Remote control system of outdoor shading group

• US 20110227695A1
• Filed: 03/19/2010
• Published: 09/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Oliver Jeon-An Ma
• Original Assignee: Oliver Jeon-An Ma
• Inventors: Ll, Wanda Ying
• Application Number:
  US12/661,605
• Publication Number:
  US 20110227695A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/4.3
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 15/58 Closures; Awnings; Sunshades
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/51 Remote controlling of devices based on replies, status thereof

Abstract

A remote control system for controlling two or more outdoor shading devices includes a plurality of control modules providing at the outdoor shading devices respectively to control an operation of the outdoor shading devices, and a central control unit remotely linked to the control modules to form a control network of the outdoor shading devices, wherein the central control unit is adapted for synchronously activating the outdoor shading devices to concurrently control the operation of the outdoor shading devices in responsive to an environmental change of the control network. Therefore, the outdoor shading devices are synchronously operated to optimize the performance thereof.

Claims

1. An outdoor shading system, comprising:

a plurality of outdoor shading devices, wherein each of said outdoor shading devices comprises a supporting frame and an awning frame movably supported by said supporting frame to define a shading area under said awning frame; and

a remote control system, which is operatively linked to said outdoor shading devices, comprising;

a plurality of control modules provided at said outdoor shading devices respectively, wherein an operation of each of said outdoor shading devices is controlled by said respective control module; and

a central control unit remotely linked to said control modules to form a control network of said outdoor shading devices, wherein said central control unit synchronously activates said control modules to concurrently control said operation of said outdoor shading devices in responsive to an environmental change of said control network.

2. The outdoor shading system, as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said control modules comprises an awning folding arrangement operatively linked to said awning frame of said respective outdoor shading device to selectively actuate said awning frame between an unfolded position and a folded position, in such a manner that when said central control unit is remotely activated, said outdoor shading devices are synchronously actuated to move between said unfolded position and said folded position.

3. The outdoor shading system, as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said control modules comprises an angular joint coupling at said awning frame of said respective outdoor shading device to selectively adjust an orientation of said awning frame in responsive to a direction of sunlight, in such a manner that when said central control unit is remotely activated, said outdoor shading devices are synchronously actuated to adjust the orientations of said awning frames.

4. The outdoor shading system, as recited in claim 2, wherein each of said control modules comprises an angular joint coupling at said awning frame of said respective outdoor shading device to selectively adjust an orientation of said awning frame in responsive to a direction of sunlight, in such a manner that when said central control unit is remotely activated, said outdoor shading devices are synchronously actuated to adjust the orientations of said awning frames.

5. The outdoor shading system, as recited in claim 1, wherein said central control unit comprises a control panel, having a plurality of preference settings, remotely linked to control modules for synchronously activating said outdoor shading devices in responsive to said preference settings.

6. The outdoor shading system, as recited in claim 4, wherein said central control unit comprises a control panel, having a plurality of preference settings, remotely linked to control modules for synchronously activating said outdoor shading devices in responsive to said preference settings.

7. The outdoor shading system, as recited in claim 1, wherein said central control unit comprises an environmental sensor device operatively linked to said control modules for detecting the environmental change of said control network in such a manner that said outdoor shading devices are synchronously activated to be operated to automatically adjust said awning frame in responsive to the environmental change of said control network.

8. The outdoor shading system, as recited in claim 6, wherein said central control unit comprises an environmental sensor device operatively linked to said control modules for detecting the environmental change of said control network in such a manner that said outdoor shading devices are synchronously activated to be operated to automatically adjust said awning frame in responsive to the environmental change of said control network.

9. The outdoor shading system, as recited in claim 7, wherein said environmental sensor device is selected from the group consisting of a sunlight detector for detecting the direction of sunlight, a GPS circuitry for automatically tracking the direction of the sun, a wind detector for detecting the direction of the wind loading at said awning frame, a motion detector for detecting the presence of a user within a detecting area of said respective outdoor shading device, a light module for detecting a light level of an environment of said outdoor shading device to illuminate said shading area thereof, a sound module for generating an audio effect when said respective outdoor shading device is in use.

10. The outdoor shading system, as recited in claim 8, wherein said environmental sensor device is selected from the group consisting of a sunlight detector for detecting the direction of sunlight, a GPS circuitry for automatically tracking the direction of the sun, a wind detector for detecting the direction of the wind loading at said awning frame, a motion detector for detecting the presence of a user within a detecting area of said respective outdoor shading device, a light module for detecting a light level of an environment of said outdoor shading device to illuminate said shading area thereof, a sound module for generating an audio effect when said respective outdoor shading device is in use.

11. The outdoor shading system, as recited in claim 8, wherein said environmental sensor device is supported at one of said outdoor shading devices to form a primary outdoor shading device of said control network while the rest of said outdoor shading devices become slave outdoor shading devices, such that when said primary outdoor shading device is activated to be operated in responsive to the environmental change of said control network, said slave outdoor shading devices are correspondingly operated in relation to said primary outdoor shading device.

12. The outdoor shading system, as recited in claim 10, wherein said environmental sensor device is supported at one of said outdoor shading devices to form a primary outdoor shading device of said control network while the rest of said outdoor shading devices become a plurality of slave outdoor shading devices, such that when said primary outdoor shading device is activated to be operated in responsive to the environmental change of said control network, said slave outdoor shading devices are correspondingly operated in relation to said primary outdoor shading device.

13. The outdoor shading system, as recited in claim 1, wherein said remote control system further comprises a wireless link for wirelessly connecting said control modules with said central control unit to form said control network in a wireless manner, wherein said wireless link comprises a plurality of first communication links operatively linked to said control modules respectively, and a second communication link operatively linked to said central control unit to wirelessly communicate with said first communication links, such that said central control unit synchronously activates said outdoor shading devices to concurrently control said operation of said outdoor shading devices in a wireless manner.

14. The outdoor shading system, as recited in claim 12, wherein said remote control system further comprises a wireless link for wirelessly connecting said control modules with said central control unit to form said control network in a wireless manner, wherein said wireless link comprises a plurality of first communication links operatively linked to said control modules respectively, and a second communication link operatively linked to said central control unit to wirelessly communicate with said first communication links, such that said central control unit synchronously activates said outdoor shading devices to concurrently control said operation of said outdoor shading devices in a wireless manner.

15. A method of remotely controlling a group of outdoor shading devices, which comprises the steps of:

(a) providing a plurality of control modules at said outdoor shading devices respectively, wherein an operation of each of said outdoor shading devices is controlled by said respective control module;

(b) remotely linking a central control unit to said control modules to form a control network of said outdoor shading devices; and

(c) synchronously activating said control modules to concurrently control said operation of said outdoor shading devices in responsive to an environmental change of said control network.

16. The method as recited in claim 15 wherein, in the step (c), said outdoor shading devices are synchronously actuated to move between an unfolded position and a folded position.

17. The method as recited in claim 16 wherein, in the step (c), said outdoor shading devices are synchronously actuated to adjust the orientations of said awning frames of said outdoor shading devices in responsive to a direction of sunlight.

18. The method, as recited in claim 17, further comprising a step (d) of detecting the environmental change of said control network via an environmental sensor device, wherein said outdoor shading devices are synchronously activated to be operated to automatically adjust said awning frame in responsive to the environmental change of said control network.

19. The method, as recited in claim 18, wherein said environmental sensor device is selected from the group consisting of a sunlight detector for detecting the direction of sunlight, a GPS circuitry for automatically tracking the direction of the sun, a wind detector for detecting the direction of the wind loading at said awning frame, a motion detector for detecting the presence of a user within a detecting area of said respective outdoor shading device, a light module for detecting a light level of an environment of said outdoor shading device to illuminate said shading area thereof, a sound module for generating an audio effect when said respective outdoor shading device is in use.

20. The method, as recited in claim 19, wherein the step (d) further comprises the steps of:

(d.1) configuring one of said outdoor shading devices to form a primary outdoor shading device of said control network by locating said environmental sensor device thereat;

(d.2) configuring the rest of said outdoor shading devices as a plurality of slave outdoor shading devices; and

(d.3) activating said primary outdoor shading device to be operated in responsive to the environmental change of said control network, wherein said slave outdoor shading devices are correspondingly operated in relation to said primary outdoor shading device.

21. The method, as recited in claim 20, wherein the step (b) further comprising a step of wirelessly connecting said control modules with said central control unit to form said control network in a wireless manner, such that said central control unit synchronously activates said outdoor shading devices to concurrently control said operation of said outdoor shading devices in a wireless manner.

22. A remote control system for controlling two or more outdoor shading devices in which each of said outdoor shading devices comprises a supporting frame and an awning frame movably supported by said supporting frame to define a shading area under said awning frame, wherein the remote control system comprises:

a plurality of control modules for providing at said outdoor shading devices respectively to control an operation of said outdoor shading devices; and

a central control unit remotely linked to said control modules to form a control network of said outdoor shading devices, wherein said central control unit is adapted for synchronously activating said outdoor shading devices to concurrently control said operation of said outdoor shading devices in responsive to an environmental change of said control network.

23. The remote control system, as recited in claim 22, wherein each of said control modules comprises an awning folding arrangement operatively linked to said awning frame of said respective outdoor shading device to selectively actuate said awning frame between an unfolded position and a folded position, in such a manner that when said central control unit is remotely activated, said outdoor shading devices are synchronously actuated to move between said unfolded position and said folded position.

24. The remote control system, as recited in claim 23, wherein each of said control modules further comprises an angular joint coupling at said awning frame of said respective outdoor shading device to selectively adjust an orientation of said awning frame in responsive to a direction of sunlight, in such a manner that when said central control unit is remotely activated, said outdoor shading devices are synchronously actuated to adjust the orientations of said awning frames.

25. The remote control system, as recited in claim 22, wherein said central control unit comprises a control panel, having a plurality of preference settings, remotely linked to control modules for synchronously activating said outdoor shading devices in responsive to said preference settings.

26. The remote control system, as recited in claim 24, wherein said central control unit comprises a control panel, having a plurality of preference settings, remotely linked to control modules for synchronously activating said outdoor shading devices in responsive to said preference settings.

27. The remote control system, as recited in claim 22, wherein said central control unit comprises an environmental sensor device operatively linked to said control modules for detecting the environmental change of said control network in such a manner that said outdoor shading devices are synchronously activated to be operated to automatically adjust said awning frame in responsive to the environmental change of said control network.

28. The remote control system, as recited in claim 26, wherein said environmental sensor device is selected from the group consisting of a sunlight detector for detecting the direction of sunlight, a GPS circuitry for automatically tracking the direction of the sun, a wind detector for detecting the direction of the wind loading at said awning frame, a motion detector for detecting the presence of a user within a detecting area of said respective outdoor shading device, a light module for detecting a light level of an environment of said outdoor shading device to illuminate said shading area thereof, a sound module for generating an audio effect when said respective outdoor shading device is in use.

29. The remote control system, as recited in claim 22, wherein said remote control system further comprises a wireless link for wirelessly connecting said control modules with said central control unit to form said control network in a wireless manner, wherein said wireless link comprises a plurality of first communication links operatively linked to said control modules respectively, and a second communication link operatively linked to said central control unit to wirelessly communicate with said first communication links, such that said central control unit synchronously activates said outdoor shading devices to concurrently control said operation of said outdoor shading devices in a wireless manner.

30. The remote control system, as recited in claim 28, wherein said remote control system further comprises a wireless link for wirelessly connecting said control modules with said central control unit to form said control network in a wireless manner, wherein said wireless link comprises a plurality of first communication links operatively linked to said control modules respectively, and a second communication link operatively linked to said central control unit to wirelessly communicate with said first communication links, such that said central control unit synchronously activates said outdoor shading devices to concurrently control said operation of said outdoor shading devices in a wireless manner.