Visible light sensor configured for glare detection and controlling motorized window treatments

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12423943-B2
Application number	US-202418406740-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 8, 2024
Priority date	Jun 14, 2018
Publication date	Sep 23, 2025
Grant date	Sep 23, 2025

Abstract

A sensor and/or system controller may process an image multiple times at multiple resolutions to detect glare conditions. A glare condition threshold used to determine whether a glare condition exists may be based on the resolution of the image. When the resolution of the image is higher, the glare condition threshold may be higher. The sensor and/or system controller may organize one or more adjacent pixels having similar intensities into pixel groups. The pixel groups may vary in size and/or shape. The sensor and/or system controller may determine a representative group luminance for the pixel group (e.g., an average luminance of the pixels in the group). The sensor and/or system controller may determine a group glare condition threshold, which may be used to determine whether a glare condition exists for the group of pixels and/or may be based on the size of the group.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a memory;
a control circuit configured to:
retrieve, from the memory, at least one image at a plurality of different resolutions;
process the at least one image at the plurality of different resolutions;
determine if a glare condition exists in the at least one image at each of the plurality of different resolutions, wherein the glare condition at each of the plurality of different resolutions is determined when a luminance value of a pixel in the at least one image exceeds a respective glare condition threshold for the resolution; and
generate control instructions for controlling a shade position of a motorized window treatment to a position corresponding to a location of the glare condition detected at one of the plurality of different resolutions.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
process the at least one image at a first resolution to detect a first glare condition;
determine a first glare condition threshold based on the first resolution;
determine a first location of the first glare condition in the at least one image at the first resolution based on the first glare condition threshold;
process the at least one image at a second resolution that is lower than the first resolution to detect a second glare condition;
determine a second glare condition threshold based on the second resolution;
determine a second location of the second glare condition in the at least one image at the second resolution based on the second glare condition threshold; and
determine a lowest of the first and second glare conditions detected based on the respective location for each of the glare conditions.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the at least one image comprises a first plurality of pixels at the first resolution, and a second plurality of pixels at the second resolution.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
process the at least one image at the first resolution by beginning to process the first plurality of pixels of the at least one image from a bottom towards a top of the at least one image until a luminance value of a processed pixel exceeds the first glare condition threshold; and
process the at least one image at the second resolution by beginning to process the second plurality of pixels of the at least one image from a bottom towards a top of the at least one image until a luminance value of a processed pixel exceeds the second glare condition threshold.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising a memory, wherein the control circuit is configured to store a first location for the processed pixel that exceeds the first glare condition threshold in the memory, and to store a second location for the processed pixel that exceeds the second glare condition threshold in the memory.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
retrieve a first image at the first resolution and process the first image to detect the first glare condition; and
retrieve a second image at the second resolution and process the second image to detect the second glare condition.

7. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
retrieve a first image at the first resolution and process the first image to detect the first glare condition; and
reduce the resolution of the first image to the second resolution and process a second image at the second resolution to detect the second glare condition.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to process the at least one image at each resolution from a bottom row of pixels to a top row of pixels until a lowest glare condition for the resolution is detected, and wherein the lowest glare condition for each resolution of the at least one image comprises a first pixel having a luminance value that exceeds the glare condition threshold for the resolution.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
retrieve the at least one image from a visible light sensing circuit; and
de-warp the at least one image prior to processing.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to convert the at least one image to the plurality of different resolutions.

11. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to determine a profile angle based on a location of the lowest of the first and second glare conditions, and wherein the shade position of the motorized window treatment is based on the profile angle.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a communication circuit, wherein the communication circuit is configured to transmit the control instructions for controlling the shade position of the motorized window treatment.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is a system controller configured to communicate with a sensor device, and wherein the system controller comprises a communication circuit configured to receive the at least one image from the sensor device.

14. A system controller for detecting a location of a glare condition and for controlling a shade position of a motorized window treatment, the system controller comprising:
a control circuit configured to:
organize one or more adjacent pixels in an image having a similar intensity into a group of pixels based on respective intensities of the one or more adjacent pixels, wherein the group of pixels comprises a group size and a representative group luminance;
determine a glare condition threshold for the group of pixels based on the group size;
detect a glare condition when the representative group luminance exceeds the group glare condition threshold; and
generate control instructions for controlling the shade position of the motorized window treatment to a location corresponding to a lowest pixel in the group of pixels in response to detecting the glare condition.

15. The system controller of claim 14 , wherein the representative group luminance comprises an average luminance of the one or more adjacent pixels.

16. The system controller of claim 14 , wherein the representative group luminance comprises a luminance of a pixel, in the one or more adjacent pixels, having a highest luminance.

17. The system controller of claim 14 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to determine a profile angle based on the location of the lowest pixel in the group of pixels, wherein the shade position of the motorized window treatment is based on the profile angle.

18. The system controller of claim 14 , further comprising:
a communication circuit;
wherein the control circuit is further configured to transmit, via the communication circuit, the control instructions for controlling the shade position of the motorized window treatment.

19. A method comprising:
retrieving at least one image at a plurality of different resolutions;
processing the at least one image at the plurality of different resolutions;
determining if a glare condition exists in the at least one image at each of the plurality of different resolutions, wherein the glare condition at each of the plurality of different resolutions is determined when a luminance value of a pixel in the at least one image exceeds a respective glare condition threshold for the resolution; and
generating control instructions for controlling a shade position of a motorized window treatment to a position corresponding to a

Assignees

• Lutron Tech Co Llc

Inventors

• Casey Craig Alan
• Protzman Brent

Classifications

• G06T7/0002

  Inspection of images, e.g. flaw detection · CPC title

• G05B11/01

  electric · CPC title

• E06B2009/6827

  sensing light · CPC title

• E06B9/68

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

• E06B9/32

  Operating, guiding, or securing devices therefor (operation of tilting bars E06B9/307) · CPC title