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Smart window control system

  • US 10,329,839 B2
  • Filed: 07/12/2018
  • Issued: 06/25/2019
  • Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2016
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A smart window control system, comprising:

  • one or more artificial lighting systems disposed inside a building,a first sensor disposed on the exterior of one or more electrochromic smart windows to measure an amount of direct solar radiation,a second sensor disposed on the exterior of the one or more electrochromic smart windows to measure an amount of diffuse solar radiation, anda smart window control device comprising;

    a controller having a processor with circuitry configured to;

    establish a representative model of a plurality of building periphery zones and a single building core zone based on occupancy, construction, lighting, or cooling properties of the building, wherein all of the building periphery zones have an equal window-to-wall ratio,implement a lighting control strategy for the building periphery zones and the building core zone based on the representative model or one or more user preferences input at a first user interface screen of an external device,control automatic operations of one or more electrochromic smart windows by varying a voltage applied to a stack of electrochromic coating layers, or artificial lighting systems by modifying a fractional input power in discrete steps based on trigger points associated with the lighting control strategy and measures of the direct solar radiation and the diffuse solar radiation measured at the one or more electrochromic smart windows by the first and second sensors, respectively,control automatic operations of the one or more or artificial lighting systems by modifying a fractional input power in discrete steps based on trigger points associated with the lighting control strategy, anddetermine with the circuitry a performance level of the lighting control strategy for the building periphery zones and the building core zone based on one or more predetermined financial metrics that include a comparison of total building energy consumption to a threshold, whereinthe circuitry is further configured to determine a comfort score and an energy savings score indicating a relative importance of visual comfort and energy savings for the building periphery zones and the building core zone based on the representative model of the building periphery zones and the building core zone or the one or more user preferences,the circuitry is further configured to implement a daylight control strategy as the lighting control strategy when the energy savings score is greater than an energy savings threshold or the comfort score is lower than a visual comfort threshold, andthe circuitry is further configured to implement a solar control strategy or a glare control strategy as the lighting control strategy when the energy savings score is less than or equal to an energy savings threshold and the comfort score is greater than or equal to a visual comfort threshold,wherein the predetermined financial metrics include a predetermined payback period associated one or more building components based on a current energy costs, price of the one or more building components, and one or more financial health attributes of a building, andwherein the circuitry is further configured to output a warning to the external device when an amount of energy savings associated with the one or more smart windows over a predetermined period of time does not meet the predetermined payback period associated with the one or more building components.

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