This invention relates to retractable walls, windows, doors, insulation, sound barriers, and other retractable or reconfigurable privacy systems and methods.
Roller shades, roller blinds, and roller awnings have been developed to meet the needs of blocking light and keeping out bugs and mosquitoes. But these technologies lack specific environmental and insulating properties.
In a first aspect, the invention is a retractable privacy system having two or more drums, each of the drums containing one or more motors inside each of the respective drums. A flexible sheet is rotated around each of the respective drums by the respective motors to roll-up or roll-down the respective flexible sheets. Each of the respective flexible sheets has side edges which are parallel to each other and perpendicular to a top edge and a bottom edge. A flexible mating surface is attached to each side edge of each of the flexible sheets. The flexible mating surface is configured to connect with the flexible mating surface of the adjacent flexible sheet. A battery is located inside the respective drums to power the respective motors. A motor controller is disposed within the respective drums. The system further includes a beacon comprising a communication tilt plate comprising a front side and a back side. The front side has an outer touch surface, while the back side has electronic components mounted thereon. The back side further also has a raised center pivot and a plurality of spring loaded switches mounted thereon disposed around the periphery of the back side of the tilt plate. In this way, tilting the communication tilt plate by pressing proximate the periphery of the outer touch surface one or more of the spring-loaded activates the switches to thereby communicate commands to the respective motor controllers. In particular, the respective motor controllers receive commands to roll-up or roll-down the respective adjacent flexible sheets thereby connecting and disconnecting the respective flexible mating surfaces of the respective flexible sheets.
In a second aspect, the invention is a method that uses the components of the system described above.
Preferably, the multiple motors and drums may work in synchronization. The retractable system may also communicate with a thermostat or security system to achieve a desired result.
Consistent with the foregoing, a retractable privacy system for providing dynamic humidity, temperature, lighting, air pressure, security, access, and insulation control of an area is disclosed. A corresponding method is also disclosed and claimed herein. Further aspects and embodiments are provided in the foregoing drawings, detailed description and claims.
The following drawings are provided to illustrate certain embodiments described herein. The drawings are merely illustrative, and are not intended to limit the scope of claimed inventions and are not intended to show every potential feature or embodiment of the claimed inventions. The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale; in some instances, certain elements of the drawing may be enlarged with respect to other elements of the drawing for purposes of illustration.
The following description recites various aspects and embodiments of the inventions disclosed herein. No particular embodiment is intended to define the scope of the invention. Rather, the embodiments provide non-limiting examples of various compositions, and methods that are included within the scope of the claimed inventions. The description is to be read from the perspective of one of ordinary skill in the art. Therefore, information that is well known to the ordinarily skilled artisan is not necessarily included.
The following terms and phrases have the meanings indicated below, unless otherwise provided herein. This disclosure may employ other terms and phrases not expressly defined herein. Such other terms and phrases shall have the meanings that they would possess within the context of this disclosure to those of ordinary skill in the art. In some instances, a term or phrase may be defined in the singular or plural. In such instances, it is understood that any term in the singular may include its plural counterpart and vice versa, unless expressly indicated to the contrary.
As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. For example, reference to “a substituent” encompasses a single substituent as well as two or more substituents, and the like.
As used herein, “for example,” “for instance,” “such as,” or “including” are meant to introduce examples that further clarify more general subject matter. Unless otherwise expressly indicated, such examples are provided only as an aid for understanding embodiments illustrated in the present disclosure, and are not meant to be limiting in any fashion. Nor do these phrases indicate any kind of preference for the disclosed embodiment.
Referring to
Referring now to
In
Now referring to
Now referring to
In
In
In an example, a proximity detector may detect a movement at a doorway and automatically rollup a sheet material. A specific person may be recognized by RFID or by a vision recognition system and the doorway may be opened based on access privileges of the specific person. Voice activation and recognition may also be used to distinguish a specific person and open a doorway on command or just to open a doorway based on a specific command with indifference to the person.
In another example, one or more photodetectors may be used to determine a brightness value of light inside and outside. A user setting may be compared to the brightness values and a decision to open or close a flexible sheet material may be made automatically. This could be used in homes, offices, and greenhouses. Similarly, temperature values can be determined on each side of a flexible sheet and a determination may be made to open, close or partially open or partially close a flexible sheet material based on a user threshold setting such as a predetermined temperature setting or humidity setting or lighting setting or a combination of threshold settings.
In another example, a privacy system may provide an input signal to a security system. If motion is detected or if the flexible sheet material is cut or torn or moved out of place manually, a security signal could be sent to a security system or to a cellular phone. A security system might then make a decision to report an intrusion or take other action. A security system might retract and extend one or more flexible sheets in order to scare or deter a robber, the robber thinking that someone is present. A text message might be sent to a phone or a recorded voice message might be delivered.
In another example, a nuclear particle detector detects radioactive particles and drops down all flexible sheets which contain lead or another heavy metal to keep radioactive particle from getting into a specific area.
In another example, a thermostat sends a signal to open a flexible sheet material based on at least two temperatures. A home or building may be temperature balanced by opening and closing flexible sheet materials. This may also be accomplished automatically, by local sensors connected to a controller of a flexible sheet doorway. Pressure may also be controlled within one or more areas by opening or closing a flexible sheet doorway.
In another example, a flexible sheet controller receives a wireless signal reporting an outside temperature drop below a threshold value of an inside temperature value and a flexible sheet controller lowers one or more flexible sheet materials in response to an outside temperature falling.
In another example, a flexible sheet controller receives a wireless signal reporting an outside temperature rise above a preset threshold value of a current inside temperature and, in response, a flexible sheet controller raises one or more flexible sheet materials in response to an outside temperature rising.
Humidity may also be controlled by raising and lowering flexible sheet materials. Dynamic sound damping may also be accomplished by raising and lowering flexible sheet material.
In another example, a privacy system with a single flexible sheet is commanded to roll-up. Multiple motors work together within a single drum to roll-up the flexible sheet.
User control system 1008 may include a computer, a laptop, a cellular phone, a wireless remote control device, a battery-less wireless remote control device, a passive RFID card or FOB, or a cloud-based user interface console.
Privacy system 1006 may include one or more controllers for controlling one or more motors and communicating with remote monitoring and control system 1004 and/or user control system 1008 by way of database server 1002 or directly.
Remote monitoring and control system 1004 may be maintained remotely by a third party such as a security company, a maintenance company, and/or a management company.
The retractable privacy system and method disclosed herein may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from their spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.
Referring generally to
The manner in which beacons are powered may vary in different embodiments. Beacons may, in certain embodiments, be powered by a small rechargeable battery or capacitor. Stationary beacons may be hardwired into existing electrical systems to increase reliability and reduce the need for low power electronics. A battery backup may be provided in stationary implementations if needed or desired. In certain embodiments, a solar cell or other energy harvesting technology may be used to maintain a battery charge and reduce or eliminate the possibility of a discharged battery that renders the device inoperative. Advanced use of solar or other ambient energy harvesting such as radio frequency energy collection may reduce or minimize the potential for data loss or system control issues due to discharged batteries. It may also allow for smaller batteries or even the elimination of batteries and use of capacitors to level energy harvesting fluctuations. Solar cells with logic, sensor, and radio components integrated via a laminated printed circuit board (PCB), or adhesively mounted to form a lightweight and very thin profile, can be weather proofed and integrated into a variety of platforms.
In other embodiments, beacons may be powered using insulated, spring-closed, clips/clamps with ferrite components to enable easy installation to a light switch or electrical plug by clamping around the neutral and common wires, over their insulation. Such an embodiment allows for charging of an onboard battery whenever the switch is on or a device is plugged into an outlet and used which causes electrical current to pass through the clamps.
Various sensors may be incorporated into a beacon's circuit board. These sensors may be used to automate local functions or may be relayed to a smart device/application or a central system for monitoring, trending, and control functions. For example, temperature sensors may be used to control environmental systems locally in an automated system, and/or provide override capabilities in a local or centralized system. Ambient light sensors may be used to control lighting fixtures or circuits, automated window covering systems, and the like. Motion may be detected using accelerometers, gyroscopes, or other sensors to detect movement including vibration. A timer/clock may be incorporated into the beacons to activate/deactivate processes or devices based on time of day, elapsed time, or a preconfigured schedule. Electrical current sensors may be used to determine power consumption, power density, measure start and stop times of activity, total run time, and the like.
Proximity sensors may be used to detect other beacons or radio frequency sources, light of a specific frequency or brightness, magnetic fields, or other objects or energy sources that are in close proximity to a beacon. Touch sensors such as physical buttons, capacitive touch sensors, or other types of touch sensors may be used to activate features, acknowledge inputs, and the like. Longer touch sensors built into the edge of a solar cell or front of a beacon device may be used to provide sliding functions to increase/decrease a parameter. Pressure sensors may be used to detect pressure changes due to weather, detect movement via localized pressure changes, detect opening of doors/windows, or the like. Audio sensors may be used to detect the breakage of doors/windows, and/or recognize voice or sound patterns. Optical sensors may be used to recognize patterns in order to sense gestures, facial or other features, barcodes, or additional visible or invisible optically recognizable features. GPS sensors may be used to acquire and record location information from Global Positioning System satellite signals. Chemical sensors may be used to monitor/detect presence or change in environmental chemicals such as carbon monoxide, smoke, radioactive particles, dust, and the like.
In certain embodiments, a speaker with a tone generator or other output to acknowledge button presses or other actions may be included in a beacon to provide feedback either through audible sound or vibration. This can be used in a “find-me” mode where the beacon emits a tone to assist in locating the beacon and the asset that it is attached to. In other or the same embodiments, small LEDs or other light-emitting devices may be included to provide feedback in place of or to supplement audio tones or vibration. Additionally, it is also contemplated that a LCD, LED or other display may be used to provide interactive menus for a beacon in certain embodiments.
Input to the beacon may be provided by various buttons or touch sensors and various input codes may be used to activate specific functions. These may include, but are not limited to, quick touch, longer touch, sequential touches, code of touch such as pressing two buttons in a specific sequence such as AABA, AABB, or ABAB etc. to activate various functions and responses to the system. Buttons may be arranged and mounted in a variety of ways according to the purpose of the device. These buttons may be used for item selection, Yes/No, plus/minus, increase/decrease, on/off, acknowledge/cancel, and/or the like. Buttons may be mounted on the front of the device for direct press or the device itself may be mounted on a one, two, or three-dimensional rocker mount that allows for pressing of the device. This may activate one or more buttons by pressing the button against the mounting surface, as will be discussed in association with
In the embodiment of
The beacon devices 1200 shown in
All patents and published patent applications referred to herein are incorporated herein by reference. The invention has been described with reference to various specific and preferred embodiments and techniques. Nevertheless, it is understood that many variations and modifications may be made while remaining within the spirit and scope of the invention.
This application is a continuation-in-part of pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/078,307, entitled “A Retractable Privacy System and Method,” filed Mar. 23, 2016, and a continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/740,252, entitled “Apparatus and Method for Tracking and Gathering Information Associated with Assets,” filed Jun. 15, 2015. The foregoing patent applications are incorporated herein by this reference for all that they contain.
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
Parent | 15078307 | Mar 2016 | US |
Child | 16000787 | US | |
Parent | 14740252 | Jun 2015 | US |
Child | 15078307 | US |