US 6,181,089 B2Granted

Remotely-controlled battery-powered window covering having light and position sensors

AssigneeHunter Douglas Inc.

InventorsJoseph E. Kovach, Michael S. Holford, Gary F. Skinner, Erwin Gaudyn, David Vogel, Wendell B. Colson, Marek Jarosinski

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Abstract

A wireless battery-operated window covering assembly is disclosed. The window covering has a head rail in which all the components are housed. These include a battery pack, an interface module including an IR receiver and a manual switch, a processor board including control circuitry, motor, drive gear, and a rotatably mounted reel on which lift cords wind and unwind a collapsible shade. The circuitry allows for dual-mode IR receiver operation and a multi-sensor polling scheme, both of which are configured to prolong battery life. Included among these sensors is a lift cord detector which gauges shade status to control the raising and lowering of the shade, and a rotation sensor which, in conjunction with internal registers and counters keeps track of travel limits and shade position.

Claims43

Dependent claims

A battery-powered infrared remote-control motorized lift window treatment assembly comprising:

a head rail;
a reversible dc motor disposed in the head rail;
at least one battery mounted in the head rail and configured to power the reversible dc motor;
a window covering operatively coupled to said motor and configured to be selectively raised or lowered by the motor;
a manual switch configured to output a manual control signal when the manual switch is activated;
an infrared receiver having a power supply lead, a ground lead and an output lead, the infrared receiver configured to detect and demodulate a user-generated infrared light signal and output a sensed remote control signal in response thereto;
a processor configured to respond to at least two different sensed remote control signals output by the infrared receiver in response to at least two different corresponding user-generated light signals, the processor further configured to cause the reversible dc motor to turn in a first direction in response to a first sensed remote control signal and turn in a second direction in response to a second sensed remote control signal which is different from the first sensed remote control signal, the processor having associated therewith a non-volatile memory configured to store executable code for controlling the assembly and also having a plurality of connections including:
a ground connection;
a voltage supply input;
a first position input configured to receive information reflective of either a movement or position of said window covering;
a manual signal input configured to receive said manual control signal from said manual switch;
a remote signal input configured to receive said sensed remote control signal from said output lead of the infrared receiver,
first and second motor drive signal outputs, each motor drive signal output configured to output a motor drive signal to energize the motor to turn in one of two directions, in response to either a valid sensed remote control signal or a manual control signal;
and
a voltage supply output electrically connected to the power supply lead of the infrared receiver to power the infrared receiver.

12 more elements

A battery-powered infrared remote-control motorized lift window treatment assembly comprising:

a head rail;
a reversible dc motor disposed in the head rail;
at least one battery disposed in the head rail and configured to power the reversible dc motor;
a window covering operatively coupled to said motor and configured to be selectively raised or lowered by the motor;
a manual switch configured to output a manual control signal when said manual switch is activated;
a light sensor configured to receive a user-generated infrared light signal from a remote control transmitter;
an integrated circuit controller electrically connected to said light sensor, the controller configured to respond to at least two different light signals, the controller configured to cause the reversible dc motor to turn in a first direction in response to first information present in a first light signal, and further configured to cause the reversible dc motor to turn in a second direction in response to second information present in a second light signal, said controller having a plurality of connections including:
a ground connection;
a voltage supply input;
a first position input configured to receive information reflective of either a movement or a position of said window covering;
a manual signal input configured to receive said manual control signal from said manual switch;
a remote signal input configured to receive an output from said light sensor, said output resulting from a user-generated infrared remote-control signal;
and
first and second motor drive signal outputs, each motor drive signal output configured to output a motor drive signal to energize the motor to turn in one of two directions, in response to either a valid user-generated light signal or a manual control signal.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/532,011Filed 21 Mar 2000 · continuation
Priority: 6 Sep 1996
Granted: 30 Jan 2001
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

E06B 9/88
Automatic: for limiting unrolling
E06B 9/262
Lamellar or like blinds, e.g. venetian blinds: with flexibly-interconnected horizontal or vertical strips; Concertina blinds , i.e. upwardly…
E06B 9/32
Liftable: operating, guiding, or securing devices therefor
E06B 9/72
Operating devices or mechanisms, e.g. with electric drive: comprising an electric motor positioned inside the roller

Family

Application60/025,541Us provisional application · filed 6 Sep 1996
Application08/757,559Parent of this continuation · filed 27 Nov 1996
Application09/131,417Parent of this continuation · filed 10 Aug 1998
Application09/357,761Parent of this continuation · filed 21 Jul 1999
US 6,057,658 AParent of this continuation
US 5,990,646 AParent of this continuation
US 5,793,174 AParent of this continuation
US 6,181,089 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.