Dynamic user control system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10921694-B2
Application number	US-202016748612-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 21, 2020
Priority date	Aug 30, 2016
Publication date	Feb 16, 2021
Grant date	Feb 16, 2021

Abstract

A wall controller is provided. The wall controller includes a projection screen arranged to project a digital image onto the projection screen from the projector, wherein the projector has an optical axis that is non-orthogonal to the projection screen. The wall controller includes a housing having the projection screen mounted thereto. A housing is dimensioned to fit a second end of the housing through an aperture in a first wall, fit the second end into a wall space between the first wall and a second wall, and fit a majority of the first end of the housing into the aperture until the projection screen is parallel to a surface of the first wall. The aperture dimensioned to fit the first end of the housing or the front portion of the projection screen.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wall controller, comprising:
a projection screen;
a projector arranged to project a digital image onto the projection screen from the projector; and
a housing having the projection screen mounted thereto at a first end of the housing, the housing having the projector at a second end of the housing, the housing dimensioned to fit the second end of the housing through an aperture in a first wall, fit the second end into a wall space between the first wall and a second wall, and fit a majority of the first end of the housing into the aperture until the projection screen is parallel to a surface of the first wall and a front portion of the projection screen is flush with, recessed in or extends from the surface of the first wall.

2. The wall controller of claim 1 wherein the projection screen includes an input device.

3. The wall controller of claim 1 wherein the projection screen comprises:
a rotatable front screen mounted to a touchscreen that is affixed to the first end of the housing so that the projected digital image appears on the projection screen.

4. The wall controller of claim 1 , further comprising:
a mirror mounted in an interior of the housing so as to reflect a beam from the projector onto the projection screen.

5. The wall controller of claim 1 , further comprising:
the projector mounted off-axis relative to the projection screen and configured to have a non-reflected beam aimed at the projection screen.

6. The wall controller of claim 1 , wherein the projection screen includes a rotatable input device affixed to a rotatable cylindrical rim having an arc shaped reflective outer edge.

7. The wall controller of claim 1 , wherein an overall length of the housing from the first end to the second end is greater than an overall depth of the housing, so as to accommodate a beam path from the projector to the projection screen.

8. The wall controller of claim 1 , wherein the wall controller controls an electrochromic device.

9. The wall controller of claim 1 , wherein the projection screen comprises:
an input device with a reflective outer edge
a touchscreen in fixed relation to the projector;
a rotatable front screen in front of the touchscreen; and
the reflective outer edge attached to the rotatable front screen at a boundary thereof and surrounding a boundary of the touchscreen.

10. A wall controller, comprising:
a touchscreen with a rotatable front screen that overlaps the touchscreen;
a projector arranged to project a digital image onto the touchscreen or the rotatable front screen, the projector mountable behind a wall having an aperture to which the wall controller is mountable; and
the touchscreen configured to sense an object positioned at an edge of, and rotating, the rotatable front screen.

11. The wall controller of claim 10 , wherein the touchscreen comprises:
a first transparent or translucent disk of a first diameter and having a first cylindrical rim;
a capacitive sensing film on a front surface of or inside the first transparent or translucent disk;
a second transparent or translucent disk of a second diameter greater than the first diameter and having a second cylindrical rim; and
the second cylindrical rim surrounding and coupled to the first cylindrical rim by a ring-shaped bearing, with the second transparent or translucent disk concentric to, rotatable relative to, and in front of the first transparent or translucent disk and the capacitive sensing film.

12. The wall controller of claim 10 , wherein the front screen is translucent.

13. The wall controller of claim 10 , wherein the digital image fills the touchscreen and the front screen and stays at a fixed orientation to the touchscreen as the front screen rotates.

14. The wall controller of claim 10 , wherein the projector is configured to rotate the digital image to match rotation of the front screen.

15. A controller system for electrochromic devices, comprising:
a plurality of controllers coupled through a mesh network, each of the plurality of controllers coupled to at least one electrochromic device for control of the at least one electrochromic device;
the plurality of controllers configured to receive input from mobile computing devices and from a gateway coupled to an external network; and
the plurality of controllers further configured to communicate between each other through the mesh network for control of the at least one electrochromic device without assistance from the gateway.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of controllers execute a last known configuration for the at least one electrochromic device prior to the gateway losing connectivity with the external network.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein at least one of the plurality of controllers are configurable to receive an audio command and distribute instructions based on the received audio command to another one of the plurality of controllers or an electrochromic device.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the electrochromic device is one of a door or a window.

19. The system of claim 15 , wherein the mesh network is Internet Protocol based.

20. The system of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of controller control tinting of the electrochromic device via application of a voltage to the electrochromic device.

Assignees

• Kinestral Tech Inc

Inventors

• Dubois Antoine
• Bogdan John
• Nagel Paul
• Henricksen Craig
• Coffin Stephen
• Barnum Wally

Classifications

• H04N9/3185

  Geometric adjustment, e.g. keystone or convergence (optical or mechanical adjustment of convergence H04N9/317; using scanning means H04N3/22; optical or mechanical adjustments of projectors not peculiar to the presence of an electronic spatial light modulator G03B21/14) · CPC title

• G02F1/13338

  Input devices, e.g. touch panels · CPC title

• G06F3/0488

  using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures · CPC title

• H04N9/3194

  including sensor feedback · CPC title

• G06F3/03547

  Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface · CPC title