Automated control method for the heatwave-related closing of a non-solar shutter

Abstract

A method for automatically controlling the heatwave closure of a non-solar shutter driven by an electric motor, each motor being connected to a control unit equipped with telecommunications means and controllable by means of an individual remote control programmable by the user between an automated and a non-automated operating mode of the shutter, an additional remote control being associated with each shutter, said additional remote control including means for measuring the ambient temperature, a method characterized in that it comprises: - the determination of conditions defined as being heatwave-like, - the determination that the current season presents high temperatures, - if the conditions are determined to be heatwave-like and if the current season is determined to present high temperatures, the transmission to the motor by the control unit of a heatwave-related closure sequence. (See abstract figure: Fig. 1)

Description

Title of the invention: Method for automated control of the heatwave-related closing of a non-solar shutter

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for controlling the so-called heatwave closing of a motorized, non-solar shutter, ensuring automated movement of this shutter in the event of a confirmed heatwave. The objective is to automate the shutter's closing via a management system based on a so-called heatwave mode, particularly one that is dependent on the temperature rise, with the shutter only closing if the climatic conditions are considered characteristic of a heatwave. The most immediate aim of the invention is to improve living comfort in a home, given the ever-present threat of heatwave episodes. Secondarily, in the case of a building equipped with air conditioning systems, proper management of the positioning of solar shutters can lead to energy savings by reducing the need for air conditioning during hot summers.

[0002] The motorized shutters covered by the invention are equipped with an electric drive motor connected to the mains voltage. The motor is also connected to a control unit, generally an electronic board that includes the components for processing information to control the motor. Methods for closing shutters in the event of extreme heat are already known, particularly for so-called solar shutters driven by a motor powered by solar energy obtained via solar panels. A solar irradiance sensor is added for control purposes. In this case, it is the solar irradiance measurements that are used to determine the existence of extreme heat conditions, triggering the shutter closure.

[0003] For the non-solar shutters targeted by the invention, which can be connected to a home automation system, an automated, so-called twilight-delay closing mechanism is known. This mechanism is programmable based on a clock that controls the closing of the connected shutters at a pre-programmed time, for example, a time entered by the user, which theoretically corresponds to a time close to sunset. It is therefore a time-based programming system. If the home automation system is connected to the internet, the shutter closing can also be automated based on the temperature forecast by meteorological services for the region, data accessible on said network. The resulting automation is then not based on a parameter measured at the shutter installation site, but on a purely theoretical and virtualized test control value.

[0004] Automation, if programmed on such a basis, suffers from a lack of precision, as a weather forecast temperature is not faithful to the reality on the ground. Above all, a program of this type struggles to accurately account for the emergence of heatwave characteristics at a given time and place, because a predicted temperature in a region never reflects the numerous potential specificities of the dwellings whose shutters must be controlled. These specificities can be architectural, such as the depth of the walls and the distribution / size of the windows, or situational, such as the orientation of the openings (north / south) or the building's location (wooded or not), etc. Many examples could be given of differences that necessitate different heatwave treatment for dwellings located in the same place, and consequently make the automation highly dependent on the context.In this regard, it seems obvious to say that the ambient temperature measured inside a building, and therefore directly felt by the inhabitants whom we are trying to protect from the rigors of the heatwave, must be an essential factor to take into account.

[0005] The objective of the present invention is therefore to provide an assessment of the heatwave conditions specific to each dwelling, in order to implement an automation process that is as closely adapted as possible to the reality experienced by people living in buildings subjected to high temperatures. In this respect, the method of the invention aims to take as a reference value the ambient temperature in the part of the building where the heatwave-related closing of the shutters is to be automated.

[0006] To this end, the invention consists of an automated control method for the heatwave closure of a non-solar shutter, conventionally driven by an electric motor, each motor being connected to a control unit equipped with telecommunication means, and controllable by means of an individual remote control capable of being programmed by the user between an automated operating mode and a non-automated operating mode of the shutter, an additional remote control being associated - in the method of the invention - with each shutter, said additional remote control having means for measuring the ambient temperature.

[0007] According to the present invention, the method comprises:

[0008] - the measurement, at regular intervals, of the ambient temperature Tamb by the additional remote control;

[0009] - the determination of conditions defined as being heatwave conditions, if the temperature The measured ambient temperature (Tamb) meets the following characteristics: • the ambient temperature Tamb > A + Tamb min, with A = 1 if the minimum ambient temperature Tamb min > 24°C or A = 2 if the minimum ambient temperature 22°C < Tamb min < 24°C; or • the ambient temperature Tamb > 26° C;

[0010] - the determination that the current season has high temperatures, if the The measured ambient temperature meets the following characteristics: • the average calculated over a predetermined period of the ambient temperatures respectively minimum Tamb min and maximum Tamb max is greater than a threshold value respectively Ts min and Ts max;

[0011] - if the conditions are determined to be heatwave conditions and if the current season is determined to be exhibiting high temperatures, sending a heatwave closure frame to the motor by the control unit.

[0012] The control method of the invention is remarkable in that it relies solely on the ambient temperature in a dwelling, which simplifies the measurements but simultaneously complicates the assessment of whether a heatwave is occurring. In the approach of the invention, it is not sufficient to determine the existence of a high ambient temperature, as the indoor temperature (which is the ambient temperature in the sense of the invention) may be high if the dwelling is well heated, for example, in the middle of winter. In addition to a correction mechanism that applies to the measured ambient temperature, the invention introduces a further condition: determining the current season, to ensure that a rise in temperatures actually indicates a heatwave.

[0013] Since the temperature of a room obviously varies depending on the time of day, the determination of heatwave conditions within the meaning of the invention is based on a minimum ambient temperature Tamb min in the dwelling, with correction, if necessary, by adding a factor A that varies according to the measured ambient temperature. This factor is equal to one (1) or two (2), depending on whether the ambient temperature is more or less moderate, it being understood that, according to the invention, this ambient temperature must always be above 22°C for the determination of heatwave conditions to be undertaken. It should be noted that the Tamb min and Tamb max values ​​have a tolerance of 1°C.

[0014] For determining the current season - in fact verifying that there are indeed high outdoor temperatures over a period of time - by means of ambient temperatures, in order to avoid closing a shutter in the middle of winter in an overheated apartment, the method of the invention is based on establishing averages of the lowest and highest ambient temperatures over a statistically significant period, average values ​​which are then compared at predetermined thresholds. It is indeed necessary to be able to confirm that the climatic phenomenon at the origin of the measured minimum and maximum temperatures is not an epiphenomenon or a peak without significant duration.

[0015] According to the invention, the minimum threshold value Tsmin is between 19°C and 21°C, and preferably equal to 20°C, and the maximum threshold value Ts max is between 24°C and 26°C, and preferably equal to 25°C. If, for the entire significant duration predetermined by the method of the invention, the minimum and maximum ambient temperatures are higher than these threshold values, this means that said ambient temperatures are not simply due to internal heating of a dwelling or a brief temperature spike.

[0016] It should be noted that, in the sense of the invention, the minimum ambient temperatures Tamb min and maximum ambient temperatures Tamb max are determined by successive measurements of the ambient temperature Tamb over a period of 24 hours, the value retained for the minimum ambient temperature Tamb min being the lowest temperature recorded over this period and the value retained for the maximum ambient temperature Tamb max being the highest temperature over this period.

[0017] The duration previously described as significant for determining that the current season exhibits high temperatures, justifying, where appropriate, the closure of a shutter during periods of extreme heat—that is, the predetermined duration for calculating the average of the respective minimum ambient temperatures Tamb min and maximum ambient temperatures Tamb max—is, in the method of the invention, between 4 and 6 days, and preferably equal to 5 days. This means that the sustained nature of the high ambient temperatures is tested by monitoring the minimum and maximum ambient temperatures each day over a period of 5 days, to confirm that these temperatures are indeed due to external climatic conditions.

[0018] In determining the conditions defined as being heatwave conditions within the meaning of the invention, the ambient temperature measurement range may be equal to:

[0019] - 24h if the ambient temperature is < 18° C,

[0020] - 3 hours if: • the ambient temperature Tamb is > 18° C, or • if conditions are scorching, or • if Tamb > Tamb of the previous measurement + 3°C.

[0021] The variation in the ambient temperature measurement interval Tamb for the implementation of the method of the invention results quite naturally from the value of the temperature measured at time t: if this value is not high a priori, it is not necessary to require the unit or the system to carry out additional checks. On the other hand, beyond a certain threshold, or if the conditions defined such as heatwave conditions by the process of the invention are satisfied, or if the variation in temperatures is high between two consecutive measurements, the temperature measurement is carried out much more frequently for the purposes of heatwave treatment.

[0022] According to a feature specific to the present invention, after a heatwave closure command is sent to the motor, the control unit can activate a time delay that inhibits any further transmission of a heatwave closure command for a specified duration, said duration being between 2 and 4 hours, preferably 3 hours. In practice, this prevents the process from continuing to operate idly when all the checks and tests it performs indicate a heatwave but the shutter has already been closed by a previous automated command. Furthermore, this feature makes it possible to inhibit an automated re-closing of the shutter, in accordance with the logic of said process, even if the user has decided to reopen it.

[0023] According to the invention, the determination of heatwave conditions and the current summer season can be carried out by the shutter control unit, with the temperatures measured by the additional remote control then being sent to the control unit. In this case, management is centralized in the control unit, which is generally powered by the building's own electrical network.

[0024] Alternatively, the determination of heatwave conditions and the current summer season can also be carried out by and within the additional remote control, the results of which are then sent to the control unit. The additional remote control includes the temperature sensor and thus performs the ambient temperature measurements from which the method of the invention is implemented. Tests and comparisons based on the measured temperatures can be performed quite easily at the remote control level; only the final results, namely the determinations of heatwave conditions and the current season, are then sent to the control unit, which processes them for the possible command of the shutter's movement. This alternative, however, is more energy-intensive for the remote control, which is battery-powered and therefore requires more frequent recharging or replacement.

[0025] Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, which relates to an embodiment given by way of illustrative example. Understanding this description will be particularly facilitated by reference to the figures attached hereto:

[0026] [Fig. 1] shows a synoptic diagram of the overall operation of the automated control method of a non-solar shutter for heatwave closure according to the invention;

[0027] [Fig.2] shows a synoptic diagram explaining the determination of the conditions defined as being heatwave conditions; and

[0028] [Fig.3] shows a synoptic diagram of the operation of the determination that the current season does indeed present high temperatures which could potentially lead to a heat wave.

[0029] With reference to [Fig. 1], the method for controlling the heatwave closure of a non-solar shutter relies on a hardware configuration based on a shutter whose movements are achieved by means of an electric drive motor, generally powered by mains electricity. A control unit manages this hardware system, in particular to couple the control, whether manual via an individual remote control specific to the shutter or automated, with the shutter's movements. During automated operation, aimed in this case at managing the shutter's movements during heatwave conditions, the control unit preferably collects signals emitted by an additional remote control equipped with a temperature sensor. The control unit can also operate based on shutter limit switches. All these signals are processed in order to implement pre-programmed actions.

[0030] According to [Fig. 1], to achieve the main objective of the invention of automating the closing mechanism of a shutter during the implementation of a heatwave mode, the ambient temperature is measured at regular intervals, which, as mentioned, can change depending on the recorded temperature level. The ambient temperature is measured by the additional remote control. Thus, assuming relatively low ambient temperatures, below 18°C, the conditions do not justify excessively frequent measurements or prior heatwave treatment, and the measurement interval is 24 hours, which is justified in particular by the need to maximize the additional remote control's battery life.

[0031] If the measured ambient temperature – i.e., indoor temperature – is above 18°C, or if it increases significantly (by 3 degrees between two successive measurements), a measurement is taken more frequently, every 3 hours. The probability of having to activate heatwave treatment increases under these conditions, as well as if the conditions are already determined to be heatwave-like based on the parameters recorded in the system, which are explained in more detail below.

[0032] The electronic control unit can indeed determine, from the measured ambient temperature, whether conditions are defined as heatwave conditions, as shown in [Fig. 2]. This determination depends not only on the ambient temperature measured at time t but, depending on the level of said value, on a correction coefficient A, itself variable according to this level, and on a minimum observed ambient temperature value Tamb min. This Tamb min value is in fact the lowest temperature recorded over a previous period. typically 24 hours. Depending on the temperature value measured at time t, there are then several treatment possibilities.

[0033] Thus, if the minimum ambient temperature over the 24 hours preceding the measurement is between 22°C and 24°C, the system considers a heatwave situation to be occurring if the measured ambient temperature is higher than this minimum temperature Tamb min + 2 (Tamb > A + Tamb min, with A = 2). For example, if the last recorded minimum ambient temperature Tamb min is 23°C, heatwave conditions are recognized if the measured ambient temperature Tamb is strictly greater than 25°C.

[0034] If the minimum ambient temperature Tamb min over the 24 hours preceding the measurement is greater than or equal to 24°C, the system considers the situation to be a heatwave if the measured ambient temperature T^ is greater than this minimum temperature + 1 (Tamb > A + Tamb min, with A = 1). For example, if the last recorded minimum ambient temperature Tamb min is 25°C, heatwave conditions are recognized if the measured ambient temperature Tamb is strictly greater than 26°C.

[0035] Finally, if the minimum ambient temperature Tamb min over the 24 hours preceding the measurement is greater than or equal to 26°C, the system considers the situation to be a heatwave if the ambient temperature Tambmeasured is greater than this threshold temperature of 26°C, without correction coefficient.

[0036] However, recognizing these conditions as heatwave conditions is not sufficient, within the meaning of the invention, since ambient temperatures inside buildings can result from factors other than meteorological heatwaves. Thus, as already mentioned, one could find oneself in the same ambient temperature Tamb conditions if, for example, a stove were operating intensively in the middle of winter, or more generally depending on the setting of the room's interior heating. In these cases, closing the shutters during a heatwave obviously makes no sense.

[0037] This is why, in the method of the invention, a second stage of testing is provided, which verifies – again by means of ambient temperatures – that the current season is indeed likely to present high temperatures, justifying an automated heatwave treatment of the shutter closure. This is shown in [Fig.3].

[0038] This control is based on an average of temperatures measured over several days, for example, the five (5) days preceding the control. The average also includes the minimum and maximum ambient temperature values ​​Tamb min and Tamb max measured over these few days. Therefore, two averages are established: an average of the minimum ambient temperatures and an average of the maximum ambient temperatures. These minimum ambient temperatures Tamb min and maximum ambient temperatures Tamb max, respectively, are themselves derived from successive measurements, preferably measurements were taken at regular intervals of the ambient temperature Tamb over a 24-hour period. The value retained for the minimum ambient temperature Tamb min is then the lowest temperature recorded over 24 hours and, symmetrically, the value retained for the maximum ambient temperature Tamb max is the highest temperature measured over the same 24-hour period.

[0039] Minimum and maximum temperature threshold values, Ts min and Ts max, are stored by the system, in this case in the control unit or possibly in the additional remote control. Typically, Ts min can be set to approximately 20°C and Ts max to approximately 25°C. The two averages calculated from the minimum and maximum ambient temperature values, Tamb min and max, are then compared to the aforementioned threshold values, Ts min = 0°C and Ts max = 25°C. If the average of the minimum ambient temperatures, Tamb min and max, is greater than 20°C and the average of the maximum ambient temperatures, Tamb max, is greater than 25°C, the system considers that the current season has high temperatures, and therefore that the high ambient temperature measurements are not the result of heating the premises.

[0040] To return to [Fig.1], the double determination by the system of the existence of heatwave conditions on the one hand, during a season which is likely to present them on the other hand, makes it possible to trigger the so-called heatwave closure of the shutter.

[0041] In this case, according to the method of the invention, the closing is indeed automated, that is to say, controlled and carried out by the system. The invention, however, provides a means of inhibiting the automatic nature of the method, to prevent the repetitive implementation of the closing if the conditions do not change, i.e., the system considers that there is a heat wave and that it must send a closing command for the shutter, but that for various reasons the building occupant has decided to raise the shutter, at least partially. After an automated closing, a time delay is then automatically triggered by the control unit, typically for a few hours, for example, 3 hours.

[0042] The configuration examples shown in the figures should not be considered exhaustive of the invention, which includes, for example, variations in the durations or periods mentioned.

Claims

Demands

1. A method for the automated control of the heatwave-related closure of a non-solar shutter driven by an electric motor, each motor being connected to a control unit equipped with telecommunication means, and controllable by means of an individual remote control programmable by the user between an automated operating mode and a non-automated operating mode of the shutter, an additional remote control being associated with each shutter, said additional remote control comprising means for measuring the ambient temperature, a method characterized in that it comprises: - the measurement, at regular intervals, of the ambient temperature Tamb by the additional remote control; - the determination of conditions defined as being heatwave conditions, if the measured ambient temperature Tamb meets the following characteristics: • the ambient temperature Tamb > A + Tamb min, with A = 1 if the minimum ambient temperature Tamb min > 24°C or A = 2 if the minimum ambient temperature 22°C < Tamb min < 24°C; or • the ambient temperature Tamb > 26° C; - the determination that the current season presents high temperatures, if the measured ambient temperature meets the following characteristics: • The average calculated over a predetermined period of the respective minimum ambient temperatures Tamb min and maximum ambient temperatures Tamb max is greater than a threshold value respectively Ts min and T -1 s max 9 - if conditions are determined to be heatwave conditions and if the current season is determined to have high temperatures, the sending to the engine by the pilot unit of a heatwave closure frame.

2. Automated control method for the heatwave closure of a non-solar shutter according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the Tamb min and Tamb max values ​​have a tolerance of 1°C.

3. Automated control method for the heatwave closure of a non-solar shutter according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the threshold value Tsmin is between 19°C and 21°C, and preferably equal to 20°C, and the threshold value Ts max is between 24°C and 26°C, and preferably equal to 25°C.

4. Method for automated control of the heatwave closure of a non-solar shutter according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the ambient temperatures respectively minimum Tamb min and maximum Tamb max are determined by successive measurements of the ambient temperature Tamb during a period of 24h, the value retained for the minimum ambient temperature Tamb min being the lowest temperature recorded over this period and the value retained for the maximum ambient temperature Tamb max being the highest temperature over this period.

5. Automated control method for the heatwave closure of a non-solar shutter according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the predetermined duration for calculating the average of the respective minimum ambient temperatures min and maximum ambient temperatures Tamb max is between 4 and 6 days, and preferably equal to 5 days.

6. Automated control method for the heatwave closure of a non-solar shutter according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the ambient temperature measurement interval is equal to: - 24h if the ambient temperature Tamb is < 18° C, - 3h if: • the ambient temperature Tamb is > 18° C, or • if the conditions are heatwave, or • if Tamb > Tamb of the previous measurement + 3°C.

7. Automated control method for the heatwave closure of a non-solar shutter according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, after sending a heatwave closure frame to the motor, the control unit activates a time delay inhibiting, for its duration, any new sending of a heatwave closure frame, said duration being between 2 and 4 hours, preferably equal to 3 hours.

8. A method for automatically controlling the heatwave closure of a non-solar shutter according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the determination of heatwave conditions and the season The ongoing summer 11 is carried out by the shutter control unit, with temperatures measured by the additional remote control being sent to the control unit.

9. Method for automated control of the heatwave closure of a non-solar shutter according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the determination of the heatwave conditions and the current summer season is carried out by the additional remote control, the results of said determinations being sent to the control unit.

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