US 7,941,245 B1 · State-based system for automated shading

Abstract

An automated shading system defines an environmental state as a discrete variable representing a history of values of a second discrete variable representing the ambient environment. The system executes a state-specific automated shading command upon occurrence of each state. Prior to usage, each automated shading command is initialized to one of two types of command, as a function of the corresponding state: an “adjust shading” command that causes an automatic adjustment to a predetermined shading setting, or a “do not adjust” command that causes no shading adjustment. The system also enables a user to directly adjust the shading to a selected setting via deliberate shading commands. After each deliberate shading adjustment, the system updates the automated shading command associated with the current state to an “adjust shading” command that, upon subsequent occurrence of the same state, will cause an automatic adjustment to the same selected setting.

Claims6

Dependent claims

A method of automatically adjusting a window shading device, said method comprising the following steps:

a. characterizing an environmental condition via a discrete condition variable;
said discrete condition variable being a function of at least two environmental characteristics;
b. characterizing an environmental state via a discrete state variable, said discrete state variable being a function of N most recent values of said discrete condition variable, N being at least 2, said discrete state variable thereby representing a history of values of said discrete condition variable;
and
c. adjusting said window shading device upon a change in value of said discrete state variable.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

State-based system for automated shading

Life of this patent

State-based system for automated shading

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims6