Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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ADJUSTING INTERIOR LIGHTING BASED ON DYNAMIC GLASS
TINTING
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional
Patent
Application 62/464,299, filed on February 27, 2017 and titled "ADJUSTING
INTERIOR LIGHTING BASED ON DYNAMIC GLASS TINTING," and this
application is also a continuation-in-part of PCT application PCT/U516/55005
(designating the United States), filed on September 30, 2016 and titled
"METHODS
OF CONTROLLING MULTI-ZONE TINTABLE WINDOWS," which claims
benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application 62/236,032,
filed on
October 1, 2015 and titled "METHODS OF CONTROLLING MULTI-ZONE
TINTABLE WINDOWS, and which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Patent
Application 14/137,644 (now U.S. Patent No. 9,341,912), filed on December 20,
2013
and titled "MULTI-ZONE EC WINDOWS," all of these applications are hereby
incorporated by reference in their entireties and for all purposes.
FIELD
[0002] Certain embodiments disclosed herein relate to controllers and
methods for
controlling one or more tintable windows and/or other building systems.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Electrochromism is a phenomenon in which a material exhibits a
reversible electrochemically-mediated change in an optical property when
placed in a
different electronic state, typically by being subjected to a voltage change.
The optical
property is typically one or more of color, transmittance, absorbance, and
reflectance.
One well known electrochromic material is tungsten oxide (W03). Tungsten oxide
is
a cathodic electrochromic material in which a coloration transition,
transparent to
blue, occurs by electrochemical reduction.
[0004] Electrochromic materials may be incorporated into, for example,
windows
for home, commercial and other uses. The color, transmittance, absorbance,
and/or
reflectance of such windows may be changed by inducing a change in the
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electrochromic material, that is, electrochromic windows are windows that can
be
darkened or lightened electronically. A small voltage applied to an
electrochromic
device of the window will cause them to darken and reversing the voltage
causes them
to lighten. This capability allows control of the amount of light that passes
through the
.. windows, and presents an opportunity for electrochromic windows to be used
as
energy-saving devices.
[0005] While electrochromism was discovered in the 1960s, electrochromic
devices, and particularly electrochromic windows, still unfortunately suffer
various
problems and have not begun to realize their full commercial potential despite
many
recent advances in electrochromic technology, apparatus and related methods of
making and/or using electrochromic devices.
SUMMARY
[0006] Certain aspects pertain to methods and systems for adjusting
building
systems, e.g., adjusting interior lighting based on dynamic glass tinting, for
.. maintaining environmental conditions. One aspect pertains to control logic
for
adjusting interior lighting to augment color rendering and/or offset contrast
ratio by
one or more tinted windows in a room.
[0007] Thin-film optical devices, for example, electrochromic devices
for
windows, and methods and controllers for controlling transitions and other
functions
of tintable windows using such devices are described herein. Certain
embodiments
comprise an electrochromic window having two or more tinting (or coloration)
zones,
e.g. formed from a monolithic electrochromic device coating as physically
separate
zones or where tinting zones are established in the monolithic device coating.
Tinting
zones may be defined by virtue of the means for applying electrical potential
to the
electrochromic device and/or by a resistive region between adjacent tinting
zones
and/or by physical bifurcation of the device into tinting zones. For example,
a set of
bus bars may be configured to apply potential across each of the separate
tinting zones
of the monolithic electrochromic device to tinting zones selectively. Methods
may
also apply to a group of one or more tintable windows, where individual
windows are
tinted independently of others in order to maximize occupant experience, i.e.
glare
control, thermal comfort, etc.
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[0008] Certain aspects pertain to an insulated glass unit (IGU)
comprising a first
lite comprising a first electrochromic device disposed on a first transparent
substrate
and comprising a plurality of independently-controllable tinting zones and a
resistive
region between adjacent independently-controllable tinting zones. The IGU
further
comprising a second lite and a spacer between the first and second lites. In
one case,
the second lite comprises a second electrochromic device disposed on a second
transparent substrate. In one case, the IGU further comprises a daylighting
zone
located, e.g., in a top portion of the IGU, wherein the daylighting zone
comprises one
or more tinting zones held in the bleached state to allow sunlight to pass
through the
first and second lites.
[0009] One aspect pertains to a method of automatically controlling
color of light
in a room having one or more tintable windows. The method includes determining
adjustments in artificial interior lighting in the room to obtain a desired
color of light
and sending control signals over a communication network to adjust the
artificial
interior lighting. The adjustments are determined based on a current tint
state of each
of the one or more tintable windows. In one example, the desired color of
light in the
room is associated with diminishing a contrast ratio in an occupancy region to
within
an acceptable range or below a maximum contrast ratio.
[0010] One aspect pertains to a controller for automatically controlling
color of
light in a room having one or more tintable windows. The controller includes a
computer readable medium having control logic and a processor in communication
with the computer readable medium and with the one or more tintable windows
via a
communication network. The control logic is configured to determine
adjustments to
artificial interior lighting in the room to obtain a desired color of light in
the room,
wherein the adjustments are determined based on a current tint state of the
one or
more tintable windows and send control signals over the communication network
to
adjust the artificial interior lighting.
[0011] One aspect pertains to a method of controlling environmental
factors of a
scene in a workplace having one or more tintable windows. The method includes
determining a type of workplace and a type of occupancy, defining a set of
environmental factors in the scene based on availability of control of
building
systems, calculating target levels for the environmental factors of the scene
based on
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the type of the workplace and the type of occupancy, determining adjustments
to the
building systems for obtaining the target levels for the environmental
factors, wherein
the adjustments are determined based on current tint level of the one or more
tintable
windows, and sending control signals over a communication network to adjust
the
building systems.
[0012] One aspect pertains to a controller for automatically controlling
environmental factors of a scene in a workplace having one or more tintable
windows.
The controller includes a computer readable medium having control logic and a
processor in communication with the computer readable medium and with the one
or
more tintable windows via a communication network. The control logic is
configured
to determine occupancy in the workplace, determine a type of workplace and a
type of
occupancy, define a set of environmental factors in the scene based on
availability of
control of building systems, calculate target levels for the environmental
factors of the
scene based on the type of the workplace and the type of occupancy, determine
adjustments to the building systems for obtaining the target levels for the
environmental factors, wherein the adjustments are determined based on current
tint
level of the one or more tintable windows, and send control signals over a
communication network to adjust the building systems.
[0013] These and other features and embodiments will be described in
more detail
below with reference to the drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] FIG. 1A is a schematic drawing of a perspective view of a room
having a
tintable window, according to an implementation.
[0015] FIG. 1B is a schematic drawing of a perspective view of the room
in FIG.
1A and including a depiction of a contrast, according to an implementation.
[0016] FIG. 1C is a schematic drawing of a perspective view of the room
in FIG.
1A and including a depiction of the contrast in FIG. 1B offset by illumination
from
interior artificial lighting, according to an implementation.
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[0017] FIG. 2A is a schematic drawing of a perspective view of a room
including
a depiction of a contrast, according to an implementation.
[0018] FIG. 2B is a schematic drawing of a perspective view of the room
in FIG.
2A including a depiction of the contrast offset by illumination from interior
lighting,
according to an implementation.
[0019] FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of a tintable window with five
tinting
zones having a top tinting zone in a lighter tint state in a transom window
configuration, according to an embodiment.
[0020] FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of a multi-zone tintable
window with two
tinting zones having a top tinting zone in a lighter tint state than the
bottom tinting
zone, and with a resistive region with a tinting gradient between the tinting
zone,
according to an embodiment.
[0021] FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of four vertically stacked
tintable
windows with a middle tintable window in a lighter tint state, according to an
embodiment.
[0022] FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration of an example of a multi-zone
tintable
window in the form of an IGU wherein the top region has a series of light
tubes
directing light to the back of the room, according to an embodiment.
[0023] FIG. 7 is a schematic illustration of a left room and a right
room of a
building, each room having a tintable window, according to aspects of a
daylighting
configuration, according to embodiments.
[0024] FIG. 8A is a view of a modeled building with several tintable
multi-zone
windows, according to an embodiment.
[0025] FIG. 8B is another view of the modeled building of FIG. 8A.
[0026] FIG. 9 is a graph of the Daylight Glare Probability (DGP) on June
21,
September 21 and December 21 from sunlight through a multi-zone window in a
room, according to an embodiment.
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[0027] FIG. 10 is a graph of the indoor light levels on June 21,
September 21 and
December 21 in a room, according to an embodiment.
[0028] FIG. 11 is a chart of a tinting schedule for a two-zone tintable
window
including illuminance levels and DGP values, according to an embodiment.
[0029] FIG. 12 is a chart of a tinting schedule for a multi-zone window
having
two zones and for a multi-zone window having three zones, according to an
embodiment.
[0030] FIG. 13 shows two illustrations of a room with daylighting zone
simulations, according to embodiments.
[0031] FIG. 14 shows charts of the green-blue coloration and luminance in
the
simulated room with the daylighting tinting zone size varying in steps of 5".
[0032] FIG. 15 depicts a simplified block diagram of components of a
window
controller, according to an embodiment.
[0033] FIG. 16 depicts a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a BMS,
according to an embodiment.
[0034] FIG. 17 is a block diagram of components of a system for
controlling
functions of one or more tintable windows of a building, according to
embodiments.
[0035] FIG. 18 depicts a block diagram of an embodiment of a building
network
for a building, according to an implementation.
[0036] FIG. 19 is a schematic illustration of a window controller connected
to
multiple voltage regulators in parallel, according to an embodiment.
[0037] FIG. 20 is a schematic illustration of a window controller
connected to
multiple subcontrollers in series, according to an embodiment.
[0038] FIG. 21 is a flowchart of a control method for making tint
decisions used
to control multiple tinting zones of a multi-zone tintable window or of
multiple
tintable windows, according to embodiments.
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[0039] FIG. 22 is a flowchart of a method that implements control logic
for
adjusting artificial interior lighting to augment the interior rendered color
in a room
having one or more tintable windows, according to embodiments.
[0040] FIG. 23 is a photograph of a manual control panel, according to
an
embodiment.
[0041] FIG. 24A is a schematic drawing of a view of a room having a
multi-zone
window and light projections through the tinting zones, according to an
embodiment.
[0042] FIG. 24B is a schematic drawing of a view of the room in FIG. 24A
with
light projections through the tinting zones, according to an embodiment.
[0043] FIG. 24C is a schematic drawing of a view of the room in FIG. 24A
with
light projections through the tinting zones, according to an embodiment.
[0044] FIG. 25 is a graph of measured illuminance vs. measured color
temperature, according to an implementation.
[0045] FIG. 26 is a schematic illustration of a building showing various
types of
workplaces, according to an implementation.
[0046] FIG. 27 is a flowchart depicting control logic for a method that
designs
and maintains a scene of environmental levels that provide occupant
satisfaction and
comfort levels in the workplace, according to an implementation.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0047] In the following description, numerous specific details are set
forth in
order to provide a thorough understanding of the presented embodiments. The
disclosed embodiments may be practiced without some or all of these specific
details.
In other instances, well-known control operations have not been described in
detail to
not unnecessarily obscure the disclosed embodiments. While the disclosed
embodiments will be described in conjunction with the specific embodiments, it
will
be understood that it is not intended to limit the disclosed embodiments.
Certain
embodiments described herein, although not limited as such, work particularly
well
with electrochromic devices. Certain embodiments are described in relation to
techniques for controlling one or more tintable windows or controlling tinting
zones
in multi-zone windows. It would be understood that these techniques may also
be
used to tint individual windows in a group (or zone) of tintable windows, in
multi-
zone windows, or in combinations of such windows. In addition or
alternatively,
these techniques can be used to control various building systems including a
system
having one or more tintable windows.
[0048] I. Introduction to Tintable Windows
[0049] Certain implementations described herein are related to
controlling tinting
and other functions tintable windows (e.g., electrochromic windows). In some
implementations, the tintable window is in the form of an insulated glass unit
comprised of two or more lites and a spacer sealed between the lites. Each
tintable
window has at least one tintable lite/pane with an optically switchable
device. Some
examples are described herein with respect to a tintable window having an
electrochromic lite having an electrochromic device disposed on a transparent
substrate such as glass. In one implementation, the electrochromic lite has a
monolithic electrochromic device disposed over at least a portion of the
substrate that
is in the viewable area of the tintable window. Detailed examples of methods
of
fabricating electrochromic lites with multiple tinting zones can be found in
U.S.
Patent Application No. 14/137,644 (issued as U.S. Patent No. 9,341,912),
titled
"Multi-Zone EC Windows" and filed on March 13, 2013, which is hereby
incorporated by reference in its entirety.
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[0050] As mentioned above, certain techniques discussed herein pertain
to
controlling tintable (e.g., in a zone and/or multi-zone windows) and/or
control
functions of other systems in the building.
[0051] - Resistive region in multi-zone windows
[0052] Some techniques discussed herein pertain to independently
controlling
each of the tinting (or coloration) zones in a multi-zone tintable window such
as a
multi-zone electrochromic window. A "resistive region" (also sometimes
referred to
herein as "resistive zone") generally refers an area in an electrochromic
device where
one or more layers of the electrochromic device have their function impaired,
either
partially or completely, but device function is not cut off across the
resistive zone. In
one implementation, tinting zones of an electrochromic lite are defined by
virtue of
resistive regions between adjacent tinting zones by techniques used to apply a
potential to the electrochromic device to independently control tinting in the
tinting
zones. For example, a single set of bus bars or different sets of bus bars can
be
configured to be able to apply potential independently to each tinting zone
independently to thereby tint them selectively. With respect to the above-
mentioned
resistive region, this region allows independently controllable tinting of
adjacent
tinting zones of a single monolithic electrochromic device without destroying
the
tinting functionality in the resistive region itself. That is, the resistive
region can be
tinted. One advantage of these techniques is that scribe lines cutting through
the
electrochromic device between tinting zones are not used. These scribe lines
can
create non-functioning areas of the electrochromic device, which can create a
visually
perceptible bright line in the viewable area of the window when tinted.
Instead, a
resistive region can have gentle tinting gradient between adjacent tinting
zones held in
different tint states. This tinting gradient blends the transition in tint
between adjacent
tinting zones to soften the appearance of the transition area between tinting
zones.
[0053] In some examples, a multi-zone window has a resistive region in
an area
between adjacent tinting zones of a monolithic electrochromic device. These
resistive
regions may allow for more uniform tinting fronts, e.g., when used in
combination
with bus bar powering mechanisms. In certain examples, the resistive regions
are
relatively narrow having a width of between about 1 mm and 1000 nm wide, or
relatively wide having a width of between about 1 mm and about 10 mm wide. In
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most cases, the electrochromic materials in the resistive regions tint so that
they do
not leave a bright line contrast effect typical of conventional laser
isolation scribe
lines. Thus, in other examples, a resistive region may be, for example, wider
than 1
mm, wider than 10 mm, wider than 15 mm, etc.
[0054] The reason a resistive region is able to tint is because it is not a
physical
bifurcation of the electrochromic device into two devices, but rather a
physical
modification of the single electrochromic device and/or its associated
transparent
conductors within a resistive region. The resistive region is an area of the
electrochromic device where the activity of the device, specifically the
electrical
resistivity and/or resistance to ion movement is greater than for the
remainder of the
electrochromic device. Thus one or both of the transparent conductors may be
modified to have increased electrical resistivity in the resistive region,
and/or the
electrochromic device stack may be modified so that ion movement is slower in
the
resistive region relative to the electrochromic device stack in the adjacent
tinting
zones. The electrochromic device still functions, tints and bleaches, in this
resistive
region, but at a slower rate and/or with less intensity of tint than the
remaining
portions of the electrochromic device. For example, the resistive region may
tint as
fully as the remainder of electrochromic device in the adjacent tinting zones,
but the
resistive region tints more slowly than the adjacent tinting zones. In another
example,
the resistive region may tint less fully than the adjacent tinting zones or at
a tint
gradient.
[0055] Details of resistive regions and other features of multi-zone
electrochromic
windows are described in U.S. patent application 15/039,370, titled "MULTI-
ZONE
EC WINDOWS and filed on May 25, 2016, and international PCT application
PCT/US14/71314, titled "MULTI-ZONE EC WINDOWS and filed on December 18,
2014, both of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.
[0056] H. Tinting Considerations
[0057] There are motivations to control tint states of one or more
tintable
windows and other building systems for the benefit of an occupant and/or for
the
considerations of the building alone, e.g. energy savings, power requirements,
and the
like. Here, an "occupant" generally refers to an individual or individuals of
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particular room or other space having one or more tintable windows being
controlled
and a "building" generally refers to the building management system (BMS)
together
with lighting, HVAC, and other building systems. Motivations related to
occupancy
include, for example, general wellness as can be affected by lighting in the
room and
the aesthetics of a tinted window or group of windows. Motivations include,
for
example, controlling glare from direct sunlight onto an occupant's workspace,
visibility through the window to outside the building (their "view"), color of
the
tintable window and associated color of light in the room, and thermal comfort
adjusted tint states to either block or transmit direct sunlight into the
room. Although
an occupant may want to generally avoid glare onto their workspace, they may
also
want to allow some sunlight through the window for natural lighting. This may
be the
case where an occupant prefers sunlight over artificial lighting from, for
example,
incandescent, light-emitting diode (LED), or fluorescent lighting. Also, it
has been
found that certain tintable windows may impart too much of a blue color to the
room
in their darker tint states. This blue color can be offset by allowing a
portion of
unfiltered daylight to enter the room and/or by artificial lighting. User
motivations
related to the building include lowering energy use through reduction of
heating, air-
conditioning, and lighting. For example, one might want to tint the windows to
transmit a certain amount of sunlight through the window so that less energy
is
.. needed for artificial lighting and/or heating. One may also want to harvest
the sunlight
to collect the solar energy and offset heating demand.
[0058] Another consideration, perhaps shared by both the building
manager and
the occupant is related to security concerns. In this regard, it may be
desirable for a
window to be darkly tinted so that those outside a room cannot see the
occupant.
.. Alternatively, it may be desirable that a window be in a clear state so
that, for
example, neighbors or police outside the building can see inside the building
to
identify any nefarious activity. For example, a user or a building operator
may set a
window in an "emergency mode" which in one case may clear the windows.
[0059] A. Glare Control
[0060] In many cases, glare avoidance can be responsible for as much as 95%
of
tinting decisions made for tintable windows. Examples of methods of making
tinting
decisions for tintable windows that account for glare avoidance are described
in detail
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in international PCT Application No. PCT/US15/29675, filed on May 7, 2015 and
titled "CONTROL METHOD FOR TINTABLE WINDOWS," which is hereby
incorporated by reference in its entirety. In these methods, using proprietary
control
logic trademarked under the name Intelligence (by View, Inc. of Milpitas,
California), glare is addressed in operations of logic Module A. In Module A,
decisions are made to determine whether to adjust the tint state of a tintable
window
based on the penetration depth or glare region caused by solar radiation
transmitted
through the window into the room. If the penetration depth or glare region
where the
solar radiation impacts the room overlaps with the position or likely position
of an
occupant (occupancy region), the tintable windows in the facade are held in or
transitioned to a darker tint state in order to reduce glare on this occupancy
region.
Existing algorithms tint e.g. a whole group of windows associated with a
building
space based on glare, at the expense of other user comfort considerations.
[0061]
Methods herein provide granularity and flexibility to tinting decisions by
independently tinting one or more windows of a group of tintable windows
and/or
individual tinting zones of one or more multi-zone windows, e.g. to address
glare
while also allowing natural daylight into the space and thus address multiple
user
comfort issues and/or building systems requirements simultaneously. For
example,
reducing glare is an objective that is often inconsistent with reducing the
heating load
of a building, increasing natural lighting, etc. In the winter, for example,
the energy
used to heat a room by the heating system can be reduced by clearing a
tintable
window to allow more solar radiation to enter the room, which can also
generate a
glare scenario in an occupancy region. In certain configurations described
herein, a
multi-zone tintable window (or individual windows of a group of windows) can
be
controlled to address this concern by limiting the area of the window (or
subset of
group of windows) placed in a darkened tint to those tinting zones that reduce
glare
on the location or likely location of the occupant in the room. Although many
examples are described herein with respect to controlling tinting zones in a
multi-zone
tintable window, it would be understood that similar techniques would apply to
an
assembly of multiple tintable windows, each tintable window having one or more
tinting zones. For example, an assembly of tintable windows can be controlled
to limit
the area of the assembly of windows placed in a darkened tint to those
tintable
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windows and/or tinting zones within tintable windows that reduces glare on the
occupancy region.
[0062] B. Adjusting color perception
[0063] Other implementations for controlling tintable windows in a
particular way
can reduce color perception of the tinted or bleached state window and/or of
the color
of light passing through the tinted or bleached state window. These
implementations
make use of optical properties that minimize perception of an undesirable
color
associated with a particular tint state.
[0064] As one example, a darkened tint state of an optically switchable
device,
e.g., an electrochromic device, may have a blue color which may be perceivable
to an
occupant. However, if a tinted window in the room is juxtaposed with a clear
zone
window which much daylight shines, the blue color of the tinted window may be
less
noticeable to the occupant. For example, a particular window may be in a
darker tint
state and might appear blue to the occupant. In one implementation of a glare
reduction tinting configuration, adjacent or nearby windows can be placed in a
clear
state as long as they do not create glare for the occupant due to their
relative position.
The light coming through the clear window can reduce the perception of blue
color
that the occupant might otherwise perceive.
[0065] In another implementation, a diffusing light source such as a
diffusing or
scattering film adhered to tintable window may reduce the perception of blue
color in
the tinted window. For example, a diffusing or scattering film may be disposed
on a
mate lite to an electrochromic lite of an IGU. In another example, a diffusing
or
scattering film may be disposed on a surface of the lite without the optically
switchable device such as an electrochromic device.
[0066] C. Light harvesting
[0067] Other tinting configurations may involve maximizing light
harvesting.
Light harvesting is a concept by which solar radiation from outside the window
is
converted into electrical energy for use by the window, by the building, or
for another
purpose. Light harvesting can be accomplished using a photovoltaic film, other
photovoltaic structure, or other light harvesting structure on an appropriate
portion of
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a window such as on the mate lite of an IGU. In one example, light harvesting
is
accomplished with a photovoltaic cell provided in or on the electrochromic
window.
[0068] One consideration is that photovoltaic cells or other light
harvesting
structures may be most efficient when incident light being collected comes at
a
normal or nearly normal direction. This can be facilitated by having a
structure in the
window that redirects incident light on the window to strike the photovoltaic
cell at a
normal or nearly normal direction to maximize energy generation. In some
cases, a
light diffuser or a horizontally directing structure can be used on a portion
of a
tintable window to direct light onto the photovoltaic film, other photovoltaic
structure,
.. or other light harvesting structure on an appropriate portion of a window
such as on
the mate lite.
[0069] Another consideration is that it may be desired in normal
situations for
photovoltaic films on a mate lite to be as transparent as possible. However,
photovoltaic films made to be transparent are often relatively inefficient at
converting
sunlight to electrical energy in comparison to more opaque films or not just
opaque
films but rather films that perhaps scatter light more. Recognizing that there
may be
certain tinting zones in a region of a window that are normally responsible
for
preventing a glare scenario in the room, and therefore normally must be tinted
and/or
that there may be certain zones outside this region where an occupant would
normally
be able to view the outside environment. In one implementation, the tinting
zones in
this region are provided with more efficient for light harvesting, but more
scattering
or opaque photovoltaic films, than the zones outside this region. In another
implementation, the tinting zones in this region are provided with
photovoltaic films
and the zones outside this region do not have photovoltaic films.
[0070] As with the scenario where incoming light is horizontally directed,
reflected, scattered or diffused in an upper region of a window because that
region
produces most of the glare, similarly, an upper region of a tintable window
can be
outfitted with a more efficient, yet less optically pleasing type of
photovoltaics films,
according to another implementation.
[0071] ¨ Exemplary locations of photovoltaic cell on IGU lite faces
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[0072] In certain implementations, a tintable window includes a
photovoltaic (PV)
cell/panel. The PV panel may be positioned anywhere on the window as long as
it is
able to absorb solar energy. For instance, the PV panel may be positioned
wholly or
partially in the viewable area of a window, and/or wholly or partially in/on
the frame
of a window. Details of examples of electrochromic windows with a PV
cell/panel
can be found in U.S. Provisional Patent Application 62/247,719, titled
"PHOTOVOLTAIC-ELECTROCHROMIC WINDOWS" and filed on March 25,
2016, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
[0073] The PV cell/panel may be implemented as a thin film that coats
one or
more surfaces of a lite of a tintable widow. In certain implementations, the
tintable
window is in the form of an IGU with two individual lites (panes), each having
two
surfaces (not counting the edges). Counting from the outside of the building
inwards,
the first surface (i.e., the outside-facing surface of the outer pane) may be
referred to
as surface l(S1), the next surface (i.e., the inside-facing surface of the
outer pane)
.. may be referred to as surface 2 (S2), the next surface (i.e., the outside-
facing surface
of the inner pane) may be referred to as surface 3 (S3), and the remaining
surface (i.e.,
the inside-facing surface of the inner pane) may be referred to as surface
4(S4). The
PV thin film may be implemented on any one or more of surfaces 1-4.
[0074] In certain examples, a PV film is applied to at least one of the
lite surfaces
in an IGU or other multi-lite window assembly. Examples of suitable PV films
are
available from Next Energy Technologies Inc. of Santa Barbara, CA. PV films
may
be organic semiconducting inks, and may be printed/coated onto a surface in
some
cases.
[0075] Conventionally, where a PV cell is contemplated for use in
combination
with a multi-zone electrochromic window, the EC device is positioned toward
the
building interior relative to the PV cell/panel such that the EC device does
not reduce
the energy gathered by the PV cell/panel when the EC device is in a tinted
state. As
such, the PV cell/panel may implemented on the outside-facing surface of the
outer
pane (lite) e.g., on surface 1 of an IGU. However, certain sensitive PV cells
cannot be
.. exposed to external environmental conditions and therefore cannot reliably
be
implemented outside-facing surface. For example, the PV cell may be sensitive
to
oxygen and humidity.
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[0076] To address air and water sensitivity of such PV films, a film may
be
positioned on surface 2 or 3, which helps protect the film from exposure to
oxygen
and humidity. In some cases, the stack of electrochromic materials is
positioned on
surface 3 and the PV thin film is positioned on surface 2. In another example,
the
stack of electrochromic materials is positioned on surface 2 and the PV film
is
positioned on surface 3.
[0077] In one aspect, a PV film is positioned on S3 and the multi-zone
window
has the electrochromic device with multiple tinting zones on S2. In this case,
one or
more zones may be held in a bleached tint state such as in a daylighting
tinting zone
(e.g., in a transom window configuration) that allows natural light into the
room at a
high level. In this case, the sunlight is fed to the PV film on S3 while the
other zones
(e.g., lower zones in transom window configuration) can remain tinted, for
example,
for glare control. In this case, the PV film receives sunlight and is not
starved for
light.
[0078] 4. Contrast Ratio
[0079] As used herein, a "contrast ratio" refers to contrast in
intensities of light
reflected from a surface illuminated by multiple light sources. The contrast
ratio is
described in most examples with respect to two areas of the surface
illuminated by
multiple light sources (referred to as a "first portion" and a "second
portion"). The
first portion refers to an area predominantly illuminated by a first light
source
providing illumination with a first intensity. The second portion refers to an
area
adjacent or surrounding the first portion, which is illuminated by
illumination with a
second intensity different than the first intensity. In one example, light
transmitted
through an aperture of an electrochromic window in its darkest tint state with
a yellow
hue generates a light projection of a blue hue on the top surface of a desk in
a room.
The light transmitted through the electrochromic window has a higher intensity
than
the ambient light illuminating the desk surface. Before an artificial light is
activated,
there is a contrast of intensities on the desk surface between the blue light
reflected
from the light projection on the desk in a first portion and an adjacent
second portion
of the desk area illuminated by ambient light in the room. Subsequently, an
artificial
light source providing red and yellow light is activated to illuminate the
desk surface.
The desk surface reflects light from the both the light projection of blue
light and the
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red and yellow light from the artificial light source to reflect, blue, red,
and yellow
from the first portion. The desk surface also reflects the red and yellow
light in the
second portion illuminated mainly from the artificial light source. The red
and yellow
light from the artificial lighting can offset or "wash out" the contrast
between the
reflected light from the first portion and the second portion.
[0080] FIGS. 1A-1C depict schematic drawings of a perspective view of a
room
150 having a tintable window 160 in a vertical wall between the outside of a
building
and the inside of the room 150, according to implementations. The tintable
window
160 is depicted in a darkened tint state. The room 150 also has a first
artificial light
source 152, a second artificial light source 154, and a third artificial light
source 156
located on vertical walls of the room 150. The room 150 also has an occupancy
region
170, for example, a desk or another workspace. In this example, the occupancy
region
170 is defined as a two-dimensional area on the floor of the room 150. In one
implementation, one or more of the first, second and third artificial light
sources 156
can be tunable artificial lighting that can be tuned to various settings such
as
wavelength ranges, illuminance, and/or direction of illumination.
[0081] In the first scenario shown in FIG. 1A, sunlight (depicted as a
solid arrow)
is shown impinging a tintable window 160 in a tinted state. Light transmitted
through
the tintable window 160 (depicted as a dotted arrow) generates a two-
dimensional
light projection at a first portion 162 of the floor of the room 150. In this
scenario, the
first, second and third artificial light sources 152, 154, and 156 are turned
off The
ambient light in the room illuminates the floor of the room 150 in a second
portion
180 surrounding the first portion 162. The light transmitted through the
tintable
window has a higher intensity than the ambient light illuminating the floor.
There is a
contrast of intensities (contrast ratio) of reflected light from the lighter
first portion
162 illuminated predominantly by the light transmitted through the tintable
window
and reflected light from the second portion 180 illuminated mainly by ambient
light.
The contrast at the interface between the first portion 162 and second portion
180 is
not in the occupancy region 170 in this scenario.
[0082] In the second scenario shown in FIG. 1B, sunlight (depicted as a
solid
arrow) is shown impinging a tintable window 160 in a tinted state and the
first, second
and third artificial light sources 152, 154, and 156 are turned off In this
second
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scenario, the sun is higher in the sky than in the first scenario. Light
transmitted
through the tintable window 160 (depicted as a dotted arrow) generates a two-
dimensional light projection that illuminates a first portion 162 on the floor
of the
room 150. The first portion 162 overlaps with the occupancy region 170. The
light
transmitted through the tintable window has a higher intensity than the
ambient light
illuminating the floor. There is a contrast of intensities (contrast ratio) of
reflected
light from the lighter first portion 162 illuminated predominantly by the
light
projection and reflected light from the second portion 180 surrounding by the
first
portion 162. In this scenario, the contrast at the interface between the first
portion 162
and second portion 180 lies in the occupancy region 170.
[0083] The third scenario shown in FIG. 1C depicts an illumination
scenario as
shown in FIG. 1B with the addition of the activation of the first artificial
light source
152 depicted by directional arrows. In this scenario, the first artificial
light source
152 is illuminating a two-dimensional third portion 190 of the floor
offsetting or
"washing out" the contrast between the reflected light from the first portion
162 and
the second portion 180 shown in FIG. 1B.
[0084] FIGS. 2A-2B depict schematic drawings of a perspective view of a
room
250 having a tintable window 260 in a vertical wall between the outside of a
building
and the inside of the room 250, according to implementations. The tintable
window
260 is in a darkened tint state. The room 250 also has a first artificial
light source 252,
a second artificial light source 254, and a third artificial light source 256
located on
vertical walls of the room 250. The room 250 also has an occupancy region 270,
for
example, a desk or another workspace. In this example, the occupancy region
270 is
defined as a two-dimensional area on the floor of the room 250. In one
implementation, one or more of the first, second and third artificial light
sources 256
can be tunable artificial lighting that can be tuned to various settings such
as
wavelength ranges, illuminance, and/or direction of illumination.
[0085] In the fourth scenario shown in FIG. 2A, sunlight (depicted as a
dotted
arrow) is shown impinging a tintable window 260 in a tinted state. In this
fourth
scenario, light transmitted through the tintable window 260 (depicted as solid
arrow)
generates a two-dimensional light projection at a first portion 292 on the
floor of the
room 250 in close proximity to the vertical wall with the tintable window 260.
The
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first portion 292 overlaps with the occupancy region 270. The light
transmitted
through the tintable window 260 has a higher intensity than the ambient light
illuminating a second portion 280 of the floor around the first portion 292.
There is a
contrast of intensities of reflected light from the first portion 292 and the
second
.. portion 280.
[0086] The fifth scenario shown in FIG. 2B depicts a similar
illumination
scenario as shown in FIG. 2A with the addition of illumination from the first
artificial
light source 152 depicted by directional arrows. In this scenario, the third
artificial
light source 256 is activated and illuminating a two-dimensional third portion
290 of
the floor offsetting the contrast between the reflected light from the first
portion 292
and the second portion 280 shown in FIG. 2A.
[0087] Certain embodiments involve control logic that determines and
communicates new settings for building systems such as tint states for
tintable
window(s) and settings for artificial lighting where the new settings are
determined by
the control logic to diminish the contrast ratio in an occupancy region such
as a desk
or other work surface. For example, the control logic may determine a setting
for a
tunable artificial light source to tune it to a wavelength of red and yellow
light and/or
a lighter tint level for a tintable window to decrease the deepness of blue in
the light
projection through the tinted window. In this example, the combination of red
and
yellow light from the artificial light source(s) and the blue light of the
light projection
through the tinted window combine to generate red, yellow, and blue light
e.g.,
spectrum content closer to a natural light spectrum. This combination
diminishes the
contrast of color and intensity between the area illuminated mainly by a light
projection of blue light and the area illuminated by the artificial light
source.
[0088] In certain implementations, the control logic adjusts functions of
the
building systems based on a current contrast ratio in an occupancy region
determined
from feedback from the building systems. For example, the contrast ratio in an
occupancy region can be determined based on the current illuminance in the
occupancy region as determined by one or more of: measurements from one or
more
sensors in a building (e.g., camera, thermal sensors, etc.), current setting
and location
of artificial lighting, etc. The illuminance and color of ambient light can be
measured
using a spectrometer such as, for example, the commercially-available C-7000
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spectromaster made by Sekonic (ID. The control logic adjusts the functions of
the
building systems to adjust the contrast ratio(s) in the occupancy region to
acceptable
levels. For example, the building systems may be adjusted so that the contrast
ratio is
below within an acceptable range or below a maximum limit. As another example,
the building systems may be adjusted so that the contrast ratio is maintained
within
acceptable levels based on a lookup table of illuminance of artificial
lighting that can
be used to offset reflected light from light projections through
electrochromic
windows having different tint levels.
[0089] Other considerations for controlling tint states of one or more
tintable
windows and other building systems for the benefit of an occupant and/or for
building
alone will be described in other sections of the disclosure. For example,
occupant
wellness including circadian rhythm regulation is a consideration discussed
below.
[0090] B. Examples of Tinting Configurations for Glare Control and/or
other
considerations
[0091] The examples of configurations for glare reduction are described in
this
section in most cases with reference to multi-zone tintable windows. It would
be
understood that these examples can also apply in a similar way to a group of
tintable
windows or a combination of multi-zone windows and monolithic tintable
windows.
[0092] a) Glare Control with Daylighting
[0093] In one particular glare reduction configuration, a multi-zone
tintable
window is controlled to place (hold or transition) tinting zones in a darkened
state that
are in an area of the tintable window that can reduce glare on the location or
likely
location of an occupant while placing the other tinting zones of the multi-
zone tintable
window in lighter tint states to allow ambient light to enter, for example, to
reduce
heating/lighting. This configuration may be used for "daylighting." As used
herein,
"daylighting" generally refers to an architectural strategy that uses natural
light to
satisfy illumination requirements and potential color offset while mitigating
potential
visual discomfort to occupants such as, for example, from glare. Glare can be
from
direct sunlight shining onto the occupant's workspace or in the eyes of the
occupants.
This configuration and other daylighting examples described herein can provide
benefits including the reduction of the blue color from light in the tinted
zones due to
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visual perception change with added natural light in the room. As mentioned
above, it
would be understood that these examples also apply in a similar way to one or
more
tintable windows held or transitioned to a darkened while other tintable
windows are
held in lighter tint states for the purpose of daylighting.
[0094] - Lighter Tinting at Lower Area
[0095] In this configuration, a multi-zone tintable window or a group of
tintable
windows is controlled such that has a lower area is lighter than the other
areas. In one
example of this glare control configuration, the lower tinting zone(s) of a
multiple
zone window in vertical wall are controlled to be tinted lighter than one or
more
higher tinting zones in the multi-zone window. As another example of this
glare
control configuration, the lower tintable windows in a vertical wall are
controlled to
be tinted lighter than one or more higher tintable windows in the vertical
wall. The
control configuration may be used, for example, in a scenario where the sun is
at a
mid to high position in the sky and the lower area may be in a low location
that
receives sunlight at such an angle that direct sunlight does not penetrate
deep into the
room and therefore does not create a glare in an occupancy region located near
the
window. In this case, the lower area can be cleared or controlled in a manner
that
allows maximum light into the room and to minimize heat load needed to heat
the
room, while the middle and/or top areas can be darkened to reduce glare on the
occupancy region.
[0096] - Lighter Tinting at Top Area
[0097] In this configuration, a multi-zone tintable window or a group of
tintable
windows is controlled such that has a top area is lighter than the lower area.
For
example, the tinting zone (or multiple tinting zones at the top) may be tinted
lighter
than one or more tinting zones of the multi-zone tintable window or the top
area of the
window. In another example, the top area of the window may have a transparent
substrate only (no optically switchable device). As another example, the upper
tintable windows in a top area of a vertical wall are controlled to be tinted
lighter than
one or more other tintable windows in the vertical wall. In these examples,
the lighter
top area can act in a similar fashion to a "transom window" by allowing
natural
ambient light to enter the room at a high level while controlling glare near
the vertical
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wall. This example and others daylighting examples described herein can
provide
benefits including the reduction of the blue color from light through the
tinted
zones/windows due to visual perception change with the added natural light in
the
room.
[0098] FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of this example with a multi-zone
tintable window 300 with five tinting zones, according to an embodiment. The
multi-
zone tintable window 300 is located in the external vertical wall of a room
350,
between the inside and outside of a building. The multi-zone tintable window
300
comprises a first tinting zone 302 at the top of the window 300 and four other
tinting
zones 304, 306, 308, and 310 below the first tinting zone 302.
[0099] In the illustrated scenario shown in FIG. 3, the sun is at a high
position in
the sky. In this scenario, the tinting zones are controlled such that the
first tinting zone
302 is in a first tint state, the lightest tint state (e.g., bleached or clear
state), and the
other tinting zones 304, 306, 308, and 310 are in a second tint state that is
darker than
the first tint state. With the illustrated tinting control configuration, the
first tinting
zone 302 allows natural light from the sun at a high altitude to enter the
room while
preventing glare from direct sunlight projecting onto the occupancy region
with the
desk and the occupant. Instead, the direct sunlight through the first tinting
zone 302
projects (depicted by arrows) glare onto an unoccupied region of the room.
Although
five zones are used in this illustrated example, other numbers and
arrangements of
tinting zones can be used.
[0100] In another example this glare configuration, a multi-zone
tintable window
may include a top transparent substrate only portion with no optical device
and a
bottom portion with an optically switchable device having one or more tinting
zones.
For example, the multi-zone tintable window may have a monolithic
electrochromic
device with one or more tinting zones at a bottom portion of the window and a
daylighting transparent substrate strip or zone at the top.
[0101] In another example of this glare configuration and possibly other
configurations for other purposes, a multi-zone tintable window comprises one
or
more tinting zones that can be controlled to have a tinting gradient from one
side to an
opposing side, according to an embodiment. In one case, the top tinting zone
has a
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tinting gradient that starts at a bleached tint state at one side and
increases in tint
toward the opposing side. That is, there is no abrupt change in tint as in
physically
separate zones, where high contrast between zones can be distracting and
unattractive
to the end user.
[0102] FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of this example with a multi-zone
tintable window 460 having a tinting gradient, according to an embodiment. The
multi-zone tintable window 460 is located in the external vertical wall of a
room 450,
between the inside and outside of a building. The multi-zone tintable window
460
comprises a first tinting zone 462 at the top of the window 450 and a second
tinting
zone 464 below the first tinting zone 462. In the depicted illustration, the
first tinting
zone 462 is in a first tint state, which is the lightest tint state (e.g.,
bleached state), and
the second tinting zone 464 is in a second tint state that is darker than the
first tint
state. With the illustrated tinting, the first tinting zone 462 allows natural
light from
the sun at a high altitude to enter the room while preventing glare from
direct sunlight
projecting onto the illustrated occupancy region having a desk and a seated
occupant.
The direct sunlight through the first tinting zone 462 projects (depicted by
arrows)
glare onto an unoccupied region at the back of the room. In this particular
example,
the multi-zone tintable window 460 also has a tinting gradient region 466
comprising
a resistive region with a width. The tinting gradient region 466 has a tinting
gradient
between the tint states of the adjacent first and second tinting zones 462 and
464. That
is, the tinting gradient distance (or width) may be measured, e.g., from the
beginning
of one zone where the %T begins to vary, through and including the change in
%T
into the adjacent zone, ending where the %T of that second zone becomes
constant. In
one aspect, the width of the gradient portion is about 10". In another aspect,
the width
of the gradient portion is in the range of 2" to 15." In another aspect, the
width of the
gradient portion is in the range of 10" to 15". In one aspect, the width of
the gradient
portion is about 5". In one aspect, the width of the gradient portion is about
2". In one
aspect, the width of the gradient portion is about 15". In one aspect, the
width of the
gradient portion is about 20". In one aspect, the width of the gradient
portion is about
20". In one aspect, the width of the gradient portion is at least about 10".
In one
aspect, the width of the gradient portion is at least about 16". In one
aspect, the width
of the gradient portion covers the entire width or about the entire width of
the multi-
zone tintable window. In this case, the window can have a continuous gradient
from
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light to dark across the entire window. In another aspect, the width of the
gradient
portion less than 5 inches.
[0103] - Lighter Tinted Middle Area
[0104] Although certain examples of tinting of tintable windows in a
glare
reduction configuration have placed either the top area or lower area in a
lighter tint
state, other examples may darken top or lower areas to control glare while
clearing or
placing in a lighter tint state one or more middle areas between the top and
bottom
areas. In this case, a multi-zone tintable window or a group of tintable
windows may
be controlled such that has a middle area of one or more tinting zones/windows
is
lighter than the other areas. For example, a multi-zone tintable window
located very
low or high in a room may have having a tinting configuration that clears or
placing in
a lighter tint state a middle zone or multiple middle zones. As another
example, a
single multi-zone tintable window spanning multiple floors e.g., an open
mezzanine
or loft in a single room may have a tinting configuration that clears a middle
zone or
multiple middle zones. As another example, one or more tintable windows in a
middle
area of a vertical wall are controlled to be tinted lighter than other
tintable windows in
the vertical wall.
[0105] FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of a room 550 having three
tintable
windows 502, 504, and 506, according to an aspect. The room has a second
mezzanine floor with two desks and a lower floor with a single desk. The
tintable
windows 502, 504, and 506, are vertically arranged and located in an external
vertical
wall of the room 550, between the inside and outside of a building. In this
illustration,
the middle tintable window 504 is in a first tint state (e.g., bleached state)
and the
other tintable windows 502 and 506 are in a second tint state that is darker
than the
first tint state. With the illustrated tinting, the middle tintable window 504
allows
natural light from the sun to enter the room 550 between the occupancy regions
to
reduce lighting/heating loads. This tinting also prevents glare from the
direct sunlight
projecting onto the occupancy regions on the mezzanine floor and the lower
floor.
[0106] Although many examples of multi-zone tintable windows in a glare
reduction configuration are described herein with multiple full width tinting
zones
arranged along the length of the window, other examples may include full
length
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tinting zones arranged along the width of the window. Alternatively, it is
contemplated that a multi-zone tintable window may comprise rectangular
tinting
zones (digitized design) corresponding to a two-dimensional array of locations
along
the length and width of the window.
[0107] b) Windows with multiple lites
[0108] In certain implementations, a tintable window comprises multiple
lites in,
for example, the form of an insulated glass unit (IGU) having a spacer sealed
between
lites. Another example is a laminate construction. Any of the tinting
configurations
shown and described with respect to illustrated examples herein can be used
for a
single lite or for one or more lites of an IGU or a laminate construction.
[0109] In one glare reduction tinting configuration, a tintable window
comprises a
first tintable lite in combination with a second mate lite that has either
multiple tint
zones or a single tint zone. In this tinting configuration, the combined
transmissivity
of light through multiple lites can be used to provide lower transmissivity
than a
single lite. For example, the reduced level of transmissivity through two
tintable lites
in an area where both lites are tinted to a darkest tint state may be below 1%
T. This
reduced transmissivity through the area of combined multiple tinted lites can
be used
to provide increased glare control in a multi-zone tintable window. That is,
transmissivity of lower than 1% may be desired by some end users, for example,
to
further reduce glare. In these cases, a tintable window with multiple lites
can be used
to reduce transmissivity of lower than 1% as needed.
[0110] In one implementation of this tinting configuration, a multi-
zone tintable
window is in the form of an IGU with multiple lites, each lite having one or
more
tinting zones that can be tinted to reduce glare. At certain times of the
year/day,
tinting of the upper region of the window is appropriate because the sun is at
an
altitude such that sunlight through the upper region is a primary cause of
glare across
all portions of the window that receives sunlight. In other cases, other
regions of the
multi-zone tintable window may also benefit from this tinting. For example, a
lower
portion might as well.
[0111] According to one aspect, the regions of a multi-zone window that are
determined by a control method to be the most appropriate for tinting to
reduce glare
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are those that do not have a good view potential for the occupant. In other
words,
when an occupant is in their typical location in the room, it would be
desirable if they
can see out the window, for example, to view weather patterns. In one example,
the
control method determines to hold or transition the tint states of certain
tinting zones
to darker tint states to control glare on an occupancy region only if the
region of the
tinted zones does not block the view for an occupant.
[0112] In certain implementations, a multi-zone tintable window in the
form of an
IGU is controlled to have tint states that balance glare control with reduced
energy
consumption. In one case, the mate lite of the IGU may have one or more
tinting
zones that are designed to always or nearly always reduce glare. Although a
mate lite
generally refers to any substrate of the IGU, in one case, a mate lite is a
substrate of
the IGU on which the optically switchable device (e.g., electrochromic device)
does
not reside.
[0113] c) Directional Control of Sunlight
[0114] In one aspect, the mate lite or possibly some other structure in the
IGU can
be designed to direct sunlight in a horizontal direction regardless of the
relative
altitude of the sun with respect to the window position. The mechanism for
directing
light in a horizontal direction may include a very granular group of slats or
window
blinds structure in the interior of the IGU or the exterior of the IGU or
associated with
a mate lite. In one example, small mechanical blinds may be built into an
electrically
controllable region of the mate lite to redirect light. As another example, a
series of
light tubes may reside external or internal (region between lites) to the IGU
to direct
sunlight in a substantially horizontal direction. FIG. 6 is a schematic
illustration of an
example of a multi-zone tintable window 690 in the form of an IGU in vertical
wall of
a room 699, according to an embodiment. The IGU comprises an inner EC lite and
an
outer EC lite and a spacer (not shown) between the lites. The inner EC lite
comprises
a first tinting zone 693, a second tinting zone 696, and a third tinting zone
697. The
outer EC lite comprises a first tinting zone 694 and a second tinting zone
698. In a top
portion 692 of the window 690, the region 695 between the lites has a series
of light
tubes comprising reflective inner surfaces for channeling light. In other
embodiments,
region 695 may include light scattering elements, reflectors, diffusers,
microshades
(or similar MEMS devices) or the like. In this tinting configuration, the
tinting zones
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693 and 694 are cleared to allow sunlight to be transmitted, while directing
or
preventing the light from impinging on the occupant and thus avoiding a glare
situation, while still allowing natural light into the space. In this
configuration,
sunlight passes through the tinting zone 694 at the outer surface of the outer
EC lite at
the top portion 692, is channeled through the light tubes, and is transmitted
through
the tinting zone 693 of the inner EC lite in the clear state. In some cases,
the light may
be directed somewhat to the back of the room as depicted. With the illustrated
tinting
configuration, the top portion 692 of the window 690 allows natural light from
the sun
at a position of high altitude to enter the room while preventing glare from
the direct
sunlight on the occupancy region with the desk and the occupant.
[0115] In another implementation, one or more of the lites of an IGU may
have a
region with a diffusing light source such that light impinging on this region
is diffused
or scattered so as to eliminate potential glare on the occupancy region. The
diffusion
or scattering may be achieved by applying a diffusing film or light directing
film to
the region. These films contain many scattering centers or other ways to allow
light in
but at the same time reduce the direct rays upon an occupancy region.
[0116] d) Multi-zone windows with non-EC films
[0117] In certain implementations, a tintable window includes an
electrochromic
device or other optically switchable device. In one implementation, the
tintable
window includes an optically switchable device and a photovoltaic film. In
another
implementation, a tintable window includes an optically switchable device and
a
thermochromic material layer and/or a photochromic material layer. Some
description
of tintable windows having a thermochromic or photochromic material can be
found
in U.S. Patent Application No.12/145,892 (now U.S. Patent No. 8,514,476),
titled
"MULTI-PANE DYNAMIC WINDOW AND METHOD FOR MAKING SAME"
and filed on June 25, 2008, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its
entirety.
[0118] e) Other examples of Daylighting tinting configurations
[0119] Certain aspects are related to tinting configurations with a at
least one
tinting zone or a tintable window that is held in the bleached tint state
(daylighting
tinting zone/window). A daylighting tinting zone/window allows natural light
to pass
into the room while controlling glare/temperature in the room by tinting other
tinting
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zones/windows. These aspects are directed to motivations from the
occupant/building.
First, a daylight tinting zone/window can increase room illumination. That is,
darker
tint states can make a room look too dark to the occupant. The occupant may
want to
let in more light into the room while still controlling glare when the sun
shines on a
facade. Second, a daylight tinting zone/window can improve room light color.
That is,
darker tint states can make light in the room look colored (e.g., blue).
Occupant may
want to maintain a more natural room color while tinting to control glare.
Third, a
daylight tinting zone/window can improve the view through the window and the
occupant's connection to outdoors. Occupant may want to identify current
weather or
other outdoor conditions when the window is in darker tint states. Fourth, a
daylight
tinting zone/window can maintain glare/heat control. That is, other tinting
zones/windows will be tinted to protect occupants from glare and prevent heat
from
solar radiation.
[0120] In certain aspects, a daylighting tinting zone of a multi-zone
window has a
width that is sufficient to allow enough natural light into the room to reduce
the color
of light (e.g., blue hue) in the room while still providing glare/heating
control. In one
aspect, the width of the daylighting tinting zone is about 5". In another
aspect, the
width of the daylighting tinting zone is less than 22". In another aspect, the
width of
the daylighting tinting zone is between about 10" and 21". In one aspect, the
width of
.. the daylighting tinting zone is about 15".
[0121] FIG. 7 shows a left room, 710, with a first multi-zone tintable
window 712
and a right room, 730, with a second multi-zone tintable window 732, according
to
aspects of a daylighting tinting configuration. The first multi-zone tintable
window
712 in room 710 at the left has two tinting zones above the sill level. The
second
multi-zone tintable window 732 in room 730 at the right has three tinting
zones above
the sill level. In both the first and second multi-zone tintable windows 712,
732, a
lower portion below the sill level is non-tintable. In one case, the lower
portion may
be a transparent substrate without an optically switchable device. In both
rooms 710,
730, the top tinting zone is shown in a clear state to allow daylight to pass
through the
tinting zone into the room, which is similar to the transom window example
shown in
FIG. 3. The first multi-zone tintable window 712 with two tinting zones may
have
lower manufacturing and design complexity than the three-zone window.
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[0122] FIG. 8A includes plan and side (south elevation) views of a
modeled
building with several tintable multi-zone windows in a room 800, according to
an
embodiment illustrating a daylighting tinting configuration. FIG. 8B includes
perspective views of the room 800 modeled building shown in FIG. 8A. Each
multi-
zone window having two tinting zones, a first top tinting zone and a second
middle
tinting zone. The lower area is a transparent substrate without an optically
switchable
device. In the illustrated example, the upper tinting zone is in a lighter
state than the
middle tinting zone to allow daylight to pass through the upper tinting zone
into the
room.
[0123] FIG. 9 is a graph of the daylight glare probability (DGP) on June
21,
September 21 and December 21 from sunlight through the multi-zone window shown
in FIG. 7 at the seating rows 1 and 2 of a room, according to an embodiment.
The
multi-zone window has two tinting zones. FIG. 10 is a graph of the indoor
light levels
at desk level in foot-candle (FC) on June 21, September 21 and December 21 for
the
two tinting zones in the room described with respect to FIG. 9.
[0124] FIG. 11 is a chart of a tinting schedule for the two-zone
tintable window
shown in FIG. 7 including illuminance levels and DGP values. As shown, from a
time periods, to tinting zones provide sufficient glare control and
daylighting. The
darkest tint state (tint 4) is needed for the middle of the day at the end of
the year.
[0125] FIG. 12 is a chart of a tinting schedule for a multi-zone window
having
two zones and having three zones. Compared to two zones, three zones offers
more
tinting options. Lower vision only can be tinted at times to slightly drop
glare without
affecting light levels.
[0126] FIG. 13 shows an illustration of a simulation of two views of a
room
having multi-zone tintable windows with a daylighting tinting zone having a
width of
15".
[0127] FIG. 14 shows graphs of the green-blue coloration and luminance
in a
simulated room with a daylighting tinting zone having a width of 5". The first
5" in
the width of the daylighting zone makes the largest incremental difference in
room
color. One embodiment is a method of providing daylighting to a room having
tintable windows between the room space and the exterior of the room, the
method
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including allowing at least 5" of non-tinted window length when the remainder
of the
tintable windows' length are tinted to allow less than 5% transmission of the
solar
spectrum pass through them.
[0128] M. Controllers
[0129] In some embodiments, one or more controllers can power or send other
control signals to building systems to control their functions. In some cases,
for
example, a controller can power one or more electrochromic devices of a
tintable
window. Controllers described herein are not limited to those that have the
function
of powering a device(s) to which it is associated with for the purposes of
control.
That is, the power source may be separate from the controller, where the
controller
has its own power source and directs application of power from a separate
power
source to the device(s). However, it is convenient to include a power source
with the
controller and to configure the controller to power the device(s) directly,
because that
obviates the need for separate wiring for powering the device(s).
[0130] In some cases, a controller is a standalone controller, which is
configured
to control the functions of a single system such as one or more electrochromic
devices
of an electrochromic window or a zone of electrochromic windows, without
integration of the controller into a building control network or a building
management
system (BMS). In other cases, the controller is integrated into the building
control
network or BMS, as described further in this section.
[0131] A. Example of controller components
[0132] FIG. 15 depicts a simplified block diagram of some components of
a
controller 1550 and devices 1500 of a building system that are controlled by
the
controller 1550. More details of similar controller components that are
implemented
to control an optically switchable device can be found in U.S. patent
applications
13/449,248 and 13/449,251, titled "CONTROLLER FOR OPTICALLY-
SWITCHABLE WINDOWS," both filed on April 17, 2012, and in U.S. patent
application 13/449,235 (issued as U.S. Patent No. 8,705,162), titled
"CONTROLLING TRANSITIONS IN OPTICALLY SWITCHABLE DEVICES,"
filed on April 17, 2012; all of which are hereby incorporated by reference in
their
entireties.
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[0133] In FIG. 15, the illustrated components of the controller 1550
include a
microprocessor 1555 or other processor, a pulse width modulator 1560 (PWM), a
signal conditioning module 1565, and a computer readable medium (e.g., memory)
1570 having a configuration file 1575. Controller 1550 is in electronic
communication with one or more devices 1500 through network 1580 (wired or
wireless) to send control instructions to the one or more devices 1500. In
some
embodiments, the controller 1550 may be a local controller in communication
through
a network (wired or wireless) to a master controller.
[0134] In some embodiments, output from sensors may be input to the
signal
conditioning module 1565. The input may be in the form of a voltage signal to
signal
conditioning module 1565. Signal conditioning module 1565 passes an output
signal
to the microprocessor 1555 or other processor. The microprocessor 1555 or
other
processor determines a control level for the device(s) based on various data
such as
information from the configuration file 1575, output from the signal
conditioning
module 1565, override values, or other data. The microprocessor 1555 then
sends
instructions to the PWM 1560 to apply a voltage and/or current through a
network
1580 to one or more devices of building systems to control their functions.
[0135] In one example, the microprocessor 1555 can instruct the PWM
1560, to
apply a voltage and/or current to an electrochromic device of a window to
transition it
to any one of four or more different tint levels. In one case, the
electrochromic device
can be transitioned to at least eight different tint levels described as: 0
(lightest), 5, 10,
15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 (darkest). The tint levels may linearly correspond to
visual
transmittance values and solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) values of light
transmitted through the electrochromic window. For example, using the above
eight
tint levels, the lightest tint level of 0 may correspond to an SHGC value of
0.80, the
tint level of 5 may correspond to an SHGC value of 0.70, the tint level of 10
may
correspond to an SHGC value of 0.60, the tint level of 15 may correspond to an
SHGC value of 0.50, the tint level of 20 may correspond to an SHGC value of
0.40,
the tint level of 25 may correspond to an SHGC value of 0.30, the tint level
of 30 may
correspond to an SHGC value of 0.20, and the tint level of 35 (darkest) may
correspond to an SHGC value of 0.10. As will be discussed below the light
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transmitted through the tinted window may impart a hue in the room. The
deepness of
the hue will depend on the tint level.
[0136] In some cases, the controller controls one or more tintable
windows such
as electrochromic windows. In one case, at least one or all of the
electrochromic
devices of the electrochromic windows are solid state and inorganic
electrochromic
devices. In one case, the electrochromic windows are multistate electrochromic
windows as described in U.S. Patent Application, serial number 12/851,514 (now
U.S. Patent No. 8,705,162), filed on August 5, 2010, and titled "Multipane
Electrochromic Windows," which is hereby incorporated by reference in its
entirety.
[0137] Controller 1550 or a master controller in communication with the
controller 1550 may employ control logic to determine the control levels based
various data. The controller 1550 can instruct the PWM 1560 to apply a voltage
and/or current or otherwise send control signals to one or more devices based
on the
determined control levels.
[0138] B. Building Management Systems (BMSs)
[0139] The controllers described herein are suited for integration with
a Building
Management System (BMS). A BMS is a computer-based control system installed in
a building that monitors and controls the building's mechanical and electrical
equipment such as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system (also
referred to
as "HVAC system"), lighting system, power systems (e.g., wireless power
system),
window systems such as one or more zones of tintable windows, transportation
systems such as an elevator system, emergency systems such as fire systems,
security
systems, and other building systems. A BMS consists of hardware, including
interconnections by communication channels to a computer or computers, and
associated software for maintaining conditions in the building according to
preferences set by the occupants and/or by the building manager. For example,
a
BMS may be implemented using a local area network, such as Ethernet. The
software
can be based on, for example, internet protocols and/or open standards. One
example
is software from Tridium, Inc. (of Richmond, Virginia). One communications
protocol commonly used with a BMS is BACnet (building automation and control
networks).
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[0140] A BMS is most common in a large building, and typically functions
at
least to control the environmental conditions within the building. For
example, a
BMS may control temperature, light level, color temperature, contrast ratio,
sound
level or other acoustic quality, air quality such as carbon dioxide levels
and/or
particulate levels, humidity levels, and other conditions within a building.
Typically,
there are many mechanical devices that are controlled by a BMS such as
heaters, air
conditioners, blowers, vents, and the like. To control the building
environment, a
BMS may turn on and off or otherwise control these devices in the building
systems
to particular levels. A core function of a typical modern BMS is to maintain a
comfortable environment (e.g., visual comfort, thermal comfort, acoustic
comfort, air
quality, etc.) for the building's occupants while minimizing energy
costs/demand.
Thus, a modern BMS is used not only to monitor and control, but also to
optimize the
synergy between various systems, for example, to conserve energy and lower
building
operation costs.
[0141] FIG. 16 depicts a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a BMS 1600,
that in communication with (wired or wireless) and manages a number of systems
of a
building 1601, including security systems 1632, heating/ventilation/air
conditioning
(HVAC) systems 1634, lighting systems 1636, power systems 1642, elevators or
other
transportation systems 1644, fire or other emergency systems 1645, a window
system
.. 1650 associated with the tintable windows, and the like. Security systems
1632 may
include magnetic card access, turnstiles, solenoid driven door locks,
surveillance
cameras and other asset or occupant locating device, burglar alarms, metal
detectors,
and the like. Fire or other emergency systems 1645 may include alarms and fire
suppression systems including a water plumbing control. Lighting systems 1636
may
include interior lighting, exterior lighting, emergency warning lights,
emergency exit
signs, and emergency floor egress lighting. Power systems 1642 may include the
main power, backup power generators, uninterrupted power source (UPS) grids,
power generating systems such as a photovoltaic power system, and the like. In
other
embodiments, a BMS may manage other combinations of building systems.
[0142] In the illustrated example shown in FIG. 16, the BMS 1600 controls
the
window system 1650 by sending control signals to a master window controller
3202.
In this example, the master window controller 3202 is depicted as a
distributed
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network of controllers including a master network controller, 1603,
intermediate
network controllers, 1605a and 1605b, and end or leaf controllers 1610. End or
leaf
controllers 1610 may be similar to window controller 1550 described with
respect to
FIG. 15, the window controller 1940 described with respect to FIG. 19, or the
window controller 790 described with respect to FIG. 20. In one example, the
master
network controller 1603 may be in proximity to the BMS 1600, and each floor or
other area of the building 1601 may have one of the intermediate network
controllers
1605a and 1605b, while each tintable window or zone of tintable windows has
its
own end controller 1610. In this example, each of end or leaf controllers 1610
controls a specific tintable window or specific zone of tintable windows of
the
building 1601.
[0143] Each of the end or leaf controllers 1610 can be in a separate
location from
the tintable window that it controls, or can be integrated into the tintable
window. For
simplicity, only ten tintable windows of building 1601 are depicted as
controlled by
master window controller 3202. In a typical setting, there may be a larger
number of
tintable windows in a building controlled by master window controller 3202.
Master
window controller 3202 need not be a distributed network of window
controllers. For
example, a single end controller which controls the functions of a single
tintable
window or single zone of tintable windows also falls within the scope of the
embodiments disclosed herein, as described above.
[0144] In one aspect, a BMS or another controller receives sensor data
via a
communication network from one or more sensors at the building. For exterior
sensors, the building may include exterior sensors on the roof of the
building.
Alternatively, the building may include an exterior sensor associated with
each
exterior window or an exterior sensor on each side of the building. An
exterior sensor
on each side of the building could track the irradiance on a side of the
building as the
sun changes position throughout the day. As another example, a multi-sensor
device
with multiple sensors such as photosensors, infrared sensors, ambient
temperature
sensor and other sensors may be located at the building, for example, on the
rooftop.
In addition or alternatively, a BMS may receive feedback data from other
building
systems. In one case, the BMS may receive data regarding an occupant's
presence and
location in the building. By incorporating data from various building systems,
the
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BMS can provide, for example, enhanced: 1) environmental control, 2) energy
savings, 3) security, 4) flexibility in control options, 5) improved
reliability and
usable life of other systems due to less reliance thereon and therefore less
maintenance thereof, 6) information availability and diagnostics, 7) effective
use of,
and higher productivity from, staff, and various combinations of these,
because the
systems can be automatically controlled.
[0145] The building systems can sometimes run according to daily,
monthly,
quarterly, or yearly schedules. For example, the lighting control system, the
window
system, the HVAC, and the security system may operate on a 24 hour schedule
accounting for when people are in the building during the work day. At night,
the
building may enter an energy savings mode, and during the day, the systems may
operate in a manner that minimizes the energy consumption of the building
while
providing for occupant comfort. As another example, the systems may shut down
or
enter an energy savings mode over a holiday period. The scheduling information
may
be combined with geographical information. Geographical information may
include
the latitude and longitude of the building. Geographical information also may
include
information about the direction that each side of the building faces. Using
such
information, different rooms on different sides of the building may be
controlled in
different manners.
[0146] FIG. 17 is a block diagram of components of a system 1700 for
controlling functions (e.g., transitioning to different tint levels) of
electrochromic
devices 1701 of one or more tintable windows of a building (e.g., building
1601
shown in FIG. 16), according to embodiments. System 1700 may be one of the
building systems managed by a BMS (e.g., BMS 1600 shown in FIG. 16) or may
operate independently of a BMS. System 1700 includes a master window
controller
1703 that can send control signals to the one or more tintable windows to
control their
functions. System 1700 also includes a network 1740 in electronic
communication
with master window controller 1703. The control logic, other control logic and
instructions for controlling functions of the tintable window(s), and/or
sensor and
other data may be communicated to the master window controller 1703 through
the
network 1740. Network 1740 can be a wired or wireless network (e.g. cloud
network). In one embodiment, network 1740 may be in communication with a BMS
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to allow the BMS to send instructions for controlling the tintable window(s)
through
network 1740 to the tintable window(s) in a building.
[0147] System 1700 also includes EC devices 1701 of the one or more
tintable
windows (not shown) and optional wall switches 1790, which are both in
electronic
communication with master window controller 1703. In this illustrated example,
master window controller 1703 can send control signals to EC device(s) 1701 to
control the tint level of the tintable windows having the EC device(s) 1701.
Each wall
switch 1790 is also in communication with EC device(s) 1701 and master window
controller 1703. An end user (e.g., occupant of a room having the tintable
window)
can use the wall switch 1790 to control the tint level and other functions of
the
tintable window having the EC device(s) 1701.
[0148] In FIG. 17, master window controller 1703 is depicted as a
distributed
network of window controllers including a master network controller 1703, a
plurality
of intermediate network controllers 1705 in communication with the master
network
controller 1703, and multiple pluralities of end or leaf window controllers
1710. Each
plurality of end or leaf window controllers 1710 is in communication with a
single
intermediate network controller 1705. Although master window controller 1703
is
illustrated as a distributed network of window controllers, master window
controller
1703 could also be a single window controller controlling the functions of a
single
tintable window in other embodiments. The components of the system 1700 in
FIG.
17 may be similar in some respects to components described with respect to
FIG. 16.
For example, master network controller 1703 may be similar to master network
controller 1303 and intermediate network controllers 1705 may be similar to
intermediate network controllers 1705. Each of the window controllers in the
distributed network of FIG. 17 may include a processor (e.g., microprocessor)
and a
computer readable medium in electrical communication with the processor.
[0149] In FIG. 17, each leaf or end window controller 1710 is in
communication
with EC device(s) 1701 of a single tintable window to control the tint level
of that
tintable window in the building. In the case of an IGU, the leaf or end window
controller 1710 may be in communication with EC devices 1701 on multiple lites
of
the IGU to control the tint level of the IGU. In other embodiments, each leaf
or end
window controller 1710 may be in communication with a plurality of tintable
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windows, for example, of a zone of windows. The leaf or end window controller
1710 may be integrated into the tintable window or may be separate from the
tintable
window that it controls. Leaf and end window controllers 1710 in FIG. 17 may
be
similar to the end or leaf controllers 1610 in FIG. 16.
[0150] Each wall switch 1790 can be operated by an end user (e.g., occupant
of
the room) to control the tint level and other functions of the tintable window
in
communication with the wall switch 1790. The end user can operate the wall
switch
1790 to communicate control signals to the EC devices 1701 in the associated
tintable
window. These signals from the wall switch 1790 may override signals from
master
window controller 1703 in some cases. In other cases (e.g., high demand
cases),
control signals from the master window controller 1703 may override the
control
signals from wall switch 1790. Each wall switch 1790 is also in communication
with
the leaf or end window controller 1710 to send information about the control
signals
(e.g. time, date, tint level requested, etc.) sent from wall switch 1790 back
to master
window controller 1703. In some cases, wall switches 1790 may be manually
operated. In other cases, wall switches 1790 may be wirelessly controlled by
the end
user using a remote device (e.g., cell phone, tablet, etc.) sending wireless
communications with the control signals, for example, using infrared (IR),
and/or
radio frequency (RF) signals. In some cases, wall switches 1790 may include a
wireless protocol chip, such as Bluetooth, EnOcean, WiFi, Zigbee, and the
like.
Although wall switches 1790 depicted in FIG. 17 are located on the wall(s),
other
embodiments of system 1700 may have switches located elsewhere in the room.
System 1700 also includes a multi-sensor device 1712 in electronic
communication
with one or more controllers via a communication network 1740 in order to
communicate sensor readings and/or filtered sensor values to the
controller(s).
[0151] FIG. 18 depicts a block diagram of an embodiment of a building
network
1800 for a building. As noted above, building network 1800 may employ any
number
of different communication protocols, including BACnet. As shown, building
network 1800 includes a master network controller 1805, a lighting control
panel
1810, a BMS 1815, a security control system, 1820, and a user console, 1825.
These
different controllers and systems in the building may be used to receive input
from
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and/or control a HVAC system 1830, lights 1835, security sensors 1840, door
locks
1845, cameras 1850, and tintable windows 1855, of the building.
[0152] Master network controller 1805 may function in a similar manner
as
master network controller 3403 described with respect to FIG. 17. Lighting
control
.. panel 1810 may include circuits to control the interior lighting, the
exterior lighting,
the emergency warning lights, the emergency exit signs, and the emergency
floor
egress lighting. Lighting control panel 1810 also may include occupancy
sensors in
the rooms of the building. BMS 1815 may include a computer server that
receives
data from and issues commands to the other systems and controllers of network
1800.
For example, BMS 1815 may receive data from and issue commands to each of the
master network controller 1805, lighting control panel 1810, and security
control
system 1820. Security control system 1820 may include magnetic card access,
turnstiles, solenoid driven door locks, surveillance cameras, burglar alarms,
metal
detectors, and the like. User console 1825 may be a computer terminal that can
be
used by the building manager to schedule operations of, control, monitor,
optimize,
and troubleshoot the different systems of the building. Software from Tridium,
Inc.
may generate visual representations of data from different systems for user
console
1225.
[0153] Each of the different controls may control different types of
devices/apparatus. Master network controller 1805 controls windows 1855.
Lighting
control panel 1810 controls lights 1835. BMS 1815 may control HVAC 1830.
Security control system 1820 controls security sensors 1840, door locks 1845,
and
cameras 1850. Data may be exchanged and/or shared between all of the different
devices/apparatus and controllers that are part of building network 1800.
[0154] C. Examples of Window Controllers for independent control of
multiple
tinting zones
[0155] In certain aspects, a single window controller or multiple window
controllers can be used to independently control multiple zones of a single
electrochromic device of a multi-zone tintable window or multiple tintable
windows
of a zone. In a first design, a single window controller is electrically
communicating
with multiple voltage regulators. In a second design, a main window controller
is
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electrically communicating with multiple subcontrollers. In some cases, each
multi-
zone tintable window includes a memory, chip or card that stores information
about
the window, including physical characteristics, production information (date,
location,
fabrication parameters, lot number, etc.), and the like. The memory, chip or
card may
be part of an onboard window controller or not, e.g. in a wiring harness,
pigtail and/or
connector to which the window controller connects. Window controllers, whether
on
or part of the window or not, that control multi-zone tintable windows are
described
herein. Other information that may be included in the memory are described in
U.S.
Patent Application 13/049,756, titled "MULTIPURPOSE CONTROLLER FOR
MULTISTATE WINDOWS" and filed on March 16, 2011 and in U.S. Patent
Application 14/951,410, titled "SELF-CONTAINED EC IGU" and filed on
November 24, 2015, both of which are incorporated by reference herein for all
purposes.
[0156] - Controller Design 1
[0157] As mentioned above, a window controller according to the first
design is
connected to multiple voltage regulators, which it controls. Each voltage
regulator is
in electrical communication with one of the tinting zones. In one embodiment,
the
voltage regulators are onboard, i.e. part of the window assembly, e.g. in the
secondary
seal of an insulated glass unit. They may be physically separate from the
controller, or
part of the controller, whether the controller is onboard or separate from the
window.
The window controller is in electrically communication with each voltage
regulator to
be able to independently instruct each voltage regulator to deliver voltage to
its own
tinting zone. Each voltage regulator delivers current to only one of two bus
bars in a
particular tinting zone. This design involves multiple voltage regulators, one
for each
tinting zone, and collectively all the voltage regulators being controlled by
a single
window controller via a communication bus (not depicted).
[0158] FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram of a control system with a window
controller 1940 connected to five (5) voltage regulators 1945, according to
this first
design. Each voltage regulator 1945 is electrically connected to one of the
bus bars of
a corresponding tinting zone 1952 of a window 1950 and to the window
controller
1940. In this example, the window controller 1940 instructs each voltage
regulator
1945 to independently deliver voltage to its own tinting zone 1952. Each
voltage
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regulator 1945 delivers current to only one of two bus bars on its tinting
zone 1952. In
this way, each zone 1952 may be independently tinted relative to the other
zones
1952.
[0159] Another structural feature of this first design is that each of
the voltage
regulators is directed or connected to only one of the bus bars in the
respective zone
of the multi-zone electrochromic device. The bus bars of the zones that oppose
the
voltage-regulated bus bars all receive the same voltage from the window
controller.
This presents a challenge if one of the tinting zones needs to be driven in an
opposite
direction from that of the other zones because the polarity on the two bus
bars cannot
be reversed if the voltage applied to the other zones is inconsistent with
such reversed
polarity.
[0160] In this design, each voltage regulator is a simple design that
has logic (e.g.,
instructions stored on memory and retrieved for execution by a processor) for
applying a voltage as instructed by the window controller. A local window
controller
includes logic with instructions for implementing roles comprising: 1)
communicating
with higher level window controllers, 2) to step down power if necessary, 3)
and
determining the actual voltage that should be applied to each of the
individual tinting
zones. As an example of communication with higher level window controllers,
the
local window controller may receive instructions to place each of the
individual zones
in respective tint states. The window controller may then interpret this
information
and decide how to best accomplish this result by driving transitions by
applying
appropriate drive voltages, hold times, ramp profiles, hold voltages, etc.
Details of
control instructions for driving transitions in optically switchable windows
are
described in U.S. Patent Application 13/449,248, filed on April 17, 2012 and
titled
"CONTROLLER FOR OPTICALLY-SWITCHABLE WINDOWS," and in in U.S.
Patent Application 13/449,251, filed on April 17, 2012 and titled "CONTROLLER
FOR OPTICALLY-SWITCHABLE WINDOWS," both of which are hereby
incorporated by reference in their entireties.
[0161] - Controller Design 2
[0162] In a second design, a separate subcontroller is used to control each
of the
tinting zones. In this design, the subcontrollers receive general tint
instructions from a
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main window controller. For example, the main (upper-level) window controller
may
send a signal to the subcontroller with tint instructions to drive a
transition of a
particular tinting zone to a new tint state. The subcontroller comprises
memory that
includes control instructions for driving transitions including instructions
that
determine the appropriate drive voltage, hold time, ramp profile, etc.
necessary to
drive transitions. The main window controller for the multi-zone window is in
communication with higher level control entities on the control network main
window
controller also functions to step the power from the power source to an
appropriate
level for the subcontrollers to perform their functions.
[0163] In this design, each subcontroller has leads going to each bus bar
of the
respective tinting zone for which it is responsible. In this way, the polarity
across the
pair of bus bars for each zone can be independently controlled. If one of the
tinting
zones needs to be driven in an opposite polarity from that of the other zones,
the
polarity on the two bus bars can be reversed with this design. This is an
advantage
over the first design, because each zone can be independently tinted or
cleared.
[0164] FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram of a single window controller
connected to
five subcontrollers (SWCs) 2070, according to this second design. Each
subcontroller
2070 has two leads going to the bus bars of a corresponding tinting zone 2062.
In this
example, the SWCs 2070 are electrically connected in series with the one SWC
2070
at the end of the series connected to main window controller 2080. In this
example,
the window controller 2080 sends a signal to a subcontroller 2070 with tint
instructions to drive a transition of its associated tinting zone 2062.
[0165] D. Photovoltaic Power
[0166] In certain implementations, a tintable window (e.g.,
electrochromic
window) comprises a photovoltaic (PV) film or other light harvesting device.
The
light harvesting device harvests energy converting the solar energy to provide
electrical power to the window controller and/or other window devices or for
storage
in a battery.
[0167] E. Onboard Window Controller
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[0168] In some aspects, a tintable window has a window controller that
is onboard
the window. Details of examples of onboard window controllers are described in
U.S.
Patent Application No. 14/951,410, titled "SELF-CONTAINTED EC IGU," filed on
November 24, 2015, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
[0169] F. Wireless Powering
[0170] According to one aspect, a multi-zone window may be powered
wirelessly,
for example through radio frequency, magnetic induction, lasers, microwave
energy,
etc. Details regarding components of a wireless powered window can be found in
international PCT application PCT/US17/52798, titled "WIRELESS POWERED
ELECTROCHROMIC WINDOWS," filed on September 21, 2017, which is hereby
incorporated by reference in its entirety.
[0171] In one aspect, a multi-zone tintable window comprises a radio
frequency
(RF) antenna that converts RF power into an electrical potential used to power
the
transition of one or more tinting zones in the multi-zone tintable window. The
RF
antenna may be located in the frame of the multi-zone window or in another
structure
(e.g., spacer of an insulated glass unit). For example, the RF antenna may be
located
in the spacer of an insulated glass unit having multiple lites with at least
one lite
comprising a multi-zone electrochromic device. The RF antenna receives RF
signals
from a RF transmitter. In one case, the RF transmitter provides RF signals to
multiple
RF antennas. Details regarding examples of antennas are described in PCT
application
PCT/U515/62387, titled "WINDOW ANTENNAS" and filed on November 24, 2015,
which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
[0172] IV. Control logic for controlling functions of tintable windows
and/or
other building systems
[0173] In certain implementations, control logic used to determine tint
decisions
for groups (zones) of windows can operate similarly to control logic used to
determine tint decisions for multiple tinting zones in a window or individual
windows
of a group of windows. That is, the control logic for multiple windows
determines a
tint state for each window according the location and direction of the window.
The
control logic for multiple zones of a window would determine a tint state for
each
zone of the window according to the location and direction of the zone. An
example
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of control logic for determining tint decisions for multiple windows and
transitioning
the windows to the determined tint states can be found in PCT application
PCT/US15/29675, filed on May 5, 2015 and titled "CONTROL METHOD FOR
TINTABLE WINDOWS," which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
In certain aspects, certain operations of this control logic may be adapted to
determine
tinting decisions for multiple tinting zones and powering transitions
according to the
tinting decisions as described herein.
[0174] In some aspects, control logic may be adapted to address the
visual
transition in tinting within a particular tinting zone and/or between adjacent
tinting
zones. For example, the control logic may include logic that determines tint
states that
create a sharp contrast between different tint states in different zones or to
create
diffuse blending of color from zone to zone, e.g. using resistive region
technology. As
discussed above, a resistive region (rather than a physical bifurcation)
between
adjacent tinting zones can be used to generate a tinting gradient between
adjacent
zones. The tinting gradient is generally present across the width of the
resistive region
and thus, the visual transition is more gradual, the greater the width of the
resistive
region. The control logic may be adapted to account for the tinting gradient
in the
resistive region and/or may be adapted to apply a gradient voltage along the
length of
the bus bars of a tinting zone to generate a tinting gradient within the
tinting zone (or
.. a monolithic EC device film). In one example, a bus bar may be tapered to
apply a
gradient voltage along the length and generate a length-wise tinting gradient.
In
another aspect, control logic may be adapted to control windows with many
tinting
zones to determine tint states that will blend the color through the many
zones. In one
aspect, control logic may be adapted to control the tint state of a series of
adjacent
zones such that there is not too abrupt of a transition from a zone that needs
to be
particularly dark to the zone that needs to be particularly clear.
[0175] Another modification to control logic may involve a separate
routine (e.g.,
a module beyond Modules A-D of the PCT application PCT/U515/29675, which
describes aspects of Intelligence as described above) for applying
considerations
associated with the additional features of a multi-zone window beyond the
usual
considerations of glare control, view, natural lighting, occupant thermal
comfort,
building energy management, etc. For example, where light harvesting is a
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motivation, then an additional module may have to be built on the control
logic to
address the additional consideration. The order in which the functionality for
addressing that additional feature or function of the tinting zone sits in a
processing
pipeline for the usual considerations may be irrelevant in some cases. For
example,
the Intelligence modules do not necessarily need to operate in the following
order:
A4B 4C 4D in one case. It would be understood that it is possible that the
order
of execution of the modules does matter in other cases.
[0176] The control logic may also be adjusted to account for highly
localized
glare control across multiple zones. For example, this can be addressed with a
modification to module A of the control logic described in detail in PCT
application
PCT/US15/29675.
[0177] Different designs of window controllers that can power tinting
transitions
of multiple tinting zones of one or more multi-zone tintable windows are
described
above. In some aspects, a tinting zone may have two tint states: a first
bleached tint
state and a second darkened tint state. In other aspects, a tinting zone may
have four
tint states. In other aspects, a tinting zone may have more than four tint
states.
[0178] A. Example of tinting control logic for multiple tinting
zones/windows
[0179] FIG. 21 includes a flowchart depicting a method, 2100,
illustrating
operations used to make tinting decisions for multiple tinting zones/windows,
according to embodiments. This control logic can be used to determine tinting
decisions for multiple windows and/or for multiple tinting zones in one or
more
tintable windows, or combinations thereof. The instructions for this control
logic are
stored in memory and can be retrieved and executed by, e.g., a window
controller
such as the window controllers shown and described herein, particularly in
relation to
FIGS. 19 and 20. The control logic includes both instructions for making the
illustrated tinting decisions to determine tint levels for the multiple
tinting
zones/windows as illustrated in the flowchart. The control logic also includes
instructions for independently controlling the tinting zones/windows to
transition
them to the determined tint levels. In certain aspects, operations of this
control logic
may be adapted to determine tinting decisions to implement tinting
configurations
described herein.
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[0180] At operation 2110, the position of the sun is calculated at the
latitude and
longitude coordinates of the window(s) and the date and time of day of a
particular
instant in time, t,. The latitude and longitude coordinates may be input from
a
configuration file. The date and time of day may be based on the current time
provided by a timer.
[0181] At operation 2120, the amount of direct sunlight transmitted into
the room
through each of the zones/windows is calculated at the particular instant in
time used
in operation 2110. The amount of sunlight (e.g., penetration depth) is
calculated based
on the position of the sun calculated in operation 2110 and the configuration
of each
zone/window. The zone/window configuration includes information such as the
position of the window, dimensions of the window, orientation of the window
(i.e.
direction facing), and the details of any exterior shading. The zone/window
configuration information is input from the configuration file associated with
the
zone/window.
[0182] At operation 2130, the level of irradiance in the room is
determined. In
some cases, the level of irradiance is calculated based on clear sky
conditions to
determine clear sky irradiance. A level of clear sky irradiance is determined
based on
window orientation from the configuration file and based on latitude and
longitude of
the building. These calculations may also be based on a time of day and date
at the
particular instant in time used in operation 2110. Publicly available software
such as
the RADIANCE program, which is an open-source program, can provide the
calculations for determining clear sky irradiance. In addition, the level of
irradiance
may be based on one or more sensor readings. For example, a photosensor in the
room may take periodic readings that determine the actual irradiance in the
room.
[0183] At operation 2140, the control logic determines whether the room is
occupied. The control logic may make its determination based on one or more
types
of information including, for example, scheduling information, occupancy
sensor
data, asset tracking information, activation data from a user via a remote
control or a
wall unit such as shown in FIG. 23, etc. For example, the control logic may
determine
that the room is occupied if scheduling information indicates that the
occupant is
likely to be in the room such as during typical working hours. As another
example,
the control logic may determine that the room is unoccupied if scheduling
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indicates that it is a holiday/weekend. As another example, the control logic
may
determine that the room is occupied based on readings from an occupancy
sensor. In
yet another example, the control logic may determine that the room is occupied
if the
occupant has entered information at a manual control panel of a wall unit or
remote
control that indicates occupancy. In yet another example, the control logic
may
determine that the room is occupied (occupancy) based on information received
from
an asset tracking device such as a RFID tag. In this example, the occupants
themselves are not being tracked. Including an occupancy sensor in the room
either
through a system like Bluetooth low energy (BLE) working with a device on an
asset
of the occupant or with an occupancy sensor, the control logic can determine
whether
the room is occupied.
[0184] If it is determined at operation 2140 that the room is
unoccupied, the
control logic selects a tint level for each zone/window prioritizing energy
control to
heat/cool the building (operation 2150). In some cases, other factors may be
weighed
in the selection of the tint level such as security or other safety concerns.
The tint
level determined at operation 2140 is used to transition the zone/window. The
control
logic then returns to operations 2110, 2120, and 2130, which are typically
conducted
on a periodic basis.
[0185] If it is determined at operation 2140 that the room is in
occupied, the
control logic determines whether a mode has been selected by a user (operation
2160)
or for a particular occupant based on an occupancy profile. For example, a
user (e.g.
occupant or building operator) may select a mode at a user interface on a
remote
control or a wall unit such as shown in FIG. 23. In some cases, the GUI may
have a
button (e.g. icon) designated for selecting the mode, for example, a
daylighting icon.
Some examples of modes include: "daylighting mode," "uniform mode," "wellbeing
mode," "emergency mode" as a user defined modes. For example, the user may
define
a "user 1 ¨ mode 1" with a particular tinting configuration.
[0186] If it is determined at operation 2160 that a mode has been
selected by the
user, then the control logic selects a tint level for each zone/window based
on the
mode (operation 2170). For example, if a "daylighting mode" has been turned
on,
then the tint level may determine the tint level based on the following
factors in order
of priority: avoiding glare and allowing natural light into the room through
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daylighting regions. The tint level selected at operation 2160 is used to
transition the
zone/window. The control logic then returns to operations 2110, 2120, and
2130,
which are typically conducted on a periodic basis.
[0187] In some cases, three-dimensional projections of sunlight through
each
zone/window are calculated to the amount of direct sunlight transmitted into
the room
and to determine whether a glare condition exists in the room with the
zone/window.
A discussion of light projections and determining a glare condition based on
light
projections is discussed below with respect to FIGS. 24A, 24B, and 24C.
[0188] If it is determined at operation 2160 that a mode has not been
selected by
the user, then the control logic selects a tint level for each zone/window
based on
factors in the following order of priority: 1) glare control, 2) energy
control, and 3)
daylighting (operation 2180). In some cases, other secondary factors may also
be
weighted into the selection of the tint level including one or more of: a time
delay to
prevent rapid transitioning, color rendering, tinting gradient, feedback based
on
historical data, occupant's view of the external environment, and light
harvesting. For
example, when an occupant is in their typical location in the room, it may be
desirable
for them to see out the window, for example, to view weather patterns. If
occupant's
view of the external environment is taken under consideration in making the
tinting
decision, the control logic may determine that although a darkened tint state
of a
particular tinting zone/window would avoid glare, a lower tint level will be
used to
provide a more clear view of the external environment.
[0189] In one embodiment, three-dimensional projections of sunlight
through
each zone/window are calculated to the amount of direct sunlight transmitted
into the
room and to determine whether a glare condition exists in the room with the
zone/window. A discussion of light projections and determining a glare
condition
based on light projections is discussed below with respect to FIGS. 24A, 24B,
and
24C.
[0190] At operation 2180, to determine a tint level appropriate for the
amount of
glare determined in operation 2120, the control logic may use an occupancy
lookup
table to select an appropriate tint level for the zone/window based on the
space type
associated with the zone/window, glare amount calculated at operation 2120,
and the
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acceptance angle of the zone/window. The space type and occupancy lookup table
are
provided as input from the configuration file for the particular window.
Examples of
an occupancy lookup table have different tint levels for different
combinations of
amount of glare and space type. For example, an occupancy lookup table may
have
eight (8) tint levels including 0 (lightest), 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35
(lightest). The
lightest tint level of 0 corresponds to an SHGC value of 0.80, the tint level
of 5
corresponds to an SHGC value of 0.70, the tint level of 10 corresponds to an
SHGC
value of 0.60, the tint level of 15 corresponds to an SHGC value of 0.50, the
tint level
of 20 corresponds to an SHGC value of 0.40, the tint level of 25 corresponds
to an
SHGC value of 0.30, the tint level of 30 corresponds to an SHGC value of 0.20,
and
the tint level of 35 (darkest) corresponds to an SHGC value of 0.10. In this
example,
the occupancy lookup table has three space types: Desk 1, Desk 2, and Lobby
and six
amounts of glare (e.g., penetration depths of sunlight into the room through
the
zone/window). The tint levels for Desk 1 close to the window are higher than
the tint
levels for Desk 2 far from window to prevent glare when the desk is closer to
the
window. An illustrated example of such an occupancy lookup table can be found
in
PCT/US15/29675, filed on May 5, 2015 and titled "CONTROL METHOD FOR
TINTABLE WINDOWS."
[0191] In one embodiment, the control logic may decrease the tint level
determined based on the amount of glare determined in operation 2120 based on
irradiance levels determined at operation 2130. For example, the control logic
may
receive sensor readings of irradiance which indicates that a cloudy condition
exists. In
this case, the control logic may decrease the tint level of the zone/window
that was
determined to be associated with a glare condition.
[0192] At operation 2180, the control logic then determines whether to
change,
based on the second priority of energy control in the building, the tint level
selected as
appropriate for the amount of glare. For example, if the outside temperature
is
extremely high such that the cooling load is high, the control logic may
increase the
tint level in one or more zones/windows to reduce the cooling load. As another
example, if the outside temperature is extremely cold, the control logic may
decrease
the tint level in one or more zones/windows while maintaining a darkened tint
state in
a zone/window that would otherwise cause glare on the occupancy region. The
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control logic then determines whether to change the tint level based on the
third level
of priority daylighting while accounting for energy control in the building
and
maintaining a darkened tint state in a zone/window that would otherwise cause
glare
on the occupancy region. The tint level determined at operation 2180 is used
to
transition the zone/window. The control logic then returns to operations 2110,
2120,
and 2130, which are typically conducted on a periodic basis.
[0193] B. Factors for improving Occupant Wellness
[0194] According to some aspects, control logic is designed to control
the tinting
of the tintable windows and functions of the other building systems to improve
occupant wellness by maintaining visual comfort, thermal comfort, acoustic
comfort,
air quality, and other comfort factors for the particular occupant and
associated space.
For example, control logic discussed can maintain visual comfort by avoiding
glare
on the occupant's position or likely position, maintaining a light level and
color
temperature associated with occupant's visual comfort, minimizing contrast
ratios in
the room by adjusting natural lighting and/or adjusting the tinting of the
windows and
associated color of light in the room. Other techniques for avoiding glare are
discussed below. Additionally or alternatively, the control logic may control
the rate
of transition between tint states. Also, certain tinting configurations may
control the
tinting gradient between adjacent tinting zones in different tint states
and/or the tinting
gradient within a particular tinting. Some configurations for controlling the
tinting
gradient between adjacent zones and within a particular zone are discussed
above.
Some configurations that address avoiding glare on the occupant's position or
likely
position, increasing natural lighting in the room, and/or the color of the
windows and
associated color of light in the room are also discussed above.
[0195] /. Glare avoidance using passive or active manipulation of light
[0196] In certain implementations, a multi-zone window includes one or
more
techniques for passive or active manipulation of light passing through the
window to
ensure there is no glare on the occupancy region and controls heat load while
allowing
for continuous daylighting into the room. These techniques can function along
with
controlling the tinting of the multi-zone window.
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[0197] In one aspect, the window may have active or passive control over
the
direction of the light going into the room. Some examples of such techniques
include
micro shades, hexcells, light tubes, IR mirrors or IR reflectors, a film that
absorbs IR
or reflects IR. In one example, a window is designed to ensure that light is
directed to
.. be parallel when coming into a room by using micro shades, or hexcells, or
thin film
coatings. These techniques can be used to allow natural light into the
building while
avoiding glare, controls heat and allow for manipulation of the light,
provides
beneficial color rendering using natural daylight. In one example, a multi-
zone
window in the form of an IGU has light tubes in the region between the two
lites. The
.. light tubes are in a region proximal the tinting zones of the lites. Both
tinting zones
are in the clear state for continuous daylighting to pass sunlight incident
the outer
surface.
[0198] In another aspect, a multi-zone window in the form of an IGU
includes one
or more IR mirrors or IR reflectors in the region between the two lites of the
IGU. In
one example, the mirrors/reflectors are located in region aligned with one or
more
tinting zones that can be held in the clear state to allow continuous
daylighting into
the room when sunlight is incident the outer surface at that region.
[0199] In yet another aspect, a multi-zone window with an electrochromic
device
that comprises a film that absorbs IR or reflects IR to control the heat that
is coming
into a building and has active or passive control over the direction of the
light going
into the room.
[0200] - Microshades
[0201] In implementations with microshades, the micro shades or the
window
could be articulated to adjust the direction of the light that is going into
the room. For
example, the microshades can be articulated to orient them to direct light to
bounce
off the ceiling and/or to be kept parallel. In one example, a multi-zone
window is
round and can be (at least) rotated in the plane of the wall in which it is
installed in
order to harvest the light as the sun position and azimuth changes, for
example, to
direct light in the same direction as the position of the sun changes. The
round
window could additionally have controllably articulating microshades to change
their
orientation to ensure proper non-glare daylighting throughout the day. Some
details of
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microshades and MEMS devices are described in U.S. Patent Application No.
14/443,353, titled "MULTI-PANE WINDOWS INCLUDING ELECTROCHROMIC
DEVICES AND ELECTROMECHANICAL SYSTEMS DEVICES" and filed on
May 15, 2015, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
[0202] A multi-zone window with microshades would typically be installed
above
a tintable window/zone without microshades, and above the height of the
occupant to
help ensure that there will never be any glare on the occupant. If the window
has
active or passive aiming of the incoming light, the angle of the microshades
can be
adjusted to modify the angle to ensure there is no glare even if they were
placed
below the height of the occupant.
[0203] In some cases, multi-zone window with techniques for passive or
active
manipulation of light can be controlled based on input from a camera in the
room or a
sensor such as an occupancy sensor. When coupled with a camera in the room or
a
sensor, this configuration can use active aiming to optimally heat up the room
when
that is desired. In addition, coupling with interior active or passive
reflective surfaces,
the system could harvest the light and direct it to other areas of the
building. For
example, the light can be channeled to other areas using light tubes or
directed to
other areas by simply cutting holes in walls to allow the light to penetrate
deeper into
a building.
[0204] 2. Color rendering and modified color temperature
[0205] The tint of a tintable window can change the amount of light
transmitted
through a tintable window, and the wavelength spectrum and associated color of
the
interior light transmitted into the room. Some tinting configurations
described herein
have techniques that provide preferential spectral selection of the incoming
light.
These techniques can augment lighting to balance both the interior rendered
color and
the amount of natural light in the appropriate wavelength to improve visual
comfort,
circadian rhythm regulation, and associated psychological effect. For example,
a
tintable window may include a filter layer that controls the transmission of
natural
daylight through the window. These techniques can improve the color and
spectrum
of the incoming daylight into the room and the comfort, visual perception,
mood and
wellbeing of the occupant. Some techniques can change the CCT (correlated
color
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temperature) and CRI (color rendering index) of the light in a room to have
incoming
light-color closer to natural light.
[0206] One tinting configuration provides both natural lighting as well
as filtered
light. These configurations may also use artificial lighting to augment and/or
adjust
CCT and/or CRI. Other methods provide only filtered light and artificial
lighting to
augment and/or adjust CCT and/or CRI.
[0207] - Preferred Lighting for Occupant using Color Balancing
[0208] As outlined above, described methods call for tinting in certain
areas while
not tinting in other areas, e.g. certain zones of a multi-zone tintable window
or certain
windows in a group of tintable windows, to reduce glare for the occupant while
allowing ambient light to enter, so called "daylighting," that uses natural
light to
satisfy illumination requirements and color offset (color balance) e.g. from a
tintable
window's unwanted blue hue imparted to the occupant's space. Generally
speaking,
an occupant prefers natural sunlight over artificial lighting from, for
example,
incandescent, light-emitting diode (LED), or fluorescent lighting. However,
with
advancements in LED lighting technology, a much greater range of lighting
possibilities, wavelengths, frequencies, colors, intensity or lumen ranges,
and the like
are possible. Specific embodiments use LED lighting technology to offset the
blueness or other unwanted hue in the occupant's space due to the transmitted
light
from tintable windows. In certain embodiments, control of tintable windows
includes
control over LED lighting to correct this perceived and rendered color to
produce an
ambient lighting condition that the occupant would prefer. These methods can
improve the color and spectrum of the incoming daylight into the room and the
comfort, visual perception, mood and wellbeing of the occupant. Some methods
change the CCT (correlated color temperature) and CRI (color rendering index)
of the
light in a room to have incoming light-color closer to natural light.
[0209] In some embodiments, LED lighting is used to augment daylighting
from
natural light sources, e.g. when the amount, angle of natural light entering
the room or
other factors make the natural lighting insufficient to offset coloration from
the light
filtered through tintable windows. For example, electrochromic windows may
change
the spectrum bandwidth, color and the amount of natural light that enters the
room.
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By providing a preferred spectral selection to the incoming light one can
provide
augmented lighting to balance both the interior rendered color and the amount
of
natural light required in the appropriate frequency to ensure visual comfort,
and, e.g.,
circadian regulation and improved psychological effect.
[0210] In certain embodiments, LED lighting is used as an alternative to
natural
light in order to achieve daylighting; that is, when only light filtered
through tinted
windows is available, LED lighting is adjusted to compensate for the unwanted
color
imparted by the tintable windows. For example, it may be the case that certain
occupants desire a uniform window facade in terms of tinting, i.e. multi-zone
windows or tinting some windows while not tinting others is undesirable from
an
aesthetics standpoint. In one embodiment, filtered light from a uniformly
tinted
window or group of windows, i.e. not using certain windows or zones to allow
daylighting in to offset color, is measured for its color and light
characteristics or
calculated based on known filtering characteristics of the tintable windows.
Based on
the value obtained, LED lighting is used to offset unwanted color hue or other
light
characteristics in order to improve occupant comfort. Some methods change the
CCT
(correlated color temperature) and CRI (color rendering index) of the light in
a room
to have ambient light-color closer to that of natural light.
[0211] In these embodiments, the incoming light, with or without natural
light, is
either modeled through a predictive algorithm or directly measured with an in-
room
sensor, e.g. on the wall, e.g. in a wall unit such as described in relation to
FIG. 23, or
in one or more of the tintable windows allowing light into the space. In one
example,
a higher color temperature is maintained using LED lighting when tintable
windows
are in a less tinted (less absorptive) state, and a lower color temperature
(e.g. more
yellow) is imparted by the LED lighting when tintable windows are in a more
tinted
(more absorptive) state in order to maintain a CRI closer to natural lighting
in the
space. Further aspects of these embodiments are described below in the
"Circadian
rhythm regulation" and "Wellbeing Mode" sections of this description.
[0212] - Circadian rhythm regulation
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[0213] In certain tinting configurations, the tinting is controlled,
e.g., with
filter(s), to change the wavelength spectrum of the incoming light to the
appropriate
light-wavelength to regulate the circadian rhythm and hence benefit the
occupant.
[0214] In one technique, the tinting is controlled, e.g., with
filter(s), to change the
.. wavelength spectrum of the incoming light to a rendered color that the
occupant
would prefer. This technique allows for control over LED lighting or other
lighting to
correct this perceived and rendered color to a preferred lighting condition
for the
occupant. By controlling the transmission of a certain amount of natural
daylighting at
the appropriate wavelength/wavelengths, the circadian rhythm can be regulated
which
can be of benefit to the health and wellbeing of the occupant.
[0215] In these configurations, control logic can have operations that
predict the
amount and direction of the solar radiation or a sensor or sensors in the room
can
measure the amount and direction of the solar radiation. For example, an
irradiance
sensor in the room located on the wall or the window can send signals to the
window
.. controller with periodic measurements. In one case, this sensor may be
certified, as in
a health care setting, to be properly sensitive/tested and calibrated to
guarantee the
correct outcome. Alternatively we can get this information from the lighting
system.
[0216] To provide circadian smart lighting, the window can have a
specific sensor
with a band gap filter and a time tracker to guarantee the window has provided
the
correct spectrum of natural light required for a specific time of day. This
may be
provided by the daylight coming through the window and/or by the augmented
interior lighting that has been requested to provide the correct amount of
appropriate
wavelength of lighting.
[0217] - "Wellbeing Mode"
[0218] Moreover, the color of the interior light could have influence on
the
occupant's behavior in different spaces based on the function of the space.
The
control logic may have a separate logic module for control of the filtered
natural light
or augmented interior lighting to benefit the occupant's mood and behavior.
The
operations of this module may function differently depending on the function
of the
occupant's space in the room. In some cases, the user may be able to select a
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"wellbeing mode" on a user control panel to have the light in the room
controlled
according to this module designed to improve the occupant's mood and behavior.
[0219] In some cases, the control logic can be adapted to predict the
wavelength
and intensity of the exterior lighting and then combine it with the current
tint-level
spectral characteristics and predict the spectral distribution of incoming
daylight into
the room. The wavelength and intensity of the exterior lighting could be
predicted, for
example, using a weather service and a calculated sun angle based on a solar
calculator.
[0220] Including an occupancy sensor in the room either through a system
like
BLE working with a device on the occupant or with an occupancy sensor, the
control
logic can choose whether to control the daylighting and the windows with
respect to
the occupancy profile.
[0221] Alternatively if the room has a camera capable to record
luminance and
light-spectrum in the room, the camera images can be used to determine both
whether
there is an occupant, where the occupant is located, and what offset or change
in the
interior light would be needed to correct the EC filtered light. This camera
could also
be calibrated to ensure the occupant with respect to time-of-day and specific
location
is getting the appropriate amount of appropriate light spectrum to benefit
their
circadian rhythm. Alternatively by using a plethora of sensors in the ceiling
or in each
light, the sensor data can be used to verify an occupant, whether there is
occupancy in
a particular location and the color rendering of the lighting needed as well
as the
appropriate amount of light spectrum to benefit occupant's circadian rhythm.
[0222] Tinting decisions based on wellbeing considerations are based on
one or
more factors including: (1) lighting in the room with the appropriate
wavelength
spectrum to regulate occupant's circadian rhythm; (2) determining of occupancy
location to verify the lighting and exposure time for that occupant is met;
(3)
providing appropriate color rendering index of the interior light in the room
to correct
the EC IGU' s filtered light color based on a predefined color rendering; (4)
Correlated
color temperature of the interior light in the room to correct the EC IGU's
filtered
light color based on a predefined CCT amount, which can be applied to improve
psychological effect of light in specified interior spaces; (5) account for
unique
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sensors that are certified to support the appropriate spectral distribution of
lighting to
benefit occupant's circadian rhythm; and (6) lighting objectives that change
based on
if there is an occupant being effected by the lighting that is being
controlled by either
the interior lighting or the EC IGU's filtered light.
[0223] C. Example of Control Logic for Controlling Tint of Tintable
Window(s)
[0224] In certain implementations, control logic includes operations
that
determine and control tint in a tintable window (e.g., electrochromic window)
to
account for occupant comfort and/or energy conservation considerations. In
some
cases, the control logic includes multiple logic modules. Tint level and/or
other
calculations determined by one logic module are input to another logic module
to
calculate a final tint level determined by all the modules. If an override
applies, an
override value may be used as the final tint level. Once the control logic
determines
the final tint level, the control logic sends control signals with tint
instructions to
transition the tintable window to the final tint level. An example of control
logic with
logic modules configured to determine a tint level for a tintable window can
be found
in international PCT application PCT/US15/29675, filed on May 5, 2015 and
titled
"CONTROL METHOD FOR TINTABLE WINDOWS," which is hereby
incorporated by reference in its entirety. Another example of control logic
with logic
modules configured to determine a tint level for a tintable window can be
found in
international PCT application PCT/US16/41344, filed on July 7, 2017 and titled
"CONTROL METHOD FOR TINTABLE WINDOWS," which is hereby
incorporated by reference in its entirety.
[0225] In some implementations, control logic uses one or more of three
logic
.. modules (also referred to herein as "Module A," "Module B," and "Module C")
to
determine the tint level for a tintable window between the interior and
exterior of a
building. Each control logic module can determine a tint level based on a time
in the
future. For example, the future time used in the calculations may be a time in
the
future that is sufficient to allow the transition to be completed after
receiving tint
instructions. In this example, the controller can send tint instructions in
the present
time in advance of the actual transition. By the completion of the transition,
the
window will have transitioned to a tint level that is desired for that time.
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[0226] Module A can be used to determine tint level that considers
occupant
comfort from direct sunlight through the tintable window onto an occupancy
area or
their activity area. The tint level is determined based on a calculated
penetration depth
of direct sunlight into the room and the space type (e.g., desk near window,
lobby,
etc.) in the room at a particular instant in time. In one example, the
penetration depth
is calculated at a time in the future to account for the time it takes to
transition the
window to a new tint level. Publicly-available programs can be used to
calculate the
sun's position based on time of day, day of year, and latitude and longitude
of the
building. The first module can calculate the penetration depth is calculated
based
upon the geometry of the window (e.g., window dimensions), its position and
orientation in the room, any fins or other exterior shading outside of the
window, and
the calculated position of the sun (e.g. angle of direct sunlight for a
particular time of
day and date). Each space type is associated with different tint levels for
occupant
comfort. For example, if the activity is a critical activity such as work in
an office
being done at a desk or computer, and the desk is located near the window, the
desired
tint level may be higher than if the desk were further away from the window.
As
another example, if the activity is non-critical, such as the activity in a
lobby, the
desired tint level may be lower than for the same space having a desk. The
tint level
calculated by Module A is input to Module B.
[0227] The control logic of Module B can be used to determine tint level
based on
irradiance transmitted through the window(s) under clear sky conditions (also
referred
to as "clear sky irradiance"). The radiation may be from sunlight scattered by
molecules and particles in the atmosphere. A program such as the open source
program RADIANCE program, can be used to calculate clear sky irradiance based
on
latitude and longitude of the building, day of year and time of day, and
orientation of
the window(s). In one example, Module B can be used to determine a tint level
that is
darker than the tint level input from Module A and transmits less heat than
the datum
glass is calculated to transmit under maximum clear sky irradiance. Maximum
clear
sky irradiance is the highest level of irradiance for all times calculated for
clear sky
conditions. In one example, Module C then uses the solar heat gain coefficient
of the
datum glass (Datum SHGC) and calculated maximum clear sky irradiance to
determine a tint level. Module B increases tint level calculated in Module A
incrementally and picks a tint level where the inside radiation is less than
or equal to
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the Datum Inside Irradiance (Datum SHGC x Maximum Clear Sky Irradiance). The
tint level calculated in Module B and the calculated clear sky irradiance are
input into
Module C.
[0228] The control logic in Module C can be used to determine tint level
based on
real-time external irradiance based on direct or reflected light impinging the
tintable
window. The real-time external irradiance accounts for light that may be
obstructed
by or reflected from objects such as buildings or weather conditions (e.g.,
clouds) that
are not accounted for in the clear sky calculations made in Module B. The real-
time
external irradiance can be calculated based on one or more of: measurements
taken by
external sensor(s), weather feed data received over a communication network,
determined cloud cover conditions at the building, etc. Generally, the control
logic of
Module B will determine a tint level that darkens (or does not change) the
tint level
determined by Module A and the control logic of Module C will determine a tint
level
that lightens (or does not change) the tint level determined by Module B.
[0229] The control logic in Module C can determine the inside irradiance in
the
room based on the external irradiance and the current tint level of the
tintable
window. For example, Module C can determine a calculated inside irradiance
based
on clear sky irradiance calculations using the equation: Calculated Inside
Irradiance =
Tint Level SHGC x Calculated Clear Sky Irradiance. Module C can calculate a
real-
time inside irradiance based on external sensor readings or other external
data using
the equation: Real-time Inside Irradiance = Tint Level SHGC x Irradiance
Readings.
In one implementation, Module C calculates the inside irradiance of the room
with the
tintable window having the tint level determined in Module B using the above
equation and then determines a tint level that meets the condition where the
Real-time
Inside Irradiance is less than or equal to the Calculated Inside Irradiance
based on the
tint level from B.
[0230] Module B and/or Module C can determine a tint level that accounts
for
energy conservation in addition to occupant comfort. These modules may
determine
energy savings associated with a particular tint level by comparing the
performance of
the tintable window at the determined tint level to a datum glass or other
standard
reference window. The purpose of using this reference window can be to ensure
that
the control logic conforms to requirements of the municipal building code or
other
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requirements for reference windows used in the locale of the building. Often
municipalities define reference windows using conventional low emissivity
glass to
control the amount of air conditioning load in the building. As an example of
how the
reference window fits into the control logic, the logic may be designed so
that the
irradiance coming through a given tintable window is never greater than the
maximum irradiance coming through a reference window as specified by the
respective municipality. In disclosed embodiments, control logic may use the
SHGC
value of the tintable window at a particular tint level and the SHGC of the
reference
window to determine the energy savings of using the tint level. Generally, the
value of
the SHGC is the fraction of incident light of all wavelengths transmitted
through the
window. Although a datum glass is described in many embodiments, other
standard
reference windows can be used. Generally the SHGC of the reference window
(e.g.,
datum glass) is a variable that can be different for different geographical
locations and
window orientations, and is based on code requirements specified by the
respective
municipality.
[0231] Once Modules A, B, and C determine a final tint level, the
control logic
may receive an override that causes an override value to be used as the final
tint
value. One type of override is a manual override by an occupant of a room that
determines that a particular tint level (override value) is desirable. There
may be
situations where the manual override is itself overridden. Another example of
an
override is a high demand (or peak load) override, which is associated with a
requirement of a utility that energy consumption in the building be reduced.
Once the
control logic determines the final tint level, the control logic sends control
signals
with tint instructions to transition the tintable window to the final tint
level.
[0232] D. Control logic for Adjusting Artificial Interior Lighting and/or
tinting
[0233] As mentioned above, the tint of an electrochromic window or other
tintable window can change the wavelength spectrum and associated color of the
light
transmitted through the tinted window to render color in the room. For
example,
certain electrochromic windows in darker tint states may impart a blue color
in the
room. Certain techniques described herein involve control logic for
controlling
artificial interior lighting to augment the interior rendered color from one
or more
electrochromic windows or other tintable windows in the room. These techniques
can
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be used to control the levels of the color rendering index (CRI) and/or
correlated color
temperature (CCT) in the interior of the room in order to, for example,
improve visual
comfort, regulate circadian rhythm, etc. The CRI is a measurement of the
ability of
interior lighting to accurately render all colors of objects to the human eye.
Usually
CRI values are measured on a scale from 0 to 100 percent where the higher to
the CRI
value, the better the color rendering. The CCT is a temperature measurement of
the
color characteristics of lighting in the visible spectrum. CCT values are
typically
measured in degrees of Kelvin (K).
[0234] In certain implementations, techniques involve control logic that
.. determines the current value of the internal CRI of a room and if the
current value is
not the desired value, control signals are sent to adjust the artificial
interior lighting to
augment the internal lighting to render the desired internal CRI. In addition
or
alternatively, certain implementations determine the current value of the
internal CCT
of a room and/or adjust the interior lighting to render the desired internal
CCT. In
these techniques, the current value of the internal CRI/CCT is determined
based on
input from external sensors located outside the building, internal sensors
located in
the room, and/or tint state of one or more electrochromic windows between the
interior of the room and the exterior of the building. Some examples of types
of
external sensors that may be implemented include an infrared sensor, an
ambient
temperature sensor, and a visible light photosensor. In implementations with
one or
more external sensors, the external sensors are generally located in contact
with the
environment outside the building with the room. In some cases, the external
sensors
are located on a facade near the electrochromic window(s), for example, to
determine
the level of irradiance at the windows in order to determine an external
CRI/CCT
outside the window. In another case, external sensors may be located on a roof
of the
building. In other cases, the external sensors may be located at a different
building. In
some cases, external sensor data may be used to forecast weather conditions
and the
weather feed data communicated to a controller sending control signals to the
artificial interior lighting for adjustments and/or to the electrochromic
windows to
transition tinting. An example of an arrangement of external sensors that can
be used
is in a multi-sensor device described in detail in U.S. Patent Application
15/287,646,
titled "MULTI-SENSOR," which is hereby incorporated by reference in its
entirety.
Such a multi-sensor device can be installed on the roof of a building. In one
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implementation, the multi-sensor device includes a ring of radially-oriented
and
outwardly-facing photosensors with different orientations, a photosensor
facing
vertically upward, one or more IR sensors, and a temperature sensors. In one
example,
the readings from the IR sensors and the temperature sensor can be used to
determine
cloud cover conditions. In addition or alternatively, the irradiance readings
from
different radially-oriented photosensors can be used to calculate an
irradiance value in
an orientation that is different from the orientations of the photosensors.
Using this
technique, the external irradiance from different radially-oriented
photosensors can be
used to determine the external irradiance of a window of another orientation.
An
example of such a technique is described in PCT publication PCT/US15/52822,
titled
"COMBI-SENSOR SYSTEMS" filed on April 7, 2016, which is hereby incorporated
by reference in its entirety. Some examples of internal sensors that can be
implemented by these techniques include a visible light photosensor, a
temperature
sensor, and other sensors that can be used to calculate the internal CRI of
the room
and the CRI external to the window. The internal sensors may be located at
various
suitable locations within the room such as, for example, at or near the
artificial
interior lighting, at or near occupant activity areas such as desktops or the
tops of
conference room tables, walls, etc. In addition, an example of a commercially-
available device for measuring CRI and that can be used as either an internal
sensor
for measuring internal CRI or an external sensor for measuring external CRI is
the
CL-70F CRI illumination meter by Konica Minolta . Another example is the C-700
SpectroMaster by Sekonic.
[0235] These techniques can be used with various types of artificial
interior
lighting including, for example, incandescent lighting, light-emitting diode
(LED),
and/or fluorescent lighting. A commercially-available example of artificial
interior
lighting that can be used in these implementations is the hue' personal
wireless
lighting system made by Phillips . Another commercially-available example of
artificial interior lighting that can be used is the Aurora Lighting Smarter
KitTm made
by nanoleaf .
[0236] Below is a chart illustrating four exemplary scenarios of
combinations of
input that can be used by control logic to control the internal CRI in a room.
Although the control logic of these scenarios is described with reference to a
single
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electrochromic window, it would be understood that the disclosure is not
limiting and
that this control logic can be used with a room having multiple electrochromic
windows or other tintable windows.
. External Internal
Scenario Internal Color Rendering Index (CRI) Control
Sensor(s) Sensor(s)
1 No No Based only on tint state of glass
2 No Yes Based on internal sensor readings, CRI is
adjusted using
LED lighting
Based on external sensor reading & tint state of glass,
internal CRI is determined as a function of external CRI
3 Yes No
being transformed to an internal CRI which is adjusted to a
desired CRI using LED lighting
4 Yes Yes Selectable for #2, #3, or both (by user or
algorithm)
[0237] In the first scenario, the internal CRI is controlled based only on
the tint
state of the electrochromic window. Input from any internal or external
sensors is not
used to control the internal CRI. In one implementation, each tint state of
the
electrochromic window is mapped to a particular internal CRI value or a range
of
internal CRI values (e.g., in a lookup table). These values may be calculated
ahead of
time e.g. by measuring CRI values through various tint states of the product
glass in
questions. The control logic determines the tint state of the electrochromic
window
that maps to the desired CRI value/range. For example, the darkest tint state
(e.g., 1%
T) may map to an internal CRI value corresponding to rendering a blue hue in
the
room. In this implementation, the control of the internal CRI value/range may
not
depend on knowledge of the light conditions external to the electrochromic
window.
It may depend, e.g., on whether the room is occupied or not, more specifically
if the
lights are on or not. The desired CRI may be preset to user preferences based
on the
tint state of the glass. For example, when the tint state is at a certain
level, and the
lights are on in a room occupied by the user, the internal lights may be
automatically
adjusted to provide the preset CRI. The lighting adjustment may be after the
tint state
of the glass is reached, or the lighting may change dynamically during the
glass' tint
state change. No sensor readings are needed for input in this mode, because
the CRI is
not actively measured, but rather preset based on measurements and/or
calculations
based on user preferences ahead of time. The external conditions, though
relevant to
the internal CRI, are not measured, that is, because the glass is in a
particular tint
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state, it is assumed that the external lighting conditions warrant the glass
being so
tinted, therefore the CRI is adjusted based solely on the tint state of the
glass.
[0238] In certain embodiments, sensor readings are used to augment
accuracy of
the CRI adjustment to the desired value. For example, in the second scenario,
measurements from one or more internal sensors in the room are used to control
the
internal CRI value of the room. Measurements from any external sensors or the
tint
state of the electrochromic window are not used to determine the internal CRI
value.
Since the electrochromic glass transforms the exterior light as it passes
through the
glass, in this embodiment, the external lighting conditions are irrelevant,
the internal
lighting conditions are determined using one or more internal sensors and
adjusted
accordingly to obtain the proper/desired CRI. An occupancy sensor may be used
to
augment the CRI adjustment along with a light sensor. For example, if the room
is not
currently occupied, the CRI adjustment may be avoided or made less optimal for
occupants and e.g. more in line with energy savings from the lighting system.
When
the room is occupied, the CRI adjustment using lighting may override potential
energy-saving settings in favor of optimal CRI for the occupants. In one
implementation, the one or more internal sensors may be calibrated or designed
to
measure the internal CRI of the room. In another implementation, ranges of
internal
sensor measurements may be mapped to internal CRI values (or ranges), for
example,
in a lookup table. The control logic in this example determines that the
internal sensor
measurement is within a particular range and determines the CRI value
associated
with that range. In this second scenario, the artificial interior lighting is
adjusted based
on the internal sensor(s) measurements. The measurements from the internal
sensor(s)
control adjustments made to the artificial interior lighting. In some
embodiments, the
internal CRI is simply adjusted to user preference with internal sensor
measurements
as an input to obtain the desired result. In another embodiment, the control
logic
compares the measured internal CRI value to the proper/desired value and if
there is a
difference, the control signals adjust the artificial interior lighting to
augment internal
lighting in the room based on the difference.
[0239] In the third scenario, measurements from one or more external
sensors and
the tint state are used to obtain the desired internal CRI value of the room
(also
referred to herein as "CRI in"). The control logic calculates or measures
(e.g.,
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utilizing the multi-sensor device) the external CRI (also referred to herein
as "CRI
out"). Based on the tint state of the electrochromic glass, the control logic
transforms
the external CRI into an internal CRI by calculating the internal CRI based on
the
external CRI and know light absorption and color changing characteristics of
the glass
in question. Then, the control logic sends a signal to the artificial lighting
(e.g., LED
lighting) to tune to a preferred or customized CRI value in the room (if the
calculated
internal CRI is not already at the preferred level, the logic makes this
comparison). In
this third scenario, measurements from internal sensors are not used. Since
the
electrochromic glass transforms the exterior light as it passes through the
tinted glass,
the internal CRI can be calculated based on the measurements of the external
CRI and
the tint state of the glass. The internal lighting conditions are not needed.
The external
CRI can be based on measurements taken by one or more external sensors. In one
implementation, the one or more external sensors may be calibrated or designed
to
measure the external CRI proximate the window(s) and/or the building area
generally.
In another implementation, ranges of external sensor measurements may be
mapped
to external CRI values (or ranges), for example, in a lookup table. The
control logic
uses the external CRI value and the tint state characteristics of the glass to
obtain the
internal CRI value and then adjusts it to match a desired value, if it does
not already
match it. In one implementation, different combinations of tint states and
external CRI
.. values may map to particular internal CRI values. For example, assuming a
curtain
wall of windows are all in the same tint state, one internal CRI may be
obtained, but if
one or more windows of the curtain wall of windows are tinted to different
tint states,
a different internal CRI value is obtained and can be adjusted by changing the
interior
lighting accordingly. In one embodiment, the internal CRI is simply adjusted
from a
calculated value based on the tint state of the window(s) and the measured
external
CRI. In another embodiment, the control logic compares the calculated internal
CRI
value to the desired result. In another embodiment, the control logic compares
the
measured internal CRI value to the proper/desired value and if there is a
difference,
the control signals adjust the artificial interior lighting to augment
internal lighting in
the room based on the difference.
[0240] In the fourth scenario, the control logic uses user input to
determine
whether to control the internal CRI in the room based on measurements from one
or
more external sensors and/or based on measurements from one or more internal
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sensors. That is, combinations of the second and third scenarios, e.g. based
on user
preference and/or accuracy of the method (inside sensor(s), outside sensor(s)
or both),
which may depend on the internal and external CRI measurement accuracy (which
may be a function of the lighting conditions and accuracy or effectiveness of
sensors
in those conditions, e.g. overcast conditions for an external sensor). If the
user input
selects external sensors to be used, the control logic uses measurements from
one or
more external sensors to determine the internal CRI in the room according to
the third
scenario described above. If the user input selects internal sensors to be
used, the
control logic uses measurements from one or more internal sensors to determine
the
internal CRI according to the second scenario described above. The control
logic then
sends control signals to adjust the artificial interior lighting to augment
internal
lighting in the room to or near the desired internal CRI. In other
embodiments,
external CRI is determined using sensors and thus a more accurate
determination of
internal CRI may be made, either by calculation or with the aid of internal
sensor
measurements. The user has preference, or the algorithm chooses based on
preset
criteria, whether or not to use one or both of internal and external sensors
to determine
external and/or internal lighting conditions as input(s) to determining the
proper
internal CRI. The import of the fourth embodiment is that sensors, internal
and/or
external, may be more helpful in certain ambient conditions than others. For
example,
it may be that when overcast conditions dominate externally, external sensors
are less
effective to provide accurate data for input to control logic, and it is more
accurate to
simply use internal sensors only for determining and adjusting internal CRI.
[0241] Although these four scenarios are described above in terms of
adjusting
artificial interior lighting so that the lighting in the room is at or near a
desired internal
CRI, it would be understood that adjusting artificial interior lighting can be
used to
alter the lighting in the room to match particular preset values of CRI and
CCT, or
CCT in other embodiments.
[0242] In certain implementations of these techniques that adjust
artificial internal
lighting, the user may input settings that are used to adjust the artificial
interior
lighting. In one implementation, in the fourth scenario, the user can
determine
whether to internal and/or external sensors are used to control the internal
CRI of the
room. For example, the user may be a building system administrator that
selects using
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external sensors when there are no internal sensors in the room or when the
internal
sensors are not operational. In another implementation, a user provides CRI
and/or
CCT settings for use in the room. The user may enter the settings on a user
interface,
for example, of a mobile device, a wall unit such as, for example, shown in
FIG. 23,
or other suitable computing device in communication through a communication
network with the controller or controllers executing the control logic. In
some cases,
the user may input a schedule of different preferred CRI and/or CCT settings
to use at
different times of day and days of the year. In other cases, the user may
enter an
override setting. In another implementation, the user may select what type of
sensor
input or combination of sensors input is used to determine the internal CRI of
the
room. For example, the user may select to use weather feed data to determine
the
internal CRI according to the third scenario where the weather feed data is
derived
from a particular combination of external sensors. In some cases, these
external
sensors may be located at a separate building and the weather feed data
communicated via a communication network to the controller(s) at the building
with
the room. In certain implementations, the control software automatically takes
into
account ambient weather conditions as an input to adjust internal CRI and
whether or
not to use external and/or internal sensors.
[0243] In one implementation, the control logic learns from the
historical data of
user input. For example, instances of one or more users in a room inputting
CRI/CCT
settings and the associated times (day of year and time of day) of the input
may be
stored in memory as historical data. The trends in the historical data may be
evaluated
to predict appropriate CRI/CCT settings at a future time. For example, an
occupant of
a room may select a particular CRI setting every day at the same time each
work day
in a week. The control logic stores this information as historical data,
evaluates the
historical data as a trend, and sets the desired internal CRI level to this
setting at that
same time (or just before that time) during the work day of the following
week. In this
way, the control logic can adapt its CRI/CCT settings automatically to user
preferences.
[0244] According to certain implementations, the control logic of the above
scenarios is incorporated into predictive logic that determines tint state of
one or more
electrochromic windows and/or adjustments to interior lighting to obtain the
desired
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internal CRI at a time in the future. An example of logic modulus Module A,
Module
B, and Module C of Intelligence , commercially available from View, Inc. of
Milpitas, California, that can be used to calculate tint state of one or more
electrochromic windows to account for occupancy comfort and/or energy
considerations is described in the section above. Another example of other
predictive
control logic for determining tint state of electrochromic windows is
described in U.S.
Patent Application 15/347,677, filed on May 7, 2015, and titled "CONTROL
METHOD FOR TINTABLE WINDOWS," which is hereby incorporated by reference
in its entirety.
[0245] FIG. 22 is a flowchart 2200 of a method that implements predictive
control logic for controlling the internal CRI of a room having one or more
electrochromic windows, according to embodiments. Although this method is
described with respect to electrochromic windows, the method can be
implemented
with other tintable windows. At operation 2220, the control logic uses one or
more of
Modules A, B, and C to calculate tint levels for one or more electrochromic
window(s) in a room at a time in the future. In one case, the future time used
in the
calculations may be a time sufficiently far into the future to allow
transition of the
windows to be complete after receiving control signals with tint instructions.
Details
regarding Module A, B, and C are described in the section above. Module A, B,
and C
output tint levels for the one or more electrochromic window(s) at a future
time,
sensor readings (interior and/or exterior), window configuration including
orientation,
time of day, day of year, optionally weather conditions, and other data used
by the
modules.
[0246] At operation 2230, the predictive control logic determines the
desired/proper internal CRI at the future time. In certain implementations,
the desired
internal CRI is preset to user preferences. In one example, the desired
internal CRI
may be based a trend in historical data of user input for controlling the
artificial
interior lighting in the room. As another example, the desired internal CRI
may be an
override value entered by a user. Additionally or alternatively, the desired
internal
CRI may be based on schedule information. This schedule may be determined or
adjusted by the user in some cases. In other cases, the control logic may
adjust the
schedule based on historical data.
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[0247] At operation 2250, the control logic determines adjustments to
the interior
lighting and/or tint states of the electrochromic windows to obtain the
desired/proper
internal CRI in the room. For example, the control logic may determine the
types of
lights to activate, color or colors or light to activate, the intensity level
settings of the
activated lights, location of the lights activated, number and arrangement of
lights to
activate, etc.
[0248] Once the adjustments are determined, the control logic sends
control
signals for adjusting the artificial interior lighting in the room and/or tint
state of the
electrochromic windows (operation 2260). The method then iterates back to
operation
2220.
[0249] In an implementation according to the first scenario, the
internal CRI of
the room is determined based on the tint state of the one or more
electrochromic
windows. In one example, when the tint state from Modules A, B, and C is at a
certain
level, and the interior lighting is on in the room occupied by the user, the
control logic
automatically determines adjustments and sends control signals to
automatically
adjust the internal lights to provide the internal CRI preset by the user.
[0250] According to an implementation of the second scenario, the
measurements
from one or more internal sensors in the room are used to determine the
internal CRI
value of the room. In one example, the control logic automatically determines
adjustments to the interior lighting and/or tint levels that adjust the CRI
value to the
desired level.
[0251] According to an implementation of the third scenario,
measurements from
the one or more external sensors can be used to determine an external CRI
which is
transformed to an internal CRI based on the tint levels of the one or more
electrochromic windows. For example, assuming a curtain wall of windows are
all in
the same tint state one internal CRI may be obtained, but if one or more
windows of
the curtain wall of windows are tinted to different tint states, a different
internal CRI
value is obtained and can be adjusted by changing the interior lighting
accordingly. In
one embodiment, the internal CRI is simply adjusted from a calculated value
based on
the tint state of the window(s) and the measured external CRI.
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[0252] According to an implementation of the fourth scenario,
measurements
from the one or more external sensors and/or internal sensor may be used to
determine
the internal CRI and determine adjustments as described above with respect to
the
first and second scenarios.
[0253] In certain implementations, predictive control logic with Modules A,
B,
and C also includes an override logic module based on the four scenarios. In
this
implementation, the override logic module can adjust (override) the tint state
of the
one or more electrochromic windows determined by Module A, B, and C and/or
adjust the interior lighting to obtain the desired CRI in the room. For
example, when
implementing the third scenario, the control logic may determine that if the
tint levels
output from Module A, B, and C were used, a curtain wall of windows would be
in
the darkest tint state at a future time. In this case, to obtain the proper
CRI the interior
lighting would need to be adjusted to high intensity settings at the future
time. The
control logic may also determine that if a subset of the windows were kept at
a lower
tint state, a proper CRI can be obtained without interior lighting being on.
In this
example, the control logic may determine to adjust the subset of the windows
to the
lower tint state at the future time and not adjust the interior lighting.
[0254] E. Occupancy input and dynamic awareness of occupant(s) locations
[0255] In certain implementations, control logic is used to control the
tint state of
each of the tinting zones of a multi-zone tintable window, individual windows
of a
group (or zone) of windows, or combinations thereof In some cases, the control
logic
first determines whether the room with the window is occupied or unoccupied.
The
control logic may make its determination based on one or more data such as,
for
example, one or more of scheduling information, occupancy sensor data, asset
.. tracking information or other occupant tracking data, activation data from
a user via a
remote control or a wall unit such as shown in FIG. 23, etc. The remote
control may
be in the form of handheld device such as a smart phone or may be a computing
device such as a laptop. For example, the control logic may determine that the
room is
occupied if scheduling information indicates that the occupant is likely to be
in the
room. As another example, the control logic may determine that the room is
occupied
based on readings from an occupancy sensor. In yet another example, the
control
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logic may determine that the room is occupied if the occupant has entered
information
at a manual control panel of a wall unit or remote control that indicates
occupancy.
[0256] If the room is occupied, the control logic determines whether a
glare
condition exists in the area that is occupied or is likely occupied. The
control logic
determines the tint states for the tinting zones based on the locations of the
occupant(s) in the room. For example, the tint states can be determined to
avoid glare
on a desk or other area that may be likely or is occupied. In some cases, the
current
location of the occupant(s) is based on the information retrieved from an
occupancy
lookup table. In other cases, the current location of occupants is based on
the data in a
signal from a sensor (e.g., occupancy sensor). The sensor may generate the
signal
with the location of an occupant in the room. The window controller may
receive the
signal. As another example, a user may provide data regarding the location of
an
occupant in the room, for example, via a control panel in the room.
[0257] FIG. 23 is a photograph of an example of a wall unit with a
manual
control panel, according to an embodiment.
[0258] In certain aspects, a control method determines tint states for
tinting zones
in a multi-zone tintable window having a daylighting tinting zone. In these
cases, the
control method determines tint states that maximize daylight while controlling
glare
and/or heat load from solar radiation entering the room. In certain aspects,
the user
can use a control panel (e.g., manual control panel in room or computer
interface) to
select a "daylighting mode" or a "uniform mode," another predetermined mode,
or a
mode customized by the user. For example, the user may be able to customize
different tint states for the zones of the windows in the room e.g., "user 1 ¨
mode 1."
In the "daylighting mode," the control method determines a clear or lighter
tinting
state for the daylighting tinting zone than for other tinting zones of the
window. In the
"uniform mode," the control method determines tint states for the zones based
on
criteria other than for purpose of daylighting.
[0259] E. Feedback learning multi-zone preferences/occupancy patterns
[0260] In certain aspects, the control logic used to control the tint
states of the
tinting zones/windows is based on feedback learning of preferences and
occupancy
patterns. For example, the locations of an occupant at different times/dates
as
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determined by sensors, from user input, etc. may be stored as occupancy
patterns.
These locations of occupancy at different times/dates may be used to predict
the
locations of the occupant at a future time. The control method may then
control the
tint states based on the predicted locations of the occupant.
[0261] As another example, user input selecting certain tint states at
certain times
for different tinting zones may be stored. These tinting selections of the
user may be
used to predict the tint states that may be desired in the room. The control
method
may then control the tint states according to these predicted tint states
desired by the
user.
[0262] F. Light projections into room used to determine glare condition
[0263] In certain implementations, control logic includes instructions
that
determine whether direct sunlight through a tinting zone generates a glare
condition in
an occupancy region by calculating a three-dimensional projection of light
from the
tinting zone through the room. The three-dimensional projection of light may
be
considered to be a volume of light in a room where the outside light directly
penetrates into the room. For example, the three dimensional projection may be
defined by parallel light rays from the sun through a tinting zone of the
multi-zone
window. The direction of the three-dimensional projection into the room is
based on
Sun azimuth and/or sun altitude that can be calculated with a solar calculator
based on
the time of day and the longitudinal and latitudinal coordinates of the
window. The
three-dimensional projection of light can be used to determine intersections
with
occupancy regions in the room. The control logic determines the light
projection at a
particular plane and determines the amount that the light projection or a
glare area
associated with the light projection overlaps with the occupancy region. If
the light
projection is outside of the occupancy region, a glare scenario is determined
to not
exist. Details of control logic that uses three-dimensional projection of
light to
determine glare scenarios is described in PCT application PCT/U515/29675,
filed on
May 5, 2015 and titled "CONTROL METHOD FOR TINTABLE WINDOWS,"
which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
[0264] FIGS. 24A, 24B, and 24C are schematic drawings, each having a
perspective view of a room (vertical walls not shown) 2400 having a multi-zone
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window 2410 with a first tinting zone 2412 and a second tinting zone 2414 in a
vertical wall between the outside of a building and the inside of the room
2400,
according to an embodiment. FIGS. 24A, 24B, and 28C illustrate respectively
three
different sunlight scenarios where sunlight is shining through the multi-zone
window
2410 in three different directions 2450, 2460, 2470 (depicted as dotted
arrows)
associated with different positions of the sun. In the illustrated example,
the room
2400 has an occupancy region 2450 that is a position or likely position of an
occupant. The occupancy region 2450 may be, for example, a desk or another
workspace. In this example, the occupancy region 2450 is defined as a two
dimensional area on the floor of the room 2400. In each of the illustrated
examples
shown in FIGS. 24A, 24B, and 28C, sunlight (depicted as directional arrows) is
impinging the first tinting zone 2412 and the second tinting zone 2414 of the
multi-
zone window 2410.
[0265]
According to one aspect, control logic determines the projection of light
through each of the two tinting zones 2412, 2414 and through the room 2400
based on
the position of the sun. The control logic determines two-dimensional light
projections at the intersection of the light through each two tinting zones
2412, 2414
with a plane including the two-dimensional occupancy region 2450, which is
coplanar
to the surface of the floor of the room 2400. In FIG. 24A, a first two-
dimensional
light projection 2416 is depicted through the first tinting zone 2412 and a
second two-
dimensional light projection 2418 is depicted through the second tinting zone
2414 on
the floor of the room 2400. In FIG. 24B, a first two-dimensional light
projection 2416
is depicted through the first tinting zone 2412 and a second two-dimensional
light
projection 2420 is depicted through the second tinting zone 2414 on the floor
of the
room 2400. In FIG. 24C, a first two-dimensional light projection 2426 is
depicted
through the first tinting zone 2412 and a second two-dimensional light
projection
2428 is depicted through the second tinting zone 2414 on the floor of the room
2400.
The control logic then determines whether a two-dimensional light projection
from a
tinting zone intersects the occupancy region. If a two-dimensional light
projection
intersects the occupancy region, the control logic places (holds or
transitions to) the
corresponding tinting zone in a darkened tint state. Although two tinting
zones are
shown, it would be understood that additional zones and/or different locations
of
tinting zones would apply using a similar method.
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[0266] In the first scenario shown in FIG. 24A, for example, neither of
the two-
dimensional light projections 2416, 2416 through the tinting zones 2412, 2414
intersects the occupancy region 2450. In this case, the tinting zones 2412,
2414 are
placed in a clear state.
[0267] In the second scenario shown in FIG. 24B, the first two-dimensional
light
projection 2420 intersects the occupancy region 2450 and the second two-
dimensional
light projection 2422 does not intersect the occupancy region 2450. In this
scenario,
the first tinting zone 2412 is placed in a darkened tint state to avoid a
glare scenario.
Since the second two-dimensional light projection 2422 does not intersect the
occupancy region 2450, the second tinting zone 2414 is placed in a clear
state.
[0268] In the third scenario shown in FIG. 24C, both the first two-
dimensional
light projection 2426 and the second two-dimensional light projection 2428
intersect
the occupancy region 2450. In this scenario, the first tinting zone 2412 and
the second
tinting zone 2414 are placed in a darkened tint state to avoid a glare
scenario on the
occupancy region 2450.
[0269] Although the illustrated example in FIGS. 24A, 24B, and 24C
includes a
multi-zone tintable window, a similar technique would also apply to separate
and
adjacent tintable windows. For example, a room may have two separate and
adjacent
tintable windows in a vertical wall between the outside of a building and the
inside of
the room. Using control logic, a three-dimensional projection of light from
each
tintable window is directed through the room based on the position of the sun.
The
control logic determines a two-dimensional light projection through each
window at
the plane of the occupancy region. The control logic then determines whether a
two-
dimensional light projection from each window intersects the occupancy region.
If the
two-dimensional light projection intersects the occupancy region, the control
logic
places (holds or transitions to) the corresponding window in a darkened tint
state.
[0270] G. Control Logic for controlling glare, ambient light level and
color,
and/or contrast ratio
[0271] Certain embodiments pertain to control logic that adjusts
artificial lighting
and/or tint of the tintable window(s) to provide a relatively constant light
level and
ambient spectral content in an occupancy region. Typically, the control logic
adjusts
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artificial lighting and/or tint of the tintable window(s) so that the combined
light
impinging the surfaces of objects in the occupancy region is similar to a
natural light
spectrum so that the illuminated objects reflect their true color. Although
typically set
to a natural light spectrum, alternatively the ambient spectral content can be
customized for the current occupant(s) to provide, e.g., calming light, light
therapy to
adjust circadian rhythm or provide restorative healing, etc. By adjusting tint
states of
the tintable window(s), the control logic can control the direct sunlight
(glare) passing
through the tintable window(s) and color (e.g., blue light) imparted by light
projections through the window(s). By adjusting the artificial lighting, the
control
logic can offset the effects of glare and adjust the ambient color. The
combined
control of the tint states and artificial lighting can provide a relatively
constant
ambient light level and spectral content at the desired levels in the
occupancy region.
[0272] In one
aspect, the control logic can control a tunable artificial lighting to
tune the color (wavelength range) of the illumination, the level of
illuminance, and/or
the direction of illumination. These adjustments can be selected to increase
occupant
comfort by reducing glare and improving the ambient spectral content and/or
diminish
the contrast ratio in an occupancy region. For example, the control logic can
control
the wavelength and lumen/lux settings of the tunable artificial lighting to
offset the
contrast ratio in the occupancy region. An example of tunable indoor
artificial
lighting is the BLT series tunable white LED sold by Lithonia Lighting (ID,
which can
be dimmed to different lux levels varying between 0 - 1000 lux (100%) and
color
tuned between 2700 and 6500 Kevin. In addition or alternatively, the tunable
artificial
lighting may have multiple light sources at different locations and/or have a
light
source that can be moved to change the direction of light. The control logic
can
control the various light sources of the artificial lighting to illuminate
certain areas.
For example, indoor artificial lighting that can be adjusted to direct light
to an
occupancy region with an occupant affected by external glare through a tinted
window. The reflected light is a combination of light reflected from the
artificial light
and the light projection to generate a more uniform intensity and color in the
occupancy region. This can reduce the glare perceived by the occupant, which
can
increase occupant comfort and productivity.
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[0273] As used herein, a "negative setting" refers to a setting of a
tunable artificial
light source that provides illumination in a wavelength range that offsets the
color
from light passing through a tinted window. For example, if a tintable window
in its
darkest state imparts a blue color to light passing through the window, the
offset color
of the negative setting would be a red light or a combination of red and
yellow light.
In this example, the tunable artificial light source in the negative setting
would
provide illumination in red light or red and yellow light. In one aspect,
control logic
activates a negative setting on a tunable indoor artificial lighting to direct
light to an
occupancy region that has a light projection through a tinted window to offset
the
effects of glare and color from the light projection.
[0274] Diminishing sharp contrasts at interfaces between portions of a
surface
illuminated by different illumination sources of different intensities can
improve
visual comfort to an occupant. In certain implementations, the control logic
adjusts
functions of the building systems based on a current contrast ratio in an area
determined from feedback from the building systems. For example, the contrast
ratio
in an area such an occupancy region or other surrounding region can be
determined
based on the current illuminance and/or color of light in the area. The
current
illuminance and color can be determined by one or more of: measurements from
one
or more sensors in a building (e.g., camera, thermal sensors, etc.), current
setting and
location of artificial lighting, etc. An example of a device with sensors that
can
measure illuminance and color of ambient light is a spectrometer such as, for
example, the commercially-available C-7000 spectromaster made by Sekonic g.
The
control logic adjusts the functions of the building systems to adjust the
contrast
ratio(s) in the area to acceptable levels. For example, the building systems
may be
adjusted so that the contrast ratio is below within an acceptable range or
below a
maximum limit. As another example, the building systems may be adjusted so
that
the contrast ratio is maintained within acceptable levels based on a lookup
table of
illuminance and color of artificial lighting that can be used to offset
reflected light
from light projections through electrochromic windows having different tint
levels.
[0275] FIG. 25 is a graph of measured illuminance (lux) vs. measured color
temperature (Kelvins), according to an implementation. The graph shows three
different regions: an upper region described as warm and colorful, appearing
reddish,
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a middle region described as pleasing and a lower region described as cold and
dim,
appearing bluish. The graph includes the four points of measurements of
illuminance
and color temperature taken at four distances, 0 feet, 2 feet, 4 feet, and 6
feet, from a
window in the darkest tint state at 12:30pm when the artificial lighting is on
at full
illumination level and set at 2700 Kelvins. If the artificial lighting were
turned off, the
illuminance and color temperature would likely lie in the lower region. As
shown, the
measurements with the artificial lighting turned on offset the blue light
bringing the
measured illuminance and color temperature into the middle and upper regions.
An
example of a lookup table includes internal artificial light settings (color
temperature
in Kelvins and light level in lux) that will maintain a contrast ratio within
acceptable
levels in occupancy regions at different distances from the tinted window for
different
tint states at a particular time of day. In one aspect, control logic can use
such a
lookup table to determine settings for an internal artificial light that will
maintain the
contrast ratio within an acceptable level.
[0276] In certain implementations, control logic makes adjustments to
settings of
artificial lighting and to tint states of tintable window(s) based on feedback
received
from the building systems in order to provide a light level and ambient
spectral
content in the occupancy region that is specifically designed for the occupant
or more
generally to the workplace. The feedback can include, for example, current
tint state
of the tintable windows, data regarding the presence or likely presence of an
occupant
in the occupancy region or workplace, measured level of illuminance and color
of
ambient light, data about the occupant such as age, gender, and circadian
rhythm,
information about the occupancy region or workplace, etc. This feedback
information
can come from readings or determinations regarding data taken by the building
systems or can be from scheduling information based on historical data. The
control
logic can adjust the artificial lighting and tints to generate particular
spectral content
and light level customized for the occupant or a use setting (e.g., living,
general,
commercial) for the workplace. More details regarding this control logic will
be
described in the next section.
[0277] In one aspect, a method similar to the one described with reference
to FIG.
22 can be used to implement logic for controlling the contrast ratio in an
occupancy
region of a room having one or more tintable windows. In this method, the
control
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logic uses one or more of Modules A, B, and C to calculate tint levels for one
or more
tintable window(s) in a room at a time in the future. In one case, the future
time used
in the calculations may be a time sufficiently far into the future to allow
transition of
the windows to be complete after receiving control signals with tint
instructions.
Module A, B, and C output tint levels for the one or more tintable window(s)
at a
future time, sensor readings (interior and/or exterior), window configuration
including
orientation, time of day, day of year, optionally weather conditions, and
other data
used by the modules. The predictive control logic determines the acceptable
contrast
ratio at the future time. The control logic then determines adjustments to the
interior
lighting and/or tint states of the tintable windows to obtain a contrast ratio
below or at
the acceptable level in the room. For example, the control logic may determine
the
types of lights to activate, color or colors or light to activate, the
intensity level
settings of the activated lights, location of the lights activated, number and
arrangement of lights to activate, etc. Once the adjustments are determined,
the
control logic sends control signals for adjusting the artificial interior
lighting in the
room and/or tint state of the tintable windows and then the method iterates
back to
Modules A, B, and C.
[0278] H. Control Logic for Occupant-Designed Scenes
[0279] Certain embodiments pertain to control logic that maintains a
scene of
environmental factors designed to provide occupant satisfaction and comfort
levels in
the workplace such as visual comfort, thermal comfort, acoustic comfort, and
air
quality. The control logic maintains the environmental factors by making
adjustments
to the settings of the building systems. The control logic designs the
environmental
factors based on various feedback received from, for example, the building
systems,
the occupant, the building management system, etc. Some examples of feedback
that
can be used include current tint state of the tintable windows, data regarding
the
presence or likely presence of an occupant, measured level of illuminance and
color
of ambient light, data about the occupant such as age, gender, and circadian
rhythm,
noise data, ambient temperature data, air quality data, data regarding
available
building systems, etc. With the feedback, the control logic determines
occupancy
which includes the presence and location of an occupant or occupants in a
workplace.
The control logic determines occupancy based on information such as scheduling
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information, sensor measurements, input from the occupant, or data from a
mapping
system. An example of such a mapping system includes transmitters and
receivers for
communicating radio frequency, microwave, or other electromagnetic waves. The
received transmissions can be used to map the current location of occupants
and other
objects in the workplace. The control logic also develops a use case for each
occupant and/or workplace to determine the parameters used to determine the
scene
such as the type of occupant, type of workplace, temporal composition of the
ambient
environment (illuminance level, ambient light color, noise level, air quality,
etc.),
duration of stay, building considerations such as energy and cost, and the
existing
.. building systems available to change the ambient environment. Based on the
use
case, the control logic designs a scene including all of the environmental
factors, or
some portion of the environmental factors, depending on which technologies or
controls are in place at the workplace. Environmental factors can be grouped
into
categories such as, e.g., thermal settings, visual settings, acoustic
settings, and air
quality settings. Duration of stay in the workplace is a consideration for
some
environmental factors such as noise and air quality. For each occupant and/or
workplace, the control logic determines the environmental factors that will be
used in
the scene and determines the target levels of the environmental factors in
question.
These levels are designed to meet occupant needs or expectations by
determining
levels that are designed for the use case. The control logic then determines
any new
control settings for the building systems and communicates the new settings to
the
building systems, e.g., via a BMC or BAC.
[0280] In one
aspect, the scenes for particular use cases are initialized using data
from industry best practices and then revised based on the feedback from an
occupant(s), the building management system, and/or industry. The control
logic
revises or updates the scenes based on the new environmental factors. For
example,
the control logic may receive feedback from the building with unexpected
settings
that provide non-intuitive "delight" that better match or exceed the
occupant(s)
expectations for the workplace setting.
[0281] In another aspect, the control logic may initialize a scene for a
particular
use case based on input from the current occupant such as based on a series of
queries
at a user interface to the occupant.
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[0282] In one aspect, the scenes for particular use cases are revised
based on the
feedback from the occupant, building systems, building management system,
industry, and any other suitable sources of feedback. For example, the control
logic
may receive overrides or positive or negative feedback from the occupant
regarding
environmental factors for a particular scene. The control logic may determine
new
levels for the environmental factors of a scene based on the feedback.
[0283] Some examples of types of workplaces include private office,
haven, nook,
focused thinking, think pod, huddle space, open office, hive, jump space,
landing,
meeting or conference room, creative thinking space, lobby, plaza, cantina,
and office
commons. FIG. 26 is a schematic illustration of a building showing various
types of
workplaces, according to an implementation. In the illustrated example, the
workplaces are grouped into "individual working workplaces" including
workstation
and touchdown table, "open collaboration workplaces" including individual
sofa,
meeting table and huddle, "enclosed meeting workplaces" including edit suite,
talk
pod, think pod, meet pod, meeting room, and boardroom, "local support
workplaces"
including locker, copier, and pantry, and "common area workplaces" including
lounge, wellness room and meet and greet.
[0284] The control logic determines the use case, in part, based on the
type of
workplace. For example, a private office is typically used for focused tasks
or
creative activities. As a result, a private office requires scenes with
environmental
settings of warm temperatures and warm color ambient light. Beyond designing
the
scene for maximum performance, the scene is also designed to match the
occupant's
expectation for a thoughtful workplace. For example, a cantina requires a
scene with
a level of light (illuminance) and background noise that are energizing and
encourage
communication and socializations. In this example, the expectation of the
occupant
for the scene in a cantina would be for brighter, louder, and cooler.
[0285] A private office generally refers to an area for focused work or
recharge
without distraction. A private office can be, for example, an enclosed room,
semi-
sheltered, or screened-in space in an open plan. An example of environmental
factors
for a scene designed for visual comfort in a private office includes light
level of 500 ¨
700 lux (Low) and color temperature of 4000K (warm). Another example of
environmental factors for a scene designed for visual comfort in a private
office
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includes light level of 1000-2000 lux (High) and color temperature of 6000K
(Cold).
An example of an environmental factor for a scene designed for thermal comfort
in a
private office includes a temperature of 25 C (Warm). An example of
environmental
factors designed for acoustic comfort in a private office includes sound level
of 45 dB
and privacy index of 75%. Another example of environmental factors for a scene
designed for acoustic comfort in a private office includes sound level of 35
dB and
privacy index of 95%. An example of an environmental factor for a scene
designed
for air quality in a private office includes a CO2 level of 500 ppm.
[0286] Similar to a private office, a think pod or huddle space also
refers to an
area for focused work or recharge without distraction. The think pod or huddle
space
is designed with less privacy for an occupant than a private office. The think
pod or
huddle space can also be an enclosed room, semi-sheltered, or screened-in
space in an
open plan. An example of environmental factors for a scene designed for visual
comfort in a think pod or huddle space includes light level of 1000 ¨ 2000 lux
(High)
and color temperature of 6000K (Cold). An example of environmental factors for
a
scene designed for thermal comfort in a think pod or huddle space includes a
light
level of 22-25 C (Medium). An example of environmental factors for a scene
designed for acoustic comfort in a think pod or huddle space includes sound
level of
55-75 dB and privacy index of 55%. An example of environmental factors for a
scene
designed for air quality control in a think pod or huddle space includes a CO2
level of
500 ppm.
[0287] A jump space or landing generally refers to an area for
waiting/gathering
adjacent to a meeting space and/or a private office. The jump space or landing
is
designed for short stays with visibility and semi-private communication. An
example
of environmental factors for a scene designed for visual comfort in a jump
space or
landing includes light level of 500-1500 lux (High) and color temperature of
4500-
6000K (Cool). An example of an environmental factor for a scene designed for
thermal comfort in a jump space or landing includes a light level of 22-25 C
(Medium). An example of environmental factors for a scene designed for
acoustic
comfort in a jump space or landing includes sound level of 55 dB and privacy
index
of 50-75%. An example of environmental factors for a scene designed for air
quality
control in a in a jump space or landing includes a CO2 level of 1500 ppm.
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[0288] A meeting or conference room generally refers to an area for
sharing and
discussion that requires appropriate light, and high signal to noise ratio. An
example
of environmental factors for a scene designed for visual comfort in a meeting
or
conference room includes light level of 500-1500 lux (High) and color
temperature of
3500-4500K (Medium). An example of an environmental factor for a scene
designed
for thermal comfort in a meeting or conference room is a light level of 20-23
C
(Medium). An example of environmental factors for a scene designed for
acoustic
comfort in a meeting or conference room include sound level of 44-55 dB and
privacy
index of 80-95%. An example of an environmental factor for a scene designed
for air
quality control in a meeting or conference room includes a CO2 level of 1000
ppm.
[0289] A common office, lobby, or social generally refers to a dynamic,
social
setting at major traffic intersections of the building where mixing and
connecting are
prioritized over privacy or work output. An example of environmental factors
for a
scene designed for visual comfort in a common office, lobby, or social
includes light
level of 500-1500 lux (High) and color temperature of 4000-6000K (Medium). An
example of an environmental factor for a scene designed for thermal comfort in
a
common office, lobby, or social is a light level of 22-25 C (Medium). An
example of
environmental factors for a scene designed for acoustic comfort in a common
office,
lobby, or social includes sound level of 55-70 dB and privacy index of 25%. An
example of an environmental factor for a scene designed for air quality
control in a
common office, lobby, or social is a CO2 level of 1500-3000 ppm.
[0290] FIG. 27 is a flowchart 2700 depicting control logic for a method
that
designs and maintains a scene of environmental factors that provide occupant
satisfaction and various comfort levels in a workplace such as, e.g., visual
comfort,
thermal comfort, acoustic comfort, and air quality. The control logic may be
performed by one or more controllers. The workplace may be a room or an area
in a
room in a building. At operation 2710, the control logic receives feedback
from the
occupant, assets within the building, or the building systems such as, e.g.,
window
controller(s) for controlling tint states for one or more tintable windows in
the
workplace, an HVAC system, a lighting system for controlling the artificial
lighting
(interior and/or exterior), a security system, one or more sensors, a mapping
system,
noise and sound control system, etc. For example, feedback can be received
from an
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asset accompanying the occupant such as a smartphone or other smart device. As
another example, the occupant may enter feedback to the control logic via a
smart
device, a manual control panel (e.g., device shown in FIG. 23), or other
device.
Some examples of feedback that can be used by the control logic include
current tint
state(s) of the one or more tintable windows in the workplace, data regarding
the
presence or likely presence of an occupant or occupants in the workplace, a
measurement of illuminance and color of ambient light or other sensor
readings,
occupant(s) data, ambient temperature data, air quality data, noise or other
acoustic
data, information about the available building systems, etc. In one aspect,
the tint
state of the one or more tintable windows may be determined predictive control
logic
of one or more modules such as described with reference to FIG. 22. Some
examples
of occupant data include age, gender, profession, circadian rhythm, activity,
vital
signs, etc. In one aspect, the control logic determines the circadian rhythm
of the
occupant using the vital signs. Some examples of building systems are
described in
.. detail with reference to FIG. 16 and FIG. 18. Some examples of window
controllers
are described in detail with reference to FIG. 15, FIG. 19, and FIG. 20.
Feedback
from building systems is generally received via a communication network.
[0291] Based on feedback received at operation 2710, the control logic
determines occupancy including the presence and location of an occupant or
occupants in the workplace (2720). The control logic may determine occupancy
based on information such as current time, scheduling data, sensor data, input
from
the occupant, data in a signal from an asset with the occupant, and data from
a
mapping system. In one aspect, a mapping system of transmitters and receivers
of
radio frequency, microwave, or other electromagnetic waves in a building can
be used
to map the current location of occupants and other objects present in the
workplace.
An example of such a mapping system based on window antennas is described in
U.S.
Patent Application 15/709,339, filed on September 19, 2017, titled "WINDOW
ANTENNAS FOR EMITTING RADIO FREQUENCY SIGNALS," which is hereby
incorporated by reference in its entirety. In another aspect, the control
logic may
determine there is a high probability that an occupant is in the workplace
based on
scheduling data and the current time. In another aspect, an asset (e.g.,
cellphone) with
a particular occupant has a transmitter that sends radio frequency signals
that are
received at a receiver in the building. Based on the signal received, the
building
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management system or other controller determines the presence and location of
the
occupant and conveys a signal with this information to the controller(s)
implementing
the control logic.
[0292] At
operation 2730, the control logic develops a use case for the particular
occupant and/or workplace. The use case includes one or more of the type of
occupancy in the workplace, the type of activity in the workplace, the type of
workplace, the temporal composition of the ambient environment, the duration
of stay
for the occupant(s), any building considerations such as energy conservation,
the
types and availability of control of building systems or other technologies
available to
change environmental factors. The type of occupancy includes information such
as
age, gender, profession, circadian rhythm, and vital signs of the one or more
occupants. The type of activity may be, for example, working, painting,
drawing,
meeting, dining, private thinking, sleeping, resting, lounging, waiting,
gathering, etc.
Temporal composition of the ambient environment includes parameters such as
illuminance and color of ambient light, contrast ratios, noise, temperature,
humidity,
and air quality.
[0293] At
operation 2740, the control logic determines, for the use case, a scene
of environmental factors designed for increasing occupant satisfaction and
comfort
(e.g., visual, thermal, acoustic, and/or air quality) in the workplace. In one
aspect,
building considerations are also taken into account in addition to occupant
satisfaction
and comfort. The control logic determines which environmental factors to be
included in the scene based, at least in part, on the types and controls of
building
systems or other technologies that are available for use to change the ambient
environment. In one aspect, the control logic also considers duration of stay
when
determining whether to include noise and air quality factors. For example, if
the
duration of stay is less than 5 minutes, the control logic may not include
noise and air
quality environmental factors. For each environmental factor in the scene, the
control
logic determines a target setting or level. Environmental factors are grouped
into
categories including, e.g., thermal settings, visual settings, acoustic
settings, and air
quality settings. Examples of thermal settings include target levels for
temperature,
air flow, and humidity. Some examples of visual settings include target levels
for
illuminance and color of ambient light, contrast ratio, and glare. For
example, the
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target level of the contrast ratio could be to remain below a maximum
acceptable
contrast or a value within an acceptable range. The acoustic settings include
a sound
or noise level and a privacy index which is a factor of the walls and open
spaces in the
room. The privacy index reflects the ability to have confidentiality of
conversations
.. in the workspace. Some examples of air quality settings include the levels
of, for
example, CO2 and/or one or more pollutants such as CO, 03, NO2, SO2, PM10,
PM2.5,
and Lead. Some examples of scenes including target environmental factors for
light
(illuminance) level, color temperature, sound level, privacy index, and air
quality for a
various types of workspaces are provided above.
[0294] The control logic determines the scene of environmental factors for
the
particular use case by matching all or most of the parameters of the use case
with a
use case associated with a scene stored in a database. If the database does
not have a
matching scene, the control logic initializes the environmental factors for
the scene.
In one example, the control logic initializing environmental factors for a
scene for a
particular use case using data from industry best practices. In another
example, the
control logic initializes the scene using data from the occupant, for example,
by
querying the occupant for preferred environmental settings. In another
example, the
control logic initializes the scene using data from an occupant with a similar
set of
parameters in the use case. In one implementation, after the control logic
determines
the first scene of environmental factors for the particular use case, the
control logic
further revised the environmental factors to generate a second scene based on
additional feedback from the building with unexpected settings that provide
non-
intuitive "delight" that better match or exceed the occupant(s) expectations
for the
workplace setting. The scenes determined at operation 2740 are saved to the
.. database.
[0295] In one aspect, the scenes for particular use cases are revised
based on the
feedback from the occupant, building systems, building management system,
industry, and any other suitable sources of feedback. For example, the control
logic
may receive overrides or positive or negative feedback from the occupant
regarding
environmental levels for a particular scene. The control logic may determine
new
levels for the environmental factors of a scene based on the feedback.
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[0296] At operation 2750, the control logic determines the control
settings for the
various building systems that will generate the targeted environmental levels
of the
scene designed for the occupant(s) or workplace in operation 2740. For
example, the
control logic may use lookup tables, to determine the appropriate control
settings that
will generate the targeted environmental factors.
[0297] At operation 2760, the control logic communicates the control
settings to
controllers of the various building systems building systems or to a building
management system or building administration system. The control logic then
returns
to operation 2710.
[0298] Although certain embodiments are described herein with respect to
independently controlling multiple tinting zones of a multi-zone tintable
window, it
would be understood that similar techniques could apply to controlling
multiple
tintable windows (multi-zone or single-zone) of set of tintable windows. For
example,
a building could have an assembly of tintable windows on a facade of a
building or in
a room. The techniques described herein could be used to independently control
the
tintable windows of the assembly. That is, each tintable window may have one
or
more tinting zones and the techniques independently control the tinting zones
of the
tintable windows in the assembly.
[0299] It should be understood that the present invention as described
above can
be implemented in the form of control logic using computer software in a
modular or
integrated manner. Based on the disclosure and teachings provided herein, a
person of
ordinary skill in the art will know and appreciate other ways and/or methods
to
implement the present invention using hardware and a combination of hardware
and
software.
[0300] Any of the software components or functions described in this
application,
may be implemented as software code to be executed by a processor using any
suitable computer language such as, for example, Java, C++ or Python using,
for
example, conventional or object-oriented techniques. The software code may be
stored as a series of instructions, or commands on a computer readable medium,
such
as a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), a magnetic medium
such as a hard-drive or a floppy disk, or an optical medium such as a CD-ROM.
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such computer readable medium may reside on or within a single computational
apparatus, and may be present on or within different computational apparatuses
within
a system or network.
[0301] Although the foregoing disclosed embodiments have been described
in
some detail to facilitate understanding, the described embodiments are to be
considered illustrative and not limiting. It will be apparent to one of
ordinary skill in
the art that certain changes and modifications can be practiced within the
scope of the
appended claims.
[0302] One or more features from any embodiment may be combined with one
or
more features of any other embodiment without departing from the scope of the
disclosure. Further, modifications, additions, or omissions may be made to any
embodiment without departing from the scope of the disclosure. The components
of
any embodiment may be integrated or separated according to particular needs
without
departing from the scope of the disclosure.
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