Automated shade control system utilizing brightness modeling

• US 8,890,456 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2012
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• 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., Ramalingam, Muthukumar
• Primary Examiner(s): Masih, Karen
• Application Number:
  US13/671,018
• Publication Number:
  US 20130063065A1
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• Field of Search: 318/468, 318/480, 318/286, 318/466, 318/469, 318/484
• US Class Current: 318/468
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2009/2464 featuring transparency control by applying voltage, e.g. LCD, electrochromic panels
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2009/6818 using sensors
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2009/6827 sensing light
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/68 Operating devices or mechanisms, e.g. with electric drive
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/62 characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 17/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2827 Reporting to a device within the home network; wherein the reception of the information reported automatically triggers the execution of a home appliance functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 30/24 Structural elements or technologies for improving thermal insulation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection
• 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. Modeled brightness information may be utilized to control shades.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, at an automated shade control system, a modeled brightness value indicating the presence of excessive brightness at a window, wherein a window covering is associated with the window;

activating, by the automated shade control system and responsive to the modeled brightness value exceeding a threshold brightness value, a motor associated with the window covering to position the window covering in a different position from the position specified by a standard management routine; and

determining the duration of the presence of excessive brightness at the window, wherein activating the motor is responsive to the duration exceeding a default brightness duration.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, responsive to the duration not exceeding a default brightness duration, the activating the motor is not performed.

3. A method, comprising:

receiving, at an automated shade control system, a modeled brightness value indicating the presence of excessive brightness at a window, wherein a window covering is associated with the window; and

activating, by the automated shade control system and responsive to the modeled brightness value exceeding a threshold brightness value, a motor associated with the window covering to position the window covering in a different position from the position specified by a standard management routine,

wherein the motor is activated responsive to the automated shade control system determining the existence of a clear sky condition.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, responsive to the automated shade control system determining the existence of an overcast sky condition, the activating the motor is not performed.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

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

activating the motor to adjust the window covering at least partially toward a fully closed position responsive to the presence of calculated reflected light on the window.

6. A method, comprising:

calculating, by an automated shade control system and using a brightness model, the presence of excessive brightness at a location of interest; and

activating, by the automated shade control system, a motor to adjust a window covering responsive to the excessive brightness at the location of interest,

wherein the brightness model incorporates an adjustment factor for the field of view at the location of interest.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the field of view includes at least a portion of a building and at least a portion of the surroundings of the building.

8. A method, comprising:

calculating, by an automated shade control system and using a brightness model, the presence of excessive brightness at a location of interest; and

activating, by the automated shade control system, a motor to adjust a window covering responsive to the excessive brightness at the location of interest,

wherein the brightness model calculates modeled brightness values based on measured British Thermal Unit (BTU) values associated with the location of interest.

9. A method, comprising:

calculating, by an automated shade control system and using a brightness model, the presence of excessive brightness at a location of interest; and

activating, by the automated shade control system, a motor to adjust a window covering responsive to the excessive brightness at the location of interest,

wherein the brightness model calculates modeled brightness values based on modeled British Thermal Unit (BTU) values associated with the location of interest.

10. A method, comprising:

calculating, by an automated shade control system and using a brightness model, the presence of excessive brightness at a location of interest; and

activating, by the automated shade control system, a motor to adjust a window covering responsive to the excessive brightness at the location of interest,

wherein the brightness model calculates modeled brightness values based on modeled total solar radiation values associated with the location of interest.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the total solar radiation values are obtained from a clear sky model.

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

13. A method, comprising:

calculating, by an automated shade control system and using a brightness model, the presence of excessive brightness at a location of interest;

activating, by the automated shade control system, a motor to adjust a window covering responsive to the excessive brightness at the location of interest; and

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.

14. A method, comprising;

calculating, by an automated shade control system and using a brightness model, the presence of excessive brightness at a location of interest; and

activating, by the automated shade control system, a motor to adjust a window covering responsive to the excessive brightness at the location of interest,

wherein the activating the motor is performed responsive to a measured solar radiation value exceeding 60% of an ASHRAE theoretical clear sky solar radiation value.

15. An automated shade control system, comprising:

a controller configured with a brightness model, the controller configured to control, using modeled brightness information, a motor associated with a window,

wherein the controller is configured with a shadow model and a reflectance model, and wherein the controller is configured to control the motor using shadow information obtained from the shadow model and reflectance information obtained from the reflectance model.