Abstract: Methods of controlling tint of a tintable window to account for occupant comfort in a room of a building. Some methods include receiving weather feed data from one or more weather services (or other data sources) over a communication network, determining a weather condition based on the weather feed data, and determining a tint level for the tintable window based on the weather condition and based on whether a current time is within a time delay period at sunrise or sunset.

Abstract: A network system in an enclosure includes one or more interactive targets such as tintable windows, HVAC components, sensors, computing devices, media display devices, and/or service devices. Diverse types of local and remote interfaces are employed for facilitating remote (e.g., indirect) manipulation of the interactive target(s), for example, using a digital twin (e.g., representative virtual model) of a facility and/or a mobile circuitry of a user. The environment and/or targets may be controlled according to preferences and/or requests of its user(s).

Abstract: A method of controlling tint of a tintable window to account for occupant comfort in a room of a building. The tintable window is between the interior and exterior of the building. The method predicts a tint level for the tintable window at a future time based on a penetration depth of direct sunlight through the tintable window into the room at the future time and space type in the room. The method also provides instructions over a network to transition tint of the tintable window to the tint level.

Abstract: Various embodiments herein relate to electrochromic devices and electrochromic device precursors, as well as methods and apparatus for fabricating such electrochromic devices and electrochromic device precursors. In certain embodiments, the electrochromic device or precursor may include one or more particular materials such as a particular electrochromic material and/or a particular counter electrode material. In various implementations, the electrochromic material includes tungsten molybdenum oxide. In these or other implementation, the counter electrode material may include nickel tungsten oxide, nickel tungsten tantalum oxide, nickel tungsten niobium oxide, nickel tungsten tin oxide, or another material.

Abstract: The embodiments herein relate to electrochromic stacks, electrochromic devices, and methods and apparatus for making such stacks and devices. In various embodiments, an anodically coloring layer in an electrochromic stack or device is fabricated to include nickel-tungsten-niobium-oxide (NiWNbO). This material is particularly beneficial in that it is very transparent in its clear state.

Abstract: Embodiments described include bus bars for electrochromic or other optical state changing devices. The bus bars are configured to color match and/or provide minimal optical contrast with their surrounding environment in the optical device. Such bus bars may be transparent bus bars.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods, apparatuses, non-transitory computer readable media, and systems for performing synergistic sensing an attribute of an environment of a facility. Sensing may be performed by sensors of a facility from which a first sensor measures a first attribute at its first sampling rate. Due to a correlation of the first sensor and a second sensor that measures a second attribute at a second sampling rate slower than the first sampling rate, the second attribute can be determined and/or predicted at least in part by using measurements of the first attribute by the first sensor.

Abstract: Aspects of this disclosure concern controllers and control methods for applying a drive voltage to bus bars of optically switchable devices such as electrochromic devices. Such devices are often provided on windows such as architectural glass. In certain embodiments, the applied drive voltage is controlled in a manner that efficiently drives an optical transition over the entire surface of the electrochromic device. The drive voltage is controlled to account for differences in effective voltage experienced in regions between the bus bars and regions proximate the bus bars. Regions near the bus bars experience the highest effective voltage. In some cases, feedback may be used to monitor an optical transition. In these or other cases, a group of optically switchable devices may transition together over a particular duration to achieve approximately uniform tint states over time during the transition.

Abstract: Thin-film devices, for example electrochromic devices for windows, and methods of manufacturing are described. Particular focus is given to methods of patterning optical devices. Various edge deletion and isolation scribes are performed, for example, to ensure the optical device has appropriate isolation from any edge defects. Methods described herein apply to any thin-film device having one or more material layers sandwiched between two thin film electrical conductor layers. The described methods create novel optical device configurations.

Abstract: Techniques for determining occupancy data in a building include collecting IR imaging data with an infrared (IR) detector configured to collect IR imaging data, the IR detector having a field of view. The collected IR imaging data is processed by a controller determine occupancy data for a space, within a building, within the field of view of the IR detector. The controller includes circuitry configured to process the collected IR imaging data and determine occupancy data for a space, within a building, within the field of view of the IR detector, where the determined occupancy data excludes personally identifiable information (PII) of any occupant in the space.

Abstract: An immersive digital experience for video conferencing simulates common presence of a virtual participant in a local environment. Such simulation may include (i) using a transparent media display having a portion of its pixels projecting the virtual participant's body image while keeping at least a portion of the background transparent (e.g., to visible light), (ii) disposing sensor(s) (e.g., camera) behind the transparent media display at the gaze of the participant, and/or (iii) using added virtual overlays (e.g., of plants, memorabilia, and/or furniture) to the virtual image (e.g., that are consistent with the local environment), e.g., to provide a sense of depth ranging from the overlays to the virtual participant projection and to the background showing through the transparent media display.

Abstract: This disclosure provides configurations, methods of use, and methods of fabrication for a bus bar of an optically switchable device. In one aspect, an apparatus includes a substrate and an optically switchable device disposed on a surface of the substrate. The optically switchable device has a perimeter with at least one corner including a first side, a second side, and a first vertex joining the first side and the second side. A first bus bar and a second bus bar are affixed to the optically switchable device and configured to deliver current and/or voltage for driving switching of the device. The first bus bar is proximate to the corner and includes a first arm and a second arm having a configuration that substantially follows the shape of the first side, the first vertex, and the second side of the corner.

Abstract: Techniques are described for laser processing of electrochromic glass or other thin-film devices. A laser beam collimated to an angular divergence of 1 milliradian or less is directed onto a first position on a surface of a workpiece. The laser beam includes pulses of electromagnetic radiation directed to a spot having a characteristic dimension of at least about 5 mm at the surface of the workpiece. The laser beam removes the material from the first position, then is moved to a second position on the surface of the workpiece and removes material from the second position. The laser beam is then moved to one or more additional positions on the surface of the workpiece and removes material from the one or more additional positions.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are techniques for controlling tint transitions. In some embodiments, the technique involves causing a current to be applied to a first optically switchable device for a first duration of time during a controlled current phase, wherein the first duration of time is determined based at least in part on a target charge amount to be provided to the first optically switchable device during the first duration of time. The technique may further involve responsive to the first duration of time elapsing, causing a predetermined voltage profile to be applied to the first optically switchable device, wherein application of the current followed by the predetermined voltage profile cause the first optically switchable device to transition from an initial tint state to a target tint state.

Abstract: This disclosure provides a window controller that includes a command-voltage generator that generates a command voltage signal, and a pulse-width-modulated-signal generator that generates a pulse-width-modulated signal based on the command voltage signal. The pulse-width-modulated signal drives an optically-switchable device. The pulse-width-modulated signal comprises a first power component having a first duty cycle and a second power component having a second duty cycle. The first component delivers a first pulse during each active portion of the first duty cycle, and the second component delivers a second pulse during each active portion of the second duty cycle. The first pulses are applied to a first conductive layer and the second pulses are applied to a second conductive layer. The relative durations of the active portions and the relative durations of the first and second pulses are adjusted to result in a change in an effective DC voltage applied across the optically-switchable device.

Abstract: According to some embodiments, a window controller system is provided, the window controller system comprising: a plurality of sets of wires, each set of wires of the plurality of sets of wires operatively coupling the window controller system to an insulated glass unit (IGU) of a set of IGUs controlled by the window controller system; a plurality of sets of current meters, each set of current meters associated with an IGU of the set of IGUs; and a controller. The controller may be configured to: determine, using a first current meter, a current provided to a IGU; determine, using a second current meter, a return current from the IGU; compare the current provided with the return current; and determine leakage current information associated with a wire of an electrical pathway based at least in part on the comparison of the current provided with the return current.

Abstract: Window controllers and methods for controlling tinting and other functions of tinting zones of multi-zone tintable windows and multiple tinting zones of a group of tintable windows.

Abstract: A tintable window is described having a tintable coating, e.g., an electrochromic device coating, for regulating light transmitted through the window. In some embodiments, the window has a transparent display in the window's viewable region. Transparent displays may be substantially transparent when not in use, or when the window is viewed in a direction facing away from the transparent display. Windows may have sensors for receiving user commands and/or for monitoring environmental conditions. Transparent displays can display graphical user interfaces to, e.g., control window functions. Windows, as described herein, offer an alternative display to conventional projectors, TVs, and monitors. Windows may also be configured to receive, transmit, or block wireless communications from passing through the window. A window control system may share computational resources between controllers (e.g., at different windows).

Abstract: A trunk line for providing a communication path to a network of optically switchable windows is described.

Abstract: Electrochromic devices and methods may employ the addition of a defect-mitigating insulating layer which prevents electronically conducting layers and/or electrochromically active layers from contacting layers of the opposite polarity and creating a short circuit in regions where defects form. In some embodiments, an encapsulating layer is provided to encapsulate particles and prevent them from ejecting from the device stack and risking a short circuit when subsequent layers are deposited. The insulating layer may have an electronic resistivity of between about 1 and 108 Ohm-cm. In some embodiments, the insulating layer contains one or more of the following metal oxides: aluminum oxide, zinc oxide, tin oxide, silicon aluminum oxide, cerium oxide, tungsten oxide, nickel tungsten oxide, and oxidized indium tin oxide. Carbides, nitrides, oxynitrides, and oxycarbides may also be used.