Method for controlling the movement of an electric curtain to flush, control device and electric curtain system

Abstract

The application provides a motorized window curtain movement flush control method, a control device and a motorized window curtain. After determining the reference device farthest from the target position in the motorized window curtain, the motorized window curtain equipment of the motorized window curtain system can replace the self-device time with the reference device time of the obtained reference device, and determine the actual operation scheme of the self-device according to the reference device time, the reference device position associated with the reference device time and the self-device position. That is, after obtaining the reference device time and the reference device position of the reference device, each motorized window curtain in the motorized window curtain system can determine the actual operation scheme such as when to start, how to operate after starting and the like of the self-device through operation without real-time communication, avoids the fault risk, control efficiency problem and communication efficiency problem caused by the realization of flush control by using host polling and real-time interaction, and improves the system operation reliability and operation efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of electric curtain technology, and in particular to a method, control device, and electric curtain for controlling the movement of electric curtains to be flush. Background Technology

[0002] In curtain alignment control systems based on relevant technologies, a master polling method is widely used to achieve alignment control of each curtain device in the system. That is, the curtain devices in an electric curtain system include a master unit and slave units. The master unit interacts with each slave unit to obtain slave unit information and achieves alignment control of itself and each slave unit.

[0003] However, the aforementioned host-polling control scheme requires the host to control and schedule the entire parallel motion, making it highly dependent on host performance and reliability. Therefore, it is prone to failure risks, control efficiency issues, and communication efficiency problems. For example, if the host or the cables between the host and slave devices fail, all slave devices will lose control, potentially paralyzing the electric curtain system. Furthermore, when the number of slave devices increases or the data volume grows, the slave devices cannot actively send data and can only wait for the host to poll them. The slave devices cannot receive timely responses, and the host can easily become the system's speed bottleneck. In addition, the host's hardware interface limits the number of slave devices that can be connected, and the dynamic network management of the slave devices is also very complex. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To overcome the problems existing in related technologies, embodiments of the present invention provide a method, control device and electric curtain for controlling the movement of electric curtains, which solves the problem of controlling the alignment of electric curtains using a hostless interactive method.

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a method for controlling the alignment of curtain movement is provided, applied to an electric curtain system, the electric curtain system comprising at least two electric curtains; the method comprising: Upon receiving a curtain alignment command, the device controls itself to stop and its own time to zero according to the curtain alignment command. Determine the reference device that is furthest from the target position among the electric curtains; Obtain the reference device time and the reference device location associated with the reference device time; Replace the device's own time with the reference device time, and determine the actual operating plan of the device based on the reference device time, the reference device location, and the device's own location.

[0006] Optionally, determining the actual operating plan of the device based on the reference device time, the reference device location, and the device's own location includes: Determine the scheduled start time; Determine whether your own device is the reference device. If so, use the predetermined start time as the start time of your own device. Otherwise, calculate the time difference when you run from the initial position to the initial position of your own device at a predetermined speed, and use the first time after the predetermined start time has passed the time difference as the start time of your own device.

[0007] Optionally, determining the actual operating plan of the device based on the reference device time, the reference device location, and the device's own location includes: The predetermined location of the device is determined based on its current time. Determine whether the first difference between the current location of the device and the target location is greater than or equal to the second difference between the predetermined location and the target location. If so, start the device. Otherwise, return to determine the predetermined location of the device based on the current time of the device after a preset time interval.

[0008] Optionally, the preset time interval includes 10 milliseconds.

[0009] Optionally, the method further includes: After the device is started, its predetermined location is determined based on the device's current time. Determine whether the predetermined position is the same as the current position of the device itself. If so, continue running at the predetermined speed; otherwise, adjust the predetermined speed to make the predetermined position the same as the current position of the device itself.

[0010] Optionally, the method further includes: Determine whether the device itself has stopped or received a device stop command. If so, return to receive the curtain alignment command, and control the device itself to stop and reset its own time to zero according to the curtain alignment command. Otherwise, determine the predetermined position of the device itself based on the current time of the device itself, and adjust the predetermined speed when the predetermined position is different from the current position of the device itself, so that the predetermined position is the same as the current position of the device itself.

[0011] Optionally, the method further includes: When the predetermined position is different from the current position of the device itself, determine whether the third difference between the predetermined position and the target position is greater than the fourth difference between the current position and the target position of the device itself. If so, reduce the running speed of the device itself from the predetermined speed to the first speed; otherwise, increase the running speed of the device itself from the predetermined speed to the second speed.

[0012] Optionally, the reference device and other motorized curtain devices of the motorized curtain system are located on the same side or both sides of the target location.

[0013] According to a second aspect of the present invention, an electric curtain motion alignment control device is provided, applied to an electric curtain system, the electric curtain system including at least two electric curtains; the device includes: The first processing unit receives the curtain alignment command and controls its own equipment to stop and its own time to zero according to the curtain alignment command. The second processing unit determines the reference device in the electric curtain that is farthest from the target position; The third processing unit acquires the reference device time and the reference device location associated with the reference device time. The fourth processing unit replaces its own device time with the reference device time, and determines the actual operation plan of its own device based on the reference device time, the reference device location, and its own device location.

[0014] According to a third aspect of the present invention, an electric curtain system is provided, comprising at least two electric curtains, each electric curtain including a controller; the control module of the controller is configured to execute the motion alignment control method for any of the electric curtains described in the first aspect.

[0015] The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present invention may include the following beneficial effects: The electric curtain system of this invention, after determining the reference device farthest from the target position within the electric curtain, can replace its own device time with the acquired reference device time, and determine its actual operating plan based on the reference device time, the reference device position associated with the reference device time, and its own device position. That is, after acquiring the reference device time and position, each electric curtain in the system can determine its own operating plan—including under what conditions it will start and how it will operate after starting—without needing real-time communication. This avoids the failure risks, control efficiency problems, and communication efficiency problems caused by using host polling and real-time interaction for level control, thus improving the system's reliability and operating efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0016] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention for a method of controlling the flushing of an electric curtain; Figure 2This is a flowchart of an electric curtain flush control method according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a flowchart of an electric curtain flush control method in another exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a flowchart of an electric curtain flush control method in another exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a structural block diagram of an electric curtain flush control device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a structural block diagram of an electric curtain flush control device according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a structural block diagram of an electric curtain flush control device in another exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 8 This is a structural block diagram of an electric curtain flush control device in another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] In the picture, First processing unit 51; second processing unit 52; third processing unit 53; fourth processing unit 54; first submodule 541; second submodule 542; third submodule 543; fourth submodule 544; fifth processing unit 81; sixth processing unit 82. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are schematic diagrams, not actual images, and should not be construed as limiting the invention. It is understandable that some well-known structures and their descriptions may be omitted in the drawings for those skilled in the art.

[0020] An electric curtain system typically comprises multiple electric curtains. Alignment control refers to the process where multiple electric curtains, upon receiving an alignment command, sequentially reach their alignment positions and then move synchronously towards the target position. The device position of an electric curtain can refer to its current bottom position. The target position can refer to the final destination that each electric curtain is intended to reach. The predetermined position can refer to the agreed-upon position after a predetermined period of time from the initial position of the reference device, having traveled at a predetermined speed since the start time. The alignment position can be a user-defined position, a position calculated by the electric curtain system based on the current positions of each electric curtain upon receiving the alignment command, or the current position of the electric curtain device closest to the target position upon receiving the alignment command. The device time can be obtained through a timer within the electric curtain device, representing the time elapsed since the timer resets to zero.

[0021] This invention provides a method for controlling the alignment of curtain movement, applicable to an electric curtain system, which includes at least two electric curtains. Figure 1 This is a flowchart of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, showing a method for controlling the flush operation of an electric curtain. Figure 1 As shown, the above method can be implemented through the following steps: In step S101, a curtain alignment command is received, and the device is stopped and its time is reset to zero according to the curtain alignment command.

[0022] In step S102, the reference device that is furthest from the target position in the electric curtain is determined.

[0023] In step S103, the reference device time and the reference device position associated with the reference device time are obtained.

[0024] In step S104, the device time is replaced with the reference device time, and the actual operation plan of the device is determined based on the reference device time, the reference device location, and the device location.

[0025] After identifying the reference device furthest from the target location within the electric curtain system, the electric curtain devices can replace their own time with the acquired reference device's time. Based on the reference device's time, its associated location, and their own location, they determine their actual operating plan. In other words, each electric curtain in the system, after acquiring the reference device's time and location, can determine its own startup conditions and operational procedures without real-time communication. This avoids the risks of failure, control efficiency issues, and communication efficiency problems associated with master polling and real-time interaction for level control, thus improving system reliability and efficiency. The masterless distributed communication scheme eliminates the need for a designated master and avoids the common drawbacks of master-slave communication architectures. Using a predetermined operating plan instead of real-time synchronization of other devices' location information significantly reduces communication pressure, lowers communication load, eliminates process communication failures, and enhances system fault tolerance.

[0026] After establishing a reference device, each motorized curtain device can synchronize its time with the reference device, ensuring all motorized curtains operate at the same time. This allows the device's position at each point in time to be calculated, thus determining the activation timing of the motorized curtain device. For example, if the device hasn't reached its operational position at the current time, it can remain stationary and only begin operation when the target position is reached. Alternatively, it can begin operation once the calculated time based on the distance difference from the reference device reaches the operational time.

[0027] For example, upon reaching the agreed-upon start time, the predetermined position to be reached by the motorized curtain in the system can be calculated using the currently saved reference device furthest from the target position. For simplicity, let's define the current position of the motorized curtain as c_pos, the target position as t_pos, the initial position furthest from the target position as s_pos, the speed of the motorized curtain as v, the predetermined position the motorized curtain should reach as v_pos, the current device time of the motorized curtain as c_time, and the start time of the motorized curtain as s_time. The pos value increases when the motorized curtain moves upwards and decreases when it moves downwards. If the motorized curtain moves downwards, then v_pos = s_pos - v * (c_time - s_time); if the motorized curtain moves upwards, then v_pos = s_pos + v * (c_time - s_time). If the motorized curtain is moving upwards, and c_pos <= v_pos, then the motor starts; otherwise, it doesn't. If the motorized curtain is moving downwards, and c_pos >= v_pos, then the motor starts; otherwise, it doesn't.

[0028] It should be noted that the reference device and other motorized curtain devices in the motorized curtain system are located on the same side or on both sides of the target location. For example, the motorized curtain system may include device A and device B, which may be on the same side of the target location or on both sides of the target location.

[0029] Figure 2 This is a flowchart of a method for controlling the flush movement of an electric curtain according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, as shown below. Figure 2 As shown, determining the actual operating plan for one's own equipment based on the reference equipment time, reference equipment location, and one's own equipment location can be achieved through the following steps: In step S201, the predetermined start time is determined.

[0030] In step S202, it is determined whether the device itself is a reference device. If so, the predetermined start time is used as the start time of the device itself. Otherwise, the time difference when the device moves from the initial position to the initial position of the device itself at the predetermined speed is calculated, and the first time after the predetermined start time has passed the time difference is used as the start time of the device itself.

[0031] Because the various electric curtain devices in the electric curtain system are synchronized in time, using time difference calculation instead of real-time location synchronization, the communication pressure is greatly reduced and the system's fault tolerance is enhanced.

[0032] Based on the distance between each motorized curtain's device position and the target position, and the curtain's speed v, the required movement time for each device can be calculated. The time difference between each device's movement time and the time of the reference device or adjacent devices can be used to calculate the actual start-up time of each device. For example: If device A is the reference device, and the movement time of device A from its initial position s_pos to its current position is 10 seconds, and the movement time of device B from its initial position s_pos to its current position is 9 seconds, then the startup time of device B needs to wait 1 second relative to device A. The startup time of device B can be obtained based on the time difference.

[0033] Figure 3 This is a flowchart of a method for controlling the flush movement of an electric curtain in another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, as shown below. Figure 3 As shown, determining the actual operating plan for one's own equipment based on the reference equipment time, reference equipment location, and one's own equipment location can be achieved through the following steps: In step S301, the predetermined position of the device is determined based on the current time of the device itself.

[0034] In step S302, it is determined whether the first difference between the current location of the device and the target location is greater than or equal to the second difference between the predetermined location and the target location. If so, the device is started; otherwise, after a preset time interval, the device returns to determine its predetermined location based on its current time.

[0035] That is, each motorized curtain device has a virtual travel distance, which is generated after obtaining information about the reference device furthest from the target position. The virtual travel distance is obtained based on the distance difference between the current position of the reference device and the target position, as well as a given ideal speed v. When the system time reaches the start time, taking a motorized curtain system including device A and device B, with device A as the reference device, device A is the reference device, so it starts immediately when the start time arrives.

[0036] The electric curtain device starts by comparing its current position with the position after the preset time interval in the virtual travel. If the positions match, it means that the device should be started, and then the devices are started one by one.

[0037] In this embodiment, without considering fluctuations in speed v, the position of each preset time interval in the virtual journey is the current device position of device A after it starts running.

[0038] The preset time interval can be 10 milliseconds or other values, and can be set according to specific needs.

[0039] Figure 4 This is a flowchart of a method for controlling the flush movement of an electric curtain in another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, as shown below. Figure 4 As shown, the method for controlling the movement of electric curtains to be flush with the ground can be achieved through the following steps: In step S401, a curtain alignment command is received, and the device is stopped and its time is reset to zero according to the curtain alignment command.

[0040] In step S402, the reference device that is furthest from the target position in the electric curtain is determined.

[0041] In step S403, the reference device time and the reference device position associated with the reference device time are obtained.

[0042] In step S404, the device time is replaced with the reference device time, and the actual operation plan of the device is determined based on the reference device time, the reference device location, and the device location.

[0043] In step S405, after the device is started, the predetermined position of the device is determined based on the current time of the device.

[0044] In step S406, it is determined whether the predetermined position is the same as the current position of the device. If so, the device continues to run at the predetermined speed; otherwise, the predetermined speed is adjusted so that the predetermined position is the same as the current position of the device.

[0045] When considering fluctuations in speed v, the current position of the device at a predetermined location in the virtual journey may deviate. Adjusting the speed can make the predetermined location the same as the current position of the device, thereby improving the accuracy and effect of alignment.

[0046] Furthermore, the aforementioned method for controlling the alignment of the electric curtain movement may further include: determining whether the device itself has stopped or received a stop command; if so, returning to receive the curtain alignment command, controlling the device to stop and resetting its own time to zero according to the curtain alignment command; otherwise, determining the device's predetermined position based on its current time, and adjusting the predetermined speed when the predetermined position differs from the device's current position to make the predetermined position the same as the device's current position. If a stop command is received during the process or the electric curtain has reached the target position, the system needs to be reset to its initial state, waiting for a new round of alignment commands.

[0047] Furthermore, the above-mentioned electric curtain movement alignment control method may also include: when the predetermined position is different from the current position of the device, determining whether the third difference between the predetermined position and the target position is greater than the fourth difference between the current position of the device and the target position; if so, reducing the running speed of the device from the predetermined speed to the first speed; otherwise, increasing the running speed of the device from the predetermined speed to the second speed.

[0048] After startup, each device adjusts its speed according to its own position and reaches the predetermined position within a predetermined time. If there is a deviation, it will automatically adjust its speed. However, because the speed v fluctuates, both the reference device and other devices must compare with the virtual travel distance. If the third difference between the predetermined position and the target position is greater than the fourth difference between the current position and the target position of the device itself, then the device's running speed is reduced from the predetermined speed to the first speed; otherwise, the device's running speed is increased from the predetermined speed to the second speed, thereby improving the alignment accuracy and effect.

[0049] The present invention further provides an electric curtain movement alignment control device, which is applied to an electric curtain system, the electric curtain system including at least two electric curtains. Figure 5 This is a structural block diagram of an electric curtain motion alignment control device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, as shown below. Figure 5 As shown, the electric curtain movement alignment control device 50 includes: a first processing unit 51, a second processing unit 52, a third processing unit 53, and a fourth processing unit 54. Wherein: The first processing unit 51 is configured to receive a curtain alignment command and control its own equipment to stop and its own time to zero according to the curtain alignment command.

[0050] The second processing unit 52 is configured to determine the reference device that is furthest from the target position in the motorized curtain.

[0051] The third processing unit 53 is configured to acquire the reference device time and the reference device position associated with the reference device time.

[0052] The fourth processing unit 54 is configured to replace its own device time with the reference device time, and determine the actual operation plan of its own device based on the reference device time, the reference device location and its own device location.

[0053] Figure 6 This is a structural block diagram of an electric curtain motion alignment control device according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, as shown below. Figure 6 As shown, the fourth processing unit 54 includes a first submodule 541 and a second submodule 542, wherein: The first submodule 541 is configured to determine a predetermined startup time.

[0054] The second submodule 542 is configured to determine whether its own device is a reference device. If so, the predetermined start time is used as the start time of its own device. Otherwise, the time difference when the device moves from its initial position to its initial position at a predetermined speed is calculated, and the first time after the predetermined start time has elapsed is used as the start time of its own device.

[0055] Figure 7This is a structural block diagram of an electric curtain motion alignment control device according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, as shown below. Figure 7 As shown, the fourth processing unit 54 includes a third submodule 543 and a fourth submodule 544, wherein: The third submodule 543 is configured to determine the predetermined location of its own device based on its current time.

[0056] The fourth submodule 544 is configured to determine whether the first difference between the current location of its own device and the target location is greater than or equal to the second difference between the predetermined location and the target location. If so, the device is started; otherwise, after a preset time interval, the device returns to determine its predetermined location based on its current time.

[0057] Figure 8 This is a structural block diagram of an electric curtain motion alignment control device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, as shown below. Figure 8 As shown, the electric curtain movement alignment control device 80 includes: a first processing unit 51, a second processing unit 52, a third processing unit 53, a fourth processing unit 54, a fifth processing unit 81, and a sixth processing unit 82. Wherein: The first processing unit 51 is configured to receive a curtain alignment command and control its own equipment to stop and its own time to zero according to the curtain alignment command.

[0058] The second processing unit 52 is configured to determine the reference device that is furthest from the target position in the motorized curtain.

[0059] The third processing unit 53 is configured to acquire the reference device time and the reference device position associated with the reference device time.

[0060] The fourth processing unit 54 is configured to replace its own device time with the reference device time, and determine the actual operation plan of its own device based on the reference device time, the reference device location and its own device location.

[0061] The fifth processing unit 81 is configured to determine the predetermined location of its own device based on the current time of its own device after its own device is started.

[0062] The sixth processing unit 82 is configured to determine whether the predetermined position is the same as the current position of its own device. If so, it continues to run at the predetermined speed; otherwise, it adjusts the predetermined speed to make the predetermined position the same as the current position of its own device.

[0063] The technical effects of the above-described device embodiments have been described in the corresponding method embodiments, and therefore will not be repeated in the device embodiments.

[0064] The present invention further provides an electric curtain system, comprising at least two electric curtains, each electric curtain including a controller. The controller's control module is configured to execute the above-described electric curtain movement alignment control method.

[0065] After identifying the reference device furthest from the target location within the aforementioned electric curtain system, the electric curtain device can replace its own time with the acquired reference device's time. Based on the reference device's time, its associated location, and its own location, it determines its actual operating plan. In other words, after acquiring the reference device's time and location, each electric curtain in the system can determine its own starting conditions and operational procedures without real-time communication. This avoids the risks of failure, control efficiency issues, and communication efficiency problems associated with master polling and real-time interaction for level control, thus improving system reliability and efficiency. The masterless distributed communication scheme eliminates the need for a designated master and avoids the common drawbacks of master-slave communication architectures. Using a predetermined operating plan instead of real-time synchronization of other devices' location information significantly reduces communication pressure, lowers communication load, eliminates process communication failures, and enhances system fault tolerance.

[0066] It should be understood that this application is not limited to the precise structures described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention that follow the general principles of this application and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art that are not disclosed in this invention.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the alignment of curtain movement, characterized in that, Applied to an electric curtain system, the electric curtain system comprising at least two electric curtains; the method includes: Upon receiving a curtain alignment command, the device controls itself to stop and its own time to zero according to the curtain alignment command. Determine the reference device that is furthest from the target position among the electric curtains; Obtain the reference device time and the reference device location associated with the reference device time; Replace the device's own time with the reference device time, and determine the actual operating plan of the device based on the reference device time, the reference device location, and the device's own location.

2. The method for controlling the flush movement of electric curtains according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of determining the actual operating plan of the device based on the reference device time, the reference device location, and the device's own location includes: Determine the scheduled start time; Determine whether your own device is the reference device. If so, use the predetermined start time as the start time of your own device. Otherwise, calculate the time difference when you run from the initial position to the initial position of your own device at a predetermined speed, and use the first time after the predetermined start time has passed the time difference as the start time of your own device.

3. The method for controlling the flush movement of electric curtains according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of determining the actual operating plan of the device based on the reference device time, the reference device location, and the device's own location includes: The predetermined location of the device is determined based on its current time. Determine whether the first difference between the current location of the device and the target location is greater than or equal to the second difference between the predetermined location and the target location. If so, start the device. Otherwise, return to determine the predetermined location of the device based on the current time of the device after a preset time interval.

4. The method for controlling the flush movement of electric curtains according to claim 3, characterized in that, The preset time interval includes 10 milliseconds.

5. The method for controlling the flush movement of an electric curtain according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: After the device is started, its predetermined location is determined based on the device's current time. Determine whether the predetermined position is the same as the current position of the device itself. If so, continue running at the predetermined speed; otherwise, adjust the predetermined speed to make the predetermined position the same as the current position of the device itself.

6. The method for controlling the flush movement of electric curtains according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: Determine whether the device itself has stopped or received a device stop command. If so, return to receive the curtain alignment command, and control the device itself to stop and reset its own time to zero according to the curtain alignment command. Otherwise, determine the predetermined position of the device itself based on the current time of the device itself, and adjust the predetermined speed when the predetermined position is different from the current position of the device itself, so that the predetermined position is the same as the current position of the device itself.

7. The method for controlling the flush movement of an electric curtain according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that, The method further includes: When the predetermined position is different from the current position of the device itself, determine whether the third difference between the predetermined position and the target position is greater than the fourth difference between the current position and the target position of the device itself. If so, reduce the running speed of the device itself from the predetermined speed to the first speed; otherwise, increase the running speed of the device itself from the predetermined speed to the second speed.

8. The curtain movement alignment control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The reference device and other motorized curtain devices of the motorized curtain system are located on the same side or both sides of the target location.

9. A motorized curtain movement alignment control device, characterized in that, Applied to an electric curtain system, the electric curtain system comprising at least two electric curtains; the device includes: The first processing unit receives the curtain alignment command and controls its own equipment to stop and its own time to zero according to the curtain alignment command. The second processing unit determines the reference device in the electric curtain that is farthest from the target position; The third processing unit acquires the reference device time and the reference device location associated with the reference device time. The fourth processing unit replaces its own device time with the reference device time, and determines the actual operation plan of its own device based on the reference device time, the reference device location, and its own device location.

10. An electric curtain system, characterized in that, The device includes at least two motorized curtains, each motorized curtain including a controller; the control module of the controller is configured to perform the motorized curtain motion alignment control method as described in any one of claims 1-8.

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