Systems and methods for operating one or more electrically controllable privacy glazing structures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12498598-B2
Application number	US-202217948019-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 19, 2022
Priority date	Apr 29, 2019
Publication date	Dec 16, 2025
Grant date	Dec 16, 2025

Abstract

An electrical response of a privacy glazing structure to an applied electrical sensing pulse can be measured, and one or more parameters of the privacy glazing structure can be characterized. The one or more parameters can be used to load one or more drive parameters for subsequent use in an electrical drive signal used to operate the privacy glazing structure. If an electrical drive signal is already in place, the characterized one or more parameters can be compared to one or more parameters characterized at a previous time. If the one or more characterized parameters are different from those characterized at the previous time by more than a threshold amount, one or more drive parameters of the electrical drive signal can be adjusted to a new value.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
electrically coupling a driver to an electrically controllable optically active material of a privacy glazing structure; applying a sense pulse from the driver to the electrically controllable optically active material; measuring an electrical response of the privacy glazing structure in response to the applied sense pulse; characterizing one or more electrical parameters of the privacy glazing structure based on the measured electrical response to the applied sense pulse, the characterizing the one or more electrical parameters comprising determining at least a resistance value, a capacitance value, or an inductance value of the privacy glazing structure; and loading one or more drive parameters for subsequent use by the driver based on the characterized one or more electrical parameters of the privacy glazing structure; wherein: characterizing one or more electrical parameters of the privacy glazing structure comprises categorizing the privacy glazing structure into one of a plurality of predefined categories of privacy glazing structures; and loading one or more drive parameters for subsequent use by the driver based on the characterized one or more electrical parameters of the privacy glazing structure comprises loading one or more drive parameters corresponding to the category of the privacy glazing structure; and wherein the predefined categories include:
a high-resistance, high-capacitance category;
a high-resistance, low-capacitance category;
a low-resistance, high capacitance category; and
a low-resistance, low-capacitance category.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein characterizing one or more electrical parameters comprises generating an equivalent circuit representative of the electrically controllable optically active material of the privacy glazing structure and determining one or more values associated with the equivalent circuit.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein determining one or more values associated with the equivalent circuit comprises determining a resistance value, a capacitance value, an inductance value, an RL value, an RC value, an RLC value, or a combination thereof.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein loading one or more drive parameters comprises loading one or more drive parameters stored in a non-transitory memory of the driver.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein loading one or more drive parameters comprises loading one or more drive parameters from a cloud-based storage.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein loading one or more drive parameters for subsequent use comprises replacing previous drive parameters utilized by the driver for driving the electrically controllable optically active material.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the applying the sense pulse from the driver to the electrically controllable optically active material comprises applying a DC pulse.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the applying the sense pulse comprises applying a driver signal used during operational driving of the electrically controllable optically active material.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrically controllable optically active material is a liquid crystal material.

10 . A method comprising:
electrically coupling a driver to an electrically controllable optically active material of a privacy glazing structure; applying a sense pulse from the driver to the electrically controllable optically active material; measuring an electrical response of the privacy glazing structure in response to the applied sense pulse; characterizing one or more electrical parameters of the privacy glazing structure based on the measured electrical response to the applied sense pulse, characterizing the one or more electrical parameters of the privacy glazing structure comprising categorizing the privacy glazing structure into one of a plurality of predefined categories of privacy glazing structures; and loading one or more drive parameters for subsequent use by the driver, at least one of the one or more drive parameters corresponding to the category of the privacy glazing structure; and wherein the predefined categories include:
a high-resistance, high-capacitance category;
a high-resistance, low-capacitance category;
a low-resistance, high capacitance category; and
a low-resistance, low-capacitance category.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein characterizing one or more electrical parameters comprises generating an equivalent circuit representative of the electrically controllable optically active material of the privacy glazing structure and determining one or more values associated with the equivalent circuit.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein determining one or more values associated with the equivalent circuit comprises determining a resistance value, a capacitance value, an inductance value, an RL value, an RC value, an RLC value, or a combination thereof.

13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein loading one or more drive parameters comprises loading one or more drive parameters stored in a non-transitory memory of the driver.

14 . The method of claim 10 , wherein loading one or more drive parameters comprises loading one or more drive parameters from a cloud-based storage.

15 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the applying the sense pulse from the driver to the electrically controllable optically active material comprises applying a DC pulse.

16 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the applying the sense pulse comprises applying a driver signal used during operational driving of the electrically controllable optically active material.

17 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the electrically controllable optically active material is a liquid crystal material.

Assignees

• Cardinal Ig Co

Inventors

• Schleder Nicholas
• Eul Michael
• Schoettler William Emile Julien
• Whaley Peter

Classifications

• G02F1/13306 Primary

  Circuit arrangements or driving methods for the control of single liquid crystal cells (G02F1/132, G02F1/133382 take precedence) · CPC title

• E06B3/6722 Primary

  with adjustable passage of light · CPC title

• E06B2009/2464

  featuring transparency control by applying voltage, e.g. LCD, electrochromic panels · CPC title

• E06B2009/2417

  Light path control; means to control reflection · CPC title

• E06B9/24

  Screens or other constructions affording protection against light, especially against sunshine; Similar screens for privacy or appearance; {Slat blinds}(operating, guiding or securing devices or arrangements for roll-type closures E06B9/56; free-hanging flexible screens A47H23/00) · CPC title