Variable Transmission Window System
First Claim
1. An electrical control system for controlling a variable transmittance window, comprising:
- a slave window control circuit coupled to the variable transmittance window; and
a user input mechanism coupled to said slave window control circuit, wherein said user input mechanism is configured to supply control signals representing desired transmittance levels for the variable transmittance window to said slave window control circuit, said slave window control circuit controls the transmittance of the variable transmittance window in response to control signals received from said user input mechanism, said user input mechanism includes lights coupled to said slave window control circuit, said lights providing information to system users, including at least one of;
the current transmittance state of the variable transmittance window, the selected transmittance state of the variable transmittance window, whether the variable transmittance window is currently changing transmittance states, whether said user input mechanism is being overridden, and whether the system is operating properly.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An electrical control system is disclosed for controlling a plurality of variable transmittance windows. The electrical control system comprises a master control circuit and user input circuits for supplying control signals representing transmittance levels for the variable transmission windows, and a plurality of slave window control circuits coupled to the master control circuit, user input circuits and the variable transmittance windows. Each slave window control circuit controls the transmittance of at least one of the variable transmission windows in response to control signals received from the master control circuit and/or user input circuits. Also disclosed are novel methods for the manufacture of an electrochromic device used in variable transmittance windows. Novel structural features for improving heat transfer away from the windows, shielding the window from external loads, and improving the electrical performance of the windows are also disclosed.
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Citations
122 Claims
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1. An electrical control system for controlling a variable transmittance window, comprising:
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a slave window control circuit coupled to the variable transmittance window; and
a user input mechanism coupled to said slave window control circuit, wherein said user input mechanism is configured to supply control signals representing desired transmittance levels for the variable transmittance window to said slave window control circuit, said slave window control circuit controls the transmittance of the variable transmittance window in response to control signals received from said user input mechanism, said user input mechanism includes lights coupled to said slave window control circuit, said lights providing information to system users, including at least one of;
the current transmittance state of the variable transmittance window, the selected transmittance state of the variable transmittance window, whether the variable transmittance window is currently changing transmittance states, whether said user input mechanism is being overridden, and whether the system is operating properly. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An electrical control system for controlling a plurality of variable transmittance windows, comprising:
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a plurality of slave window control circuits each for controlling a transmittance of one or more of the plurality of variable transmittance windows;
a plurality of user input mechanisms each coupled to one or more of said slave window control circuits; and
a master control circuit coupled to said plurality of slave window control circuits, wherein;
said master control circuit and said user input mechanisms are configured to supply transmittance state signals representing transmittance levels for the variable transmittance windows to said slave window control circuits;
each slave window control circuit controls the transmittance of at least one of the variable transmittance windows in response to the transmittance state signals supplied by said master control circuit and/or one of said user input mechanisms;
said master control circuit and slave window control circuits are configured such that when a transmittance state signal is provided to a slave window control circuit by said master control circuit, the transmittance state signal provided by said master control circuit is used by said slave window control circuit to determine the transmittance level of any variable transmittance window to which said slave window control circuit is coupled while overriding any transmittance state signal received from a user input mechanism. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. An electrical control system for controlling a plurality of variable transmittance windows, comprising:
a slave window control circuit coupled to the variable transmittance window, wherein said slave window control circuit comprises dropout detection circuitry to determine if power has been lost, determine for how long power has been lost, and return the variable transmittance window to its most recent state if power has been lost for less than a predetermined time. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. An electrical control system for controlling a plurality of variable transmittance windows within a vehicle, comprising:
a slave window control circuit coupled to the variable transmittance window and coupled to receive power from a vehicle power source, said slave window control circuit comprises protection circuitry including circuitry to protect the system against voltage spikes from −
500V to +500V.- View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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47. A variable transmittance window comprising:
an electrochromic device coupled to control circuitry for varying the transmittance of the electrochromic device, said electrochromic device comprising;
first and second substrates arranged in a parallel, spaced-apart relation to form a chamber between inner surfaces of said substrates;
a transparent electrode coating provided on each of the inner surfaces of said substrates;
first and second layers of silver epoxy respectively deposited on said first and second transparent electrode coatings of said substrates at the perimeter of said substrates; and
an electrochromic medium disposed between said transparent electrode coatings. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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55. A variable transmittance window system, comprising:
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a variable transmittance window comprising an electrochromic device coupled to control circuitry for varying the transmittance of said electrochromic device; and
a middle reveal and an outer reveal that are in physical contact with said electrochromic device around its perimeter, and that are configured to retain the electrochromic device in a fixed position, wherein said middle and outer reveals are made of a thermally conductive plastic so that thermal energy from said electrochromic device is conducted into other structures in contact with said middle and outer reveals. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57, 58, 59)
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60. A variable transmittance window system comprising:
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a variable transmittance window comprising an electrochromic device coupled to control circuitry for varying the transmittance of said electrochromic device;
an elastomeric bezel in contact with, and enclosing the perimeter of, said electrochromic device; and
a middle reveal and an outer reveal that are in physical contact with, and enclose, said elastomeric bezel around its perimeter, and that are configured to retain the electrochromic device in a fixed position. - View Dependent Claims (61, 62, 63, 64, 65)
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66. A variable transmittance window system, comprising:
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a variable transmittance window comprising an electrochromic device comprising;
a first substrate having a first surface, a second surface, and a perimeter defining a first side and a second side opposite said first side;
a second substrate having a first surface, a second surface, and a perimeter defining a first side and a second side opposite said first side;
a first electrically conductive coating provided on the second surface of said first substrate;
a second electrically conductive coating provided on the first surface of said second substrate; and
an electrochromic medium disposed between said electrically conductive coatings; and
a control circuit coupled to said electrochromic device for controlling the transmittance thereof, wherein said control circuit applies a positive voltage to decrease the transmittance of said electrochromic device and applies a sequence of negative voltage pulses to said variable transmittance window while short-circuiting said variable transmittance window during other times to increase the transmittance of said electrochromic device. - View Dependent Claims (67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73)
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74. A variable transmittance window system comprising:
an electrochromic element comprising;
a first substrate having a first surface, a second surface, and a perimeter defining a first side and a second side opposite said first side;
a second substrate having a first surface, a second surface, and a perimeter defining a first side and a second side opposite said first side;
a first electrically conductive coating provided on the second surface of said first substrate;
a second electrically conductive coating provided on the first surface of said second substrate;
an electrochromic medium disposed between said electrically conductive coatings;
a first electrically conductive structure electrically coupled to said first electrically conductive coating at said first side of said first substrate;
a second electrically conductive structure electrically coupled to said first electrically conductive coating at said second side of said first substrate;
a third electrically conductive structure electrically coupled to said second electrically conductive coating at said first side of said second substrate; and
a fourth electrically conductive structure electrically coupled to said second electrically conductive coating at said second side of said second substrate, wherein each of said electrically conductive structures may receive an applied voltage independent of the other electrically conductive structures. - View Dependent Claims (75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84)
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85. An electrochromic element comprising:
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a first substrate having a first surface, a second surface, and a perimeter defining a first side and a second side opposite said first side;
a second substrate having a first surface, a second surface, and a perimeter defining a first side and a second side opposite said first side;
a first layer of ITO provided on the second surface of said first substrate having a thickness of at least two waves and having a sheet resistance of less than about 2.6 ohms/square;
a second layer of ITO provided on the first surface of said second substrate; and
an electrochromic medium disposed between said first and second layers of ITO. - View Dependent Claims (86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93)
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94. A variable transmittance window system, comprising:
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a variable transmittance window comprising an electrochromic device comprising;
a first substrate having a first surface, a second surface, and a perimeter defining a first side and a second side opposite said first side;
a second substrate having a first surface, a second surface, and a perimeter defining a first side and a second side opposite said first side;
a first electrically conductive coating provided on the second surface of said first substrate;
a second electrically conductive coating provided on the first surface of said second substrate; and
an electrochromic medium disposed between said electrically conductive coatings; and
a control circuit coupled to said electrochromic device for controlling the transmittance thereof, wherein said variable transmittance window system is configured such that said electrochromic device transitions from 60% transmittance to less than about 0.2% transmittance in less than about 2 minutes. - View Dependent Claims (95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103)
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104. A variable transmittance window system, comprising:
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a variable transmittance window comprising an electrochromic device having an area larger than 0.1 m2, said electrochromic device comprising;
a first substrate having a first surface, a second surface, and a perimeter defining a first side and a second side opposite said first side;
a second substrate having a first surface, a second surface, and a perimeter defining a first side and a second side opposite said first side;
a first electrically conductive coating provided on the second surface of said first substrate;
a second electrically conductive coating provided on the first surface of said second substrate; and
an electrochromic medium disposed between said electrically conductive coatings; and
a control circuit coupled to said electrochromic device for controlling the transmittance thereof, wherein said variable transmittance window system is configured such that said electrochromic device transitions from 60% transmittance to less than about 0.2% transmittance. - View Dependent Claims (105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113)
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114. A variable transmittance window system, comprising:
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a variable transmittance window comprising an electrochromic device comprising;
a first substrate having a first surface, a second surface, and a perimeter defining a first side and a second side opposite said first side;
a second substrate having a first surface, a second surface, and a perimeter defining a first side and a second side opposite said first side;
a first electrically conductive coating provided on the second surface of said first substrate;
a second electrically conductive coating provided on the first surface of said second substrate; and
an electrochromic medium disposed between said electrically conductive coatings; and
a control circuit coupled to said electrochromic device for controlling the transmittance thereof, wherein said variable transmittance window system is configured such that said electrochromic device transitions from 0.2% transmittance to more than about 60% transmittance in less than about 5 minutes. - View Dependent Claims (115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122)
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Specification