A device for opening and closing a curtain on a rod or rail includes a driven wheel coupled to a motor within a housing. The driven wheel protrudes from the housing in frictional engagement with the rod or rail. The device further includes a suspension assembly including a support member and one or more linkages. The support member is in sliding or rolling contact with the rod or rail. The linkages extend along an independent suspension axis and connect the support member to the housing to suspend the housing from the support member, allowing the device to traverse bumps in the rod or rail. The driven wheel is rotated by the motor to advance the device along the rod or rail for opening and closing the curtain. A curtain opening system may further include one or more sensor targets disposed on the rod or rail, and an encoder and a sensor operatively connected to a controller of the device for auto-calibration of position tracking.

A Roman blind incorporates an upper beam, a rolling tube, a Roman blind body, and a rolling body. Both ends of the rolling tube are connected to both ends of the upper beam respectively through a connection piece. An upper end of the rolling body is wound on the rolling tube. An upper end of the Roman blind body is fixed on the upper beam. A lower end of the rolling body ascends or descends synchronized with a lower end of the Roman blind body. A surface of the Roman blind body facing toward the rolling body includes a plurality of equally spaced limiting pieces. The lower end of the rolling body includes a drive piece cooperating with the limiting pieces to fold up the Roman blind body layer by layer from bottom up. The folding/unfolding of the Roman blind body is driven by the winding/unwinding of the rolling body, so that pull-rope-free winding/unwinding avoids potential safety hazards, the structure is simplified, the number of parts is small, assembly efficiency is higher, problems of the pull rope being easy to knot and to hook and break are solved, smoother usage is achieved, and the overall structure is neater and cleaner.

A control method is provided for controlling a networked information apparatus that includes a touch panel display. An electric shutter device is controlled over the network to open and close a shutter remotely. A processor of the information apparatus causes display of an operation icon on a display screen of the information apparatus, and the operation icon causes an operation screen for the electric shutter device to be displayed. When a swipe operation is sensed on the operation screen, a movement control command is output to the network for moving the shutter of the electric shutter device in a swipe direction of the swipe operation, in which movement of the shutter represented in the shutter image results in a changed representation of an object hidden by the shutter represented in the shutter image when the shutter image is in a closed position.

A control method is provided for controlling a networked information apparatus that includes a touch panel display. An electric shutter device is controlled over the network to open and close a shutter remotely. A processor of the information apparatus causes display of an operation icon on a display screen of the information apparatus, and the operation icon causes an operation screen for the electric shutter device to be displayed. When a swipe operation is sensed on the operation screen, a movement control command is output to the network for moving the shutter of the electric shutter device in a swipe direction of the swipe operation, in which movement of the shutter represented in the shutter image results in a changed representation of an object hidden by the shutter represented in the shutter image when the shutter image is in a closed position.

A safety device for a curtain controller is provided. The safety device comprises a base, a bead chain wheel, and a cover. A shaft sleeve having a conical shape is disposed in a through hole of the base to connect a shaft's terminal and thus be fixed in a sleeving hole, having a shape to fit the shaft sleeve, of the bead chain wheel, so that the motions of the shaft sleeve and the bead chain wheel are linked. A bead chain is wound on the bead chain wheel. When the bead chain is pulled down, the shaft sleeve can drive the rotation of the bead chain wheel. The upper part of the cover is pivotally connected to the base, and the lower part of the cover buckles the base. Therefore, when the bead chain is instantly pulled down, the cover can be opened to drop the bead chain wheel.

A safety device for a curtain controller is provided. The safety device comprises a base, a bead chain wheel, and a cover. A shaft sleeve having a conical shape is disposed in a through hole of the base to connect a shaft's terminal and thus be fixed in a sleeving hole, having a shape to fit the shaft sleeve, of the bead chain wheel, so that the motions of the shaft sleeve and the bead chain wheel are linked. A bead chain is wound on the bead chain wheel. When the bead chain is pulled down, the shaft sleeve can drive the rotation of the bead chain wheel. The upper part of the cover is pivotally connected to the base, and the lower part of the cover buckles the base. Therefore, when the bead chain is instantly pulled down, the cover can be opened to drop the bead chain wheel.

A load control system may include control devices for controlling electrical loads. The control devices may include load control devices, such as a lighting device for controlling an amount of power provided to a lighting load, and input devices, such as a remote control device configured to transmit digital messages comprising lighting control instructions for controlling the lighting load via the lighting device. The remote control device may communicate with the lighting device via an intermediary device, such as a hub device. The remote control device may detect a user interface event, such as a button press or a rotation of the remote control device. The remote control device or the hub device may determine whether to transmit digital messages to as unicast messages or multicast messages based on the type of user interface event detected.

A load control system may include control devices for controlling electrical loads. The control devices may include load control devices, such as a lighting device for controlling an amount of power provided to a lighting load, and input devices, such as a remote control device configured to transmit digital messages comprising lighting control instructions for controlling the lighting load via the lighting device. The remote control device may communicate with the lighting device via an intermediary device, such as a hub device. The remote control device may detect a user interface event, such as a button press or a rotation of the remote control device. The remote control device or the hub device may determine whether to transmit digital messages to as unicast messages or multicast messages based on the type of user interface event detected.

A master/slave shaft arrangement includes: a motor having an output shaft; a master drive barrel, the first end of which being rotationally driven by the output shaft of the motor, the master drive barrel having, at a second end thereof, a master drive sprocket; a synchronizing shaft that is rotationally driven at its second end by a first coupling assembly, the rotational driving of the synchronizing shaft being synchronous with the rotational driving of the master drive barrel by the motor; and a slave barrel, the slave barrel being rotationally driven at its first end by a second coupling assembly that rotationally couples the synchronizing shaft with the slave barrel to rotationally drive the slave barrel, the rotational driving of the slave barrel being synchronous with the rotational driving of the synchronizing shaft and the rotational driving of the master drive barrel by the motor.

A master/slave shaft arrangement includes: a motor having an output shaft; a master drive barrel, the first end of which being rotationally driven by the output shaft of the motor, the master drive barrel having, at a second end thereof, a master drive sprocket; a synchronizing shaft that is rotationally driven at its second end by a first coupling assembly, the rotational driving of the synchronizing shaft being synchronous with the rotational driving of the master drive barrel by the motor; and a slave barrel, the slave barrel being rotationally driven at its first end by a second coupling assembly that rotationally couples the synchronizing shaft with the slave barrel to rotationally drive the slave barrel, the rotational driving of the slave barrel being synchronous with the rotational driving of the synchronizing shaft and the rotational driving of the master drive barrel by the motor.