Configuring a Load Control System

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for defining, designing, laying out, and/or configuring for a load control environment a load control system that may include window treatments including, for example, roller shades.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 displaying by at least one processor to a user on a display terminal a design window that comprises a canvas and a palette;   displaying by the at least one processor to the user in the palette an indication of a shade type;   detecting by the at least one processor that the user selects the shade type from the palette, wherein selecting the shade type enables the user to define in the canvas a graphical representation of a physical shade of the selected shade type;   subsequent to determining that the user selects the shade type, determining by the at least one processor that the user places a cursor at a first location in the canvas, and determining by the at least one processor that the user enters a first command relative to the first location, wherein the first command comprises an indication that the user is defining a graphical representation of a physical shade of the selected shade type at the first location;   responsive to the user entering the first command, displaying by the at least one processor to the user in the canvas at the first location an operator icon that represents a drive unit of the physical shade;   subsequent to displaying the operator icon, determining by the at least one processor that the user moves the cursor to a second location in the canvas that is different from the first location;   responsive to determining that the user moves the cursor to the second location, displaying by the at least one processor to the user a first panel icon, wherein the first panel icon represents a first panel of the physical shade, wherein the first panel icon extends from the operator icon to at least the cursor, and wherein the first panel of the physical shade comprises a length;   displaying by the at least one processor to the user a numerical value that represents the length of the first panel of the physical shade, wherein the numerical value changes as the cursor moves from the first location to the second location;   determining by the at least one processor that the user enters a second command, wherein the second command comprises an indication that the user is terminating a defining of the first panel;   storing by the at least one processor the length of the first panel as a default length;   subsequent to the second command, determining by the at least one processor that the user is adding a second panel to the physical shade;   responsive to determining that the user is adding the second panel to the physical shade, determining by the at least one processor that the user moves the cursor to a third location in the canvas that is different from the first and second locations;   responsive to determining that the user moves the cursor to the third location, displaying by the at least one processor to the user a second panel icon, wherein the second panel icon represents the second panel of the physical shade;   as the user moves the cursor with respect to adding the second panel, determining by the at least one processor that a length of the second panel as determined from the second panel icon is within a defined length of the default length; and   automatically extending by the at least one processor a length of the second panel icon as displayed in the canvas to be a same length as the first panel icon as displayed in the canvas.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 enabling by the at least one processor the user to over-ride the automatically extending of the length of the second panel icon;   determining by the at least one processor that the user is over-riding the automatically extending of the length of the second panel icon; and   displaying by the at least one processor the length of the second panel icon based at least in part on the user over-riding the automatically extending of the length of the second panel icon.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 ,
 wherein determining that the user moves the cursor to the second location comprises determining that the user moves the cursor to a another location in the canvas that is different from the first and second locations; and   wherein the method further comprises:
 responsive to determining that the user moves the cursor to the another location, updating by the at least one processor the display of the first panel icon to extend from the operator icon to the cursor at the another location. 
   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 responsive in part to the second command, determining by the at least one processor whether the length of the first panel is a valid length; and   when the length of the first panel is determined to be a valid length, enabling by the at least one processor the user to terminate the defining of the first panel.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 ,
 wherein terminating the defining of the first panel comprises terminating the defining of the first panel at the second location; and   wherein the method further comprises displaying by the at least one processor at the second location a coupler icon, wherein the coupler icon represents a coupler of the physical shade that connects the first panel to the second panel, and wherein the first panel icon extends from the operator icon to the coupler icon.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein displaying to the user the second panel icon comprises displaying the second panel icon as extending from the coupler icon to at least the cursor. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the drive unit of the physical shade is a left-side drive unit or a right-side drive unit; and   wherein the method further comprises:
 determining by the at least one processor that the user is terminating the defining of the physical; 
 responsive to determining that the user is terminating the defining of the physical shade, determining by the at least one processor for the user whether the drive unit of the physical shade is a left-side drive unit or a right-side drive unit, wherein determining whether the drive unit of the physical shade is a left-side drive unit or a right-side drive unit is determined at least in part on the operator icon. 
   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 determining by the at least one processor that the user moves within the canvas a location of the graphical representation of the physical shade; and   responsive to determining that the user moves within the canvas the location of the graphical representation of the physical shade, determining by the at least one processor for the user whether the drive unit of the physical shade has changed from a left-side drive unit or a right-side drive unit to a right-side drive unit or a left-side drive unit respectively.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining by the at least one processor that the user is terminating the defining of the physical;   responsive to determining that the user is terminating the defining of the physical shade, determining whether there are one or more problems with the physical shade;   when it is determined there are one or more problems with the physical shade, displaying by the at least one processor an indication of the one or more problems to the user; and   enabling by the at least one processor the user to correct the one or more problems.   
     
     
         10 . An apparatus comprising:
 at least one processor; and   at least one tangible non-transitory memory device communicatively coupled to the at least one processor and having software instructions stored thereon that when executed by the at least one processor direct the at least one processor to:   display to a user on a display terminal a design window that comprises a canvas and a palette;   display to the user in the palette an indication of a shade type;   detect that the user selects the shade type from the palette, wherein selecting the shade type enables the user to define in the canvas a graphical representation of a physical shade of the selected shade type;   subsequent to determining that the user selects the shade type, determine that the user places a cursor at a first location in the canvas, and determine that the user enters a first command relative to the first location, wherein the first command comprises an indication that the user is defining a graphical representation of a physical shade of the selected shade type at the first location;   responsive to the user entering the first command, display to the user in the canvas at the first location an operator icon that represents a drive unit of the physical shade;   subsequent to displaying the operator icon, determine that the user moves the cursor to a second location in the canvas that is different from the first location;   responsive to determining that the user moves the cursor to the second location, display to the user a first panel icon, wherein the first panel icon that represents a first panel of the physical shade, wherein the first panel icon extends from the operator icon to at least the cursor, and wherein the first panel of the physical shade comprises a length;   display to the user a numerical value that represents the length of the first panel of the physical shade, wherein the numerical value changes as the cursor moves from the first location to the second location;   determine that the user enters a second command, wherein the second command comprises an indication that the user is terminating a defining of the first panel;   store the length of the first panel as a default length;   subsequent to the second command, determine that the user is adding a second panel to the physical shade;   responsive to determining that the user is adding the second panel to the physical shade, determine that the user moves the cursor to a third location in the canvas that is different from the first and second locations;   responsive to determining that the user moves the cursor to the third location, display to the user a second panel icon, wherein the second panel icon represents the second panel of the physical shade;   as the user moves the cursor with respect to adding the second panel, determine that a length of the second panel as determined from the second panel icon is within a defined length of the default length; and   automatically extend a length of the second panel icon as displayed in the canvas to be a same length as the first panel icon as displayed in the canvas.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the software instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further direct the at least one processor to:
 enable the user to over-ride the automatically extending of the length of the second panel icon;   determine that the user is over-riding the automatically extending of the length of the second panel icon; and   display the length of the second panel icon based at least in part on the user over-riding the automatically extending of the length of the second panel icon.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 10 ,
 wherein to determine that the user moves the cursor to the second location comprises to determine that the user moves the cursor to a another location in the canvas that is different from the first and second locations; and   wherein the software instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further direct the at least one processor to:
 responsive to determining that the user moves the cursor to the another location, update the display of the first panel icon to extend from the operator icon to the cursor at the another location. 
   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the software instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further direct the at least one processor to:
 responsive in part to the second command, determine whether the length of the first panel is a valid length;   when the length of the first panel is determined to be an invalid length, display to the user a warning and enabling the user to continue a defining of the first panel in the canvas; and   when the length of the first panel is determined to be a valid length, enable the user to terminate the defining of the first panel.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 10 ,
 wherein terminating the defining of the first panel comprises terminating the defining of the first panel at the second location; and   wherein the software instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further direct the at least one processor to display at the second location a coupler icon, wherein the coupler icon represents a coupler of the physical shade that connects the first panel to the second panel, and wherein the first panel icon extends from the operator icon to the coupler icon.   
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein to display to the user the second panel icon comprises to display the second panel icon as extending from the coupler icon to at least the cursor. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 10 ,
 wherein the drive unit of the physical shade is a left-side drive unit or a right-side drive unit; and   wherein the software instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further direct the at least one processor to:
 determine that the user is terminating the defining of the physical; 
 responsive to determining that the user is terminating the defining of the physical shade, determine for the user whether the drive unit of the physical shade is a left-side drive unit or a right-side drive unit, wherein determining whether the drive unit of the physical shade is a left-side drive unit or a right-side drive unit is determined at least in part on the operator icon. 
   
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the software instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further direct the at least one processor to:
 determine that the user moves within the canvas a location of the graphical representation of the physical shade; and   responsive to determining that the user moves within the canvas the location of the graphical representation of the physical shade, determine for the user whether the drive unit of the physical shade has changed from a left-side drive unit or a right-side drive unit to a right-side drive unit or a left-side drive unit respectively.   
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the software instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further direct the at least one processor to:
 determine that the user is terminating the defining of the physical;   responsive to determining that the user is terminating the defining of the physical shade, determine whether there are one or more problems with the physical shade;   when it is determined there are one or more problems with the physical shade, display an indication of the one or more problems to the user; and   enable the user to correct the one or more problems.   
     
     
         19 . A tangible non-transitory memory device having software instructions stored thereon that when executed by at least one processor direct the at least one processor to:
 display to a user on a display terminal a design window that comprises a canvas and a palette;   display to the user in the palette an indication of a shade type;   detect that the user selects the shade type from the palette, wherein selecting the shade type enables the user to define in the canvas a graphical representation of a physical shade of the selected shade type;   subsequent to determining that the user selects the shade type, determine that the user places a cursor at a first location in the canvas, and determine that the user enters a first command relative to the first location, wherein the first command comprises an indication that the user is defining a graphical representation of a physical shade of the selected shade type at the first location;   responsive to the user entering the first command, display to the user in the canvas at the first location an operator icon that represents a drive unit of the physical shade;   subsequent to displaying the operator icon, determine that the user moves the cursor to a second location in the canvas that is different from the first location;   responsive to determining that the user moves the cursor to the second location, display to the user a first panel icon, wherein the first panel icon that represents a first panel of the physical shade, wherein the first panel icon extends from the operator icon to at least the cursor, and wherein the first panel of the physical shade comprises a length;   display to the user a numerical value that represents the length of the first panel of the physical shade, wherein the numerical value changes as the cursor moves from the first location to the second location;   determine that the user enters a second command, wherein the second command comprises an indication that the user is terminating a defining of the first panel;   store the length of the first panel as a default length;   subsequent to the second command, determine that the user is adding a second panel to the physical shade;   responsive to determining that the user is adding the second panel to the physical shade, determine that the user moves the cursor to a third location in the canvas that is different from the first and second locations;   responsive to determining that the user moves the cursor to the third location, display to the user a second panel icon, wherein the second panel icon represents the second panel of the physical shade;   as the user moves the cursor with respect to adding the second panel, determine that a length of the second panel as determined from the second panel icon is within a defined length of the default length; and   automatically extend a length of the second panel icon as displayed in the canvas to be a same length as the first panel icon as displayed in the canvas.   
     
     
         20 . The tangible non-transitory memory device of  claim 19 , wherein the software instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further direct the at least one processor to:
 enable the user to over-ride the automatically extending of the length of the second panel icon;   determine that the user is over-riding the automatically extending of the length of the second panel icon; and   display the length of the second panel icon based at least in part on the user over-riding the automatically extending of the length of the second panel icon.   
     
     
         21 . The tangible non-transitory memory device of  claim 19 ,
 wherein to determine that the user moves the cursor to the second location comprises to determine that the user moves the cursor to a another location in the canvas that is different from the first and second locations; and   wherein the software instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further direct the at least one processor to:
 responsive to determining that the user moves the cursor to the another location, update the display of the first panel icon to extend from the operator icon to the cursor at the another location. 
   
     
     
         22 . The tangible non-transitory memory device of  claim 19 , wherein the software instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further direct the at least one processor to:
 responsive in part to the second command, determine whether the length of the first panel is a valid length;   when the length of the first panel is determined to be an invalid length, display to the user a warning and enabling the user to continue a defining of the first panel in the canvas; and;   when the length of the first panel is determined to be a valid length, enable the user to terminate the defining of the first panel.   
     
     
         23 . The tangible non-transitory memory device of  claim 19 ,
 wherein terminating the defining of the first panel comprises terminating the defining of the first panel at the second location; and   wherein the software instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further direct the at least one processor to display at the second location a coupler icon, wherein the coupler icon represents a coupler of the physical shade that connects the first panel to the second panel, and wherein the first panel icon extends from the operator icon to the coupler icon.   
     
     
         24 . The tangible non-transitory memory device of  claim 23 , wherein to display to the user the second panel icon comprises to display the second panel icon as extending from the coupler icon to at least the cursor. 
     
     
         25 . The tangible non-transitory memory device of  claim 19 ,
 wherein the drive unit of the physical shade is a left-side drive unit or a right-side drive unit; and   wherein the software instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further direct the at least one processor to:
 determine that the user is terminating the defining of the physical; 
 responsive to determining that the user is terminating the defining of the physical shade, determine for the user whether the drive unit of the physical shade is a left-side drive unit or a right-side drive unit, wherein determining whether the drive unit of the physical shade is a left-side drive unit or a right-side drive unit is determined at least in part on the operator icon. 
   
     
     
         26 . The tangible non-transitory memory device of  claim 25 , wherein the software instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further direct the at least one processor to:
 determine that the user moved within the canvas a location of the graphical representation of the physical shade; and   responsive to determining that the user moved within the canvas the location of the graphical representation of the physical shade, determine for the user whether the drive unit of the physical shade has changed from a left-side drive unit or a right-side drive unit to a right-side drive unit or a left-side drive unit respectively.   
     
     
         27 . The tangible non-transitory memory device of  claim 19 , wherein the software instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further direct the at least one processor to:
 determine that the user is terminating the defining of the physical;   responsive to determining that the user is terminating the defining of the physical shade, determine whether there are one or more problems with the physical shade;   when it is determined there are one or more problems with the physical shade, display an indication of the one or more problems to the user; and   enable the user to correct the one or more problems.