Automated shade control system

• US 8,248,014 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2012
• Issued: 08/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mechoshade Systems, LLC.
• Original Assignee: Mechoshade Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Berman, Joel, Berman, Jan, Greenspan, Alex, Hebeisen, Stephen P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Masih, Karen
• Application Number:
  US13/343,912
• Publication Number:
  US 20120126737A1
• Time in Patent Office: 229 Days
• Field of Search: 318/466, 318/471, 318/445, 318/286, 318/480, 318/468, 318/280, 160/5, 160/206
• US Class Current: 318/466
• 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 9/322 Details of operating devices, e.g. pulleys, brakes, spring drums, drives operating devices E06B9/68 ; devices of general interest specially adapted or mounted for storing and repeatedly paying-out and re-storing lengths of material B65H75/34
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/68 Operating devices or mechanisms, e.g. with electric drive
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 30/24 Structural elements or technologies for improving thermal insulation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 80/00 Architectural or constructional elements improving the thermal performance of buildings

Abstract

Automated shade systems comprise motorized window coverings, sensors, and controllers that use algorithms to control operation of the automated shade control system. These algorithms may include information such as: 3-D models of a building and surrounding structures, shadow information, reflectance information, lighting and radiation information, ASHRAE clear sky algorithms, log information related to manual overrides, occupant preference information, motion information, real-time sky conditions, solar radiation on a building, a total foot-candle load on a structure, brightness overrides, actual and/or calculated BTU load, time-of-year information, and microclimate analysis.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at an automated shade control system, shadow information indicating the presence of a calculated shadow at a first location of interest; and

communicating, to a first motor, a first movement request configured to adjust a first window covering responsive to the calculated shadow at the first location of interest,

wherein the receiving comprises;

modeling, by the automated shade control system, at least a portion of a building and at least a portion of the surroundings of a building to create a shadow model; and

querying, by the automated shade control system, the shadow model a first time to calculate the presence of calculated shadow at a first location of interest.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving further comprises querying, via the automated shade control system, the shadow model a second time to determine a duration of the calculated shadow at the first location of interest.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the shadow information is generated by a shadow model external to the automated shade control system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the shadow information is generated by a shadow model internal to the automated shade control system.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting, via the first motor, the first window covering responsive to the calculated shadow at the first location of interest.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the communicating the first movement request is responsive to the duration exceeding a default shadow duration.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the communicating the first movement request is responsive to the duration exceeding a user-input duration.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein, responsive to the duration not exceeding a default shadow duration, the movement request is not communicated to the first motor.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

querying, by the automated shade control system, the shadow model a second time to calculate the presence of calculated shadow at a second location of interest; and

communicating, to a second motor, a second movement request configured to adjust a second window covering responsive to the calculated shadow at the second location of interest.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first motor is part of a first motor zone, and wherein the second motor is part of a second motor zone.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first motor zone is associated with a first tenant, and wherein the second motor zone is associated with a second tenant.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first tenant is associated with a first floor of a building, and wherein the second tenant is associated with a second floor of the building.

13. A method for controlling a window covering, the method comprising:

receiving, at an automated shade control system, shadow information indicating the presence of a calculated shadow at a first location of interest;

communicating, to a first motor, a first movement request configured to adjust a first window covering responsive to the calculated shadow at the first location of interest; and

receiving, at the automated shade control system, reflectance information indicating the presence of calculated reflected light at the first location of interest.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising communicating, to the first motor, a second movement request configured to adjust the first window covering at least partially toward a fully closed position responsive to the reflectance information indicating the presence of calculated reflected light at the first location of interest at the same time that the shadow information indicates the presence of calculated shadow at the first location of interest.

15. A method for controlling a window covering, the method comprising:

receiving, at an automated shade control system, shadow information indicating the presence of a calculated shadow at a first location of interest;

communicating, to a first motor, a first movement request configured to adjust a first window covering responsive to the calculated shadow at the first location of interest;

using a reflectance model to calculate the presence of calculated reflected light at the first location of interest; and

communicating, to the first motor, a second movement request configured to adjust a first window covering at least partially toward a fully closed position responsive to the reflectance model indicating the presence of calculated reflected light at the first location of interest at the same time that the shadow model indicates the presence of calculated shadow at the first location of interest.

16. A method for controlling a window covering, the method comprising:

receiving, at an automated shade control system, shadow information indicating the presence of a calculated shadow at a first location of interest; and

communicating, to a first motor, a first movement request configured to adjust a first window covering responsive to the calculated shadow at the first location of interest,

wherein the first movement request is communicated to the first motor responsive to the automated shade control system determining the existence of a clear sky condition.

17. A method for controlling a window covering, the method comprising:

receiving, at an automated shade control system, shadow information indicating the presence of a calculated shadow at a first location of interest; and

communicating, to a first motor, a first movement request configured to adjust a first window covering responsive to the calculated shadow at the first location of interest,

wherein, responsive to the automated shade control system determining the existence of a cloudy sky condition, the first movement request is not communicated to the first motor.

18. A method for controlling a window covering, the method comprising:

receiving, at an automated shade control system, shadow information indicating the presence of a calculated shadow at a first location of interest;

communicating, to a first motor, a first movement request configured to adjust a first window covering responsive to the calculated shadow at the first location of interest; and

storing movement history information for the first window covering.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising using, by the automated shade control system, the movement history information for the first window covering to prevent the first window covering from being moved for a limited period of time after the previous movement of the first window covering.

20. A method for controlling a window covering, the method comprising:

receiving, at an automated shade control system, shadow information indicating the presence of a calculated shadow at a first location of interest; and

communicating, to a first motor, a first movement request configured to adjust a first window covering responsive to the calculated shadow at the first location of interest,

wherein the first movement request is communicated responsive to a measured solar radiation value exceeding 60% of an ASHRAE theoretical clear sky solar radiation value.

21. A method for controlling a window covering, the method comprising:

receiving, at an automated shade control system, shadow information indicating the presence of a calculated shadow at a first location of interest;

communicating, to a first motor, a first movement request configured to adjust a first window covering responsive to the calculated shadow at the first location of interest;

receiving, by the automated shade control system, brightness information from a photometer associated with the window covering; and

communicating, to the first motor, a second movement request configured to adjust the first window covering at least partially toward a fully closed position responsive to the brightness information exceeding a threshold value.

22. A method for controlling a window covering, the method comprising:

using, by an automated shade control system, information related to at least one of solar penetration through a window or solar load on the window to establish a standard management routine for a window covering associated with the window;

receiving, at the automated shade control system, shadow information indicating the presence of calculated shadow on the window; and

overriding, by the automated shade control system, the standard management routine responsive to the presence of calculated shadow on the window.

23. A method for controlling a window covering, the method comprising:

using, by an automated shade control system, information related to at least one of solar penetration through a window or solar load on the window to establish a standard management routine for a window covering associated with the window;

receiving, at the automated shade control system, reflectance information indicating the presence of calculated reflected light on the window; and

overriding, by the automated shade control system, the standard management routine responsive to the presence of calculated reflected light on the window.