Auto-calibration of blinds systems in buildings

• US 9,695,634 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2012
• Issued: 07/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Philips Lighting BV (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Diederiks, Elmo Marcus Attila
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Blair M
• Application Number:
  US14/362,823
• Publication Number:
  US 20140338844A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,684 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2009/6809 Control
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2009/6827 sensing light
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/32 Operating, guiding, or securing devices therefor operation of tilting bars E06B9/307
• 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

The present invention relates to a control system for automatic calibration of a blinds system installed in a room, comprising: a controller (1, 8, 9) having a memory, a clock and a processor, an occupancy sensor (2, 7), an interior light sensor (3, 7), an exterior light sensor (4). The control system is characterized in that the control system is arranged to run an automated calibration of the blinds system when the exterior light sensor indicates an outside light level above a predetermined threshold, the occupancy sensor indicates that no person is present in the room, and a predetermined time has passed since the last calibration. The invention further relates to a method for automatic calibration of a blinds system installed in a room using a control system comprising a controller (1, 8, 9) having a memory, a clock and a processor, an occupancy sensor (2, 7), an interior light sensor (3, 7), an exterior light sensor (4), the method comprising the step of: running an automated calibration of the blinds system when the exterior light sensor (4) indicates an outside light level above a predetermined threshold, the occupancy sensor (2, 7) indicates that no person is present in the room, and a predetermined time has passed since the last calibration.

Claims

1. Control system for automatic calibration of a blinds system installed in a room, comprising:

a controller having a memory, a clock and a processor,

an occupancy sensor,

an interior light sensor,

an exterior light sensor,

wherein the control system is arranged to run an automated calibration of the blinds system when the exterior light sensor indicates an outside light level above a predetermined threshold, the occupancy sensor indicates that no person is present in the room, and a predetermined time has passed since the last calibration.

2. Control system claim 1, further comprising an artificial lighting detector for determining if artificial lighting is on in the room, and wherein the control system is arranged to run a calibration of the blinds system when the artificial lighting detector indicates that artificial lighting is off.

3. Control system according to claim 1, wherein the blinds system comprises slats, a first step motor arranged to drive extension movements of the blinds and a second step motor arranged to drive rotational movement of the slats, wherein the memory has a number of stored positions of the first and second step motors and wherein the corresponding light level ratio between interior and exterior light is stored for each of the stored positions and wherein the stored step motor positions are arranged to be updated to meet the light level ratio during the automatic calibration.

4. Control system according to claim 1, further comprising network communications means.

5. Control system according to claim 1, wherein the occupancy sensor and/or interior light sensor are part of a lighting system in a room having the control system for auto-calibration of blinds systems installed, the network communication means being arranged to communicate with the occupancy sensor and/or interior light sensor.

6. Building comprising a control system according to claim 1.

7. Method for automatic calibration of a blinds system installed in a room using a control system comprising a controller having a memory, a clock and a processor, an occupancy sensor, an interior light sensor, an exterior light sensor, wherein the method comprises the step of running an automated calibration of the blinds system when the exterior light sensor indicates an outside light level above a predetermined threshold, the occupancy sensor indicates that no person is present in the room, and a predetermined time has passed since the last calibration.

8. Method according to claim 7, wherein the control system further comprises an artificial lighting detector for determining if artificial lighting is on in the room, wherein the method further comprises the step of running the calibration of the blinds system when the artificial lighting detector indicates that artificial lighting is off.

9. Method according to claim 7, wherein the blinds system comprises slats, a first step motor arranged to drive extension movements of the blinds and a second step motor arranged to drive rotational movement of the slats, wherein the memory has a number of stored positions of the first and second step motors and wherein the corresponding light level ratio between interior and exterior light is stored for each of the stored positions, and wherein the method further comprises the step of updating the stored step motor positions to meet the light level ratio during the automatic calibration.

10. Method according to claim 9, wherein the step of updating the stored step motor positions comprises the steps of:

controlling the first and second step motor to a stored position for the blinds with regard to blinds extension and slat angles (α

), the slat angle being relative to the vertical axis (x),

measuring a new light level ratio between interior and exterior light,

comparing the new light level ratio to the stored light level ratio for the current position,

wherein, if the new light level ratio is other than the stored light level ratio, the second step motor is incrementally adjusted while measuring the light level ratio to find the predetermined light level ratio, which measured light level ratio is updated in the memory together with the step motor positions for the blinds position.

11. Method according to claim 10, wherein the stored positions of the first and second step motors correspond to at least one of the following combinations for light level ratios R:

R₁) the blinds are fully extended with the slats at α

equal to 45 degrees;

R₂) the blinds are fully extended with the slats fully open or at α

equal to 90 degrees;

R₃) the blinds are fully extended with the slats at α

equal to 135 degrees;

R₄) the blinds are fully extended with the slats fully closed or at α

equal to 180 degrees;

R_min) the blinds are fully extended with the slats fully closed or at α

equal to 0 degrees;

or

R_max) the blinds are not extended, the slats are fully open or at α

equal to 90 degrees.

12. Method according to claim 11, wherein the step of updating the stored step motor positions comprises the steps of:

controlling the first and second step motor to the stored position for light level ratio R₂

measuring the light level ratio R′

₂,

controlling the first and second step motor to the stored position for light level ratio R₄

measuring the light level ratio R′

₄,

controlling the first and second step motor to the stored position for light level ratio R_min

measuring the light level ratio R′

_min,

comparing the measured light level ratio R′

_min to the stored light level ratio R_min for the current position, and

if the measured light level ratio R′

_min is higher than the stored light level ratio R_min, R′

₄ is higher than R₄, and R′

₂ is higher than R₂, the first step motor is incrementally adjusted to further extend the blinds until R_min is equal or lower than the stored value,

update the last measured light level ratio is in the memory together with the step motor positions for the fully extended and fully closed position.

13. Method according to claim 12, wherein if the measured light level ratio R_min′

is higher than the stored light level ratio R_min, and R′

₄ and R′

₂ both are as the stored values R₄ and R₂ respectively, the second step motor is incrementally adjusted to further close the slats while measuring the light level ratio until the light level ratio is equal to or lower than the stored value, and update the last measured light level ratio in the memory together with the step motor positions for the fully extended and fully closed position.

14. Method according to claim 11, wherein the step of updating the stored step motor positions further comprises the steps of:

controlling the first and second step motors (5) to the stored position for light level ratio R₂

measuring a new light level ratio R′

₂ between interior and exterior light,

comparing the new light level ratio R′

₂ to the stored light level ratio for the current position,

wherein, if the new light level ratio R₂′

is lower than the stored light level ratio R₂, the second step motor is incrementally adjusted while measuring the light level ratio to find the maximum light level ratio, which maximum light level ratio is updated in the memory together with the step motor positions for the fully extended and fully opened position.

15. Control system for automatic calibration of a blinds system installed in a room, comprising:

a controller having a memory, a clock and a processor,

an occupancy sensor,

an interior light sensor,

an exterior light sensor,

wherein the control system is arranged to run an automated calibration of the blinds system to compensate for wear of the hardware components of the blinds system, wherein the automatic calibration occurs when the exterior light sensor indicates an outside light level above a predetermined threshold, the occupancy sensor indicates that no person is present in the room, and a predetermined time has passed since the last calibration.