Home Automation Drive Circuit for Low-Power Screen Movement Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing motorized drive devices for home automation closing installations, such as swing gates, require continuous power to detect movements even when the gate is closed, leading to excessive electrical energy consumption and non-compliance with energy efficiency standards.

Innovation Solution

A motorized drive device with two electromechanical actuators and an electronic control unit that connects the motors in an antiparallel configuration during standby mode, allowing movement detection without continuous power consumption by using one motor as a load to measure voltage at the other motor's terminals, thus reducing energy usage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the relay is kept in an excited state to enable movement detection, then the screen movement can be detected and corrected, but the electrical energy consumption increases excessively

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemovement detection capabilityVSAvoidelectrical energy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements periodic sampling of the voltage at motor terminals instead of continuous monitoring. The control device measures the voltage at predetermined time intervals, allowing movement detection while enabling the system to enter a low-power standby state between measurements. This periodic action reduces the duty cycle of power consumption while maintaining detection capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts the essential function of movement detection from the continuous relay excitation state. By measuring the voltage at motor terminals during brief sampling intervals rather than maintaining constant relay excitation, the system separates the detection function from continuous power consumption, achieving movement monitoring with minimal energy usage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Use of energy by moving object

If the relay is switched to rest state to reduce energy consumption, then electrical energy consumption decreases, but the ability to detect and correct screen movement is lost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveelectrical energy consumptionVSAvoidmovement detection capability
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system periodically switches the relay between excited and rest states, performing voltage measurements during the excited state intervals and maintaining standby during rest state intervals. This periodic switching allows the system to achieve both low average power consumption and reliable movement detection capability when needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary voltage measurements at predetermined time intervals to detect movement before it becomes a problem. By sampling the voltage state periodically, the system can identify unauthorized movement early and trigger correction actions, maintaining reliability without requiring continuous monitoring.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Enables efficient movement detection and correction of the gate's position while minimizing electrical energy consumption, aligning with energy efficiency standards and reducing operational costs.

Implementation Method 1

detecting a movement of the screen (4a, 4b) from an appearance of an electrical voltage at terminals of the electric motor(s) (M1, M2)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectromagnetic induction: Electromagnetic Induction

Data Source

PatentEP4112859B1Motorised drive device for a home automation installation
Publication Date: 2024.02.21 SOMFY ACTIVITES SA
  • EP4112859B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4112859B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4112859B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Motorized drive device for a home automation closing system (2), the home automation closing system comprising at least one screen (4), at least one electromechanical actuator (8), the electromechanical actuator being configured to drive the screen in motion, and an electronic control device (10), the electromechanical actuator comprising at least one electric motor, the electronic control device comprising at least one power supply circuit. The power supply circuit is configured to electrically connect the first and second electric motors back-to-back via electrical switching elements, and to detect a movement of the screen from a measurement of the electrical voltage between at least one of the electrical connection elements and a voltage reference of the power supply circuit, when the electrical switching elements are switched in the rest state.