Motorized venetian blind system

• US 8,723,466 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2011
• Issued: 05/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
• Original Assignee: Lutron Electronics Company Incorporated (Lutron Electronics)
• Inventors: Chambers, Samuel F., Fricke, William Bryce, Hontz, Matthew R., Kirby, David A., Mierta, Justin J., Sevy, Jonathan Carl
• Primary Examiner(s): Leykin, Rita
• Application Number:
  US13/233,883
• Publication Number:
  US 20120125543A1
• Time in Patent Office: 971 Days
• Field of Search: 318/468, 318/480, 318/16, 318/466, 318/280, 318/455, 160/176.1, 160/166.1, 160/174.R, 160/178.3, 160/170, 160/175, 160/177, 160/236, 160/197, 160/202, 160/166.1 P, 160/310, 160/160.1, 160/7, 160/1, 160/5, 250/206.2, 250/206.1
• US Class Current: 318/445
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/665 for vertically-sliding wings
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/71 responsive to temperature changes, rain, wind or noise
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/79 using time control
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/326 of the angular type
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/41 for multiple motors
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/00 Application of doors, windows, wings or fittings thereof
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2009/3222 Cordless, i.e. user interface without cords
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2009/3227 Axially moving rollers
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/304 with tilting bar and separate raising shaft
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/307 Details of tilting bars and their operation
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/32 Operating, guiding, or securing devices therefor operation of tilting bars E06B9/307
• 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 9/323 Structure or support of upper box
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/38 Other details
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2653 Roller blind, shutter, sunshade

Abstract

A motorized venetian blind system for covering a window of a space comprising a blind drive unit having two motors to provide for independent control of a position of a bottom rail and a tilt angle of a plurality of slats of the blind system. The blind drive unit is operable to adjust the position of the bottom rail to a preset position, and to adjust the tilt angle of the slats to a preset angle in response to receiving a single digital message (e.g., a preset command). The blind drive unit is operable to automatically adjust the position of the bottom rail and the tilt angle of the slats to limit a direct sunlight penetration distance in the space to a maximum direct sunlight penetration distance, and to maximum a reflected sunlight penetration distance on a ceiling of the space, while minimizing occupant distractions.

Claims

1. A method of automatically controlling a motorized venetian blind system while minimizing occupant distractions, the motorized venetian blind system adapted to control the amount of sunlight entering a space of a building through a window located in a faç

ade of the building by adjusting position of a bottom rail and a tilt angle of rectangular slats that extend across the width of the window to control a direct sunlight penetration distance within the space and a reflected sunlight penetration distance on a ceiling of the space, the method comprising the steps of;

receiving a desired maximum direct sunlight penetration distance and a desired maximum reflected sunlight penetration distance for the space;

building a timeclock schedule having a start time and an end time, the timeclock schedule including a number of timeclock events that will occur between the start time and the end time;

receiving a minimum time period that may occur between any two consecutive timeclock events;

determining, for each of the timeclock events, an event time between the start time and the end time, such that at least the minimum time period exists between the event times of any two consecutive timeclock events;

determining, for each of the timeclock events, a respective bottom rail position to which the bottom rail of the motorized venetian blind system will be controlled at the respective event time, and a respective tilt angle to which the slats of the motorized venetian blind system will be tilted at the respective event time, such that the direct sunlight penetration distance will not exceed the desired maximum direct sunlight penetration distance and the reflected sunlight penetration distance on the ceiling of the space will not exceed the desired maximum reflected penetration distance for all of the events between the start time and the end time of the timeclock schedule; and

automatically controlling the motorized venetian blind system according to the timeclock schedule by adjusting the position of bottom rail of the motorized venetian blind system to the respective position of each of the timeclock events at the respective event time, and the tilt angle of the slats of the motorized venetian blind system to the respective tilt angle of each of the timeclock events at the respective event time.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

prior to the step of determining an event time for each of the timeclock events, calculating optimal positions of the bottom rail and optimal tilt angles of the slats at a plurality of different times between the start time and the end time, such that the sunlight penetration distance will not exceed the desired maximum sunlight penetration distance at the plurality of different times and the reflected sunlight penetration distance on the ceiling of the space will not exceed the desired maximum reflected sunlight penetration distance between the start time and the end time.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of:

receiving a maximum number of movements of the motorized venetian blind system that may occur during the timeclock schedule;

wherein the number of timeclock events of the timeclock schedule does not exceed the maximum number of movements, and at least the minimum time period exists between the event times of any two consecutive timeclock events.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of:

creating multiple timeclock events between the start time and the end time of the timeclock schedule, each of the timeclock events having respective event times that are spaced apart from each other by multiples of the minimum time period that may occur between any two consecutive timeclock events.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of determining an event time for each of the timeclock events further comprises determining the event times of the timeclock events in response to the optimal positions of the bottom rail and optimal tilt angles of the slats at the plurality of different times between the start time and the end time.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of calculating optimal positions of the motorized venetian blind system and optimal tilt angles for the slats further comprises calculating optimal positions of the motorized venetian blind system and optimal tilt angles for the slats as a function of the longitude and latitude of the location of the building, an angle of the faç

ade with respect to true north, a height of the window, and the present date and time.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of calculating optimal positions of the bottom rail and optimal tilt angles of the slats further comprises calculating optimal positions of the bottom rail and optimal tilt angles of the slats for each minute between the start time and the end time.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining, for each of the timeclock events, a respective bottom rail position to which the bottom rail of the motorized venetian blind system will be controlled at the respective event time, and a respective tilt angle to which the slats of the motorized venetian blind system will be tilted at the respective event time further comprises:

determining, for each of the timeclock events, a respective tilt angle to which the slats of the motorized venetian blind system will be tilted at the respective event time, such that no sunlight shines directly through the slats beyond the desired maximum direct sunlight penetration distance.

9. A load control system for controlling the amount of sunlight entering a space of a building through a window located in a faç

ade of the building to control a direct sunlight penetration distance within the space and a reflected sunlight penetration distance on a ceiling of the space, the load control system comprising;

a motorized venetian blind system having a bottom rail and a plurality of rectangular slats that extend across the width of the window; and

a central controller operatively coupled to the motorized venetian blind system, the central controller operable to transmit digital commands to the motorized venetian blind system, the controller further operable to

receive a desired maximum direct sunlight penetration distance, a desired maximum reflected sunlight penetration distance, and a minimum time period that may occur between any two consecutive movements of the motorized venetian blind system;

calculate a controlled bottom rail position to which the bottom rail of the motorized venetian blind system should be controlled and a controlled tilt angle to which the slats of the motorized blind venetian system should be tilted during each of a plurality of consecutive time intervals, such that the sunlight penetration distance does not exceed the desired maximum direct sunlight penetration distance and the reflected sunlight penetration distance on the ceiling of the space will not exceed the desired maximum reflected penetration distance during each of the respective time intervals, the time intervals having lengths greater than or equal to the minimum time period that may occur between any two consecutive movements of the motorized venetian blind system; and

automatically adjust the position of the bottom rail to the controlled bottom rail position and the tilt angle of the slats to the controlled tilt angle at the beginning of each time interval, such that the sunlight penetration distance will not exceed the desired maximum direct sunlight penetration distance and the reflected sunlight penetration distance does not exceed the desired maximum reflected sunlight penetration distance during each of the respective time intervals, and the movements of the motorized venetian blind system are spaced apart by at least the minimum time period that may occur between any two consecutive movements of the motorized venetian blind system.

10. The load control system of claim 9, wherein the controller is operable to calculate optimal positions of the bottom rail and optimal tilt angles of the motorized venetian blind system at a plurality of different times during one of the time intervals, such that the sunlight penetration distance will not exceed the desired maximum direct sunlight penetration distance and the reflected sunlight penetration distance will not exceed the desired maximum sunlight penetration distance during each of the time intervals.

11. The load control system of claim 10, wherein the controller is operable to determine a lowest position of the calculated optimal positions of the bottom rail of the motorized venetian blind system during the one of the time intervals.

12. The load control system of claim 11, wherein the controller is operable to adjust the position of the bottom rail of the motorized venetian blind system at the beginning of the one of the time intervals to the lowest position of the calculated optimal positions of the bottom rail of the motorized venetian blind system during the one of the time intervals.

13. The load control system of claim 9, wherein the controller is operable to calculate the controlled tilt angle to which the slats of the motorized venetian blind system should be tilted during each of a plurality of consecutive time intervals, such that no sunlight shines directly through the slats beyond the desired maximum direct sunlight penetration distance.

14. The load control system of claim 9, wherein the slats of the motorized venetian blind system are flat and reflective.

15. The load control system of claim 9, wherein the sunlight that is reflected off of the slats of the motorized venetian blind system and onto the ceiling of the space is diffuse.

16. The load control system of claim 9, further comprising:

a daylight sensor mounted to the ceiling of the space;

wherein the central controller is operable to adjust the tilt angle of the slats to prevent sunlight from being reflected onto the daylight sensor.