Automated shade control system

• US 8,587,242 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2013
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• 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:
  US13/786,002
• Publication Number:
  US 20130180676A1
• Time in Patent Office: 259 Days
• Field of Search: 318/466, 318/471, 318/455, 318/280, 318/480, 318/468
• 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:

accessing, by an automated shade control system, shadow information indicating the presence of calculated shadow on a window, wherein a window covering is associated with the window;

comparing, by the automated shade control system, a radiometer value to a clear sky model value to obtain a comparison value; and

activating, by the automated shade control system and responsive to the comparison value and the presence of the calculated shadow on the window, a motor associated with the window covering to move the window covering to a shadow position.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the duration of the calculated shadow on the window, wherein the activating the motor is responsive to the duration exceeding a default shadow duration.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the clear sky model value is an ASHRAE clear sky model value.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the activating the motor is performed responsive to the radiometer value exceeding 60% of the clear sky model value.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising accessing, at the automated shade control system, reflectance information indicating a presence of calculated reflected light on the window;

and

activating, by the automated shade control system and responsive to the presence of calculated reflected light on the window, the motor to move the window covering to a reflected light position.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the activating the motor to move the window covering to a reflection position, is performed responsive to the radiometer value exceeding 75% of the clear sky model value.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising calculating, by the automated shade control system, a total foot-candle load on the window based at least in part on radiometer value.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the shadow position is determined based at least in part on the total foot-candle load on the window.

9. A method, comprising:

accessing, by an automated shade control system, reflectance information indicating the presence of calculated reflected light on a window, wherein a window covering is associated with the window;

comparing, by the automated shade control system, a radiometer value to a clear sky model value to obtain a comparison value; and

activating, by the automated shade control system and responsive to the comparison value and the presence of the calculated reflected light on the window, a motor associated with the window covering to move the window covering to a reflected light position.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining the duration of the calculated reflected light on the window, wherein the activating the motor is responsive to the duration exceeding a default reflectance duration.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the clear sky model value is an ASHRAE clear sky model value.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the activating the motor is performed responsive to the radiometer value exceeding 75% of the clear sky model value.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising logging, by the automated shade control system, information related to a manual override of the automated shade control system, wherein the reflection position is based at least in part on the manual override information.

14. A method, comprising:

calculating, by an automated shade control system and using a shadow model, shadow information indicating the presence of calculated shadow at a location of interest, wherein the shadow model represents at least a portion of a building and at least a portion of the surroundings of the building;

comparing, by the automated shade control system, a radiometer value to a clear sky model value to obtain a comparison value; and

activating, by the automated shade control system and responsive to the comparison value and the shadow information, a motor to adjust a window covering on the building.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising using, by the automated shade control system, movement history information for the window covering to prevent the window covering from being moved for a limited period of time after the previous movement of the window covering.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

accessing, by the automated shade control system, reflectance information indicating the presence of calculated reflected light at the location of interest; and

communicating, by the automated shade control system and to the motor, a movement request configured to adjust the window covering at least partially toward a fully closed position responsive to the reflectance information indicating the presence of calculated reflected light at the location of interest at the same time that the shadow information indicates the presence of calculated shadow at the location of interest.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising logging, by the automated shade control system, information related to a manual override of the automated shade control system, and wherein the manual override information is used to modify a standard management routine for the window covering.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

detecting, by the automated shade control system and via a motion sensor, motion information in a room associated with the window covering; and

modifying, by the automated shade control system, a standard management routine for the window covering based at least in part on the motion information.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising storing, by the automated shade control system, position information for the window covering.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the automated shade control system is configured with a proactive algorithm, and wherein the proactive algorithm utilizes an ASHRAE clear sky model.