Systems and method for controlling window treatments
AssigneeUniversal Electronics Inc.
InventorsPaul D. Arling, Steve Gutman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A controller receives from a sensor associated with a window treatment a first data obtained during a controlled closing of the window treatment. A setpoint temperature, a current temperature within a structure, and a weather data is subsequently used to determine that the window treatment needs to be closed in order to hasten a movement of the current temperature towards the setpoint temperature. After an instruction is provided to cause the window treatment to start to close, second data is obtained from the sensor while the window treatment is being closed. The first data is compared to the second data, when the comparison indicates that an obstruction exists in a path of travel of the window treatment, the closing of the window treatment is stopped.
Claims11
A method, performed by a controller, for controlling operation of a window treatment installed within a window frame of a structure comprising:
- using a distance sensor attached to a bottom of the window treatment to obtain a first data, the first data comprising distances, as measured by the distance sensor, between the bottom of the window treatment and a windowsill of the window frame as the window treatment is moved from a first position to a second position that is closer to the windowsill relative to the first position;
- causing the first data to be stored in memory;
- receiving a current temperature data from a temperature sensor within the structure;
- receiving a weather data from a weather service;
- using a setpoint temperature for the structure as read from the memory, the current temperature data, and the weather data to determine that the window treatment needs to be closed in order to facilitate a movement of the current temperature within the structure towards the setpoint temperature;
- causing a first instruction to be provided to the window treatment to cause the window treatment to move from a current position towards the second position;
- using the distance sensor to obtain a second data, the second data comprising distances, as measured by the distance sensor, between the bottom of the window treatment and the windowsill as the window treatment is moved from the current position towards the second position;
- comparing the first data to the second data while the window treatment is being moved as a result of the first instruction;
- and
- when the comparison indicates that an obstruction exists in a path of travel of the window treatment, causing a second instruction to be provided to the window treatment to cause the window treatment to stop moving.
A method, performed by a controller, for controlling operation of a window treatment installed within a window frame of a structure comprising:
- using a distance sensor attached to a bottom of the window treatment to obtain a first data, the first data comprising distances, as measured by the distance sensor, between the bottom of the window treatment and a windowsill of the window frame as the window treatment is moved from a first position to a second position that is closer to the windowsill relative to the first position;
- causing the first data to be stored in memory;
- using a current time of day to determine that the window treatment needs to be closed;
- causing a first instruction to be provided to the window treatment to cause the window treatment to move from a current position towards the second position;
- using the distance sensor to obtain a second data, the second data comprising distances, as measured by the distance sensor, between the bottom of the window treatment and the windowsill as the window treatment is moved from the current position towards the second position;
- comparing the first data to the second data while the window treatment is being moved as a result of the first instruction;
- and
- when the comparison indicates that an obstruction exists in a path of travel of the window treatment, causing a second instruction to be provided to the window treatment to cause the window treatment to stop moving.
A method, performed by a controller, for controlling operation of a window treatment installed within a window frame of a structure comprising:
- using a distance sensor attached to a bottom of the window treatment to obtain a first data, the first data comprising distances, as measured by the distance sensor, between the bottom of the window treatment and a windowsill of the window frame as the window treatment is moved from a first position to a second position that is closer to the windowsill relative to the first position;
- causing the first data to be stored in memory;
- receiving a sunlight data from light sensor;
- using the sunlight data to determine that the window treatment needs to be closed;
- causing a first instruction to be provided to the window treatment to cause the window treatment to move from a current position towards the second position;
- using the distance sensor to obtain a second data, the second data comprising distances, as measured by the distance sensor, between the bottom of the window treatment and the windowsill as the window treatment is moved from the current position towards the second position;
- comparing the first data to the second data while the window treatment is being moved as a result of the first instruction;
- and
- when the comparison indicates that an obstruction exists in a path of travel of the window treatment, causing a second instruction to be provided to the window treatment to cause the window treatment to stop moving.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.