KR20230171315A - Apparatus and method for controlling the operation of electrochromic device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electrochromic device driving control device and method, and in particular, to drive the electrochromic device by quickly identifying external environmental conditions through measurement of the electrical characteristics of a test device having the same material and structure as the electrochromic device. It relates to a control device and method for driving an electrochromic device that can be controlled. The electrochromic device driving control device according to an embodiment of the present invention is a device that controls the operation of the electrochromic device by measuring the electrical characteristics of the test device, and the electrical characteristics of the electrochromic device and the test device according to external environmental conditions. A data storage unit that stores data matching the changes, a sensing unit that measures the electrical characteristics of the test element, and an external environmental condition is analyzed from the electrical characteristics of the test element measured by the sensing unit, and the electrochromic element is It includes a control unit that adjusts the magnitude of the applied driving voltage or the voltage application time.

Description

Electrochromic device driving control device and method {APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE OPERATION OF ELECTROCHROMIC DEVICE}

The present invention relates to an electrochromic device driving control device and method, and in particular, to drive the electrochromic device by quickly identifying external environmental conditions through measurement of the electrical characteristics of a test device having the same material and structure as the electrochromic device. It relates to a control device and method for driving an electrochromic device that can be controlled.

Electrochromism is a phenomenon in which color changes reversibly depending on the direction of the electric field when voltage is applied. Devices with this characteristic are called electrochromic devices. An electrochromic device has no color when there is no external electron movement, but becomes colored when electrons are supplied and reduced or oxidized by losing electrons, or, conversely, when there is no external electron supply, it takes on color and then becomes electrochromic. When supplied and reduced or oxidized by losing electrons, the color disappears.

Electrochromic devices are used to control the light transmittance or reflectivity of architectural window glass or automobile mirrors, and as it has recently become known that they not only change color in the visible light region but also have an infrared blocking effect, their potential application as energy-saving products has increased. It is also receiving great attention.

An electrochromic device consists of an electrode layer, an electrochromic layer, and an electrolyte layer sequentially stacked between transparent substrates at predetermined intervals, and the electrochromic layer changes color when an external power supply is supplied. This electrochromic layer changes color through oxidation and reduction reactions, and color change performance, such as color change response speed and color change range, is limited depending on the color change material used.

In the process of controlling the electrochromic device to the target transmittance by changing the electrochromic device to the desired color change level, external environmental conditions such as sunlight, temperature, humidity, air current, etc. affect the transmittance of the electrochromic device. It is necessary to precisely control the electrochromic device to reflect the influence of .

Previously, for precise control of electrochromic devices, various sensors such as optical sensors, temperature sensors, and illuminance sensors were used to determine the external environmental conditions of electrochromic devices. The information obtained from the sensors was reflected in changes to driving parameters such as the size of the driving voltage for the electrochromic device and the driving voltage application time, and was used to control the electrochromic device.

However, using multiple sensors to determine the external environmental conditions of the electrochromic device is inefficient in terms of operation, and it requires a relatively long time to attach or remove the color of the electrochromic device, so the information obtained from the sensors is transmitted to the electrochromic device. There are limits to precise control by immediately reflecting the operation of the system.

Therefore, there is a need for research and development on a method that can quickly and accurately determine the effect of external environmental conditions on the transmittance of the electrochromic device and precisely control the operation of the electrochromic device.

The present invention was created in consideration of the above circumstances, and the purpose of the present invention is to quickly determine external environmental conditions through measurement of the electrical characteristics of a test device having the same material and structure as the electrochromic device and drive the electrochromic device. To provide an electrochromic device driving control device and method capable of controlling.

In addition, the purpose of the present invention is to measure changes in the electrical characteristics of the test device without the need to use various sensors such as optical sensors, temperature sensors, and illuminance sensors to identify external environmental conditions that affect the operation of the electrochromic device. The object of the present invention is to provide an electrochromic device driving control device and method that can precisely control the color change device to a desired color change level.

The electrochromic device driving control device according to an embodiment of the present invention is a device that controls the operation of the electrochromic device by measuring the electrical characteristics of the test device, and the electrical characteristics of the electrochromic device and the test device according to external environmental conditions. A data storage unit that stores data matching the changes, a sensing unit that measures the electrical characteristics of the test element, and an external environmental condition is analyzed from the electrical characteristics of the test element measured by the sensing unit, and the electrochromic element is It includes a control unit that adjusts the magnitude of the applied driving voltage or the voltage application time.

In one embodiment, the data storage unit includes data on changes in electrical characteristics of the electrochromic device and the test device due to changes in thermal state or optical state, and electrical information according to the ratio of the area of the electrochromic device to the area of the test device. The correlation equation of characteristics can be saved.

In one embodiment, the data storage unit applies a driving voltage to the electrochromic element and the test element, respectively, under the same external environmental conditions, and changes each current value change waveform or resistance at the first set time and the second set time. Slope values of the value change waveform may be calculated, and data subsets obtained by matching the two slope values of the electrochromic device and the two slope values of the test device may be stored.

In one embodiment, the area of the test element may be 100 cm ² or less.

In one embodiment, the sensing unit may detect the magnitude of the test voltage applied to the test element and a current value change waveform or a resistance value change waveform according to the application of the test voltage.

In one embodiment, the control unit calculates a current value slope or resistance value slope at one or more specific times with respect to the current value change waveform or resistance value change waveform of the test element transmitted from the sensing unit, and the test element The electrical characteristics of can be determined.

In one embodiment, if the electrical characteristics of the test element measured by the sensing unit do not match the data stored in the data storage unit, the control unit may apply an interpolation method to calculate the electrical characteristics of the test element.

In one embodiment, while applying the first driving voltage to the electrochromic element, the control unit determines the magnitude or voltage application time of the second driving voltage according to the electrical characteristics of the test element transmitted from the sensing unit, It can be controlled to apply voltage to the electrochromic element.

A method of controlling the operation of an electrochromic device according to an embodiment of the present invention is a method of controlling the operation of an electrochromic device by measuring the electrical characteristics of the test device, which includes: (a) the electrochromic device and the test device according to external environmental conditions; A data storage unit stores data matching the changes in electrical characteristics of the test element, (b) a sensing unit measures the electrical characteristics of the test element, and (c) an external signal is obtained from the electrical characteristics of the test element measured by the sensing unit. It includes a step of the control unit adjusting the magnitude or voltage application time of the driving voltage applied to the electrochromic device by analyzing environmental conditions.

In one embodiment, step (a) includes data on changes in electrical characteristics of the electrochromic device and the test device due to changes in thermal state or optical state, and the ratio of the area of the electrochromic device to the area of the test device. It may include the step of storing correlation equations of electrical characteristics.

In one embodiment, step (b) may include detecting the magnitude of the test voltage applied to the test element and a current value change waveform or a resistance value change waveform according to the application of the test voltage.

In one embodiment, the step (c) calculates the current value slope or resistance value slope at one or more specific times with respect to the current value change waveform or resistance value change waveform transmitted from the sensing unit, and the test element It may include the step of determining electrical characteristics.

The electrochromic device driving control device and method according to the present invention quickly determines external environmental conditions through measurement of the electrical characteristics of a test device having the same material and structure as the electrochromic device, and determines the driving voltage level or size of the electrochromic device. By controlling the driving voltage application time, etc., there is an effect of being able to flexibly respond to changes in external environmental conditions.

In addition, the electrochromic device drive control device and method according to the present invention does not require the use of various sensors such as optical sensors, temperature sensors, and illuminance sensors to determine external environmental conditions that affect the operation of the electrochromic device, so sensing While simplifying the structure, it is possible to precisely control the electrochromic device to the desired color removal level by measuring changes in the electrical characteristics of the test element that are correlated with changes in the electrical characteristics of the electrochromic device.

Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an electrochromic device driving control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a diagram showing the arrangement of electrochromic elements and test elements.
Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the electrochromic device shown in Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a diagram for explaining the measurement of electrical characteristics of an electrochromic device and a test device.
Figure 5 is a graph for comparing changes in current values and internal voltages according to driving voltage application time when coloring an electrochromic device.
Figure 6 is a graph for comparing changes in current values and internal voltages according to driving voltage application time when decolorizing an electrochromic device.
Figure 7 is a graph for comparing changes in current values and resistance values measured by temperature at the beginning of coloring of the electrochromic device.
Figure 8 is a graph for comparing changes in current values and resistance values measured by temperature in the early stages of decolorization of an electrochromic device.
Figure 9 is a graph for comparing changes in current values and resistance values for each temperature according to the driving voltage application time for color removal.
Figure 10 is a flowchart showing a method for controlling the operation of an electrochromic device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail through exemplary drawings. When adding reference numerals to components in each drawing, it should be noted that identical components are given the same reference numerals as much as possible even if they are shown in different drawings. Additionally, in describing the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known configuration or function may obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description will be omitted.

Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an electrochromic device driving control device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 2 is a diagram showing the arrangement of an electrochromic device and a test element.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the electrochromic device driving control device 100 of the present invention detects electrochromic device 10 by measuring the electrical characteristics of a test device 20 having the same material and structure as the electrochromic device 10. A device that controls the operation of the device 10 includes a data storage unit 110, a sensing unit 120, and a control unit 130.

The data storage unit 110 stores data that matches changes in electrical characteristics of the electrochromic device 10 and the test device 20 according to external environmental conditions. External environmental conditions may be environmental factors such as light, heat, and humidity outside the electrochromic device 10.

When changing the color of the electrochromic device 10, it may be affected by external environmental conditions such as light, heat, humidity, etc., and the driving and control to change the electrochromic device 10 to the same transmittance are also subject to external environmental conditions. Minor differences may occur depending on the condition.

The data storage unit 110 stores data regarding changes in electrical characteristics of the test element 20 due to changes in thermal or optical states.

Additionally, the data storage unit 110 may store a correlation equation of electrical characteristics according to the area ratio of the electrochromic element 10 and the area of the test element 20. The correlation equation may be configured in the form of a function or a lookup table, for example.

The test device 20 is made of the same material and structure as the electrochromic device 10, and has a relatively small area compared to the electrochromic device 10, so it is more resistant to changes in external environmental conditions than the electrochromic device 10. React faster.

The X-axis direction length (X2) and the Y-axis direction length (Y2) of the test element 20 are equal to the can be reduced by the same ratio.

In another example, the ratio of the lengths of the electrochromic device 10 and the test device 20 in the X-axis direction (X1:X2) and the ratio of the lengths in the Y-axis direction (Y1:Y2) may be adjusted differently. .

The data storage unit 110 may store data regarding the ratio of the lengths of the electrochromic element 10 and the test element 20 in the X-axis direction and the ratio of the lengths in the Y-axis direction. The correlation equation of electrical characteristics can be saved.

In one embodiment, the area of the test element 20 may be 100 cm ² or less. The test element 20 may be placed at a predetermined position on the window on which the electrochromic element 10 is installed, and its size and location may be changed in consideration of the appearance of the window, wiring for window installation, etc.

The data storage unit 110 not only stores data that matches changes in electrical characteristics of the electrochromic device 10 and the test device 20 according to external environmental conditions, but also stores data necessary for the overall operation of the electrochromic device 10. , commands and/or software can be stored, and detailed information such as voltage, current, and application time required to change the color change level of the electrochromic element 10 can be stored.

The data storage unit 110 is a flash memory type, hard disk type, SSD type (Solid State Disk type), SDD type (Silicon Disk Drive type), and multimedia card micro type. micro type), random access memory (RAM), static random access memory (SRAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or programmable read-only memory (PROM) It may include storage media such as:

The sensing unit 120 measures the electrical characteristics of the test element 20. The electrical characteristics may be, for example, the size of the driving voltage that drives the test element 20, the change in current value depending on the driving voltage application time, or the change in resistance value of the test element 20.

The control unit 130 analyzes external environmental conditions from the electrical characteristics of the test element 20 measured by the sensing unit 120 and adjusts the magnitude of the driving voltage applied to the electrochromic element 10 or the voltage application time.

The control unit 130 may change the magnitude of the driving voltage or the voltage application time for changing the level of color change of the electrochromic element 10.

The control unit 130 is hardware-wise, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or microprocessors. It can be implemented using microprocessors, etc.

The electrochromic element 10 may have two or more color change levels, and the light transmittance of the window on which the electrochromic element 10 is installed may change depending on the color change level.

For example, the transmittance of the electrochromic device 10 may be 70% at level 1, 50% at level 2, 30% at level 3, and 10% at level 4. there is. When the electrochromic device 10 is colored, the transmittance may decrease from level 1 to level 4, and when the electrochromic device 10 is discolored, the transmittance may increase from level 4 to level 1.

A constant voltage is applied to color the electrochromic element 10, and the voltage intensity for changing each level from level 1 to level 4 may be configured differently. For example, the constant voltage change for changing from level 1 to level 2 is 0.5V, while the constant voltage change for changing from level 2 to level 3 may be 0.7V.

Meanwhile, a reverse voltage is applied to decolorize the electrochromic element 10, and the voltage intensity for changing each level from level 4 to level 1 may be configured differently.

For example, the absolute value of the constant voltage required to change from level 3 to level 4 may be larger than the absolute value of the reverse voltage required to change from level 4 to level 3.

The specific values of the number of color combination levels, transmittance, and voltage magnitude of the electrochromic device described in this specification are illustrative for understanding the present invention, and the spirit of the present invention is not limited thereto. In addition, the color desorption level and transmittance of an electrochromic device may mean not only a specific value but also a predetermined value range.

In one embodiment, the electrochromic device driving control device 100 of the present invention may further include a polarity change switch (not shown) that switches the polarity of the voltage applied to the electrochromic device 10.

The polarity change switch can change the polarity of the voltage applied to the electrochromic element 10. The polarity change switch may operate under the control of the control unit 130 and change the direction of the voltage applied to the electrochromic element 10.

For example, when it is desired to change the color change level of the electrochromic device 10 from 1 to 2, the polarity change switch can be operated so that a constant voltage is applied to the electrochromic device 10. Meanwhile, when it is desired to change the color change level of the electrochromic device 10 from 2 to 1, the polarity change switch can change the polarity so that a reverse voltage is applied to the electrochromic device 10.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the electrochromic device shown in Figure 1.

Referring to FIG. 3, the electrochromic device 10 includes transparent substrates 11 and 17, electrode layers 12 and 16, a first electrochromic layer 13, a second electrochromic side 15, and an electrolyte layer 14. ) includes.

The transparent substrates 11 and 17 may be made of transparent plastic or glass with a light transmittance of 95% or more to allow sunlight to pass through. Transparent plastics include polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polycarbonate (PC), polypropylene (PP), polyimide (PI), and triacetylcellulose (TAC). The transparent substrates 11 and 17 may be formed to have a thickness of 10 μm to 5 mm.

The electrode layers 12 and 16 are formed on the surfaces of the upper and lower transparent substrates 11 and 17, respectively, and are made of a transparent conductive material that allows electricity to flow without interfering with the transmission of light.

The electrode layers 12 and 16 may be made of metal oxides such as ITO, ATO, FTO, IZO, ZnO, copper oxide, zinc oxide, and titanium oxide. The electrode layers 12 and 16 may be formed in the form of a thin film on the transparent substrates 11 and 17 through a known coating process such as sputtering, and may preferably be formed to a thickness of 300 nm to 1,000 nm.

The electrochromic layers 13 and 15 are formed on the electrode layers 12 and 16 and change color due to the movement of charges or electrolyte ions injected by the supplied power, and the first electrochromic layer 13 is reduced and It is a layer that changes color, and the second electrochromic layer 15 is a layer that changes color by oxidation. The first electrochromic layer 13 and the second electrochromic layer 15 include an electrochromic material that changes color according to an electrical signal, and may be an organic or inorganic electrochromic material. Organic electrochromic materials may be composed of viologen, anthraquinone, polyaniline, polypinol, or polythiophene, and may include Ti, Nb, Mo, Ta, W, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Rh, and one or more oxides of Ir may be included as an inorganic discoloring material. Reductive discoloration materials include V ₂ O ₅ , Nb ₂ O ₅ , WO ₃ , TiO ₂ , MoO ₃ , viologen, and PEDOT, and oxidation discoloration materials include (NH ₄ )Fe[Fe(CN) ₆ ]. , LiNiOx, LixCoO ₂ , IrO, Rh ₂ O ₃ , NiO, Ir(OH) ₂ , CoO ₂ , ITO, etc. can be used.

In this specification, the color-changing material may be a material with electrochromic properties in which light absorption changes through electrochemical oxidation and reduction reactions, and the electrochemical properties of the electrochromic material are reversible depending on whether voltage is applied and the intensity of the voltage. Oxidation and reduction phenomena occur, which can reversibly change the transparency and absorbance of the discoloring material.

The formation of the first electrochromic layer 13 or the second electrochromic layer 15 involves coating the area to be laminated with either a reducing material or an oxidizing material, followed by drying and firing at a high temperature. An electrolyte layer 14 may be inserted between (13) and the second electrochromic layer (15).

The first electrochromic layer 13, the second electrochromic layer 15, and the electrolyte layer 14 use the electrochromic principle of changing color when voltage is applied, and reversibly change color or change transmittance by applying voltage from the outside. This includes changing elements.

The total thickness of the first electrochromic layer 13, the second electrochromic layer 15, and the electrolyte layer 14 may be 10 to 500 μm, preferably 20 to 300 μm, and more preferably 50 to 200 μm. there is. When the total thickness of the first electrochromic layer 13, the second electrochromic layer 15, and the electrolyte layer 14 is less than 10㎛, the first electrode layer 12 and the second electrode layer 16 can contact each other. , there is a possibility of short circuit, and if the total thickness of the first electrochromic layer 13, the second electrochromic layer 15, and the electrolyte layer 14 exceeds 500㎛, the electrical conductivity decreases and the reaction rate decreases. It can be slow.

The electrolyte layer 14 is a layer that provides an environment for the movement of hydrogen ions or lithium ions for discoloration or decolorization of the electrochromic layers 13 and 15, and a liquid polymer electrolyte that can be hardened by ultraviolet ray irradiation can be used. . Ultraviolet curing resin can be composed by mixing PEG-based or urethane-based oligomers, low-molecular-weight PEGDMe, PEGDA, and light or thermal initiators, and a liquid electrolyte is formed by dissolving electrolyte salt in a solvent.

At this time, the solvent can be single or It can be used in combination, and electrolyte salts can be compounds containing H ⁺ , Li ⁺ , Na ⁺ , K ⁺ , Rb ⁺ , Cs ⁺ , for example, LiTFSI, LiFSI, LiBOB, LiClO ₄ , LiBF ₄ , Lithium salt compounds such as LiAsF ₆ or LiPF ₆ may be used singly or in combination. The electrolyte layer 14 composed in this way is formed in a layered form by gap coating between the first electrochromic layer 13 and the second electrochromic layer 15 with uniform intervals, preferably 10㎛ to 200㎛. It can be formed as

The method of forming the electrode layers 12 and 16, the electrochromic layers 13 and 15, and the electrolyte layer 14 is not particularly limited, and known methods can be used. For example, any one of deposition, spin coating, dip coating, screen printing, gravure coating, sol-gel method, or slot die coating. Each floor can be prepared by.

The electrochromic device driving control device 100 of the present invention measures the electrical characteristics of a test device 20 having the same material and structure as the electrochromic device 10 described above, and externally detects the electrochromic device 10 during operation. Environmental conditions can be identified and used to control the operation of the electrochromic device 10.

To this end, the electrical characteristics of the electrochromic device 10 and the test device 20 for external environmental conditions may be measured in advance, and data correlating the electrical properties may be stored in the data storage unit 110.

Thereafter, when the sensing unit 120 measures the electrical characteristics of the test element 20 and transmits it to the control unit 130, the control unit 130 stores the data from the measured electrical characteristics of the test element 20 to the data storage unit 110. By recalling data about external environmental conditions and electrical characteristics of the electrochromic device 10 stored in , the operation of the electrochromic device 10 can be controlled based on this.

Figure 4 is a diagram for explaining the measurement of electrical characteristics of an electrochromic device and a test device.

Referring to FIG. 4, the principle of measuring the electrical characteristics of the electrochromic device 10 and the test device 20 is the same, and a data set in which the measured electrical characteristics are correlated is formed and stored in the data storage unit 110. You can.

First, the electrical characteristics of the electrochromic device 10 and the test device 20 are measured under the same external environmental conditions. External environmental conditions can be factors such as temperature, illumination, humidity, and airflow, and can form an n-dimensional data structure combining these factors. For example, while changing temperature and illuminance, their data can be combined to form a two-dimensional data structure.

In FIG. 4, the circuit configuration in the dotted box represents an equivalent model of the electrochromic device 10 or the test device 20, and a driving voltage V _dc of a preset size for the electrochromic device 10 or the test device 20. Authorize. As described above, since the area sizes of the electrochromic device 10 and the test device 20 are different, a smaller driving voltage must be applied to the test device 20 than that of the electrochromic device 10 to test the test device 20. ) may not be damaged.

After applying the driving voltage V _dc , if a floating state is created, the external resistance becomes infinite and the internal voltage Vc(t) of the electrochromic device 10 or the test device 20 can be measured.

The sensing unit 120 is electrically connected to both ends of the electrochromic device 10 or the test device 20 through a sensing line, so that the voltage Vc(t) at both ends of the electrochromic device 10 or the test device 20 can be detected. Meanwhile, by placing a resistor R _i at the point where (-) is grounded to measure the current, the current value can be derived according to the formula I=V/R, and a waveform of the current value change over time can be obtained. .

Under the same external environmental conditions, the first driving parameter applied to the electrochromic device 10 and the second driving parameter applied to the test device 20 so that the electrochromic device 10 and the test device 20 achieve the same transmittance. Parameters can be detected in advance through experiment, and a data set that correlates these parameters can be constructed and stored in the data storage unit 110.

Here, the first driving parameter and the second driving parameter are the size of the driving voltage applied to the electrochromic element 10 and the test element 20, the application time of the driving voltage, and the current value change waveform or resistance according to the application of the driving voltage, respectively. It may include information such as value change waveforms.

Through the above process, the electrical characteristics of the electrochromic device 10 and the test device 20 according to external environmental conditions are stored in the data storage unit 110, and during operation of the electrochromic device 10, the sensing unit ( When 120) measures the electrical characteristics of the test element 20, external environmental conditions and the electrical characteristics of the electrochromic element 10 can be derived from the electrical characteristics.

At this time, the test device 20 has a relatively faster response speed to external environmental conditions than the electrochromic device 10, so it quickly determines the external environmental conditions and the electrical characteristics of the electrochromic device 10, thereby causing electrochromic color change. Driving of the device 10 can be controlled.

Figure 5 is a graph for comparing changes in current values and internal voltages according to driving voltage application time when coloring an electrochromic device.

Referring to FIG. 5, the experimental results for three panels on which the electrochromic device 10 is installed are shown, showing the current value change waveforms when the same driving voltage is applied to the light-resistant panel, the heat-resistant panel, and the general panel, and the waveforms when plotted. The internal voltage value change waveforms are shown.

Orion NC's 100×100mm Flexade B panel was used in the experiment. Here, the light-resistant panel is a Flexade B panel with experimental conditions of 1 sun (100mW/cm ² ) irradiation and an external environment of 85℃, the heat-resistant panel is a Flexade B panel with experimental conditions of an external environment of 85℃, and the general panel is at room temperature. refers to the Flexade B panel.

A driving voltage of 1.5V is applied to the first area 101, and no voltage is applied to the second area 102.

In the first area 101, the current of the room temperature (normal) panel changes from 105 mA to 28 mA, the current of the heat-resistant panel changes from 105 mA to 40 mA, and the current of the light-resistant panel changes from 80 mA to 40 mA.

In the second area 102, the voltage of the room temperature (normal) panel changes from 1.1V to 1.05V, the voltage of the heat-resistant panel changes from 1.0V to 0.9V, and the voltage of the light-resistant panel changes from 0.95V to 0.8V.

The X-axis interval in FIG. 5 is 1.4 s, and current and voltage measurements in the first area 101 and the second area 102 were performed at 1/100 second intervals.

In the case of light-resistant panels, when coloring, the initial current value was about 80 mA, which was lower than the initial current value (100-110 mA) of general panels and heat-resistant panels.

At the start of applying the driving voltage, the initial current values of the light-resistant panel and the heat-resistant panel appeared different, but at the end of applying the driving voltage, the current values of the light-resistant panel and the heat-resistant panel appeared similar.

Additionally, at the start of applying the driving voltage, the initial current values of the heat-resistant panel and the general panel appeared similar, but at the end of applying the driving voltage, the current value of the general panel appeared lower than that of the heat-resistant panel.

By integrating the current value change waveforms in the first area 101 with respect to time, the amount of charge applied to each panel is calculated. Compared to the same time, the largest amount of charge was applied to the heat-resistant panel, followed by the general panel and the light-resistant panel in that order. This has been approved a lot.

The second area 102 represents waveforms of changes in internal voltage values when floating for the light-resistant panel, heat-resistant panel, and general panel, and the internal voltage (V) can be derived as shown in the following equation.

Here, V ₀ is the driving voltage, R is the resistance of the electrochromic device, C is the capacity of the electrochromic device, and t is time. The larger the RC value, the slower the internal voltage (V) changes.

Comparing the internal voltages at the start of floating, the internal voltage of the heat-resistant panel decreased significantly compared to the internal voltage of a regular panel, and this is believed to be due to changes in the RC value.

In addition, at the start of floating, the internal voltage of the light-resistant panel slightly decreased compared to the internal voltage of the heat-resistant panel, and since the voltage value change waveforms of the light-resistant panel and the heat-resistant panel appear in a similar form throughout the second area 102, the light-resistant panel The RC values of and heat-resistant panels can be assumed to be similar.

The transmittance of the three final colored panels was all similar.

Figure 6 is a graph for comparing changes in current values and internal voltages according to driving voltage application time when decolorizing an electrochromic device.

Referring to FIG. 6, the experimental results for three panels on which the electrochromic device 10 is installed are shown, showing the current value change waveforms when the same driving voltage is applied to the light-resistant panel, heat-resistant panel, and general panel, and when plotting. The internal voltage value change waveforms are shown.

A driving voltage of -1.5V is applied to the third area 103, and no voltage is applied to the fourth area 104.

In the third area 103, the current of the room temperature (normal) panel changes from -140 mA to -10 mA, the current of the heat-resistant panel changes from -140 mA to -60 mA, and the current of the light-resistant panel changes from -115 mA to -60 mA.

In the fourth area 104, the voltage of the room temperature (normal) panel changes from -0.3V to -0.2V, the voltage of the heat-resistant panel changes from -0.3V to -0.17V, and the voltage of the light-resistant panel changes from -0.17V to + It changes to 0.08V.

The X-axis interval in FIG. 6 is 1.4 s, and current and voltage measurements in the third area 103 and the fourth area 104 were performed at 1/100 second intervals.

In the case of light-resistant panels, when discoloring, the initial current value was approximately -115 mA, which was lower than the initial current value (-140 mA) of general panels and heat-resistant panels.

At the start of applying the driving voltage, the initial current values of the light-resistant panel and the heat-resistant panel appeared different, but at the end of applying the driving voltage, the current values of the light-resistant panel and the heat-resistant panel appeared similar.

Additionally, at the start of applying the driving voltage, the initial current values of the heat-resistant panel and the general panel appeared similar, but at the end of applying the driving voltage, the current value of the general panel appeared lower than that of the heat-resistant panel.

By integrating the current value change waveforms in the third area 103 with respect to time, the amount of charge applied to each panel is calculated. Compared to the same time, the largest amount of charge was applied to the heat-resistant panel, followed by the general panel and the light-resistant panel in that order. This has been approved a lot.

The fourth area 104 shows waveforms of changes in internal voltage values when floating for the light-resistant panel, heat-resistant panel, and general panel.

Comparing the internal voltages at the start of floating, the internal voltage of the light-resistant panel has decreased significantly compared to the internal voltage of a regular panel, and this is believed to be due to changes in the RC value.

In addition, when floating, the internal voltage of the light-resistant panel is significantly reduced compared to the internal voltage of the heat-resistant panel, and the voltage value change waveforms of the light-resistant panel and the heat-resistant panel appear in a similar form throughout the fourth region 104, so the light-resistant panel and the heat-resistant panel appear in similar shapes. The RC values of the panels can be assumed to be similar.

The transmittance of the three final bleached panels was all similar.

Figure 7 is a graph for comparing changes in current values and resistance values measured by temperature at the beginning of coloring of the electrochromic device.

Referring to FIG. 7, when the electrochromic device 10 is driven to change the transmittance from 60% to 20%, a current value change waveform and a resistance value change waveform are shown.

Orion NC's 250×250mm Flexade B panel was used in the experiment.

The current and resistance values measured at the beginning of coloring, at 1 second and 5 seconds, respectively, are shown in the table below.

Current (A) Time (s) Temperature 40℃ Temperature 60℃ Temperature 80℃ One 0.074 0.072 0.064 5 0.065 0.064 0.058

Resistance (Ω) Time (s) Temperature 40℃ Temperature 60℃ Temperature 80℃ One 20.312 20.942 23.398 5 23.011 23.307 25.710

In the early stages of coloring, when a driving voltage is applied to the electrochromic element 10, it can be seen that the higher the external temperature, the smaller the measured current value and the larger the measured resistance value.

Likewise, when a driving voltage is applied to the test element 20 at the beginning of coloring, the higher the external temperature, the smaller the measured current value and the larger the measured resistance value tends to be.

Current value change waveforms and resistance value change waveforms measured by temperature for the electrochromic device 10 and the test device 20 may be matched with each other and stored in the data storage unit 110.

Thereafter, when driving the electrochromic device 10, the sensing unit 120 of the electrochromic device driving control device 100 of the present invention determines the magnitude of the test voltage applied to the test device 20 and the current according to the application of the test voltage. A value change waveform or a resistance value change waveform can be detected.

The control unit 130 calculates a slope value at one or more specific times for the current value change waveform or resistance value change waveform of the test element 20 transmitted from the sensing unit 120, and determines the electrical characteristics of the test element 20. can be figured out.

The control unit 130 receives external environmental conditions and the current value change waveform or resistance value change waveform of the electrochromic element 10 from the data storage unit 110 based on the current value change waveform or resistance value change waveform of the test element 20. By deriving , the magnitude of the driving voltage applied to the electrochromic device 10 or the application time of the driving voltage can be controlled so that the electrochromic device 10 changes to the desired target transmittance.

In one embodiment, the data storage unit 110 applies a driving voltage to the electrochromic element 10 and the test element 20 under the same external environmental conditions, and sets the first setting time (t ₁ ) and the second setting time. At time t ₂ , the slope values of each current value change waveform or resistance value change waveform are calculated, and the two slope values of the electrochromic element 10 and the two slope values of the test element 20 are matched with each other. Data subsets can be stored.

For example, in FIG. 7, at an external temperature of 80°C, the first slope value (A ₁ ) and the second set time of the current value change waveform of the electrochromic element 10 measured at the first set time (t ₁ ) The second slope value (A ₂ ) of the current value change waveform of the electrochromic device 10 measured at (t ₂ ) is configured as the first data subset (A ₁ , A ₂ ), and the first set time (t) The first slope value (a ₁ ) of the current value change waveform of the test element 20 measured at ₁ ) and the second current value change waveform of the electrochromic element 10 measured at the second set time (t ₂ ) The slope value (a ₂ ) can be configured as a second data subset (a ₁ , a ₂ ), and the data subsets matching them can be stored in the data storage unit 110 .

In addition, for example, in FIG. 7, the first slope value (R ₁ ) and the second resistance value change waveform of the electrochromic element 10 measured at the first set time (t ₁ ) at an external temperature of 80° C. The second slope value (R ₂ ) of the resistance value change waveform of the electrochromic element 10 measured at the set time (t ₂ ) is configured as the first data subset (R ₁ , R ₂ ), and the first set time The first slope value (r ₁ ) of the resistance value change waveform of the test element 20 measured at (t ₁ ) and the resistance value change waveform of the electrochromic element 10 measured at the second set time (t ₂ ) The second slope value (r ₂ ) may be configured as a second data subset (r ₁ , r ₂ ), and the data subsets matching these may be stored in the data storage unit 110.

In the same way, data subsets regarding slope values at external temperatures of 60°C and 40°C can be constructed and stored in the data storage unit 110.

Depending on the external environmental conditions, the current value change waveform or the resistance value change waveform may appear in a similar pattern. By using two or more slope values, the external environmental conditions can be more precisely distinguished, and thus the electrochromic device (10 ) can be controlled.

Figure 8 is a graph for comparing changes in current values and resistance values measured by temperature in the early stages of decolorization of an electrochromic device.

Referring to FIG. 8, when the electrochromic device 10 is driven to change the transmittance from 20% to 60%, a current value change waveform and a resistance value change waveform are shown.

Orion NC's 250×250mm Flexade B panel was used in the experiment.

The current and resistance values measured at the beginning of decolorization, at 203 seconds and 207 seconds, respectively, are shown in the table below.

Current (A) Time (s) Temperature 40℃ Temperature 60℃ Temperature 80℃ 203 -0.103 -0.094 -0.091 207 -0.095 -0.090 -0.085

Resistance (Ω) Time (s) Temperature 40℃ Temperature 60℃ Temperature 80℃ 203 14.484 15.392 16.295 207 15.616 16.584 17.428

At the beginning of discoloration, when a driving voltage is applied to the electrochromic element 10, it can be seen that the higher the external temperature, the smaller the measured current value and the larger the measured resistance value.

Likewise, when a driving voltage is applied to the test element 20 at the beginning of discoloration, the higher the external temperature, the smaller the measured current value, and the larger the measured resistance value tends to be.

Current value change waveforms or resistance value change waveforms measured by temperature for the electrochromic device 10 and the test device 20 may be matched with each other and stored in the data storage unit 110.

Even during discoloration, the data storage unit 110 applies a driving voltage to the electrochromic element 10 and the test element 20 under the same external environmental conditions, and sets the first set time (t ₁ ) and the second set time. At (t ₂ ), the slope values of each current value change waveform or resistance value change waveform are calculated, and the two slope values of the electrochromic element 10 and the two slope values of the test element 20 are matched to each other. Subsets can be stored.

Figure 9 is a graph for comparing changes in current values and resistance values for each temperature according to the driving voltage application time for color removal.

Referring to FIG. 9, from 0 seconds to approximately 180 seconds, current value change waveforms and resistance value change waveforms are shown according to external temperature in a colored state in which the transmittance of the electrochromic element 10 changes from 60% to 20%, From approximately 180 seconds to 360 seconds, current value change waveforms and resistance value change waveforms are shown according to external temperature in a discolored state in which the transmittance of the electrochromic element 10 changes from 20% to 60%.

In the period from 0 to 180 seconds, when coloring, the application and floating of the driving voltage are repeated, and the measured current value tends to gradually decrease. Additionally, at the beginning of coloring, the current value at high temperature (80°C) is measured to be smaller than the current value at low temperature (40°C), but the current values are measured similarly when coloring is completed.

In addition, in the period from 0 to 180 seconds, at the beginning of coloring, the resistance value at high temperature (80°C) is measured to be greater than the resistance value at low temperature (40°C), but at the point when coloring is completed, the resistance values are measured similarly.

In the period from 180 seconds to 360 seconds, when discoloring, the application and floating of the driving voltage are repeated, and the measured current value tends to gradually decrease. In addition, at the beginning of decolorization, the current value at high temperature (80°C) is measured to be smaller than the current value at low temperature (40°C), but at the point when decolorization is completed, the current values are measured similarly.

In addition, in the period from 180 seconds to 360 seconds, in the early stages of discoloration, the resistance value at high temperature (80℃) is measured to be greater than the resistance value at low temperature (40℃), and after 300 seconds, the resistance value at low temperature (40℃) is measured. It is measured to be larger than the resistance value at high temperature (80℃), but it is presumed to be a measurement error.

Figure 10 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling the operation of an electrochromic device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 10, the electrochromic device driving control method of the present invention is to drive the electrochromic device 10 by measuring the electrical characteristics of a test device 20 having the same material and structure as the electrochromic device 10. As a method of controlling, first, the data storage unit 110 stores data that matches changes in electrical characteristics of the electrochromic device 10 and the test device 20 according to external environmental conditions (S110).

External environmental conditions may be environmental factors such as temperature, illuminance, humidity, and airflow outside the electrochromic device 10. By changing external environmental conditions, changes in electrical characteristics of the electrochromic device 10 and the test device 20 can be matched to each other at the same transmittance.

An n-dimensional data structure is formed by combining environmental factors such as external temperature, illumination, humidity, and airflow, and the electrochromic element 10 and the test element 20 are used for the change amount or change rate for each element. Data on changes in electrical characteristics can be accumulated.

In one embodiment, the data storage unit 110 stores data on changes in electrical characteristics of the test element 20 due to changes in thermal state or optical state, and stores the area of the electrochromic element 10 and the test element 20. ) can store the correlation equation of electrical characteristics according to the area ratio.

The electrochromic device 10 and the test device 20 are made of the same material and structure, but their area sizes are different, so the size of the driving voltage, the application time of the driving voltage, and plotting to achieve the same transmittance under the same environmental conditions. Time, etc. are applied differently, and accordingly, the current value change waveform, resistance value change waveform, etc. may appear differently.

Depending on the area size or area ratio of the electrochromic device 10 and the test device 20, a correlation equation between the electrical characteristics of the electrochromic device 10 and the test device 20 is derived and stored in the data storage unit 110. It can be.

Next, when the electrochromic device 10 is driven, the sensing unit 120 measures the electrical characteristics of the test device 20 (S120). Here, the sensing unit 120 may detect the magnitude of the test voltage applied to the test element 20 and the current value change waveform or resistance value change waveform according to the application of the test voltage.

Next, the control unit 130 analyzes the external environmental conditions from the electrical characteristics of the test element 20 measured by the sensing unit 120 and adjusts the size or voltage application time of the driving voltage applied to the electrochromic element 10. Do it (S130).

Here, the control unit 130 calculates the current value slope or resistance value slope at one or more specific times for the current value change waveform or resistance value change waveform transmitted from the sensing unit 120, and stores the current value slope or resistance value slope in the data storage unit 110. By comparing the stored current value slope or resistance value slope, the electrical characteristics of the test element 20 can be determined.

At this time, if the electrical characteristics of the test element 20 measured by the sensing unit 120 do not match the data stored in the data storage unit 110, the control unit 130 applies an interpolation method to determine the electrical characteristics of the test element 20. can be calculated, and according to this, the electrical characteristics of the electrochromic device 10 can be corrected, and the driving of the electrochromic device 10 can be controlled.

When the electrical characteristics of the test element 20 are calculated by applying the interpolation method, since there is no measurement data corresponding to the existing data storage unit 110, the data calculated by applying the interpolation method is stored in the data storage unit 110. It can be stored separately.

Data to which the interpolation method has been applied can later be replaced with data on electrical characteristics measured from the electrochromic device 10 and the test device 20 while changing external environmental conditions in more detail. For example, if there was existing data measured at 40℃ and 60℃ and there was no data measured at a specific temperature between 40℃ and 60℃, and an interpolation method was applied, then the temperature between 40℃ and 60℃ was used. The interval can be set to be narrower, and data on the electrical characteristics of the electrochromic device 10 and the test device 20 measured at the corresponding temperature can be generated and stored in the data storage unit 110.

In one embodiment, while applying the first driving voltage to the electrochromic element 10, the control unit 130 adjusts the size or size of the second driving voltage according to the electrical characteristics of the test element 20 transmitted from the sensing unit 120. By determining the voltage application time, it is possible to control the application of voltage to the electrochromic element 10.

The current value change waveform flowing through the electrochromic element 10 changes depending on the magnitude of the driving voltage, and the amount of charge is calculated by integrating the current value change waveform with respect to time.

If the magnitude of the driving voltage is large, a larger current may flow through the electrochromic device 10, and the driving voltage application time for accumulating the same amount of charge in the electrochromic device 10 may be shortened.

The electrochromic device driving control device 100 of the present invention determines the electrical characteristics of the test device 20 transmitted from the sensing unit 120 while applying the first driving voltage to the electrochromic device 10, and monitors the external environment. When conditions change, the size of the second driving voltage can be changed or the application time of the driving voltage can be adjusted to control the electrochromic element 10 to change to a desired target transmittance within a desired target time.

The embodiments described above may be implemented with hardware components, software components, and/or a combination of hardware components and software components. For example, the devices, methods, and components described in the embodiments may include, for example, a processor, a controller, an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), a digital signal processor, a microcomputer, and a field programmable gate (FPGA). It may be implemented using one or more general-purpose or special-purpose computers, such as an array, programmable logic unit (PLU), microprocessor, or any other device capable of executing and responding to instructions. A processing device may execute an operating system (OS) and one or more software applications that run on the operating system. Additionally, a processing device may access, store, manipulate, process, and generate data in response to the execution of software. For ease of understanding, a single processing device may be described as being used; however, those skilled in the art will understand that a processing device includes multiple processing elements and/or multiple types of processing elements. It can be seen that it may include. For example, a processing device may include multiple processors or one processor and one controller. Additionally, other processing configurations, such as parallel processors, are possible.

Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments so far, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and the technical field to which the present invention pertains without departing from the gist of the present invention as claimed in the following claims. Anyone skilled in the art will recognize that the technical idea of the present invention extends to the extent that various changes or modifications can be made.

10: Electrochromic device 11, 17: Transparent substrate
12, 16: electrode layer 13: first electrochromic layer
14: electrolyte layer 15: second electrochromic layer
20: test element 100: electrochromic element driving control device
101: first area 102: second area
103: Third area 104: Fourth area
110: data storage unit 120: sensing unit
130: control unit

Claims (12)

A device that controls the operation of an electrochromic device by measuring the electrical characteristics of the test device,
a data storage unit that stores data that matches changes in electrical characteristics of the electrochromic device and the test device according to external environmental conditions;
A sensing unit that measures electrical characteristics of the test element; and
A control unit that analyzes external environmental conditions from the electrical characteristics of the test element measured by the sensing unit and adjusts the magnitude or voltage application time of the driving voltage applied to the electrochromic element. According to paragraph 1,
The data storage unit,
Electrochromic, storing data on changes in electrical characteristics of the electrochromic element and test element due to changes in thermal state or optical state, and a correlation equation of electrical characteristics according to the area of the electrochromic element and the area ratio of the test element. Element drive control device. According to paragraph 1,
The data storage unit,
Under the same external environmental conditions, a driving voltage is applied to each of the electrochromic elements and the test element, and slope values of each current value change waveform or resistance value change waveform are calculated at a first set time and a second set time, An electrochromic device driving control device that stores data subsets that match the two slope values of the electrochromic device and the two slope values of the test device. According to paragraph 1,
An electrochromic device driving control device wherein the area of the test device is 100 cm ² or less. According to paragraph 1,
The sensing unit,
An electrochromic device driving control device that detects the magnitude of the test voltage applied to the test device and the current value change waveform or resistance value change waveform according to the application of the test voltage. According to clause 5,
The control unit,
Electrochromism, which determines the electrical characteristics of the test device by calculating the current value slope or resistance value slope at one or more specific times with respect to the current value change waveform or resistance value change waveform of the test device transmitted from the sensing unit. Element drive control device. According to paragraph 1,
The control unit,
An electrochromic device driving control device that calculates the electrical characteristics of the test device by applying an interpolation method when the electrical characteristics of the test device measured by the sensing unit do not match the data stored in the data storage unit. According to paragraph 1,
The control unit,
While applying the first driving voltage to the electrochromic device, determine the size or voltage application time of the second driving voltage according to the electrical characteristics of the test device transmitted from the sensing unit to apply the voltage to the electrochromic device. Controlling electrochromic device driving control device. A method of controlling the operation of an electrochromic device through measurement of the electrical characteristics of a test device, comprising:
(a) a data storage unit storing data matching changes in electrical characteristics of the electrochromic device and the test device according to external environmental conditions;
(b) a sensing unit measuring electrical characteristics of the test element; and
(c) analyzing external environmental conditions from the electrical characteristics of the test element measured by the sensing unit and adjusting the magnitude or voltage application time of the driving voltage applied to the electrochromic element by the control unit; electrochromic, including; Device driving control method. According to clause 9,
In step (a),
Storing data on changes in electrical characteristics of the electrochromic element and test element due to changes in thermal state or optical state, and a correlation equation of electrical characteristics according to the area ratio of the electrochromic element and the area of the test element; Including, an electrochromic device driving control method. According to clause 9,
In step (b),
Detecting the magnitude of the test voltage applied to the test element and a current value change waveform or a resistance value change waveform according to the application of the test voltage. According to clause 11,
In step (c),
Calculating a current value slope or resistance value slope at one or more specific times with respect to the current value change waveform or resistance value change waveform transmitted from the sensing unit, and determining the electrical characteristics of the test element; electrical, including; Method for controlling color change device operation.