Motorized roller shade having a smart hembar

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12359504-B2
Application number	US-202016925920-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 10, 2020
Priority date	Jul 12, 2019
Publication date	Jul 15, 2025
Grant date	Jul 15, 2025

Abstract

A motorized window treatment includes a motor drive unit having a motor and a covering material having a first end in a fixed position and a second end movable along a first axis. The covering material is configured to be extended along a first axis when the motor is operated in a first direction and retraced along the first axis when the motor is operated in a second direction. A hembar is coupled to the second end of the covering material. At least one state sensing circuit is coupled to the hembar and is configured to generate at least one first signal. A control circuit is configured to determine a present state of the hembar based on the at least one first signal. The motor drive unit is configured to control the motor when the present state of the hembar and an expected state of the hembar are different.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A motorized window treatment, comprising:
a motor drive circuit for driving a motor;
a covering material having a first end affixed to a roller tube rotatable about a longitudinal axis of rotation and a second end movable along a first axis, wherein the covering material is configured to be extended along the first axis when the motor is operated in a first direction and retracted along the first axis when the motor is operated in a second direction;
a hembar coupled to the second end of the covering material;
at least one state sensing circuit coupled to the hembar, the at least one state sensing circuit configured to generate at least one first signal; and
a control circuit in communication with the motor drive circuit and the at least one state sensing circuit, the control circuit configured to:
(i) determine an expected state of the hembar based at least in part on a determination that the motor drive circuit is driving the motor to move the covering material,
(ii) determine whether the hembar is skew to the longitudinal axis of the roller tube,
(iii) determine a present state of the hembar based on the at least one first signal generated by the at least one state sensing circuit, and
(iv) compare the present state to the expected state;
wherein the motor drive circuit is configured to control the motor when a difference between the present state of the hembar and the expected state of the hembar are outside of a predetermined tolerance range.

2. The motorized window treatment of claim 1 , wherein the determination that the motor drive circuit is driving the motor is made from at least one second signal comprising one or more signals for determining a rotational speed and direction of the motor.

3. The motorized window treatment of claim 2 , wherein the at least one second signal is a fixed reference signal.

4. The motorized window treatment of claim 1 , wherein the expected state of the hembar comprises movement of the hembar at a first rate in the first direction, and wherein the present state of the hembar comprises actual movement of the hembar.

5. The motorized window treatment of claim 1 , wherein the expected state of the hembar comprises a level tilt state, and wherein the present state comprises a detected tilt state of the hembar.

6. The motorized window treatment of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is configured to receive at least one second signal, wherein the control circuit is configured to determine an updated present state of the hembar in response to the at least one second signal, and wherein the control circuit is configured to enable normal operation of the motor drive circuit when the updated present state and the expected state are the same.

7. The motorized window treatment of claim 6 , wherein the at least one second signal is generated by a rotational position sensing circuit in signal communication with the motor drive circuit.

8. The motorized window treatment of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is configured to generate an alert when a difference between the present state and the expected state of the hembar are outside of the predetermined tolerance range.

9. The motorized window treatment of claim 1 , wherein the motor drive circuit is configured to stop operation of the motor.

10. The motorized window treatment of claim 1 , wherein the at least one state sensing circuit includes a first state sensing circuit and a second state sensing circuit.

11. The motorized window treatment of claim 10 , wherein the first state sensing circuit is coupled to the hembar and the second state sensing circuit is spaced apart from the hembar.

12. The motorized window treatment of claim 10 , wherein the first state sensing circuit is coupled to a first end of the hembar and the second state sensing circuit is coupled to a second end of the hembar.

13. The motorized window treatment of claim 1 , wherein the at least one state sensing circuit is selected from a group consisting of: an accelerometer, a gyroscope, capacitive sensor, a microwave sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, an inductive sensor, a magnetic sensor, an optical sensor, a radar sensor, a sonar sensor, a fiber optic sensor, a Hall effect sensor, a piezoelectric sensor, a motion sensor, a proximity sensor, a force balance sensor, a micro-electrical-mechanical systems sensor, and a fluid-filled sensor.

14. The motorized window treatment of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of state sensing circuits spaced at predetermined intervals along a length of the hembar.

15. The motorized window treatment of claim 1 , wherein a motor drive unit includes the control circuit and the motor drive circuit, the motorized window treatment further comprising:
a control module located in the hembar and housing the at least one state sensing circuit;
wherein the control module is configured to transmit a wireless signal to the control circuit of the motor drive unit in response to the at least one first signal generated by the at least one state sensing circuit.

16. The motorized window treatment of claim 1 , further comprising:
a control module housing the at least one state sensing circuit and the control circuit, the control module further comprising a communication circuit in signal communication with the control circuit;
wherein the control circuit is configured to transmit a wireless signal to the motor drive circuit in response to the at least one first signal generated by the at least one state sensing circuit.

17. A method of operating a motorized window treatment, comprising:
receiving, by a control circuit, at least one first signal from a first state sensing circuit coupled to a hembar, the hembar being coupled to a covering material having a first end affixed to a roller tube rotatable about a longitudinal axis of rotation and a second end movable along a first axis;
determining, by the control circuit, whether the hembar is skew to the longitudinal axis of the roller tube,
determining, by the control circuit, a present state of the hembar based on the at least one first signal;
determining, by the control circuit, an expected state of the hembar based on a determination that a motor drive circuit is driving a motor to move the covering material;
comparing the present state of the hembar to the expected state of the hembar; and
controlling, by the motor drive circuit, operation of the motor when a difference between the present state of the hembar and the expected state of the hembar are outside of a predetermined tolerance range, wherein the motor is configured to move at least the second end of the covering material on the first axis.

18. The method of claim 17 , comprising:
generating, by the control circuit, at least one second signal for controlling the motor; and
determining, by the control circuit, the expected state of the hembar based on the at least one second signal.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the present state comprises actual movement of the hembar, and wherein the expected state comprises expected movement of the hembar at a first rate in a first direction.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the present state of the hembar comprises an actual tilt state of the hembar, and wherein the expected state comprises a level tilt state.

21. The method of claim 17 , comprising:
receiving, by the control circuit, at least one second signal from a second state sensing circuit coupled to the hembar; and
determining, by the control circuit, the expected stat

Assignees

• Lutron Tech Co Llc

Inventors

• Pierce Reginald
• Powell Garrett
• Rebbert Thomas F

Classifications

• E06B2009/6827

  sensing light · CPC title

• E06B2009/6818

  using sensors · CPC title

• E06B2009/6809

  Control · CPC title

• E06B9/72 Primary

  comprising an electric motor positioned inside the roller · CPC title

• E06B9/82 Primary

  automatic · CPC title