Patent ID: 7728542

Claim:
A method for controlling a motorized awning installation to create a desired tension on a material of the awning, the installation including an awning cloth material connected to arms that unfold and fold relative to a deployed position for guidance of the cloth during deployment and retraction of the cloth, the cloth being rolled relative to a winding tube during deployment and retraction of the cloth when the winding tube is set in motion by an actuator, wherein the method comprises: deploying the cloth in a first direction from the winding tube while monitoring a magnitude representative of the tension of the cloth; stopping the winding tube when a magnitude representative of the tension of the cloth reflects the arms are unfolded to their deployed position; automatically offsetting sagging of the cloth by actuating the actuator to wind the winding tube in a second direction which is reverse to the first direction so as to roll the cloth on the winding tube to thereby increase the tension of the deployed cloth in response to a drop in the monitored magnitude of tension of the cloth following stoppage of the winding tube, and thereafter stopping the rolling of the cloth onto the winding tube automatically before a perceptible folding of the arms occurs.