Remotely-controlled battery-powered window covering having light and position sensors

• US 6,181,089 B1
• Filed: 03/21/2000
• Issued: 01/30/2001
• 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:
  US09/532,011
• Time in Patent Office: 315 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;

a reversible dc motor disposed in the head rail;

at least one battery mounted in the head rail and configured to power the reversible dc motor;

a window covering operatively coupled to said motor and configured to be selectively raised or lowered by the motor;

a manual switch configured to output a manual control signal when the manual switch is activated;

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

a processor configured to respond to at least two different sensed remote control signals output by the infrared receiver in response to at least two different corresponding user-generated light signals, the processor further configured to cause the reversible dc motor to turn in a first direction in response to a first sensed remote control signal and turn in a second direction in response to a second sensed remote control signal which is different from the first sensed remote control signal, the processor having associated therewith a non-volatile memory configured to store executable code for controlling the assembly and also having a plurality of connections including;

a ground connection;

a voltage supply input;

a first position input configured to receive information reflective of either a movement or position of said window covering;

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

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

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; and

a voltage supply output electrically connected to the power supply lead of the infrared receiver to power the infrared receiver.

2. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

a rod rotatably disposed in the head rail and defining a longitudinal axis, the rod being rotated upon actuation of the motor; and

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

3. The assembly of claim 2, further comprising:

a reed switch having a reed which is abutted by one of said lift cords when said one lift cord is under tension and the motor is running, said reed switch causing said motor to stop, when said one lift cord no longer abuts said reed.

4. The assembly of claim 3, wherein said one lift cord no longer abuts the reed when the window covering encounters an obstruction as the window covering is being lowered, thereby stopping the motor.

5. The assembly of claim 3, wherein said one lift cord no longer abuts the reed when the window covering is fully lowered, thereby stopping the motor.

6. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the processor further comprises a first counter storing position information reflective of a vertical position of said window covering;

and wherein said executable 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.

7. The assembly of claim 6, wherein said predetermined value is reflective of an upper limit of travel of said window covering.

8. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the first position input is configured to receive sensor pulses indicative of a rotation of said rod, when said motor is energized and the rod is rotating.

9. The assembly of claim 8, wherein said executable 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.

10. The assembly of claim 9, wherein an optical sensor is connected to the first position input to create the sensor pulses in response to interruptions of a light beam by a wheel mounted on the rod.

11. 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 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.

12. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said executable 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.

13. The assembly of claim 12, wherein said executable 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.

14. The assembly of claim 13 wherein said manual switch is a momentary contact switch mounted on the head rail.

15. The assembly of claim 1 further comprising:

a voltage circuit having an input connected to said at least one battery, said voltage circuit having at least 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, the second output voltage level being not greater than 12 volts.

16. The assembly of claim 15, 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.

17. The assembly of claim 16, wherein said at least four batteries are housed in an elongated tubular member.

18. The assembly of claim 1,wherein the infrared receiver is intermittently powered, when the reversible dc motor is running.

19. 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.

20. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the processor further comprises first and second brake outputs configured to prevent current from flowing through the motor, in the absence of a motor drive signal resulting from either a valid user-generated light signal or a manual control signal.

21. 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.

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

a head rail;

a reversible dc motor disposed in the head rail;

at least one battery disposed in the head rail and configured to power the reversible dc motor;

a window covering operatively coupled to said motor and configured to be selectively raised or lowered by the motor;

a manual switch configured to output a manual control signal when said manual switch is activated;

a light sensor configured to receive a user-generated infrared light signal from a remote control transmitter;

an integrated circuit controller electrically connected to said light sensor, the controller configured to respond to at least two different light signals, the controller configured to cause the reversible dc motor to turn in a first direction in response to first information present in a first light signal, and further configured to cause the reversible dc motor to turn in a second direction in response to second information present in a second light signal, said controller having a plurality of connections including;

a ground connection;

a voltage supply input;

a first position input configured to receive information reflective of either a movement or a position of said window covering;

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

a remote signal input configured to receive an output from said light sensor, said output resulting from a user-generated infrared remote-control signal; 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 user-generated light signal or a manual control signal.

23. The assembly of claim 22, wherein the light sensor is an infrared receiver having a power supply lead, a ground lead and an output lead, said infrared receiver configured to detect and demodulate the user-generated infrared light signal from a remote control transmitter, and output a sensed remote control signal in response thereto.

24. The assembly of claim 23, wherein the controller further comprises a voltage supply output electrically connected to the power supply lead of the infrared receiver to power said infrared receiver.

25. The assembly of claim 24, wherein the infrared receiver is intermittently powered, when the reversible dc motor is running.

26. The assembly of claim 22, further comprising:

a rod rotatably disposed in the head rail and defining a longitudinal axis, the rod being rotated upon actuation of the motor; and

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

27. The assembly of claim 26, wherein the first position input is configured to receive sensor pulses indicative of a rotation of said rod, when said motor is energized and the rod is rotating.

28. The assembly of claim 27, further comprising an optical sensor connected to the first position input, the optical sensor providing the sensor pulses to the first position input in response to interruptions of a light beam by a wheel which turns when the rod is rotated.

29. The assembly of claim 28, wherein the controller keeps track of lapsed time between successive sensor pulses, when said motor is energized, and turns off the motor if a sensor pulse is not received within a predetermined time period, while said motor is energized.

30. The assembly of claim 26, further comprising:

a reed switch having a reed which is abutted by one of the lift cords when said one lift cord is under tension and the motor is running, said reed switch causing said motor to stop, when said one lift cord no longer abuts said reed.

31. The assembly of claim 30, wherein said one lift cord no longer abuts the reed when the window covering encounters an obstruction as the window covering is being lowered, thereby stopping the motor.

32. The assembly of claim 30, wherein said one lift cord no longer abuts the reed when the window covering is fully lowered, thereby stopping the motor.

33. The assembly of claim 22, wherein the controller is configured 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.

34. The assembly of claim 22, wherein the controller keeps track of the last direction of travel of the window covering.

35. The assembly of claim 22, wherein the at least one battery is non-rechargeable.

36. The assembly of claim 22, wherein at least one spring member is used to retain said at least one battery within the head rail, said spring member biasing said at least one battery to secure an electrical connection.

37. The assembly of claim 22, wherein the light sensor is mounted on a first module and the controller is mounted on separate board, the light sensor and the controller being electrically connected to one another via a first multi-pin connectors associated with the first module and a second multi-pin connector associated with said separate board.

38. The assembly of claim 22, further comprising an optical sensor having an output connected to said first position input, wherein the optical sensor is powered only when the motor is running.

39. The assembly of claim 22, further comprising a bushing member mounted in the head rail, the bushing member retaining the reversible dc motor to reduce vibration and noise.

40. The assembly of claim 22, further comprising:

a rod rotatably disposed in the head rail and defining a longitudinal axis, the rod being rotated upon actuation of the motor; and

a reel shaft operatively connected to the rod such that the reel shaft moves along said longitudinal axis as the rod is rotated;

wherein

a plurality of lift cords are wound around the reel shaft for raising and lowering said window covering, as the rod is rotated.

41. A method of operating a battery-powered infrared remote-control motorized window treatment assembly having a processor therein, the method comprising:

waking up the processor from a sleep state;

determining whether either a manual switch has been activated or a user-generated infrared light signal has been sensed;

if the manual switch has been activated, checking a last direction of travel of the window covering and moving the window covering in a direction opposite said last direction of travel;

if a user-generated infrared light signal has been sensed, moving the window covering in a direction determined solely on information present in said user-generated infrared light signal; and

monitoring a position of said window covering, as the window covering moves.

42. The method according to claim 41, further comprising energizing an infrared receiver so that it can receive said user-generated light signal, after waking up the processor.

43. The method according to claim 41, further comprising checking a current position of the window covering, before moving the window covering in response to either activation of a manual switch or sensing of a user-generated infrared light signal.