Patents Assigned to Kinestral Technologies, Inc.
  • Patent number: 11106104
    Abstract: A distributed energy management system (EMS) for supplying power to a set of drivers that charge and discharge a set of electrochromic devices is described. One distributed EMS includes an external power supply interface to couple to an external power supply, a multi-device boost power supply comprising a set of batteries, and a driver interface to supply power to a set of drivers that charge and discharge a set of electrochromic devices. The distributed EMS also includes a communication subsystem to communicate with the set of drivers and EMS circuitry to supply power to the set of drivers, via the driver interface, based on a power state of the multi-device boost power supply and a state of the set of electrochromic devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: Kinestral Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Walter Thomas Barnum, Luis Fernando Gomez, Douglas Frederick Brainard
  • Patent number: 10921675
    Abstract: A system for causing electrochromic devices to be controlled is described. The system may include a memory and a processing device coupled to the memory. The processing device may receive a data stream from a driver controlling a set of electrochromic devices, transmit a first subset of the data stream to a server device, and store at least a second subset of the data stream in a data file in the memory. The processing device may receive one or more instructions from the server device and transmit the one or more instructions to the driver to cause the set of electrochromic devices to be controlled based on the one or more instructions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: Kinestral Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Walter Thomas Barnum, Jason Aaron Litzinger
  • Patent number: 10590698
    Abstract: A smart window-based security system is provided. The system includes a plurality of smart windows, each smart window of the plurality of smart windows having at least one electrochromic window and at least one sensor integrated into the smart window. The plurality of smart windows are coupled together in a system having at least one processor configured to detect a personal or property security threat, such as an intruder or fire based, on information from sensors of the plurality of smart windows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Kinestral Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Nagel, Wally Barnum, Stephen Coffin, Brandon Nichols, Antoine Dubois
  • Patent number: 10579842
    Abstract: A smart driver system for electrochromic devices is provided. The system includes at least one smart driver having one or more processors, memory and a communication module. The at least one smart driver is configurable to couple to or integrate with one or more smart windows having electrochromic devices. The at least one smart driver is configurable to input identification information from a plurality of self-identifying components of a smart window system, including the one or more smart windows, and to self-initialize or self-adjust a plurality of operating parameters for operation of the self-identifying components in accordance with the identification information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: Kinestral Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Wally Barnum, Doug Brainard, Steve Coffin, Paul Nagel
  • Patent number: 10558103
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a thin film is provided. The method includes providing a plurality of crystalline hexagonal tungsten trioxide particles, size-reducing the crystalline hexagonal tungsten trioxide particles by grinding to produce crystalline hexagonal tungsten trioxide nanostructures, and coating the crystalline hexagonal tungsten trioxide nanostructures onto a substrate to produce a thin film. An electrochromic multi-layer stack is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: Kinestral Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: John H. Roudebush, Lina Zhu, Daniel Giaquinta, Hugues Duncan, Howard Turner
  • Patent number: 10539860
    Abstract: A wall controller is provided. The wall controller includes a projection screen having an input device and a projector, wherein the projector has an optical axis that is non-orthogonal to the projection screen. The wall controller includes a housing having the projector at an end of the housing. The housing is dimensioned to fit the end of the housing through an aperture in a first wall, fit the end into a wall space between the first wall and a second wall, and fit a majority of another end of the housing into the aperture until the projection screen is parallel to a surface of the first wall and a front portion of the projection screen is flush with, recessed in or extends from the surface of the first wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: Kinestral Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Antoine Dubois, John Bogdan, Paul Nagel, Craig Henricksen, Stephen Coffin, Wally Barnum
  • Patent number: 10509292
    Abstract: An electrochromic device is provided. The device includes a substrate and an electrochromic stack on the substrate. The stack includes a first set of bus bars, a first transparent conductive layer, at least one electrochromic layer, a second transparent conductive layer, and a second set of bus bars, wherein at least one of the first transparent conductive layer or the second transparent conductive layer includes resistivity that varies by horizontal location according to a resistivity profile. In some embodiments the resistivity profile has a vertical component that may or may not be in addition to the horizontal component. Various embodiments of these materials can be tuned as to profiles of vertical resistance and horizontal sheet resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: Kinestral Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: John David Bass, Howard Bergh, Nicolas Timmerman, Jonathan Ziebarth
  • Patent number: 10473997
    Abstract: An electrochromic device is provided. The device includes a first substrate and a second substrate. The device includes electrochromic material, with the first substrate, the electrochromic material and the second substrate forming a laminate, the first substrate offset in a lateral direction from the second substrate along at least a portion of an edge of the electrochromic device. The device includes a plurality of terminals coupled to the electrochromic material, with at least two of the plurality of terminals exposed on the first substrate by the first substrate being offset in the lateral direction from the second substrate. A method of manufacturing an electrochromic device is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: Kinestral Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Ken Higashihara, John Gallipeo
  • Patent number: 10437128
    Abstract: A multi-layer device comprising a first substrate and a first electrically conductive layer on a surface thereof, the first electrically conductive layer having a sheet resistance to the flow of electrical current through the first electrically conductive layer that varies as a function of position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: Kinestral Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Howard S. Bergh, John David Bass, Jonathan Ziebarth, Nicolas Timmerman, Zachariah Hogan, Karin Yaccato, Howard W. Turner
  • Patent number: 10425376
    Abstract: A cloud learning system for smart windows is provided. The system includes at least one server configured to couple via a network to a plurality of window systems, each of the plurality of window systems having at least one control system and a plurality of windows with electrochromic windows and sensors, wherein the at least one server includes at least one physical server or at least one virtual server implemented using physical computing resources. The at least one server is configured to gather first information from the plurality of window systems, and configured to gather second information from sources on the network and external to the plurality of window systems. The at least one server is configured to form at least one rule or control algorithm usable by a window system, based on the first information and the second information, and configured to download the at least one rule or control algorithm to at least one of the plurality of window systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: Kinestral Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Nagel, Wally Barnum, Stephen Coffin, Brandon Nichols, Ashish Nagar, Kamil Bojanczik, Jonathan Ziebarth
  • Patent number: 10386688
    Abstract: An electrochromic device is provided. The device includes a first transparent substrate and a second transparent substrate and a first electrically conductive layer and a second electrically conductive layer. A first bus bar is in contact with the first electrically conductive layer and a second bus bar in contact with the second electrically conductive layer. The first and second electrically conductive layers are patterned with sets of scribed lines substantially parallel to the corresponding bus bar, wherein the sets of scribed lines are made up of a series of collinear segments, which are gaps in the electrically conductive layer, wherein the length of the collinear segments, the period, the valve width and the offset between segments in adjacent scribed lines determines the resistance to the flow of electrons traversing a set of scribed lines in the direction substantially perpendicular to the corresponding bus bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: Kinestral Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott Sharpe, Cyrus Elias, Jonathan Ziebarth
  • Patent number: 10372007
    Abstract: A dual rail driver for an electrochromic device is provided. The dual rail driver includes a power supply having a first power supply rail and a second power supply rail and an H bridge connected to the first power supply rail and the second power supply rail and configurable to couple to an electrochromic device. The dual rail driver includes a controller coupled to the H bridge through a failsafe module and configurable to control switches of the H bridge to charge and discharge the electrochromic device from the first power supply rail and the second power supply rail. The failsafe module is configurable to override one or more signals from the controller that controls the switches of the H bridge through the failsafe module, responsive to detecting anomaly of the electrochromic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: Kinestral Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Nagel, Wally Barnum, Doug Brainard
  • Patent number: 10316581
    Abstract: A smart window system is provided. The system includes a plurality of smart windows, each having at least one electrochromic window and a plurality of sensors. The system includes a control system coupling the plurality of smart windows and the plurality of sensors. The control system is configured to couple to a network, and configured to generate a building model that includes information regarding the plurality of smart windows and is based on information from the plurality of sensors and information from the network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: Kinestral Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Nagel, Wally Barnum, Stephen Coffin, Brandon Nichols, Antoine Dubois
  • Patent number: 10280682
    Abstract: A smart window-based security system is provided. The system includes a plurality of smart windows, each smart window of the plurality of smart windows having at least one electrochromic window and at least one sensor integrated into the smart window. The plurality of smart windows are coupled together in a system having at least one processor configured to detect a personal or property security threat, such as an intruder or fire based, on information from sensors of the plurality of smart windows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Kinestral Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Nagel, Wally Barnum, Stephen Coffin, Brandon Nichols, Antoine Dubois
  • Patent number: 10241376
    Abstract: Methods for cutting strengthened glass are disclosed. The methods can include using a laser. The strengthened glass can include chemically strengthened, heat strengthened, and heat tempered glass. Strengthened glass with edges showing indicia of a laser cutting process are also disclosed. The strengthened glass can include an electrochromic film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Kinestral Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Howard S. Bergh, Nicolas Timmerman
  • Patent number: 10210368
    Abstract: A smart driver system for electrochromic devices is provided. The system includes at least one smart driver having one or more processors, memory and a communication module. The at least one smart driver is configurable to couple to or integrate with one or more smart windows having electrochromic devices. The at least one smart driver is configurable to input identification information from a plurality of self-identifying components of a smart window system, including the one or more smart windows, and to self-initialize or self-adjust a plurality of operating parameters for operation of the self-identifying components in accordance with the identification information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: Kinestral Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Wally Barnum, Doug Brainard, Steve Coffin, Paul Nagel
  • Patent number: 10184722
    Abstract: A multi-zone heating oven is disclosed. The multi-zone heating oven includes a plurality of in-line heating chambers, a conveyor system configured to convey objects between and into each chamber of the plurality of in-line heating chambers and a supply line for each of the plurality of in-line heating chambers. In addition, the multi-zone heating oven includes an exhaust system. The humidity in each chamber is set individually. Changes in the temperature and humidity that an object is subjected to are controlled by moving the object through the plurality of chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: Kinestral Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Nicholas J. C. Ingle
  • Patent number: 10095079
    Abstract: Multi-layer devices comprising a layer of an electrochromic lithium nickel oxide composition on a first substrate, the lithium nickel oxide composition comprising lithium, nickel and a Group 4 metal selected from titanium, zirconium, hafnium and a combination thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: Kinestral Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Hye Jin Choi, Mark Bailey, John David Bass, Stephen Winthrop von Kugelgen, Eric Lachman, Howard W. Turner, Julian P. Bigi
  • Patent number: 10007163
    Abstract: An electrochromic multi-layer stack is provided. The multi-layer stack includes an electrochromic multi-layer stack having a first substrate, a first electrically conductive layer, a first electrode layer, an ion conductor layer, a second substrate, a second electrically conductive layer, and a second electrode layer. The multi-layer stack includes a redox element, wherein the redox element is electrically isolated from the first and second electrically conductive layers and the first and second electrode layer and is laterally adjacent to either the first electrically conductive layer and the first electrode, or the second electrically conductive layer and the second electrode layer. A method for controlling an electrochromic device is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: Kinestral Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: John David Bass, Jonathan Ziebarth, Hugues Duncan, Justin Kerszulis, Howard W. Turner, Jeffrey Charles Yoder
  • Patent number: 10001689
    Abstract: A multi-layer device comprising a first substrate and a first electrically conductive layer on a surface thereof, the first electrically conductive layer having a sheet resistance to the flow of electrical current through the first electrically conductive layer that varies as a function of position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: Kinestral Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Howard S. Bergh, Jonathan Ziebarth, Nicolas Timmerman