DE9321365U1 - Electronic blind control for controlling electrically powered blinds, roller shutters, awnings, curtains, garage doors and similar devices - Google Patents

Description

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ABB Patents GmbH

Mannheim 28 April 1997

Mp. No. 93/561 ' ^{PAT 3} " ^Sf/F °

Electronic blind control for controlling electrically powered blinds, roller shutters, awnings, curtains, garage doors and similar devices

The invention relates to an electronic blind control for controlling electrically driven blinds/roller shutters, awnings, curtains, garage doors and similar devices in a building. When the term "blind control" is used here, it can also refer to a "roller shutter control", "awning control", "curtain control" or "garage door control" without this being expressly mentioned.

There are known remote blind switches that can be operated by mechanical blind buttons (local operation) or can be operated centrally from control centers. However, the disadvantage here is that even for simple manual local control of blinds, two separate devices (blind remote switch and blind button) have to be installed. Subsequent expansion, for example for an infrared remote control, is expensive, as additional devices have to be installed and connected to the existing devices.

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The invention is based on the object of specifying an electronic blind control for controlling electrically driven blinds, roller shutters, awnings, curtains, garage doors and similar devices, which is universally suitable for manual local operation, wireless infrared remote control, group control, as well as control via an external command device, e.g. a control center or a sensor.

This task is solved by an electronic blind control for controlling electrically driven blinds, roller shutters, awnings, curtains, garage doors and similar devices, which has a central evaluation electronics, which on the input side receives control signals from a local control using manual control elements such as switches or buttons and/or an optional infrared control using wirelessly transmitted infrared command signals and/or an auxiliary input element and on the output side controls a consumer, in particular a blind motor, via a load stage, whereby the auxiliary input element receives control commands from an external command device. Instead of a blind motor, a roller shutter motor, awning motor, curtain drive or garage door drive can of course also be controlled without this being expressly mentioned.

The advantages that can be achieved with the invention are in particular that the blind control is suitable for installation in a standard flush-mounted box due to its high level of electronic integration. It is no longer necessary to develop, manufacture, stock and use various different blind controls, depending on whether the blind operation is to be carried out manually, remotely controlled by infrared commands or group-controlled via an external command device. A single blind control covers all applications

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This results in cost advantages when producing spare parts and when using them. It is possible to initially provide just a simple, manually operated local control of the blinds in a building. Without any conversion, it is possible to allow additional operation via infrared remote controls at a later date and at no high cost. All that is required is to purchase the infrared transmitters required for this and replace the purely manual control elements with manual and remote control elements with infrared controls. If group-controlled operation is to be carried out at a later date, for example via an external control device, only the corresponding signal lines to the external control device need to be connected; the blind control itself remains unchanged. Several blinds, roller shutters, awnings and curtains can be linked via the extension terminals of their assigned blind controls, which means that central, higher-level control of these devices can be carried out without great additional effort. External control devices that can be used include timers and sensors that switch depending on the position of the sun, daylight or wind.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are characterized in the subclaims.

The invention is explained below using the embodiments shown in the drawing. Figure 1 shows the basic structure of an electronic

blind control,

Figure 2 to 4 different installation examples for

the electronic blind control.

Figure 1 shows the basic structure of an electronic blind control system. The electronic blind

Mp. No. 93/561

The control unit 8 has a central evaluation electronics 1 (processor) to which a local control 2, an optional infrared control 3, an auxiliary input element 4 and a slat adjustment unit 5 are connected on the input side and which controls a load stage 6 on the output side. A power supply unit 7 is used to supply voltage to the individual components 1 to 6.

As can be seen, the electronic blind control has several connection terminals, such as two power supply connection terminals 9, 10, two blind motor connection terminals 12, 13 and two extension connection terminals 15, 16. The power supply connection terminals 9, 10 lead to the power supply unit 7 and are connected to connection cables N (neutral conductor) and L (phase conductor) of a power supply stage 11. The blind motor connection terminals 12, 13 lead to load stage 6 and are connected to the blind motor 14 or generally to the consumer to be controlled. The blind motor 14 is also connected to connection cables N (neutral conductor) and PE (protective conductor) of the power supply stage 11.

The local control 2 enables direct control of the blind motor 14 via control elements - in particular manually operated switches or buttons - in the sense of an upward movement (command "open blind") or downward movement (command "close blind") of the blind driven by the blind motor 14. The operating principle is based on a logical assignment between the control surface to be operated and the direction of travel of the blind, i.e. the upper half of the control surface is operated for the command "open blind" and the lower half of the control surface is operated for the command "close blind". The local control 2 contains the necessary control elements (switches, buttons) and converts the commands entered via these control elements into control signals for the evaluation electronics 1.

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In an expanded embodiment with manual and remote control elements, the blind motor 14 can also be controlled remotely and wirelessly via the infrared control 3. For this purpose, the infrared control 3 has an infrared receiver that receives the infrared command signals emitted by an external infrared transmitter. The infrared command signals received are converted into corresponding control signals for the control electronics 1 using the infrared control 3.

The blind motor 14 can also be controlled via external control commands that are fed to the electronic blind control 8 via the extension connection terminals 15, 16 and that are converted into corresponding control signals for the evaluation electronics 1 with the help of the interference-proof extension input element 4.

In many cases, it is advantageous to operate a blind to specify an individual slat angle of the blind slats and to set it precisely in order to prevent glare from the sun's rays falling into the room, depending on the current position of the sun, on the one hand, and to prevent the room from becoming too dark on the other. If the blind control 8 is to be used to set the individual slat angle of the blind slats, the slat adjustment unit 5 must be activated using a selector switch.

The load stage 6 controlled by the evaluation electronics 1 has relays or semiconductors in order to drive the blind motor 14 in the desired manner. The load stage &dgr; applies voltage to the blind motor connection terminal 12, for example, in order to drive the blind motor 14 in clockwise rotation and thus open the blind. On the other hand, the load stage 6 applies voltage to the blind motor connection terminal

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13 with voltage to drive the blind motor 14 in anti-clockwise rotation and thus close the blind. The load stage-internal relays or semiconductor switches are interlocked to prevent both blind motor connection terminals 12, 13 from being supplied with voltage at the same time due to incorrect operation or due to different control signals from the local control 2, infrared control 3 and extension input element 4. A priority circuit for selecting the appropriate control signal when different and contradictory signals are present at the same time is described below.

From the above description it is clear that the blind control is universally suitable both for simple manual operation using manual local operation and for convenient remote control operation using infrared remote control. Likewise, with one and the same electronic blind control, operation controlled by an external command device, e.g. a central unit, a timer or a sensor, is also possible via the extension connection terminals 15, 16. Subsequent expansion from one operation to the other is always possible without any problems, inexpensively and without major intervention in the blind control itself. For remote control operation, the purely manual control elements must be replaced with manual and remote control elements with infrared controls. Infrared transmitters are also required. For central operation, the extension connection terminals must also be connected to the central unit or sensor using the cables provided for this purpose.

Figures 2 to 4 show various installation examples for the electronic blind control. The simplest installation example is shown in Figure 2. There, only an electronic blind control 8 is provided, the power supply connection of which

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terminals 9, 10 are connected to the neutral conductor N and the phase conductor L of the power supply stage 11 and to whose blind motor connection terminals 12, 13 the blind motor 14 or a motor for operating a roller shutter, an awning, a curtain, a garage door or a similar device is connected. Wiring of the extension connection terminals of the blind control 8 is not provided for in this installation example, but can of course be retrofitted at a later date. The blind motor 14 can be controlled locally using manual control elements (switches or buttons) and by infrared command signals.

Figure 3 shows an installation example in which two electronic blind controls 8, 8' are provided. The blind control 8 is connected via its power supply connection terminals 9 _, 10 to the connection lines L, N of the power supply stage 11 and controls the blind motor 14 on the output side via the blind motor connection terminals 12, 13. The other blind control 8' is also connected via its power supply connection terminals 9', 10' to the connection lines L, N of the power supply stage 11 and controls the blind motor 14' on the output side via its blind motor connection terminals 12', 13'.

The extension connection terminals 15, 16 or 15', 16' of the blind controls 8 or 8' are connected to extension outputs 18, 19 of an external command device 17. The command device 17 enables central control of both blind motors 14, 14' in the same direction (group control). For example, both blind motors 14, 14' move clockwise to open the blinds as soon as the extension output 18 of the command device 17 supplies voltage to the extension connection terminals 15, 15'. Conversely, both blind motors 14, 14' move anti-clockwise to close the blinds as soon as the extension output 18 of the command device 17 supplies voltage to the extension connection terminals 15, 15'.

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The output 19 of the control device 17 supplies voltage to the extension connection terminals 16, 16'.

Mechanical switches or buttons, timers and sensor switches can generally be used as command transmitters 17. Furthermore, instead of a command transmitter 17, it is also possible to link to a bus system (control center). The sensor switches issue commands depending on, for example, sunlight, the position of the sun, dusk or wind.

In addition to the joint and identical control of the blind motors 14, 14' via the external command device 17, it is of course also possible in this installation example to control each blind motor 14, 14' individually and independently of one another via the manual local controls or the infrared controls of both electronic blind controls 8, 8' (individual control).

Figure 4 shows an installation example that is similar to the embodiment shown in Figure 3 on the one hand (see e.g. blind controls 8, 8', blind motors 14, 14'), but in which the command transmitter 17 according to Figure 3 is replaced by a separate blind control 8'' on the other hand. The blind control 8'' does not control its own blind motor, but is only used to override the two blind controls 8, 8', preferably implemented via infrared remote control, in order to control both blind motors 14, 14' centrally and wirelessly in the same way.

For this purpose, the blind control 8'' is connected to the lines L, N of the power supply stage 11 via its power supply terminals 9'', 10''. The blind motor connection terminals 12'', 13'' of the blind control 8'' are connected to the extension connection terminals 15, 16, 15', 16'

Mp. No. 93/561 9 28 April 1997

the blind controls 8, 8'. The central control of the blind motors 14, 14' is carried out via manual control elements (switches or buttons) , but preferably via the infrared control of the blind control 8'', ie there is a signal chain from the blind control 8'' via its blind motor connection terminals 12''/ 13 '' to the extension connection terminals 15, 16, 15', 16' of the blind controls 8, 8'.

In addition to the higher-level control via the blind control 8'', it is of course also possible in the example according to Figure 4 to control each blind or each blind motor 14, 14' individually via the assigned blind control 8, 8' or via the manual local control or infrared control.

As the installation examples in Figures 3 and 4 in conjunction with the structure of the blind control in Figure 1 show, it is advantageous if a control command "open blinds" supplied via an extension terminal has priority over all manually entered commands of the local control and all infrared command signals of the infrared control. The control command "open blinds" can, for example, have been generated by an external wind sensor, since due to strong winds, opening the blinds is urgently required for safety reasons in order to avoid damage to the blinds. This priority circuit is stored and is implemented by the central evaluation electronics 1 of the blind controls.

Furthermore, any blind movement (opening or closing) can be stopped immediately by manual operation on site, by an infrared remote control and by central operation via the extension terminals. A blind that is lowered remotely, for example, can thus be stopped by manual operation on site via the

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Touch surfaces can be stopped in a desired position. This priority switching is also implemented by the central evaluation electronics 1 using stored priority patterns.

In order to simplify the operation of the blinds as a whole and to ensure long-term functionality, the evaluation electronics 1 monitor the time periods during which the blinds are operated (opening or closing). The maximum time period required to open or close a blind can be determined in advance and stored in the evaluation electronics 1. The evaluation electronics 1 then monitors the manual, remote-controlled or centrally specified time period for the blinds to be operated and automatically switches off the signals present at the blind connection terminals as soon as these signals are present for longer than the maximum required and permissible. In this way, overloading of the blind motors is reliably prevented, i.e. the blind motors are prevented from being energized even though the blinds to be operated are already in the specified end position (open or closed).

Claims (6)

Mp. No. 93/561 1 28 April 1997 Patent claims 1. Electronic blind control for controlling blinds, roller shutters, awnings, curtains, garage doors and similar devices with a central evaluation electronics (1) which receives on the input side control signals from a local control (2) by means of manual control elements and/or an optional infrared control (3) by means of wirelessly transmitted infrared command signals and/or an auxiliary input element (4) and on the output side controls a consumer, in particular a blind motor (14) via a load stage (6), wherein the auxiliary input element (4) receives control commands from an external command transmitter (17). 2. Blind control according to claim 1, characterized in that the evaluation electronics (1) are connected to a slat adjustment unit (5) which enables switching from blind operation to slat adjustment, so that the blind control (8) emits a suitable control signal for a motor for slat adjustment via the load stage (6) when the switch is in the appropriate position. 3. Blind control according to claim 1 and/or 2, characterized in that a power supply unit (7) serves to supply the evaluation electronics and the components (2 to 6) connected thereto. 4. Blind control according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the evaluation electronics (1) actuates the load stage (6) according to stored priority patterns when contradictory control signals of the priority Mp. No. 93/561 2 "* 28 April 1997 local control (2) and/or the infrared control (3) and/or the extension input element (4). 5. Blind control according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that e.g. manual switches or buttons, timers or sensors, in particular wind sensors are used as external command transmitters (17). 6. Blind control according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that a further blind control (8'') is used as an external command generator (17), the central control commands being issued via the load stage (6) of the further blind control (8' ^f ).