Electronic operations of a suspended particle device

• US 8,792,154 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2011
• Issued: 07/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Global Glass Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: SPD Control Systems Corporation
• Inventors: Moskowitz, Jay
• Primary Examiner(s): CHOI, WILLIAM C
• Application Number:
  US13/337,344
• Publication Number:
  US 20120091315A1
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• Field of Search: 359/296, 345/107, 430/32, 204/600
• US Class Current: 359/296
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2009/2417 Light path control; means to control reflection
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2009/2464 featuring transparency control by applying voltage, e.g. LCD, electrochromic panels
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/24 Screens or other constructions affording protection against light, especially against sunshine; Similar screens for privacy or appearance; Slat blindsoperating, guiding or securing devices or arrangements for roll-type closures E06B9/56; free-hanging flexible screens A47H23/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/0121 Operation of devices; Circuit arrangements, not otherwise provided for in this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13306 Circuit arrangements or driving methods for the control of single liquid crystal cells G02F1/132, G02F1/133382 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/167 by electrophoresis
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/172 based on a suspension of orientable dipolar particles, e.g. suspended particles displays
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1446 display composed of modules, e.g. video walls
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/40 Remote control systems using repeaters, converters, gateways
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/24 Generation of individual character patterns

Abstract

A scalable apparatus and a network environment dynamically changes the light transparency of a single SPD device, a small number of SPD devices or thousands of such SPD devices installed in windows in automobiles, aircraft, trains, marine vehicles, residential homes, commercial buildings and skyscrapers. A scalable apparatus and a network environment dynamically changes the light transparency of a single SPD device or thousands of such SPD devices in the presentation of a multi-media special effects display. Textual messages, graphical images and simulated motion effects are driven. Such scalable apparatus being capable of driving and using several operational parameters of SPD'"'"'s such as frequency range, AC voltage and temperature so as to provide fine control of SPD characteristics such as switching speed and power consumption.

Claims

1. A controller controlling the opacity of at least one SPD, wherein a fixed intensity light source and photo-detector combination is used to determine the absolute opacity of the at least one SPD.

2. The controller of claim 1 wherein the controller utilizes the fixed intensity light source and photo-detector combination to precisely set the opacity of the at least one SPD.

3. The controller of claim 2 wherein the setting of the opacity to a specific level occurs within a specific period of time.

4. A method for use with a controller controlling the opacity of at least one SPD and with respect to the setting of the at least one SPD to a specific opacity, the controller comprising a fixed intensity light source and photo-detector combination to determine the absolute opacity of the at least one SPD, the method comprising the steps of:

determining the opacity of the at least one SPD by utilizing the photo-detector to measure the amount of light passing through the SPD.

5. The method of claim 4 in which operational parameters that drive the at least one SPD to be set to a specific opacity are derived from the fixed intensity light source and photo-detector combination.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the setting of the opacity to a specific level occurs within a specified period of time.

7. A method for use with a controller controlling the opacity of at least one SPD, the method comprising the steps of:

determining the physical location of the orb of the sun in the sky;

determining from the physical location, a relative intensity of the sunlight hitting the at least one SPD and the controller utilizing the relative intensity of the sunlight hitting the at least one SPD to adjust the opacity of the at least one SPD to allow or block the sunlight from passing through the at least one SPD.

8. The method of claim 7 in which the controller can read the day of the year from an external source or through manual means, the controller further able to determine its location through an interconnected GPS, through an algorithm or through manual means, the method utilizing the physical location of the orb of the sun to determine the angle at which sunlight is hitting the at least one SPD and further using the day of the year and current location to determine the season of the year at the current location and to adjust the opacity of the at least one SPD to allow or block sunlight from passing through the at least one SPD in order to reduce heat passing through the SPD in hot seasons and allow heat to pass through the SPD in cold seasons.

9. A system for use with at least one SPD, the at least one SPD having a variable opacity, the system comprising:

a controller connected to the at least one SPD and controlling the opacity of the at least one SPD;

wherein the controller automatically changes the opacity of its SPD based upon the physical orientation of the SPD device on the earth, the latitude and longitude of the SPD device, the day of the year and the time of the day.

10. A system for use with at least one SPD, the SPD having a variable opacity, the system comprising:

at least one controller connected to the at least one SPD and comprising means controlling the opacity of the at least one SPD;

the at least one controller further comprising a network interface which is communicatively coupled to a multiplicity of controllers having network interfaces;

wherein at least one of the multiplicity of controllers is connected to at least one sensor from which sensor data is read;

the sensor data being used to lookup a lookup table of specific opacity to which to set the at least one SPD and the at least one controller to utilize the looked up data to set the opacity of the at least one SPD to that specific opacity.

11. The system of claim 10 in which the sensor detects sun light level and the looked up data associates sunlight level with opacity levels.

12. The system of claim 10 in which the sensor detects occupancy of a room and the looked up data determines the opacity when occupancy is detected or occupancy in not detected.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein the at least one sensor is a means for detecting an audio frequency associated with glass breakage and the looked up data is means for determining the setting of the opacity if the audio frequency associated with glass breakage is detected.

14. The system of claim 10 in which the sensor detects indoor temperature of a room and the lookup table determines the setting of the opacity given the detected indoor temperature.

15. The system of claim 10 in which the sensor detects outdoor temperature and the lookup table determines the setting of the opacity given the detected outdoor temperature.

16. The system of claim 10 having a multiplicity of SPDs and a multiplicity of sensors each detecting geographic orientation data of SPDs on a building, the geographic orientation data used by the at least one controller to modify the opacity of each SPD from that of SPDs at other orientations.

17. The system of claim 10 in which the sensor detects electrical current and the lookup table determines the setting of the opacity given the detected electrical current.

18. The system of claim 10 in which the sensor detects electrical voltage and the lookup table determines the setting of the opacity given the detected electrical voltage.

19. A system for use with at least one SPD, the SPD having a variable opacity, the system comprising:

at least one controller connected to the at least one SPD and comprising means controlling the opacity of the at least one SPD;

the at least one controller further comprising a network interface which is communicatively coupled to a multiplicity of controllers having network interfaces;

wherein across the multiplicity of controllers there exists at least two connected sensors from which sensor data is read;

the sensor data of at least one connected sensor containing geographic location information, the sensor data being used with a first lookup table specifying a secondary lookup table based upon the sensor data, the sensor data of the second sensor of the at least two connected sensors being of a non-geographic sensing type, the non-geographic sensor data being used with a secondary lookup table to lookup a specific opacity to which to set the at least one SPD based upon the non-geographic sensor data and the at least one controller to utilize the looked up data from the secondary lookup table to set the opacity of the at least one SPD to that specific opacity.