Intelligent shading object movement based on sun sensor intensity

Abstract

An intelligent umbrella includes a light sensor to generate a light intensity measurement, a motor to move the light sensor about an azimuth axis, the light sensor generating a plurality of light intensity measurements and associated locations. The intelligent umbrella also includes a controller to receive the plurality of light intensity measurements from the light sensor, and to identify a highest light sensor measurement of the plurality of light sensor measurements and an associated location. The controller generates and communicates a command including the associated location to a motor, which receives the command and moves the light sensor to the associated location. The controller moves a light sensor about an elevation axis, determines a peak intensity value and corresponding elevation location, and moves the light sensor to the corresponding elevation location.

1 . A method of positioning a shading element in a shading object comprising:
 moving a sun sensor 360 degrees about an azimuth axis;   generating a plurality of sun sensor values and corresponding locations for a plurality of locations as the sun sensor is moved about the azimuth axis;   calculating a peak intensity sun sensor value and corresponding peak intensity location on the azimuth axis by determining a highest sun sensor value from the generated plurality of sun sensor values and the corresponding locations; and   moving the shading element to the corresponding peak intensity location about the azimuth axis.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sun sensor values is greater than 100 sun sensor values. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising moving the sun sensor to a second plurality of locations vertically about an elevation axis after moving the sun sensor completely about the azimuth axis. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising generating a second plurality of sun sensor values for the second plurality of locations vertically about the elevation axis and capturing a peak intensity value and corresponding peak intensity vertical elevation location about the elevation axis from the second plurality of sun sensor values. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising moving the shading element to the corresponding peak intensity vertical elevation location about the elevation axis. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 capturing, utilizing a Global Positioning System receiver, a reference time, a local time, and a number of days since start of a year of the shading object;   calculating an azimuth angle and an elevation angle for the shading object based, at least in part, on the captured reference time, the captured local time, and/or the number of days since start of the year; and   moving the shading element to the calculated azimuth angle and the calculated elevation angle.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 capturing using a digital compass, a true North reading and determining an orientation reading of the shading object;   calculating an updated azimuth angle and an updated elevation angle for the shading object based, at least in part, on the determined direction/orientation reading; and   moving the shading element to the calculated updated azimuth angle and the calculated updated elevation angle.