CN115185133A - Wireless receiving and power supply electrochromic window - Google Patents

Abstract

The present application relates to wirelessly powered and electrically powered electrochromic windows. Electrochromic windows that receive power through wireless power transfer and power other devices through wireless power transfer and wireless power transfer networks incorporating these electrochromic windows are described.

Description

Wireless receiving and power supply electrochromic window

Related information of divisional application

The scheme is a divisional application. The parent application of the division is an invention patent application with the application date of 2017, 9 and 21 months, the application number of 201780063202.2 and the name of the invention of a wireless power receiving and supplying electrochromic window.

Cross Reference to Related Applications

The present application claims the benefits AND priorities of U.S. provisional application No. 62/510,671, entitled "WIRELESS POWERED AND ELECTROCHROMIC window", filed 24.5.2017, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety AND for all purposes, U.S. provisional application No. 62/402,957, filed 30.2016, 9.9.7, AND entitled "WIRELESS POWERED AND ELECTROCHROMIC window", AND U.S. provisional application No. 62/501,554, filed 4.5.2017, AND entitled "WIRELESS POWERED AND ELECTROCHROMIC window", filed 24.5.4.2017. This application is also a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application No. 14/962,975, filed on 2015 12, 8 and entitled "WIRELESS POWERED ELECTROCHROMIC window", filed on 2015 6, 9 and entitled "WIRELESS POWERED ELECTROCHROMIC window" (now U.S. patent No. 9,664,976), a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application No. 12/971,576 (now U.S. patent No. 9,081,246), filed on 2010 12, 17 and entitled "WIRELESS POWERED ELECTROCHROMIC window" (WIRELESS POWERED ELECTROCHROMIC window), each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety and for all purposes. U.S. patent application No. 12/971,576, which claims the benefit and priority of U.S. provisional application No. 61/289,319, filed 12/22/2009 and entitled "WIRELESS POWERED ELECTROCHROMIC window (WINDOWS)", is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety and for all purposes. The present application is also a continuation-in-part application, filed on 2017, 5/4, and entitled international application number PCT/US17/31106 (assigned the united states) for "WINDOW ANTENNAS" (WINDOW ANTENNAS), which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety and for all purposes. PCT/US17/31106 claims U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 62/333,103 entitled "Window antenna (WINDOW ANTENNAS)" filed on 6.5.2016; U.S. provisional application No. 62/340,936 entitled "WINDOW antenna (WINDOW antenna)" filed 24/5 in 2016; U.S. provisional application No. 62/352,508, filed on 2016, month 6, day 20; and U.S. provisional application No. 62/379,163, filed on 24/8/2016 and entitled "WINDOW antenna," all of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety and for all purposes. This application also claims benefit and priority from U.S. provisional application No. 62/510,653, entitled "WINDOW antenna (WINDOW antenna)" filed 24/5 in 2017, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety and for all purposes.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to the field of Electrochromic (EC) devices in combination with wireless power transmission technology. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to EC windows configured to use wireless power transmission technology.

Background

Electrochromism is a phenomenon in which a material exhibits a reversible electrochemically-mediated change in optical properties when placed in different electronic states, typically when subjected to a change in voltage. The optical property is typically one or more of color, transmittance, absorbance, and reflectance. For example, one well-known EC material is tungsten oxide (WO) ₃ ). Tungsten oxide is a cathodic EC material in which a colored transition from transparent to blue occurs by electrochemical reduction. Although electrochromic was discovered in the 60's of the 20 th century, electrochromic devices (EC devices) and equipment, as well as systems containing EC devices, have not yet begun to fully exploit their commercial potential.

The electrochromic material may be incorporated into, for example, a window. One disadvantage of conventional EC windows is that the power used, although in small amounts, requires a hard wired connection to the building's power source. This creates a problem when a builder installs a large number of windows in, for example, an office building. The hard wiring required to have to deal with the windows is just another obstacle that the builder must deal with in a long list of projects required to build modern structures. Furthermore, while EC windows provide a good solution for heating zone management in modern buildings, EC windows that require hard-wired power, for example, create obstacles for integration into automated energy management systems when controlled by automated heat and/or energy management systems. Thus, additional installation costs and risks associated with wires may delay adoption of EC windows in new construction projects and may in many cases prevent retrofit applications, as retrofitting requires additional installation of wiring infrastructure for the new EC windows.

Disclosure of Invention

Electrochromic devices that receive power through wireless power transfer, in particular, electrochromic devices in EC windows, are described. The combination of low-defect, high-reliability EC windows with wireless power transmission is one aspect of the present disclosure.

Scalable EC window technologies are described that integrate wireless power transfer technologies to create wirelessly powered EC windows. Such techniques may optionally include environmental sensors, wireless control, and/or photovoltaic power in some aspects. The present disclosure enables the full benefits of EC window technology to be realized on a national level, saving a large amount of energy and reducing hundreds of tons of carbon per year. New buildings would greatly benefit from wirelessly powered EC windows and are particularly advantageous in retrofit applications where installing wiring for replacement windows would be problematic. Generally, EC windows that integrate wireless power transfer technology may make installation and/or maintenance of EC windows easier.

One embodiment is an electrochromic device (EC device) that receives power through wireless power transfer. In one embodiment, the EC device is an EC window. Wireless power transfer is used to provide power to one or more EC devices in an EC window. The wireless power may be used to directly power the EC devices in the window, or in alternative embodiments, to charge an internal battery that powers the EC transition and/or EC state of one or more EC devices in the window. In one embodiment, the wireless power transmission is received by a receiver that powers more than one EC window. Wireless power may also be used to power other active devices that are part of or directly support the EC window: such as motion sensors, light sensors, heat sensors, humidity sensors, wireless communication sensors, and the like. Wireless communication technology may also be used to control a wirelessly powered EC window.

Any suitable type of wireless power transmission may be used in conjunction with the EC window. Wireless power transfer includes, for example, but not limited to, magnetic induction, resonant induction, radio frequency power transfer, microwave power transfer, and laser power transfer. In one embodiment, power is transmitted to the receiver through radio frequencies, and the receiver converts the power into current using polarized waves such as circularly polarized waves, elliptically polarized waves, and/or dual polarized waves, and/or various frequencies and vectors. In another embodiment, power is transferred wirelessly through inductive coupling of a magnetic field. In a particular embodiment, power is wirelessly transferred through a first resonator (a coil that converts electrical energy, e.g., AC, flowing through the coil into a magnetic field) that receives power from an external supply hardwired to the first resonator and a second resonator (a coil that is coupled to the magnetic field and thereby generates electrical energy through induction) that functions as a receiver by generating a current or potential through coupling of the magnetic resonance fields of the first and second resonators. While embodiments utilizing magnetic induction do not necessarily require the use of resonant coupling magnetic fields, in embodiments requiring the use of resonant coupling magnetic fields, near-field resonance from local transient magnetic field patterns is a relatively efficient method of wireless power transfer.

In one embodiment, the window receiver is an RF antenna. In another embodiment, the RF antenna converts RF power to electrical potential for the EC device to function. In another embodiment, the receiver is a second resonator resonantly coupled to the first resonator, configured such that power is wirelessly transmitted from the first resonator to the second resonator. The second resonator converts the wirelessly transferred power into current to power the EC window.

In certain embodiments, the receiver is an on-board receiver, meaning that the receiver is attached to or disposed on or in the electrochromic window during manufacture or prior to installation. In some cases, a receiver such as an RF antenna or secondary resonant coil is positioned near or in, for example, the (secondary seal) external seal of the IGU and/or somewhere in the window frame so as not to obscure the viewable area through the IGU glass. Thus, in particular embodiments, the receiver has a relatively small size. In one embodiment, the size of the receiver is small enough that a user of the window may not recognize the receiver as part of the window, but rather the receiver is hidden from the user's view.

In one embodiment, the wireless power transfer is by a wireless power transfer network that includes one or more power nodes for transferring power to window receivers in a particular area. Depending on the building or need, one or more, sometimes several nodes are used to form a network of power nodes that power their respective window receivers. In one embodiment, radio frequency is used to transmit power and there is more than one power node in which more than one frequency and/or polarization vector is used so that different levels or types of power are transmitted from each node to windows with different power needs. In another embodiment, where magnetic induction is used for wireless power transfer, there are also one or more power nodes, but in this embodiment the power nodes are themselves resonators. For example, in one embodiment, a first resonator receiving power through a power source is resonantly coupled to a second resonator, and the second resonator is resonantly coupled to a third resonator, e.g., delivering power to an EC window. In this way, the second resonator acts as a power node in the power transfer network from the first resonator to the second resonator, to the third resonator, which acts as a receiver and transfers power to the EC window by converting the magnetic field into power.

Another aspect is a method of powering an EC device, the method comprising: i) Generating and/or transmitting wireless power to a receiver configured to convert the wireless power into electrical energy (e.g., current or potential) for powering an EC device; and ii) delivering the electrical energy to the EC device. In one embodiment, the EC device is an EC window as described above. In another embodiment, i) is performed by RF; in another embodiment, i) is performed by magnetic induction. In one embodiment, the power from the receiver is used to charge a battery, which in turn is used to power one or more EC devices of the EC window. In one embodiment, a single window has a wireless power receiver, and the electrical energy generated by the receiver is used to power more than one EC window, either directly and/or by charging a battery or battery system associated with the window.

Another aspect is a wireless power transmission network comprising: i) A wireless power transmitter configured to transmit wireless power; ii) a power node configured to receive the wireless power and relay the wireless power; iii) A receiver configured to receive the relayed wireless power and convert the wireless power into electrical energy; and iv) an EC device configured to receive the electrical energy to power and/or maintain an optical state for transitions between optical states. The electrical energy may be received by the EC device directly or indirectly. In one embodiment, the power is received directly from the receiver, and in another embodiment, the power is directed from the receiver to a battery and then to the EC device. In one embodiment, the EC device is part of an EC window.

In certain embodiments, the EC device receives some of its power from a wireless power source as described above, and additional power from a photovoltaic source that may optionally be integrated with the EC device (e.g., in or near an IGU in a window frame, for example). Such systems may not require wires to power the EC device and associated controllers, sensors, etc.

Another aspect relates to an insulated glass unit base station (IGU base station) having a first sheet, a second sheet, a spacer disposed between the first sheet and the second sheet, a primary seal between the spacer and the first sheet and between the spacer and the second sheet, and a transmitter in electrical communication with at least one power source. The transmitter is configured to convert electrical energy from the at least one power source into a wireless power transmission configured to be transmitted to a wireless receiver in electrical communication with a device. The wireless power transmission is configured to be converted by the wireless receiver into electrical energy to power the device. The transmitter is further configured to receive a beacon signal from the wireless receiver.

Another aspect relates to a power transmission network for a building, the power transmission network including a window base station, a wireless receiver, and a controller. The window base station includes a hollow glass unit having a first sheet and a second sheet. The window base station further includes a transmitter in electrical communication with at least one power source. The transmitter is configured to convert electrical energy from the at least one power source into a wireless power transmission. The transmitter is further configured to receive a beacon signal. The wireless receiver is in electrical communication with a device. The wireless receiver is configured to convert a wireless power transmission received from the transmitter into electrical energy to power the device. The wireless receiver is further configured to transmit the beacon signal. The controller is in communication with the transmitter. The controller is configured to determine a path of the power transmission based on the beacon signal received by the transmitter from the wireless receiver.

Another aspect relates to a building comprising a skin comprised of a plurality of electrochromic windows between an exterior environment and an interior environment of the building. The building further includes a plurality of transmitters. Each emitter is positioned on one of the electrochromic windows. Each transmitter is in electrical communication with at least one power source and is configured to convert electrical energy from the at least one power source into a wireless power transmission. These wireless power transmissions are configured to be received by a wireless receiver. The wireless receiver is configured to convert the wireless power transmission into electrical energy to power a device. The building further includes a window controller network in communication with the plurality of transmitters. The window controller network is configured to control a phase and a gain of the wireless transmission from the plurality of transmitters based on the determined paths of beacon signals received by the plurality of transmitters from the wireless receiver.

These and other features and advantages will be described in more detail below with reference to the associated drawings.

Drawings

The following detailed description may be more fully understood when considered in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

fig. 1 depicts an EC window construction including a wireless power receiver.

Fig. 2A-2E are schematic diagrams of a wireless power transfer network as described herein.

Fig. 3A depicts some general operations in the construction of an Insulated Glass Unit (IGU) of an EC window, according to an embodiment.

Fig. 3B-3E depict cross-sections X-X of the IGU of fig. 3A according to different embodiments configured for wireless power transfer.

Fig. 3F-3H depict inductive powering of an electrochromic Insulated Glass Unit (IGU) with a wireless receiver positioned in the secondary seal of the IGU and a wireless transmitter external to the IGU.

Fig. 4 depicts a schematic view of the interior of a room configured for wireless power transfer.

Fig. 5 depicts a schematic diagram of the components of an RF transmitter architecture.

Fig. 6 depicts a schematic diagram of components of an RF receiver structure.

Fig. 7 depicts an illustration of a patch antenna on a glass substrate according to an embodiment.

Fig. 8 depicts a schematic diagram of an electrochromic window configured to wirelessly transmit power to other electronic devices.

Fig. 9 depicts a schematic diagram of a window network with wireless transmission of power between windows.

Fig. 10 depicts a schematic view of a plurality of electrochromic windows forming a curtain wall, wherein power is transmitted between the windows using inductive coupling.

Fig. 11 depicts a schematic view of a window frame in which a key has been inserted into the frame to allow magnetic power transfer.

Fig. 12 depicts a wireless powering scheme for an electrochromic window.

Fig. 13A depicts a schematic diagram of a top view of the interior of a room configured for wireless power transmission using a remote transmitter of a standalone base station.

Fig. 13B depicts another schematic diagram of a top view of the interior of a room configured for wireless power transfer of fig. 13A.

Fig. 14A depicts a schematic diagram of an overhead view of a room with an IGU base station configured for wireless power transmission of other IGUs and mobile devices.

Fig. 14B depicts another schematic diagram of a top view of a room configured for wireless power transfer of fig. 14A.

Fig. 15A depicts a schematic diagram of a top view of a room with stand-alone base stations and IGU base stations configured for wireless power transmission by other IGUs and mobile devices.

Fig. 15B depicts another schematic diagram of a top view of a room configured for wireless power transfer of fig. 15A.

Fig. 16 depicts an isometric view of a corner of an IGU configured to receive, provide, and/or condition wireless power, in accordance with various embodiments.

Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate like elements.

Detailed Description

I. Brief introduction to wirelessly powered and powered EC Window

In its broadest sense, the present disclosure describes EC devices, particularly EC devices in EC windows, that are configured to receive and/or transmit wireless power. As described herein, a "transmitter" generally refers to a device that draws power, for example, from a power source and broadcasts in a wireless power transmission. As described herein, a "receiver" refers generally to a device configured to receive a wireless power transmission and convert the wirelessly transmitted power back into electrical energy. In a particular embodiment, the EC window is powered by a wireless power source. In certain implementations, wireless power transmission is particularly suitable for powering EC windows because EC window functions use low potentials, on the order of a few volts, to transition EC devices and/or maintain the optical state of EC devices. In a typical case, an EC window may transition several times per day. Furthermore, wireless power transfer may be used to charge an associated battery such that indirect powering of the EC window by wireless power transfer may be achieved.

Installing windows with wires requires further consideration for architects and builders, and in retrofit applications wires are particularly problematic due to the need for additional wiring infrastructure that has not previously been installed in buildings. The combination of these advanced technologies, wireless power transfer, and EC windows addresses these issues and provides a synergy that saves energy and time and money spent integrating the hard-wired electrical connections of EC windows.

Dynamic EC Insulating Glass Units (IGUs) for commercial and residential windows change the light transmission characteristics in response to small voltages, allowing control of the amount of light and heat passing through the window. EC devices vary between a transparent "clear or bleached" state and a dark (optical and/or thermal blocking) state using a small potential, and can maintain the optical state with even lower power. Dynamic EC windows can filter the amount of light passing through the window, in one aspect provide visibility even in its dark state, and thereby maintain visual contact with the outside environment while conserving energy, for example, by blocking hot sunlight during hot weather or maintaining valuable heat in the building due to its insulating properties during cold weather. While EC windows are primarily discussed with reference to an insulated glass unit configuration, this need not be the case. For example, an EC window may have an integral laminate structure. Those skilled in the art can readily understand how the disclosed concepts for wirelessly powering electrochromic insulated glass units can be applied in a similar manner to optically switchable windows having different configurations.

One example of such a dynamic window is a low defect rate, high reliability EC window comprising solid state and inorganic EC device stack materials. Entitled "Fabrication of Low-Defect Electrochromic Devices" filed 12/22/2009 and entitled Mark Kozlowski et al U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/645,111 to the inventor; and U.S. patent application serial No. 12/645,159, entitled "Electrochromic Devices," entitled "and entitled Zhongchun Wang et al, filed 12, 22/2009 (now U.S. patent No. 8,432,603); and U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 12/772,055 (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,300,298) and 12/772,075 (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,582,193), both filed 30/2010, and U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 12/814,277 (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,764,950) and 12/814,279 (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,764,951), both filed 11/2010, entitled Zhongchun Wang et al inventor, each of which describes in greater detail all solid and inorganic EC Devices, their methods of manufacture, and defect criteria in the "Electrochromic Devices" (Electrochromic Devices) "; each of these six patent applications is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. One aspect includes an EC window powered by wireless power transfer techniques, such as, but not limited to, the EC window described in any one of the six U.S. patent applications. The EC window may be directly powered by wireless power transmission after conversion to electrical energy by the receiver, and/or the electrical energy may be used to charge a battery used to power the EC window.

Wireless power transfer is a process that occurs when electrical energy is transferred from a power source to an electrical load without interconnecting wires. In the broadest sense, the current can pass through the environment, whether air, water or a solid object, without the need for wires. Wireless power transmission is typically electromagnetic transmission. Examples of useful (controlled) forms of wireless power transfer include magnetic induction, electrostatic induction, lasers, ultrasound, radio waves, and microwave energy. Wireless transmission may be particularly useful in applications where instantaneous or continuous energy transmission is required but where interconnecting wires is inconvenient, problematic, dangerous or impossible. In some embodiments, power is transmitted by RF and converted to electrical potential or current by a receiver in electrical communication with the EC device, particularly an EC window. One particularly useful Method of transferring Power by RF Transmission is described in U.S. patent application 2007/0191074, entitled "Power Transmission Network and Method", filed on 29.1.2007 by Daniel w.harrist et al, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, in U.S. patent application No. 11/699,148.

In other embodiments, power is transferred by magnetic induction using a first resonator and a second resonator powered by an external power source, the second resonator converting magnetic field energy generated by the first resonator into power that supplies the EC device of the EC window. One particularly useful method of transferring power by magnetic induction is described in U.S. patent application 2007/0222542 entitled "Wireless Non-radiative Energy Transfer" filed on 5.7.2006 by John Joannapoulos et al, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Another useful Method of controlling wireless inductive power is described in U.S. patent No. 7,382,636 entitled "System and Method for Powering a Load" filed on 14.10.2005 by David baurman, et al, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The EC window described herein may incorporate such a method of controlling wireless power transfer.

Certain embodiments include more than one wireless power transmission source, i.e., the present disclosure is not limited to embodiments using a single wireless power transmission source. For example, in embodiments using a wireless power transfer network, one wireless power transfer method, e.g., RF power transfer, is used in one portion of the network, while another method, e.g., magnetic induction, is applied in another portion of the network.

One aspect of the present disclosure is an EC window powered by a wireless power transfer source. In one embodiment, the EC window may be of any useful size, for example, in automotive applications, such as in skylights or rearview mirrors, where wiring is inconvenient, such as having to pass through the windshield of the automobile. In one embodiment, the EC window uses building-scale glass as a substrate for the EC device of the window. Architectural glass is glass used as a building material. Architectural glass is commonly used in commercial buildings, but may also be used in residential buildings, and typically, but not necessarily, separates the indoor environment from the outdoor environment. Architectural glass is at least 20 inches by 20 inches and can be as large as about 80 inches by 80 inches. In some embodiments, the EC devices are all solid state and inorganic. The window will have a receiver, e.g., an RF receiver or resonator, as part of the window assembly.

Fig. 1 depicts an EC window manufacture 100 in which the window assembly includes a receiver 135 for receiving wireless power transmissions, converting the transmissions to electrical energy, and utilizing the electrical energy to directly or indirectly power the EC device of the window, e.g., by directly powering the EC device or charging a battery used to power the EC window. An EC pane 105 with an EC device (not shown, but for example on surface a) and a busbar 110 to power the EC device are mated with another glass plate 115. During fabrication of IGU 125, spacer 120 is sandwiched between and in registration with substrates 105 and 115. IGU 125 has an associated interior space defined by the face of the substrate in contact with the bulkhead 120 and the surface of the interior perimeter of the bulkhead 120. The partition 120 is typically a sealed partition, i.e., contains spacers and seals, and seals between each of the substrates that they abut in order to hermetically seal the interior area and thereby protect the interior from moisture and the like. Typically, once the glass sheets are sealed to the spacer, a secondary seal may be applied around the peripheral edge spacer 120 of the IGU to not only further seal the environment, but also to impart further structural rigidity to the IGU. The IGU is supported by a frame to create a window assembly 130. A cutout of the window frame is shown to show the wireless power receiver 135 including an antenna in this example. In this example, receiver 135 is proximate to the IGU, within the frame of window assembly 130. The wireless power transfer receiver may be a component of a window controller.

In one embodiment, the wireless power transfer source transfers power over radio waves. In such embodiments, the EC window includes a Radio Frequency (RF) receiver, wherein the RF receiver is configured to convert radio frequencies into electrical energy (e.g., current or potential) for powering EC devices in the EC window. Powering the EC device includes powering at least one of an optical transition or an optical state of the EC device. In one embodiment, the radio frequency receiver resides in or near the IGU of the EC window. For example, the receiver may be in the window frame supporting the IGU, in the area near the spacer separating the glass sheets of the IGU, or both. Preferably, but not necessarily, the receiver does not obscure the viewable area of the IGU, for example, as shown in fig. 1. Some examples of RF transmitters and RF receivers for wireless transmission are described elsewhere herein.

In another embodiment, power is transmitted wirelessly through inductive coupling of a magnetic field. Generally, a primary coil (which converts electrical energy, e.g., AC, passing through the coil into a magnetic field) supplied by a power source generates a magnetic field, and a secondary coil couples to the magnetic field and thereby generates electrical energy by induction. The electrical energy generated by the secondary coil is used to power the EC device, in particular embodiments, the EC device of the EC window. In a specific embodiment utilizing resonant coupling of magnetic energy, power is wirelessly transferred through a first resonator that receives power from an external power source hard-wired to the first resonator and a second resonator that generates current through coupling of magnetic resonance fields of the first and second resonators to function as a receiver. While embodiments utilizing magnetic induction do not necessarily require the use of resonant coupling magnetic fields, in embodiments requiring the use of resonant coupling magnetic fields, near-field resonance from local transient magnetic field patterns is a relatively efficient method of wireless power transfer.

In another embodiment, power is transferred wirelessly through capacitive coupling of electric fields. In general, both the transmitter and receiver take the form of electrodes, and the capacitive transmitter-receiver pairs together form a capacitor. By supplying an alternating voltage to the transmitter, an oscillating electric field is generated, which induces an alternating potential on the receiver electrode. Alternating current is then caused to flow in the load circuit using the alternating potential at the receiver.

In yet another embodiment, power is transferred wirelessly through magnetomotive dynamic coupling. In this method, electricity is generated by two moving armatures, each of which has a permanent magnet. One armature acts as a transmitter and the other armature acts as a receiver. The power supply is used to drive the rotation of the transmission armature using, for example, an electric motor. The transmitter thus generates a rotating magnetic field and the nearby receiving armature, which experiences the rotating magnetic field generated by the transmitter, starts to rotate in a synchronized manner. The receiving armature can then be used to generate current using induction.

In yet another embodiment, power is transferred wirelessly using ultrasound transmission. In this example, the receiver is equipped with a piezoelectric transducer that collects the energy that is wirelessly transmitted as ultrasonic waves. In some cases, a piezoelectric transducer may be attached to the surface of the foil and collect resonant vibrations of the foil caused by wind or movement within the building.

In yet another embodiment, power is transmitted wirelessly using a power beam, where energy is transmitted in the form of a laser, and then converted back into electrical energy using photovoltaic cells. In one embodiment, the electrical beam is performed using an infrared laser.

In one embodiment, the receiver, whether an RF antenna or a resonant coil, is located near the IGU of the EC window, for example, near the IGU seal or window frame, so as not to obscure the viewable area through the IGU glass. Thus, in particular embodiments, the receiver has a relatively small size. By "small size" is meant, for example, that the receiver occupies no more than about 5% of the viewable area of the EC window. In one embodiment, the receiver does not occupy the viewable area of the EC window, that is, the size of the receiver is small enough that a user of the window may not recognize the receiver as part of the window, but rather the receiver is hidden in the user's view, for example, housed in the frame of the window. In an embodiment where the receiver is housed in the sealing area of the IGU, the frame of the window may have one or more access ports for servicing the receiver or the receiver may be permanently sealed in the window frame. There may also be ports and/or materials transparent to the wireless power transfer so that the receiver can properly receive the wireless power transfer without interference from the window frame material.

In certain embodiments, there is a controller, such as a microprocessor, that regulates the electrical potential applied to the EC device, and may optionally control other functions (alone or in combination with other microprocessors), such as recharging batteries for operating the window, wireless communication with a remote control device, such as a handheld, automatic heating, and/or energy management system that wirelessly communicates with the window controller. In certain embodiments described in more detail elsewhere herein, the wireless power transmission is performed over a network that includes one or more power nodes for transmitting the wireless power transmission to a window receiver in a particular area and/or for receiving the wireless power transmission in the particular area. The wireless power transfer networks described herein may use various forms of wireless power transfer, such as RF, magnetic induction, or both, as desired. Depending on the building, one or more, sometimes several nodes are used to form a network of power nodes that power their respective window receivers. For example, a power node network may include wireless power transmitters distributed in one or more rooms or other building spaces such that each wireless power receiver may receive power transmissions from more than one transmitter in the network. In one implementation, for example, certain windows in a wireless power transfer network have a wireless power transmitter (e.g., each window in the middle of the front face may have a transmitter) and other windows have wireless power receivers that may receive power transfers relayed by one or more of the transmitters in the power node network.

In one embodiment, radio frequency is used to transmit power and there is more than one power node in which more than one frequency and/or polarization vector is used so that different levels or types of power are passed from each node to windows with different power needs.

In one embodiment, where magnetic induction is used for wireless power transfer, there are also one or more power nodes, but in this embodiment the power nodes are themselves resonators. For example, in one embodiment, a first resonator receiving power through a power source is resonantly coupled to a second resonator, and the second resonator is resonantly coupled to a third resonator, e.g., delivering power to an EC window. In this way, the second resonator acts as a power node in the power transfer network from the first resonator to the second resonator, to the third resonator, which acts as a receiver and transfers power to the EC window by converting the magnetic field into power. In this way, near-field magnetic energy can span longer distances to meet the needs of EC windows for a particular building.

Another embodiment is a method of powering an EC device, the method comprising: i) Generating wireless power; ii) transmitting wireless power to a receiver; the receiver is configured to convert wireless power into electrical energy for powering the EC device; and iii) delivering electrical energy (e.g., current or potential) to the EC device and/or a battery for powering the EC device. In one embodiment, the EC device is an EC window. In other embodiments, generating wireless power is performed by a wireless power transmitter that transmits power over a radio frequency and the electrical energy is a voltage potential. In another embodiment, the generating of wireless power is performed by a wireless power transmitter that transfers power by magnetic induction, in a more specific embodiment, resonant coupling magnetic induction. In other particular embodiments, ii) and iii) are accomplished by at least one of the wireless power transmission networks described above. In a particular embodiment of the above embodiments, the EC device is part of an EC pane of an EC window. In an even more specific embodiment, the EC pane is of architectural glass scale. In another embodiment, at least one of i), ii) and iii) is performed by wireless communication. One embodiment includes charging a battery used to power the EC device with electrical energy generated by conversion of the wireless power transmission by the receiver.

Examples of Wireless Power transfer networks

Fig. 2A is a schematic diagram of a wireless power transfer network 200. The wireless power transmission network has a wireless power transmitter 202 that transmits wireless power, such as by RF power or magnetic induction as described herein, to an EC window 204. The present disclosure is not limited to EC windows; any EC device powered by wireless power transfer is within the scope of the present disclosure. The electrochromic window 204 is configured with a receiver that converts wirelessly transmitted power into electrical energy for operating the EC device in an EC window and/or window controller, sensor, or the like. In one embodiment, the electrical energy is a voltage potential used to power the transitions and/or maintenance optical states of the EC device. Typically, the EC device will have an associated controller, such as a microprocessor, that controls and manages the device according to the inputs. Additionally, EC devices may be controlled and managed by an external controller that communicates with the device over a network. The input may be manually entered by a user, directly or through wireless communication, or the input may come from an energy management system of a building in which the automated thermal and/or EC window is a component.

The wireless power transfer network is generally defined by an area 206, i.e., power transfer is generally, but not necessarily, located in the area 206. The area 206 may define an area where one or more windows reside and wireless power is to be transmitted. In some embodiments, the transmitter 202 may be an outer zone 206 (and transmit power into the zone) or an inner zone 206, as shown in fig. 2A. In one embodiment, the wireless power receiver resides near the IGU of the EC window. Preferably, the receiver does not block the view through the EC window. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the described wireless power network may contain multiple EC windows, to which power is supplied wirelessly by one or more transmitters. Also, the electric energy generated by the wireless power may be used to increase battery power or photovoltaic power in the EC window. In one embodiment, a photovoltaic power source is used to enhance battery charging performed by wireless power transfer.

Fig. 2B is a schematic diagram of another wireless power transfer network 201. Network 201 is much like network 200, as described above with respect to fig. 2A, except that the wireless power transmitted from transmitter 202 received by the receiver in EC window 204 is used to power not only window 204, but also window 205. That is, the receiver in a single window is configured to convert the wireless power transmission into electrical energy to power more than one EC window either directly or through one or more batteries charged by the receiver. In this example, a receiver associated with window 204 converts the wireless power transmission into electrical energy and transfers the energy through a wire to window 205. This has the advantage of not relying on a receiver for each window and, although some wiring is used, it is confined to the window installation area, providing electrical communication between the windows, rather than having to run throughout the building. Furthermore, this configuration is practical because EC windows do not have high power requirements.

Fig. 2C is a schematic diagram of another wireless power transfer network 208. The network 208 is much like the network 200, as described above with respect to fig. 2A, except that the wireless power transmitted from the transmitter 202 is not received directly by the receiver in the EC window 204, but is relayed through the power node 210. Power node 210 may relay power in the same form it receives (e.g., through an RF antenna or induction coil) or be configured to alter the wireless power and transmit it to a receiver in a form that is more suitable for the (ultimate) requirements of window 204. In one example, the power node receives wireless power transmission in one form, RF or magnetic induction, and transmits wireless power to the window 204 in another of the forms described above. One embodiment is a power node, comprising: a wireless power transmission receiver; configured to receive wireless power transmission in one or more forms and convert the transmission into electrical energy; and a wireless power transmitter configured to convert the electrical energy into a wireless power transmission in the one or more forms. In one embodiment, the wireless power transmitter is configured to convert electrical energy into a wireless power transmission of the same form as the wireless power transmission that the wireless power receiver is configured to receive. Although in the same form, there may be different frequencies or polarities used, for example, so that the power node's receiver can distinguish between wireless transmissions from between the transmitter 202 and the power node's 210 transmitter. In one embodiment, the wireless power transmitter is configured to convert electrical energy into a wireless power transmission of a different form than the wireless power transmission that the wireless power receiver is configured to receive.

Fig. 2D is a schematic diagram of another wireless power transfer network 212. The network 212 is much like the network 208, as described above with respect to fig. 2C, except that the wireless power transmitted from the transmitter 202 is relayed to the plurality of windows 204 through the power node 210. Again, the power node 210 may relay power in the same form as it receives (e.g., through an RF antenna or induction coil) or be configured to alter the wireless power and transmit it to a receiver in a form that is more appropriate to the (ultimate) requirements of the window 204. In this example, emitter 202 is outside of region 206. In this example, the power requirements of the windows 204 are the same, however the disclosure is not so limited. That is, the wireless power transmitted from node 210 may be sufficient to meet the power requirements of EC windows having different power requirements, e.g., the means for properly converting the wireless power transmission from power node 210 into electrical power is part of the receiver of each window 204.

In one embodiment, meeting varying power requirements of different windows within a wireless power transfer network is accomplished using different power nodes for windows having different power requirements. The power relayed from each node may have, for example, different power levels and/or be transmitted in different manners. Fig. 2E is a schematic diagram of one such wireless power transfer network 214. Network 214 is much like network 212, as described above with respect to fig. 2D, except that the wireless power transmitted from transmitter 202 is relayed through two power nodes 210 and 216. Power node 210 may relay power in the same form it receives (e.g., through an RF antenna or induction coil) or a receiver configured to alter the wireless power and transmit it to (in window 204) in a form that is more appropriate to the (ultimate) requirements of window 204. The power node 216 relays the wireless power differently than the power node 210, the power node 216 being configured to alter the wireless power and transmit it to a receiver in the window 218 in a form that is more appropriate to the (ultimate) requirements of the window 218. In this example, the window 218 is configured to supply power to itself and to supply power to the window 220 through wiring. The window 218 receives the wireless power transmission from the node 216 and the receiver of the window 218 converts the wireless power transmission into sufficient power to operate the window 218 and the window 220. Thus, in embodiments described herein, different power nodes may receive the same form of wireless energy, e.g., from a single transmitter, but relay the wireless energy in different formats (through associated receivers) for different EC devices, in this example EC windows having different power requirements. In this example, emitter 202 is outside of region 206. In a particular embodiment, a single wireless power transmitter transmits wireless power and each of the plurality of EC windows includes a receiver specifically configured to convert the wireless power to electrical energy suitable for the particular needs of the window. In another embodiment, each window has an equivalent receiver that converts the wireless power to the same electrical energy, but converts the electrical energy to the specific needs of the window through one or more electronic components in communication with the receiver, such as a rectifier, voltage converter, frequency converter, transformer, or inverter.

One embodiment is a wireless power transmission network comprising: i) A wireless power transmitter configured to transmit wireless power; ii) a power node configured to receive the wireless power and relay the wireless power; iii) A receiver configured to receive the relayed wireless power and convert the wireless power into electrical energy; and iv) an EC device configured to receive electrical energy. In one embodiment, the EC device is an EC window. In another embodiment, the power node includes an RF antenna. In one embodiment, the power node comprises an induction coil. In another embodiment, the receiver is an RF receiver. In another embodiment, the receiver is an induction coil. In other embodiments, prior to relaying the wireless power to the EC window, the power node is configured to change the wireless power, depending on the requirements of the EC window. In some embodiments, the wireless power network includes a plurality of power nodes, wherein each power node is configured to relay power to one or more EC windows, each of the plurality of power nodes configured to relay wireless power as required by the EC window, the EC window including a receiver corresponding to each of the plurality of power nodes.

Although certain embodiments are described herein with reference to EC devices, it will be understood that these embodiments may be used to power other optical devices in other implementations.

Location and other details of wireless transmitters and/or receivers

Fig. 3A depicts some general operations in the construction of an EC window in the form of an Insulated Glass Unit (IGU) 300 having electrochromic lite 305, according to an embodiment. During construction of IGU 300, spacer 310 is sandwiched between and in registration with electrochromic lite 305 and second lite 315. IGU 300 has an associated interior space defined by the faces of the sheets and the interior surface of spacer 310. The spacer 310 together with the primary seal may seal, e.g. hermetically, the inner volume enclosed by the sheets 305 and 315 and the spacer 310. Once sheets 305 and 315 are coupled to spacer 310, a secondary seal is applied around the peripheral edge of IGU 300 to further seal the surrounding environment and further structural rigidity of IGU 300. For example, the secondary seal may be a silicone-based sealant. In this example, a pair of opposing bus bars 350 (power distribution components of the electrochromic device) are shown on the electrochromic lite 305. Busbar 350 is configured as an outboard spacer 310 in the final construct.

Fig. 3B-3E depict a portion of cross-section X-X of the IGU of fig. 3A according to different embodiments of components of the IGU configured for wireless power transfer. These embodiments include means for receiving and/or transmitting wireless power and delivering power to the busbars of the electrochromic lite. It will be appreciated that although a portion of cross-section X-X is shown, the cross-section of the IGU comprises a substantially mirror image portion. Fig. 3F depicts an embodiment of an electrochromic IGU configured for wireless power transfer from a transmitter positioned in or near a window frame using magnetic induction. Fig. 3G depicts an embodiment of an electrochromic IGU configured with an emitter of a glazing bag between the window frame and the IGU.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 3B, electrochromic lite 305 is depicted as a lower lite and lite 315 is depicted as an upper lite. Spacers 310 are mated on opposite sides of both sheets 305, 315 with an adhesive sealant that forms the primary seal 325 of the IGU. The primary seal area is defined by the top and bottom outer surfaces (as shown) of the spacer 310 and the inner surfaces of the sheets 305, 315. Once mated, a sealed volume 340 is defined within the IGU. Typically, the volume 340 is filled with an inert gas or evacuated. The spacer 310 may have a desiccant (not shown) inside. At the periphery of spacer 310, but not generally extending beyond the edges of the spacer, is a secondary sealant material 330 that forms a secondary seal for the IGU. The electrochromic device 345 disposed on the transparent substrate of the electrochromic lite 305 is a thin film coating having a thickness of hundreds of nanometers to several microns. Bus bars 351 supply power to the electrochromic devices 345, each supplying power to a different transparent conductive layer of the electrochromic device stack to generate a voltage potential across the inner layers of the devices 345 and thereby drive the optical transition. The IGU includes wiring 355 to deliver power to the busbar 351. In this embodiment, the bus bars 351 are located outside of the spacers 310 and in the secondary seal, reducing any possibility that the wiring 355 to the bus bars 351 will interfere with the primary seal of the IGU. In other embodiments, the IGU may have a first bus bar in the secondary seal and a second bus bar in the primary seal or in the sealed volume of the IGU and a second bus bar in the sealed volume of the IGU.

With continued reference to fig. 3B, an IGU configured for wireless power transfer includes an on-board receiver 360 located in the secondary seal 330 of the IGU. As shown, the receptor 360 is exposed in the area at the edge of the secondary seal 330, and the wiring 355 forms an electrical connection to the busbar 350. In another example, the receptacle 360 may be completely enclosed within the secondary seal 330. Although the illustrated example is described as having the busbar 350 located outside of the spacer 310 and the electrochromic device 345 extending to the secondary seal 330, the busbar 350 and electrochromic device 345 may optionally extend only a portion under the spacer 310 in other embodiments, or only within a viewable area within the inner perimeter of the spacer 310 that extends through the IGU. In these latter two cases, the wiring 355 will extend through the spacer 310 to the busbar 350, or traverse at least a portion of the primary seal 325 between the spacer 310 and the sheet, to connect the receptor with the busbar.

Fig. 3C illustrates an embodiment of an IGU in which a pair of bus bars 352 and electrochromic devices 346 extend only within the viewable area of the IGU defined by the inner perimeter of spacer 310. In this illustrated example, the wiring 356 traverses the primary seal 325 between the spacer 310 and the webs 305, 315 to electrically connect the receptor 360 in the secondary seal 330 with the busbar 351. In another example, the receptacle 360 may be completely enclosed within the secondary seal 330. Additional wiring configurations for supplying power to busbars are described in U.S. patent application No. 15/228,992 entitled "Connectors for Smart Windows" filed on 2016, 8,4, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. According to some aspects, the receiver or another portion of the IGU may further include a battery for storing and delivering power to the busbar. According to some aspects, the receiver may be part of a window controller, and in some aspects may also include a transmitter (e.g., an RF transmitter).

Fig. 3D depicts an embodiment of an IGU in which a pair of bus bars 353 and electrochromic devices 347 extend below spacers 310, i.e., between spacers 310 and the transparent substrate of electrochromic lite 305 and not beyond the outer perimeter of spacers 310. In the illustrated embodiment, the on-board receiver 362 is located within the interior volume of the spacer 310, rather than in the secondary seal 330. In such embodiments, the bus bars 353 do not extend beyond the outer perimeter of the spacers 310, and positioning the receivers 362 within the spacers 310 may simplify the wiring 357 that electrically connects the receivers 362 to the bus bars 353. In one aspect, spacer 310 may be, for example, a plastic or foam spacer. Optionally, spacer 310 may have a preformed pocket into which receiver 362 is inserted. In one case, the wiring 357 end connector to at least one of the bus bars 353 may be a piercing connector that is pushed through the foam spacer body or, for example, through an aperture formed in the plastic spacer, so as to establish electrical communication with the bus bar 353. In one example, individual wires may extend around the perimeter of spacer 310, within or not within the spacer, to establish electrical contact with other busbars, or for example, busbar joints may extend from the opposite busbar to the same device side as busbar 330, so that the wiring of a receptacle may contact two busbars using two adjacent busbar joints. In another aspect, spacer 310 may be made of metal, such as, for example, aluminum, in which case inductive coupling may occur through the spacer body (steel spacers may block such coupling).

Fig. 3E depicts an embodiment of an IGU in which a pair of bus bars 354 and electrochromic devices 348 extend below the spacers 311, i.e., between the spacers 311 and the transparent substrate of the electrochromic lite 305 and not beyond the outer perimeter of the spacers 311. The IGU includes a receiver 363 located within the interior volume of the spacer 311 and wiring 358 electrically connecting the receiver 363 to the bus bar 354. The spacer 311 may be made of stainless steel or another material that will substantially inhibit the passage of the time-varying magnetic field to the receiver 363. In this example, a portion of the spacer 311 is removed and replaced with a key 312 made of a material (e.g., plastic, foam, or aluminum) that allows magnetic energy to pass through. Optionally, as shown in fig. 3E, an emitter 364 is located in the secondary seal 330. The transmitter 364 wirelessly transmits power to the receiver 363 through the keys 312 in the spacer 311. In one case, the transmitter 364 may be electrically connected to a power source through wiring. Alternatively, the transmitter 364 may include a receiver for accepting wireless power transfer.

In one aspect, the receiver may be located within a sealed volume of the IGU. In this case, the inductive coupling may be established by the spacer, if the transmitter is positioned laterally to the receiver, depending on the spacer material, or using a key if it is a steel spacer. Alternatively, the transmitter may be configured to transmit wireless power through one of the sheets (e.g., glass sheets) of the IGU, such as from S4 (inner surface) or S1 (outer surface) of the IGU.

In some embodiments, the receiver comprises or is in electrical communication with a local energy storage device, such as a battery or super capacitor. In some cases, excess power received is stored in an energy storage device and used in the event that the transmitted power becomes insufficient or unavailable (e.g., a power outage). In some cases, the local energy storage device may be located outside the IGU (e.g., within a wall or window frame) and electrically connected to the receiver. In one example, the local energy storage device is placed in a wall connected to the receiver by wires passing through the window frame. Examples of some energy storage devices that may be used are described in international PCT patent application PCT/US16/41176, filed on 2016, month 7 and 6, and entitled "CROSS REFERENCE TO POWER MANAGEMENT RELATED application FOR ELECTROCHROMIC WINDOW NETWORKS," which is incorporated herein by REFERENCE in its entirety.

Fig. 3F depicts an embodiment of an electrochromic IGU configured to mount an IGU into a window frame using magnetic induction to transfer wireless power from a transmitter 370 located at or near the window frame. The transmitter 370 oscillates the current through the conductive coil, generating an alternating magnetic field that is converted back to an alternating current through the conductive coil in the receiver 365. A rectifier in the circuitry of the receiver 365 then converts the alternating current to direct current for delivery to the EC device and/or the battery. In some cases, the coil diameter of transmitter 370 may be different than the coil diameter of receiver 365, or one coupling assembly may have redundant coils to account for misalignment of the components with respect to each other. In the illustrated example, receiver 365 is depicted as having a larger footprint than transmitter 370. The illustrated IGU is configured with two receivers 365, allowing the IGU to be compatible for installation into a frame with transmitters 370 in different locations. By having redundant receivers 365, the installation process is simplified because the possibility of misalignment of the transmitter and receiver during installation is reduced or eliminated. In other examples, the IGU may have a single receiver 365.

When installing the IGU, glass blocks (also referred to herein as locating blocks) may be provided to help support the IGU in the frame. The locating block is located in the glazing pocket, which is the space between the window frame and the IGU. The locating block also helps prevent the window from cracking or jumping out during an earthquake by, for example, isolating the window from the surrounding movement/deformation of the building, by helping to accommodate a certain degree of movement/deformation of the building relative to the window. Such blocks are typically rubber, although other durable and deformable materials may be used. The blocks may be disposed on the bottom of the window, the sides of the window, and the top of the window. Typically, two or more blocks are provided for each side of the window in which the blocks are present. Additional details of window frame components such as glass panes can be found in PCT patent application No. PCT/US15/62530, filed 11/24/2015 and entitled "filled ELECTROCHROMIC window (incoll ELECTROCHROMIC WINDOWS)", which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Fig. 3G depicts an embodiment of an electrochromic IGU 301 configured for wireless power transfer with a transmitter 371 located in a glazing bag (the space between the window frame 375 and the IGU 301). The locating block 365 is also located between the IGU 301 and the window frame 375. In this embodiment, the receiver 366 is located in the IGU 301, e.g., in a secondary seal. Further details are shown in the expanded view of a portion, and further details are shown in cross section B-B. According to one aspect, emitter 371 may be enclosed in a material similar to that of locating block 365. In the illustrated embodiment, the emitter 371 has the same or approximately the same width as the positioning block 365. In another embodiment, the shape factor of the transmitter 371 is smaller than the shape factor of the locating block 365, such that there is a void space between the transmitter 371 and the receiver 366 in the IGU. In another embodiment, the emitter 371 is located in a portion of the window frame 375. In the embodiment shown here, the window frame 375 includes a press plate 375a that is used to hold the IGU 301 in place. In another embodiment, the emitter 370 is located on the platen 375 a. In each of these embodiments, the long axes of the coils in the transmitter and receiver are substantially collinear to increase the efficiency of wireless power transfer. In some cases, there may be wood, plastic, aluminum, glass, or another material that does not substantially inhibit wireless power transfer between the transmitter and the receiver.

Fig. 3H is a schematic diagram depicting an embodiment of an EC window 380 incorporating an IGU comprising electrochromic lite. The EC window 380 includes an outer frame 384 in which a fixed frame 382 and a movable frame 383 are mounted. The fixed frame 382 is fixedly mounted within the outer frame 384 such that it does not move. The movable frame 383 is movably mounted in the frame 384 so that it can be moved, for example, from a closed position to an open position. In the window industry, the EC window 380 may be referred to as a "single-hung window," the fixed frame may be referred to as a "fixed sash," and the movable frame may be referred to as a "movable sash. The movable frame 383 includes an IGU 300 having electrochromic lite and a receiver 367 configured to receive wireless power from a transmitter 372 located in the outer frame 384. In instances where wireless power transfer occurs by electromagnetic induction, the depicted configuration is optimized, i.e., power is transferred when the frame is in the closed position. In examples where wireless power transfer between the receiver 367 and the transmitter 372 is by electromagnetic induction, power transfer is maximized when the movable frame 383 is in the closed position. In another example, the receiver 367 and the transmitter 372 may be positioned such that maximum wireless power transfer occurs when the movable frame 383 is in the open position. In another embodiment, the movable sash window contains multiple transmitters and/or receivers so that wireless power transfer can occur at various window locations or if magnetic coupling can be established within the operating range of window movement.

Although fig. 3H shows an EC window with one movable frame of electrochromic lite, additional receivers and transmitters may be used with EC windows with two or more movable frames, each with electrochromic lite. In another aspect, a single transmitter may be used to wirelessly transmit power to a receiver over multiple movable frames. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the described embodiments having one or more movable frames may include configurations such as horizontally sliding windows, sliding doors, outwardly tilting windows, and the like.

While the embodiments depicted in fig. 3F-3H have been described with reference to wireless power transfer by magnetic induction, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that other forms of wireless power transfer may be used in the described embodiments. For example, instead of having a conductive coil transfer power by electromagnetic induction, the transmitter and receiver may have electrodes that allow power to be transferred by capacitive coupling.

In some embodiments, power is transferred by Radio Frequency (RF) waves and converted to an electrical potential or current by a receiver in electrical communication with the EC window. One example of a method of transferring Power via RF waves is described in U.S. patent publication No. US20160020647, published by Michael a.leabman et al on 21/1/2016, filed 21/7/2014 and entitled "Integrated Antenna Structure array for Wireless Power Transmission" which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Certain embodiments include more than one wireless power transmitter, i.e., the present disclosure is not limited to embodiments using a single wireless power transmission source.

In certain RF embodiments, RF power transmission may be used to transmit power to RF receivers located in an area within about 100 feet of the RF transmitter. In one example, RF power transmission may be used to transmit power to an RF receiver located within about 75 feet of the RF transmitter. In another example, RF power transmission may be used to transmit power to an RF receiver located within about 50 feet of the RF transmitter. In yet another example, RF power transmission may be used to transmit power to an RF receiver located within about 25 feet of the RF transmitter. In yet another example, RF power transmission may be used to transmit power to an RF receiver located within about 20 feet of an RF transmitter. In yet another example, RF power transmission may be used to transmit power to an RF receiver located within about 15 feet of the RF transmitter.

Fig. 4 depicts the interior of a room 404 configured for wireless power transfer (e.g., RF power transfer). The room 404 contains a plurality of electrochromic windows 406. In this example, room 404 includes a transmitter 401 connected by a wire 405 to the electrical infrastructure of the building having room 404. The transmitter 401 converts the electrical power in the form of electrical current through the wire 405 into an electromagnetic transmission that is transmitted to one or more of the receivers 402 (in this case, located in the corners of each electrochromic window 406 in the room 404) that convert the electromagnetic transmission back into an electrical signal to power its associated electrochromic device. In order to reduce the loss of power transmission caused by absorption and reflection of electromagnetic waves, especially in the case of RF waves, the transmitter may be placed in a central location, such as a ceiling or wall, which preferably has a line of sight to all receivers in the room. In the example shown, the transmitter 401 is located in a central portion of the ceiling of the room. Optionally, the emitter 401 may be in the form of a ceiling tile or a lighting fixture to blend in with the aesthetics of the room. Electrical devices that receive wireless power transmissions typically have at least one associated receiver that can convert electromagnetic transmissions into usable electrical energy and power. When one or more of the EC windows 406 is configured to wirelessly receive power from the transmitter 401, the transmitter 401 may also be configured to wirelessly power another electronic device 403, such as a laptop or mobile device with a receiver.

When power is transferred via radio waves, an RF transmitter or transmitters are typically placed in a central location of the device being powered. In many cases, this means that the RF transmitter will be located on a ceiling or wall close to the device (e.g., within a range of the RF transmitter/receiver, e.g., within 15 feet, within 20 feet, within 25 feet, within 50 feet, within 75 feet, within 100 feet). For example, the RF transmitter may be located on the ceiling/wall so that it can power multiple EC windows in proximity. In one embodiment, the RF transmitter is located next to or is a component of the master controller. In one embodiment, the RF transmitter is integrated into a wall closet with an interface for controlling the tint state of the EC window. In one example, the wall closet can also perform plug and play window commissioning. In one embodiment, each EC window has a designated RF transmitter mounted directly to the ceiling near the front of the window, allowing greater power transfer. In yet another embodiment, an EC window powered by wired or wireless means may also have a transmitter with an antenna on the surface of the sheet. By placing the antenna on the sheet, the antenna tends to be located at an unobstructed point in the room. In some embodiments, this may allow for broadcast power transmission through both sides of the sheet. In the case of an RF receiver having one or more designated RF transmitters, the location of which does not change, the RF receiver may not have to communicate the location and instructions for power transfer to the RF transmitter.

In some embodiments, the wireless receiver and/or wireless transmitter may be a component of a window controller that is part of an EC window (i.e., an on-board window controller). In some embodiments, the on-board controller may be positioned on a pane of the IGU, e.g., on a surface accessible from the interior of a building. For example, in the case of an IGU having two panes, an on-board controller may be provided on surface S4. In some embodiments, the on-board controller may be located between the lamellae in the IGU. For example, an on-board controller may be in the secondary seal of the IGU, but have a control panel on the outward facing surface, e.g., S1 or S4 of the IGU. In other cases, the on-board controller may be separate from the window (e.g., dockable) and read the chip associated with the base. In such an embodiment, the on-board controller may be field configured for the particular window with which it is associated, as it mates with the base and reads the chip therein. In some embodiments, the on-board controller is substantially within the thickness of the IGU such that the controller does not protrude very much into the interior (or external environment) of the building. Details of various embodiments of on-board window controllers can be found in U.S. patent application 14/951,410, filed 11/24/2015 and entitled "SELF-CONTAINED EC IGU (SELF-CONTAINED EC IGU)", which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

To improve wireless transmission, the RF transmitter may employ a directional antenna design, where the RF transmission is directed to the receiver. Directional RF antennas include such designs as yagi, log periodic, corner reflector, patch, and parabolic antennas. In some cases, the antenna structure may be configured to transmit waves with a particular polarization. For example, the antenna may have vertical or horizontal polarization, right-handed or left-handed polarization, or elliptical polarization. Transmitters and receivers configured for RF transmission (electromagnetic radiation having a frequency between about 3kHz and about 300 GHz) are referred to herein as RF transmitters and RF receivers. In some embodiments, the RF transmitter and/or RF receiver includes an array of antenna elements. For example, an RF transmitter may contain an array of antenna elements that operate independently of one another to transmit controlled three-dimensional radio frequency waves that may converge in space. The waves can be controlled to form constructive interference patterns or pockets of energy at the locations where the receivers are located by phase and/or amplitude modulation. In some embodiments, the antenna array covers a surface area of about 1 square foot to 4 square feet on a flat or parabolic panel. The antenna elements may be arranged in rows, columns, or any other arrangement. In general, a greater number of antennas allows greater directional control of the power transmitted. In some cases, the antenna array contains more than about 200 structures, and in some cases, the antenna array may be composed of more than about 400 structures.

In a multi-path embodiment, multiple transmission paths may be used simultaneously between the RF transmitter and the RF receiver, which may be used to reduce power transmitted along any one path, for example, to reduce power below a predetermined level. Various transmission paths may reach the receiver by reflecting off walls and other stationary objects. In some cases, the RF transmitter may transmit power along 5 to 10 paths, in some cases along 5 or more paths, and in some cases along 10 or more paths.

A typical RF transmitter may be capable of delivering about 10 watts of power to a single receiver located near the transmitter, e.g., less than 10 feet from the transmitter. If multiple devices are powered simultaneously, or if the RF receiver is located at a greater distance from the RF transmitter, the power delivered to each receiver may be reduced. For example, if power is transmitted simultaneously to four RF receivers at a distance of 10 feet to 15 feet, the power delivered at each RF receiver may be reduced to 1 watt to 3 watts.

In some embodiments, the RF transmitter includes one or more Radio Frequency Integrated Circuits (RFICs), wherein each RFIC controls transmission by adjusting the phase and/or amplitude of RF transmissions from one or more antennas. In certain embodiments, each RFIC receives instructions for controlling one or more antennas from a microcontroller containing logic for determining how the antennas should be controlled to form energy pockets at the location of one or more RF receivers. In some cases, the position of one or more RF receivers may be communicated to the transmitter through a network of ANTENNAS using geographic location and positioning methods, such as those described in U.S. patent application No. 62/340,936 entitled "WINDOW antenna (WINDOW antenna)" filed 5/24/2016, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In some cases, the location of one or more RF receivers may be determined manually during installation, and the RF transmitter may be configured to transmit the location of the receivers. To receive information related to delivering wireless power to an electrochromic window or other device, the RF transmitter may be configured to communicate with a window antenna network or another network, which may, for example, provide receiver location information and other information related to power transmission. In certain embodiments, the RF transmitter includes components for wireless communication via protocols such as Bluetooth, wi-Fi, zigBee, enOcean, and the like. In some embodiments, the same hardware used for wireless power transmission may also be used for communication (e.g., bluetooth or Wi-Fi). In some embodiments, the antenna of the transmitter may be used for both power transmission and communication using multi-mode and RF transmission.

In some embodiments, the RF transmitter may determine the location of an RF receiver that is also configured for wireless communication using a guessing and checking method. To perform the guessing and checking method, the RF transmitter first transmits a plurality of power transmissions, where each transmission corresponds to a different location in 3D space, thereby performing a coarse scan of the RF receiver in the vicinity of the RF transmitter. If the receiver receives power, it then communicates with the transmitter to confirm that the power transfer was successful. In some cases, the RF transmitter is also informed of the amount of power received by the receiver. The RF transmitter may then repeat guessing and checking multiple points in 3D space near the successful power transfer point to determine the best transmission settings for wirelessly delivering power to the RF receiver.

In some embodiments, the RF transmitter includes a Planar Inverted F Antenna (PIFA) array integrated with an Artificial Magnetic Conductor (AMC) metamaterial. PIFA designs may provide small dimensions and AMC metamaterials may provide artificial magnetic reflectors to direct the direction of energy wave emission. Further information on how PIFA antennas can be used with AMC metamaterials to create transmitters can be found in U.S. patent application publication No. 20160020647 entitled "Integrated Antenna array for Wireless Power Transfer" published on 21/1/2016, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Fig. 5 shows the components of an RF transmitter 500. The RF transmitter is encased by a housing 501, which may be made of any suitable material that does not substantially impede the passage of electromagnetic waves, such as plastic or hard rubber. Inside the housing 501, the RF transmitter 500 contains one or more antennas 502 that may be used to transmit radio frequency waves in a bandwidth, e.g., consistent with the regulations of the federal communications commission (or other government regulators of wireless communications). The RF transmitter 500 further comprises one or more RFICs 503, at least one microcontroller 504 and means for wireless communication 505. The RF transmitter 500 is connected to a power source 506, typically the wired electrical infrastructure of the building.

In some cases, the means for wireless communication 505 may comprise a micro-positioning chip that allows the location of the RF transmitter to be determined by a network of antennas communicating through pulse-based ultra-wideband (UWB) technology (ECMA-368 and ECMA-369). When the receiver is equipped with a micro-positioning chip, the relative position of the device with the receiver can be determined to within 10cm, and in some cases within 5 cm. In other cases, the means for wireless communication 505 may comprise an RFID tag or another similar device.

A wireless power receiver (e.g., an RF receiver) may be located in various locations near the transmitter to receive wireless power transmissions, such as locations within the same room as the transmitter. Where the receiver is paired with an electrochromic IGU, the receiver can be an on-board receiver structurally attached to the IGU. The on-board receiver may be located in the window controller, in a box attached to the window controller, located in proximity to the IGU (e.g., within the frame of the window assembly), or located a short distance from the IGU but electrically connected to the window controller. In some cases, the on-board receiver may be located within the secondary seal or within the spacer of the IGU.

In some embodiments, the antenna of the on-board receiver is located on one or more sheets of the IGU. By placing the antenna on the surface of the sheet of the window, the antenna is generally located in an unobstructed vantage point in the room and can receive power transmission through both sides of the IGU.

In some embodiments, the on-board receiver is located on the sheet and connected to a window control located in a longitudinal slot in the wall. The longitudinal grooves in the wall can be made serviceable. For example, a dongle with a window controller may fall into a recess in a wall during installation. In some embodiments, the on-board receiver is built on a non-conductive substrate (such as a flexible printed circuit board) on which the antenna elements are printed, etched, or laminated, and the on-board receiver is attached to a surface of a sheet of the IGU.

In some implementations, when one or more IGUs are configured to wirelessly receive power from a transmitter, the transmitter is also configured to wirelessly power another electronic device, such as a laptop or other mobile device.

Fig. 6 is a block diagram depicting the structure of a wireless RF receiver 600 that may be used with an electrochromic window. Similar to the RF transmitter, the RF receiver includes one or more of the antennas 602, which may be connected to a rectifier in series, parallel, or a combination thereof. In operation, the antenna element 602 passes an alternating current signal corresponding to an alternating RF wave that has been received to a rectifier circuit 603, which converts the alternating voltage to a direct current voltage. The direct current voltage is then passed to a power converter 604, such as a DC to DC converter for providing a constant voltage output. Optionally, receiver 600 further includes or is connected to an energy storage device 606, such as a battery or super capacitor, that stores energy for later use. In the case of an on-board receiver for a window, the receiver 600 and/or the energy storage device 606 may be connected to a powered device 607, which may contain one or more of a window controller, a window antenna, sensors associated with the window, and an electrochromic device. When the RF receiver includes or is connected to an energy storage device, a microcontroller or other suitable processor logic may be used to determine whether the received power is immediately used by powered device 607 or stored in energy storage device 606 for later use. For example, if the RF receiver receives more energy than the powered device currently needs (e.g., coloring a window), the excess energy may be stored in the battery. Optionally, the RF receiver 600 may further include a wireless communication interface or module 608 configured to communicate with a window network, antenna network, BMS, or the like. Using such a communication interface or module, a microcontroller or other control logic associated with receiver 600 may request that power be transmitted from the transmitter. In some embodiments, the RF receiver contains a micropositioning chip that communicates via pulse-based Ultra Wideband (UWB) technology (ECMA-368 and ECMA-369), allowing the position of the RF receiver to be determined by, for example, a window or antenna network, which may provide a location for the transmitter. Other types of positioning devices or systems may be used to assist the RF transmitter and associated transmission logic in wirelessly delivering power to the appropriate location (the location of the receiver).

In some cases, some or all of the components of RF receiver 600 are contained in a housing 601, which may be made of any suitable material that allows electromagnetic transmission, such as plastic or hard rubber. In one case, the RF receiver shares a housing with the window controller. In some cases, the wireless communication component 608, the microcontroller 605, the converter 604, and the energy storage device 606 have functions that are shared with other window controller operations.

As explained, the receiver (e.g. RF receiver) may have means to provide location information and/or to instruct the transmitter to transmit power. In some cases, the receiver or an associated component nearby, such as an electrochromic window or window controller, provides the location of the receiver and/or instructs the transmitter where to send the power transmission. In some embodiments, the transmitter may determine the power transfer independent of instructions from the receiver. For example, during installation the transmitter may be configured to send a power transmission to one or more designated locations corresponding to the placement of one or more receivers at fixed locations or at movable locations that are repositioned at designated time intervals. In another example, the instructions for power transfer may be sent by a module or component other than the receiver; for example, a remote device operated by the BMS or by a user. In yet another example, the instructions for power transfer may be determined from data collected from sensors, such as photoelectric sensors and temperature sensors, that have been correlated to the power requirements of the electrochromic window.

The antenna array of the RF receiver may contain antenna elements with different polarizations, e.g. vertical or horizontal polarization, right or left hand polarization, or elliptical polarization. When there is one RF transmitter that transmits an RF signal of known polarization, the RF receiver may have antenna elements of matched polarization. In the case where the orientation of the RF transmission is unknown, the antenna elements may have various polarizations.

In certain embodiments, the RF receiver includes an array of antenna elements (also referred to as an antenna array) comprising between about 20 and 100 antenna elements that as a group are capable of delivery to the powered device between about 5 volts to 10 volts. In some cases, the RF receiver has an array of antenna elements in the form of patch antennas having length and width dimensions. In one example, the length and width of the patch antenna are in a range between about 1mm and about 25 mm. The patch antenna may be located on a transparent substrate of the EC window. The use of an antenna array (transmitter and/or receiver) on a transparent substrate provides bi-directional transmission and can achieve unobstructed transmission, as windows are typically located at unobstructed points in a room. Fig. 7 is a photograph of a patch antenna 705 on a glass substrate 701. In other cases, other antenna designs are used to include metamaterial antennas and dipole antennas. In some cases, the spacing between the antennas of the RF receiver is very small; for example between 5nm and 15 nm. Higher frequency antennas in the gigahertz range are relatively small, e.g., 2 to 3 inches in either direction.

The wireless power transfer configuration enables window powering that is otherwise unavailable. For example, in some systems, trunk lines (e.g., 24V trunk lines) are used to route throughout a building, intermediate lines (often referred to as drop lines) connect local window controllers to the trunk lines, and window lines connect window controllers to windows. According to one aspect, the EC windows are powered by wireless power transmission and each window contains a local power storage device. In this case, no trunk line is required at the EC window.

Wireless power transfer enables building power supply systems that are otherwise unavailable. For example, in some building systems, a trunk (e.g., a 24V trunk) is used to route throughout the building, an intermediate line (often referred to as a drop line) connects the local window controller to the trunk, and a window line connects the window controller to the window. According to one aspect, certain EC windows are powered by wireless power transmission and each window includes a local power storage device for storing power until needed. In this case, no trunk line is required at the EC window. The local electrical power storage device may optionally have a charging mechanism, such as, for example, a trickle charging mechanism. The charging mechanism may be based on wireless power transfer or wired. Typically, the use of wireless power (and communications) transmission eliminates the need for expensive cables that can carry both power and communications.

Some examples of wireless power transfer network configurations

Electrochromic windows are typically part of a large window network in which the power transmission is coupled to the network infrastructure. As the window network may have different sizes and applications, there may be various configurations in which wireless power may be implemented within the window network. In some cases, only one cascaded segment between nodes of the power transmission network may be wireless, and in some cases, there may be multiple cascaded segments of the power transmission network in which power is transmitted wirelessly. The window network may also interface with other networks or devices to which power may be transmitted or received. For purposes of illustration, several configurations of power transmission networks in a building will now be described. These configurations are not meant to be limiting. For example, additional configurations may include combinations of the configurations described below or elsewhere herein. Although these illustrative examples are given in the context of a building, one skilled in the art can readily appreciate how similar configurations may be implemented for applications such as automobiles, airplanes, boats, trains, and the like.

In each of these configurations, a wirelessly powered device (e.g., a window or mobile device) has a receiver that may be part of a single component or may be a separate component. In addition to receiving wireless power, the receiver may also be configured to send and/or receive communication signals. For example, the receiver may be configured to broadcast an omni-directional beacon signal received by the wireless power transmitter (e.g., by reflecting a surface or propagating directly). These signals received by the transmitter may be used to inform the wireless power transmitter path to return the wireless power transfer to the device to be charged.

Configuration I

In a first power transmission network configuration, one or more electrochromic windows and/or one or more other devices (e.g., mobile devices) in a window network are each configured with a receiver to receive wireless power broadcast from a remote transmitter (e.g., a remote transmitter that is a standalone base station). The remote transmitter is connected to the electrical infrastructure of the building and/or has its own power supply. Typically, each receiver will have an energy storage device in which the wirelessly transmitted power can be stored until it is used by one or more electrochromic windows and/or one or more devices. By supplying power to operate the windows from an energy storage device, such as a battery, power may be wirelessly transmitted at a level that is lower than required for operation of one or more electrochromic windows or one or more mobile devices. Although the window is described in many examples herein in the form of an IGU, other embodiments may include windows in the form of a laminated structure.

An embodiment of this first power transmission network configuration is shown in fig. 4. As depicted in fig. 4, a single transmitter 401 may be configured to deliver power transmission to a particular group of EC windows, e.g., EC window 406 with receiver 402 in room 404. In one embodiment, the designated transmitter 401 may also be configured to power another electronic mobile device 403, such as a phone, tablet or laptop. In some embodiments, the remote transmitter may be very close to the receiver (e.g., less than 6 inches), such as when inductive coupling is used as described elsewhere herein, while in other cases, such as when RF or microwave wireless transmission of power is used, the remote transmitter may be far from its intended receiver (e.g., 15 feet to 30 feet). In the latter case, the emitters may be located in or on a wall, ceiling (as shown in fig. 4), or on a shelf, table top, or floor of a space. In some cases, the window network may have multiple transmitters, where the transmitters are configured such that each receiver receives power from only one transmitter. In some cases, two or more transmitters may be configured to broadcast a wireless power transmission to a single receiver.

In some embodiments described herein, the transmitter is an RF transmitter manufactured by a company, such as Powercast, energous, or Ossia ^TM Cota of manufacture ^TM And (4) a system. In some cases, the RF transmitter may initially receive an omnidirectional beacon signal broadcast from a receiver of a wirelessly powered device. By calculating the phase of each of the incident waves of the beacon signal, the transmitter can determine the position of the receiver of the wirelessly powered device, thereby informing of the directionality of the RF power transmission. In some cases, the remote transmitter may broadcast power along reflections of each of the incident waves of the beacon signal. In other cases, the remote transmitter may broadcast power along the best reflected path, for example, of the incident wave with the strongest signal received by the RF transmitter. In these cases, the remote transmitter may broadcast focused RF waves along multiple different beam paths, each of which may reflect surfaces (e.g., walls and ceilings) before reaching the receiver in the wirelessly powered device so that the remote transmitter and wireless may be surroundedObstacles between receivers in a powered device transfer power. By transmitting power along multiple paths, the power transmitted along each path may be significantly less than the total power wirelessly delivered to the receiver.

In other cases, the RF receiver of a wirelessly powered device broadcasts multiple unidirectional beacon signals in different directions at different times. The RF transmitter receives one or more unidirectional beacon signals (S) and is configured to calculate a phase of each of the incident waves of the beacon signals to determine the directionality of the path of the RF power transmission and/or the location of the receiver. In one embodiment, the remote RF transmitter may broadcast power along a path (e.g., a reflected path or a direct propagation path) of each of the incident waves of the beacon signal. In another embodiment, the remote transmitter may broadcast power along some optimized path, for example, the incident wave with the strongest beacon signal received by the RF transmitter. In this embodiment, the power transferred may depend on the number of optimized paths. In any of these embodiments, the remote transmitter may broadcast focused RF waves along a plurality of different beam paths. Some of these paths may reflect surfaces (e.g., walls and ceilings) before reaching a receiver in the wirelessly powered device so that power may be transmitted around obstacles between the remote transmitter and the powered device. By transmitting power along multiple paths, the power transmitted along each path may be significantly less than the total power wirelessly transferred to the receiver of the powered device.

Another embodiment of this first power transmission network configuration is shown in fig. 13A and 13B. In the embodiment shown here, a top view of a room 1301 is depicted that uses a transmitter 1310 (e.g., an RF transmitter) as a stand-alone base station. The transmitter or standalone base station 1310 is configured to wirelessly power IGU 1320 and/or to power other devices with a receiver such as mobile device 1430, depicted as a mobile phone, although other mobile devices may be implemented. For example, a similar embodiment with a separate base station may be implemented to power curtain walls of IGUs in a room.

Fig. 13A and 13B depict schematic diagrams of a top view of a room 1301 configured for wireless power transfer, including an RF transmitter or stand-alone base station 1310. The room 1301 includes two IGUs 1320 along the walls and a mobile device 1330 in the form of a mobile phone. Although not shown, other devices with receivers may be in the room 1301. Each of IGUs 1320 has a receiver (e.g., an RF receiver) configured on the glass of IGU 1322. In other embodiments, the receiver 1322 may be located within the IGU 1320 (e.g., in a secondary seal of the IGU), in or on a frame element, or in or on a wall adjacent to the IGU 1320. The mobile device 1330 has a receiver such as an RF receiver. The RF transmitter or standalone base station 1310 may be connected to the power infrastructure of a building and/or have an internal power source. The RF transmitter or independent base station 1310 is configured to convert electrical power into electromagnetic transmissions. Devices such as IGU 1320 and mobile device 1330 have at least one associated receiver configured to convert electromagnetic transmissions from independent base station 1310 into electrical signals to power their associated devices into usable electrical energy and power. In the example shown, the standalone base station 1310 is located in a corner of the room 1301. According to another embodiment, which is similar in some respects to the example shown in fig. 4, in order to reduce the loss of power transmission resulting from the absorption and reflection of electromagnetic waves (especially in the case of RF waves), a separate base station may be placed in a central location, such as in the middle of a ceiling or in the center of a wall, which may have a clearer line of sight (less obstruction) to the receivers in the room 1301.

Fig. 13A depicts an example when an RF transmitter or standalone base station 1310 is receiving incident waves from an omni-directional beacon signal broadcast from a receiver of a mobile device 1330. In some cases, a user may request to initiate wireless charging through an application on mobile device 1330 that causes mobile device 1330 to broadcast a substantially omnidirectional beacon signal. Three arrows 1340 depict the direction of the substantially omni-directional beacon signal along the path that successfully reaches independent base station 1310, as the waves of the omni-directional beacon signal reflect off the walls of room 1301. By calculating the phase of the waves received at the individual base station 1310, the corresponding direction of power transmission from the RF transmitter or the individual base station 1310 may be determined. Three arrows 1350 depict the direction of return to the receiver of the mobile device 1330 along the return path of the power transmission. Arrows 1340 and 1350 illustrate how the direction of the wave receiving the beacon signal may be used to determine a path for delivering power wirelessly to the mobile device 1330.

The receiver 1322 may be in or on the window controller or otherwise associated with the IGU 1320. In this example, the receiver 1322 is also configured to broadcast a substantially unidirectional beacon signal to provide a transmission path for wireless power transfer to an RF transmitter or a separate base station 1310. If the mobile base station 1310, or a window or associated power receiver, moves, then the beacon method may be a useful reconfiguration method, as the wireless power transmission may be automatically updated. Fig. 13B depicts an example when an RF transmitter or standalone base station 1310 is receiving an incident wave from an omni-directional beacon signal broadcast from a receiver 1322 of one of IGUs 1320. The instantaneous energy paths, power, and beacon signals shown in fig. 13A and 13B may occur simultaneously or at different times. In fig. 13B, three arrows 1340 depict the direction back to the mobile device's receiver along the return path of the power transmission, depicting the direction of the beacon signal along the path that successfully reaches the RF transmitter or independent base station 1310, as the beacon signal is reflected from the walls of the room 1301. By calculating the phase of each of the incident waves of the omnidirectional beacon signal, the power transmission path can be determined. Three arrows 1350 depict the direction of return to the receiver 1322 of one of the IGUs 1320 along the return path of the power transmission.

Another embodiment of this first power transmission network configuration is shown in fig. 2B. As illustrated in fig. 2B, the window with the receiver 204 may receive power from the transmitter 202 which is electrically connected to the further windows 205 such that these further windows receive power through the window with the receiver. In the embodiment described with respect to fig. 2B, the window 204 need not be located at the end of the linear chain of windows, e.g., it may be anywhere in the linear chain of windows, or serve as a central receiver hub for other windows (not shown in fig. 2), e.g., in a star network topology, a ring network topology, etc. Fully interconnected (meshed) wireless power networks of windows are also within the scope of embodiments herein, e.g., where each window includes a wireless power transmitter and receiver. An external power transmitter, e.g., remote from the window network, transmits power to one or more of the windows in the network. In turn, one or more windows of the network may transmit power and/or receive power from other windows in the network. Such a configuration may increase cost, but allows for greater flexibility in the power scheme and allows for redundancy of potential blockages of wireless power signals.

Configuration II

In a second power transmission network configuration, one or more of the electrochromic windows of the network has a transmitter and may serve as a base station configured to wirelessly power devices. For example, an IGU having a wireless power transmitter may act as an IGU base station that powers other IGUs and/or devices such as mobile devices. Each IGU base station (also referred to herein as a "source window" or "window base station") has an associated transmitter configured to wirelessly deliver power to a receiver. Typically, an IGU base station serves a device with a receiver that is located within a predefined range of a wireless transmitter at the IGU. The receiver may also be configured to transmit a substantially omni-directional beacon signal. In one embodiment, the curtain wall has one or more wireless powered base stations IGU configured to wirelessly deliver power to other IGUs in the receiver-equipped curtain wall. Typically, a receiving electrochromic window or device has an energy storage device in which wirelessly transmitted power may be stored until it is used by the electrochromic window or other device, such as a mobile device. By supplying power to operate the window or device from an energy storage device, such as a battery, power may be wirelessly transmitted at a level lower than required for operation of the electrochromic window or mobile device. In some cases, the wireless power transfer window may also include a photovoltaic power source, e.g., an integrated transparent PV film and/or a power feed from a remote PV array. Additionally or alternatively, the electrochromic window and/or window controller may also receive power from a conventional power source.

One embodiment of a second power transmission network configuration is shown in fig. 8. In this illustrated example, the window network 800 has an electrochromic window 810 (linked to a central power source 820 in this example) configured with a transmitter to wirelessly broadcast power to other electronic devices 803. Each of the electronic devices 803 is equipped with a remote wireless receiver, such as a cellular device and a laptop computer near a window network. In some cases, the transmitter may be located inside the window controller. In some cases, the transmitter may be attached to the window frame, in the secondary seal of the IGU, in the spacer of the IGU, or near the window (e.g., on a nearby wall). In some cases, such as when using RF wireless power transmission, the antenna array of the transmitter may be on a surface (e.g., a visible portion) of the window sheet, as described elsewhere herein. In some embodiments, the transmitter may be configured to broadcast the power signal from both sides of the sheet. Windows configured to transmit wireless power may be powered by wires passing through the electrical infrastructure of building 820, or in some cases they may be powered wirelessly, for example, by inductive coupling. Optionally, the window network 800 also includes additional electrochromic windows 811 that are not configured with a wireless power transmitter. In the example shown, electrochromic window 811 is additionally electrically connected to electrochromic window 810 by a wire to receive power. In another embodiment, further electrochromic window 811 may additionally or alternatively have a receiver configured to receive wireless power transmission from electrochromic window 810.

Another embodiment of the second power transmission network configuration is shown in fig. 14A and 14B. Fig. 14A and 14A depict schematic diagrams of top views of a room 1401 configured for wireless power transfer. In the example shown, room 1401 contains two IGUs 1421, with transmitters (e.g., RF transmitters) 1425 acting as IGU base stations in a first wall. The room 1401 also includes an IGU 1420 in the opposite wall with a receiver 1422 (e.g., an RF receiver) for receiving wireless power. The two transmitters 1425 are configured to wirelessly power other IGUs 1420 and/or other devices having receivers (e.g., RF receivers), such as mobile devices 1430. Although the mobile device 1430 is depicted herein as a mobile phone, it should be understood that other mobile devices may be implemented. The transmitter 1425 on the IGU 1421 can be connected to the electrical infrastructure of the building and/or have an internal power supply. The transmitter 1425 is configured to convert power into electromagnetic transmissions that are received by one or more receivers that convert wireless power into electrical current to power their associated devices.

Fig. 14A depicts an example when the transmitter 1425 receives incident waves from the mobile device 1430. According to one aspect, a user may request initiation of wireless charging by an application on mobile device 1430 that causes mobile device 1430 to generate a substantially omni-directional beacon signal. The four arrows 1440 depict the direction of the beacon signal along several paths that successfully reach the transmitter 1425 when the beacon signal is reflected off the walls of the room 1401. By calculating the phase of the incident wave received at the transmitter 1425, the corresponding path of power transfer can be determined. Four arrows 1450 depict return paths that may be used to wirelessly deliver power to the mobile device 1430.

Fig. 14B depicts an example when a transmitter 1425 receives incident waves from a substantially omni-directional beacon signal broadcast by a receiver 1422 disposed on an IGU 1420. The events depicted in fig. 14A and 14B may occur simultaneously or at different times. In fig. 14B, arrow 1440 depicts the direction of an omni-directional beacon signal along six paths that successfully reach the transmitter 1425 of transmitter 1425. In some cases, these paths may reflect off of walls or other objects and in other cases, the paths may go directly between the receiver 1422 and the emitter 1425. By calculating the phase of each of the incident waves, the power transmission path can be determined. Arrows 1440 and 1450 depict how power is transmitted back along the same path of the received beacon signal to deliver wireless power to the receiver 1422 of the IGU 1420.

Configuration III

In a third power transmission network configuration, the window network has one or more source windows (also referred to herein as "window base stations" or "IGU base stations") and one or more receiving windows. The one or more source windows are configured to wirelessly distribute power to a network of windows. Typically, the source window is configured to receive power from the electrical infrastructure of the building from a transmitter, either by wire or wirelessly (e.g., by RF or inductive coupling). Additional receiving windows in the window network are powered by a receiver that converts wireless power transmission from one or more of the source windows back into electrical energy. Typically, the receiver has an associated energy storage device in which the wirelessly transmitted power may be stored until power is required so that it may be transmitted at a lower level than is required to operate the window transition. According to one aspect, a window network may have one or more windows with both a receiver and a transmitter so that they can both receive and broadcast wireless power transmissions.

An embodiment of a third power transmission network configuration is shown in fig. 9. As depicted in fig. 9, the window network 900 has one or more source windows 910 for wirelessly distributing power to the window network and, for example, mobile devices or other devices in a space having receivers. The window network 900 has two wireless power distribution areas 930 and 931, which may, for example, represent areas over which source windows may effectively distribute wireless power. As shown, there may be some overlap of these areas (common space) where one or more windows may effectively receive power from either or both of the source windows 910.

Considering the region 930 of the window network 900, the network has an additional window 911 configured to receive power from a source window on the network. Although not shown, the window 911 that receives power wirelessly may be electrically connected by wires to one or more additional windows such that each additional window receives power by being connected to a receiver (as described with respect to windows 204 and 205 in fig. 2B).

Considering the area 931 of the window network 900, the network also has windows 912 with both receivers and transmitters so that they can receive and broadcast wireless power transmissions. By having the ability to receive and transmit power, the windows may be daisy chained together such that each window becomes a power node in the wireless power distribution network, thereby increasing the distance over which power originating from the source window can be delivered wirelessly. In this sense, each window configured with a receiver and a transmitter may be considered a power repeater, relaying the power signal to the next window, and supplementing the received power with energy already stored in the energy storage device. When daisy-chained together windows, the electrical wiring required for window operation can be greatly reduced, for example, by a factor of 10 compared to a standard electrochromic window network. Such reduced wiring may be advantageous in applications such as when retrofitting older structures that do not have sufficient electrical infrastructure in some places to have electrochromic windows. Another advantage of using this configuration is that the window network can also be used to distribute power to other electronic devices in the building having remote wireless receivers, thus possibly eliminating the need for a wired distribution network within the structure.

In another embodiment of the third power transmission network configuration depicted in fig. 10, the curtain walls of the electrochromic window 1000 are powered through a single source window 1020. The window 1020 may receive power through a wired connection to the power supply 1010, or it may receive power wirelessly. Using magnetic induction as described elsewhere herein, the transmitter 1370 and receiver 1360 are used to (virtually) daisy chain the rest of the windows 1030 on the curtain wall so that they receive power through the source windows 1020. The daisy-chained connection in this sense is a wireless chain, and in this example, the window 1020 is a divergent node, with two daisy-chains emanating from it through two transmitters 1370. In some embodiments, the emitter 1370 and receiver 1360 are located in the secondary seal of each window, in some embodiments they are located in the frame between each window. In some embodiments, wireless power transfer between windows on a curtain wall occurs by some other means, such as electrostatic induction or radio waves.

Configuration IV

In a fourth power transmission network configuration, power is wirelessly transferred from the window frame to the IGU using inductive coupling as described elsewhere herein (e.g., the description of fig. 3B-3G). By wirelessly transferring power across the glazing bag, the space required for the glazing bag for wiring and the electronic components for powering the EC window may be eliminated. This is advantageous in the marketplace where the glazing pocket depth is reduced to maximize the viewable area of each window. In addition to passing through the glazing bag, the time-varying magnetic field may also pass through a window frame, a glass pane, a spacer (e.g., if the receiver is located within the spacer), or a material in the window glass such as aluminum or foam (e.g., if the receiver is located within the IGU and the transmitter is external to the IGU, such as transmitting wireless power to the glass face).

An embodiment of a fourth power transmission network configuration is shown in fig. 11. The window depicted in fig. 11 includes positioning block 1165 between IGU 1103 and window frame 1375. Frame 1375 has an embedded transmitter 1137 made of stainless steel or another material that will substantially inhibit the passage of a time-varying magnetic field to receiver 1136. In the example shown, a portion of the frame 1375 between the transmitter 1137 and the glazing bag is removed and replaced with a key 1110 made of a material that allows the passage of magnetic energy (e.g., plastic). In some cases, the key 1110 is inserted into the frame during manufacture of the window frame. In other cases, such as in retrofit applications where the window frame is reused, a portion of the frame may be cut out to create space for the transmitter and keys prior to installation of the IGU. In the example shown, the emitter 1137 has an exposed surface (the angle of the hole formed by cutting a hole in the window frame) from which energy transmission can be radiated. The exposed surface may have a protective coating such as a polymer or plastic material. This material may be substantially color matched to the frame (as may the aforementioned keys).

In one embodiment of this configuration, the window controller may be attached to the window frame or positioned proximate to the window, thereby decoupling the window controller from the IGU. In one embodiment, the window controller first receives power wirelessly by any method disclosed elsewhere herein before powering the IGU through inductive coupling. By separating the window controller from the IGU, hardware updates may be made more easily. For example, if the IGU needs to be replaced, it may not be necessary to replace or remove the window controller. On the other hand, if the window controller is updated, it may not be necessary to replace or remove the IGU. When the window controller is separate from the IGU, the IGU may contain active circuitry for converting the received ac power to dc power and controlling the voltage applied to the bus bars. In one embodiment, the plurality of transmitters may operate out of phase with one another and the passive circuitry may be contained in a secondary seal or spacer of the IGU to generate direct current from the plurality of alternating currents out of phase.

Configuration V

In a fifth power transmission network configuration, a remote window controller is connected to and controls wireless transmission of the transmitter, wherein the remote window controller is located at a distance from the window. An example of such a configuration is depicted in fig. 12, where a window controller 1230 is connected to and controls wireless power transmission of a transmitter 1240 located at a remote distance from the electrochromic window 1210. In this illustrated example, the electrochromic window 1210 has passive electronics 1250 for delivering power directly to the EC device. The passive electronic device 1250 is electrically connected to a receiver that receives wireless transmissions from a remote transmitter 1240. Typically, in this configuration, the receiver will have an antenna on the surface of the sheet (e.g., on the surface of the electrochromic device coating) for receiving electromagnetic transmissions. In some cases, as the antenna shown in fig. 12, the antenna is a loop antenna 1220 that runs along the perimeter of the viewable area. The ANTENNAS described herein that may be placed on the surface of a sheet may be manufactured using methods such as those described in U.S. patent application No. 62/340,936 entitled "WINDOW antenna (WINDOW antenna)" filed 5/24/2016, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

In some embodiments of the fifth configuration, the window controller controls duty cycle and pulse width modulation of transmissions having the same frequency sent from multiple antennas (e.g., an antenna array of a transmitter) such that a net voltage difference may be delivered to the busbar. In some cases, the receiver may be equipped with multiple antennas that receive electromagnetic transmissions out of phase so that a net voltage is applied to the busbar.

Configuration VI

A sixth power transmission network configuration includes both stand-alone base stations and windows acting as base stations, i.e., window base stations (also referred to herein as "IGU base stations" or "source windows"). It may be desirable to have both independent base stations and window base stations in the area served, depending on the needs of the powered device and the geometry of the space. For example, multiple base stations may be needed in a room with transmission blocking obstructions that will block transmissions from a single base station anywhere in the room. Other windows and/or other devices, such as mobile devices or other electronic devices, are configured with receivers to wirelessly receive power broadcast from transmitters of both independent base stations and window base stations. In one aspect, an IGU having a wireless power transmitter may act as an IGU base station, and the IGU base station, along with a standalone base station, may power other IGUs and/or additional devices. For example, a curtain wall may have one or more wireless powered base stations IGU that may deliver wireless power to the remaining IGUs in the curtain wall that have receivers. These devices powered by IGU base stations typically have a receiver with an energy storage device in which the wirelessly transmitted power can be stored until it is used. By supplying power to operate the IGU from an energy storage device, such as a battery, power may be wirelessly transmitted at a level below that required for operation of the one or more electrochromic windows or the one or more mobile devices.

An embodiment of the components in this sixth power transmission network configuration is shown in fig. 15A and 15B. Fig. 15A and 15B depict schematic diagrams of top views of a room 1501 configured for wireless power transmission with this sixth configuration. The room 1501 includes an IGU 1521 serving as an IGU base station on which an RF transmitter 1510 and an RF transmitter 1525 serving as independent base stations are disposed. The transmitter is connected to the electrical infrastructure of the building and/or has an internal power source. In this illustrated example, the RF transmitter 1510 of the standalone base station and the RF transmitter 1525 of the IGU base station are configured to wirelessly power other IGUs 1521 with receivers 1522 and/or other devices with receivers such as mobile devices 1530. While the mobile device 1530 is shown in the form of a mobile phone, it should be understood that other mobile devices (e.g., laptop, tablet, etc.) may be implemented. In the depicted example, the transmitters 1510 of the individual base stations are located in the corners of the room 1501. In another embodiment, to reduce losses in the power transmission due to absorption and reflection of electromagnetic waves (especially in the case of RF waves), the transmitter 1510 of the individual base station may be placed in a central location, such as in the middle of a ceiling or in the center of a wall, which preferably has a line of sight to all receivers in the room 1501.

Fig. 15A depicts an example when a transmitter 1510 acting as an independent base station and a transmitter 1525 on/in an IGU acting as an IGU base station are receiving incident waves from an omni-directional beacon signal broadcast by a receiver of a mobile device 1530. For example, a user may request initiation of wireless charging through an application on the mobile device 1530 that causes the device to generate a substantially omnidirectional beacon signal. Arrow 1540 depicts the direction of a substantially omnidirectional beacon signal along several paths that successfully reach transmitters 1510, 1525 as the beacon signal propagates around room 1501. By calculating the phase of the incident wave received at each transmitter 1510, 1525, the corresponding path of power transmission to be used by each respective transmitter 1510, 1525 can be determined. Arrow 1550 depicts the direction of the return path to wirelessly deliver power to the mobile device 1530. Arrows 1540 and 1550 depict how the path of the received beacon signal can be used to wirelessly deliver power to mobile device 1530 along the return path.

Fig. 15B depicts an example when a transmitter 1510, 1525 is receiving an incident wave from a substantially omnidirectional beacon signal broadcast by a receiver 1522 of one of the IGUs 1520. The events depicted in fig. 15A and 15B may occur simultaneously or at different times. In fig. 15B, arrow 1540 depicts the direction of an omni-directional beacon signal along several paths that successfully reach one of the two transmitters 1510, 1525. In some cases, these paths may reflect walls or other objects, and in other cases, these paths may take a direct path between the receiver and the transmitter. By calculating the phase of each of the incident waves, the power transmission path can be determined. Arrow 1550 depicts how power may be transmitted back along the same path of a received beacon signal to deliver wireless power to the receiver 1522 of the IGU 1520 that transmitted the beacon signal.

Multiple transmitters

In certain embodiments, the power transmission network comprises a plurality of transmitters. For example, the power transmission network configuration shown in fig. 14A and 14B includes two IGUs 1421, with the transmitter 1425 serving as an IGU base station. As another example, the power transmission network configuration shown in fig. 15A and 15B includes IGU 1521 with transmitter 1525 acting as an IGU base station and remote transmitter 1510 acting as a stand-alone base station.

With a single base station in the network, the ability to resolve the precise angle of the received signal may be limited by the directional antenna of the transmitter at the single base station. Configurations with multiple base stations allow additional sources of reflected signals (or direct signals), which can be more accurately determined: 1) the direction of the signal path, 2) the location of devices at greater distances that are wirelessly powered, such as mobile devices or IGUs, and/or 3) the location of other objects in space.

In one embodiment, multiple base stations may be implemented to determine a 3D mapping of space. For example, if the entire skin of a building is covered or substantially covered by the source window, a 3D map may be generated based on the reflected signal (and/or the direct signal). In some cases, the "reflected signal model" may be combined with other location-aware techniques (e.g., UWB chips in mobile devices) to create a more fault-tolerant positioning system. For example, signals from transmitters at multiple base stations at different locations may be used to triangulate the location of the device, and in some cases take into account the physical layout of buildings, such as walls and furniture. Additionally, the network may utilize data measured by internal, magnetic, and other sensors on the devices therein to improve positioning accuracy. For example, using the sensed magnetic information, the orientation of assets within a building may be determined. The orientation of the assets may be used to refine the accuracy of the footprint of the asset footprint. In one case, the determined 3D mapping may be used to optimize a path for power transmission from a base station in a building. For example, a path may be determined that avoids furniture or other objects in the space.

According to some embodiments, an electrochromic window of a building has a transmitter that can be used as a wireless power transmission source for the building. For electrochromic windows between the interior of a building and the external environment, such as, for example, windows in glass curtain walls, the windows may be configured to transmit wireless power inside and/or outside the building. According to one aspect, the entire skin of a building may be covered in an EC window, with the transmitter serving as a window base station to provide a wireless power source throughout the building.

According to various embodiments, the transmitter may be configured to communicate via various forms of wireless electromagnetic transmission; such as a time-varying electric, magnetic or electromagnetic field. Common wireless protocols for electromagnetic communication include, but are not limited to, bluetooth, BLE, wi-Fi, RF, and Ultra Wideband (UWB). The direction of the reflected path and the position of the device may be determined from information relating to the transmission received from the transmitter, such as received strength or power, time or phase of arrival, frequency and angle of arrival of the wirelessly transmitted signal. When determining the position of the device from these measurements, triangulation algorithms may be implemented, which in some cases take into account the physical layout of the building, such as walls and furniture.

Examples of windows configured to provide and/or receive wireless power

One aspect of the present disclosure relates to an Insulated Glass Unit (IGU) or other window structure that receives, provides, and/or regulates wireless power within a building. In some embodiments, the window structure includes at least one antenna for receiving and/or transmitting wireless power. Window structures such as those in the form of IGUs comprise a plurality of sheets. In various embodiments, a light-switchable device, such as an electrochromic device, is disposed on at least one of the sheets.

In some cases, the antenna is in the form of a window antenna, located on one or more surfaces of the window structure, such as an IGU. In some cases, one or more window antennas are located in the viewable area of the window structure (i.e., the area that a viewer can see substantially through the window in a transparent state). In other cases, one or more window antennas are placed outside the viewable area, for example, on a window frame.

In various embodiments, an IGU or other window structure having multiple sheets includes both one or more electrochromic device coatings and one or more window antennas. In some cases, the electrochromic device coating and the window antenna layer are co-located on the same surface of the sheet. In other cases, the electrochromic device coating is on a different surface than the antenna layer. For example, the electrochromic device may be located on a surface outside of the internal antenna, or may be placed on a surface inside of the external antenna.

During a typical IGU manufacturing sequence, a first sheet is received into the manufacturing line for various manufacturing operations, and then a second "mating" sheet is introduced into the manufacturing line for further operations. In various embodiments described herein, the IGU includes a first sheet having an electrochromic device coating disposed on one of its surfaces (e.g., S1 or S2) and a second "mating" sheet (also referred to as an antenna sheet) having a window antenna layer disposed on at least one of its surfaces (e.g., S3 and/or S4). In one embodiment, the IGU includes a first sheet having an electrochromic device coating disposed on the interior surface S2, and a mating sheet having a window antenna layer disposed on the interior third surface S3 or fourth surface S4. In one example, the antenna array is etched from ITO on the S3 surface. Fabricating the EC device coating and antenna layers on different sheets may provide flexibility during IGU fabrication. For example, mating sheets with or without antenna layers may be introduced into the IGU manufacturing sequence without changing the general manufacturing sequence, as desired.

Fig. 16 depicts an isometric view of a corner of an IGU 1600 configured to receive, provide, and/or condition wireless power, in accordance with various embodiments. In general, the structure of IGU 1600 may represent any of the window structures described above, unless otherwise specified. IGU 1600 includes a first sheet 1602 having a first surface S1 and a second surface S2. IGU 1600 further includes a second mating tab 1604 having a third surface S3 and a fourth surface S4. First sheet 1602 and second mating sheet 1604 are shown attached to frame structure 1606. Although not shown, IGU 1600 also includes a spacer between first sheet 1602 and second mating sheet 1604, a sealant between the spacer and the first and second sheets, and/or various other IGU structures. IGU 1600 is shown generally having mounted thereto a first surface S1 facing the external environment and a fourth surface S4 facing the internal environment. During a typical manufacturing process of IGU 1600, first sheet 1602 would be received into a manufacturing line for various manufacturing operations, and then second mating sheet 1604 would be introduced for further operations to complete IGU 1600. In one embodiment of IGU 1600 shown in fig. 16, an electrochromic device coating is located on the second surface S2 of first sheet 1602 and an antenna layer is located on one or both of the third surface S3 and fourth surface S4 of second mating sheet 1604.

Some embodiments employ an antenna as part of or with a window controller and with a window network. Components that may be used with such an embodiment are: one or more antennas associated with the IGU; a window controller associated with the IGU and connected to the one or more antennas; a window network connected to a window controller; and logic to selectively provide wireless power. Some embodiments allow certain mobile devices and windows to receive wireless power through an antenna in a building. Such embodiments may be designed or configured to couple a device to an antenna for various wireless power services. Such embodiments also allow building management (or other entities controlling the window network) to allow or restrict wireless power transmission based on device, location, etc. Some embodiments may allow for controlled deployment of wireless power services within a building, particularly in a room or other area near a window having an antenna. Such services may be selectively opened or closed by a building administrator or other entity that gives permission to control access to the services. Through such control, the entity can give a particular tenant or device access to the wireless power service.

Controlling the wireless power may be implemented such that by default some or all areas of the building do not have wireless power transmission, but transmission is allowed when it is detected that a known device has entered the building or a particular location in the building. Such detection may be based on GPS, UWB or other suitable technology. Similarly, the wireless power transmission may be turned on when a building tenant or owner of the mobile device has paid to activate the service.

In some embodiments, a building may be equipped with a combination of windows configured to receive and/or transmit wireless power transmissions and windows without such capability. For example, floor 20 of a building may have windows without wireless power capability, while floor 1 with a cafe has windows with wireless power capability. In another example, each layer may be equipped with a combination of windows with and without wireless power capability, e.g., every other window may have wireless power capability, or every third window may have wireless power capability. In some embodiments, a building may have windows for providing wireless power, and the services of the windows may be controlled by a building administrator. For example, a building administrator may provide wireless power services to building tenants based on additional fees. Since a building may have a combination of windows with and without antenna layers, an embodiment with one or more antenna layers on the mating sheets (S3 and/or S4) and an EC device coating on the first sheet (e.g., S1 or S2) is particularly advantageous because it allows for the flexible introduction of mating sheets with or without wireless power capability into a common EC IGU manufacturing sequence.

The features of the ANTENNA are described in international PCT publication No. WO2017/062915 (international patent application No. PCT/US 2016/056188) filed on 7/10/2016 AND entitled "ANTENNA configuration FOR WIRELESS POWER AND COMMUNICATION, AND supported VISUAL SIGNALS" AND international patent application No. PCT/US2017/031106 filed on 4/5/2017 AND entitled "WINDOW ANTENNA (WINDOW ANTENNA)", each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. While the foregoing invention has been described in some detail for purposes of clarity of understanding, the described embodiments are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive. It will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that certain changes and modifications may be practiced within the scope of the appended claims.

In one or more aspects, one or more of the functions described may be implemented in hardware, digital electronic circuitry, analog electronic circuitry, computer software, firmware, including the structures disclosed in this specification and their structural equivalents, or any combination thereof. Certain implementations of the subject matter described herein may also be embodied as one or more controllers, computer programs, or physical structures, e.g., one or more modules of computer program instructions, encoded on a computer storage medium for execution or to control the operation of a window controller, a network controller, and/or an antenna controller. Any of the disclosed embodiments presented as or for electrochromic windows may be more generally embodied as or for switchable optical devices (including windows, mirrors, etc.)

Various modifications to the embodiments described in this disclosure will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure. Thus, the claims are not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the present disclosure, the principles and novel features disclosed herein. Additionally, one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that the terms "upper" and "lower" are sometimes used to facilitate describing the drawings and indicate relative positions corresponding to the orientation of the graphic on the properly oriented page and may not reflect the proper orientation of the implemented device.

Certain features that are described in this specification in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable subcombination. Furthermore, although features may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination.

Moreover, the separation of various system components in the embodiments described above should not be understood as requiring such separation in all embodiments, and it should be understood that the described program components and systems can generally be integrated together in a single software product or packaged into multiple software products. Additionally, other implementations are within the scope of the following claims. In some cases, the actions recited in the claims can be performed in a different order and still achieve desirable results.

Claims (1)

1. An electrochromic window configured to wirelessly receive power, the electrochromic window comprising:

an electrochromic lite having an electrochromic device disposed on a transparent substrate;

an on-board receiver in electrical communication with a busbar of the electrochromic device, wherein the on-board receiver is configured to receive a wireless power transmission from one or more remote transmitters and convert the wireless power transmission into electrical energy, and wherein some of the electrical energy is applied to the busbar to cause an optical transition between a clear state and a dark state of the electrochromic device; and

an on-board transmitter in electrical communication with the on-board receiver or other power source to receive power, the on-board transmitter configured to convert electrical energy into a wireless power transmission, the wireless power transmission configured to be transmitted to one or more remote wireless receivers, wherein the one or more remote wireless receivers are configured to convert the received wireless power transmission into electrical energy to power at least one remote mobile electronic device.

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