Motorized Window Treatment Control Minimizing Occupant Distractions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing motorized window treatments often cause distractions to occupants due to frequent movements, as they automatically adjust to control sunlight penetration, leading to a need for a method that minimizes these disruptions while effectively managing sunlight.
Innovation Solution
A load control system that uses astronomical timeclocks and digital communication links to control motorized roller shades, determining optimal positions to limit sunlight penetration and minimize shade movements by scheduling adjustments based on sunrise, sunset, and user-defined parameters, ensuring the sunlight does not directly shine on work surfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If motorized window treatments are automatically controlled to control sunlight penetration, then sunlight control effectiveness is improved, but occupant distractions increase due to frequent movements
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements periodic action by scheduling window treatment movements to occur only at specific times of day (such as sunrise and sunset) rather than continuously adjusting. This periodic control maintains sunlight penetration management while reducing the frequency of movements that cause occupant distractions, directly resolving the contradiction between control effectiveness and occupant comfort.
2Manufacturing precision
If window treatment position is continuously adjusted to optimize sunlight penetration distance, then sunlight control precision is improved, but movement frequency increases causing more distractions
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies preliminary action by pre-calculating and scheduling window treatment positions based on predicted sunrise and sunset times. Instead of continuously adjusting the window treatment in response to changing light conditions, the system prepares and executes movements only when necessary, maintaining precision while minimizing disruptive movements during occupied hours.
Data Source
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AI summary
A load control system provides for automatically controlling a position of a motorized window treatment to control the amount of sunlight entering a space of a building through a window located in a facade of the building in order to control a sunlight penetration distance within the space and minimize occupant distractions. The load control system automatically generates a timeclock schedule having a number of timeclock events for controlling the position of the motorized window treatment during the present day. A user is able to select a desired maximum sunlight penetration distance for the space and a minimum time period that may occur between any two consecutive timeclock events. In addition, a maximum number of movements that may occur during the timeclock schedule may also be entered. The load control system uses these inputs to determine event times and corresponding positions of the motorized window treatment for each timeclock event of the timeclock schedule.