HOME AUTOMATION ELEMENT WITH A HIGH-FREQUENCY DEVICE FOR A HOME AUTOMATION LOCKING OR PROTECTIVE SYSTEM, HOME AUTOMATION SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MOUNTING THE HOME AUTOMATION ELEMENT

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of home and / or building automation for residential, commercial, or industrial buildings. More particularly, the invention relates to a home automation component of a home or building automation system for shading or protection of an opening and an associated home automation system.

[0002] Subsequently, the term "domotics" will be used to refer to both home automation and building automation. Generally speaking, the term "domotics" will designate all the techniques of electronics, building physics, automation, computer science and telecommunications used in commercial, industrial or residential buildings, whether individual or collective.

[0003] In general, the present invention relates to the field of home automation installations for shading, sun protection, closure and / or protection for an opening in a building.

[0004] Such installations may include a radio frequency transmitting and / or receiving device. The radio frequency device includes at least one radio frequency antenna to increase its sensitivity and therefore the transmission range between the transmitter, or receiver, of the radio frequency device and the receiver, or transmitter, of a remote device.

[0005] In some embodiments, for example in the case of a roller shutter, the radio frequency device is generally housed in a metal casing, which necessitates placing the antenna(s) outside this metal casing to maintain sensitivity. However, this solution is not very aesthetically pleasing because the antenna becomes visible.

[0006] This solution also requires drilling through the metal casing, which compromises, for example, its watertightness. The antenna is usually wired; therefore, an installer seeing an unconnected wire might assume it's not being used and be tempted to cut it to improve the installation's appearance.

[0007] When radio frequency technology is used in an opening protection device, such as a sensor or detector, the same aesthetic issue arises. For example, opening detectors are generally mounted on doors or windows, which detracts from their appearance. Furthermore, these devices are easily located by a malicious individual who can then destroy them to disable them.

[0008] In this context, it is interesting to propose a solution that allows the radio frequency device's antenna to be camouflaged without altering its radio frequency performance.

[0009] There are known embodiments in which the antenna, usually wired, is hidden in a door or window frame. However, this solution is not perfect because the material of the frame, usually polyvinyl chloride (also known as PVC for "< PolyVinyl Chloride This modifies the technical characteristics of the antenna and, in particular, reduces its range. The degradation of the antenna's performance is accentuated when the polyvinyl chloride is filled with metallic particles, for example, to increase its strength. Furthermore, when the mounting surface in which the antenna is placed is metallic, for example, aluminum, the antenna's range is significantly reduced, or even eliminated.

[0010] A known example of a home automation element is described in FR 2 964 758.

[0011] One aim of the invention is in particular to correct all or part of the aforementioned disadvantages by proposing a home automation element with a radio frequency device comprising a discreet antenna and whose performance is not degraded following the mounting of the radio frequency device in a home automation installation for blackout or protection.

[0012] This goal is achieved through the use of a home automation element according to claim 1.

[0013] The home automation element comprises a hinged or fixed part, a guide rail for a screen or home automation installation box, or a load bar for a home automation system used for closing, blocking, or protecting an opening. The opening comprises a hinged part and a fixed part surrounding the hinged part, and a device comprising a planar antenna fixed to a portion of the element. In other words, the planar antenna is mounted on the hinged part, the fixed part, a guide rail for the installation, a box for the installation, or a load bar for the installation.

[0014] The antenna comprises a single radiating element.

[0015] According to the invention, the antenna is fixed by its face containing the ground plane to a part of the organ and the part of the organ to which the antenna is fixed is metallic.

[0016] According to one embodiment variant, the device includes a coaxial feed link for the antenna.

[0017] According to one embodiment variant, the device includes a microstrip line for feeding the antenna.

[0018] According to one alternative embodiment, the device includes a radome surrounding at least part of the antenna.

[0019] According to the invention, the radio frequency device is configured to communicate with a remote radio frequency device.

[0020] The invention also relates to a home automation installation for blackout, closure or protection for an opening comprising a home automation element according to the invention.

[0021] The installation includes a remote radio frequency device, the radio frequency device and the remote radio frequency device being configured to communicate with each other.

[0022] The invention also relates to a method for mounting a home automation element according to the invention, comprising a radio frequency device for a home automation installation for shading, closing or protecting an opening, comprising the following steps: provide a planar antenna comprising a single radiating element, and fix the antenna to a part of an opening or fixed part or guide rail of a screen or box of the installation or load bar of the installation.

[0023] According to one implemented method, the process includes a step of drilling the part on which the antenna is fixed.

[0024] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become clearer upon reading the following description, given by way of illustration and not limitation, and made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: There figure 1 represents an example of how to implement a home automation system for blackout blinds; The figure 2 represents an example of an embodiment of a planar antenna comprising a single radiating element fed by a line; The figure 3 represents a cross-sectional view of a planar antenna comprising a single radiating element fed by coaxial link.

[0025] The invention relates to a home automation element with a radio frequency device for a home automation installation of blackout or protection for an opening in a building.

[0026] There figure 1 This represents an example of an embodiment of a home automation shading system 3 intended for installation in a building with an opening, such as a window or door. The system includes an opening element, such as a sash, and a fixed element, such as a frame surrounding the opening element and on which the opening element is mounted. The opening is equipped with a screen 2, meaning that a screen from the home automation system is positioned at the opening, for example, to cover and / or close and / or shade and / or protect the opening.

[0027] A home automation shading system 3 includes a motorized drive device 5 that moves a screen 2 between at least one first position and at least one second position. The motorized drive device 5 includes an electromechanical actuator 11 for a movable closing, shading, and / or sun protection element such as a roller shutter, a hinged shutter, a door, a grille, a fabric blind or a blind with adjustable slats, or any other equivalent equipment, hereinafter referred to as the screen 2. The home automation shading system 3 may, however, also be a motorized garage door or gate.

[0028] The electromechanical actuator 11 comprises an electric motor, an output shaft, and an electronic control unit 15 in a known manner. In particular, the electromechanical actuator 11 may be a tubular actuator, intended to be inserted into a winding tube 4 around which the screen 2 is wound.

[0029] In another embodiment, not shown, the home automation system can be a security device for an opening in a building. This can include a sensor, a detector (particularly an opening detector), an intrusion detection device, a burglar alarm, or any other similar device capable of protecting a building opening such as a door or window. It can also be a home automation security system comprising one or more of the aforementioned devices and an alarm control panel configured to communicate with these security devices.

[0030] The home automation system for closing, blocking, or protecting windows and doors includes a radio frequency device 12 configured to receive and / or transmit radio frequency signals to and / or from another remote radio frequency device 13 according to a communication protocol. The radio frequency device 12 includes, in particular, a power supply, a high-frequency amplifier-demodulator circuit, one or more microcontrollers or processors, or any other equivalent means programmed appropriately, as well as any other element known to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the radio frequency device is capable of receiving and decoding signals representing commands or information and / or transmitting signals representing commands or information.

[0031] By way of non-limiting example, the radio frequency device 12 may be capable of transmitting and / or receiving radio frequency signals on frequencies substantially equal to 433MHz, 868 MHz or 2.4 GHz.

[0032] The radio frequency device 12 can be arranged to receive radio signals from another remote radio frequency device 13. This can be, for example, a remote control device emitting instructions for controlling the home automation installation and / or control orders and / or information.

[0033] The radio frequency device 12 can be a transmitter module configured to send radio signals to another remote device. The radio frequency device 12 can, for example, send reports on the operating status of the home automation system for diagnostic purposes and / or radio frequency signals related to one or more states of the home automation system's blinds or shutters. In the case of a shutter system, the radio frequency device 12 can be configured to send commands and / or alert messages to an alarm control panel following the detection of an opening, an attempted break-in, or any other event related to the security of the door or window.

[0034] In an alternative embodiment, the radio frequency device can combine the two previously mentioned embodiments. It can be a transmitting and receiving module configured for bidirectional communication with a remote device. In the case of a shading system, this could be a weather station located outside the building, including one or more sensors that can be configured to determine, for example, temperature, brightness, or wind speed. When the home automation system is intended for the security of a building opening, the remote radio frequency device could be, for example, an alarm control panel.

[0035] In general, the remote radio frequency device 13 can be, for example, a remote control, a smartphone (or «< smartphone »< (according to Anglo-Saxon terminology), a touchscreen tablet, a multi-service box (or «< box »< (according to Anglo-Saxon terminology), an alarm control panel or any other equivalent device. This may be a radio frequency transmitter and / or receiver, portable or fixed. The remote radio frequency device 13 can be configured to allow a user to adjust settings of the home automation system and / or to control it.

[0036] The radio frequency device 12 of the home automation system includes a radio frequency antenna 20. In order to reduce the size of the antenna (surface area and height) and therefore its visual impact, a planar antenna is chosen. The antenna has only one printed radiating element. This type of antenna is generally called a "patch antenna." In an embodiment that is not part of the invention, it may be an F-type antenna.

[0037] The radio frequency device 12 of the home automation installation is configured to communicate with a remote radio frequency device 13. In particular, the remote radio frequency device 13 can be a transmitter of command orders which are received by the radio frequency device 12 and executed by the motorized drive device 5 or by any other home automation equipment connected to the radio frequency device 12. The radio frequency device 12 can also be used to transmit information or command orders to the remote radio frequency device 13 or to any other home automation equipment of the installation.

[0038] With reference to the figure 2 A printed antenna 20 comprises a single radiating element 21 formed by a conductive surface of predetermined geometric shape. The radiating element 21 can have various geometric shapes, such as a square or rectangle. The size of the radiating element 21 determines the resonant frequency of the antenna 20. One dimension of the radiating element is approximately equal to one-quarter of the wavelength associated with the resonant frequency of the antenna. The radiating element is deposited on one face of a dielectric substrate 22. The other face of the dielectric substrate is completely or partially covered with a conductor, for example, metallized, to form the ground plane 23 of the antenna. Advantageously, this type of antenna has a small thickness. Its thickness h corresponds to the thickness of the substrate, which is generally between approximately 0.5 mm and 2.5 mm. Typically, its thickness is approximately 1 mm.

[0039] Advantageously, the use of a planar antenna with a single radiating element makes it possible to obtain an antenna radiation that is substantially uniform in substantially all directions within the half-space opposite the ground plane, that is to say the half-space limited by the plane and containing the radiating element, without favoring any particular direction.

[0040] To reduce its surface area, the antenna 20 of the radio frequency device can be made from a dielectric substrate 22 with a high dielectric constant. As a non-limiting example, the dielectric used can be ceramic-filled polytetrafluoroethylene, marketed under the brand name DUROID®, whose relative dielectric permittivity is approximately 10. Advantageously, using a substrate with a high dielectric permittivity allows for a significant reduction in the size of the antenna. Indeed, the size of the antenna 20 is inversely proportional to the square of the dielectric constant of the substrate used to form the antenna. This allows the antenna 20 to be positioned, for example, on a frame or the frame of a window or door, such as a glass door, which generally have a relatively small width, typically less than 10 cm.

[0041] The planar antenna 20 can be fed in various ways. In one embodiment, the antenna is fed by a microstrip line 24 connecting to one side of the radiating element 21, as illustrated in the figure 2 The microstrip line 24 may include a connector (not shown) on the end not connected to the radiating element in order to connect it to the radio frequency device 12 directly or via a cable, preferably coaxial, a first conductor of the cable being connected to the ground plane 23 of the antenna and a second conductor of the cable being connected to the microstrip line.

[0042] According to another preferred embodiment, the planar antenna 20 is fed by a coaxial link 31 or coaxial probe, as illustrated in the figure 3The outer conductor of the coaxial link is connected to the antenna's ground plane 23, and its center element to the radiating element 21 at a point allowing for antenna matching 20. The coaxial link 32 may include a connector 31 for connecting it to the rest of the radio frequency device 12, for example, via another coaxial link. In this embodiment, the antenna 20 may not be integrated into the radio frequency device 12 but may be located remotely from it. The connector 31 may, for example, be of the SMA type for SubMiniature version A. According to a preferred embodiment, the antenna feed coaxial link may be reduced to a connector 31, for example, of the SMA type, whose center conductor is connected to the radiating element 21.

[0043] Unlike line feeding, coaxial probe antenna feeding is done from the part of the antenna comprising the ground plane, i.e. the face opposite to that on which the radiating element 21 is printed. As a result, this type of feeding does not change the surface occupied by the antenna and allows for greater discretion of the latter.

[0044] To increase the discretion of the antenna 20 and / or to protect it, the planar antenna may include a radome. The radome may cover at least a visible portion of the antenna. It is made of a non-magnetic material so as not to interfere with the antenna's radiation. Preferably, it is thin, for example, in the form of a film. It may consist of one or more layers of paint of a color substantially identical to that of the part to which the antenna 20 is attached. In one embodiment, the visible portion of the antenna may be covered with a colored non-magnetic material forming the radome.

[0045] The antenna can be attached by gluing its ground plane to the frame or sash of a window or door using glue or double-sided adhesive. Alternatively, the antenna can be attached using rails designed to hold its ground plane flush against a door or window (frame or sash). When used with a roller shutter, the antenna can be attached to a guide rail 6 or to the roller shutter housing 9. When the home automation system for closing or blocking is an awning, the radio frequency antenna 20 can be attached to the system's load bar. The antenna can also be attached in any other way.By "fixing" or "mounting", we preferably mean the creation of a complete mechanical connection or a mechanical fixed connection between the antenna and the element on which the antenna is fixed, or a mechanical connection such that one or more degrees of freedom of limited amplitude remain between the antenna and the element on which the antenna is fixed.

[0046] In the case of fixing the antenna on a moving element, in particular on an opening, the cable connecting the antenna to the rest of the radio frequency device is arranged so that the maneuvers or movements of the moving element can be carried out without altering the electrical connection between the antenna and the rest of the radio frequency device.

[0047] Since the antenna is fixed by its face containing the ground plane, the material (wood, PVC, metal...) of the opening or a frame 6 on which the antenna is glued does not degrade its radioelectric performance and therefore does not degrade the performance of the radiofrequency device 12.

[0048] Advantageously, mounting the antenna on a metal frame or door can improve its radio performance and range. This is because the metal surface to which the antenna is attached increases the antenna's ground plane.

[0049] The home automation element comprises a hinged or fixed panel or guide rail 6 of a screen 2 or home automation installation box 9 or home automation installation load bar and a radio frequency device as described above. The radio frequency device comprises a planar antenna consisting of a single radiating element, the antenna being fixed by its face containing the ground plane to the hinged or fixed panel or guide rail 6 of a screen 2 or home automation installation box 9 or home automation installation load bar.

[0050] The invention also relates to a home automation installation for closing or blocking or a home automation installation for protection for an opening, the installation comprising a home automation element according to the invention.

[0051] The invention also relates to a method for mounting a home automation element according to the invention, having a radio frequency device for a home automation system for closing or protecting an opening. The method includes a step of supplying a planar radio frequency antenna 20, such as a printed radiating element antenna, comprising only a single radiating element. . The antenna 20 is then fixed by its face containing the ground plane to a part of the opening or frame. The antenna can also be fixed to a guide rail of a screen, to a housing 9 of the home automation system, or to a load bar of the system.

[0052] Depending on one implementation method, a drilling step in the part on which the antenna is fixed may be necessary, for example, in order to pass the feed link between the antenna 20 and the rest of the radio frequency device 15. This feed link may be a cable, preferably coaxial, connecting the antenna 20 and the rest of the radio frequency device 15. The drilling may be intended to allow the connector 31 fixed on the antenna 20 to pass through the part on which the antenna is fixed.

Claims

1. Home-automation element for a home-automation installation for closing, occulting or protecting an opening, the installation comprising an openable part and a fixed part encircling the openable part, the home-automation element comprising: - a member of one of the following types: an openable part or fixed part or rail (6) for guiding a screen (2) or home-automation installation compartment (9) or home-automation installation mounting bar; and - a radio-frequency device (12), the radio-frequency device (12) comprising a planar antenna (20) comprising a single radiating element (21), the radio-frequency device (12) being configured so as to communicate with a remote radio-frequency device (13) through reception and / or transmission of radio-frequency signals from and / or to a remote radio-frequency device (13) according to a communication protocol, the antenna comprising a face containing a ground plane and being fastened via its face containing the ground plane to a portion of said member, and the portion of the member to which the antenna (20) is fastened being made of metal.

2. Home-automation element according to the preceding claim, wherein the radio-frequency device (12) comprises a coaxial link (31) for supplying power to the antenna (20).

3. Home-automation element according to the preceding claim, wherein the outer conductor of the coaxial link is connected to the ground plane (23) of the antenna (20) and its central element to the radiating element (21) at a point allowing the antenna (20) to be matched.

4. Home-automation element according to Claim 1, wherein the radio-frequency device (12) comprises a microstrip line (24) for supplying power to the antenna.

5. Home-automation element according to the preceding claim, wherein the microstrip line (24) comprises a connector on an end not connected to the radiating element (21) in order to connect it to the radio-frequency device (12) directly or via a cable, preferably a coaxial cable, a first conductor of the cable being connected to the ground plane (23) of the antenna (20) and a second conductor of the cable being connected to the microstrip line (24).

6. Home-automation element according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the radio-frequency device (12) comprises a radome surrounding at least one portion of the antenna (20).

7. Home-automation installation (3) for closing, occulting or protecting an opening, characterized in that it comprises a home-automation element according to any of the preceding claims.

8. Home-automation installation according to the preceding claim, characterized in that it comprises a remote radio-frequency device (13), the radio-frequency device (12) and the remote radio-frequency device (13) being configured to communicate with each other.

9. Method for installing a home-automation element according to any of Claims 1 to 6 and comprising a radio-frequency device (12) for a home-automation installation for closing, occulting or protecting an opening, the method comprising the following steps: - providing a planar antenna (20) comprising a single radiating element, and - fastening the antenna to a portion of an openable part or of a fixed part or of a rail for guiding a screen or of a compartment (9) of the installation or of a mounting bar of the installation.

10. Method according to the preceding claim, comprising a step of drilling the portion of the member to which the antenna (20) is fastened.