Methods for configuring and controlling the operation of a motorised drive device for a home automation unit, and associated unit and motorised drive device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10119331-B2
Application number	US-201615571121-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 3, 2016
Priority date	May 4, 2015
Publication date	Nov 6, 2018
Grant date	Nov 6, 2018

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for configuring a motorized drive device for a closure or solar protection unit, the method including: a step in which a low end-of-travel position of a screen is determined automatically; a step in which the magnitude of an electric current passing through an electric motor is measured by a measurement device; a step in which a variation in the value magnitude is determined; and a step in which an obstacle-detection threshold value is determined during the movement of the screen towards its unwound position, according to the variation in the measured magnitude.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for configuring a motorized drive device for a closure or sun-protection home-automation installation,
the closure or sun-protection home-automation installation comprising a concealing device,
the concealing device comprising at least:
a winding tube,
a screen, a first end of the screen being fastened to the winding tube, and
a load bar, a second end of the screen being fastened to the load bar,

the motorized drive device comprising at least:
an electromechanical actuator making it possible to wind and unwind the screen on the winding tube, between a wound position and an unwound position,

the electromechanical actuator comprising at least:
an electric motor,
an output shaft connected to the winding tube of the concealing device, and
an electronic control unit,

the electronic control unit comprising at least:
a device for measuring the value of a parameter of an electric current traversing the electric motor, and
a memory storing a value of the measured parameter, said method comprises at least:
a step for automatically determining a low end-of-travel position of the screen,

wherein said method comprises at least the following steps:
measuring the parameter of the electric current traversing the electric motor via the measuring device,
determining a variation of the measured parameter,
the steps for measuring the parameter of the electric current and for determining the variation of the measured parameter being carried out during the performance of the step for automatically determining the low end-of-travel position of the screen, and

determining an obstacle detection threshold value, during the movement of the screen toward the unwound position, based on the variation of the measured parameter, determined in the step for determining a variation of the measured parameter.

2. The method for configuring a motorized drive device of a closure or sun-protection home-automation installation according to claim 1 , wherein the step for determining a variation in the measured parameter is carried out between a moment preceding the determination of having reached the low end-of-travel position of the screen and a moment following the determination of having reached the low end-of-travel position of the screen.

3. The method for configuring a motorized drive device of a closure or sun-protection home-automation installation according to claim 1 , wherein the step for automatically determining the low end-of-travel position of the screen comprises a sub-step for activating the motorized drive device, so as to move the screen toward the unwound position, a sub-step for moving the screen, then a sub-step for stopping the motorized drive device, and wherein when the variation of the measured parameter, determined during the step for determining a variation of the measured parameter, is above a predetermined threshold value, the sub-step for stopping the motorized drive device is carried out.

4. The method for configuring a motorized drive device of a closure or sun-protection home-automation installation according to claim 1 , wherein said method comprises, following the step for determining the variation of the measured parameter, a step for confirming the low end-of-travel position of the screen.

5. The method for configuring a motorized drive device of a closure or sun-protection home-automation installation according to claim 3 , wherein said method comprises, following the step for determining the variation of the measured parameter, a step for confirming the low end-of-travel position of the screen and wherein the step for confirming the low end-of-travel position of the screen is carried out when the variation of the measured parameter, determined during the step for determining a variation of the measured parameter, is above the predetermined threshold value.

6. The method for configuring a motorized drive device of a closure or sun-protection home-automation installation according to claim 1 , wherein the step for measuring the parameter of the electric current is carried out periodically.

7. An operating method for controlling a motorized drive device for a closure or sun-protection home-automation installation, wherein method comprises at least the following steps:
activating the motorized drive device, so as to move a screen toward an unwound position,
measuring a parameter of an electric current traversing an electric motor via a measuring device,
determining a variation of the measured parameter,
comparing the variation of the measured parameter, during the determination step, to an obstacle detection threshold value determined using a method for configuring said motorized drive device according to claim 1 , and
determining the presence or absence of an obstacle via the electronic control unit of the electromechanical actuator, based on the result of the comparison step.

8. The operating control method of a motorized drive device of a closure or sun-protection home-automation installation according to claim 7 , wherein step for comparing the variation of the measured parameter to the determined obstacle detection threshold value is carried out periodically, as long as the result of the step for determining the presence or absence of an obstacle via the electronic control unit of the electromechanical actuator is different from a detected obstacle.

9. A motorized drive device of a closure or sun-protection home-automation installation, wherein an electronic control unit of an electromechanical actuator is configured to carry out an operating control method according to claim 7 .

10. A closure or sun-protection home-automation installation, wherein said home-automation installation comprises a motorized drive device according to claim 9 .

11. A motorized drive device of a closure or sun-protection home-automation installation, wherein an electronic control unit of an electromechanical actuator is configured to carry out a configuration method according to claim 1 .

12. A closure or sun-protection home-automation installation, wherein said home-automation installation comprises a motorized drive device according to claim 11 .

Assignees

• Somfy Activites Sa
• Somfy Activities Sa

Inventors

• Desfossez Benjamin

Classifications

• E06B9/40

  Roller blinds (usable only as awnings E04F10/06) · CPC title

• E06B2009/6854

  sensing torque · CPC title

• E06B9/72 Primary

  comprising an electric motor positioned inside the roller · CPC title

• E05F15/41

  Detection by monitoring transmitted force or torque (E05F15/48 takes precedence); Safety couplings with activation dependent upon torque or force, e.g. slip couplings · CPC title

• E06B9/68

  Operating devices or mechanisms, e.g. with electric drive · CPC title