Window treatment control using bright override

• US 10,017,985 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2014
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
• Original Assignee: Lutron Electronics Company Incorporated (Lutron Electronics)
• Inventors: Lundy, Stephen, Protzman, Brent, Courtney, Brian Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Mitchell, Katherine
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shablack, Johnnie A
• Application Number:
  US14/459,896
• Publication Number:
  US 20160047164A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,426 Days
• Field of Search: 160 1, 160 2, 160 5
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2009/6827 sensing light
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/68 Operating devices or mechanisms, e.g. with electric drive

Abstract

A system includes a window treatment adjacent to a window of a room. At least one motor drive unit is associated with the window treatment, for varying the position of the window treatment. A sensor measures a light level (e.g., an outdoor light level) at the window. A controller provides signals to the motor drive unit to automatically adjust the position of the window treatment so as to control a penetration distance of sunlight into the room when the window treatment is partially opened. The controller is configured to position the window treatment in a bright override position if the measured light level is at least a bright threshold value. The controller is configured to select the bright threshold value from among at least two predetermined values. The selection depends on an angle of incidence between light rays from the sun and a surface normal of the window.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a motorized window treatment configured to be positioned adjacent to a window of a room, the motorized window treatment having at least one motor drive unit for adjusting a position of the window treatment;

a sensor for measuring a light intensity level at the window;

a controller; and

a memory having instructions stored thereon that when executed by the controller direct the controller to;

provide signals to the at least one motor drive unit to automatically adjust the position of the window treatment so as to control a penetration distance of sunlight into the room;

store a timeclock schedule including a number of timeclock events between a start time and an end time, the timeclock events including respective positions of the motorized window treatment at a plurality of different times between the start time and the end time, the penetration distance controlled according to the timeclock schedule such that the penetration distance will not exceed a sunlight penetration distance threshold at any of the plurality of different times;

determine an angle of incidence between light rays from the sun to the window and a surface normal line perpendicular to a surface of the window;

set a bright threshold value to a first predetermined light intensity value when the determined angle of incidence is within a first range of values, and set the bright threshold value to a second predetermined light intensity value when the determined angle of incidence is within a second range of values, the first predetermined light intensity value being different from the second predetermined light intensity value;

determine from the sensor a measured light intensity level;

compare the measured light intensity level to the bright threshold value;

compute a position of the window treatment using the stored timeclock schedule when the measured light intensity level is less than the bright threshold value; and

adjust the position of the window treatment to a predetermined bright override position when the measured light intensity level is greater than the bright threshold value.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the controller, further direct the controller to dynamically set the bright threshold value periodically during a day.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the first predetermined light intensity value is lower than the second predetermined light intensity value; and

to set the bright threshold value further comprises to set the bright threshold value to the first predetermined light intensity value when the angle of incidence is determined to be about 95 degrees or greater.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the first predetermined light intensity value is lower than the second predetermined light intensity value; and

to set the bright threshold value further comprises to set the bright threshold value to the first predetermined light intensity value when the angle of incidence is determined to be about 90 degrees or greater.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the first predetermined light intensity value is higher than the second predetermined light intensity value; and

to set the bright threshold value further comprises to;

determine whether a current value of the bright threshold value is the first predetermined light intensity value or the second predetermined light intensity value; and

based on determining that the current value of the bright threshold value is the first predetermined light intensity value, set the bright threshold value to the second predetermined light intensity value when the determined angle of incidence is about 95 degrees or more.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein to set the bright threshold value further comprises to:

based on determining that the current value of the bright threshold value is the second predetermined light intensity value, set the bright threshold value to the first predetermined light intensity value when the determined angle of incidence is about 85 degrees or less.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the bright override position comprises a completely closed position or almost completely closed position.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein to compute the position of the window treatment using the stored timeclock schedule comprises to:

compare the computed position of the window treatment and a visor position of the window treatment;

adjust the position of the window treatment to the computed position when the computed position is closer to a completely closed position than the visor position; and

adjust the position of the window treatment to the visor position when the visor position is closer to a completely closed position than the computed position.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the controller, further direct the controller to:

compare the measured light intensity level to a dark threshold value; and

adjust the position of the window treatment to a dark override position when the measured light intensity level is less than the dark threshold value.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the dark override position comprises the window treatment being fully open or near fully open.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the instructions, when executed by the controller, further direct the controller to adjust the position of the window treatment to a visor position between the bright override position and the dark override position when:

the determined angle of incidence is at least 90 degrees, and the measured light intensity level is less than the first and second predetermined light intensity values, or

the determined angle of incidence is less than 90 degrees, and the visor position is more closed than the computed position.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the controller is a system controller,

the at least one motor drive unit comprises a plurality of motor drive units, each motor drive unit configured to control at least one respective window treatment,

the instructions, when executed by the controller, further direct the controller to;

provide signals to each motor drive unit to automatically adjust a position of each window treatment coupled to that motor drive unit so as to control a respective penetration distance of sunlight into one or more rooms, and

adjust the position of each window treatment corresponding to each motor drive unit to a respective bright override position when a respective measured light intensity level corresponding to a faç

ade having that motor drive unit is greater than a respective bright threshold value.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is included within a housing of the at least one motor drive unit.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor has a housing, and the controller is contained within the housing of the sensor.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein to compute the position of the window treatment using the stored timeclock schedule comprises to compute the position of the window treatment using the stored timeclock schedule when the determined angle of incidence is less than 90 degrees.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the instructions, when executed by the controller, further direct the controller to adjust the position of the window treatment to a visor position when the measured light intensity level is less than the bright threshold value and the determined angle of incidence is greater than 90 degrees.

17. An apparatus comprising:

a controller; and

a memory having instructions stored thereon that when executed by the controller direct the controller to;

provide signals to a motor drive unit to automatically adjust a position of a window treatment so as to control a penetration distance of sunlight into a room;

store a timeclock schedule including a number of timeclock events between a start time and an end time, the timeclock events including respective positions of the motorized window treatment at a plurality of different times between the start time and the end time, the penetration distance controlled according to the timeclock schedule such that the penetration distance will not exceed a sunlight penetration distance threshold at any of the plurality of different times;

determine an angle of incidence between light rays from the sun to a window and a surface normal line perpendicular to a surface of the window;

set a bright threshold value to a first predetermined light intensity value when the determined angle of incidence is within a first range of values, and set the bright threshold value to a second predetermined light intensity value when the determined angle of incidence is within a second range of values, the first predetermined light intensity value being different from the second predetermined light intensity value;

determine from a sensor a measured light intensity level;

compare the measured light intensity level to the bright threshold value;

compute a position of the window treatment using the stored timeclock schedule when the measured light intensity level is less than the bright threshold value; and

adjust the position of the window treatment to a predetermined bright override position when the measured light intensity level is greater than the bright threshold value.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed by the controller, further direct the controller to dynamically set the bright threshold value periodically during a day.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein:

the first predetermined light intensity value is higher than the second predetermined light intensity value; and

to set the bright threshold value further comprises to;

determine whether a current value of the bright threshold value is the first predetermined light intensity value or the second predetermined light intensity value; and

based on determining that the current value of the bright threshold value is the first predetermined light intensity value, set the bright threshold value to the second predetermined light intensity value when the determined angle of incidence is about 95 degrees or more.

20. The apparatus controller of claim 19, wherein to set the bright threshold value further comprises to:

based on determining that the current value of the bright threshold value is the second predetermined light intensity value, set the bright threshold value to the first predetermined light intensity value when the determined angle of incidence is about 85 degrees or less.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein to compute the position of the window treatment using the stored timeclock schedule comprises to:

compare the computed position of the window treatment and a visor position of the window treatment;

adjust the position of the window treatment to the computed position when the computed position is closer to a completely closed position than the visor position; and

adjust the position of the window treatment to the visor position when the visor position is closer to a completely closed position than the computed position.

22. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed by the controller, further direct the controller to:

compare the measured light intensity level to a dark threshold value; and

adjust the position of the window treatment to a dark override position when the measured light intensity level is less than the dark threshold value.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the dark override position comprises the window treatment being fully open or near fully open.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the instructions, when executed by the controller, further direct the controller to adjust the position of the window treatment to a visor position between the bright override position and the dark override position when:

the determined angle of incidence is at least 90 degrees, and the measured light intensity level is less than the first and second predetermined light intensity values, or

the determined angle of incidence is less than 90 degrees, and the visor position is more closed than the computed position.

25. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein to compute the position of the window treatment using the stored timeclock schedule comprises to compute the position of the window treatment using the stored timeclock schedule when the determined angle of incidence is less than 90 degrees.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the instructions, when executed by the controller, further direct the controller to adjust the position of the window treatment to a visor position when the measured light intensity level is less than the bright threshold value and the determined angle of incidence is greater than 90 degrees.