# US 10,863,846 B2 · External motor drive system for window covering system with continuous cord loop

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- Number: US 10,863,846 B2
- Document ID: US10863846B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/255,647
- Filed: 2019-01-23
- Published: 2019-05-23
- Granted: 2020-12-15
- Earliest claimed: 2015-10-02
- Assignees: AXIS Labs Inc.
- Applicants: Axis Labs Inc.
- Inventors: Trung Duc Pham; Alan Cheng; Marc Bishara; Clifton Pereira
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10863846B2

## CPC

- A47H 5/0325: {using electrical or electronical drive, detecting or controlling means}
- E06B 9/24: Screens or other constructions affording protection against light, especially against sunshine; Similar screens for privacy or appearance; {Slat blinds}(operating, guiding or securing devices or arrangements for roll-type closures E06B9/56; free-hanging flexible screens A47H23/00)
- 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)
- E06B 9/326: Details of cords, e.g. buckles, drawing knobs
- E06B 9/368: {Driving means other than pulling cords}
- E06B 9/70: comprising an electric motor positioned outside the roller
- E06B 9/74: adapted for selective electrical or manual operation
- H02P 1/16: for starting dynamo-electric motors or dynamo-electric converters
- E06B 2009/2622: {Gathered vertically; Roman, Austrian or festoon blinds}
- E06B 2009/6809: {Control}
- E06B 2009/6818: {using sensors}
- E06B 2009/6827: {sensing light}
- E06B 2009/6845: {sensing position}
- F16H 19/06: comprising {flexible members, e.g. an} endless flexible member
- F16H 2019/0681: {the flexible member forming a closed loop}
- A47H: FURNISHINGS FOR WINDOWS OR DOORS (concerned with the functioning of the door or window E05; roller blinds E06B)
- E06B: FIXED OR MOVABLE CLOSURES FOR OPENINGS IN BUILDINGS, VEHICLES, FENCES OR LIKE ENCLOSURES IN GENERAL, e.g. DOORS, WINDOWS, BLINDS, GATES (shades or blinds for greenhouses A01G9/22; curtains A47H; lids for car boots or bonnets B62D25/10; skylights E04B7/18; sunshades, awnings E04F10/00)
- H02P: CONTROL OR REGULATION OF ELECTRIC MOTORS, ELECTRIC GENERATORS OR DYNAMO-ELECTRIC CONVERTERS; CONTROLLING TRANSFORMERS, REACTORS OR CHOKE COILS
- F16H: GEARING

## Abstract

A motor driven system for raising and lowering a window covering executes motor ramp trajectory speed control. The motor ramp trajectory limits acceleration of an external motor from the idle (stationary) state to full operating speed, and limits deceleration of the motor from full operating speed back to the idle state. This function reduces stresses on a continuous cord loop drive mechanism. A control system manages solar heating effects in response to sunlight entrance conditions such as system sensor outputs, external weather forecasts, and other data sources. The system automatically opens or close the window covering to increase or decrease admitted sunlight under appropriate conditions. The input interface of the control system includes a visual display and input axis, which are aligned vertically if the window covering mechanism raises and lowers the window covering, and are aligned horizontally if the window covering mechanism laterally opens and closes the window covering.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A drive system for use with a window covering system for spreading and retracting a window covering, the window covering system including the window covering, a headrail, and a continuous cord loop chain, the drive system comprising:
a DC motor configured to rotate an output shaft of the DC motor;
a drive assembly comprising a driven sprocket wheel coupled to the output shaft of the DC motor configured for engaging and advancing the continuous cord loop chain, wherein advancing the continuous cord loop chain in a first direction spreads the window covering, and advancing the continuous cord loop chain in a second direction retracts the window covering;
a controller for providing positional commands to the DC motor and the drive assembly to control the advancing the continuous cord loop chain in the first direction and the advancing the continuous cord loop chain in the second direction, wherein the controller receives a plurality of sunlight entrance conditions; and
a housing for the DC motor and the drive assembly, wherein the continuous cord loop chain extends below the headrail of the window covering system to the driven sprocket wheel at the housing, wherein the housing includes an input interface configured to receive user inputs to the controller,
wherein the plurality of sunlight entrance conditions include a temperature output of a temperature sensor, the temperature output representative of a temperature in the vicinity of the drive system, and further include a light output of a light sensor, the light output representative of an intensity of ambient light in the vicinity of the drive system,
wherein in the event the plurality of sunlight entrance conditions received by the controller corresponds to one or more window cover criteria, the controller causes the drive assembly to advance the continuous cord loop chain in the first direction to spread the window covering, and in the event the plurality of sunlight entrance conditions received by the controller corresponds to one or more window uncover criteria, the controller causes the drive assembly to advance the continuous cord loop chain in the second direction to retract the window covering.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The drive system of claim 1, further comprising a weather API, wherein the sunlight entrance conditions received by the controller include one or both of weather forecast data and solar forecast data received from the weather APL.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The drive system of claim 1, wherein the sunlight entrance conditions received by the controller include occupancy data provided by an occupancy sensor.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The drive system of claim 1, wherein the window covering system is associated with a window with a solar orientation, wherein the sunlight entrance conditions received by the controller include window location data for the window including the solar orientation.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The drive system of claim 1, wherein the sunlight entrance conditions received by the controller include one or both of seasonality data and time-of-day.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The drive system of claim 1, wherein in the event the plurality of sunlight entrance conditions received by the controller corresponds to the one or more window cover criteria, the controller causes the drive assembly either to advance the continuous cord loop chain in the first direction to spread the window covering laterally or vertically to a fully closed position, or to advance the continuous cord loop chain in the first direction to spread the window covering laterally or vertically to a partially opened position with a decreased level of openness.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The drive system of claim 1, wherein in the event the plurality of sunlight entrance conditions received by the controller corresponds to the one or more window uncover criteria, the controller causes the drive assembly either to advance the continuous cord loop chain in the second direction to retract the window covering laterally or vertically to a fully opened position, or to advance the continuous cord loop chain in the second direction to retract the window covering laterally or vertically to a partially opened position with an increased level of openness.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The drive system of claim 1, wherein at given times during operation of the drive system, the controller is in one of a machine-control state, a manual-operation state, and a user-control state, wherein in the event the plurality of sunlight entrance conditions received by the controller corresponds to the one or more window cover criteria, the controller causes the drive assembly to advance the continuous cord loop chain in the first direction to spread the window covering only when the controller is in the machine control state, and in the event the plurality of sunlight entrance conditions received by the controller corresponds to the one or more window uncover criteria, the controller causes the drive assembly to advance the continuous cord loop chain in the second direction to retract the window covering only when the controller is in the machine control state.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The drive system of claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor is communicatively coupled to the controller for providing the positional commands to the DC motor and the drive assembly and is configured to transmit the temperature output to the controller.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The drive system of claim 1, wherein the light sensor is communicatively coupled to the controller for providing the positional commands to the DC motor and the drive assembly and is configured to transmit the light output to the controller.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The drive system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sunlight entrance conditions received by the controller comprise the temperature output, the light output, and two or more sunlight entrance conditions selected from the group consisting of external weather conditions, solar orientation, seasonality, time of day, and occupancy sensor output.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The drive system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of sunlight entrance conditions received by the controller correspond to window cover criteria including one or more of peak solar gain and reduced dependence on artificial cooling.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The drive system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of sunlight entrance conditions received by the controller correspond to window uncover criteria including one or more of reduced dependence on artificial heating and reduced dependence on artificial lighting.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The drive system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of sunlight entrance conditions received by the controller correspond to window cover criteria including prevention of glare.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The drive system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of sunlight entrance conditions received by the controller include occupancy sensor output and solar orientation, wherein the drive system controls multiple windows covering systems, and wherein the plurality of sunlight entrance conditions correspond to multiple window locations facing in different directions.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The drive system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of sunlight entrance conditions received by the controller include occupancy sensor output, solar orientation, and time of day, wherein the drive system controls multiple windows covering systems, and wherein the plurality of sunlight entrance conditions include two or more of the following: north-facing room, east-facing room, south-facing room, west-facing room, morning time of day, afternoon time of day, and evening time of day.