An automatic door opening system includes an element that is rotatable to change a position of a door. A potentiometer is coupled to the element such that rotation of the element in one direction increases a resistance of the potentiometer and rotation of the element in the opposite direction decreases the resistance. A controller is configured to rotate the element concurrently with monitoring the resistance of the potentiometer, and stop the rotation when the resistance of the potentiometer is indicative of a target position of the door.

The invention relates to a vertically movable gate with a gate panel comprising several gate panel segments, where two adjacent gate panel segments are each hingedly connected to one another by way of at least one hinge, and with a motorized drive which transmits a force for lifting and lowering the gate panel via at least one drive means to the gate panel, and a connection means for connecting the drive means to the gate panel. Gates of the type mentioned at the outset are improved according to the invention such that, though such a gate can be moved easily between an open and a closed position largely independent of the forces arising, it nevertheless provides a compact and simultaneously stable and fail-safe design in that several gate panel segments are each individually connected to the drive means.

A clock comprises an alarm clock housing having a front face, a clock display occupying at least a portion of the front face, a control on the housing for activating a shade positioning function, and a processor within the housing. The processor is responsive to the control for generating at least one shade positioning command to be transmitted to at least one motorized window shade, so as to cause the motorized window shade to move to one or more position at one or more corresponding predetermined interval relative to an alarm time.

A motorized window treatment for controlling the amount of daylight entering a space through a window includes a covering material, a drive shaft, and a motor coupled to the drive shaft for raising and lowering the covering material. The window treatment also includes a spring assist unit for assisting the motor by providing a torque that equals the torque provided by the weight on the cords that lift the covering material at a position midway between fully-open and fully-closed positions to minimize motor usage and conserve battery life. The window treatment may comprise a photosensor for measuring the amount of daylight outside the window and temperature sensors for measuring the temperatures inside and outside of the window. The position of the covering material may be automatically controlled in response to the photosensor and the temperature sensors, or in response to an infrared or radio-frequency remote control.

The present invention relates to a gate with a gate panel, comprising several gate panel sections which are hingedly coupled to each other by way of hinges, where a hinge comprises two hinge panels of adjacent gate panel sections, at least one elongate drive means which is connected to at least one gate panel section, and at least one guide means which is suitable to guide the gate panel during its motion. In order to optimize the gate with regard to its installation space, in particular in the width and depth direction, and to ensure simple and inexpensive yet at the same time still reliable operation of the gate, it is proposed to arrange the elongated drive means at least in sections received in the gate panel section.

A tubular electromechanical actuator includes an electric motor, reduction gear, output shaft and casing. The casing is hollow and houses at least the electric motor and the reduction gear. The casing includes a first end and a second end. The actuator also includes a retaining element assembled at the first end of the casing, so as to close off the first end of the casing. The retaining element includes at least a first stop configured to cooperate with the reduction gear, in an assembled configuration of the actuator, and a second stop configured to cooperate with the casing, at the first end of the casing, in the assembled configuration of the actuator. Furthermore, the retaining element includes at least one accommodation configured to cooperate with at least one rib of the reduction gear, so as to participate in the sealing between the retaining element and the reduction gear.

A motorized window shade system may comprise a shade tube in a pocket; a window shade attached to the shade tube; a motor configured to rotate the shade tube; an internal temperature sensor configured to measure a first temperature of the motor; an external temperature sensor configured to measure a second temperature of the pocket; and a controller configured to adjust a mode of the system from an override mode to an automated mode.

A clock comprises an alarm clock housing having a front face, a clock display occupying at least a portion of the front face, a control on the housing for activating a shade positioning function, and a processor within the housing. The processor is responsive to the control for generating at least one shade positioning command to be transmitted to at least one motorized window shade, so as to cause the motorized window shade to move to one or more position at one or more corresponding predetermined interval relative to an alarm time.

Methods and apparatus to operate a covering of an architectural covering are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a clutch to disengage a motor when the motor is not in use. The dual control architectural covering further includes a clutch to disengage a motor from moving a covering to facilitate manual operation of the covering of an architectural covering when the motor is not in use; and a controller: to track a covering position based on a first encoder measurement from a first encoder; and to track a motor position when the motor disengages based on a second encoder measurement from a second encoder different from the first encoder.

A method for determining a fully extended position of a screening body (14) of a screening device (12) for a roof window. The screening device (12) comprises a control unit comprising a data storage device, an electric motor (18) comprising a tachometer (181), a roller tube (15), a screening body (14) and a first and a second spring element (164, 174). The method comprises the steps of driving the screening body (14) from a fully retracted position to a fully extended position, in which the spring elements (164, 174) are tensioned to a first tension level, T.sub.1, stopping the electric motor (18) at a point at which the spring elements (164, 174) are tensioned to a second tension level, T.sub.2, above the first tension level, T.sub.1, measuring the number of revolutions, R.sub.d, of the roller tube (15) necessary to drive the screening body (14) to the said position at which the motor (18) is stopped, storing the measured number of revolutions, R.sub.d, in the data storage device, measuring the number of revolutions, R.sub.b, of the roller tube, that a release of a tension corresponding to the difference, T, between the first tension level, T.sub.1, and the second tension level, T.sub.2, will cause the roller tube (15) to move back towards the fully retracted position, storing the number of revolutions, R.sub.b, in the data storage device, and calculating and storing in the data storage device a value R=R.sub.dR.sub.b.