TWI764964B - Tester and electrical connectors for insulated glass units - Google Patents

Abstract

In some implementations, an apparatus for testing an insulated glass unit is provided. The apparatus includes a housing and a port coupled to the housing, where the port is configured to couple with a pigtail of an insulated glass unit. The apparatus includes a battery housed within the housing, where the battery is configured to provide power to an insulated glass unit. The apparatus includes an input interface which is coupled to the housing, where the input interface is configured to receive. The apparatus includes a controller which is housed within the housing and is configured to receive the input from the input interface, send commands to an insulated glass unit, and receive data from the insulated glass unit. The apparatus also includes one or more indicators coupled with the housing, where the one or more indicators are configured to indicate a status of the insulated glass unit.

Description

Tester and electrical connector for insulating glass units

Electrochromism is a phenomenon whereby a material exhibits reversible electrochemically mediated changes in optical properties when placed in different electrical states, usually as a result of undergoing a change in voltage. The optical property is typically one or more of color, transmittance, absorbance, and reflectance.

Electrochromic ("EC") materials can be incorporated into, for example, windows as thin-film coatings on window panes for domestic, commercial, and other uses. The color, transmittance, absorptivity, and/or reflectivity of these windows can be varied by inducing changes in the electrochromic material, eg, electrochromic windows are windows that can be electrically darkened or lightened. A small amount of voltage applied to the electrochromic device of the window will darken it; reversing the polarity of the voltage will brighten it. This capability allows control of the amount of light passing through the window, and presents the opportunity to use electrochromic windows as energy efficient devices.

Although electrochromic was discovered in the 1960s, unfortunately, despite recent advances in electrochromic technology, equipment, and related methods of making and/or using electrochromic devices, electrochromic devices , and especially electrochromic windows still suffer from various problems and have not yet realized their full commercial potential.

Some aspects of the present disclosure relate to a device having: (1) a housing; (2) a a port coupled to the housing, the port being configured to couple with a connector having a window with an electrochromic device, wherein the connector has electrical power with the electrochromic device and an associated memory device communication contacts; (3) a power supply within the housing; (4) an input interface configured to receive an input; (5) a controller housed within the housing and electrically coupled to the power source and the port, wherein the controller is configured to receive the input from the input interface, apply a voltage pattern to the electrochromic device based on the received input, and receive data from the window; and (6 ) one or more indicators configured to indicate a state of the window.

In some embodiments, the voltage pattern applied by the controller is applied for about 10 seconds or less, and the data received by the controller includes test data. In some embodiments, the application of the voltage pattern does not substantially tint the window.

In some embodiments, the apparatus includes a daughter card coupled to the controller, wherein the daughter card is configured to connect to an ultra-wideband module, a communication module (eg, configured for Bluetooth or Wi-Fi communication), or a circuit for charging a rechargeable battery.

In some embodiments, the apparatus includes a communication module in communication with the controller, wherein the communication module is configured to send and receive wireless communications. In some cases, the controller may be configured to send wireless communications to a remote site monitoring system via the communication module. In some cases, the device has a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) module or an ultra-wideband module configured to provide the controller with location information of the window coupled to the port of the device. In some embodiments, the controller is configured to transmit location information of the window to a remote computing device via the communication module for debugging the window on a window network.

In some embodiments, the apparatus includes a fastening interface coupled to the housing, the fastening interface configured to couple with a shackle and/or a take-up cable. In some embodiments, an indicator can be coupled to the housing.

In some embodiments, the input interface is a button coupled to the housing. In some embodiments, the power source is a rechargeable battery.

In some embodiments, the apparatus has a measurement module electrically coupled to the controller for measuring a current response of the electrochromic device in response to an applied voltage pattern.

In some embodiments, the controller is configured to calculate the size of the electrochromic device based on an applied voltage pattern, a current response in response to the applied voltage pattern, and the size of the electrochromic device a current density.

Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to an apparatus having a connection interface configured to couple with a connector including a window of an electrochromic device, the connection interface comprising: (1) a plurality of contacts configured to allow charge to be drawn from the electrochromic device; and (2) a keying interface configured to mechanically couple the connection interface with the window connector.

In some embodiments, the device has 2 pins shorted together, and in some embodiments, the connection interface is a 5-pin connection interface. In some embodiments, at least one of the contacts is a spring contact.

In some embodiments, the device includes an attachment assembly to protect the connector. An attachment assembly may be, for example, configured to be secured to a clamp of the window, or the attachment assembly may be configured to be placed within an auxiliary seal of an insulating glass unit.

Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a method of determining a state of a window having an electrochromic device and a connector in electrical communication with the electrochromic device. The method includes the following operations. In a first operation, the tester is connected to the connector via a port on a tester, wherein the tester includes: a power source; a controller configured to apply a voltage pattern to the Electrochromic device; a measurement module electrically coupled to the controller for responding to a the applied current pattern to measure a voltage response of the electrochromic device; and one or more indicators. In a second operation, a current density of the electrochromic device is calculated, wherein the current density is calculated based on the size of the electrochromic device and a voltage response to an applied current pattern. Finally, in a third operation, a state of the window is indicated via the indicator(s), wherein the state is based on the current density.

In some cases, the indicator(s) may be coupled to a housing of the tester. In some cases, the dimensions of the electrochromic device are received from memory associated with the connector.

In some cases, the method further includes saving the measured voltage response to a memory device associated with the connector or to a mobile device in communication with the tester. In some cases, the mobile device can then upload the measured voltage response to cloud-based storage.

In some cases, the voltage pattern is such that a voltage is applied to the window for about 10 seconds or less, and in some cases, the application of the voltage pattern does not substantially tint the window.

In some cases, the method includes sending window information including the window status to a site monitoring system via a communication module of the controller. In some cases, the method further includes determining that a window is installed at an incorrect site or location within a building.

In some cases, the method further includes disconnecting the tester from the connector, and in some cases, connecting a window controller to the connector, wherein the window controller is not the tester.

Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a system for commissioning a network of electrochromic windows in a building. The system includes items (1)-(3). Item (1) is a tester configured to determine a state of an electrochromic window. The tester includes: a port configured to attach to an electrochromic window connector; circuitry configured to apply a voltage pattern to the electrochromic window and monitor a current response, wherein The state of the electrochromic window is based on the monitored current response; a an ultra-wideband module; and a communication module. Item (2) includes a plurality of anchors having an ultra-wideband module and a communication module. Item (3) is a computer program product configured to determine the position of the electrochromic window based on ultra-wideband signals transmitted between the tester and the anchors, wherein the computer program product further has instructions to debug The electrochromic window or reports the status of the electrochromic window to a site monitoring system.

In some embodiments, the computer program product operates on a host controller or a network controller, and in some embodiments, it operates on a mobile device, on a remote server, or in the cloud.

Another aspect of the present disclosure pertains to a method of preparing an optically switchable window for installation, wherein the optically switchable window has a window connector with a connector for delivering electrical charge to an electrochromic device At least two electrical contacts. The method includes the steps of (A) electrically coupling the at least two electrical contacts such that charge is drawn from the electrochromic device, and (B) once the charge has been substantially dissipated from the electrochromic device, transferring The at least two electrical contacts are decoupled.

In some cases, electrically coupling the at least two electrical contacts includes attaching a cover to the window connector. In some cases, the cover may have electrically coupled contacts configured to mate with the contacts of the window connector when the cover is attached to the window connector.

In some cases, electrically coupling the at least two electrical contacts includes placing a resistor in series with the at least two electrical contacts to control the rate at which charge is drawn from the electrochromic device.

In some cases, electrically coupling the at least two electrical contacts includes placing a circuit in series with the at least two electrical contacts, wherein the circuit is configured to indicate when substantially charge has been drawn from the electrochromic device .

In some cases, the at least two electrical contacts are decoupled after shipping the optically switchable window to an installation site.

In some cases, the method further includes using a tester having: a power supply; a controller configured to apply a voltage pattern to the power via the two or more electrical contacts an electrochromic device; a measurement module electrically coupled to the controller for measuring a voltage response of the electrochromic device in response to an applied current pattern; and one or more indicators. When using the tester, the method may also have operations (C)-(E). In operation (C), after decoupling the at least two electrical contacts, the tester is connected to the window connector via a port on the tester. In operation (D), a current density of the electrochromic device is calculated based on the size of the electrochromic device and a voltage response to an applied current pattern. In operation (E), a state of the optically switchable window is indicated via the one or more indicators on the tester, wherein the state is based on the calculated current density.

In some cases, electrically coupling the electrical contacts of the window connector includes placing a conductor in series with the at least two electrical contacts to control the rate at which charge is drawn from the electrochromic device. In some cases, electrical coupling of the contacts of a window connector is maintained until the switchable window is delivered to an installation site.

These and other features of the disclosed embodiments will be described more fully with reference to the associated drawings.

101: current peak

103: Parts

105: Voltage type

107: Negative voltage ramp

109: Negative voltage hold

111: Positive voltage ramp

113: Positive voltage hold

201: Current component

203: Ramp-to-drive component of start transition

205: Segment

207: Current segment

209: leakage current

213: Continue to drive the V _drive component of the transition

215: Ramp to hold component

217: V _hold component

300: Electrochromic Device

305: Substrate

310: First TCO Layer

315: Electrochromic Stacking

320: Second TCO Layer

325: Second bus bar

330: First bus bar

331: Line

332: Line

334: Line assembly

335: Connector

336: pigtail connector

340: Connector

405: Electrochromic Pane

410: Bus bar

415: Glass pane

420: Dividers

425: Insulating Glass Unit (IGU)

427: Frame

430: Pigtail Connector

435: Window assembly

445: Communication line

450: Window Controller

500:IGU

505: Auxiliary sealing area

510: Bus bar

520: Spacer

525: Line

530: Pigtail Connector

550: Alternative IGU settings

600: Pigtail cover

605: Connection interface

610: Keying interface

615: Contact

700: Tester

701: Shell

705: Input interface button

710: Pass/Fail Indicator

715: Battery Indicator

720: Status Indicator

725: Fastening interface

730: port

800: Internal Components

802: Support Structure

805: Internal button component

810: Pass/Fail Indicator

811: Controller

812: daughter card

815: Battery Indicator

816: Battery

817: Battery Structure

820: Status Indicator

830: port

835: Communication module

900: System

902: Electrochromic Windows

904: Buildings

906: Modern Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning ("HVAC") Systems

907: Interior Lighting System

908: Security System

909: Power supply system

910: Building Management System ("BMS")

911: Main Controller

912: Network Controller

914: Window Controller

920: Network System

922:IGU

924: Window Controller (WC)

926: Network Controller (NC)

928: Main Controller (MC)

934: Internet

942: Wired or wireless link

944: wired or wireless link

946: wired or wireless link

951:Site

952: Zone Group

953: Area

1000: The process of creating a network configuration file

1001: Architectural Drawings

1002: Wiring Diagram

1003: Network configuration file

1004: Control Logic

1005: Main Controller

1006: Network Controller

1007: Window Controller

1008: User Interface

1009: Smart Systems

1010: Operation

1100: How to use an IGU tester

1101: Steps

1102: Steps

1103: Steps

1104: Steps

1105: Steps

1106: Steps

1107: Steps

1108: Steps

1109: Steps

1110: Steps

1111: Piece ID (or other ID) information

1200: IGU connector

1202: Wiring

1204: Memory Storage Device

1206: Line

1208: Circuits

1210: Connection interface

1212: pin

1220: Pigtail Cover

1222: Female contact

1230: Connection interface

1240: Keying interface

12010: LED

1 is a graph showing the voltage and current profiles associated with driving an electrochromic device from a clear state to a colored state and from a colored state to a clear state.

2 is a graph showing an implementation of the voltage and current patterns associated with driving an electrochromic device from a clear state to a colored state.

3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an electrochromic device.

Figure 4A shows an example of an operation for manufacturing an insulating glass unit.

Figure 4B shows an example for incorporating an insulating glass unit into a frame.

Figure 5A shows one embodiment for wiring insulating glass units.

Figure 5B shows another embodiment for wiring insulating glass units.

Figure 6A shows a cross-sectional view of a pigtail cover.

Figure 6B shows an alternate view of a pigtail cover.

FIG. 7A shows a tester used to check whether the insulating glass unit is functioning properly.

Figure 7B shows a view of a tester with a transparent housing.

Figure 8 shows the internal components of the tester.

9A shows a diagram of an example system for controlling and driving a plurality of electrochromic windows.

9B shows a diagram of another example system for controlling and driving a plurality of electrochromic windows.

9C shows a block diagram of an example network system operable to control a plurality of insulating glass units.

FIG. 9D shows a hierarchical structure in which insulating glass units can be configured.

Figure 10A shows the manner in which the network configuration file is used by the control logic to perform various functions on the window network.

10B illustrates a process for creating a network configuration file, according to some embodiments.

Figure 11 shows a method of using an insulating glass unit tester.

Figure 12 shows a cross-sectional view of the interface between the IGU connector and the cover.

foreword

The following detailed description pertains to certain embodiments or implementations for the purpose of describing the disclosed aspects. However, the teachings herein can be applied and implemented in many different ways. in detail below In the description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings. While the disclosed embodiments have been described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the embodiments, it should be understood that these examples are not limiting; other embodiments may be used and changes may be made to the disclosed embodiments without departing from its spirit and scope. Furthermore, although the disclosed embodiments focus on electrochromic windows (also known as optically switchable windows and smart windows), the concepts disclosed herein can be applied to other types of switchable optical devices, among others Including, for example, liquid crystal devices and suspended particle devices. For example, liquid crystal devices or suspended particle devices rather than electrochromic devices may be incorporated into some or all of the disclosed implementations. In addition, the conjunction "or" is intended to be inclusive of the sexual meaning herein, as appropriate, unless otherwise indicated; for example, the phrase "A, B, or C" is intended to include "A," "B," "C," "A, and Possibilities of "B", "B and C", "A and C", and "A, B and C". Also, as used herein, the terms pane, sheet, and substrate are used interchangeably to refer to a surface, such as glass, in which an electrochromic device is placed on a surface or of an insulating glass unit ("IGU"). The electrochromic window can be in the form of a laminate structure, an IGU, or both, i.e., where the IGU includes two substantially transparent substrates, or two panes of glass, where at least one of the substrates includes an electro- A discoloration device, and a spacer, or a spacer, is arranged between the substrates. One or more of these substrates may itself be a structure with multiple substrates, such as two or more glass sheets. IGUs are typically hermetically sealed, with an interior area isolated from the surrounding environment. The window assembly may include an IGU, an electrical connector for coupling one or more electrochromic devices of the IGU to the window controller, and a frame to support the IGU and associated wiring (including IGU connectors such as pigtails) .

The challenge presented by electrochromic window technology is to ensure that the IGU arrives at the installation site or building in a cleaned or decolorized state without any staining or staining. This is true for a number of reasons, including that when the IGU is tinted or tinted, the customer may believe that it has received the wrong product, and for the installer or the person who commissions the glazing to use at startup or when power is applied to the window controller. All IGUs are at the same Status is also very useful. The IGU is usually shipped by the manufacturer to the site where the IGU will be installed. Manufacturers will recently test IGUs from time to time, such as during quality control inspections, by placing the glass in a tinted state. Building managers or other installation technicians not familiar with the operation of electrochromic windows (e.g., glaziers, construction workers, electricians, etc.) ) may express concern as to why different IGUs are colored differently and may even think that the IGU is faulty or damaged or that incorrect product was shipped to the site. A related challenge is to ensure that the electrochromic window reaches its installation site without damage to its components, such as, for example, damage to pigtail wiring caused by debris or damage to sheets caused by loose pigtails. To facilitate handling these challenges, in some implementations, a pigtail cover can be used to draw current from the IGU as it is transported to the installation site, while also protecting the pigtail from debris.

Another challenge presented by electrochromic window technology is to ensure that there is trade separation and verifiability during electrochromic window installation and that a faulty IGU can be replaced as early as possible during site installation. The glazier or other professional responsible for installing the IGU at the site is usually one of the first to handle the IGU and establish a network of physical electrochromic windows at the time of installation and deployment. Often a period of time, days, or weeks passes before the next craftsman, such as a low voltage electrician ("LVE"), arrives at the job site to install the window controller and associated wiring. In the event that they cannot verify that their IGU installation work has been completed correctly when they perform their installation work, the glazier may be called back to the installation site after their work has been completed to troubleshoot problems that arise after their installation work, Or worse, can be reprimanded or punished for damage to the electrochromic window network that occurs after its installation work. Without information such as which windows functioned properly before and after installation, it is difficult to assess where in the network of installed electrochromic windows the problem is located. To facilitate handling of these challenges, in some implementations a portable tester can be used to verify that the IGU is whether it is operating normally. This allows the IGU to be tested without the window controller and associated wiring installed at the task site. Such testers are also useful in factories that manufacture IGUs, such as to test IGUs on assembly lines or in stock, to ensure that they are functioning properly before shipping or even to test them during shipping, for example in case of suspected damage. Ensure the integrity of the shipment.

control algorithm

To accelerate along the optical transition, the applied voltage is initially provided at a magnitude greater than that required to maintain the device in equilibrium in a particular optical state. This method is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 . 1 is a graph showing the voltage and current profiles associated with driving an electrochromic device from a clear state to a colored state and from a colored state to a clear state. FIG. 2 is a graph showing specific voltage and current profiles associated with driving an electrochromic device from a colored state to a clear state. Additionally, as used herein, the terms clearing and decolorizing are used interchangeably when referring to the optical state of the electrochromic device of an IGU, as are the terms coloring and dyeing.

Figure 1 shows the complete current profile and voltage profile of an electrochromic device that employs a simple voltage control algorithm to cause an optical state transition cycle (dyeing, followed by decolorization) of the electrochromic device. In the graph, the total current density (I) is expressed as a function of time. As mentioned, the total current density is the combination of the ionic current density associated with the electrochromic transition and the electron leakage current between the electrochemically active electrodes. Many different types of electrochromic devices will have the current patterns shown. In one example, a cathodic electrochromic material such as tungsten oxide is used in combination with an anodic electrochromic material such as nickel tungsten oxide in the counter electrode. In these devices, the negative current indicates the staining of the device. In one example, lithium ions flow from a nickel tungsten oxide anodically dyed electrochromic electrode into a tungsten oxide cathodically dyed electrochromic electrode. Correspondingly, electrons flow into the tungsten oxide electrode to compensate for the positively charged incoming lithium ions. Therefore, the voltage and current are shown to have negative values.

The pattern shown results from ramping the voltage to a set level and then holding the voltage to maintain the optical state. Current peaks 101 correlate with changes in optical state (ie, dyeing and depigmentation). Specifically, the current peak represents the transfer of ionic charge required to dye or decolorize the device. Mathematically, the shaded area below the peak represents the total charge required to dye or decolorize the device. The portion of the pattern after the initial current spike (portion 103) represents the electron leakage current when the device is in the new optical state.

In the figure, the voltage pattern 105 is superimposed on the current pattern. The voltage profiles follow the sequence: negative voltage ramp 107 , negative voltage hold 109 , positive voltage ramp 111 , and positive voltage hold 113 . Note that the voltage remains constant after reaching its maximum magnitude and during the length of time that the device remains in its defined optical state. A negative voltage ramp 107 drives the device to its new dyed state, and a negative voltage hold 109 maintains the device in that dyed state until a positive voltage ramp 111 in the opposite direction drives the transition from the dyed state to the decolorized state. In some implementations, the negative voltage hold 109 and the positive voltage hold 113 may also be referred to as V _drive . In some switching algorithms, a current cap is imposed. That is, the current is not allowed to exceed a defined level in order to prevent damage to the device (eg, driving ions through the material layer too rapidly could physically damage the material layer). Dyeing speed is a function of not only applied voltage but also temperature and voltage ramp rate.

FIG. 2 shows a voltage control scheme according to some embodiments. In the embodiment shown, a voltage-controlled regime is employed to drive the transition from a decolorized state to a dyed state (or to an intermediate state). To drive the electrochromic device in the reverse direction from a dyed state to a decolorized state (or from a more dyed state to a less dyed state), a similar but opposite profile is used. In some embodiments, the voltage-controlled pattern used for self-dyeing into depigmentation is a mirror image of the pattern shown in FIG. 2 .

The voltage values shown in FIG. 2 represent the applied voltage (V _applied ) value. The applied voltage profile is shown by the dashed line. For comparison, the current density in the device is shown by the solid line. In the version shown, the V _applied includes four components: the ramp-to-drive component 203 of the start transition, the V _-drive component 213 of the continuation-drive transition, the ramp-to-hold component 215 , and the V- _hold component 217 . The ramp component is implemented as a change in V _applied , and the V _drive and V _hold components provide a constant or substantially constant magnitude of V _applied .

The ramp-to-drive component is characterized by the ramp rate (increase magnitude) and the magnitude of _Vdrive . When the magnitude of the applied voltage reaches Vdrive, the ramp-to- _drive component is complete. The _Vdrive component is characterized by the value of _Vdrive and the duration of _Vdrive . The magnitude of _Vdrive can be selected to maintain a safe but _effective range of Veffective across the entire face of an electrochromic device as described above.

The ramp-to- _hold component is characterized by the voltage ramp rate (decrease amount) and the value of Vhold (or the difference between _Vdrive and _Vhold , as appropriate). V _applied decreases according to the ramp rate until it reaches the value of V _hold . The _Vhold component is characterized by the magnitude of _Vhold and _the duration of Vhold. In practice, the duration of the V _hold is generally governed by the length of time the device is held in the dyed state (or conversely, in the depigmented state). Unlike the ramp-to-drive, V _-drive , and ramp-to-hold components, the V- _hold component has an arbitrary length that is independent of the physics of the optical transition of the device.

Each type of electrochromic device will have its own characteristic component of the voltage regime for driving the optical transition. For example, relatively large devices and/or devices with more resistive conductive layers will require higher V _drive values and ramp-to-drive components may require higher ramp rates. Larger devices may also require higher _Vhold values. U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 13/449,251, filed April 17, 2012, entitled "CONTROLLER FOR OPTICALLY-SWITCHABLE WINDOWS" (Attorney Docket No. VIEWP042) and incorporated herein by reference, discloses application in a wide range of A controller and associated algorithm to drive optical transitions within a range of conditions. As explained therein, each of the components of the applied voltage pattern (herein Ramp-to- _Drive , VDrive, Ramp-to- _Hold , and VHold) can be independently controlled to handle immediate conditions, such as current temperature, current transmittance level, etc. In some embodiments, the value of each component of the applied voltage profile is set for a particular electrochromic device (with its own busbar spacing, resistivity, etc.) and does vary based on current conditions. In other words, in these embodiments, the voltage profile does not take into account feedback, such as temperature, current density, and the like.

As indicated, all voltage values shown in the voltage transition profile of FIG. 2 correspond to _{the applied} values of V described above. It does not correspond to the _{Vrms value} described above. In other words, the voltage values shown in FIG. 2 represent the voltage difference between the bus bars with opposite polarities on the electrochromic device.

In certain embodiments, the ramp-to-drive component of the voltage pattern is selected to safely but rapidly induce ionic current to flow between the electrochromic electrode and the counter electrode. As shown in Figure 2, the current in the device follows the pattern of the ramp-to-drive voltage component until the ramp-to-drive portion of the pattern ends and the V _-drive portion begins. See current component 201 in FIG. 2 . Safe levels of current and voltage can be determined empirically or based on other feedback. US Pat. No. 8,254,013 (Attorney Docket No. VIEWP009), filed March 16, 2011, entitled "CONTROLLING TRANSITIONS IN OPTICALLY SWITCHABLE DEVICES", is incorporated herein by reference and presents applications in electrochromic device transitions An example of an algorithm to maintain a safe current level during this time.

In certain embodiments, the value of _Vdrive is selected based on the considerations described above. In particular, the value of _Vdrive is chosen such that the value of _Vrms over the entire surface of the electrochromic device remains within a range that enables efficient and safe transition of large electrochromic devices. The duration of the V _drive can be selected based on various considerations. One of these ensures that the drive potential is maintained for a period of time sufficient to cause substantial staining of the device. For this purpose, the duration of _Vdrive can be determined empirically by monitoring the optical density of the device as a function of the length of time that _Vdrive remains in place. In some embodiments, the duration of the V _drive is set to a specified time period. In another embodiment, the duration of _Vdrive is set to a desired amount corresponding to the charge of the ions being passed. As shown, during V _drive , the current ramps down. See current section 207.

Another consideration is that the current density in the device decreases as the ionic current decays as the available lithium ions complete their journey from the anodic dyed electrode to the cathodic dyed electrode (or counter electrode) during the optical transition. When the transition is complete, the only current flowing across the device is the leakage current through the ionically conductive material. Consequently, the ohmic drop in potential across the face of the device is reduced and the local value of _Veffective is increased. These increased _{Vrms values} can damage or degrade the device if the applied voltage is not reduced. Therefore, another consideration in determining the duration of _Vdrive is the goal of reducing the level of _Veffective associated with leakage current. By reducing the applied voltage from _Vdrive to _Vhold , not only is V _effectively reduced on the face of the device, but leakage current is also reduced. As shown in FIG. 2 , the device current transitions in segment 205 during the ramp-to-hold component. During the V _hold period, the current settles to a stable leakage current 209 .

Insulating glass unit formation

In order to apply the voltage control algorithm, there may be associated wiring and connections to the powered electrochromic device. FIG. 3 shows an example of a schematic cross-sectional view of an electrochromic device 300 . Electrochromic device 300 includes substrate 305 . The substrate may be transparent and may be made of glass, for example. A first transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer 310 is on the substrate 305 , wherein the first TCO layer 310 is the first of two conductive layers used to form electrodes of the electrochromic device 300 . Electrochromic stack 315 may include (i) an electrochromic (EC) layer, (ii) an ionically conductive (IC) layer, and (iii) a counter electrode (CE) layer to form a stack, wherein the IC layer connects the EC layer to the CE layer Layer separation. Electrochromic stack 315 is sandwiched between first TCO layer 310 and second TCO layer 320 , which is the second of two conductive layers used to form electrodes of electrochromic device 300 . The first TCO layer 310 is in contact with the first bus bar 330 , and the second TCO layer 320 is in contact with the second bus bar 325 . Wires 331 and 332 are connected to bus bars 330 and 325 , respectively, and form a wire assembly 334 that terminates in connector 335 . The wire assemblies 334 and connectors 335 are collectively referred to as pigtails 336 . Wires 331 and 332 can be warp knitted and have absolute A hood (or other additional wire in some implementations) such that the wires form a single strand, i.e. wire assembly 334 and thus pigtail 336, wires 331 and 332 can also be considered pigtails part of the joint 336. The wires of another connector 340 may be connected to a tester or controller capable of effecting the transition of the electrochromic device 300, eg, from a first optical state to a second optical state. Pigtail 336 and connector 340 can be coupled such that a tester or controller can drive optical state transitions of electrochromic device 300.

Depending on the voltage algorithm and the associated wiring and connections for powering the electrochromic device, there are also aspects of how the wiring's electrochromic glazing is incorporated into the IGU and how the IGU is incorporated, for example, into the frame. 4A and 4B illustrate an example of operations for fabricating an IGU 425 including an electrochromic pane 405 and incorporating the IGU 425 into a frame 427 . Electrochromic pane 405 has electrochromic devices (not shown, but eg on surface A) and bus bars 410 providing power to the electrochromic devices are matched with another glass pane 415 . The electrochromic pane may comprise, for example, an electrochromic device similar to that shown in Figure 3, as described above. In some embodiments, the electrochromic device is solid state and inorganic.

Referring to FIG. 4A , during the manufacture of IGU 425 , separator 420 is sandwiched between and registered at electrochromic pane 405 and glass pane 415 . The IGU 425 has an associated interior space defined by the face of the glass pane that contacts the divider 420 and the interior surface of the divider. The spacers 420 may be sealed spacers, that is, the spacers may include spacers and a sealing material (primary seal) between the spacers and each glass pane, wherein the glass panes contact the spacers. The spacers 420 may be pre-wired spacers (discussed below) with pigtails 430 strung through and eventually protruding from the spacers. The sealing divider, together with the primary seal, can seal (eg, hermetically) the interior volume enclosed by the electrochromic pane 405 and glass pane 415 and divider 420 and protect the interior volume from moisture and the like . Once electro-transformed With tinted pane 405 and glass pane 415 coupled to spacer 420, an auxiliary seal can be applied around the perimeter edge of IGU 425 to apply further sealing from the surrounding environment and to impart further structural rigidity to IGU 425. The auxiliary seal may be, for example, a silicone-based sealant.

Referring to FIG. 4B , the IGU 425 may be wired to a window controller or tester 450 via a pigtail 430 . Pigtail 430 includes wires that are electrically coupled to bus bar 410 and may include other wires for sensors or for other components of IGU 425 . As stated above, the insulated wires in pigtail 430 may be braided and have insulating covers over all wires (power, sensors, communications, etc.) so that the multiple wires form a single strand or wire assembly. IGU 425 may be mounted in frame 427 to form window assembly 435 . Window assembly 435 is connected to window controller 450 via pigtail 430 . Window controller 450 may also be connected to one or more sensors in frame 427 by one or more communication lines 445 . Care must be taken during manufacture, transport and installation of the IGU 425, for example because the glass panes can be fragile but also because of the fact that the pigtail 430 extends beyond the IGU glass panes and may be damaged.

Figure 5A shows an IGU 500 with spacers 520 as pre-wired spacers where wires 525 make contact with bus bars 510 and then pass through the body of spacers 520 to form pigtails 530. Dec 11, 2012 Pre-wired spacers are further described in the filing PCT International Application No. PCT/US12/68950 (Attorney Docket No. VIEWP034X1WO) "CONNECTORS FOR SMART WINDOWS", which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety and for all purposes way to incorporate. FIG. 5B shows an alternative IGU setup 550 in which wire 525 is run in secondary sealing area 505 outside of spacer 520 .

Pigtails and Pigtail Covers

In some implementations, a pigtail or other IGU connector includes a chip that includes memory and/or logic such as in connector 335 in FIG. 3 . This memory is programmed from the factory to contain window parameters or footprints that allow the tester or window controller to determine the Appropriate driving voltage for the associated electrochromic coating. Other relevant footprint parameters include voltage response, current response, drive parameters, communication fidelity, window size, and patch or window ID. A site monitoring system for a network of electrochromic windows can, in some embodiments, remotely and automatically reprogram the memory (or other memory) in the pigtail, while the site monitoring system runs in the cloud And collect data from different sites. The imprinting and Site Monitoring System, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

12 shows an example interface between an IGU connector 1200 and a pigtail cover 1220, according to some embodiments. The IGU connector has a connection interface 1210 configured to mate with a connection interface 1230 of the pigtail cover. The connector may have a plurality of pins 1212 for transferring information and/or power between the IGU and an attached device (eg, a tester, window controller, or pigtail cover). The pins used to deliver power to the electrochromic window can deliver charge via wiring 1202. The pins used to transmit information may be connected to the window sensor, eg, via the wiring 1202, or to the memory storage device 1204 associated with the connector. The memory associated with the connector can store window parameters, including parameters used to control the electrochromic device, or parameters that can be used to compare current window conditions to previous window conditions (eg, using voltage and/or current response data). The pigtail cover 1220 has female contacts 1222 configured to receive the pins of the connector. The pigtail cover need not have a female connector; mixed male/female connectors and other types of connection interfaces between the IGU connector and the pigtail cover are also contemplated. In some cases, the cover and connector will have a keying interface 1240 or some asymmetric feature to orient the mating of the pigtail cover to the IGU connector. In some implementations, the cover is configured so that the pigtail The leads of the type connector are shorted to provide a charge to the electrochromic device when the cover is attached - thereby allowing current to be drawn from the electrochromic device. This can be done by a wire 1206 placed between the contacts 1222 of the pigtail cover, or another conductor. Shorting the IGU connectors or pigtail leads connected to the EC and CE layers of the electrochromic device allows the IGU to clear more rapidly than would otherwise be cleared. In some cases, the IGU cover may allow complete removal of the IGU, wherein depending on the amount of coloration present, a clean state may be achieved in about hours or minutes rather than days. The total IGU discharge time will vary based on size and native leakage level, but the total IGU discharge time should be less than the shipping time from the factory or manufacturer to the customer site. An IGU connector or pigtail may have multiple pins (1212) and/or sockets (not shown), such as in US patent application entitled "POWER DISTRIBUTION NETWORKS FOR ELECTROCHROMIC DEVICES," filed Sep. 16, 2016 15/268,204 (Attorney Docket No. VIEWP085), which is incorporated herein in its entirety. In some cases, a resistor may be included in the circuit, eg, in series with line 1206, to draw the device at a particular rate. In some embodiments, the pigtail cover may include circuitry 1208 that detects if the IGU charge is fully drained, leaving the IGU in a cleared state. Once the IGU charge has been drawn, an indicator, such as LED 12010, may indicate that the window has cleared tint. The connection interface 1230 may be coupled with a push-up or snap-fit, or any other type of mechanical connection, with an IGU connector or pigtail.

6A and 6B illustrate different aspects of a pigtail cover according to some embodiments. The pigtail cover 600 includes a connection interface 605 (corresponding to 1230 in FIG. 12 ) configured to mate with the pigtail. The connection interface 605 may include a keying interface 610 (corresponding to 1240 in FIG. 12 ) for orienting the pigtail cover 600 such that the contacts 615 are aligned with the corresponding leads of the pigtail. As shown, the contacts 615 on the pigtail cover may be spatially arranged in a circular pattern, however, this is not required. For example, the contacts can be as shown in Figure 12 linearly or in any other way.

Once the pigtail cover is coupled to the pigtail, the pigtail cover protects the pigtail from debris. The pigtail cover is usually coupled to the pigtail at the factory before the IGU is ready for shipment, so the pigtail cover protects the pigtail from being damaged at the factory, in transit, or at the installation site. Debris such as dust and grime is collected in the connector and protects the pigtail leads from damage. The cheap pigtail cover can be discarded once the IGU is ready to be installed or returned to the manufacturer for future use.

In some implementations (not shown), a pigtail cover can be attached to the IGU via an attachment assembly to protect the pigtail (eg, wire assembly 334 and connector 335 in FIG. 3 ) from damage And protect the IGU from damage or scratches caused by pigtail connectors. In one implementation, a clamp (eg, a U-clamp) is used to secure the pigtail cover coupled to the pigtail to the edge or surface of the IGU to prevent the pigtail from cluttering while the IGU is in transit verb: move. In another implementation, the pigtail cover and pigtail may reside in an auxiliary sealing area of the IGU, such as auxiliary sealing area 505 in Figure 5B.

A further benefit of the pigtail cover is related to its efficiency over the deployment cycle. Because floor space and time in the factory are at a premium, by using the time the IGU is in transit to draw current from the IGU, the IGU is faster outdoors and the factory floor space is freed up for other operations. Furthermore, by drawing current from the IGU so that it arrives at its installation site in a purged state, it will be much easier to test the IGU at the installation site, as all IGUs will start from the same initial purged or decolorized state, ensuring that at the end of the test The IGUs tested had a more uniform color state throughout the time. This allows for easier chip-to-chip matching out of the box, and makes it possible to worry about the different coloring levels that an IGU can see without drawing all the current evenly, the handling of its IGUs looking different, or the purchase of IGUs. Anyone at ease. Therefore, the IGU can be installed in the pigtail cover In the case of packaging, for example, shipped in various colored states, it will arrive at the installation site in a clean or discolored state and with the pigtails protected.

Tester

The IGU is typically installed before the electrochromic window network, including the power distribution and communication networks involved therein, is configured. In some implementations, pigtails or other IGU connectors are used to connect wiring from the IGU to the tester before and after installation to verify working window performance. The tester can also be used to test IGUs at the factory, at the manufacturer, or in any other suitable environment.

After the IGU has arrived at its intended installation site, a glazier or other technician can perform an initial test by means of a portable tester to assess whether the IGU is functioning properly. If initial testing finds that the IGU is not functioning properly, the glazier will know that the IGU was damaged in transit and can notify the appropriate individuals involved in the site installation (eg, building manager, manufacturer, etc.) of the problem. In some embodiments, the tester may automatically send test results to the appropriate individuals, such as via wireless communication means, so that a new IGU of the same specification as the IGU in question may be ordered and shipped, with minimal impact on site installation deployment time . After the glazier installs the IGU, the glazier can use the portable tester again to confirm that the IGU is functioning properly. The data obtained by the glazier from testing each IGU can later be used for debugging, where the physical location of the IGU is paired with the network ID to bring the control system of the electrochromic window online. A log of test data can be sent to a site monitoring system, eg, to provide a blot or otherwise a historical baseline for IGU EC device performance.

7A and 7B show examples of external views of the tester. FIG. 7A shows a tester 700 having a housing 701 that includes the external components shown thereon. Tester 700 has a port 730 that can be coupled to a pigtail or other IGU connector. In some implementations, the port may communicate with the window via two contacts (not shown) that are used to provide electrical charge to the electrochromic device of the IGU. In another implementation, the port may include additional pins, such as the 5 pins of a 5-pin connector. exist In some embodiments, two contacts are used to power the electrochromic device, while other contacts are used for communication between the tester and the pigtail. Port 730 may be coupled to the pigtail connector by any type of mechanical connection that maintains electrical coupling between the contacts in port 730 and the IGU connector. For example, the mechanical connection can be a push-up, twist, or snap-fit connection. Tester 700 can be powered on and off via input interface buttons 705, eg, where a short press of button 705 turns on tester 700 and a long press of button 705 turns off tester 700 for about four seconds. Once the tester 700 is turned on, another short press on the button 705 can initiate testing of the IGU. Although the device shown in Figures 7A and 7B receives user input via button 705, other input interfaces may be used, such as a touch-sensitive graphical user interface. In some embodiments, the tester may receive user input provided by a user operating a remote device, such as a tablet computer or mobile phone. Once the tester 700 is connected to the pigtail and powered on, optional status indicators 720 (eg, LEDs) will indicate the current status of the tester, including (i) reading blots from the pigtail and other parameters, (ii) IGU test in progress, and (iii) idle. The tester 700 can also determine if the sheet ID matches the site ID to check if the IGU has been transported to the correct location. Although the status indicators are shown as LEDs on the exterior of the tester face, the LED indicators may also be located within the housing when the housing is transparent or translucent. In some embodiments, the fastening interface 725 may be made of a translucent material that reflects the color of the LED indicator. In some embodiments, the indicator may be an audible indicator (eg, if the tester has a speaker unit), and in some embodiments, the tester may be configured to transmit the or tablet) to provide the user with the status of the IGU.

After the tester 700 is powered up and finished reading the pigtails, the IGU test can be initiated via the button 705 and completed, for example, in about 10 seconds or less. The tester applies an aggressive drive voltage pattern to the connected IGU, ie, a steeper voltage ramp rate and a shorter _voltage hold time depending on the magnitude of Vdrive than in Figure 1, but the tester does not actually need to color the IGU. In some implementations, referring to voltage pattern 105 in FIG. 1, an aggressive drive voltage pattern shades and then clears the IGU, and includes a negative voltage ramp 107 and a positive voltage ramp 111 lasting, for example, a fraction of a second, A negative voltage hold 109 and a positive voltage hold 113 for, for example, one second, and a V _drive with a magnitude between, for example, 0.1V and 5V. The tester 700 can also test the IGU by first applying the clear voltage and then the tinting voltage second. The tester calculates the current density of the IGU based on the voltage supplied to the IGU, the current drawn by the IGU, and the size of the IGU that can be read from the pigtail. Based on the calculated current density, the tester determines whether the IGU is functioning properly, that is, passing the test or failing the test. For example, the tester can identify whether the current density is within an acceptable range for the applied voltage profile, above a maximum threshold value, or below a minimum threshold value in order to determine if the IGU is functioning properly. After testing the IGU, the tester 700 may indicate via a pass/fail indicator 710 (eg, an LED) that the IGU passed the test or failed the test. The tester 700 can then be disconnected from the IGU connector or pigtail without having to power down since the tester enters high impedance mode, eg, 10 seconds after the test has initiated. An IGU may fail the test if, for example, there is an open or short in the electrochromic device that affects the performance of the electrochromic device and results in an out-of-range current density. A battery indicator 715 (eg, an LED) shows the remaining battery life of the tester 700 . The fastening interface 725 allows the glazier to fasten the tester 700 to his person or belt via, for example, a hook and loop, cinch cord, or other attachment means.

FIG. 7B shows an alternate view of the tester 700 in which the housing 701 is transparent so that the orientation of the internal components of the tester 700 can be viewed. The discussion of the internal components of tester 700 continues in FIG. 8 .

FIG. 8 shows the internal components 800 of the tester 700 . Port 830 , which corresponds to port 730 in FIG. 7 , is electrically coupled (eg, by wiring, not shown) to controller 811 . Internal button assembly 805 illustrates how button 705 in FIG. 7 is coupled to the rest of internal assembly 800, such as at daughter card 812. condition. Similarly, indicators, such as LEDs, such as pass/fail indicator 810, battery indicator 815, and status indicator 820 show pass/fail indicator 710, battery indicator 715, and status indicator 720, for example, on daughter card 812 are coupled to the rest of the internal components 800, respectively. Daughter card 812 contains circuitry to increase the number of digital input and output points of controller 811 , such as, for example, inputs to read button 705 and outputs to drive indicators 710 , 715 and 720 . In some implementations, daughter card 812 can monitor and control rechargeable battery 816 . In some implementations, the daughter card 812 includes a communication module 835 that enables wireless communication with the mobile device, eg, a Bluetooth Smart® or low energy radio. The tester results and other relevant data may be automatically transmitted to the mobile device, eg, via the communication module 835 and the corresponding mobile device application. Tester results and associated data can then be sent to the appropriate individuals involved in the site installation, or alternatively uploaded to the cloud. In some implementations, daughter card 812 includes an ultra-wideband ("UWB") module 840 with a debug application (discussed below), such as a DecaWave® radio. In some implementations, the daughter card can be connected to a UWB module that can be used to locate and communicate with the mobile device.

Controller 811 may have circuitry for regulating current and/or voltage in internal components 800 . For example, the voltage supplied by the battery can be adjusted to eg 3.3V. Similarly, the controller 811 can regulate the voltage or current provided to the daughter card, communication module or UWB module. In some embodiments, controller 811 or daughter card 812 may include charging circuitry for charging rechargeable batteries.

Controller 811 operates the tester by applying aggressive voltage drive patterns to the IGU connected to port 830. As mentioned, the tester does not need to color the IGU; instead, the controller 811 and/or daughter card 812 calculate the IGU based on the voltage supplied to the IGU, the current drawn by the IGU, and the size of the IGU read from the pigtail The current density in the electrochromic device to determine whether the IGU is operating correctly. Although the illustrated embodiment has both a controller and a daughter card, it should be understood that this is only one of many possible configurations. For example, the components and features of daughter card 812 may in some embodiments be Integrated into the controller 811 . Components of daughter card 812 may also be on controller 811 and vice versa. For example, in some embodiments, the controller may include the communication module and the UWB module if, for example, the communication module and the UWB module are not on the daughter card, or if the internal components 800 do not include the daughter card 812 .

A battery 816 (eg, a Li-ion rechargeable battery) provides voltage to the tester and may allow the tester to operate continuously, for example, for about 16 hours. The battery 816 is coupled via a battery structure 817 which is coupled to the support structure 802 . Daughter card 812 is coupled to controller 811, which in turn is coupled to support structure 802 to provide structural reinforcement and alignment to the tester.

FIG. 11 shows a method of using the IGU tester 1100. In step 1101, the tester is powered on. Next, in step 1102, the tester checks whether it is connected to the pigtail connector of the IGU. If not connected, then in step 1103 the tester's status indicator indicates that the tester is waiting for a pigtail. In step 1104, the tester reads parameters, eg, footprints, from the pigtail connector, such as IGU size, drive parameters, and chip ID. Next, in step 1105, the power button may be pressed again to begin testing the IGU by applying an aggressive driving voltage pattern. In step 1106, the tester calculates the current density in the IGU. In step 1107, the tester will determine whether the IGU passes or fails, depending on the measurements made to calculate the current density of the connected IGU. Next, in step 1108, the tester checks to see if the pigtail is disconnected. If the pigtail has not been disconnected, in step 1109 the tester disconnects the pigtail by entering a high impedance state and rechecks. After the pigtail connector has been disconnected, the tester sends the IGU and location data to the mobile app via the communication module.

Once the Glazers have completed testing each IGU installed, the remainder of the site installation deployment can continue and a network of window controllers can be established. Test data obtained by glaziers is useful for commissioning sites (discussed below).

window controller network

FIG. 9A shows a diagram of an example system 900 for controlling and driving a plurality of electrochromic windows 902 . It can also be used to control the operation of one or more devices associated with the electrochromic window, such as the window antenna. The system 900 may be adapted for use with a building 904, such as a commercial office building or a residential building. In some implementations, system 900 is designed to incorporate modern heating, ventilation and air conditioning ("HVAC") system 906, interior lighting system 907, security system 908, and power supply system 909 as an entire building 904 or a campus of building 904 A single integrated and efficient energy control system operates. Some embodiments of system 900 are particularly suitable for integration with building management system (“BMS”) 910 . The BMS 910 is a computer-based control system that can be installed in a building to monitor and control the mechanical and electrical equipment of the building, such as HVAC systems, lighting systems, power supply systems, elevators, fire protection systems, and security systems. BMS 910 may include hardware and associated firmware or software for maintaining conditions in building 904 according to preferences set by an occupant or by a building manager or other management personnel. The software may be based on, for example, the Internet Protocol or open standards.

BMSs are often used in large buildings, where the BMS operates to control the environment within the building. For example, BMS 910 may control lighting, temperature, carbon dioxide levels, and humidity within building 904. There may be numerous mechanical or electrical devices that can be controlled by the BMS 910, including, for example, furnaces or other heaters, air conditioners, blowers, and vents. To control the building environment, the BMS 910 may turn these various devices on and off according to rules or in response to conditions. Such rules and conditions may be selected or prescribed by, for example, the building manager or management. One of the primary functions of the BMS 910 is to maintain a comfortable environment for the occupants of the building 904 while minimizing heating and cooling energy losses and costs. In some implementations, the BMS 910 can be configured to not only monitor and control, but also optimize cooperation between various systems, eg, to save energy and reduce building operating costs.

Some implementations are alternatively or additionally designed to be based on feedback sensed via, for example, thermal sensors, light sensors, or other sensors, or via input from, for example, HVAC or interior lighting systems, or input from user controls To act responsively or reactively. Further information can be found in U.S. Patent No. 8,705,162, filed April 17, 2012 (Attorney Docket No. VIEWP035) and issued April 22, 2014, entitled "CONTROLLING TRANSITIONS IN OPTICALLY SWITCHABLE DEVICES," which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. is incorporated herein by way of. Some implementations may also be used in existing structures with conventional or conventional HVAC or interior lighting systems, including commercial and residential structures. Some embodiments may also be retrofitted for use in older dwellings.

System 900 includes a network controller 912 configured to control a plurality of window controllers 914. For example, the network controller 912 may control tens, hundreds or even thousands of window controllers 914. Each window controller 914, in turn, can control and drive one or more electrochromic windows 902. In some implementations, the network controller 912 issues high-level commands (such as the final tint state of the electrochromic window) and the window controller receives these commands and drives the tint state transition and/or maintenance as appropriate by applying electrical stimulation shaded state and directly control its window. The number and size of electrochromic windows 902 that each window controller 914 can drive is generally limited by the voltage and current characteristics of the load on the window controller 914 that controls the corresponding electrochromic window 902 . In some implementations, the maximum window size that each window controller 914 can drive is limited by the voltage, current, or power requirements that cause the desired optical transition of the electrochromic window 902 over a desired period of time. These requirements in turn vary with the surface area of the window. In some implementations, this relationship is nonlinear. For example, the voltage, current, or power requirements may increase non-linearly with the surface area of the electrochromic window 902 . For example, in some cases, at least in part because the sheet resistance of the first and second conductive layers of an electrochromic stack in an IGU increases non-linearly with distance across the length and width of the first or second conductive layer, the relationship is nonlinear. However, in some implementations, the drives are equal The relationship between the voltage, current, or power requirements required for a plurality of electrochromic windows 902 of size and shape is proportional to the number of electrochromic windows 902 driven.

FIG. 9B shows another example system 900 for controlling and driving a plurality of electrochromic windows 902 . The system 900 shown in Figure 9B is similar to the system 900 shown in Figure 9A. In contrast to the system of FIG. 9A , the system 900 shown in FIG. 9B includes a main controller 911 . The master controller 911 communicates with and operates in conjunction with a plurality of network controllers 912, each of which is capable of handling a plurality of window controllers 914 as described with reference to FIG. 9A . In some implementations, the main controller 911 issues high-level commands (such as the final shaded state of the electrochromic window) to the network controller 912 , and the network controller 912 then communicates the command to the corresponding window controller 914 .

In some implementations, the various electrochromic windows 902 and/or antennas of a building or other structure are advantageously grouped into regions or groups of regions, each of which includes a child of the electrochromic window 902 set. For example, each region may correspond to a collection of electrochromic windows 902 in a particular location or area of a building that should be tinted (or otherwise transformed) to the same or similar optics based on their location state. As a more specific example, consider a building with four sides or sides: north, south, east, and west. It is also considered that the building has ten floors. In this didactic example, each region may correspond to a particular floor and a set of electrochromic windows 902 on a particular side of the four sides. In some such implementations, each network controller 912 can handle one or more zones or sets of zones. For example, the master controller 911 may issue a final shading state command for a particular region or group of regions to a corresponding one or more of the network controllers 912. For example, the final shaded state command may include a digest identification of each of the target regions. The designated network controller 912 receiving the final shading state command may then map the digest identification of the region to the specific network address of the corresponding window controller 914 whose control will be applied to the(s) The voltage or current pattern of the electrochromic window 902 in the region.

In embodiments in which at least some of the electrochromic windows have antennas, the area of the window used for tinting purposes may or may not correspond to areas of antenna-related functionality. For example, the master controller and/or the network controller may identify two different areas of windows for tinting purposes, such as a two-story window on a single side of a building, where each floor has a different tint based on customer preference algorithm. In some implementations, zoning is implemented in a hierarchy of three or more tiers; eg, at least some windows of a building are grouped into zones, and at least some zones are divided into sub-areas, where each sub-area Subject to different control logic and/or user access.

In many cases, optically switchable windows may form or occupy a substantial portion of the building envelope. For example, optically switchable windows can form substantial portions of the walls, facades and even roofs of corporate office buildings, other commercial or residential buildings. In various implementations, a distributed network of controllers can be used to control the optically switchable windows. 9C shows a block diagram of an example network system 920 operable to control a plurality of IGUs 922, according to some implementations. One of the primary functions of network system 920 is to control the optical state of electrochromic devices (or other optically switchable devices) within IGU 922. In some implementations, one or more of the IGUs 922 may be multi-region windows, eg, where each window includes two or more independently controllable electrochromic devices or regions. In various implementations, the network system 920 is operable to control the electrical characteristics of the power signal provided to the IGU 922. For example, network system 920 may generate and communicate shading instructions or commands to control the voltages applied to electrochromic devices within IGU 922.

In some implementations, another function of the network system 920 is to obtain status information from the IGU 922 (hereinafter "information" and "data" are used interchangeably). For example, state information for a given IGU may include identification of the current color state of the electrochromic devices within the IGU or information about the current color state of the electrochromic devices within the IGU. Network system 920 may also operate from various sensors, such as temperature sensors, light sensors (also referred to herein as light sensors), occupancy sensors, air flow sensors, or occupancy sensors , antenna to acquire data, regardless of sensor or antenna integrated in On or within the IGU 922 or at various other locations in, on or around the building.

Network system 920 may include any suitable number of distributed controllers having various capabilities or functions. In some implementations, the functions and configurations of various controllers are defined hierarchically. For example, network system 920 includes a plurality of distributed window controllers (WC) 924 , a plurality of network controllers (NC) 926 , and a master controller (MC) 928 . In some implementations, the MC 928 can interact and communicate with the BMS 910 in FIG. 9B, which is represented as the outward-facing network 934. In some implementations, the MC 928 may communicate with and control dozens or hundreds of NCs 926 . In various implementations, the MC 928 issues high-level instructions to the NC 926 via one or more wired or wireless links 946 (hereinafter collectively "links 946"). The instructions may include, for example, rendering commands to cause a transition of the optical state of the IGU 922 controlled by the corresponding NC 926. Each NC 926, in turn, may communicate with and control a number of WCs 924 via one or more wired or wireless links 944 (hereinafter collectively "links 944"). For example, each NC 926 can control tens or hundreds of WCs 924. Each WC 924, in turn, may communicate with, drive, or otherwise control one or more corresponding IGUs 922 via one or more wired or wireless links 942 (hereinafter collectively "links 942").

The MC 928 may issue communications including shading commands, status request commands, data (eg, sensor data) request commands, or other instructions. In some implementations, the MC 928 may be at certain predefined times of the day (which may vary based on the day of the week or year), or based on the detection of a particular event, condition, or combination of events or conditions (eg, such as These communications are sent periodically from the sensor data obtained, or based on the receipt of a request initiated by the user or application, or a combination of this sensor data and the request). In some implementations, the MC 928 generates or selects a shading value corresponding to the desired shading state when the MC 928 determines to cause a change in the shading state of a set of one or more IGUs 922. In some implementations, the set of IGU 922 and the first protocol identifier (ID), eg, BACnet ID associated. MC 928 then generates and transmits via link 946 a communication including the shading value and the first protocol ID via a first communication protocol (eg, a BACnet compliant protocol) - referred to herein as a "primary shading command." In some implementations, the MC 928 handles primary shading commands to a specific NC 926 that controls a specific WC 924 or WCs 924 that in turn control the set of IGUs 922 to be transformed. NC 926 receives a primary shading command including a shading value and a first protocol ID and maps the first protocol ID to one or more second protocol IDs. In some implementations, each of the second protocol IDs identifies a corresponding one of the WCs 924. The NC 926 then transmits a second shading command including a shading value to each of the identified WCs 924 via the second communication protocol via the link 944 . In some implementations, each of the WCs 924 receiving the second shading command then selects a voltage or current type from internal memory based on the shading value to drive its correspondingly connected IGU 922 consistent with the shading value shaded state. Each of the WCs 924 then generates and provides a voltage or current signal via link 942 to its correspondingly connected IGU 922 to apply the voltage or current pattern.

Similar to the way that the functions and/or configuration of the controller can be arranged in a hierarchical structure, the electrochromic windows can be arranged in a hierarchical structure, as shown in FIG. 9D . Hierarchical structures help facilitate control of electrochromic windows at specific sites by allowing rules or user controls to be applied to groups of electrochromic windows or IGUs. Additionally, for aesthetics, multiple connected windows in a room or other site location must sometimes have their optical states corresponding and/or colored at the same rate. Treating a group of connected windows as a region facilitates these goals.

As indicated above, the various IGUs 922 may be grouped into regions 953 of electrochromic windows, each of the regions 953 including at least one window controller 924 and its corresponding IGU 922 . In some implementations, each region of the IGU 922 is controlled by one or more corresponding NCs 926 and one or more corresponding WCs 924 controlled by such NCs 926 . In some more specific implementations, each region The 953 can be controlled by a single NC 926 and two or more WCs 924 controlled by the single NC 926. In other words, region 953 may represent a logical grouping of IGUs 922 . For example, each area 953 may correspond to a particular location or set of IGUs 922 in a building that are driven together based on their location. As a more specific example, consider a site 951 that is a building with four or four sides: north, south, east, and west. It is also considered that the building has ten floors. In this didactic example, each region may correspond to a specific floor and a set of electrochromic windows 900 on a specific side of the four sides. Additionally or alternatively, each region 953 may correspond to a set of IGUs 922 that share one or more physical characteristics (eg, device parameters such as size or age). In some other implementations, the areas 953 of the IGUs 922 may be grouped based on one or more non-physical characteristics, such as, for example, security designation or business class (eg, the IGUs 922 that form the boundaries of an administrator's office may be grouped in one or more While the IGUs 922 that form the boundaries of the non-manager's offices may be grouped in one or more different regions).

In some such implementations, each NC 926 can handle all of the IGUs 922 in each of one or more corresponding regions 953 . For example, the MC 928 may issue a primary shading command to the NC 926 that controls the target area 953. The primary rendering command may include a digest identification of the target region (hereinafter also referred to as "region ID"). In some such implementations, the zone ID may be the first agreement ID, such as just described in the example above. In these cases, the NC 926 receives the primary shading command including the shading value and the region ID and maps the region ID to the second protocol ID associated with the WC 924 within the region. In some other implementations, the area ID may be a digest that is higher in level than the first protocol ID. In such cases, the NC 926 may first map the zone ID to one or more first protocol IDs, and then map the first protocol ID to the second protocol ID.

When commands related to the control of any device (eg, commands for a window controller or IGU) are communicated via the network system 920, the commands are accompanied by the unique network of the device to which they are sent. Road ID. The network ID is necessary to ensure that the command reaches and executes on the intended device. For example, a window controller that controls the shading state of more than one IGU determines which IGU to control based on a net ID, such as a CAN ID (in the form of net ID), passed along with the shading command. In window nets such as described herein, the term net ID includes, but is not limited to, CAN ID, and BACnet ID. These network IDs can be applied to window network nodes, such as window controller 924 , network controller 926 , and master controller 928 . Often when described herein, the network ID of a device includes the network ID of each device in the hierarchy that controls the device. For example, the network ID of an IGU may include a window controller ID, a network controller ID, and a master controller ID in addition to its CAN ID.

Debug Electrochromic Window Networks

In order for shading control to function (eg, to allow the window control system to change the shading state of one or a set of specific windows or IGUs), the host controller, network controller, and/or other controllers responsible for shading decisions must be aware of the connection The network address to the window controller of this particular window or set of windows. To this end, the debugging function will provide window controller addresses and/or other identifying information to specific windows and window controllers, as well as the correct assignment of physical locations of windows and/or window controllers in the building. In some cases, the goal of debugging is to correct errors or other problems caused by installing windows in the wrong location or connecting cables to the wrong window controller. In some cases, the goal of commissioning is to provide semi-automatic or fully automatic installation. In other words, the installer is allowed to install with little or no location guidance.

In general, the debugging process for a particular window or IGU may involve associating an ID of a window or other window-related component with its corresponding window controller. The process may also assign building locations and/or absolute locations (eg, latitude, longitude, and altitude) to windows or other components. Commissioning and/or reconfiguration is presented in International Patent Application No. PCT/US17/62634 (Attorney File No. VIEWP092WO), filed on November 20, 2017, and entitled "AUTOMATED COMMISSIONING OF CONTROLLERS IN A WINDOW NETWORK" Electrochromic Window Network Phase For further information on this application, the entirety of this application is hereby incorporated by reference.

In some implementations, the debug association or association is made by comparing the architecturally determined location of the first component to the wirelessly measured location of the second component, which is associated with the first component. For example, the first component can be an optically switchable window and the second component can be a window controller configured to control the optical state of the optically switchable component. In another example, the first component is a sensor that provides measured radiation data to a window controller, which is the second component. The position of the first element is often known more accurately than the position of the second element, which can be determined by wireless measurement. Although the exact location of the first component can be determined from architectural drawings or similar sources, the commissioning process can employ alternative sources, such as manually measured positions of windows or other components after installation. GPS can also be used. In various embodiments, a component whose location is determined by wireless measurements (eg, a window controller) has a window network ID, and this network ID is available during the debugging process, eg, via a configuration file. In such cases, the debugging process can pair the exact physical location of the first component with the network ID of the second component. In some embodiments, the first component and the second component are a single component. For example, a window controller may be this component; for example, its location may be determined from architectural drawings and from wireless measurements. In this case, the commissioning process can simply be attributed to the physical location from the building drawing and the net ID from the configuration file.

Store associations determined during commissioning in systems that can be linked by various window network components and/or associated systems, such as mobile apps, window control smart algorithms, building management systems (BMS), security systems, lighting systems, and the like referenced files, data structures, databases, or the like. In some embodiments, the debug link is stored in the network configuration file. In some cases, network configuration files are used by the window network to send appropriate commands between components on the network; for example, the master controller sends shading commands to the window controller of the window specified by the location on the structure to Make color changes.

Figure 10A illustrates an embodiment in which a network configuration file 1003 may be used by control logic 1004 to facilitate various functions on the network. Although the following description uses the term "network configuration file," it should be understood that any suitable file, data structure, database, etc. can be used for the same purpose. This file or other feature provides a network of physical components of the window network (eg, tile locations identified by tile IDs) and controllers associated with these physical components (eg, window controllers that directly control the state of the tile) Links between IDs, which can be or include network addresses. Control logic 1004 refers to any logic that may be used for decision making or other purposes in conjunction with an entity component and an associated controller. As indicated, this logic may include a window network host controller 1005, a network controller 1006, and a window controller 1007, and associated or interfacing systems (such as mobile applications for controlling window states, window control intelligence, etc.) algorithms, building management systems, security systems, lighting systems, and the like). In some cases, the network configuration file 1003 is used by the control logic 1004 to provide network information to a user interface for controlling the network (such as an application on a remote wireless device) or to the smart system 1009 or BMS. In some cases, the user interface 1008 of the mobile application is configured to use the information provided by the network configuration file 1003 to control the main controller 1005, network controller 1006, window controller 1007, or other network components.

An example of the process of creating a network configuration file 1000 is shown in FIG. 10B. The first operation is to determine the physical layout of the site from a building plan, such as the architectural map 1001, so that the layout of the window network can be determined. In general, building map 1001 provides building dimensions, location of electrical distribution rooms, and various other structural and building features. In some cases, such as when architectural drawings are not available, architectural drawings may be created by first surveying the site. Using the architectural drawings, an individual or team designs the wiring infrastructure and power delivery system for the electrochromic window network. This infrastructure, including the power distribution components, is visually shown in a modified building drawing, sometimes referred to as a wiring diagram 1002 . Wiring diagrams show the routing of wires at a site (eg, mains), the location of various devices on the network (eg, controllers, power supplies, control panels, windows, and sensors), and identification information for network components (eg Network ID). exist In some cases, the wiring diagram is not completed until the sheet ID (WID or other ID) of the installed optically switchable window matches the location where the device is installed. Inherently or explicitly, a wiring diagram may also illustrate a hierarchical communication network, including windows at a particular site, window controllers, network controllers, and master controllers. However, the wiring diagrams that are usually initially presented do not include the net IDs of the sheets or other components on the optical switchable window net.

After the wiring diagram is created, it is used to create a network configuration file 1003, which can be a textual representation of the wiring diagram. The network configuration file 1003 may then be provided in a medium readable by control logic and/or other interfacing systems that allow the window network to be controlled in a desired manner. As long as the connection diagram and network configuration file accurately reflect the installed network 1010, the process of creating the preliminary network configuration file is complete. However, debugging can add other information to the file to associate the installed optically switchable windows with the corresponding window controller network ID matches. If at any point it is determined that the connection map and network configuration file do not match the installed network 1010, manual user intervention may be required to update the connection map 1002 with accurate tile ID (or other ID) information 1111. According to the updated wiring diagram, the network configuration file 1003 is then updated to reflect the changes that have been made.

Automatic location determination and location awareness

One aspect of commissioning allows automatic window position determination after installation. Window controllers, and in some cases windows configured with antennas and/or onboard controllers, may be configured with transmitters to communicate via various forms of wireless electromagnetic transmission (eg, time-varying electric, magnetic, or electromagnetic fields). Common wireless protocols for electromagnetic communication include, but are not limited to, Bluetooth, BLE, Wi-Fi, RF, and UWB. The relationship between two or more devices can be determined from information related to received transmissions at one or more antennas, such as received strength or capability, time or phase, frequency, and angle of arrival of wirelessly transmitted signals. relative position between. When determining the location of the device from these measurements, one can Implement a triangulation algorithm that, in some cases, accounts for the physical layout of a building (eg, walls and furniture). Ultimately, the exact location of individual window network components can be obtained using these techniques. For example, the position of a window controller with a UWB microposition wafer can easily be determined to be within 10 centimeters of its actual position. In some cases, the location of one or more windows may be determined using geolocation methods such as those described in US Patent Application Serial No. 62/340,936 "WINDOW ANTENNAS" (Attorney Docket No. VIEWP072X1P), filed on May 24, 2016 , which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. As used herein, "geo-positioning" and "geolocation" may refer to any method of determining the position or relative position of a window or device, in part by analysis of electromagnetic signals.

Pulse-based ultra-wideband technology (ECMA-368 and ECMA-369) is a wireless technology for transmitting large amounts of data over short distances (up to 230 feet) at low power (typically less than 0.5mW). A UWB signal is characterized by occupying at least 500MHz of the frequency spectrum or at least 20% of its center frequency. According to the UWB protocol, components broadcast digital signal pulses that are timed very precisely on a carrier signal simultaneously across several channels. Information can be transmitted by modulating the timing or positioning of the pulses. Alternatively, the information can be transmitted by encoding the polarity of the pulses, their amplitudes, and/or by using quadrature pulses. In addition to low power information transfer protocols, UWB technology can provide several advantages for indoor location applications over other wireless protocols. The broad range of the UWB spectrum includes low frequencies with long wavelengths, which allow UWB signals to penetrate a variety of materials, including walls. A wide range of frequencies including these low penetration frequencies reduces the chance of multipath propagation errors, as some wavelengths will typically have line-of-sight trajectories. Another advantage of pulse-based UWB communication is that the pulses are typically very short (less than 60 cm for a 500 MHz wide pulse and less than 23 cm for a 1.3 GHz bandwidth pulse), thereby reducing the chance that the reflected pulse will overlap the original pulse.

The relative position of the window-on-wafer controller with microposition can be determined using the UWB protocol. example For example, using a microposition wafer, the relative position of each device can be determined to within 10 cm accuracy. In various embodiments, the window controller and, in some cases, the antenna disposed on or near the window or window controller are configured to communicate via the microlocation chip. In some embodiments, the window controller may be equipped with a tag having a micro-position chip configured to broadcast an omnidirectional signal. The receiving microlocation chip (also referred to as the anchor) can be located in a variety of locations, such as at a wireless router with a known location, a network controller, or a window controller. The location of the tag can be determined by analyzing the time it takes for the broadcast signal to reach anchors within the transmittable distance of the tag. In some cases, the installer may place temporary anchors within the building for commissioning purposes, then remove the temporary anchors after the commissioning process is complete. In some embodiments where there are a plurality of optically switchable windows, the window controller may be equipped with a microposition chip configured to send and receive UWB signals. By analyzing the received UWB signal at each window controller, the relative distances of window controllers within the transmission range constraints from each other can be determined. By aggregating this information, the relative positions of all window controllers can be determined. When the location of at least one window controller is known, or if anchors are also used, the actual location of each window controller or other network device with a microlocation chip can be determined. These antennas can be used in automatic tuning procedures as described below. It should be understood, however, that the present disclosure is not limited to UWB technology; any technology that automatically reports high-resolution location information may be used. This technique will frequently be employed and one or more antennas associated with the component to be automatically located. Embodiments of testers that may be configured as tags or anchors are described further below.

As explained, wiring diagrams or other sources of building information often include location information for various window network components. For example, a window may have its physical location coordinates listed in x, y, and z dimensions sometimes with very high accuracy (eg, within 1 cm). Similarly, a file or file (such as a network configuration file) derived from this diagram may contain the exact physical location of the associated window network component. In some embodiments, the coordinates will correspond to a corner of a sheet or IGU as mounted in the structure. specific angle The choice of drop or other feature used to specify coordinates in the wiremap can be influenced by the placement of antennas or other position-aware components. For example, a window and/or a paired window controller may have a microposition chip placed near the first corner (eg, the lower left corner) of the associated IGU; in this case the connection of the chips may be specified for the first corner Figure coordinates. Similarly, where the IGU has a window antenna, the coordinates listed on the wiring diagram may represent the location of the antenna on the surface of the IGU sheet or near the corner of the antenna. In some cases, the coordinates may be obtained from architectural drawings and knowledge of antenna placement on larger window assemblies such as IGUs. In some embodiments, the orientation of the windows also includes a wiring diagram.

Although this specification often refers to a connection map as a source of accurate physical location information for a window, the present disclosure is not limited to a connection map. Any similarly accurate representation of the location of components in a building or other structure with optically switchable windows may be used. This includes files derived from wiring diagrams (eg, network configuration files) as well as files or maps generated independently of wiring diagrams, eg, via manual or automatic measurements made during construction of a building. In some cases where coordinates cannot be determined from architectural drawings, such as the vertical position of a window controller on a wall, unknown coordinates may be determined by the person responsible for installation and/or commissioning. Because building and wiring diagrams are widely used in building design and construction, they are used here for convenience, but again this disclosure is not limited to wiring diagrams as a source of physical location information.

In certain embodiments that use a wiring diagram or a similarly detailed representation of component locations and geolocations, the debug logic will match the component locations as specified by the wiring diagram to components (such as window controllers for optically switchable windows) Network ID (or other information not available in the wiring diagram) pairing. In some embodiments, this is done by comparing the measured relative distance between device locations provided by geolocation to the listed coordinates provided on the connection map. Since the positions of network components can be determined with high accuracy (eg, better than about 10 cm), automatic debugging can be easily performed in a manner that avoids complications that can be introduced by manual debugging windows.

The controller network ID or other information paired with the physical location of the window (or other component) can come from a variety of sources. In some embodiments, the network ID of the window controller is stored on a memory device attached to each window (eg, a dock or pigtail for the window controller), or can be based on the window serial number Download from the cloud. An example of a controller's network ID is the CAN ID (identifier used for communication over the CAN bus). In addition to the controller's network ID, other stored window information may include the controller's ID (not its network ID), the window's slice ID (eg, slice's serial number), window type, window size, manufacturing data , busbar length, region membership, current firmware, and various other window details. Whatever information is stored, it can be accessed during the debugging process. Once accessed, any or all portions of this information are linked to physical location information obtained from wiring diagrams, partially completed network configuration files, or other sources.

In some implementations, the application project generates a wiring diagram and then uses the location IDs of the windows, the physical locations of the windows, and the location IDs of the window controllers from the architectural drawing to generate a network configuration file via, for example, computer-aided design software. This network configuration file will have partition information incorporated therein, such as area 953 and area group 952 in Figure 9D. From there, glaziers can use the tester to obtain information and measurement results for each IGU after installing the IGU.

In some implementations, the tester may include a UWB module, similar to UWB module 840 in FIG. 8 . These UWB modules can be DecaWave® radios (DWM1000) and the testers can be configured to act as tags or anchors that can be implemented for use in configuring files and connections via the network as described above The IGU position awareness and drawing used for debugging. Before installing the IGU, a glazier or low-voltage electrician can place up to eight testers configured as anchors around the floors of the building (for example, at the four corners of the building floor and as far away from each other as possible). four other locations, optionally within line of sight of each other) to start the commissioning process to establish a coordinate system, such as the x-axis and y-axis, for that particular floor of the building. Alternative configurations are also possible, such as always borrowing Anchors are placed by IGUs located in the same place on different floors. The glazier may then proceed as discussed above to test each IGU with a tester configured as a label, eg, coupling the pigtail of the IGU to the tester and running the test. The tester and the IGU can communicate with each other during testing via wireless communication (eg, Bluetooth Smart® or low energy), so that the glazier can control the IGU during testing by placing the tester against the same IGU on or near the surface of each IGU. position (eg, bottom left corner of the sheet) to ensure that each IGU test provides the most accurate position test data. This also provides some z-axis information as it takes into account the IGU dimensions read from the IGU pigtail where the tester communicates with the IGU. As the Glazer tests each IGU, the tag-configured tester does it wirelessly, for example via the communication module 835 in Figure 8 (which can be a Bluetooth Smart® or low energy module) and the mobile device via the Location Engine mobile app communication. At each test entity installation location of the IGU, the Location Engine mobile app captures and processes each IGU's position data relative to the anchor configured tester and relative to the previously tested IGU, while using pigtail connectors from the IGU The received information (eg, IGU size and slice ID) is used to create a map of the IGU location on the floor. This process can be repeated to allow the IGU of the installation site to be accurately mapped on each floor. In order to obtain an accurate map of the entire building layout, a glazier or other installation technician may, for example, move two or more anchor-configured testers up from a previously drawn floor to the next floor. This allows testers in anchor configurations on different floors to communicate with each other to establish the z-axis of the building coordinate system, which was previously limited to the x- and y-axes of each floor, and covers z slightly from IGU dimensions and measurements axis. This process can also be used to create wire-frame models of buildings. The network configuration file generated by the application engineering can then be combined with the tester data to match the chip ID with the IGU location information.

In some embodiments, such as when the tester does not have a UWB module, the physical location of the IGU can be determined by user input provided through an application running on the mobile device. For example, the application can be configured to display a wiring diagram or a building map, a wiring diagram or a building map Various window positions are displayed. In some embodiments, the application provides a list of window locations, such as specifying IGU coordinates or a list describing where the IGU is located. When a glazier or other installation technician connects the tester to the IGU connector, the app can prompt the user to select the location of the IGU. The application can be configured to receive user selections by, for example, touch selection or voice selection. The application then pairs the selected location with the network ID or other ID of the corresponding IGU provided by the tester unit, and the pairing can be used for debugging methods as described herein. In some cases, the application may also be configured to report the status of the IGU to the site monitoring system. The application may receive the network ID from the tester using a wireless connection to the mobile device (eg, via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth) or in some cases using a wired connection to the device (eg, a USB cable). In some embodiments, the tester can display the network ID to the user, and the application is configured to display a data field where the user can manually provide the network ID as input. In some embodiments, the application is configured to use data from one or more sensors on the mobile device (eg, accelerometer, gyroscope, compass, and GPS sensors) to track the movement of the device and based on The tracked movement provides the suggested location of the IGU. For example, if after selecting the location of the first window, the application has detected that the mobile device has moved in the north direction, the application can automatically suggest to the user to select the adjacent window in the north direction.

When the mobile device establishes a cellular connection, the data obtained from the test IGU is sent to a data center, such as the cloud, and processed during commissioning to associate the IGU location data with the control application. Field service engineers or technicians can match or overwrite tester data with, for example, wiring diagram data generated by application engineering during commissioning and correlate chip IDs with IGU number, IGU location, and window controller link. Once the balance of the system is powered up, the IGU's CAN ID is associated with its slice ID and thus with the IGU location (eg, the x, y, and z-axis coordinates of each IGU) so that the window control network can know where to send commands to A window or area.

Summarize

Although the above-described embodiments have been described in considerable detail for purposes of clarity of understanding, it will be apparent that certain changes and modifications can be practiced within the scope of the appended claims. It should be noted that there are many alternative ways of implementing the apparatus of this embodiment. Accordingly, the present embodiments are to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive, and the embodiments are not to be limited to the details given herein.

700‧‧‧Tester

701‧‧‧Enclosure

705‧‧‧Input interface buttons

710‧‧‧Pass/Fail Indicator

715‧‧‧Battery indicator

720‧‧‧Status Indicator

725‧‧‧ Fastening interface

730‧‧‧Port

Claims (20)

An apparatus for controlling a window, comprising: a window assembly including an electrochromic device and an electrical connector including a connection interface; and a cap configured to mates with the connection interface by a plurality of contacts, wherein the connection interface includes a plurality of pins and/or configured to transmit information and/or power between the window assembly and an attached device sockets; and one or more of the plurality of contacts are configured to short two or more of the pins and/or sockets when the cover is mated with the connection interface together to allow charge to be drained from the electrochromic device. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cover and the electrical connector have a keying interface configured to mechanically couple the cover and the electrical connector. The device of claim 1, wherein the connection interface is a 5-pin connection interface. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of contacts is a spring contact. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an attachment component to protect the electrical connector. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the attachment component is configured to be secured to one of the window assemblies clip. 6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the window assembly includes an insulating glass unit and the attachment assembly is configured to be placed within an auxiliary seal of the insulating glass unit. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the connection interface includes contacts in electrical communication with the electrochromic device; an input interface configured to receive an input; and a controller configured to receive an input from the input The interface receives the input and applies a voltage pattern to the electrochromic device and/or receives data from the window assembly via the connection interface at least based on the received input. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the application of the voltage pattern does not substantially tint the window assembly. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a measurement module electrically coupled to the controller for measuring a current response of the electrochromic device in response to the applied voltage pattern . The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to calculate the electrical current based on at least the applied voltage pattern, a current response responsive to the applied voltage pattern, and the size of the electrochromic device A current density of a photochromic device. 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the connection interface is configured to couple with a tester, the tester including a power source; a controller configured to apply a voltage pattern to the power source an electrochromic device; a measurement module electrically coupled to the controller for measuring a voltage response of the electrochromic device in response to an applied current pattern; and one or more indicators; and The tester is configured to determine a state of the window assembly by calculating a current density of the electrochromic device, wherein the current density is based at least on the size of the electrochromic device and on an applied calculated in response to a voltage of the current pattern; and indicating the state of the window assembly via the one or more indicators, wherein the state is based at least on the current density. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a tester configured to determine a state of an electrochromic window, the tester comprising: a port configured to attach to the connection interface, circuit configured to apply a voltage pattern to the electrochromic window and monitor a current response, wherein the state of the electrochromic window is based at least on the monitored current response, an ultra-wideband ) module, and a communication module; a plurality of anchors, each having an ultra-wideband module and a communication module; and a computer program product configured to be based at least on the tester and the The position of the electrochromic window is determined by the ultra-wideband signal transmitted between the plurality of anchors, and the computer program product is A step includes computer executable instructions to commission the electrochromic window or report the status of the electrochromic window to a site monitoring system. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the computer program product is configured to operate on one or more of the following: a host controller, a network controller, a mobile device, a remote server, or the cloud. 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: at least two of the plurality of contacts are configured for delivering electric charge to the electrical contacts of the electrochromic device; and the one of the plurality of contacts is electrically coupled At least two electrical contacts cause charge to be drawn from the electrochromic device. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a tester configured to determine a state of an electrochromic window, the tester comprising: a port configured to attach to the connection interface, circuitry configured to apply a voltage pattern to the electrochromic window and monitor a current response, wherein the state of the electrochromic window is based on at least the monitored current response, and a communication module; and A computer program product configured to receive a location of the electrochromic window by providing a user selection using a mobile device interface, the computer program product further comprising: Including computer executable instructions to debug the electrochromic window and/or report the status of the electrochromic window to a site monitoring system. A system for controlling a window, comprising: a window assembly including an electrochromic device; an electrical connector including a connection interface configured to couple with a connector of the window assembly, The connection interface includes a first plurality of pins and/or sockets configured to communicate information and/or power between the window assembly and a controller coupled to the connection interface, wherein the controller is configured to apply a voltage pattern to the electrochromic device via the connection interface based at least on a received input and/or configured to receive data from the window assembly; and a cover configured to mating with the connection interface by a plurality of contacts, wherein one or more of the plurality of contacts are configured by having both of the pins and/or sockets when the cover is mated with the connection interface or more are shorted together to allow charge to be drawn from the electrochromic device. The system of claim 17, further comprising a measurement module electrically coupled to the controller for measuring a current response of the electrochromic device in response to the applied voltage pattern . A method for controlling a window, comprising: preparing an optically switchable window for installation, wherein the optically switchable window comprises: (i) an electrochromic device, (ii) an electrical connector comprising a connection interface, the connection interface includes multiple a plurality of pins and/or sockets, and (iii) a cover configured to mate with the connection interface by means of a plurality of contacts, the preparation comprising: being configured by the plurality of contacts A cover cooperating with the contact interface to electrically short at least two of the plurality of pins and/or sockets to draw charge from the electrochromic device, one or more of the plurality of contacts via configuring so that two or more of the pins and/or sockets are shorted together; and after having substantially drawn charge from the electrochromic device, connecting the plurality of pins and/or sockets At least two electrocouplings. The method of claim 19, further comprising: after decoupling at least two of the plurality of pins and/or sockets, connecting the tester to the window connector via a port on the tester, Wherein the tester includes: a power supply; a controller configured to apply a voltage pattern to the electrochromic device through the at least two pins and/or sockets; a measurement module, which is electrically coupled to the controller for measuring a voltage response of the electrochromic device in response to an applied current pattern; and one or more indicators; calculating a current density of the electrochromic device, wherein the electrochromic device current density is calculated based on at least the size of the electrochromic device and a voltage response to an applied current pattern; and indicates a state of the optically switchable window via the one or more indicators, wherein the state is based at least on the current density.

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