Controlling transitions in optically switchable devices
First Claim
1. A method of causing a switchable optical device on a window to transition to an intermediate optical state, which intermediate optical state is between two end states of the switchable optical device, the method comprising:
- applying an oscillating voltage to the switchable optical device, wherein the oscillating voltage has a mean voltage that is associated with the intermediate optical state, and wherein the switchable optical device responds to the oscillating voltage more slowly at the center of the switchable optical device than at the edge but the mean voltage is experienced substantially uniformly over the surface of the switchable optical device, and wherein the oscillating voltage has a frequency of between about 1 E3 and 1 E-5 Hz.
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Abstract
A controller or control method may be designed or configured to operate without information about the current temperature of the device and/or the device'"'"'s environment. Further, in some cases, the controller or control method is designed or configured to control transition of an optical device to an intermediated state between two end states. For example, the controller may be configured to control a transition to a state of transmissivity that is intermediate between two end states of transmissivity. In such case, the device has three or more stable states of transmissivity.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of causing a switchable optical device on a window to transition to an intermediate optical state, which intermediate optical state is between two end states of the switchable optical device, the method comprising:
applying an oscillating voltage to the switchable optical device, wherein the oscillating voltage has a mean voltage that is associated with the intermediate optical state, and wherein the switchable optical device responds to the oscillating voltage more slowly at the center of the switchable optical device than at the edge but the mean voltage is experienced substantially uniformly over the surface of the switchable optical device, and wherein the oscillating voltage has a frequency of between about 1 E3 and 1 E-5 Hz. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A controller for controlling a change to an intermediate optical state in a switchable optical device on a window, the controller comprising:
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(a) one or more interfaces providing control instructions, a driving voltage, and/or a driving current to the switchable optical device; and (b) instructions for controlling the change in optical state, wherein the instructions comprise; applying an oscillating voltage to the switchable optical device, wherein the oscillating voltage has a mean voltage that is associated with the intermediate optical state, and wherein, when the oscillatory voltage is applied, the switchable optical device will respond to the oscillating voltage more slowly at the center of the switchable optical device than at the edge but the mean voltage is experienced substantially uniformly over the surface of the switchable optical device, and wherein the instructions specify that the oscillating voltage has a frequency of between about 1 E3 and 1 E-5 Hz. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification