US 6,259,218 B1Granted

Battery-powered wireless remote-control motorized window covering assembly having a microprocessor controller

AssigneeHunter Douglas Inc.

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

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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.

Claims52

Dependent claims

A battery-powered remote-control motorized window treatment assembly having a window covering movable between a lowered position and a raised position, comprising:

a head rail;
a reversible dc motor disposed in the head rail and operatively coupled to the window covering;
at least one battery mounted in the head rail and configured to power the reversible dc motor;
a manual switch mounted on the head rail and configured to output a manual control signal when the manual switch is activated;
a remote control sensor configured to detect a user-generated wireless remote control signal and output a sensed remote control signal in response thereto;
a microprocessor configured to respond to at least two different sensed remote control signals output by the remote control sensor in response to at least two different corresponding user-generated wireless remote control signals, the microprocessor 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 microprocessor having associated therewith a memory storing executable code for controlling operation of the window covering, the microprocessor 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 remote control sensor;
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 wireless remote control signal or a manual control signal.

10 more elements

In a window treatment assembly having a head rail and a window covering movable between a lowered position and a raised position, the improvement comprising:

a reversible dc motor disposed in the head rail and operatively coupled to the window covering;
at least one battery mounted in the head rail and configured to power the reversible dc motor;
a manual switch mounted on the head rail and configured to output a manual control signal when the manual switch is activated;
a remote control sensor configured to detect a user-generated wireless remote control signal and output a sensed remote control signal in response thereto;
and
a microprocessor configured to respond to at least two different sensed remote control signals output by the remote control sensor in response to at least two different corresponding user-generated wireless remote control signals, the microprocessor 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 microprocessor having associated therewith a memory storing executable code for controlling operation of the window covering, the microprocessor 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 remote control sensor;
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 wireless remote control signal or a manual control signal.

10 more elements

In a battery-powered remote-control motorized window treatment assembly having a window covering movable between a lowered position and a raised position, the assembly including:

a head rail;
a reversible dc motor disposed in the head rail and operatively coupled to the window covering;
at least one battery mounted in the head rail and configured to power the reversible dc motor;
a manual switch mounted on the head rail and configured to output a manual control signal when the manual switch is activated;
and
a remote control sensor configured to detect a user-generated wireless remote control signal and output a sensed remote control signal in response thereto;
the improvement comprising:
a microprocessor configured to respond to at least two different sensed remote control signals output by the remote control sensor in response to at least two different corresponding user-generated wireless remote control signals, the microprocessor 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 microprocessor having associated therewith a memory storing executable code for controlling operation of the window covering, the microprocessor 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 remote control sensor;
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 wireless remote control signal or a manual control signal.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/692,491Filed 20 Oct 2000 · continuation
Priority: 6 Sep 1996
Granted: 10 Jul 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
Application09/532,011Parent of this continuation · filed 21 Mar 2000
US 6,181,089 B2Parent of this continuation
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 6,259,218 B1This patent

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