U.S. patent application number 15/727258 was filed with the patent office on 2019-02-14 for commissioning window networks.
The applicant listed for this patent is View, Inc.. Invention is credited to Stephen Clark Brown, Dhairya Shrivastava.
Application Number | 20190049811 15/727258 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 61686099 |
Filed Date | 2019-02-14 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20190049811 |
Kind Code |
A9 |
Shrivastava; Dhairya ; et
al. |
February 14, 2019 |
COMMISSIONING WINDOW NETWORKS
Abstract
Methods are described for the commissioning of optically
switchable window networks. During commissioning, network addresses
are paired with the locations of installed devices for components
on a window network. Commissioning may also involve steps of
testing and validating the network devices. By correctly pairing
the location of a device with its network address, a window network
is configured to function such that controls sent over the network
reach their targeted device(s) which in turn respond accordingly.
The methods described herein may reduce frustrations that result
from mispairing and installation issues that are common to
conventional commissioning practices. Commissioning may involve
recording a response to a manually or automatically initiated
trigger. Commissioning methods described herein may rely on user
input, or be automatic, not requiring user input.
Inventors: |
Shrivastava; Dhairya; (Los
Altos, CA) ; Brown; Stephen Clark; (San Mateo,
CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
View, Inc. |
Milpitas |
CA |
US |
|
|
Prior
Publication: |
|
Document Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 20180088432 A1 |
March 29, 2018 |
|
|
Family ID: |
61686099 |
Appl. No.: |
15/727258 |
Filed: |
October 6, 2017 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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14391122 |
Oct 7, 2014 |
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15727258 |
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14951410 |
Nov 24, 2015 |
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14391122 |
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PCT/US2017/020805 |
Mar 3, 2017 |
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14951410 |
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15123069 |
Sep 1, 2016 |
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PCT/US15/19031 |
Mar 5, 2015 |
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PCT/US2017/020805 |
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14887178 |
Oct 19, 2015 |
10001691 |
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15123069 |
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14468778 |
Aug 26, 2014 |
9442341 |
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14887178 |
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13479137 |
May 23, 2012 |
9128346 |
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14468778 |
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13049750 |
Mar 16, 2011 |
8213074 |
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13479137 |
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61624175 |
Apr 13, 2012 |
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62085179 |
Nov 26, 2014 |
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62305892 |
Mar 9, 2016 |
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62370174 |
Aug 2, 2016 |
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61948464 |
Mar 5, 2014 |
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61974677 |
Apr 3, 2014 |
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62426126 |
Nov 23, 2016 |
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62551649 |
Aug 29, 2017 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E06B 3/6722 20130101;
E06B 9/24 20130101; E06B 2009/2464 20130101; G06F 3/04847 20130101;
G02F 2203/01 20130101; G05B 19/042 20130101; G02F 1/163 20130101;
G05B 15/02 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G02F 1/163 20060101
G02F001/163; G05B 15/02 20060101 G05B015/02 |
Claims
1. A method of commissioning windows in a building, the method
comprising: (a) identifying networked devices for commissioning,
wherein the networked devices comprise a first window located in
the building; (b) receiving user input from a remote device to
check functioning of the first window; (c) testing the functioning
of the first window according to the input; and (d) determining
from the testing that the first window is malfunctioning or
misidentified.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein testing the functioning of the
first window comprises sending instructions from the remote device
to the first window to change a tint state of the first window.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the tint state of the first
window is one of two or more available tint states for the first
window.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining in (d) comprises
determining that an ID of the first window matches a physical
location of the first window.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the user input
comprises receiving information from a graphical user interface
(GUI) on the remote device, wherein the GUI is configured to
receive input identifying locations of the windows in the
building.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying networked devices for
commissioning comprises determining an ID of the first window from
installation data that specifies locations of windows in the
building.
7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving user
instructions from the remote device to group the first window with
a second window of the building.
8. The method of claim 7, further comprising receiving instructions
to change a tint state of the first window and a tint state of the
second window.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying networked devices for
commissioning comprises receiving a prepared list of networked
devices to be commissioned.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying networked devices
for commissioning comprises executing a discovery routine that
discovers networked devices that have not yet been
commissioned.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying networked devices
for commissioning comprises discovering the locations of networked
devices within the building.
12. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting, through a
user interface of the remote device, notification of an event
triggering commissioning.
13. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote device is
handheld.
14. A method of commissioning windows in a building, the method
comprising: (a) identifying networked devices for commissioning,
wherein each networked device has an ID, and wherein the networked
devices comprise a first window located in the building; (b)
determining the location of each networked device; and (c) pairing
the determined location with the ID for each networked device, to
thereby allow network communication with networked devices at their
determined locations.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein the determined location of each
networked device is determined via analysis of wireless
electromagnetic signals received or broadcast from the networked
device.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the wireless electromagnetic
signals comprise ultra-wideband signals.
17. The method of claim 15, wherein the determined location has an
accuracy of less than about 10 cm.
18. The method of claim 15, wherein the method of commissioning is
done automatically without requiring user input.
19. The method of claim 14, wherein the location of each networked
device is determined via observing a location of a trigger or a
trigger response.
20. A system of networked devices in a building, the system
comprising: (a) one or more network controllers; (b) a plurality of
window controllers, each configured to control a tint state for one
or more optically switchable windows in a building, wherein each of
the window controllers is in communication with one of the one or
more network controllers; and (c) a master controller in
communication with each of the network controllers and a remote
device, wherein the master controller is configured to: identify
networked devices for commissioning, wherein the networked devices
comprise a first window controller in the building; receive user
input from a remote device to check function of the first window
controller; test the functioning of the first window controller
according to the input; and determine, from the test, that the
first window controller is malfunctioning or misidentified.
21. The system of claim 20, wherein the master controller is
further configured to determine that an ID of the first window
matches a physical location of the first window.
22. The system of claim 20, wherein the master controller is
further configured to receive user instructions from the remote
device to group the first window with a second window of the
building.
23. The system of claim 22, wherein the master controller is
further configured to receive instructions to change a tint state
of the first window and a tint state of the second window.
24. The system of claim 20, wherein the master controller is
further configured to notify a user, through a user interface of
the remote device, of an event triggering commissioning.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE
[0001] This application claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent
Application No. 62/426,126, filed Nov. 23, 2016, and U.S.
Provisional Patent Application No. 62/551,649, filed Aug. 29, 2017,
both of which are titled "AUTOMATED COMMISSIONING OF CONTROLLERS IN
A WINDOW NETWORK" and are incorporated herein in their entirety and
for all purposes. This application is a continuation-in-part of
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/391,122 (U.S. Patent
Application Publication No. 2015/0116811), titled "APPLICATIONS FOR
CONTROLLING OPTICALLY SWITCHABLE DEVICES," filed on Apr. 12, 2013,
which claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.
61/624,175, filed on Apr. 13, 2012, both of which are hereby
incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes. This
application is also a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 14/951,410 (U.S. Patent Application
Publication No. 2016/0154290), titled "SELF-CONTAINED EC IGU,"
filed on Nov. 24, 2015, which claims benefit of U.S. Provisional
Patent Application No. 62/085,179, filed Nov. 26, 2014, both of
which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety for
all purposes. This application is also a continuation-in-part of
PCT Patent Application No. PCT/US17/20805 designating the United
States, titled "METHOD OF COMMISSIONING ELECTROCHROMIC WINDOWS,"
and filed on Mar. 3, 2017, which claims benefit of U.S. Provisional
Patent Application No. 62/305,892, filed Mar. 9, 2016, and U.S.
Provisional Patent Application No. 62/370,174, filed Aug. 2, 2016,
all of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety
for all purposes. This application is also a continuation-in-part
of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/123,069, titled "MONITORING
SITES CONTAINING SWITCHABLE OPTICAL DEVICES AND CONTROLLERS," filed
on Sep. 1, 2017, which is the national stage application of PCT
Application PCT/US15/19031, which was filed on Mar. 5, 2015, which
claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/948,464,
filed on Mar. 5, 2014, and U.S. Provisional Application No.
61/974,677, filed on May 3, 2014, all of which are hereby
incorporated herein in their entirety for all purposes.
BACKGROUND
[0002] 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.
[0003] Electrochromic materials may be incorporated into, for
example, windows for home, commercial and other uses as thin film
coatings on the window glass. The color, transmittance, absorbance,
and/or reflectance of such windows may be changed by inducing a
change in the electrochromic material, for example, 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; reversing the voltage
polarity 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.
[0004] While electrochromism was discovered in the 1960's,
electrochromic devices, and particularly electrochromic windows,
still, unfortunately, suffer various problems and have not begun to
realize their full commercial potential despite many recent
advancements in electrochromic technology, apparatus and related
methods of making and/or using electrochromic devices. For example,
there remain issues with commissioning electrochromic windows and
associated electrochromic window network devices.
SUMMARY
[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure pertains to a method of
commissioning windows in a building, the method includes operations
of (a) identifying networked devices for commissioning, where the
networked devices include a first window located in the building;
(b) receiving user input from a remote device to check functioning
of the first window; (c) testing the functioning of the first
window according to the input; and (d) determining from the testing
that the first window is malfunctioning or misidentified.
[0006] Testing the functioning of the first window may include
sending instructions from the remote device to the first window to
change a tint state of the first window. In some cases, the tint
state of the first window is one of two or more available tint
states for the window.
[0007] In some cases, determining in (d) includes determining that
an ID of the first window matches a physical location of the first
window. In some cases, receiving user input includes receiving
information from a graphical user interface (GUI) on the remote
device, where the GUI is configured to receive input identifying
locations of the windows in the building.
[0008] In some cases, identifying networked devices for
commissioning includes determining an ID of the first window from
installation data that specifies locations of windows in the
building. In some cases, user instructions may be received from the
remote device to group the first window with a second window of the
building. Further instructions may, in some cases, be received to
change a tint state of the first window and a tint state of the
second window.
[0009] In some cases, identifying networked devices for
commissioning includes (a) receiving a prepared list of networked
devices to be commissioned; (b) the execution a discovery routine
that discovers networked devices that have not yet been
commissioned; and/or (c) discovering the locations of networked
devices within the building.
[0010] In some cases, a notification of an event triggering
commissioning may be presented through a user interface of the
remote device (which may be a handheld device such as a smartphone
or tablet).
[0011] Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a method
of commissioning windows in a building that includes operations of
(a) identifying networked devices for commissioning, where each
networked device has an ID, and where the networked devices include
a first window located in the building; (b) determining the
location of each networked device; and (c) pairing the determined
location with the ID for each networked device, to thereby allow
network communication with networked devices at their determined
locations.
[0012] In some cases, the determined location of each networked
device is determined via analysis of wireless electromagnetic
signals received or broadcast from the networked device. The
wireless electromagnetic signals may include ultra-wideband
signals. In some cases, the analysis of the wireless
electromagnetic signals provides a determined location with an
accuracy of less than about 10 cm. In some cases, commissioning is
done automatically without requiring user input.
[0013] In some cases, the location of each networked device is
determined via observing the location of a trigger or a trigger
response.
[0014] Another aspect of the present disclosure pertains to a
system of networked devices in a building having (a) one or more
network controllers; (b) a plurality of window controllers, each
configured to control a tint state for one or more optically
switchable windows in a building, where each of the window
controllers is in communication with one of the one or more network
controllers; and (c) a master controller in communication with each
of the network controllers and a remote device. The master
controller is configured to (i) identify networked devices for
commissioning, where the networked devices include a first window
controller in the building; (ii) receive user input from a remote
device to check function of the first window controller; (iii) test
the functioning of the first window controller according to the
input; and (iv) determine, from the testing, that the first window
is malfunctioning or misidentified.
[0015] In some embodiments, the master controller is further
configured to determine that the ID of the first window matches a
physical location of the first window. In some embodiments, the
master controller may be configured to receive user instructions
from the remote device to group the first window with a second
window of the building. The master controller may also be
configured to receive instructions to change a tint state of the
first window and a tint state of the second window.
[0016] In some embodiments, the master controller is further
configured to notify a user, through a user interface of the remote
device, of an event triggering commissioning.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-section depicting conventional
formation of an electrochromic device stack.
[0018] FIG. 2A shows a depiction of an example system for
controlling and driving a plurality of electrochromic windows.
[0019] FIG. 2B shows a depiction of another example system for
controlling and driving a plurality of electrochromic windows.
[0020] FIG. 2C shows a block diagram of an example network system,
operable to control a plurality of IGUs in accordance with some
implementations.
[0021] FIG. 3 depicts a hierarchal structure in which IGUs may be
arranged.
[0022] FIG. 4 is a flow chart depicting a commissioning process
that may be implemented using a window control application
providing an interface on a remote device.
[0023] FIG. 5A is a flowchart describing a method of commissioning
electrochromic windows.
[0024] FIG. 5B is a representation of the physical location of a
plurality of electrochromic windows that is commissioned in the
context of FIGS. 5A-5G.
[0025] FIG. 5C illustrates in closer detail certain steps that may
be taken during the method of FIG. 5A.
[0026] FIG. 5D is a representation of a network of electrochromic
windows that may be used in the context of FIGS. 5A-5G.
[0027] FIG. 5E depicts an example of a graphical user interface
that may be used for commissioning electrochromic windows using the
method of FIG. 5A.
[0028] FIG. 5F is a flowchart further explaining certain steps that
may occur in the method of FIG. 5A.
[0029] FIG. 5G depicts another example of a graphical user
interface that may be used for commissioning electrochromic windows
using the method of FIG. 5A.
[0030] FIG. 6A is a flowchart illustrating a method of determining
the association between window controllers and their associated
electrochromic windows.
[0031] FIG. 6B depicts a set of electrochromic windows during three
different tint steps as described in relation to FIG. 6A.
[0032] FIGS. 6C-6E depict a set of electrochromic windows and
relevant information about such windows during a method in which
the association between window controllers and their associated
electrochromic windows is determined.
[0033] FIG. 7 illustrates a set of four electrochromic windows
being commissioned, where the commissioning states include
transitory tint states.
[0034] FIG. 8 is a flow chart depicting operations associated with
an embodiment of auto-commissioning.
[0035] FIG. 9 shows the process in which commissioning logic may be
used to generate a network configuration file.
[0036] FIG. 10 shows the process in which commissioning logic may
be used to generate a network configuration file without the need
of an interconnect drawing.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0037] The following detailed description is directed to certain
embodiments or implementations for the purposes of describing the
disclosed aspects. However, the teachings herein can be applied and
implemented in a multitude of different ways. In the following
detailed description, references are made to the accompanying
drawings. Although the disclosed implementations are described in
sufficient detail to enable one skilled in the art to practice the
implementations, it is to be understood that these examples are not
limiting; other implementations may be used and changes may be made
to the disclosed implementations without departing from their
spirit and scope. Furthermore, while the disclosed embodiments
focus on electrochromic windows (also referred to as optically
switchable windows, smart windows, and insulated glass units), the
concepts disclosed herein may apply to other types of optically
switchable devices including, for example, liquid crystal devices
and suspended particle devices, among others. For example, a liquid
crystal device or a suspended particle device, rather than an
electrochromic device, could be incorporated into some or all of
the disclosed implementations. Additionally, the conjunction "or"
is intended herein in the inclusive sense where appropriate unless
otherwise indicated; for example, the phrase "A, B or C" is
intended to include the possibilities of "A," "B," "C," "A and B,"
"B and C," "A and C" and "A, B and C." Further, as used herein, the
terms pane, lite, and substrate are used interchangeably to refer
to the surfaces, e.g. glass, where an electrochromic device is
placed on or the surfaces of an insulated glass unit ("IGU"). An
electrochromic window may be in the form of a laminate structure,
an IGU, or both, i.e., where an IGU includes two or more
substantially transparent substrates, or two panes of glass, where
at least one of the substrates includes an electrochromic device
disposed thereon, and the substrates have a spacer, or separator,
disposed between them. One or more of these substrates may itself
be a structure having multiple substrates, e.g., two or more sheets
of glass. An IGU is typically hermetically sealed, having an
interior region that is isolated from the ambient environment. A
window assembly may include an IGU, electrical connectors and
related wiring, e.g., a pigtail, for coupling the one or more
electrochromic devices of the IGU to a window controller, and a
frame that supports the IGU. A window assembly may also include a
window controller as described herein, and/or components of a
window controller, e.g., a dock.
[0038] I. General Electrochromic Device Structure
[0039] To understand the specifics of commissioning, the general
electrochromic device structure, electrochromic windows, and
electrochromic window networks must be discussed. FIG. 1 depicts a
conventional electrochromic device 100 disposed on a substrate 102.
Device 100 includes, in the following order starting from the
substrate, a first conductive layer 104, a first electrochromic
layer (EC1) 106, ion conductor (IC) material 108, a second
electrochromic layer (EC2) 110, and a second conductive layer 112.
Components 104, 106, 108, 110, and 112 are collectively referred to
as an electrochromic stack 114. In certain embodiments, the
transparent conductor layers are made of a transparent material
such as a transparent conductive oxide, which may be referred to as
a "TCO." Since the TCO layers are transparent, the tinting behavior
of the EC1-IC-EC2 stack is observable through the TCO layers, for
example, allowing use of such devices on a window for reversible
shading. A voltage source 116, operable to apply an electric
potential across electrochromic stack 114, effects the transition
of the electrochromic device from, for example, a clear state
(i.e., transparent or bleached) to a tinted state (i.e., colored).
In certain embodiments, the electrochromic device does not include
distinct ion conductor material. See U.S. Pat. No. 8,764,950 issued
Jul. 1, 2014, and PCT Publication No. WO2015/168626, field May 1,
2015, both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their
entireties.
[0040] In conventional devices such as those depicted in FIG. 1 as
well as in certain devices of this disclosure, one of the first and
second electrochromic layers is typically a cathodically tinting
layer and the other is an anodically tinting layer. In such
embodiments, the first and second electrochromic layers will tint
when exposed to opposite polarities. For example, the first
electrochromic layer may tint under an applied cathodic potential
(and clear under an applied anodic potential), while the second
electrochromic layer may tint under an applied anodic potential
(and clear under an applied cathodic potential). Of course, the
arrangement can be reversed for some applications. Either way, the
first and second electrochromic layers work in concert to tint and
clear.
[0041] In some embodiments, one of the first and second
electrochromic layers can be substituted with a non-electrochromic
ion storage layer. In such cases, only one of the two layers
exhibits electrochromism such that it tints and clears under
application of suitable potentials. The other layer, sometimes
referred to as a counter electrode layer, simply serves as an ion
reservoir when the other layer is exposed to a cathodic
potential.
[0042] While FIG. 1 depicts a general electrochromic device
structure, the structure is not meant to be limiting. For example,
while FIG. 1 depicts a device stack having distinct layers,
electrochromic stacks may be graded structures or may include
additional components such as an antenna structure. While most of
the discussion in the present disclosure focuses on windows having
electrochromic devices, the disclosure more generally pertains to
windows having any type of optically switchable device such as
liquid crystal devices and suspended particle devices.
[0043] II. Window Controllers
[0044] Window controllers as described herein may have many sizes,
formats, and locations with respect to the optically switchable
windows they control. Typically the controller will be attached to
glass of an IGU or laminate but may be in a frame that houses the
IGU or laminate. An electrochromic window may include one, two,
three or more individual electrochromic panes (an electrochromic
device on a transparent substrate). Also, an individual pane of an
electrochromic window may have an electrochromic coating that has
independently tintable zones. A controller as described herein can
control all electrochromic coatings associated with such windows,
whether the electrochromic coating is monolithic or zoned. While
window controllers are described as being associated with a single
window, in some cases, a window controller may control more than
one optically switchable window.
[0045] The controller is generally configured in close proximity to
the electrochromic window, generally adjacent to, on the glass or
inside an IGU, within a frame of the self-contained assembly, for
example. In some embodiments, the window controller is an "in situ"
controller; that is, the controller is part of a window assembly,
an IGU or a laminate, and may not have to be matched with the
electrochromic window, and installed, in the field, e.g., the
controller travels with the window as part of the assembly from the
factory. The controller may be installed in the window frame of a
window assembly, or be part of an IGU or laminate assembly, for
example, mounted on or between panes of the IGU or on a pane of a
laminate. In some embodiments, a localized controller may be
provided as more than one part, with at least one part (e.g.,
including a memory component storing information about the
associated electrochromic window) being provided as a part of the
window assembly and at least one other part being separate and
configured to mate with the at least one part that is part of the
window assembly, IGU or laminate. In certain embodiments, a
controller may be an assembly of interconnected parts that are not
in a single housing, but rather spaced apart, e.g., in the
secondary seal of an IGU. In other embodiments the controller is a
compact unit, e.g., in a single housing or in two or more
components that combine, e.g., a dock and housing assembly, that is
proximate the glass, not in the viewable area, or mounted on the
glass in the viewable area.
[0046] In one embodiment, the controller is incorporated into or
onto the IGU and/or the window frame prior to installation of the
electrochromic window. In one embodiment, the controller is
incorporated into or onto the IGU and/or the window frame prior to
leaving the manufacturing facility. In one embodiment, the
controller is incorporated into the IGU, substantially within the
secondary seal. In another embodiment, the controller is
incorporated into or onto the IGU, partially, substantially, or
wholly within a perimeter defined by the primary seal between the
sealing separator and the substrate.
[0047] Having the controller as part of an IGU and/or a window
assembly, the IGU can possess logic and features of the controller
that, e.g., travels with the IGU or window unit. For example, when
a controller is part of the IGU assembly, in the event the
characteristics of the electrochromic device(s) change over time
(e.g., through degradation), a characterization function can be
used, for example, to update control parameters used to drive tint
state transitions. In another example, if already installed in an
electrochromic window unit, the logic and features of the
controller can be used to calibrate the control parameters to match
the intended installation, and for example if already installed,
the control parameters can be recalibrated to match the performance
characteristics of the electrochromic pane(s).
[0048] In other embodiments, a particular controller is not
pre-associated with a window, but rather a dock component, e.g.,
having parts generic to any electrochromic window, is associated
with each window at the factory. After window installation, or
otherwise in the field, a second component of the controller is
combined with the dock component to complete the electrochromic
window controller assembly. The dock component may include a chip
which is programmed at the factory with the physical
characteristics and parameters of the particular window to which
the dock is attached (e.g., on the surface which will face the
building's interior after installation, sometimes referred to as
surface 4 or "S4"). The second component (sometimes called a
"carrier," "casing," "housing," or "controller") is mated with the
dock, and when powered, the second component can read the chip and
configure itself to power the window according to the particular
characteristics and parameters stored on the chip. In this way, the
shipped window need only have its associated parameters stored on a
chip, which is integral with the window, while the more
sophisticated circuitry and components can be combined later (e.g.,
shipped separately and installed by the window manufacturer after
the glazier has installed the windows, followed by commissioning by
the window manufacturer). Various embodiments will be described in
more detail below. In some embodiments, the chip is included in a
wire or wire connector attached to the window controller. Such
wires with connectors are sometimes referred to as pigtails.
[0049] As used herein, the term outboard means closer to the
outside environment, while the term inboard means closer to the
interior of a building. For example, in the case of an IGU having
two panes, the pane located closer to the outside environment is
referred to as the outboard pane or outer pane, while the pane
located closer to the inside of the building is referred to as the
inboard pane or inner pane. The different surfaces of the IGU may
be referred to as S1, S2, S3, and S4 (assuming a two-pane IGU). S1
refers to the exterior-facing surface of the outboard lite (i.e.,
the surface that can be physically touched by someone standing
outside). S2 refers to the interior-facing surface of the outboard
lite. S3 refers to the exterior-facing surface of the inboard lite.
S4 refers to the interior-facing surface of the inboard lite (i.e.,
the surface that can be physically touched by someone standing
inside the building). In other words, the surfaces are labeled
S1-S4, starting from the outermost surface of the IGU and counting
inwards. In cases where an IGU includes three panes, this same
trend holds (with S6 being the surface that can be physically
touched by someone standing inside the building). In certain
embodiments employing two panes, the electrochromic device (or
other optically switchable device) is disposed on S3.
[0050] Further examples of window controllers and their features
are presented in U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.
62/248,181, filed Oct. 29, 2015, and titled "METHOD OF
COMMISSIONING ELECTROCHROMIC WINDOWS," and U.S. Provisional Patent
Application No. 62/305,892, filed Mar. 9, 2016, and titled "METHOD
OF COMMISSIONING ELECTROCHROMIC WINDOWS," each of which is herein
incorporated by reference in its entirety.
[0051] III. Window Controller Networks
[0052] FIG. 2A shows a depiction of an example system or network
200 for controlling and driving a plurality of electrochromic
windows 202. It may also be employed to control the operation of
one or more devices associated with an electrochromic window such
as a window antenna. The system 200 can be adapted for use with a
building 204 such as a commercial office building or a residential
building. In some implementations, the system 200 is designed to
function in conjunction with modern heating, ventilation, and air
conditioning (HVAC) systems 206, interior lighting systems 207,
security systems 208 and power systems 209 as a single holistic and
efficient energy control system for the entire building 204, or a
campus of buildings 204. Some implementations of the system 200 are
particularly well-suited for integration with a building management
system (BMS) 210. The BMS 210 is a computer-based control system
that can be installed in a building to monitor and control the
building's mechanical and electrical equipment such as HVAC
systems, lighting systems, power systems, elevators, fire systems,
and security systems. The BMS 210 can include hardware and
associated firmware or software for maintaining conditions in the
building 204 according to preferences set by the occupants or by a
building manager or other administrator. The software can be based
on, for example, internet protocols or open standards.
[0053] A BMS can typically be used in large buildings where it
functions to control the environment within the building. For
example, the BMS 210 can control lighting, temperature, carbon
dioxide levels, and humidity within the building 204. There can be
numerous mechanical or electrical devices that are controlled by
the BMS 210 including, for example, furnaces or other heaters, air
conditioners, blowers, and vents. To control the building
environment, the BMS 210 can turn on and off these various devices
according to rules or in response to conditions. Such rules and
conditions can be selected or specified by a building manager or
administrator, for example. One primary function of the BMS 210 is
to maintain a comfortable environment for the occupants of the
building 204 while minimizing heating and cooling energy losses and
costs. In some implementations, the BMS 210 can be configured 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.
[0054] Some implementations are alternatively or additionally
designed to function responsively or reactively based on feedback
sensed through, for example, thermal, optical, or other sensors or
through input from, for example, an HVAC or interior lighting
system, or an input from a user control. Further information may be
found in U.S. Pat. No. 8,705,162, issued Apr. 22, 2014, which is
incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Some
implementations also can be utilized in existing structures,
including both commercial and residential structures, having
traditional or conventional HVAC or interior lighting systems. Some
implementations also can be retrofitted for use in older
residential homes.
[0055] The system 200 includes a network controller 212 configured
to control a plurality of window controllers 214. For example, the
network controller 212 can control tens, hundreds, or even
thousands of window controllers 214. Each window controller 214, in
turn, can control and drive one or more electrochromic windows 202.
In some implementations, the network controller 212 issues
high-level instructions such as the final tint state of an
electrochromic window and the window controllers receive these
commands and directly control their windows by applying electrical
stimuli to appropriately drive tint state transitions and/or
maintain tint states. The number and size of the electrochromic
windows 202 that each window controller 214 can drive is generally
limited by the voltage and current characteristics of the load on
the window controller 214 controlling the respective electrochromic
windows 202. In some implementations, the maximum window size that
each window controller 214 can drive is limited by the voltage,
current, or power requirements to cause the desired optical
transitions in the electrochromic window 202 within a desired
time-frame. Such requirements are, in turn, a function of the
surface area of the window. In some implementations, this
relationship is nonlinear. For example, the voltage, current, or
power requirements can increase nonlinearly with the surface area
of the electrochromic window 202. For example, in some cases the
relationship is nonlinear at least in part because the sheet
resistance of the first and second conductive layers 214 and 216
(see, for example, FIG. 2A) increases nonlinearly with distance
across the length and width of the first or second conductive
layers. In some implementations, the relationship between the
voltage, current, or power requirements required to drive multiple
electrochromic windows 202 of equal size and shape is, however,
directly proportional to the number of the electrochromic windows
202 being driven.
[0056] FIG. 2B depicts another example system 200 for controlling
and driving a plurality of electrochromic windows 202. The system
200 shown in FIG. 2B is similar to the system 200 shown in FIG. 2A.
In contrast to the system of FIG. 2A, the system 200 shown in FIG.
2B includes a master controller 211. The master controller 211
communicates and functions in conjunction with multiple network
controllers 212, each of which network controllers 212 is capable
of addressing a plurality of window controllers 214 as described
with reference to FIG. 2A. In some implementations, the master
controller 211 issues the high-level instructions (such as the
final tint states of the electrochromic windows) to the network
controllers 212, and the network controllers 212 then communicate
the instructions to the corresponding window controllers 214.
[0057] In some implementations, the various electrochromic windows
202 and/or antennas of the building or other structure are
advantageously grouped into zones or groups of zones, each of which
includes a subset of the electrochromic windows 202. For example,
each zone may correspond to a set of electrochromic windows 202 in
a specific location or area of the building that should be tinted
(or otherwise transitioned) to the same or similar optical states
based on their location. As a more specific example, consider a
building having four faces or sides: a North face, a South face, an
East face and a West face. Consider also that the building has ten
floors. In such a didactic example, each zone can correspond to the
set of electrochromic windows 202 on a particular floor and on a
particular one of the four faces. In some such implementations,
each network controller 212 can address one or more zones or groups
of zones. For example, the master controller 211 can issue a final
tint state command for a particular zone or group of zones to a
respective one or more of the network controllers 212. For example,
the final tint state command can include an abstract identification
of each of the target zones. The designated network controllers 212
receiving the final tint state command can then map the abstract
identification of the zone(s) to the specific network addresses of
the respective window controllers 214 that control the voltage or
current profiles to be applied to the electrochromic windows 202 in
the zone(s).
[0058] In embodiments where at least some of the electrochromic
windows have antennas, zones of windows for tinting purposes may or
may not correspond to zones for antenna-related functions. For
example, a master and/or network controller may identify two
distinct zones of windows for tinting purposes, e.g. two floors of
windows on a single side of a building, where each floor has
different tinting algorithms based on customer preferences. In some
implementations, zoning is implemented in a hierarchy of three or
more tiers; e.g., at least some windows of a building are grouped
into zones, and at least some zones are divided into subzones, with
each subzone subject to different control logic and/or user
access.
[0059] In many instances, optically switchable windows can form or
occupy substantial portions of a building envelope. For example,
the optically switchable windows can form substantial portions of
the walls, facades and even roofs of a corporate office building,
other commercial building or a residential building. In various
implementations, a distributed network of controllers can be used
to control the optically switchable windows. FIG. 2C shows a block
diagram of an example network system, 220, operable to control a
plurality of IGUs 222 in accordance with some implementations. One
primary function of the network system 220 is controlling the
optical states of the electrochromic devices (or other optically
switchable devices) within the IGUs 222. In some implementations,
one or more of the windows 222 can be multi-zoned windows, for
example, where each window includes two or more independently
controllable electrochromic devices or zones. In various
implementations, the network system 220 is operable to control the
electrical characteristics of the power signals provided to the
IGUs 222. For example, the network system 220 can generate and
communicate tinting instructions (also referred to herein as "tint
commands") to control voltages applied to the electrochromic
devices within the IGUs 222.
[0060] In some implementations, another function of the network
system 220 is to acquire status information from the IGUs 222
(hereinafter "information" is used interchangeably with "data").
For example, the status information for a given IGU can include an
identification of, or information about, a current tint state of
the electrochromic device(s) within the IGU. The network system 220
also can be operable to acquire data from various sensors, such as
temperature sensors, photosensors (also referred to herein as light
sensors), humidity sensors, air flow sensors, or occupancy sensors,
antennas, whether integrated on or within the IGUs 222 or located
at various other positions in, on or around the building.
[0061] The network system 220 can include any suitable number of
distributed controllers having various capabilities or functions.
In some implementations, the functions and arrangements of the
various controllers are defined hierarchically. For example, the
network system 220 includes a plurality of distributed window
controllers (WCs) 224, a plurality of network controllers (NCs)
226, and a master controller (MC) 228. In some implementations, the
MC 228 can communicate with and control tens or hundreds of NCs
226. In various implementations, the MC 228 issues high-level
instructions to the NCs 226 over one or more wired or wireless
links 246 (hereinafter collectively referred to as "link 246"). The
instructions can include, for example, tint commands for causing
transitions in the optical states of the IGUs 222 controlled by the
respective NCs 226. Each NC 226 can, in turn, communicate with and
control a number of WCs 224 over one or more wired or wireless
links 244 (hereinafter collectively referred to as "link 244"). For
example, each NC 226 can control tens or hundreds of the WCs 224.
Each WC 224 can, in turn, communicate with, drive or otherwise
control one or more respective IGUs 222 over one or more wired or
wireless links 242 (hereinafter collectively referred to as "link
242").
[0062] The MC 228 can issue communications including tint commands,
status request commands, data (for example, sensor data) request
commands or other instructions. In some implementations, the MC 228
can issue such communications periodically, at certain predefined
times of day (which may change based on the day of week or year),
or based on the detection of particular events, conditions or
combinations of events or conditions (for example, as determined by
acquired sensor data or based on the receipt of a request initiated
by a user or by an application or a combination of such sensor data
and such a request). In some implementations, when the MC 228
determines to cause a tint state change in a set of one or more
IGUs 222, the MC 228 generates or selects a tint value
corresponding to the desired tint state. In some implementations,
the set of IGUs 222 is associated with a first protocol identifier
(ID) (for example, a BACnet ID). The MC 228 then generates and
transmits a communication--referred to herein as a "primary tint
command"-- including the tint value and the first protocol ID over
the link 246 via a first communication protocol (for example, a
BACnet compatible protocol). In some implementations, the MC 228
addresses the primary tint command to the particular NC 226 that
controls the particular one or more WCs 224 that, in turn, controls
the set of IGUs 222 to be transitioned. The NC 226 receives the
primary tint command including the tint value and the first
protocol ID and maps the first protocol ID to one or more second
protocol IDs. In some implementations, each of the second protocol
IDs identifies a corresponding one of the WCs 224. The NC 226
subsequently transmits a secondary tint command including the tint
value to each of the identified WCs 224 over the link 244 via a
second communication protocol. In some implementations, each of the
WCs 224 that receives the secondary tint command then selects a
voltage or current profile from an internal memory based on the
tint value to drive its respectively connected IGUs 222 to a tint
state consistent with the tint value. Each of the WCs 224 then
generates and provides voltage or current signals over the link 242
to its respectively connected IGUs 222 to apply the voltage or
current profile.
[0063] Similarly to how the function and/or arrangement of
controllers may be arranged hierarchically, electrochromic windows
may be arranged in a hierarchical structure as shown in FIG. 3. A
hierarchical structure helps facilitate the control of
electrochromic windows at a particular site by allowing rules or
user control to be applied to various groupings of electrochromic
windows or IGUs. Further, for aesthetics, multiple contiguous
windows in a room or other site location must sometimes need to
have their optical states correspond and/or tint at the same rate.
Treating a group of contiguous windows as a zone can facilitate
these goals.
[0064] As suggested above, the various IGUs 222 may be grouped into
zones 303 of electrochromic windows, each of which zones 303
includes at least one window controller 224 and its respective IGUs
222. In some implementations, each zone of IGUs 222 is controlled
by one or more respective NCs 226 and one or more respective WCs
224 controlled by these NCs 226. In some more specific
implementations, each zone 303 can be controlled by a single NC 226
and two or more WCs 224 controlled by the single NC 226. Said
another way, a zone 303 can represent a logical grouping of the
IGUs 222. For example, each zone 303 may correspond to a set of
IGUs 222 in a specific location or area of the building that are
driven together based on their location. As a more specific
example, consider a site 301 that is a building having four faces
or sides: a North face, a South face, an East Face and a West Face.
Consider also that the building has ten floors. In such a didactic
example, each zone can correspond to the set of electrochromic
windows 200 on a particular floor and one of the four faces.
Additionally or alternatively, each zone 303 may correspond to a
set of IGUs 222 that share one or more physical characteristics
(for example, device parameters such as size or age). In some other
implementations, a zone 303 of IGUs 222 can be grouped based on one
or more non-physical characteristics such as, for example, a
security designation or a business hierarchy (for example, IGUs 222
bounding managers' offices can be grouped in one or more zones
while IGUs 222 bounding non-managers' offices can be grouped into
one or more different zones).
[0065] In some such implementations, each NC 226 can address all of
the IGUs 222 in each of one or more respective zones 303. For
example, the MC 228 can issue a primary tint command to the NC 226
that controls a target zone 303. The primary tint command can
include an abstract identification of the target zone ("zone ID").
In some such implementations, the zone ID can be a first protocol
ID such as that just described in the example above. In such cases,
the NC 226 receives the primary tint command including the tint
value and the zone ID and maps the zone ID to the second protocol
IDs associated with the WCs 224 within the zone. In some other
implementations, the zone ID can be a higher level abstraction than
the first protocol IDs. In such cases, the NC 226 can first map the
zone ID to one or more first protocol IDs, and subsequently map the
first protocol IDs to the second protocol IDs.
[0066] When instructions relating to the control of any device
(e.g., instructions for a window controller or an IGU) are passed
through a network system 220, they are accompanied with a unique
network ID of the device they are sent to. Networks IDs (or network
addresses) are necessary to ensure that instructions reach and are
carried out on the intended device. For example, a window
controller that controls the tint states of more than one IGU,
determines which IGU to control based upon a network ID such as a
CAN ID (a form of network ID) that is passed along with the tinting
command. In a window network such as those described herein, the
term network ID includes but is not limited to CAN IDs, and BACnet
IDs. Such network IDs may be applied to window network nodes such
as window controllers 224, network controllers 226 and, master
controllers 238. Often when described herein, a network ID for a
device includes the network ID of every device that controls it in
the hierarchical structure. For example, the network ID of an IGU
may include a window controller ID, a network controller ID, and a
master controller ID in addition to its CAN ID.
[0067] IV. Commissioning Challenges
[0068] A challenge presented by electrochromic window technology is
commissioning, or the process of associating network addresses with
physical locations of specific windows and/or their electrical
controllers (window controllers) within a building. In order for
electrochromic window tint controls to function properly (i.e., to
allow the window control system to change the tint state of one or
a set of specific windows or IGUs), a master controller (and/or
other controller responsible for tint decisions) may need to know
the network address of the window controller(s) connected to that
specific window or set of windows.
[0069] After a network of electrochromic windows is physically
installed, the network may need to be configured so that for each
window controller it knows both (i) the physical location of the
window controller or an associated window and (ii) the network
address of the window controller. In some cases, each window
controller may be assigned to a particular window, which may be
assigned to a particular location in the building. However, during
installation, it is common for a window controller and/or window to
be installed incorrectly causing it to operate unexpectedly, or not
at all. A typical installation procedure requires following a
schematic representing positions of windows in a building and a
table specifying installation locations of window controllers
identified by network addresses. A master controller uses this same
association for controlling the tinting of windows. During
installation, the schematic is not always followed accurately for
some of the reasons listed here: (a) an installer is unable to
locate a window controller with a specific network address at time
of installation; (b) a window controller with specific network
address has been installed at the wrong location by mistake; (c) a
window controller with a specific network address has been damaged;
(d) a window controller with a specific network address has been by
mistake cross-wired to nearby IGU; and (e) an error occurs in
transferring window controller locations from an architectural
drawing to the table of network addresses. These installation
errors lead to various problems during operation. For example, in
the case where a master controller issues a command using a network
address for a window controller to tint a window at the desired
location (per an installation schematic), an installation error may
cause an IGU at a different location to tint (if the window
controller has been installed at a wrong location) or an error to
be generated (if that specific network address is invalid). All of
these installation errors may cause the window network to
malfunction and can be difficult and time-consuming to address.
Various methods described herein overcome these mispairing and
installation issues.
[0070] V. Mapping Accomplished with Commissioning
[0071] Commissioning is the process that includes assigning the
unique network addresses (sometimes referred to as network IDs or
CAN IDs of the CAN bus system) of controllers and other devices in
an electrochromic window network, with their physical location
(sometimes referred to as physical addresses, location IDs, or LOC
IDs) in a building or site installation so that the control logic
of an electrochromic window network may operate properly. After
installation of a window network, a professional or other
installation technician may commission the window assemblies by
identifying each controller (e.g., each window controller) and
associating it with its physical location in the network. The
installation technician may utilize a program with a user interface
on an electric device such as a phone, tablet, computer, etc. to
help commission the windows. An application or program on the
electronic device may include a list, directory, and/or map of
every device in the network. An installation technician may
commission devices on a window network by initiating triggers and
observing corresponding responses to pair the network addresses of
each device to its physical location. In some cases, a trigger may
be associated with a physical location; for instance, a technician
may press a button on a window controller which sends a signal over
the network with the identification of the control and the window.
As a result of this signal, the identification of the triggered
window may pop up on the electronic device, allowing the technician
to associate the identification of the triggered window controller
with its physical location. Alternatively, in other embodiments, a
trigger may be associated with the network address of a component;
for example, a technician may issue a tint command to a device
having a particular network address. Having sent a tint command,
the tint state may be observed by the technician and the pairing
can be made the physical location associated with the network
address.
[0072] In some implementations where the program on the electronic
device generates (or otherwise utilizes) a map of the windows, this
association may be made in a graphical user interface (GUI), e.g.,
by dragging the triggered identification (e.g., the corresponding
network address or ID) onto the map at the appropriate location
where a response was observed, or by clicking the map at the
appropriate location where a trigger was initiated from (e.g., if
the window is triggered via a button). The map may be generated
through the mesh network techniques described herein in some
embodiments, or the map may be preloaded into the installation
technician's computing device using schematics of the installation
that are drawn up as part of the building plans, for example. After
a first window is associated with its physical location, the
installer can trigger additional windows and thereby pairing each
window identification to a physical location. Triggers and trigger
responses are further described below.
[0073] Commissioning may also include associating sensors and other
components with their appropriate electrochromic window network
components. For example, photosensors, temperature sensors, or
occupancy sensors may be associated with one or more window
controllers so that the system knows where the sensors are
gathering information from and which window controllers and windows
may make use of that information.
[0074] In some cases, commissioning may take place at the same time
when a structure is constructed. In other embodiments, the
installation may occur at a later date, e.g., a retrofit
application. In some embodiments, commissioning may be implemented
in stages, with each stage occurring after a new set of devices is
installed in the structure. For example, in a first phase, some
electrochromic windows may be installed on a south-facing side of
an existing building. These windows and their associated
controllers would be commissioned soon after installation. At a
later time, additional electrochromic windows and associated
controllers are installed on east and west facing sides of the
building. These new, later installed windows are then commissioned.
Even later, the windows on the north facing side of the building
are replaced with electrochromic windows and associated
controllers. At this point, a further phase of the commissioning is
performed. Perhaps, even later, more sensors, controllers, and or
other devices are installed in the building, and these are
thereafter commissioned as appropriate. In some embodiments, at any
event where commissioning is possible, the application presents a
notification through its user interface. The notification may be
followed by receipt of user instructions to initiate the
commissioning process.
[0075] Generally, electrochromic windows are installed as window
assemblies in which each assembly includes a window and its
associated window controller. Due to the proximity of the window
and the window controller within an assembly, the window assembly
may be considered as a single unit for commissioning purposes. In
such cases, the commissioning of windows, window controllers,
and/or window assemblies may refer to the same action, and these
terms may be used interchangeably herein. In some cases, a window
controller may control the tint state of more than one optically
switchable window near or adjacent to the controller. For example,
a window controller may have a series of ports (e.g., 2-6 ports)
each of which can be used to power a separate electrochromic
device. In cases where a window controller only operates windows in
unison, such that each the same tint state is applied to each
window, the controller and its associated windows may continue to
be considered as a single unit having a single network address that
is associated with a single location for commissioning purposes. In
other cases, a window controller may be configured to independently
each of its associated windows. For example, a window controller
having four ports may simultaneously have windows assigned to
different tint states (e.g., "tint1," "tint2," "tint3," and "tint
4"). In such cases commissioning may additionally include mapping
the physical location of each window to a port number of the
corresponding controller. Thus instructions sent to a window
controller for tinting windows would specify which port (or which
window) the tinting command should be applied to.
[0076] In some cases, commissioning allows for fingerprints, or
parameters such as voltage and current response, window drive and
control parameters, communications fidelity, window dimensions,
lite or device IDs, of windows, controllers, and sensors, may be
detected and cataloged by the network. Alternatively, fingerprints
may be taken during manufacturing and shared with the network
through wireless communication means, e.g., through the cloud, to
aid in the network installation process. In some cases,
fingerprints may be stored in a pigtail associated with an IGU, or
the electrical connection used to power an IGU, which may include a
memory component.
[0077] VI. Commissioning Mechanisms
[0078] Once the electrochromic window network is installed, a
glazier, low-voltage electrician, or other installation technician
may initiate the commissioning process. A simple commissioning
process 400 according to one embodiment is depicted in FIG. 4. An
initial phase of the commissioning involves inventorying (sometimes
called "discovering") the un-commissioned devices in a structure.
This is depicted in block 403 of FIG. 4. In typical embodiments,
the inventorying of devices involves executing a discovery routine
of an application that discovers networked devices that have not
yet been commissioned. The program used to discover the
un-commissioned devices may run on a network server, a remote
device, the cloud or some combination of these. Such program may
broadcast a discovery request over the network, to which the
un-commissioned devices are programmed to respond with certain
information about themselves. For example, the devices may respond
with their class or type and identification. The identification
should uniquely identify each device within a given class or types.
Examples of classes or types include an electrochromic window or
IGU class, a window controller class, a network controller class, a
temperature sensor class, a photosensor class, an occupancy sensor
class, a manual override switch class, etc.
[0079] In another embodiment, the discovery routine receives a
prepared list of the devices to be commissioned. The list may be
provided in the form of a table, spreadsheet, database view, etc.
Upon receipt of such list, the routine updates an internal list of
the available devices under its control.
[0080] Examples of ways commissioning can be done include the
following:
[0081] Method 1 (On-Site Group Creation):
[0082] (a) connect all devices and power up; each device identifies
itself by device class or type/ID etc. and is then added to the
list of that specific device type and can be seen on the user
interface.
[0083] (b) the user then creates groups via the user interface and
adds members by selecting them from the lists created in (a) using
drawings/graphics and/or documents containing the grouping
information. If needed, the user working with the user interface
can confirm that member is physically present in the group's domain
by sending a signal and observing the response.
[0084] Method 2 (Off-Site Group Creation):
[0085] (a) Import a list of all devices as well as groups and
possibly other information from a design document or file.
[0086] (b) After power-up, the presence of all elements is
confirmed (similar to Method 1 for example) and any missing or
additional elements are flagged on the application's user interface
and subsequently added or deleted by the user.
[0087] (c) If needed, the user can confirm that member is
physically present in the group's domain by sending a signal and
observing the response.
[0088] Each of the classes will have certain attributes associative
therewith. For example, a class for a photosensor may specify that
photosensor provides output in particular increments of foot-candle
illuminance. The class may also specify other attributes of the
device such as its dynamic range, its manufacturer, its model type,
etc. The class may additionally specify information such as a URL
or contact for maintenance and replacement details provided by
vendors, etc. Further information about classes is presented below
in a sample API for a window control application.
[0089] The inventorying process may also discover the location of
each device within the building. This may involve, for example,
uploading installation data specifying the location of each the
devices from the most recent installation. As an example, such
information may be provided in a spreadsheet, a table, or other
arrangement of text. As with the class and ID, the location
information may be stored at a location on the window network, on
the cloud, on remote devices, or any combination of these. Such
configuration information may be created or modified remotely from
the location where the devices are located. At an appropriate time,
the configuration information is downloaded or otherwise
transferred to the window network controller and/or window
application for the affected building. This allows the
configuration to be performed by an entity, such as a vendor of the
optically switchable windows, who does not have access to the
network of the building where the windows are installed.
[0090] Next, in process 400 of FIG. 4, the inventoried devices may
be grouped or zoned as indicated in a block 405, although in some
embodiments the inventoried devices need not be grouped. The
grouping may be facilitated using the user interface in a remote
user application, an application running on a network server, etc.
Using the graphical user interface of the window control
application, a user may add a new group, modify an existing group,
delete a group, combine two or more groups together, create a
hierarchy of groups, etc. The user interface makes available
through a display or other mechanism all the inventoried devices
available for grouping. With this interface, the user identifies
one or more devices for inclusion in a defined group.
[0091] Device groups may be created for various reasons. Often the
devices in a group have one or more attributes in common. In some
embodiments, a common attribute is a common location of the devices
in the group. In some embodiments, a user or a group of users may
be provided access to controlling devices in a group having a
common attribute. For example, in multi-tenant buildings tenants
may have control of a group corresponding to their portion of the
building but not other portions of the building. In some cases, a
group that reflects a tenant's space within a building may further
be sub-divided into subgroupings of devices within that space.
[0092] In many cases, grouping lowers implementation costs. For
example, all floors on the same side of the building may be able to
leverage a single photo sensor across one or multiple groups.
Additionally, grouping may reduce the burden (and reducing
complexities) on any upstream BMS system or manual override switch
since such entities need to only send commands for groups and not
all or some devices in the group.
[0093] Further, the grouping may be done in a hierarchical fashion.
In other words, a group may belong to higher level group; that is,
a low-level group may be a subset of the higher level group. As an
example, one group may be limited to optically switchable windows
on a north facing side of a building. This "north facing" group may
be contained within a higher level group that includes optically
switchable windows from all sides of the building, but does not
include windows from any other buildings. The "building" is in turn
contained within an even higher level group that includes multiple
building groups, which each may be part of a building complex, for
example. This design has the benefit of allowing the user of a
mobile application to quickly identify a problem with a device and
only after identifying that a problem exists, spending the effort
to determine exactly where the problem resides. For example, a
window network administrator for an entire complex of buildings may
be able view the device status for the entire super group of
devices within the complex.
[0094] Grouping is a logical abstraction of the physical network in
a window management strategy. It may be n-tier hierarchical, with
command-and-control information propagating top-down, and
state-and-status information propagating bottom-up.
[0095] It should be understood that grouping and modifying groups
may be performed outside the context of commissioning. Thus, while
a group or groups may be established during commissioning, such
group or groups may be modified or deleted long after commissioning
has been completed.
[0096] Finally, the commissioning process 400 is concluded with a
testing and validation phase 407. In this process, all of the
inventoried and grouped devices are tested to ensure that they are
working and that they are the devices they are shown to be in the
inventorying process. In one embodiment, testing and validation are
accomplished via a remote device which receives inputs from a user
moving around a building from device to device to check the
functioning of the devices, which are individually identified on
the user application. As part of the testing process, the
application may test or trigger individual windows or other devices
to determine whether they respond to manual commands issued through
the application. The application may also test to determine whether
particular sensors are operating as expected. For example, a
temperature sensor may be exposed to a heat source, and its output
as presented in the application is used to establish that the
sensor correctly shows an increasing temperature. If any devices
are found to be malfunctioning or to be misrepresented during the
testing and validation phase, such devices can be fixed, replaced,
and/or re-identified as appropriate. Commissioning devices on the
electrochromic window network in this manner confirms that the
unique network addresses of components in the electrochromic window
network are assigned to their respective physical locations in a
building, that the devices are functioning properly, and that
windows and their respective controllers and sensors are correctly
associated.
[0097] FIG. 5A is a flowchart depicting a method 500 for
commissioning a network of electrochromic windows according to
certain embodiments described herein. For example, after all the
IGUs have been installed and paired to an associated controller a
list of all window controllers (identified by their network IDs) is
created. This step is explained further below with reference to
FIGS. 5C-5E. After the list of window controllers is generated, an
individual window controller is triggered in operation 504. The
triggering may occur through any of the methods described herein.
This trigger, in some cases, causes the relevant window controller
to send a signal with the window controller's network ID. In
response, a user can associate the network ID of a triggered window
controller with the window's physical location in operation 506.
Triggers are further discussed below. Operations 504 and 506 are
further explained in the context of FIGS. 5F and 5G. At operation
560, it is determined whether there are additional windows to
commission. If there are additional windows to commission, the
method repeats from operation 504. The method is complete when all
of the windows are commissioned.
[0098] FIG. 5B presents a representation of the physical location
of five electrochromic windows installed on an East wall of a
building. The "LOC ID" refers to the location of the relevant
window, in this case labeled, arbitrarily, East1-East5. Additional
electrochromic windows may be provided elsewhere in the building.
The method of FIG. 5A, for example, as explained in relation to
FIGS. 5C-5G, may be performed on the set of windows shown in FIG.
5B.
[0099] FIG. 5C illustrates several steps that may be taken during
operation 504 of FIG. 5A. In this example, the network of
electrochromic windows includes a master controller (MC), two or
more network controllers (NC.sub.1-NC.sub.n), and several window
controllers (WC.sub.1-WC.sub.m). For the sake of clarity, only
information relevant to window controllers that operate under the
first network controller (NC.sub.1) is shown. The dotted lines
indicate that many other network controllers and window controllers
may be present. First, a user may initiate a command, via a user
application/program/etc., to cause the window controllers to be
discovered. The user application/program forwards this command to
the master controller. The master controller directs the network
controllers to discover the window controllers, and the network
controllers direct the window controllers to identify themselves.
In response, the window controllers report their network IDs to the
network controllers, which then report the network IDs of the
window and network controllers to the master controller, which
reports the network IDs of each controller in the window network to
the user application/program. The master controller and/or the user
application/program may aggregate this information to create the
list of all window controllers. This list may include information
detailing which window controllers are controlled by each network
controller. The list may also be provided as a chart that shows the
configuration of all the relevant controllers on the network, as
shown in FIG. 5D. The network representation shown in FIG. 5D may
appear on the graphical user interface in some cases.
[0100] FIG. 5E depicts an example of user interface features that
may be presented to a user after operation 504 is complete, and the
list of window controller IDs (e.g., each controller's network ID)
is created. On the upper portion of FIG. 5E, a map of the relevant
windows is shown. This map may be created by any means available,
and in some cases may be specifically programmed for each
installation. After operation 504, it is still not known where each
window is positioned. Thus, the map does not yet show the CAN ID
for any of the window controllers, but rather has empty fields that
will be populated with this information during the commissioning
process. On the bottom portion of FIG. 5E, a list of the window
controller IDs is provided. In some cases, this list may contain
the one or more LITE ID that may be associated with each
controller. After operation 504, all of the network IDs (the CAN
IDs) are generally known, but they have not yet been associated
with their physical positions (the LOC IDs). For this reason, the
bottom portion of FIG. 5E shows the CAN IDs (and in this particular
case, the corresponding LITE IDs) as populated, while the LOC IDs
are still blank. A similar list may be provided for each of the
different network controllers.
[0101] FIG. 5F is a flowchart that presents a method 550 for
performing operations 504 and 506 from FIG. 5A in more detail,
according to one embodiment. In FIG. 5F, the method begins at
operation 504, where a user triggers a window controller, thereby
causing it to send the window controller ID (e.g., the window
controller's network ID) to its associated network controller. The
network controller receives the signal with the window controller
ID, and sends the window controller ID to the master controller at
operation 552. Next, at operation 554, the master controller
receives the signal with the window controller ID, and sends the
window controller ID to a user application/program/etc. At
operation 556, the user application/program displays the window
controller ID for the triggered window. Next, at operation 558, the
user may associate the window ID of the triggered window with the
physical location of the window that was triggered. As described
more fully below, various techniques may be employed to detect the
physical location of a window controller having a known network
address. In one approach, from the list of discovered window
controllers for a specific network controller, the network issues a
tint command to a specific window controller (assuming all other
window controllers are in a clear state). The user may then walk
around and identify location(s) at which windows have tinted. At
this point, the network address of the window controller gets
associated with those window location(s). This process is repeated
till all window controllers are associated with window location
(s). In another approach, if window controllers are visible, a user
may select a window controller from a list of window controllers
for a specific network controller and then trigger an action at
that window controller. The user then walks around and identifies
the physical window location where the window controller light is
blinking (or other triggered action is observed). The user then
associates that specific location to the network address of the
window controller on which action was triggered. In a third
approach, when window controllers are accessible, a user goes to a
physical window location and triggers a signal through interaction
with the window controller (e.g., by pressing a button or
triggering a sensor). The master controller then indicates which
window controller was triggered and the user can associate it with
the physical window location(s).
[0102] The user may input the physical location and/or network
addresses learned by observing the behavior of windows or window
controllers. In one example, the user drags the window ID (e.g., a
window controller's network ID) displayed in operation 556 onto the
physical location of the triggered window as represented on the map
of windows. With reference to FIG. 5E, for instance, a particular
window ID (e.g., a CAN ID) may become bold or otherwise noticeable
in the user application/program in response to the window
controller being triggered. The user can see the bolded window ID
and then drag it onto the map at an appropriate location.
Conversely, the user may drag the relevant window from the map onto
the triggered window ID. Similarly, a user may click on the
triggered window ID and click on the relevant window from the map
to associate the two. Various methods may be used.
[0103] FIG. 5G depicts an example graphical user interface similar
to the one shown in FIG. 5E, after the window positioned at East5
has been identified and associated with its relevant window
ID/location. As shown in FIG. 5B, the window at East5 has WC.sub.1
installed thereon. Therefore, the CAN ID for WC.sub.1 (XXXX1) is
displayed below the window at the East5 location. In cases where a
window controller has been mapped with particular LITE IDs, the
corresponding LITE ID may also be shown as depicted. Similarly, as
shown in the bottom portion of FIG. 5G, the list of window
controller IDs now includes a LOC ID for WC.sub.1. The triggering
and location/ID association steps can be repeated until all of the
windows are identified and associated with their positions within
the building. The fact that WC.sub.1 was triggered first was chosen
merely for the sake of clarity in the figures. The window
controllers can be triggered in any order.
[0104] Returning to FIG. 5F, at operation 560 it is determined
whether there are any additional windows to commission. If not, the
method is complete. If there are additional windows to commission,
the method repeats on a different window starting at operation
504.
[0105] VII. Triggers and Responses: Electrochromic Window
Tinting
[0106] In order to commission electrochromic windows, glaziers,
low-voltage electricians, or other installation technicians must be
able to identify which windows respond which stimuli. Triggers are
manual or automatic inputs, commands, or other stimuli that are
received, detected, or processed by electrochromic window network
devices, e.g., windows, controllers, sensors, etc., that cause the
devices and/or their associated controller to respond in a manner
consistent with the trigger. By issuing triggers and observing
trigger responses, electrochromic window network devices may have
IDs (e.g., network IDs) and/or physical locations paired with them,
which may be a goal of the commissioning process. The association
of a network ID and/or position may render the devices ready for
use. Triggers and their responses may be carried over the network,
e.g., to a network controller and/or to other window controllers,
and may be used as steps in generating a map or directory of all
the devices on the network.
[0107] Commanding electrochromic windows to transition their
optical tint states, also sometimes called commissioning states
since they help in associating an electrochromic window with its
window controller, may be considered a first type of trigger, with
the response being the electrochromic windows transitioning their
optical tint states. Within this first type of trigger and
response, partial or full tint or transition commands and patterns
of tint states are contemplated.
[0108] FIG. 6A presents a flowchart for a method 600 for
commissioning electrochromic windows according to some
implementations. This example assumes that each window controller
controls a single associated electrochromic window (though this is
not always the case, as discussed further below). At operation 602,
a list of every window controller ID (e.g., every controller's
network address) is created either manually or automatically. In
some cases, the installed window controllers are polled to provide
their unique IDs and associated information. The results may be
provided in a database, spreadsheet, or table with location
information yet to be determined. By knowing the quantity and
unique identifiers for a number of window controllers associated
with a set of windows, each window also having a unique identifier,
methods described herein allow for identifying which window
controllers control which windows in the installation.
[0109] In some embodiments, during operation 602 physical
information about the IGUs (e.g. window size, aspect ratio, etc.)
may also be determined. This information may not be needed in the
commissioning processes, but may be useful for other aspects of the
window network such as creating a graphical user interface.
Determining this information may be done by reading the information
stored on the pigtail, or by associating the LITE ID label stored
on a pigtail with a database (on the local machine or cloud based,
for instance) which has the window information. This information
can speed up the IGU discovery process as described below.
[0110] Next, at operation 604, each window controller is instructed
to transition its associated window(s) to one of several
identifiable commissioning states. In some embodiments, a
commissioning state may be a single (relatively static) tint state.
For instance, tint states such as "tint1," "tint3," "tint 4," etc.
may each be used as commissioning states.
[0111] In some embodiments, one or more commissioning states may
relate to a (transitory) combination of two or more tint states.
When an optical transition is initiated on an EC device, the change
in optical state originates near the edges of the device, close to
the bus bars, then proceeds towards the center of the device. For
example, when an electrochromic window is instructed to switch from
clear to tinted, the edges of the device near the bus bars will
become tinted first, and the center region of the device will
become tinted last, as shown in FIG. 7, described further below.
The optical state of the device can be monitored throughout the
optical transition to provide information about both the starting
and ending optical states of the transition. The path-dependent
nature of the optical state of the device provides additional
information compared to a static tint state, and this additional
information can be used to further distinguish the windows from one
another. Once the windows have completed the transition and reached
steady state, the center-to-edge gradients disappear, and the
additional information related to the path-dependent nature of the
transition is lost. Thus, time-sensitive/transitory commissioning
states can be used, which will speed up the commissioning process
if the optical viewings can be done while the windows are in
transition. In certain embodiments, while the window is in
transition, the controller changes the voltage to reduce the
current down to approximately zero amps which "freezes" the visual
state of the window, substantially increasing the time that the
user has to view the windows in the time-sensitive/transitory
commissioning states.
[0112] In another embodiment, the number of distinguishable
commissioning states may be effectively increased by performing a
particular kind of transition after a tint state is reached. For
example, the speed at which a window clears (or tints) may
distinguish it from other windows that started at the same static
tint state. Two windows that were both fully tinted may be
distinguished if one is instructed to perform a fast clear and the
other is instructed to perform a slow clear (or no clear).
Essentially, the parameters used to define an optical transition
can be used in addition to the static tint states to more
effectively distinguish the windows from one another.
[0113] In certain embodiments, the user may be asked by the
algorithm whether they would prefer to use time
sensitive/transitory commissioning states. In certain embodiments
the use of time-sensitive/transitory commissioning states is
pre-defined. In certain embodiments the algorithm plans to use the
time sensitive/transitory commissioning states, but if the user is
not able to view the windows while they are in transition, and
certain time passes, the algorithm determines that the transition
is complete and options for selecting time sensitive/transitory
commissioning states may be disabled, and subsequent window
tinting/commissioning states are adjusted accordingly.
[0114] In an alternative embodiment, only one or a few window
controllers are instructed in each pass through the commissioning
process. Any number of different commissioning states can be used,
as long as they are readily distinguishable from one another (e.g.,
by human eye, or by a detector or camera). In one example, three
different tint states are used for the commissioning states: (1)
clear, (2) moderately tinted, and (3) fully tinted. A non-limiting
example of three tint states would be: (1) between about 50% and
about 70% transmission, (2) between about 6% and about 30%
transmission and (3) between about 0.5% and about 2% transmission.
In another example, four different tint states (e.g., tint 1-4) are
used as the commissioning states: (1) clear, (2) slightly tinted,
(3) moderately tinted, and (4) fully tinted. A non-limiting example
of four tint states would be: (1) between about 50% and about 70%
transmission, (2) between about 20% and about 40% transmission, (3)
between about 6% and about 15% transmission and (4) between about
0.5% and about 2% transmission. As used herein, the terms "tint0,"
"tint1," etc. can correspond to any desired tint states, as long as
the electrochromic windows are capable of achieving such states and
the states are distinguishable, either by the human eye or by a
detector, e.g., a photometer, light sensor and the like. In cases
where the windows transition between states other than clear and
tinted (e.g., where the window transitions between being reflective
and non-reflective, etc.) these states may be used in place of tint
states.
[0115] During operation 604, the instructions should differ between
individual window controllers to the extent possible based on the
number of distinguishable commissioning states available. For
example, where a network includes 3 electrochromic windows (and
associated window controllers), each capable of transitioning to 3
distinguishable commissioning states (referred to as tint1, tint2,
and tint3), operation 604 may involve instructing the first window
controller to transition its associated window to tint1,
instructing the second window controller to transition its
associated window to tint2, and instructing the third window
controller to transition its associated window to tint3. These
instructions may be made simultaneously such that the windows tint
(or clear) simultaneously. When relatively few unique commissioning
states or other indicia are employed, a correspondingly low number
of windows may be triggered in any given pass through the
commissioning procedure (e.g., operations 604, 606, and 608),
though this is not always the case. For example, for bi-state
electrochromic windows having only two states, a clear and a tinted
state, several iterations of 604 and 606 may be performed in order
to identify individual windows using the iterative tint patterns
(e.g., using deconvolution methods). If other window controllers
must be located, these may be handled in subsequent iterations or
they may be located at the same time as the initial window
controllers, but using more sophisticated tinting/commissioning
instructions as described below. Even if few commissioning states
or other indicia are used, all of the windows may be simultaneously
tinted, with additional iterations being used to eventually
distinguish all the window controllers from one another, as
described herein.
[0116] Next, at operation 606, the commissioning state of each
window is recorded. This may be done manually or electronically. In
some cases, a commissioning program (which may run on an electronic
device such as a computer, tablet, smartphone, etc.) may be used.
Details related to such a program are discussed further herein. In
cases where the commissioning states are all static tint states,
the recording may be done after the transitions are complete. In
cases where one or more commissioning states relates to a
transitory combination of starting optical state and ending optical
state (e.g., as described in relation to FIG. 7, below), the
recording may (also) be done while the transitions are ongoing
(e.g., to glean the additional path-dependent information mentioned
herein).
[0117] At operation 608, it is determined whether the windows are
identifiable as being associated with a particular controller, for
example, based on the instructions sent in operation 604 and the
commissioning states recorded in operation 606. If the relationship
between each window and its associated window controller is
identifiable, the method continues with operation 610, described
further below. If the relationships between the windows and their
associated controllers is not yet identifiable (e.g., where there
are multiple windows that have received the same series of
commissioning states, and where such windows are not controlled by
the same window controller), the method repeats starting with
operation 604 where the window controllers are instructed to
transition their associated windows to another identifiable
commissioning state.
[0118] Whether or not the windows are identifiable with their
associated window controllers depends on the number of windows
being commissioned and the number of distinguishable commissioning
states available. In the example above with 3 windows and 3
distinguishable tint states (used as the commissioning states),
only one iteration of operations 604/606 may be used. In a similar
example with 6 windows and 3 identifiable tint states (used as the
commissioning states), two iterations of operations 604/606 may be
used. The minimum number of iterations of operations 604/606 may be
calculated as follows:
Minimum Iterations = ( ln ( N w ) ln ( t levels ) ) rounded up to
the next integer Equation 1 ##EQU00001##
Where:
[0119] N.sub.w=the number of windows being analyzed, and
t.sub.levels=the number of distinguishable tint or commissioning
states available
[0120] In another example, a network includes 90 electrochromic
windows capable of four distinguishable commissioning states. In
this case, the minimum number of iterations for uniquely
identifying the windows is (ln(90)/ln(4))=3.2, which rounds up to
4.
[0121] Similarly, the maximum number of windows that can be
analyzed in a given number of steps using a given number of
distinguishable commissioning states may be calculated as
follows:
Maximum Number of Windows Analyzed=t.sub.levelssteps Equation
2:
Where:
[0122] t.sub.levels=the number of distinguishable commissioning
states available, and steps=the number of commissioning state
instruction/recordation iterations
[0123] For example, where 3 distinguishable commissioning states
are available and 4 iterations are performed, the maximum number of
windows that can be simultaneously analyzed and commissioned is
3.sup.4=81. In some cases, it may be beneficial to ensure that each
window receives at least one command to tint the window to some
degree. In other words, it may be beneficial to ensure that no
single window receives only tint state instructions that cause it
to clear. In this way, the commissioning process may double as a
testing procedure to ensure that all of the electrochromic windows
are functioning. In such cases, the maximum number of windows
analyzed may be one less than the number calculated above (to
exclude the "nothing but clear tint states" pattern).
[0124] At operation 610, the window controllers are associated with
the windows/locations based on the pattern of commissioning state
instructions sent during operation 604 and the commissioning states
observed/recorded in operation 606. For example, a particular
controller that instructed its associated window to transition (in
order) to tint4/tint1/tint 4 can be matched with the
window/location where such a pattern of tint states/commissioning
states was observed. This association is described in further
detail in relation to FIG. 6B.
[0125] FIG. 6B illustrates three iterations of operations 604/606
from FIG. 6A in the context of a curtain wall having 6 rows (1-6)
and 6 columns (A-F) of electrochromic windows, for 36 total
windows. In this example, four distinguishable tint states are
used, labeled 1-4. As such, the minimum number of iterations is
(ln(36)/ln(4))=2.6, which rounds up to 3.
[0126] In the first iteration (labeled Tint Step 1), each of the
window controllers instructs its associated window to transition to
one of the 4 distinguishable tint states, as shown. As shown in
FIG. 6B, window A1 transitions to tint state 1, for example, while
window E2 transitions to tint state 2. The actual assignment of
tint states to windows does not matter as long as the pattern of
tint states (or other commissioning states) used over the course of
the method allows for the relationships between the windows and
their associated window controllers to be identified.
[0127] In the second iteration (labeled Tint Step 2), each of the
window controllers instructs its associated window to transition to
one of the 4 distinguishable tint states, where the set of
instructions provided in the second iteration differs from the set
of instructions provided in the first iteration. Some windows may
receive the same tint command in the second iteration as the first
iteration. However, at least some of the windows will receive an
instruction to transition the window to a different tint state in
the second iteration compared to the first iteration. For example,
window A1 is instructed to transition to tint1 in the first
iteration and tint2 in the second iteration, while window E2 is
instructed to transition to tint2 in both the first and second
iteration. After the second iteration, many of the windows can be
distinguished from one another, but not all of the windows can be
uniquely identified. For example, windows A1 and A5 are both at
tint1 during the first iteration and tint2 during the second
iteration. Thus, a third iteration may be used.
[0128] In the third iteration (labeled Tint Step 3), each of the
window controllers instructs its associated window to transition to
one of the 4 distinguishable tint states, where the set of
instructions provided in the third iteration differs from the set
of instructions provided in the first and second iterations. This
third iteration, in combination with the first two, allows for all
of the windows to be uniquely identified. For example, windows A1
and A5 can now be distinguished because window A1 is at tint4 and
window A5 is at tint3. The sequence of tint states (or other
optical states) experienced by an electrochromic window during this
commissioning process may be referred to as the tint pattern for
the electrochromic window.
[0129] In another example, each window or window controller being
commissioned may be assigned a distinct number, and a series of
commissioning states unique to the window or window controller may
be defined for each window or window controller. The series of
commissioning states may be defined based on the assigned number,
or it may be randomly generated. This embodiment is discussed
further in the context of FIGS. 6C-6E. Although the electrochromic
windows are divided into four different groups in the example of
FIGS. 6C-6E, such grouping is not necessary. In some embodiments,
the method described in relation to FIGS. 6C-6E may be performed on
an entire group of windows, without any need to divide the windows
into sub-groups. The group may include all of the electrochromic
windows being commissioned. In such embodiments, the method is
essentially the same as described in relation to FIGS. 6C-6E,
except no sub-groups are defined, and the number assigned to each
window or window controller is unique (i.e., the numbers do not
repeat between different sub-groups, as there are no
sub-groups).
[0130] The examples described in relation to FIGS. 6A and 6B assume
that each window controller controls a single associated
electrochromic window. However, this is not always the case. In
some installations, a single window controller may control more
than one electrochromic window. For example, two, three, four, or
more electrochromic windows may be controlled by a single window
controller. The windows controlled by a single window controller
may exhibit the same tinting behavior, since the window controller
may provide a single set of instructions that is applied to each of
the associated electrochromic windows, although this is not always
the case. When this is the case, it may not be possible to uniquely
identify each of the electrochromic windows based solely on the
displayed tint patterns (e.g., because the windows associated with
a particular controller may always display the same tint
state/behavior). However, the relationship between each window
controller and each of its associated electrochromic windows can
still be identified.
[0131] In one example, a set of 16 electrochromic windows is
controlled by 4 window controllers that each control 4 associated
electrochromic windows. By following the methods described herein
(e.g., the method of FIG. 6A, or another method described herein),
it can be determined which windows are associated with each window
controller. For example, if two distinguishable optical states are
available, it would take two iterations of the method of FIG. 6A to
determine which window controller each electrochromic window is
associated with. Instead of repeating the method until each
individual window is uniquely identifiable, the method is repeated
until the relationship between each window and an associated window
controller is identifiable.
[0132] Where individual window controllers are associated with
multiple electrochromic windows, the methods are essentially the
same as those described above, except that at the end of the
method, the windows controlled by the same window controller may
not be distinguishable from one another. Since all of these windows
are controlled by the same window controller, it is not necessary
to make any further distinction between the electrochromic
windows.
[0133] In certain implementations where a single window controller
controls multiple associated electrochromic windows, the
program/application used to facilitate the commissioning process
may be configured to allow several electrochromic windows to be
associated with a single window controller. By contrast, in cases
where only a single electrochromic window is associated with each
window controller, this same condition may be treated as a user
entry error (e.g., the program may determine that a user has made
an error when entering the optical states of the windows if two
windows show the same series of tint states). In some embodiments,
if it is determined that two or more electrochromic windows have
displayed the same series of tint states, the program/application
may prompt the user to confirm that the relevant windows are
controlled by the same window controller. Similarly, the
program/application may provide the user with the opportunity to
correct their tint state entries, and/or provide the user with the
opportunity to observe an additional transition for the relevant
windows to determine whether or not the windows are indeed
associated with a single window controller.
[0134] Returning to the embodiment of FIG. 7, some additional
context will be provided. FIG. 7 illustrates four windows (W1-W4)
which are each capable of achieving two distinct tint states (clear
and tinted), but more than two distinct commissioning states.
During commissioning, each window experiences three commissioning
states after an initial starting state. At the initial starting
state (row 1 in FIG. 7), each of the windows is in a clear state.
At the first commissioning state (row 2), windows W1 and W2 are
tinted and windows W3 and W4 are clear. The second commissioning
state (row 3) is measured and recorded during a time when windows
W2 and W4 are actively transitioning. At this time, window W1
remains tinted, window W2 is transitioning from tinted to clear
(which is apparent because the edges are lighter than the center of
the device), window W3 remains clear, and window W4 is
transitioning from clear to tinted (apparent because the edges are
darker than the center of the device). Further, at this time, all
four windows W1-W4 can be uniquely identified based on the instant
commissioning states, even though the windows used only two static
tint states, which typically would have allowed unique
identification of only two windows (unless or until additional
tinting instructions are provided). The use of dynamic/transitory
tint states as commissioning states can significantly increase the
number of windows that can be simultaneously commissioned with a
given number of tinting instructions.
[0135] If the user views the windows while the windows are in the
second commissioning state (row 3 of FIG. 7), viewing the windows
in the first or third commissioning states is not required. This is
because, as noted above, the windows are uniquely identifiable when
in the second commissioning state, which allows for the association
between each window and its associated window controller to be
identified. However, in case the user is unable to complete
observations of all the windows while the windows are in the second
commissioning state (e.g., due to the transitory nature of certain
commissioning states), he/she can still view the third
commissioning state and gain information about the window
identification. In some embodiments, the commissioning method may
involve dynamically adjusting the next commissioning state for each
window (or a subset of the windows) based on the results
obtained/recorded during an initial part of the commissioning
method. For example, if a transitory commissioning state was
planned for/executed, but the user was not able to view or record
the transitory commissioning state for one or more of the windows,
the information related to the unrecorded transitory commissioning
state is lost. In response, the next set of instructions for
tinting the windows may be modified to enable the optimal
identification of all windows based on the all the information
available at that point in time.
[0136] The third commissioning state (row 4) is recorded after the
optical transition is complete. At this time, window W1 is still
tinted, window W2 is clear, window W3 is still clear, and window W4
is tinted. Each window has experienced a unique combination of
commissioning states, and as such, the relationships between each
window and its associated window controller can be identified.
However, as mentioned above, it may not be necessary to wait until
this third commissioning state is achieved, at least because the
relationship between each window and its associated window
controller can be determined solely based on the second
commissioning state for this example.
[0137] In certain embodiments, the size and aspect ratio of the
windows can be used to identify the windows and divide them into
sub-groups. Dividing the windows into sub-groups may be useful
since it potentially can reduce the number of iterations required
to identify the relationship between each window and its associated
window controller. With reference to Equation 1 above, N.sub.w may
refer to the number of windows in the largest sub-group rather than
the number of windows in the full facade. The number of sub-groups
(and relatedly, the number of windows in each sub-group) can be
decided before the IGU identification process starts. A
non-limiting example could be to define the sub-groups as windows
with Area <10 ft.sup.2 (small windows), 10 ft.sup.2<Area
<30 ft.sup.2 (Med windows), and Area >30 ft.sup.2 (large
windows). Another non-limiting example could be to define the
sub-groups based on the aspect ratio of the individual windows,
with aspect ratio <1.1 ("square" windows), and aspect ratio
>1.2 ("rectangular" windows). Another example could be to define
the sub-groups based on size and aspect ratio, e.g., small square,
small rectangle, medium square, medium rectangle, etc. The binning
thresholds for size, aspect ratio (or other features) can be
determined based on the window sizes present in the specific facade
being commissioned. For instance, for a facade with a mix of 10-12
ft.sup.2 and 28-30 ft.sup.2 windows the threshold between small and
medium size windows could be set at 15 ft.sup.2. The sub-grouping
rules should be chosen to minimize the number of windows in the
largest sub-group (i.e., N.sub.w), not necessarily try to divide
the windows into the most uniform sub-groups. For example, if there
are 60 windows in a facade and 3 commissioning states are possible,
it is beneficial to divide the facade into a grouping of say {27,
27, 6} instead of say {30, 15,15}, as the first grouping scheme
will now require one less tint iteration to identify the
windows.
[0138] As mentioned, the windows may be split into groups or zones
of windows, with a different tint pattern (or other series of
commissioning states) sent to each window in the group. In some
cases, the window controllers/windows may be initially mapped to
their desired locations, though such mapping may be unconfirmed in
practice. In other words, an installer may have a map of where each
window controller/window should be, but this map may not correspond
to where the window controllers/windows were actually installed.
The mapping is not required. The windows may be provided in a
curtain window/facade in some cases. The grouping may be determined
based on a perceived potential for mis-wiring in some cases. For
example, if it is assumed that the windows are no more than 1
position away (e.g., in a row or column) in any direction from
their mapped locations, the windows may be divided into subsets of
3.times.3 windows (9 windows in each group). If it is assumed that
the windows are no more than 2 positions away from their mapped
locations, the windows may be divided into subsets of 5.times.5
windows (25 windows in each group). If it is assumed that the
windows may be more than 2 positions away, larger groups of windows
may be used.
[0139] In certain embodiments, within each group of windows/window
controllers, the windows or window controllers may be assigned a
distinct number (e.g., window 0, window 1 . . . window N-1, where N
is the number of windows in the group). As mentioned above, this
embodiment may also be practiced on a single large group of windows
that is not split into smaller sub-groups. FIG. 6C presents one
example of a 6.times.6 facade of windows (36 total windows) that is
divided into four groups of 3.times.3 windows (9 windows in each
group). FIG. 6D illustrates the numbers that are assigned within
each group. The patterns (e.g., number assignments) within each
group are chosen to prevent aliasing across different rows/columns
between groups. Because each group includes 9 windows, the windows
(or window controllers) in each group are assigned a number between
0-8, as shown in FIG. 6D. The number assigned to each window (or
window controller) corresponds to a particular tint pattern (or
other series of commissioning states). The tint pattern (or other
series of commissioning states) for a particular number may be
randomly generated, or it may be generated based on a particular
method. In one example, the number assigned to an individual window
(or window controller) is mapped to a tint pattern based solely on
the window number (or window controller number). For instance,
assuming that three distinguishable tint states (or other
commissioning states) are available, the number may be converted
into base three. The resulting converted number may be directly
mapped to the available tint states (or other commissioning
states). In some cases, each digit in the converted number may
represent a tint state (or other commissioning state) that the
window is instructed to achieve, with the tint states (or other
commissioning states) being achieved in the order of the digits.
The tint pattern (or other series of commissioning states) for a
particular window is therefore defined by the converted number. In
cases where the converted number has fewer digits than other
converted numbers, additional zeros may be provided before the
first digit (see windows A1-C1 in FIG. 6E, for example).
[0140] FIG. 6E presents the window facade of FIGS. 6C and 6D, with
the window number from FIG. 6D converted into base 3. Each digit in
the converted number corresponds to a tint state, with 0 being
tint0, 1 being tint1, and 2 being tint2. Transitory commissioning
states (e.g., as described in relation to FIG. 7) are not used in
this example, though they could be. In this embodiment, window A1
is designated "00" and therefore the tint pattern displayed on this
window will be tint0, followed by tint0 (there may or may not be a
clear between these). Window A2 is designated "10" and therefore
the tint pattern displayed on this window will be tint1, followed
by tint0. The tint1 state corresponds to the first digit (1), and
the tint0 state corresponds to the second digit (0). Similarly,
window C3 is designated "22" and the tint pattern displayed on this
window will be tint2, followed by tint2. As noted, the patterns may
also be randomly generated, so long as it can be determined which
window controller is sending which pattern of tint states. Each set
of tint states (or other commissioning states) among the windows
may be recorded for the purpose of matching up the window pattern
instructions with the observed tint states/commissioning states. In
some cases, a program may be used to verify whether each window
controller lines up with its expected position. The program may
compare the instructions sent by each window to the observed series
of commissioning states to identify any mismatched window
controllers. In some cases, the windows may have no expected
position, and the method may be repeated as many times as needed to
distinguish the various windows. If there is any doubt about the
location of a window controller or set of window controllers after
the tint patterns are recorded (e.g., if it is necessary to
distinguish between similarly numbered windows/window controllers,
for example, the window controllers associated with windows A1 and
F3, which will display the same tint pattern as shown in FIG. 6E),
the method can be repeated using the subset of windows to be
distinguished.
[0141] One with skill in the art will appreciate that the
commissioning methods described above may begin commissioning
electrochromic windows in any tint or commissioning state, from
fully tinted or colored to completely clear or bleached, if so
desired. If electrochromic windows arrive at a destination from a
manufacturer in a clear tint state, for example, then
electrochromic windows wishing to begin in a particular non-clear
tint or commissioning state must first be driven to that state. If
it is desired that IGUs arrive at a destination in a clear or
bleached tint state, pigtail caps, such as those developed by View,
Inc. of Milpitas, Calif., may be used. Pigtail caps protect IGU
pigtail wiring and drain current from IGUs during transit from a
manufacturer to an installation site, ensuring that IGUs arrive at
a destination in a clear or bleached tint state.
[0142] VIII. Triggers and Responses: Non-tinting Actions
[0143] Triggers that do not cause electrochromic windows to
transition their optical tint states may be considered a second
type of triggers. Examples of non-tinting triggers that may be used
to acquire an ID (e.g., a network address) or a position include
shining a light or laser on a sensor, activating a motion or
occupancy sensor, activating a temperature/heat sensor, activating
an acoustic sensor, activating a sensor via magnetism, and pressing
a button or switch. Examples of non-tinting responses that may be
used to determine the location of a device include emission of
optical signals (e.g., light or LED patterns), emission of
electromagnetic signals (e.g., UWB signals that may be used for
geolocation), and emission of audible signals.
[0144] In some implementations, IGUs include a light sensor that
can be triggered via a laser pointer or other shining light. An
installer can shine the laser pointer on the sensor of the IGU to
cause the IGU to respond by sending a signal to the network with
the IGU's and/or its associated controller's identification.
Because the installer knows where the laser pointer is being
pointed, this allows for a relatively easy way to associate each
IGU with its physical location. This laser pointer method is highly
reliable, and can be used to identify large numbers of windows,
even when provided in a curtain wall with many adjacent IGUs. In
another example, the IGUs include a light sensor, motion sensor,
occupancy sensor, etc. that can be triggered by blocking or
disrupting the sensor, e.g., waving at the sensor, covering the
sensor, etc. In another example, the IGUs include a magnetic field
sensor that can be triggered by placing a magnet near the sensor.
In yet another example, the IGUs include an acoustic sensor that
can be triggered by producing an acoustic signature such as an
audible command from a technician. In yet another example, the IGUs
include a button or switch that can be manually activated to cause
the IGU to send a signal to the network. In another example, the
IGUs include a temperature and/or heat sensor that can be triggered
by aiming a focused heat source, e.g., a heat gun, at the sensor.
The temperature/heat sensor can, for example, be located within or
on the IGU, e.g., as part of an onboard controller. Regardless of
the type of trigger used, this feature may enable an easy
configuration process for commissioning several electrochromic
windows on a network.
[0145] Sensor(s) used for triggering the IGUs may be positioned
anywhere on the IGUs, e.g., on a pane (e.g., on S1, S2, S3, S4, S5,
S6, etc.), on a frame or other component in which the IGU is
installed, proximate the IGU on a wall, etc. In various cases, the
sensor(s) used for triggering the IGUs may be positioned on the
inbound surface of the most inbound pane (e.g., S4 on a two pane
IGU, or S6 on a three pane IGU, or S2 of an electrochromic window
having only a single pane). In cases where the sensor is a
temperature sensor, the sensor may be unidirectional (sensing heat
from one direction) and, e.g., only sensing a temperature/heat
signal from within the building. In other cases the sensor may be
omnidirectional (or may have both unidirectional and
omnidirectional modes). The temperature sensor may be an infrared
sensor, as used in a remote control device, such as a television
remote. The positioning of the temperature sensor (or other sensor)
can be within or on an onboard controller, or not. While various
commissioning methods described herein are described in the context
of an IGU, it is understood that other types of windows can utilize
these same methods. For example, a temperature sensor (or any other
sensor that may be triggered) may be located on an electrochromic
window having a laminate structure, the sensor optionally being
part of a controller, e.g., an on-glass controller, or not.
[0146] In some implementations, each IGU may be triggered over the
network, e.g., by an installation technician issuing a command
through an electronic device and/or application to an
electrochromic window and its respective controller, which may
cause a component on the IGU to respond by notifying an
installer/user that it has been triggered. In one example, each IGU
may include a light (e.g., an LED or other light) that can be
activated. A signal can be sent over the network to trigger a
relevant IGU or window controller, which then causes the light on
the relevant IGU to be turned on in response (or off, or blink, or
blink in a certain pattern, etc.). An installer/user can then
identify the relevant IGU by seeing which IGU has the triggered
light or light pattern. Based on this process and information, the
installer/user can associate each IGU/controller with its physical
location and identification.
[0147] In one example, each controller is instructed to display a
unique light pattern such that all of the windows on the network
(or in some cases, a subset thereof) can be simultaneously
triggered and observed. The light patterns can be distinguished
from one another based on the frequency of light pulses, the
duration of light pulses, the time between light pulses, the
brightness of light pulses, etc. The light patterns may have
certain characteristics that make them easier to detect. For
instance, each "on" and/or "off" of the pattern may be a minimum
duration that allows for the "on" or "off" to be detected by a
camera or other detection device. In some cases, this minimum
duration may be about 50 ms, which may be sufficient for a 60 Hz
camera to pick up 3 frames.
[0148] In one example, the light patterns are configured to display
information in binary (e.g., light off=0, light on=1). This
technique may be used to encode any information about the
window/window controller, including the relevant IDs for these
components.
[0149] In some cases, the light patterns may repeat until
instructed to stop, allowing sufficient time for an installer to
observe and record the light patterns. Such recordation may occur
manually, though in various cases it may be done using an
electronic application that may be configured to detect and record
the light patterns. The light patterns may each begin with a
uniform "starting sequence" and/or end with a uniform "ending
sequence" that may be used to determine the starting and/or ending
points of a light pattern. The light patterns may have the same
duration between different windows, such that all the light
patterns repeat at the same frequency. In other cases, the light
patterns may have different durations, and may repeat at the same
or different frequencies.
[0150] The light may be provided anywhere on the window, so long as
it is detectable in some fashion and is capable of receiving power.
In one example, an LED is provided between the panes of an IGU, and
may be flush with a spacer. The light may also be provided on one
of the panes, outside of the interior region of the IGU. The light
may be provided within the viewable area of the IGU. In various
cases, the light may be flush with the spacer, as mentioned, to
minimize the visual distraction associated with the light. The
light may emit visible light or non-visible (e.g., IR-wavelength)
light. In cases where the light is non-visible to human eyes, a
detector may be used to observe and record the light patterns.
[0151] The LED may be electrically connected with a window
controller using any of the electrical connections described
herein. The LED may also be self-powered, for example with a
battery or any of the other self-powering options described herein.
In some cases, the LED may be electrically connected to or with a
pigtail attached to the IGU, where the pigtail is used to provide
power to the IGU.
[0152] Once the light patterns are recorded, it can be determined
which window controller is connected to which electrochromic
window, and where each electrochromic window is located. This
determination may be made by comparing the instructions sent by
each window controller to the observed light patterns on the
various electrochromic windows. In various cases, the comparison
and association is performed by a program or application (which may
be operated by an installer). Moreover, if any of the LEDs fail to
display a light pattern, the associated windows can be flagged as
potentially being mis-wired or otherwise faulty. One advantage of
the LED commissioning method is that LEDs are relatively
inexpensive. Another advantage is that the identifications can be
made very quickly, as there is no need to wait for the
electrochromic windows to perform any optical transitions.
[0153] In some implementations, IGUs that are triggered over the
network may respond audibly. For example, a window controller may
be equipped with speaker that produces an audible signature which
may be used to determine its location. In some cases, an audible
signature is the range of about 20 Hz to about 20 kHz and may be
heard by a technician who may determine the location of a device.
In some cases, an audible signature may have a frequency greater
than about 20 kHz and may be recorded a detector such as a
high-frequency microphone. In some cases, a triggered IGU may
respond by emitting an RF, UWB, Bluetooth, or another wireless
electromagnetic signal. The location of the emitted signal may be
determined based the strength of the emitted signal and/or
triangulation and geopositioning methods described in more detail
elsewhere herein.
[0154] IX. Detecting Responses
[0155] As described, installation technicians, related
professionals or users, and cameras or other detection devices can
detect the trigger responses of electrochromic windows or other
electrochromic window network devices for commissioning
purposes.
[0156] Installers or detection devices (e.g., cameras, microphones,
etc.) can view the triggered response of an electrochromic window
network device and associate the physical location of the triggered
device with its network address or ID, e.g., on an application on
an electric device. Cameras or other detection devices may
similarly send electrochromic window network device response
detection data to the network or an installation technician for
processing, e.g., associating the physical location of the
triggered device with its network address or ID.
[0157] Furthermore, detecting responses may also be done by the
network. For example, when devices are triggered, responses may be
sent as information to the network for processing for commissioning
or other purposes, as is the case when a light or laser pointer is
shined on a sensor of an IGU.
[0158] Antennas may also play a role in detecting trigger
responses. Antennas may be incorporated into IGUs, e.g., patterned
onto a lite of an electrochromic window or an associated IGU
component, or be located in the vicinity of IGUs to receive and
locate communications from window controllers and their
electrochromic windows triggered for commissioning, e.g., during
auto-commissioning, described below.
[0159] X. Automated Commissioning: Mesh Networks
[0160] In some implementations, an electrochromic window network
may have its commissioning process or part of the commissioning
process automated or provided for during mandatory installation
steps.
[0161] In some implementations, the electrochromic window
controllers are provided in a network such as a self-meshing,
self-healing communications network, in which the window
controllers recognize one another based on sensed and/or programmed
inputs when the electrochromic windows are first installed and
turned on. One or more of the controllers, e.g., a master
controller, may develop a map of the windows based on the
self-meshing network and the information provided by the sensed and
programmed inputs. In other words, the system may "self-virtualize"
by creating a model of where each window is in relation to the
other windows, and optionally in relation to a global position
(e.g., a GPS location). In this way, installation and control of
the windows is simplified, because the windows themselves do much
of the work in figuring out where they are positioned and how they
are oriented. There is little or no need to individually program
the location and orientation of each window. In this way, the
network discovers the physical location of devices on the network,
either with respect to other devices or in absolute physical
location, e.g., a GPS location, and pairs them with their network
addresses.
[0162] XI. Automated Commissioning: Ultra-Wideband Protocol
[0163] In some embodiments, window location determination is
automated after installation. Window controllers, and in some
instances windows configured with antennas and/or onboard
controllers, may be configured with a transmitter to communicate
via various forms of wireless electromagnetic transmission; e.g.,
time-varying electromagnetic fields. Common wireless protocols used
for electromagnetic communication include, but are not limited to,
Bluetooth, BLE, Wi-Fi, RF, and ultra-wideband (UWB). The relative
location between two or more devices may be determined from
information relating to received transmissions at one or more
antennas such as the received strength or power, time of arrival or
phase, frequency, and angle of arrival of wirelessly transmitted
signals. When determining a device's location from these metrics, a
triangulation algorithm may be implemented that in some instances
accounts for the physical layout of a building, e.g., walls and
furniture. Ultimately, an accurate location of individual window
network components can be obtained using such technologies. For
example, the location of a window controller having a UWB
micro-location chip can be easily determined to within 10
centimeters of its actual location. In some instances, the location
of one or more windows may be determined using geo-positioning
methods such as those described in U.S. Patent Application No.
62/340,936, filed on May 24, 2016 titled "WINDOW ANTENNAS," which
is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. As used
herein, geo-positioning and geolocation may refer to any method in
which the position or relative position of a window or device is
determined in part by analysis of electromagnetic signals.
[0164] Pulse-based ultra-wideband (UWB) technology (ECMA-368 and
ECMA-369) is a wireless technology for transmitting large amounts
of data at low power (typically less than 0.5 mW) over short
distances (up to 230 feet). A characteristic of a UWB signal is
that it occupies at least 500 MHz of bandwidth spectrum or at least
20% of its center frequency. According to the UWB protocol, a
component broadcasts digital signal pulses that are timed very
precisely on a carrier signal across a number of frequency channels
at the same time. Information may be transmitted by modulating the
timing or positioning of pulses. Alternatively, information may be
transmitted by encoding the polarity of the pulse, its amplitude
and/or by using orthogonal pulses. Aside from being a low power
information transfer protocol, UWB technology may provide several
advantages for indoor location applications over other wireless
protocols. The broad range of the UWB spectrum comprises low
frequencies having long wavelengths, which allows UWB signals to
penetrate a variety of materials, including walls. The wide range
of frequencies, including these low penetrating frequencies,
decreases the chance of multipath propagation errors as some
wavelengths will typically have a line-of-sight trajectory. Another
advantage of pulse-based UWB communication is that pulses are
typically very short (less than 60 cm for a 500 MHz-wide pulse,
less than 23 cm for a 1.3 GHz-bandwidth pulse) reducing the chances
that reflecting pulses will overlap with the original pulse.
[0165] The relative locations of window controllers having
micro-location chips can be determined using the UWB protocol. For
example, using micro-location chips, the relative position of each
device may be determined to within an accuracy of 10 cm. In various
embodiments, window controllers, and in some cases antennas
disposed on or proximate windows or window controllers are
configured to communicate via a micro-location chip. In some
embodiments, a window controller may be equipped with a tag having
a micro-location chip configured to broadcast omnidirectional
signals. Receiving micro-location chips, also known as anchors, may
be located at a variety of locations such as a wireless router, a
network controller, or a window controller having a known location.
By analyzing the time taken for a broadcast signal to reach the
anchors within the transmittable distance of the tag, the location
of the tag may be determined. In some cases, an installer may place
temporary anchors within a building for the purpose of
commissioning which are then removed after the commissioning
process is complete. In some embodiments in which there are a
plurality of optically switchable windows, window controllers may
be equipped with micro-location chips that are configured to both
send and receive UWB signals. By analysis of the received UWB
signals at each window controller, the relative distance between
each other window controller located within the transmission range
limits may be determined. By aggregating this information, the
relative locations between all the window controllers may be
determined. When the location of at least one window controller is
known, or if an anchor is also used, the actual location of each
window controller or other network device having a micro-location
chip may be determined. Such antennas may be employed in an
auto-commissioning procedure as described below. However, it should
be understood that the disclosure is not limited to UWB technology;
any technology for automatically reporting high-resolution location
information may be used. Frequently, such technology will employ
and one or more antennas associated with the components, e.g.,
electrochromic windows, to be automatically located.
[0166] Interconnect drawings or other sources of architectural
information often include location information for various window
network components. Applications engineers and other professionals
design interconnect drawings, which are depicted visually as
modified architectural drawings, by designing the wiring
infrastructure and power delivery system for the electrochromic
window network layout within an architectural drawing or building
plan framework. Architectural drawings show where electrical
closets and other structural and architectural features are located
within a building. When architectural drawings are not available,
drawings may instead be created by surveying a site. Electrochromic
windows may have their physical location coordinates listed in x,
y, and z dimensions, sometimes with very high accuracy, e.g., to
within 1 centimeter, in interconnect drawings. Similarly, files or
documents derived from such drawings, such as network configuration
files, may contain accurate physical locations of pertinent window
network components in a textual representation of the interconnect
drawings that are readable by electrochromic window network control
logic.
[0167] In certain embodiments, coordinates will correspond to one
corner of a lite or IGU as installed in a structure. The choice of
a particular corner or other feature for specifying in the
interconnect drawing coordinates may be influenced by the placement
of an antenna or other location aware component. For example, a
window and/or paired window controller may have a micro-location
chip placed near a first corner of an associated IGU (e.g., the
lower left corner); in which case the interconnect drawing
coordinates for the lite may be specified for the first corner.
Similarly, in the case where an IGU has a window antenna, listed
coordinates on an interconnect drawing may represent the location
of the antenna on the surface of an IGU lite or a corner proximate
the antenna. In some cases, coordinates may be obtained from
architectural drawings and knowledge of the antenna placement on
larger window components such as an IGU. In some embodiments, a
window's orientation is also included interconnect drawing.
[0168] While this specification often refers to interconnect
drawings as a source of accurate physical location information for
windows, the disclosure is not limited to interconnect drawings.
Any similarly accurate representation of component locations in a
building or other structure having optically switchable windows may
be used. This includes files derived from interconnect drawings
(e.g., network configuration files) as well as files or drawings
produced independently of interconnect drawings, e.g., via manual
or automated measurements made during construction of a building.
In some cases where coordinates cannot be determined from
architectural drawings, e.g., the vertical position of a window
controller on a wall, unknown coordinates can be determined by
personnel responsible for installation and/or commissioning.
Because architectural and interconnect drawings are widely used in
building design and construction, they are used here for
convenience, but again the disclosure is not limited to
interconnect drawings as a source of physical location
information.
[0169] In certain embodiments using interconnect drawings or
similarly detailed representation of component locations and
geo-positioning, commissioning logic pairs component locations, as
specified by interconnect drawings, with the network IDs (or other
information not available in interconnect drawings) of components
such as window controllers for optically switchable windows. In
some embodiments, this is done by comparing the measured relative
distances between device locations provided by geo-positioning and
the listed coordinates provided on an interconnect drawing. Since
the location of network components may be determined with a high
accuracy, e.g., better than about 10 cm, automatic commissioning
may be performed easily in a manner that avoids the complications
that may be introduced by manually commissioning windows.
[0170] The controller network IDs or other information paired with
the physical location of a window (or other component) can come
from various sources. In certain embodiments, a window controller's
network ID, (e.g., a CAN ID) is stored on a memory device attached
to each window (e.g., a dock for the window controller or a
pigtail), or may be downloaded from the cloud based upon a window
serial number or LITE ID. In addition to the controller's network
ID, other stored window information may include the controller's ID
(not its network ID), the window's LITE ID, window type, window
dimensions, manufacturing date, bus bar length, zone membership,
current firmware, and various other window details. Regardless of
which information is stored, it may be accessed during the
commissioning process. Once accessed, any or all portions of such
information are linked to the physical location information
obtained from the interconnect drawing, partially completed network
configuration file, or other source.
[0171] FIG. 8 presents an example process flow for commissioning
installed optically switchable windows. As depicted, a
commissioning process 800 begins with a process operation 803 in
which the commissioning system receives positions of each of the
optically switchable windows from an architectural source such as
an interconnect drawing or a configuration file derived therefrom.
These windows may include all switchable windows present in a
particular building or a portion of the building such as one floor
of the building or a facade of the building. In certain
embodiments, in addition to receiving the positions of the windows,
the commissioning system also receives network IDs, which may be
included in the architectural source or in another source. As
explained above, the location information obtained from an
architectural source or similar source contains highly accurate
three-dimensional positions of the windows. In certain embodiments,
the locations received in operation 803 are accurate to within
about 10 centimeters, or about 5 centimeters, or about 1
centimeter.
[0172] While operation 803 provides the highly accurate window
positional information needed for commissioning, operations 805 and
807 provide information needed for uniquely identifying the window
controller and/or the window(s) it controls. As depicted at process
operation 805, the commissioning system instructs the window
controllers for the entire building or portion thereof to undertake
a wireless process for determining the locations of the window
controllers. As explained, such operation may employ UWB protocol
communications or other wireless process that provides reasonably
high accuracy location information about the window controllers or
other window network component that is used for commissioning. As
explained, UWB processing can often provide location information to
within about 10 centimeters of the network component containing a
micro-location chip configured to implement the UWB protocol. In
principle, any suitably accurate wireless or even non-wireless
protocol can be employed to provide the needed locational
information for associating network controllers or other components
with the high accuracy positional information obtained for the
optically switchable windows. In certain embodiments, any such
procedure for locating window controllers will provide locational
information for the network controller to an accuracy of at least
about 20 centimeters or at least about 15 centimeters or at least
about 10 centimeters.
[0173] In process operation 807, the location information for the
window controllers obtained in process operation 805 is associated
with the unique information about the window controllers. Such
information uniquely describes the window controller and, in some
embodiments, a window or windows associated with such controller.
Examples of such unique information include network IDs for the
window controllers, physical (non-network) IDs for the window
controllers, configuration parameters for the window controllers,
the serial numbers or LITE IDs of any windows to be controlled by
the window controller, and various other parameters describing the
windows to be controlled by the window controllers. The
commissioning system produces a file or other collection of
information that contains a rough positional location of the window
controller--obtained through the wireless measurement procedure of
operation 805--and unique identifying information about the window
controller. With this information, the commissioning system has all
it needs to undertake the actual commissioning process so that the
electrochromic window network may fully operate.
[0174] In the depicted embodiment, the commissioning process loops
over each of the windows in an installation or portion of the
installation and commissions each one in succession. Of course, in
some embodiments, the analysis or commissioning of the various
windows may be conducted in parallel. In the embodiment depicted in
FIG. 8, the individual windows are considered successively with
current windows for commissioning being selected at a process
operation 809. With the current window selected for commissioning,
the commissioning system identifies the window controller having a
position--as determined wirelessly in operation 805--that is
nearest to the position of the current window, as determined from
the architectural source at process operation 803. See process
operation 811. Given the relative size of most windows and the
accuracy of the wirelessly measured position of the window
controllers, there is often little ambiguity in associating
particular windows with their associated window controllers.
Various techniques for determining distances between locations of
windows and window controllers may be used. Some are described
below. The techniques may consider windows in isolation or
collectively.
[0175] After the commissioning system determines the closest window
controller in operation 811, the system associates the network ID
and/or other unique information about the identified window
controller (and/or its window(s)) with the current window and its
location, as determined from the architectural source. See process
operation 813.
[0176] At this point, the current window has been effectively
commissioned, so the commissioning system determines whether there
are any more switchable windows to be commissioned. See decision
operation 815. If more such windows exist, process control returns
to process operation 809, where the commissioning system selects
the next switchable window for commissioning. If, on the other
hand, there are no more windows to be commissioned, process control
is directed to a process operation 817 which finalizes the pairing
of the windows and controllers and otherwise completes the
commissioning process.
[0177] FIG. 9 depicts a process 900 involving commissioning logic
901 (part of a commissioning system) and a network configuration
file 953. Process 900 begins by gathering building information from
architectural drawings 951. Using the building information provided
by architectural drawings, a designer or design team creates
interconnect drawings 952 which include plans for a window network
at a particular site. Once network components such as IGUs and
window controllers are installed, the relative positions between
devices can be measured by analysis of electromagnetic
transmissions as has been described elsewhere herein. The measured
positions and network ID information 902 is then passed to
commissioning logic 901 which pairs the network ID (or other unique
information) of a device with its place within a hierarchal network
as depicted in the interconnect drawings 952. The location of an
associated window or other device, as taken or derived from the
interconnect drawing, is also paired with the network ID or other
unique information. The paired information is then stored in a
network configuration file 953. As long as no changes are made to
the network or window installations, no changes are needed to the
network configuration file. If, however, a change is made, for
example, an IGU is replaced with one having a different window
controller, then commissioning logic 901 is used once to determine
the change and update the network configuration file 953
accordingly.
[0178] As a teaching example, consider an interconnect drawing
having window controllers located at three positions (each
associated with the lower left corner of an associated window)
along the wall of the building: a first position intended to have a
first window controller at (0 ft, 0 ft, 0 ft), a second position
intended to have a second window controller at (5 ft, 0 ft, 0 ft),
and a third position intended to have a third window controller at
(5 ft, 4 ft, 0 ft). When measuring coordinates of the three
controllers, one of the controllers is set as a reference location
(e.g., the controller personnel responsible for commissioning sets
the controller in the first position as a reference point). From
this reference point, the coordinates of the other two windows are
measured resulting in a window coordinates of (5.1 ft, 0.2 ft, 0.1
ft) and (5.0 ft, 3.9 ft, -0.1 ft). Commissioning logic then easily
perceives the window having coordinates (5.1 ft, 0.2 ft, 0.1 ft) to
be in the second position and a window having coordinates (5.0 ft,
3.9 ft, -0.1 ft) to be in the third position. Information
describing the physical and hierarchical position of each component
from interconnect drawings is then paired with the network ID
information (or other unique information) which may be transmitted
to the commissioning logic over the network when the position of
network components is determined.
[0179] Commissioning logic may incorporate a range of statistical
methods to match physical device coordinates with coordinates
listed on an interconnect drawing. In one embodiment, matching is
performed by iterating through the various permutations of
assigning a device to each of the possible interconnect locations
and then observing how closely the location of other components, as
determined using relative distance measurements, corresponding to
the locations of other network component locations as specified on
the interconnect drawing. In some instances, network components are
matched with coordinates listed on an interconnect drawing by
selecting the permutation that minimizes the mean squared error of
the distance of each component to the closest component location
specified by the interconnect drawing.
[0180] This auto-commissioning method may also useful if, for
example, a new component is added to the network, an old component
is removed from a network, or when an old component is removed and
replaced on the network. In the case of a new component, the
component may be recognized by the window network and its location
may be determined by one of the previously described methods.
Commissioning logic may then update the network configuration file
to reflect the addition. Similarly, commissioning logic may update
a network configuration file when a component is removed and no
longer recognized by the window network. In cases where a component
is replaced, commissioning logic may notice the absence of a
component on the network and the presence of a new component
reporting from the same coordinates of the missing component.
Commissioning logic may conclude that a component has been
replaced, and thus updates the network configuration file with the
network ID of the new component.
[0181] In some embodiments commissioning logic may also generate
the network topology portion of a network configuration file by a
process 1000 as depicted in FIG. 10. In this embodiment, window
devices are installed at a site 1001 and network components
self-determine the hierarchical structure of the network by
communicating with each other 1002. The hieratical structure of a
network may be determined when each component self-reports to the
network component above it reporting its network ID (or other ID)
information as well the network ID (or other ID) information of any
devices below it in the hierarchy. For example, an IGU may report
to a WC, which may report to an NC, which may report to a MC. When
this pattern in repeated for every component on the network, then
the system hierarchy may be self-determined. In this case, a
network avoids network topology errors that may easily be
introduced by deviations from an interconnect drawing that occur
during installation. This self-determined structure is then passed
to commissioning logic 901 which may use the measured positions 902
of devices to when creating a network configuration file 953.
[0182] The instructions and logic for performing the steps shown in
FIG. 8 or in other commissioning procedures described herein may be
deployed on any suitable processing apparatus including any
controller on the window network with sufficient memory and
processing capability. Examples include master controllers, network
controllers, and even window controllers. In other embodiments, the
commissioning system executes on a dedicated administrative
processing machine that performs only commissioning or related
administrative functions, but communicates with the associated
window network. In some embodiments, the commissioning system
resides outside the building having the windows to be commissioned.
For example, the commissioning system may reside in a switchable
window network remote monitoring site, console, or any ancillary
system such as a building lighting system, a BMS, a building
thermostat system, e.g., NEST (Nest Labs of Palo Alto, Calif.), or
the like. Examples of such systems are described in PCT Patent
Application Publication No. 2016/094445, filed Dec. 8, 2015 and PCT
Patent Application Publication No. 2015/134789, filed Mar. 5, 2015,
each incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In certain
embodiments, the commissioning system executes in a shared
computational resource such as a leased server farm or the
cloud.
[0183] XII. Automated Commissioning: Tester Acquired Data
[0184] When a glazier installs IGUs as part of the electrochromic
window network, the glazier may utilize an IGU tester and related
hardware to collect data from every IGU that is installed. After
each IGU is installed in a building, a glazier may test the freshly
installed IGU to confirm that the IGU operates properly. Through
this method, the electrochromic window network may be commissioned
by processing physical location and other data acquired by the
glazier utilizing an IGU tester during obligatory IGU installation
work.
[0185] As stated, applications engineers or other professionals
produce network configuration files with, e.g., computer-aided
design software from interconnect drawings and location IDs of
windows, physical locations of windows, and the location IDs of
window controllers from architectural drawings. Network
configuration files may then be combined with IGU tester acquired
data to match physical locations and network address information to
commission the electrochromic window network.
[0186] In some implementations, a tester may include an UWB module.
These UWB modules may be DecaWave.RTM. radios (DWM1000) and may
configure testers to act as tags or anchors that may be implemented
for IGU location awareness and mapping used in commissioning with
the network configuration files and interconnect drawings described
above. Prior to installing the IGUs, a glazier, low voltage
electrician, or other installation technician may begin the
commissioning process by placing up to eight testers configured as
anchors around a floor of a building, e.g., at the four corners of
a building floor and four other locations as far away from each
other as possible, optionally within line of sight of each other,
to set up the coordinate system, e.g., the x-axis and y-axis, for
that particular floor of the building. Alternative arrangements are
also possible, such as always playing an anchor by IGUs located on
the same place on different floors. Then, the glazier may proceed
to utilize a tester configured as a tag to test each IGU as
discussed above, e.g., coupling the pigtail of an IGU to the tester
and running the test. A tester and IGU can communicate with each
other via wireless communication, e.g., Bluetooth Smart.RTM. or low
energy, during a test, so a glazier may ensure that each IGU test
provides the most accurate location testing data by placing the
tester against the IGU at the same location on or near the surface
of each IGU, e.g., the bottom left corner of the lite, during
testing, similar to the automated commissioning method described
above for ultra-wideband protocol. This also provides some z-axis
information as IGU dimensions read from IGU pigtails are factored
into where on the IGU the tester was communicating with the IGU at.
As the glazier tests each IGU, the tag-configured tester
communicates wirelessly, e.g., via a communications module which
may be a Bluetooth Smart.RTM. or low energy module, with a mobile
device via a location engine mobile application. At every tested
physical installation location of an IGU, the location engine
mobile application captures and processes the position data of each
IGU relative to the anchor-configured testers and relative to
previously tested IGUs, while making use of information received
from the IGU pigtail, e.g., IGU dimensions and LITE ID, to
establish IGU location mapping on the floor. This process may be
repeated to allow for the IGUs of an installation site to be
accurately mapped per floor. To get an accurate mapping of an
entire building layout, a glazier or other installation technician
may move, e.g., two or more anchor-configured testers to the next
floor up from the floor previously mapped. This allows the
anchor-configured testers on different floors to communicate with
one another to establish the z-axis of the building coordinate
system, which was previously limited to the x and y-axis, with
slight z-axis coverage from IGU dimensions and measurements, for
each floor. This process may also be used to create wire-frame
models of buildings. The network configuration file produced by
applications engineering may then be combined with the tester data
to match IGU location and network address information for
commissioning.
[0187] When the mobile device establishes a cellular connection,
the data obtained from testing the IGUs is transferred to a data
center, e.g., the cloud, and processed during commissioning to
associate the IGU location data with control applications. A field
service engineer or technician may, during commissioning, match the
tester data with or overlay the tester data upon, e.g.,
interconnect drawing data generated by applications engineering and
have LITE IDs associated with IGU numbers, IGU locations, and
window controllers. Once the balance of the system, or other
hardware needed to operate and power the electrochromic window
network, powers up, the CAN ID of an IGU associates with its LITE
ID and thus the IGU location, e.g., x, y, and z-axis coordinates
for each IGU, enabling the window control network to know which
window or zone commands are being sent to.
[0188] In another embodiment of commissioning, IGUs and/or
controllers may contain tags (e.g., RFID tags) that may be read by
a by a scanner. During commissioning, an installer walks around and
scans the devices on the window network (e.g., windows,
controllers, and/or sensors) to determine a network address
associated with the tag. An installer may then map the network
address with a physical location using, e.g., a mobile device. In
some cases, a tag may provide a device's network address to the
scanner directly. E.g., a window controller may be equipped with an
RFID tag that provides its network address. In other cases, a tag
may provide another type of ID such as a LITE ID that may be used
to determine a corresponding network ID of the device being
scanned. E.g., a window may have a tag associated with a pigtail
chip that provides a LITE ID. If a window controller was attached
to a lite during manufacture or before installation of the IGU,
then the LITE ID may be already mapped to corresponding network ID
of the associated window controller.
[0189] Although the foregoing implementations have been described
in some detail for purposes of clarity of understanding, it will be
apparent that certain changes and modifications may be practiced
within the scope of the appended claims. It should be noted that
there are many alternative ways of implementing apparatuses of the
present implementations. Accordingly, the present implementations
are to be considered illustrative and not restrictive, and the
implementations are not to be limited to the details given
herein.
* * * * *