Systems and methods to control window coverings using powerline and radio frequency communications

摘要

An electronic window covering control system automatically controls raising, lowering, and rotating a window covering of a window. A window covering controller interfaces with an electronic window covering, sends messages including sensor data to a local receiver, and receives messages including window covering commands from the local receiver. In turn, the local receiver interfaces with a hub device through a mesh network. The hub receives the sensor data, applies a rule set to make window covering operation decisions, and sends messages, which may comprise commands to operate the window covering, through the mesh network to the local receiver. The local receiver decodes the messages and passes the window covering commands to the window covering controller to automatically control the electronic window covering.

主权项

1. A battery-powered window covering control system operating remotely from a powerline and configured to interface with a mesh network, the system comprising:
a window covering controller configured to receive a window covering command, the window covering controller in communication with a window covering associated with a window to automatically adjust the window covering to at least partially cover and uncover the window between a first position and a second position based at least in part on the window covering command, wherein the window covering controller is electrically disconnected from a powerline; a local receiver comprising a first antenna and a second antenna, the local receiver configured to detect with the first antenna an electromagnetic field generated by a presence of a carrier signal that is added to a powerline waveform, the carrier signal comprising a first radio frequency (RF) signal having a first frequency, the presence of the carrier signal indicating that a first message is encoded onto the powerline, wherein the local receiver is electrically disconnected from the powerline; and the local receiver further configured to wake up from an inactive state upon detecting the electromagnetic field generated by the presence of the carrier signal on the powerline in order to receive with the second antenna a second message via a second RF signal having a second RF frequency different from the first RF frequency, the local receiver further configured to determine whether a device address of the second message is an assigned address, the local receiver returning to an inactive state when the device address of the second message is not the assigned address, the second message comprising the window covering command when the device address is the assigned address, the local receiver sending the window covering command to the window covering controller.