Posture-adjustable solar-collecting window blind

• US 8,678,067 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2009
• Issued: 03/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Philips Lighting Holding BV (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Berezhnyy, Igor, Diederiks, Elmo Marcus Attila
• Primary Examiner(s): Mitchell, Katherine
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shablack, Johnnie A
• Application Number:
  US13/142,287
• Publication Number:
  US 20110265851A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,554 Days
• Field of Search: 160/1, 160/2, 160/5, 160/7, 49/801, 49/741, 49/921, 49/771
• US Class Current: 160/1
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2009/2476 Solar cells
• 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: F24S 20/63 in the form of windows
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 50/20 for tracking
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 20/30 Supporting structures being movable or adjustable, e.g. for angle adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 20/32 specially adapted for solar tracking
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 30/20 Collapsible or foldable PV modules
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/20 Solar thermal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/47 Mountings or tracking
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Abstract

The present invention proposes a posture-adjustable solar-collecting window blind, which can adjust the position of solar cells to better collect solar energy. In the window blind, a solar detector and an ampere meter are used to detect the relationship between the incident angle of sunlight and an optimal arrangement of the solar detector. The relationship can be further used to adjust the positions of the plurality of solar cells. Furthermore, the window blind comprises a light sensor to detect the light intensity of a target area, which can be complementarily used to adjust the position of the plurality of solar cells.

Claims

1. A window blind, comprising:

a plurality of slats, each slat of the plurality of slats having an adjustable tilt angle;

a solar detector, configured to collect solar energy;

an ampere meter, configured to measure the output current of the solar detector;

a plurality of solar cells, each solar cell of the plurality of solar cells mounted on a corresponding slat of the window blind to collect solar energy, and each solar cell of the plurality of solar cells having a tilt angle adjustable independently of a tilt angle of the corresponding slat; and

a first motor, configured to adjust a tilt angle of at least one of the plurality of solar cells relative to the tilt angle of the corresponding slat based on the tilt angle of the corresponding slat and the measured output current of the solar detector.

2. The window blind as claimed in claim 1, wherein the solar detector is placed at a substantially central area of the region formed by the plurality of solar cells.

3. The window blind as claimed in claim 1, wherein the solar detector is formed in the shape of a wheel and comprises a plurality of sub-solar-detectors, and the ampere meter is configured to measure an individual output current of each sub-solar-detector so as to find a specific sub-solar-detector generating a maximum output current.

4. The window blind as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

a second motor, configured to adjust the tilt angle of the solar detector to find an optimal tilt angle of the solar detector corresponding to the maximum output current.

5. The window blind as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

an energy storage, configured to store energy collected by the plurality of solar cells.

6. The window blind as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a lighting source, wherein the energy storage is further configured to provide energy to the lighting source to illuminate a predefined area located external to the blind.

7. The window blind as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

a first memory, configured to record a relationship between a time and an optimal orientation of the solar detector, the optimal orientation of the solar detector representing a favorable tilt angle of the solar detector or a specific sub-solar-detector of the solar detector where the solar detector comprises multiple sub-solar-detectors and the ampere meter is configured to measure the individual output current of each sub-solar-detector.

8. The window blind as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first motor is further configured to adjust the tilt angle of the at least one of the plurality of solar cells according to a current time and the relationship stored in the first memory.

9. The window blind as claimed in claim 7 further comprising:

a light sensor, configured to measure a light intensity of a predefined area located external to the blind;

a second memory, configured to store a pre-defined profile between time and a desired light intensity of the predefined area; and

a second motor configured to adjust the tilt angle of at least one of the plurality of slats based on the output of the light sensor and the pre-defined profile stored in the second memory.

10. The window blind as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

a light sensor, configured to measure the light intensity of a predefined area located external to the blind;

a second motor configured to adjust the tilt angle of at least one of the plurality of slats based on the output of the light sensor.

11. The window blind as claimed in claim 10 further comprising:

a first memory, configured to store a pre-defined profile between time and a desired light intensity of the predefined area;

wherein the second motor is further configured to adjust the tilt angle of the at least one of the plurality of slats based on the output of the light sensor and the pre-defined profile stored in the first memory.

12. The window blind as claimed in claim 11 further comprising:

an energy storage, configured to store energy collected by the plurality of solar cells; and

a lighting source,

wherein the energy storage is further configured to provide energy to a lighting source to illuminate the predefined area.

13. The window blind as claimed in claim 12 wherein the lighting source is configured to provide light based on the output of the light sensor and the pre-defined profile stored in the first memory.