Driver for electrochromic glass unit

• US 9,563,097 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2016
• Issued: 02/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Halio Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Kinestral Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Ziebarth, Jonathan, Bergh, Howard S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ben, Loha
• Application Number:
  US14/994,091
• Publication Number:
  US 20160202590A1
• Time in Patent Office: 392 Days
• Field of Search: 359/239, 359/245, 359/265, 359/267, 359/275, 345/48, 345/105, 706/61, 347/135, 347/255
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/088 using a cell of electrically changeable optical characteristic, e.g. liquid-crystal or electrochromic mirrors
• 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: G01R 19/003 Measuring mean values of current or voltage during a given time interval
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/0121 Operation of devices; Circuit arrangements, not otherwise provided for in this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/0123 Circuits for the control or stabilisation of the bias voltage, e.g. automatic bias control [ABC] feedback loops
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/155 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/163 Operation of electrochromic cells, e.g. electrodeposition cells; Circuit arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2001/1635 the pixel comprises active switching elements, e.g. TFT
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0428 Safety, monitoring G05B19/0423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23104 Change display of window to another as function of settable active display time of window
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2628 Door, window
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/16 by control of light from an independent source
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/19 using electrochromic devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

A method for controlling an electrochromic device is provided. The method includes applying a constant supply current to the electrochromic device and determining an amount of charge transferred to the electrochromic device, as a function of time and current supplied to the electrochromic device. The method includes ceasing the applying the constant supply current, responsive to a sense voltage reaching a sense voltage limit and applying one of a variable voltage or a variable current to the electrochromic device to maintain the sense voltage at the sense voltage limit, responsive to the sense voltage reaching the sense voltage limit. The method includes terminating the applying the variable voltage or the variable current to the electrochromic device, responsive to the determined amount of charge reaching a target amount of charge.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an electrochromic device, comprising:

applying a constant supply current to the electrochromic device;

determining an amount of charge transferred to the electrochromic device, as a function of time and current supplied to the electrochromic device;

ceasing the applying the constant supply current, responsive to a sense voltage reaching a sense voltage limit;

applying one of a variable voltage or a variable current to the electrochromic device to maintain the sense voltage at the sense voltage limit, responsive to the sense voltage reaching the sense voltage limit; and

terminating the applying the variable voltage or the variable current to the electrochromic device, responsive to the determined amount of charge reaching a target amount of charge.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein terminating occurs after reaching a desired transmissivity of the electrochromic device equating to the target amount of charge.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

measuring the sense voltage of the electrochromic device; and

measuring the current supplied to the electrochromic device, wherein determining the amount of charge is based on summing digital values of the current over a span of time.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the amount of charge transferred to the electrochromic device comprises:

integrating, over time, the current supplied to the electrochromic device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein once the amount of charge transferred equals the target amount of charge to be transferred the driver starts a four wire open circuit voltage process.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

reversing a polarity of a reversible constant current supply, wherein the reversible constant current supply applies the constant supply current with the reversed polarity to the electrochromic device;

reversing a polarity of a reversible variable voltage supply, wherein the reversible variable voltage supply applies the variable voltage with the reversed polarity to the electrochromic device, and wherein the sense voltage limit is zero volts; and

delaying the terminating for a predetermined amount of time during which the sense voltage is held at zero volts.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the sense voltage is held at zero volts to rezero the driver as to the state of charge of the electrochromic device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the amount of charge transferred to the electrochromic device further comprises:

applying analog to digital conversion to the current supplied to the electrochromic device, to produce a digital value of the current supplied to the electrochromic device; and

adding values from a time series of the digital value of the current supplied to the electrochromic device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the constant supply current is supplied to bus bars of the electrochromic device;

the variable voltage or the variable current is supplied to the bus bars; and

the sense voltage is measured from sense voltage terminals of the electrochromic device located elsewhere than the bus bars.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the sense voltage is measured from an edge of the electrochromic device.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring the sense voltage; and

applying one of a charge or a discharge to the electrochromic device, responsive to a deviation of the sense voltage, after a predetermined relaxation time, by more than a predetermined relaxation amount of voltage.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein if the state of charge does not match the target s a sequestration process is initiated.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein a sequestration process is initiated every time a fully bleached state is met.

14. An electronic driver for an electrochromic device, comprising:

a power supply; and

a power supply control module configured to perform actions comprising;

supplying a constant current from the power supply to the electrochromic device;

stopping the supplying the constant current when one of a sense voltage of the electrochromic device attains a sense voltage limit or an amount of charge transferred to the electrochromic device attains a target amount of charge; and

controlling one of a variable voltage or a variable current from the power supply to the electrochromic device to maintain the sense voltage at the sense voltage limit while the amount of charge transferred to the electrochromic device is less than the target amount of charge.

15. The electronic driver of claim 14, further comprising at least one set of sense voltage terminals.

16. The electronic driver of claim 15, wherein the at least one set of sense voltage terminals is located elsewhere than a location of the bus bars.

17. The electronic driver of claim 15, wherein the at least one set of sense voltage terminals is connected to an interior region of the electrochromic device.

18. The electronic driver of claim 15, wherein the at least one set of sense voltage terminals is connected along an edge of the electrochromic device.

19. The electronic driver of claim 14, further comprising:

the power supply arranged to reverse polarity via one of a relay, a solid-state switch or a multiple range operation of the power supply.

20. The electronic driver of claim 14, further comprising:

an integrator module, coupled to the power supply module and arranged to integrate over time a current supplied to the electrochromic device, wherein the amount of charge transferred to the electrochromic device is based on an output of the integrator module.

21. The electronic driver of claim 14, further comprising:

the power supply control module configured to control the variable voltage or the variable current from the power supply to the electrochromic device to hold the sense voltage at zero volts for a predetermined time span, for a full discharge of the electrochromic device.

22. The electronic driver of claim 14, further comprising:

the power supply control module configured to monitor the sense voltage and configured to charge or discharge the electrochromic device when the sense voltage deviates after a predetermined relaxation time by more than a predetermined voltage.

23. The electronic driver of claim 14, further comprising:

an analog-to-digital converter, coupled to the power supply control module and configured to couple to sense voltage terminals of the electrochromic device, the analog-to-digital converter arranged to produce a value of the sense voltage, wherein the sense voltage terminals are distinct from bus bars of the electrochromic device.

24. An electronic driver for an electrochromic device, comprising:

a voltage detecting circuit configured to measure a sense voltage of sense voltage terminals of the electrochromic device;

a reversible constant current supply configured to supply a constant current to the electrochromic device until one of the sense voltage achieves a sense voltage limit or an amount of charge transferred to the electrochromic device achieves a target amount of charge; and

a reversible variable voltage supply configured to supply a variable voltage to the electrochromic device to keep the sense voltage at the sense voltage limit, responsive to the sense voltage achieving the sense voltage limit, until the elapsed time reaches a predetermined time duration.

25. The electronic driver of claim 24, wherein:

the target amount of charge relates to a target transmissivity of the electrochromic device and relates to a first polarity for charging the electrochromic device or a second polarity for discharging the electrochromic device; and

the sense voltage limit relates to the first polarity or the second polarity.

26. The electronic driver of claim 24, further comprising:

the reversible constant current supply configured to supply a first constant current of a first polarity to the electrochromic device for charging the electrochromic device towards a first transmissivity and to supply a second constant current of a second polarity to the electrochromic device for discharging the electrochromic device towards a second transmissivity; and

the reversible variable voltage supply configured to supply a first variable voltage of the first polarity to the electrochromic device for charging the electrochromic device towards the first transmissivity and to supply a second variable voltage of the second polarity to the electrochromic device for discharging the electrochromic device towards the second transmissivity.

27. The electronic driver of claim 24, further comprising:

a digital signal processing unit configured to determine the amount of charge transferred to the electrochromic device as a time-series summation of values of a current supplied to the electrochromic device.

28. The electronic driver of claim 24, further comprising:

a current sensing circuit coupled to the electrochromic device to produce at an output an analog value of a current supplied to the electrochromic device; and

an analog integrator having as an input the output of the current sensing circuit, an output of the analog integrator relating to the amount of charge transferred to the electrochromic device.

29. The electronic driver of claim 24, wherein the reversible constant current supply and the reversible variable voltage supply are included in a power supply applying pulse width modulation for supplying the constant current, supplying the variable voltage, and reversing polarity.

30. The electronic driver of claim 24, further comprising:

a power supply control module coupled to the voltage detecting circuit, the reversible constant current supply and the reversible variable voltage supply, the power supply control module configured to direct the reversible constant current supply and the reversible variable voltage supply; and

the power supply control module configured to track a present amount of charge of the electrochromic device and configured to determine the target amount of charge to be transferred to the electrochromic device based on a difference between a present transmissivity of the electrochromic device and a target transmissivity of the electrochromic device.