shading a room, the method comprising:

selecting a shade fabric for use in constructing a window covering, wherein the shade fabric is selected based on a brightness factor of the shade fabric, and wherein the brightness factor is determined by measuring an openness factor, a visible light reflectance, and a diffusion factor of the shade fabric;

placing the window covering between a window and a light source; and

moving the window covering to modify the brightness in the room.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the shade fabric is selected based on a brightness factor of the shade fabric exceeding a minimum recommended brightness factor.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the shade fabric is selected based on a brightness factor of the shade fabric not exceeding a maximum recommended brightness factor.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the shade fabric is selected based on the brightness factor not exceeding a brightness factor known to result in glare.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising changing the shade fabric to a different shade fabric having a different brightness factor in order to modify the brightness in the room.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein changing the shade fabric comprises selecting a shade fabric with a lower brightness factor in response to visible light reflectance of surrounding items being increased.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein changing the shade fabric comprises selecting a shade fabric with a higher brightness factor in response to visible light reflectance of surrounding items being decreased.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein changing the shade fabric is in response to a change in color of an object in the room.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein moving the window covering comprises lowering the window covering to reflect a greater portion of light from the interior of the room back into the room.

18. The method of claim 9, wherein moving the window covering comprises aligning the window covering to reflect a greater portion of light from the exterior of the room onto the ceiling of the room.

19. The method of claim 9, wherein the shade fabric is selected based on at least one of glazing properties, room properties or environmental conditions.

20. The method of claim 9, further comprising integrating the brightness factor with at least one of a shade control system, a daylighting control system, a daylight-brightness control system, a daylighting prediction program, or a building control system.

21. The method of claim 9, further comprising integrating the brightness factor with at least one of a shade control system, daylighting control system, daylight-brightness control system, daylighting prediction program, or building control system such that said control system overrides data based upon said brightness factor.

22. The method of claim 9, wherein the selecting the shade fabric comprises utilizing a fabric selection guide having an upper recommended brightness bound and a lower recommended brightness bound.

23. A method for thermal control of a building, the method comprising:

providing a system configured to facilitate control of daylighting of an interior space of the building, wherein the system is configured to utilize a proactive algorithm to generate a movement request configured to move a window covering; and

overriding the proactive algorithm responsive to thermal information associated with the window covering, wherein the thermal information comprises least one of;

an actual British thermal unit (BTU) load on a window associated with the window covering, or a calculated BTU load on the window associated with the window covering.

24. A method, comprising:

determining, by a computer for determining an estimated brightness factor for a fabric, an estimated openness factor of the fabric based on a first component of a color space associated with the color of the fabric;

determining, by the computer, an estimated visible light reflectance of the fabric based on a second component of the color space;

determining, by the computer, an estimated diffusion factor of the fabric based on a third component of the color space; and

determining, by the computer, the estimated brightness factor based upon the estimated openness factor, the estimated visible light reflectance, and the estimated diffusion factor.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the color space is at least one of the Munsell color space, the CIE xyY color space, or the CIELAB color space.