Patent Publication Number: US-2011066302-A1

Title: Intelligent energy-saving system and method

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention pertains to the field of energy conservation and, more particularly, to systems and methods for intelligently changing energy-related characteristics of areas in a building. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     People have become increasingly concerned about issues relating to the use of natural energy resources. In particular, increasing demand for energy to fuel worldwide economic development has recently strained fossil fuel supplies and caused significant increases in the cost of fossil fuels. In addition, the burning of fossil fuels results in carbon emissions that are believed to contribute to global climate change. Accordingly, economic interests and concern over damage to the environment has generated interest in ways to reduce consumption of fossil fuels and to find other sources of energy. 
     Demand for fossil fuel supplies results in part from energy consumption in people&#39;s homes. For example, natural gas may be burned to heat a house during cold seasons, while oil or coal may be burned to produce electricity to cool the house during warm seasons. A house consumes more energy when heat is able to escape from the house interior during the cold seasons or when heat is able to enter the house interior during warm seasons. Insulation and sealing may be used to minimize energy transfer through the walls and small openings in the house. However, energy inefficiencies may still result when energy is allowed to transfer, for example, through the windows in the house. While coverings may be applied to the windows to minimize this energy transfer, such coverings may prevent the windows from fulfilling their intended function, i.e., providing a view of an area outside the house to its occupants or allowing light into the interior of the house. Thus, making a house more energy efficient is met with various challenges. In particular, other needs of the occupants of the house must be balanced against the goal of improving energy efficiency. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the foregoing, embodiments according to aspects of the present invention provide systems and methods for managing energy consumption while also meeting other needs of the occupants of the building. For example, in some embodiments, coverings for windows in a house are intelligently controlled to improve energy efficiency while allowing the occupants to see out of the windows and/or allowing light into the interior of the house when desired. 
     In an example embodiment, a system for controlling energy-related characteristics of a building includes at least one energy-related device that determines a first energy-related condition and a second energy-related condition in a specified interior area of a building. The first energy-related condition corresponds to a use of energy that has a greater efficiency than the second energy-related condition. A controller is coupled to the at least one energy-related device and receives information relating to the use of the at least one energy-related device. The controller operates the at least one energy-related device to transition between the first energy-related condition and the second energy-related condition according to at least one user-specified input and the received information relating to the use of the at least one energy-related device. 
     In some embodiments, at least one sensor provides a signal indicating the information relating to the use of the at least one energy-related device. The at least one sensor may include at least one subject sensor providing a subject-sensor signal indicating a position of at least one subject relative to the specified interior area, where the controller operates the at least one energy-related device according to the position of the at least one subject. In addition, the at least one sensor may include at least one environmental sensor providing an environmental-sensor signal indicating an environmental condition related to the specified interior area of the building, where the controller operates the at least one energy-related device according to the environment-sensor signal from the at least one environmental sensor. Additionally or alternatively, input data which the controller uses to operate the at least one energy-related device may be obtained from non-sensor information sources. 
     These and other aspects of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention when viewed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1A  illustrates a state of an interior of a building with an embodiment of an intelligent window covering system according to aspects of the present invention. 
         FIG. 1B  illustrates another state of the interior of the building of  FIG. 1A . 
         FIG. 1C  illustrates yet another state of the interior of the building of  FIG. 1A . 
         FIG. 2  illustrates an interior of a building with another embodiment of an intelligent window covering system according to aspects of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates yet another embodiment of an intelligent window covering system according to aspects of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates an intelligent energy saving system according to aspects of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1A-C , an example system  100  according to aspects of the present invention is illustrated. In particular,  FIGS. 1A-C  shows an interior  101  of a building, such as a house, which is divided into a plurality of areas  102 ,  104 ,  106 . The area  102  in this example, for instance, is an interior room  102  of the building. The room  102  includes a window  103  and a corresponding window covering  110 . The window covering  110  may be operated to determine whether the window  103  is a covered window  112  or an uncovered window  114 . As illustrated in  FIG. 1A , for example, the window  103  is a covered window  112 . Although the example system  100  may be described in terms of the window  103  and the window covering  110  in the room  102 , it is understood that the features of the system  100  are applicable to any number of windows and window coverings in any number of rooms or areas of the building. Moreover, it is understood that the term window as used herein may refer to any structure that permits some light transmission or radiation heat transfer to occur through a portion of the structure. As such, the window  103  may be a glass door, a skylight, or the like. 
     The window covering  110  may include window blinds, drapes, shutters, fabric, and/or any barrier that can cover or uncover the window  103  from the interior or exterior. In the example of  FIGS. 1A-C , when the window is covered by the window covering  110 , the window covering  110  provides thermal insulation over the window  103  and reduces heat transfer between the room  102  and an exterior area  108  outside the building and the window  103 . In addition, the window covering  110  may provide a barrier to the passage of air, e.g., a draft, through, or around, parts of the window  103 , and thus further reduces heat transfer between the room  102  and the exterior area  108 . If, for example, the room  102  is being heated to keep the room  102  warm during a cold day, the covered window  112  reduces the amount of interior heat that escapes from the room  102  through the window  103 , resulting in a more efficient use of the energy to heat the room  102 . On the other hand, if the room  102  is being air conditioned to keep the room  102  cool during a warm day, the covered window  112  reduces the amount of exterior heat that enters the room  102  through the window  103 , resulting in a more efficient use of the energy to cool the room  102 . Thus, the covered window  112  produces a first energy condition that corresponds to a more efficient use of energy within the room  102 . 
     However, when the window  103  is not covered by the window covering  110 , the window covering  110  does not reduce the heat transfer through the window  103 . For example, with the uncovered window  114 , interior heat may escape from the room  102  through the window  103  when the room  102  is being heated during a cold day, or exterior heat may enter the room  102  through the window  103  when the room  102  is being cooled during a warm day. Accordingly, the uncovered window  114  produces a second energy condition that corresponds to a less efficient use of energy within the room  102 . 
     Although the covered window  112  provides advantages with regard to energy efficiency, the window covering  110  may prevent the window  103  from fulfilling its intended function, i.e., allowing occupants  50  in the room  102  to see the exterior area  108  or allowing exterior light into the room  102 . Indeed, the occupants  50  may prefer to sacrifice energy efficiency in favor of seeing through the window  103  or allowing exterior light into the room  102 . Thus, according to aspects of the present invention, the system  100  selectively operates the window covering  110  to achieve the appropriate balance between improving energy efficiency in the room  102  and accommodating the preferences of its occupants  50 . In general, aspects of the present invention provide an intelligent system  100  that accounts for the occupants  50  in the interior  101  of the building when selecting between a more efficient energy condition, e.g., the covered window  112 , and a less efficient energy condition, e.g., the uncovered window  114 . 
     When the occupants  50  are in the room  102 , their preferences may require the uncovered window  114 , but when there are no occupants in the room  102 , the system  100  can cover the window  103  to maximize the use of energy in the room  102 . Thus, as shown in  FIGS. 1A-C , the system  100  employs a controller  120  to intelligently control the operation of the window covering  110  according to the position of one or more occupants  50  relative to the room  102 . The controller  120 , in some embodiments, may operate the window covering  110  by sending a signal to an electromechanical device  115  that is coupled to the window covering  110  and causes movement of the window covering  110  to provide the covered window  112  or the uncovered window  114 . For example, the controller  120  may send an actuating signal to one or more motors that cause the window covering  110 , such as blinds, to open and close over the window  103 . 
     As discussed previously, the interior  101  may be divided into a plurality of areas  102 ,  104 , and  106 . The area  106  may represent any area of the building where the occupants  50  cannot see the windows in the room  102  and are not affected by the operation of the window covering  110 . When the occupants  50  are situated in the area  106  and there are no occupants  50  in the room  102 , as shown in  FIG. 1A , the controller  120  may be programmed to operate the window covering  110  to cover the window and maximize energy efficiency in the room  102 . 
     Meanwhile, the area  104  may represent any area, such as a hallway, that is proximate to and leads to the room  102 . When an occupant  50  is situated in the area  104  as shown in  FIG. 1B , the controller  120  may determine that the occupant  50  is approaching the room  102 . In particular, one or more subject sensors  130 A corresponding to the area  104  may be employed to detect the physical presence of the occupant  50  in the area  104 . The subject sensors  130 A may include any combination of motion sensors, heat sensors, tactile sensors, pressure sensors, cameras, and any other device that may detect that the occupant  50  has entered or is positioned in the section  104 . In some cases, an active signal from the subject sensors  130 A indicates the presence of an occupant  50 , while the absence of any signal indicates that an occupant  50  is not present. The subject sensors  130 A may be coupled to the controller  20  by a wired or wireless (e.g., radio frequency (RF), infrared (IR) light, etc.) connection, so that the subject sensors  130 A can send the controller  120  a signal indicating the presence of the occupant  50  in the section  104 . Alternatively, electrically detectable identification tags, such as radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, may be attached to each occupant  50 , and the subject sensor  130 A may determine the position and movement of each occupant  50  with respect to the room  102 . The subject sensors  130 A may include RFID receivers positioned through the interior  101 , a global positioning system (GPS), or the like. 
     In one example, the subject sensors  130 A may be arranged so that the signals from the subject sensors  130 A may indicate that the occupant  50  is moving toward the room  102 . One approach employs a series of subject sensors  130 A that are arranged at incremental distances from an entrance to the room  102 , so that the signals from the subject sensors  130 A can indicate the distance of the occupant  50  from the room  102 . In this approach, signals indicating decreasing distance also indicates that the occupant is moving closer to the room  102 . In another example, the subject sensors  130 A may include one or more cameras which may capture images that can be processed to determine the motion of the occupant  50  in the area  104 . 
     When the controller  120  receives signals from the subject sensors  130 A corresponding to the room  104 , it may operate the window covering  110  to uncover the window  103  before the occupant  50  actually enters the room  102 . Accordingly, as shown in  FIG. 1C , when the occupant  50  enters the room  102 , the window  103  is already uncovered. In other words, the operation of the window covering  102  is not apparent to the occupant  50  and the occupant  50  can enter the room  102  and immediately see through the window  103 . As discussed previously, the uncovered window  140  may be less energy efficient by allowing unwanted heat transfer through the window, but may make the room  102  more suitable for the needs or preferences of the occupants  50  by allowing the occupants  50  to see out the window or allowing exterior light into the room  102 . 
     As shown further in  FIGS. 1A-C , one or more subject sensors  130 B corresponding to the room  102  may also be coupled to the controller  120  by a wired or wireless (e.g., radio frequency (RF), infrared (IR) light, etc.) connection. The subject sensors  130 B send signals to the controller  120  to indicate that occupants  50  are in the room  102 . As long as occupants  50  remain in the room  102 , the controller  120  keeps the windows uncovered. Like the subject sensors  130 A, the subject sensors  130 B may involve any combination of motion sensors, heat sensors, tactile sensors, weight sensors, force sensors, cameras, electrically detectable identification tags, and any other device that may detect that the occupant  50  has entered or is positioned in the room  102 . 
     Once the occupant  50  leaves the room  102  and the area  104 , the controller  120  receives corresponding indication from the subject sensors  130 A and  130 B. In response, the controller  120  may then operate the window covering  110  to cover the window  103  and make the use of energy in the room more efficient. 
     In other embodiments, the subject sensors  130 A corresponding to the area  104  are not employed. Instead, the controller  120  may be programmed to operate the window covering  110  when the one or more subject sensors  130 B in the room  102  detects the occupant  50 . Although the operation of the window covering  110  is apparent to the occupant  50 , the end result is the same, i.e., the window is uncovered for the occupant  50 . 
     The system  100  provides just one example embodiment employing aspects of the present invention. For example, the inputs to the controller  120  are not limited to the use of subject sensors  130 A and  130 B that detect the position of occupants  50  in the building. Referring to  FIG. 2 , the system  200  is similar to the system  100  described previously, except the controller  120  is also coupled to one or more environmental sensors  232 A corresponding to the room  102  and one or more environmental sensors  232 B corresponding to the exterior area  108 . The environmental sensors  232 A and  232 B provide signals that provide information that the controller  120  may also use to determine whether the window covering  110  should be operated to cover or uncover the window  103 . 
     For example, the environmental sensors  232 A and  232 B may indicate the temperature in the room  102  and the exterior area  108 , respectively. Receiving the temperature data from the environmental sensors  232 A and  232 B, the controller  120  may determine that the temperature in the room  102  is significantly higher than the temperature of the exterior area  108  on a cold day. On the other hand, the controller  120  may determine that the temperature in the room  102  is significantly lower than the temperature of the exterior area  108  on a warm day. In other words, the controller  120  may determine that there is a large temperature difference between the room  102  and the exterior area  108 , which may result in greater heat transfer through the uncovered window  103 . Thus in both cases, if there are no occupants  50  in the room  102  requiring the window  103  to remain uncovered, the controller  120  may be programmed to cover the window  103  to prevent unwanted heat transfer through the window  103  as described previously. 
     However, receiving the temperature data from the environmental sensors  232 A and  232 B, the controller  120  may determine that the temperature difference between the room  102  and the exterior area  108  may be relatively small. In this case, the heat transfer through the window  103  may be relatively insignificant. As a result, whether or not there are occupants  50  in the room  102 , the controller  120  may leave the window  103  uncovered without any significant loss in energy efficiency, and unnecessary operation of the window covering  110  may be avoided. In many cases, it may be preferable to leave the window  103  uncovered as much as possible. For example, a building with covered windows may not be aesthetically pleasing and may appear unwelcoming. In addition, the covered window  114  may block outside light from entering the room  102 , and although the room  102  may not have occupants  50 , other areas of the interior  101  may receive some light from the room  102 . Indeed, allowing outside light to enter the interior  101  may reduce the need for artificial lighting that also consumes energy. To determine whether the temperature difference is large enough to require covering the window  103  to conserve energy, the controller  120  may be programmed with a temperature difference threshold to indicate when covering the window  103  may appreciably improve energy efficiency. 
     In addition, the controller  120  may be programmed with a desired temperature parameter that indicates an interior temperature that is comfortable for the occupants  50 . Indeed, the controller  120  may be coupled to a thermostat used by the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) for the room  102 , so that the controller  120  may determine the desired temperature parameter from the HVAC system and operate the window covering  110  in concert with the HVAC system. (The thermostat can also provide the temperature sensor  232 A.) Thus, if the temperature of room  102  is sufficiently close to the desired temperature parameter, the controller  120  may operate according to the temperature difference as described previously. However, in some cases, the controller  120  may determine that the temperature of the room  102  may be higher than the desired temperature parameter and the temperature may be lowered more quickly by permitting heat transfer through the window to the exterior area  108  which is at a lower temperature. For instance, the sunlight may suddenly enter the room  102  and cause the temperature in the room  102  to increase faster than the heating system can react. Conversely, the controller  120  may determine that the temperature of the room  102  may be lower than the desired temperature parameter and the temperature may be increased more quickly by permitting heat transfer through the window from the exterior area  108  which is at a higher temperature. For instance, sunlight entering the room may suddenly cease and cause the temperature in the room  102  to decrease faster than the air conditioning can react. In general, as described further below, a variety of thresholds, parameters, and other data may be provided as input to the controller  120  to allow more intelligent operation of window covering  110 . 
     The environmental sensors  232 A and  232 B are not limited to providing temperature data. For example, the environmental sensors  234 B in the room  102  may also include humidity sensors that detect the amount of humidity within the room  102 . Humidity may also determine the level of comfort in the room  102 . For example, greater humidity may make a given temperature less comfortable. Thus, in some embodiments, the controller  120  may operate according to humidity measurements in combination with temperature measurements. In particular, the desired temperature parameter may be adjusted to account for humidity, e.g., lowered when there is high humidity. In addition, as described previously, the controller  120  may operate the window covering  110  in concert with a HVAC system to reduce the humidity in addition to lowering the temperature. 
     As a further example, the environmental sensors  232 B in the exterior area  108  may also include light sensors that detect the amount of sunlight directed at the window  103 . The sunlight entering the room  102  may affect the temperature of the room  102  through radiation heat transfer. In addition, the occupants may prefer to have natural sunlight in the room  102 . Moreover, as described earlier, allowing outside light to enter the interior  101  may reduce the need for artificial lighting that also consumes energy. As the window covering  110  affects the amount of outside light that enters the room  102 , the controller  120  may further receive signals from these light sensors to determine whether the window  103  should be covered or uncovered. 
     For example, although temperature sensors may indicate that the temperature in the exterior area  108  is very low and that there is a large temperature difference between the room  102  and the exterior area  108 , light sensors may indicate that a significant amount of sunlight is directed at the window  103 . In this case, the amount of heat delivered into the room  102  by the sunlight may be greater than the amount of heat that escapes from the room  102  through the window  103 . As such, the controller  120  may be programmed to leave the window  103  uncovered. If the temperature sensors in the room  102  indicate that the room  102  exceeds the desired temperature parameter, the controller  120  may be programmed to incrementally cover the window until the appropriate amount of sunlight enters the room  102 . Indeed, although the window  103  may be described as being covered or uncovered, it is understood that the window covering  110  may be operated to partially cover the window  103  in varying degrees so that the system is not limited to two energy conditions. 
     Conversely, when the environmental sensors  232 A and  232 B indicate that the amount of sunlight is insufficient to overcome the amount of heat that escapes from the room  102  through the window  103 , e.g., when the sun sets, the controller  120  may be programmed to cover the window  103 . 
     However, in other cases, temperature sensors may indicate that the temperature in the exterior area  108  is very high and that there is a large temperature difference between the room  102  and the exterior area  108 . As such, energy may be consumed to keep the room  102  cool, and any heat introduced into the room  102  by sunlight should be minimized. As a result, the controller  120  may be programmed to cover the window  103 . 
     As described previously, the room  102  may include more than one window and the controller  120  may control more than one window covering. As the windows may be arranged to face different directions from the building, each window may receive a different amount of sunlight. The amount of light received by each window may be detected by a corresponding light sensor. Therefore, the controller  120  may leave some windows covered and other windows uncovered depending on the signal from each corresponding light sensor. For example, on a cold day, a window facing the sun may be uncovered to allow the sunlight to warm the room  102 , while a window on the opposite side of the room may be covered because it is receiving an insignificant amount of sunlight. 
     The light sensors may also indicate when the sun has set and the night has arrived. During the night, the occupants may see very little through the window  103 . In this case, the controller  120  may be programmed to cover the window  103  even though an occupant  50  is in the room  102 . In other words, the benefit to the occupant  50  by uncovering the window  103  may not outweigh the loss of energy efficiency, because the occupant may not be able to see anything through the window  103 . In addition, keeping the window  103  covered during the night may enhance security and privacy as the room  102  may be more visible through the window  103  from the exterior when the room  102  is lighted in the night. 
     According to aspects of the present invention, the external environmental sensors  232 B are not limited to temperature or light sensors. For example, additionally or alternatively, the environmental sensors  232 B may include a wind sensor that detects wind in the exterior area  108  proximate to the window  103 . Wind acting in the area of the window  103  may cause convention cooling and thus heat transfer between the exterior area  108  and the room  102  via the window  103 . The controller  120  may operate the window covering  110  at least partially according to signals from the wind sensors. As described previously, the window covering  110  may provide a barrier to the passage of air, e.g., a draft, through, or around, parts of the window  103 , and thus further reduces heat transfer between the room  102  and the exterior area  108 . 
     Although the systems  100  and  200  illustrate the use of the window covering  110 , embodiments according to the present invention are not limited to the use of the window covering  110 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , a system  300  employs an awning  340  that extends from the building exterior over the window  103 . Although aspects of the awning  340  may be similar to the window covering  110 , the awning  340  typically controls the entry of sunlight into the room  102  and may provide less thermal insulation over the window. Furthermore, the awning  340  may not completely prevent occupants  50  from seeing the exterior area  108  through the window. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the awning  340  may be employed in combination with the window covering  110 . 
     As described previously, the environmental sensors  232 B in the exterior area  108  may include light sensors that detect the amount of sunlight directed at the window  103 . These sensors provide a signal to the controller  120 , and the controller  120  may be programmed to respond by extending or retracting the awning  340 . The controller  120 , in some embodiments, may operate the awning  340  by sending a signal to an electromechanical device  345  that is coupled to the awning  340  and causes movement of the awning  340  to provide an extended awning  112  or a retracted awning  114 . For example, the controller  120  may send an actuating signal to one or more motors that cause the awning  340  to extend from the building exterior over the window  103 . 
     Accordingly, if the light sensors indicate that a significant amount of sunlight is directed at the window  103  on a cold day, the controller  120  may be programmed to retract the awning  340  completely, so that the maximum amount of sunlight may enter the room  102  through the window  103  and heat the room  102 . If temperature sensors in the room  102  indicate that the room  102  exceeds the desired temperature parameter, e.g., set at a thermostat, the controller  120  may be programmed to incrementally extend the awning  340  until the appropriate amount of sunlight enters the room  102 . 
     On the other hand, if the light sensors indicate that a significant amount of sunlight is directed at the window  103  on a warm day, the controller  120  may be programmed to extend the awning  340  over the window  103  to reduce the amount of sunlight entering the room  102 . If the window  103  is not covered, for example by the window covering  110 , some indirect light and a view through the window  103  is advantageously provided, but the heating effect of the sunlight is minimized. 
     Because the sun moves with respect to the window  103 , the sunlight approaches the window  103  from different angles. In response, the controller  120  may be programmed to extend or retract the awning  340  incrementally according to the position of the sun. For example, if the window  103  is generally facing west, the angle between the direction of the sunlight and the surface of the window  103  approaches 90-degrees as the afternoon passes. Thus, the controller  120  may extend the awning  340  increasingly from the building to prevent the sunlight from directly passing through the window. At some point, the angle may be too great, i.e., as the sun reaches the horizon, for the awning  340  to be effective. In this case, the system  300  may employ the window covering  110  to cover the window  103  and block the sunlight. 
     According to aspects of the present invention, embodiments are not limited to the use of the window covering  110  and/or the awning  340 . For example, an electrically activated window tinting may be employed to provide a barrier to the passage of light through the window  103 . In response to signals from light sensors, for instance, the controller  120  may send a signal to cause the appropriate level of tinting in the window  103 . Advantageously, the window tinting can provide a barrier to sunlight regardless of the position of the sun, in contrast to the use of the awning  340  which may require the additional use of the window covering  110  when the sun is at particular angles to the window  103 . 
     As discussed previously, the controller  120  can receive a variety of data as input to provide more intelligent systems. For example, rather than employing light sensors to determine the amount of sunlight reaching the window  103 , the controller  103  in some embodiments may estimate the amount of sunlight through input data that indicates the movement of the sun relative to the window  103 . The amount of sunlight can be estimated, for example, by considering the time of year, the time of day, geographical location, the known movement of the sun, and the direction in which the window  103  faces. 
     Indeed, in some embodiments, sensors are not required to provide all of the information that the controller  120  uses as input to operate the window covering  110 , awning  340 , and other similar barriers. For example, rather than employing subject sensors  130 A or  130 B to determine the presence of an occupant  50 , embodiments may require the occupant  50  to manually indicate his presence in an area by operating a switch on a wall or other similar device that delivers an informational signal to the controller  120 . As another example, rather than employing environmental sensors  232 B, information regarding environmental conditions in the exterior area  108  may be determined by accessing information that has been collected by another source. For example, weather information that may affect the operation of the window covering  110 , awning  340 , and other similar barriers may be retrieved from an Internet website or networked service that dynamically monitors and reports weather that affects the exterior area  108 . Meanwhile, other environmental information, such as the estimated amount of sunlight described previously, may be more easily pre-determined, and thus may be pre-programmed or pre-loaded into a repository, such as a database, which can be accessed by the controller  120 . In general, the controller  120  may receive input from sensors, non-sensor information sources, or any combination thereof. In some cases, the information from the sensors may be validated by information from non-sensor sources. 
     Although the controller  120  may automatically operate the window covering  110 , the awning  340 , and other barriers in response to signals from sensors, the controller  120  may be programmed or instructed to override the automated response in certain situations. For example, the occupants  50  may prefer to have the window  103  uncovered during a particular period of the day regardless of what the sensors may indicate and what the energy cost may be. In another example, the occupants  50  may prefer to have the window  103  covered even if there are occupants  50  in the room, e.g., to preserve privacy and security at night. Thus, the controller  120  intelligently accounts for a variety of user preferences. 
     The response of the controller  120  can also be determined according to other exceptional situations. The controller  120  may operate the window covering  110 , the awning  340 , or other similar barrier according to other activities or occurrences in or around the building. For example, the controller  120  may operate the window covering  110  to respond to signals from a security system which detects the presence of a person immediately outside the building. In some cases, the controller  120  may cover the window  103  to enhance security or may uncover the window  103  to allow the outside presence to more easily identified. In another example, although information regarding the environmental conditions may be used to determine the transfer of heat through the window  103 , the information may also be employed to determine when the window  103  should be covered by an exterior window covering  110  or the awning  340  should be retracted due to extremely high winds or a storm which may damage the window  103  or awning  340 . 
     In view of the foregoing, aspects of the present invention may be more broadly described with reference to  FIG. 4 . In particular, the system  1  provides a controller  20  that receives inputs that may indicate both the subject positions  30  of occupants in a building and environmental conditions  32  that affect energy use within the building. In addition, the controller  20  may receive user inputs  34  that provide other thresholds, parameters, data, and user preferences to the controller  20 . The inputs  30 ,  32 , and  34  generally relate to energy use and user preferences in relation to a particular area  2 , such as a room, of a building. The controller  20  processes the inputs  30 ,  32 , and  34  according to programmed instructions, for example, stored on readable storage media. In response to the inputs  30 ,  32 , and  34 , the controller  20  operates an energy-related device  10  that determines at least a first energy condition  12  and a second energy condition  14 . 
     The first energy condition  12  may correspond with a more efficient use of energy within the area  2 , while the second energy condition  14  may correspond with a less efficient use of energy within the area  2 . The energy-related device  10  is operable to determine, or modify, the energy condition in the area  2 . Although energy efficiency may be better served by the energy condition  12 , the controller  20  may operate the energy-related device  10  to provide energy condition  14  to meet user preferences. Accordingly, the system  1  provides an intelligent approach to accommodating both energy efficiency goals and occupant lifestyle. 
     Although the window covering  110  or the awning  340  provide examples of an energy-related device  10 , the energy-related device  10  may be any device that relates to the consumption or conservation of energy. Indeed, while the window covering  110  or the awning  340  may aid in the conservation of energy, the energy-related device may be an appliance, such as a television or a lamp sound system that consumes energy. As such, the first energy condition for the appliance may be correspond to turning the appliance off, while the second energy condition may correspond to turning the appliance on. Thus, in this example, the controller  20  may automatically turn the appliance on when an occupant is in the area and may turn the appliance automatically off when no occupant remains in the area. 
     All or a portion of the devices and subsystems of the examples described herein, including the controller  20  and  120 , can be implemented using one or more general purpose computer systems, microprocessors, digital signal processors, micro-controllers, smart phones, personal data assistants (PDA&#39;s), and the like, programmed according to the teachings of the exemplary embodiments of the present inventions, as is appreciated by those skilled in the computer and software arts. Appropriate software can be readily prepared by programmers of ordinary skill based on the teachings of the exemplary embodiments, as is appreciated by those skilled in the software art. Further, the devices and subsystems of the exemplary embodiments can be implemented in networked environments, such as the Internet. In addition, the devices and subsystems of the exemplary embodiments can be implemented by the preparation of application-specific integrated circuits or by interconnecting an appropriate network of conventional component circuits, as is appreciated by those skilled in the electrical art(s). Thus, the exemplary embodiments are not limited to any specific combination of hardware circuitry and/or software. Stored on any one or on a combination of computer readable media, the exemplary embodiments of the present inventions can include software for controlling the devices and subsystems of the exemplary embodiments, for driving the devices and subsystems of the exemplary embodiments, for enabling the devices and subsystems of the exemplary embodiments to interact with a human user, and the like. Such software can include, but is not limited to, device drivers, firmware, operating systems, development tools, applications software, and the like. Such computer readable media further can include the computer program product of an embodiment of the present inventions for performing all or a portion (if processing is distributed) of the processing performed in implementing the inventions. Computer code devices of the exemplary embodiments of the present inventions can include any suitable interpretable or executable code mechanism, including but not limited to scripts, interpretable programs, dynamic link libraries (DLLs), Java classes and applets, complete executable programs, Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) objects, and the like. Moreover, parts of the processing of the exemplary embodiments of the present inventions can be distributed for better performance, reliability, cost, and the like. 
     The embodiments described herein can also include computer readable media or memories for holding instructions programmed according to the teachings of the present inventions and for holding data structures, tables, records, and/or other data described herein. Computer readable medium can include any suitable medium that participates in providing instructions to a processor for execution. Such a medium can take many forms, including but not limited to, non-volatile media, volatile media, transmission media, and the like. Non-volatile media can include, for example, optical or magnetic disks, magneto-optical disks, and the like. Volatile media can include dynamic memories, and the like. Transmission media can include coaxial cables, copper wire, fiber optics, and the like. Transmission media also can take the form of acoustic, optical, electromagnetic waves, and the like, such as those generated during radio frequency (RF) communications, infrared (IR) data communications, and the like. Common forms of computer-readable media can include, for example, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, any other suitable magnetic medium, a CD-ROM, CDRW, DVD, any other suitable optical medium, punch cards, paper tape, optical mark sheets, any other suitable physical medium with patterns of holes or other optically recognizable indicia, a RAM, a PROM, an EPROM, a FLASH-EPROM, any other suitable memory chip or cartridge, a carrier wave or any other suitable medium from which a computer can read. 
     While the present invention has been described in connection with a number of exemplary embodiments, and implementations, the present inventions are not so limited, but rather cover various modifications, and equivalent arrangements.