A motor driven system for raising and lowering a window covering executes motor ramp trajectory speed control. The motor ramp trajectory limits acceleration of an external motor from the idle (stationary) state to full operating speed, and limits deceleration of the motor from full operating speed back to the idle state. This function reduces stresses on a continuous cord loop drive mechanism. A control system manages solar heating effects in response to sunlight entrance conditions such as system sensor outputs, external weather forecasts, and other data sources. The system automatically opens or close the window covering to increase or decrease admitted sunlight under appropriate conditions. The input interface of the control system includes a visual display and input axis, which are aligned vertically if the window covering mechanism raises and lowers the window covering, and are aligned horizontally if the window covering mechanism laterally opens and closes the window covering.

A sensor and/or system controller may process an image multiple times at multiple resolutions to detect glare conditions. A glare condition threshold used to determine whether a glare condition exists may be based on the resolution of the image. When the resolution of the image is higher, the glare condition threshold may be higher. The sensor and/or system controller may organize one or more adjacent pixels having similar intensities into pixel groups. The pixel groups may vary in size and/or shape. The sensor and/or system controller may determine a representative group luminance for the pixel group (e.g., an average luminance of the pixels in the group). The sensor and/or system controller may determine a group glare condition threshold, which may be used to determine whether a glare condition exists for the group of pixels and/or may be based on the size of the group.

A method of controlling multiple electric window coverings includes the following steps: A. receive a check command, which is created from an electronic device operated by the user; B. compare battery levels of batteries of the electric window coverings to at least one power threshold; C. control the electric window coverings based on a comparison result obtained in the previous step, wherein, when the battery level of the battery of any one of the electric window coverings is greater than the power threshold, said electric window covering makes a first response; when the battery level of the battery of any one of the electric window coverings is less than the power threshold, said electric window covering makes a second response. Whereby, the user could learn the battery level of the battery of each of the electric window coverings from the response it makes.

A door, in particular a high-speed industrial door, with an intelligent door leaf is disclosed. The door has a door leaf which is guided by lateral guides and covers a door opening, and which has a first and a second side, a driving means for moving the door leaf between an open and a closed position, a door control means for controlling the driving means, as well as an electrically self-sufficient door leaf means arranged in the door leaf. The door control means also has a first communication unit. In addition, the door leaf device comprises at least one sensor unit for detecting at least a physical quantity, an energy converter which converts non-electrical energy into electrical energy, a second communication unit and at least one actuator unit. The first and second communication units communicate wirelessly with each other.

A safety device (200) is provided for a movable barrier system ((100). The safety device comprises a position sensor (210) mountable, in use, to or adjacent a barrier (110). A target (220) is mountable to the other of the barrier, such that movement of the barrier causes relative movement between the position sensor and the target. A controller (240) can communicate with the position sensor. The position sensor can detect movement of the target relative to the position sensor and output a signal to the controller. The controller can receive the output signal from the position sensor, determine one or more signal characteristics from the output signal, and compare the one or more determined signal characteristics with one or more predetermined signal characteristics to determine if the relative movement between the target and the position sensor is within a predefined range. A movement detection method is also provided.

A motorized sheer shading system may move a sheer shade material between an open position, a closed position, and a view position. The shading system may move the sheer shade material from the open position to the closed position at a first average rotational speed, and from the closed position to the view position at a second average rotational speed. The shading system may automatically determine a control limit that corresponds to the closed position of the sheer shade material after control limits have been set for the open position and the view position. The shading system may cause the sheer shade material to stop moving once it reaches the closed position if the raise button of a remote control is still depressed, and may cause the sheer shade material to stop moving once it reaches the closed position if the lower button of the remote control is still depressed.

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 safety device (200) is provided for a movable barrier system ((100). The safety device comprises a position sensor (210) mountable, in use, to or adjacent a barrier (110). A target (220) is mountable to the other of the barrier, such that movement of the barrier causes relative movement between the position sensor and the target. A controller (240) can communicate with the position sensor. The position sensor can detect movement of the target relative to the position sensor and output a signal to the controller. The controller can receive the output signal from the position sensor, determine one or more signal characteristics from the output signal, and compare the one or more determined signal characteristics with one or more predetermined signal characteristics to determine if the relative movement between the target and the position sensor is within a predefined range. A movement detection method is also provided.

A low-deflection roller tube of a motorized roller shade may have an outer diameter that does not exceed 2 inches. When a covering material is attached to the roller tube and the roller tube is supported at opposed ends thereof, deflection of a 10 foot configuration of the roller tube may not exceed ⅛ of an inch, and deflection of a 12 foot configuration of the roller tube may not exceed ¼ of an inch, relative to corresponding unloaded positions of the roller tubes. The roller tube may comprise a plurality of layers of carbon fiber, or may comprise an inner tube that is made of a first material, such as aluminum, and a carbon fiber outer tube that is formed on the inner tube. At least one layer, such as an outermost layer, may comprise high modulus carbon fiber.

A motor drive system for operating a mechanism for raising and lowering window coverings includes a motor operating under electrical power and an electrically powered drive system. The motor drive system advances a continuous cord loop in response to positional commands from a controller. An input-output device includes a capacitive touch strip that receives user inputs along an input axis, and an LEDs strip aligned with the input axis. A group mode module communicates the positional commands to other motor drive systems within an identified group to operate respective other mechanisms of the other motor drive systems. A set control module enables user calibration of a top position and a bottom position of travel of the window covering. The input-output device extends vertically on the exterior of a housing for the motor drive system, and the housing supports input buttons of the group mode module and the set control module.