Programmed controller for a remotely-controlled battery-powered window covering

• US 6,057,658 A
• Filed: 07/21/1999
• Issued: 05/02/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hunter Douglas Incorporated (Hunter Douglas N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Hunter Douglas Incorporated (Hunter Douglas N.V.)
• Inventors: Colson, Wendell B., Vogel, David, Kovach, Joseph E., Holford, Michael S., Jarosinski, Marek, Gaudyn, Erwin, Skinner, Gary F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ro, Bentsu
• Application Number:
  US09/357,761
• Time in Patent Office: 286 Days
• Field of Search: 318/16, 318/264, 318/265, 318/266, 318/286, 318/291, 318/293, 318/294, 318/466, 318/467, 318/468, 318/469, 318/480, 49/25
• US Class Current: 318/16
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2009/2627 Cellular screens, e.g. box or honeycomb-like
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/262 with flexibly-interconnected horizontal or vertical strips; Concertina blinds , i.e. upwardly folding flexible screens
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/32 Operating, guiding, or securing devices therefor operation of tilting bars E06B9/307
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/72 comprising an electric motor positioned inside the roller
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/88 for limiting unrolling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 388/933 Radiant energy responsive device

Abstract

A wireless battery-operated window covering assembly is disclosed. The window covering has a head rail in which all the components are housed. These include a battery pack, an interface module including an IR receiver and a manual switch, a processor board including control circuitry, motor, drive gear, and a rotatably mounted reel on which lift cords wind and unwind a collapsible shade. The circuitry allows for dual-mode IR receiver operation and a multi-sensor polling scheme, both of which are configured to prolong battery life. Included among these sensors is a lift cord detector which gauges shade status to control the raising and lowering of the shade, and a rotation sensor which, in conjunction with internal registers and counters keeps track of travel limits and shade position.

Claims

1. A battery-powered infrared remote-control motorized lift window treatment assembly comprising:

a head rail having a rod rotatably disposed therein, said rod defining a longitudinal axis;

a dc motor disposed in the head rail and coupled to the rod to rotate the rod;

a window covering operatively engaged to said rod and arranged to be selectively raised and lowered upon rotation of said rod;

at least one battery mounted in the head rail;

an infrared receiver having a power supply lead, a ground lead and an output lead, said infrared receiver configured to detect and demodulate a user-generated infrared light signal from a remote control transmitter, and output a sensed remote control signal in response thereto;

a manual switch configured to output a manual control signal each time said manual switch is activated; and

a programmed processor having associated therewith a non-volatile memory configured to store executable software code for controlling the assembly, said programmed processor also having a plurality of connections including;

a ground connection;

a voltage supply input;

a remote signal input configured to receive said sensed remote control signal from said output lead of the infrared receiver,

a manual signal input configured to receive said manual control signal from said manual switch;

a voltage output configured to connect power to the power supply lead of the infrared receiver; and

first and second motor drive signal outputs, each motor drive signal output configured to output a motor drive signal to energize the motor to turn in one of two directions, in response to either a valid sensed remote control signal or a manual control signal, wherein the infrared receiver is not powered at all times.

2. The assembly of claim 1 further comprising:

a voltage circuit having an input connected to said at least one battery, said voltage circuit having first and second output voltage levels,

said first output voltage level being connected to said voltage supply input of the processor, and

said second voltage level being selectively connected to said motor to provide power to drive said motor, upon output from said processor of a motor drive signal in response to either a valid sensed remote control signal or a manual control signal.

3. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of lift cords connected to said window covering for raising and lowering said window covering, upon rotation of said rod, and

a reed switch having a reed positioned within the head rail, said reed configured to be abutted by one of said lift cords when said one lift cord is under tension to thereby make an electrical connection, said reed configured to not be abutted by said one lift cord, when that lift cord is not under tension.

4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said at least one battery comprises at least four batteries connected to one another in electrical series, said at least four batteries being arranged end-to-end within said head rail, and oriented substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis.

5. The assembly of claim 4, wherein said at least four batteries are housed in an elongated tubular member.

6. The assembly of claim 4, wherein at least eight AA batteries are arranged end-to-end within said head rail, and oriented substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis.

7. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said window covering comprises one of cellular-type shades, pleated shades and horizontal slats.

8. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the assembly is provided with a daylight-blocking window positioned in front of said infrared receiver to help reduce ambient light impinging on the infrared receiver.

9. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the processor is further provided with a channel-selection input configured to allow a user to select from among a plurality of sensed remote control signals which will energize the motor to operate the window covering.

10. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said manual switch is a momentary contact switch mounted on the head rail.

11. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said infrared receiver and said manual switch comprise the only interfaces for electrically operating the window covering.

12. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the processor further comprises a first position input configured to receive at least one signal upon said window covering reaching a predetermined vertical position.

13. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the processor further comprises a first position input configured to receive sensor pulses indicative of a rotation of said rod, when said motor is energized and the rod is rotating.

14. The assembly of claim 13, wherein the processor further comprises a first counter storing position information reflective of a vertical position of said window covering;

and wherein said executable software code includes;

code to update said position information based on received sensor pulses;

code to compare said position information with a predetermined value stored in a limit register associated with said processor; and

code to de-energize said motor, if said position information corresponds to said predetermined value.

15. The assembly of claim 14, wherein said predetermined value is reflective of an upper limit of travel of said window covering.

16. The assembly of claim 13, wherein said executable software code includes:

code to keep track of lapsed time between successive sensor pulses, when said motor is energized, and

code to turn off the motor, if a sensor pulse is not received within a predetermined time period, while said motor is energized.

17. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the processor further comprises a direction register storing information reflective of a last direction of travel of the window covering, and wherein said executable software code includes:

code to check the direction register to determine the last direction of travel, in response to an actuation of said manual switch; and

code to write information reflective of a most recent direction of travel into said direction register, at the end of said most recent direction of travel.

18. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said executable software code includes:

code to determine whether the manual switch has been pushed while the motor is energized, and

code to de-energize the motor, if said manual switch has been pushed.

19. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said executable software code includes:

code to raise the window covering in response to a first manual control signal, stop the window covering from further rising in response to a second manual control signal, lower the window covering in response to a third manual control signal, and stop the window covering from further lowering in response to a fourth manual control signal, when said first, second, third and fourth manual control signals are created by four successive activations of said manual switch.