Methods and apparatus to control an architectural opening covering assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10648232-B2
Application number	US-201314044832-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 2, 2013
Priority date	Oct 3, 2012
Publication date	May 12, 2020
Grant date	May 12, 2020

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to control an architectural opening covering assembly are disclosed herein. An example architectural opening covering assembly includes a tube and a covering coupled to the tube such that rotation of the tube winds or unwinds the covering around the tube. A motor is operatively coupled to the tube to rotate the tube. The example architectural opening covering assembly also includes a gravitational sensor to generate tube position information based on a gravity reference. The example architectural opening covering assembly further includes a controller communicatively coupled to the motor to control the motor. The controller is to determine a position of the covering based on the tube position information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An architectural covering assembly, comprising:
a tube;
a covering operatively coupled to the tube such that rotation of the tube extends or retracts the covering;
a motor operatively coupled to the tube to rotate the tube;
a gravitational sensor mounted to rotate with the tube, the gravitational sensor to measure a number of rotations of the tube and the gravitational sensor as the tube rotates to generate tube position information based on a gravity reference, the tube position information including: 1) first tube position information when the tube is rotated by the motor, and 2) second tube position information when the tube is rotated by a manual control without energizing the motor; and
a controller communicatively coupled to the motor to control the motor, wherein the controller continually determines a current position of the covering using at least one of the first tube position information or the second tube position information when the tube is rotated by the motor, wherein the covering has a range of positions between a fully extended position and a fully retracted position.

2. The architectural covering assembly of claim 1 , wherein the gravitational sensor is an accelerometer.

3. The architectural covering assembly of claim 1 , wherein an axis of rotation of the gravitational sensor is substantially coaxial to an axis of rotation of the tube.

4. The architectural covering assembly of claim 1 , wherein a center of the gravitational sensor is disposed on an axis of rotation of the tube.

5. The architectural covering assembly of claim 1 , wherein the controller is structured to determine the current position of the covering based on an angular position of the tube as indicated in the tube position information.

6. The architectural covering assembly of claim 1 , wherein the tube is rotated by the manual control that applies an external force different than the motor, the external force applied to a portion of the architectural covering assembly.

7. A tangible computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to at least:
determine an angular position of a tube of an architectural covering assembly via a gravitational sensor, which fully rotates with the tube as the tube extends or retracts an architectural covering, the angular position being based on at least one of first tube position information obtained when the tube is rotated by a motor and second tube position information obtained when the tube is rotated by a manual control without energizing the motor, wherein rotation of the tube is to extend or retract the architectural covering, wherein the gravitational sensor is to measure rotation of the tube and the gravitational sensor to determine the angular position when the tube is rotated by the motor and when the tube is rotated by the manual control without energizing the motor, and wherein the angular position is determined based on a number of rotations of the tube, measured by the gravitational sensor, from a stored position of the tube; and
when the tube is rotated by the motor, determine a position of the architectural covering between a fully extended position and a fully retracted position using at least one of the first tube position information or the second tube position information.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the stored position of the tube corresponds to a stored position of the architectural covering.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the stored position of the architectural covering is the fully extended position.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to operate the motor to rotate the tube to move the architectural covering from a first position to a second position.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to operate the motor to prevent rotation of the tube.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to determine if rotation of the tube is influenced by the manual control provided to the architectural covering assembly, the manual control influencing the rotation without operation of the motor of the architectural covering assembly.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to operate the motor in response to the manual control, the motor operatively coupled to the tube to rotate the tube.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to operate the motor to counter rotation of the tube caused by the manual control.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to operate the motor to stop rotation of the tube.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to operate the motor to move the covering to a set position.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to terminate operation of the motor.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to set the position of the architectural covering.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the gravitational sensor is an accelerometer.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 7 , wherein a center of the gravitational sensor is disposed on an axis of rotation of the tube.

21. A tangible computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to at least:
operate a motor to rotate a tube of an architectural covering assembly, the architectural covering assembly including an architectural covering mounted on the tube such that rotation of the tube extends or retracts the architectural covering;
monitor movement of the tube via a gravitational sensor to continually track a current position of the tube, wherein the gravitational sensor rotates in complete revolutions with the tube as the tube extends or retracts the architectural covering, wherein the gravitational sensor is to monitor the movement of the tube and the gravitational sensor to determine first tube position information when the tube is rotated by the motor and second tube position information when the tube is rotated by a manual control without energizing the motor; and
when the tube is rotated by the motor, determine an angular position of the tube at which the architectural covering is substantially fully extended using at least one of the first tube position information or the second tube position information.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 21 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to determine the angular position of the tube at which the architectural covering is substantially fully extended by detecting operation of the motor and detecting a lack of rotation of the tube.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 21 , wherein the gravitational sensor is an accelerometer.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 21 , wherein a center of the gravitational sensor is disposed on an axis of rotation of the tube.

25. The architectural covering assembly of claim 6 , wherein the external force moves the architectural covering,

Assignees

• Hunter Douglas

Inventors

• Colson Wendell
• Fogarty Dan
• Swiszcz Paul G
• Johnson William

Classifications

• E06B2009/6845

  sensing position · CPC title

• E06B9/68

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

• E06B2009/6827

  sensing light · CPC title

• E06B9/42 Primary

  Parts or details of roller blinds, e.g. suspension devices, blind boxes (brackets or adjustable mountings for roller blinds and drawable curtains A47H1/13) · CPC title

• E06B9/72 Primary

  comprising an electric motor positioned inside the roller · CPC title