Patents by Inventor Nicholas Schleder

Nicholas Schleder has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20240092064
    Abstract: An electrical characteristic of a privacy glazing structure and indicative of a health of the privacy glazing structure can be measured at a first time and at a second time later than the first time. In response to detecting a change in the electrical characteristic indicating a change in the health of the privacy glazing structure, one or more parameters of an electrical drive signal can be adjusted to compensate for the change in the health of the privacy glazing structure. The electrical characteristic can be measured at a plurality of times after the second time and compared to the electrical characteristic measured at the first time. If, at any of the plurality of times, the measured electrical characteristic differs from the electrical characteristic measured at the first time by more than a threshold amount, one or more parameters of the electrical drive signal can be adjusted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2023
    Publication date: March 21, 2024
    Inventors: Nicholas Schleder, Hari Atkuri, Andrew DeMiglio, Michael Eul
  • Publication number: 20230400724
    Abstract: A privacy glazing structure may include an electrically controllable optically active material, such as a liquid crystal material, sandwiched between a flexible substrate and a rigid substrate. The flexible substrate and the rigid substrate may each have a conductive layer deposited on the surface facing the optically active material. The flexible substrate may be bonded about its perimeter to the rigid substrate and may be sufficiently flexible to conform to non-planarity of the rigid substrate. As a result, the flexible substrate may adopt the surface contour of the rigid substrate to maintain a uniform thickness of optically active material between the flexible substrate and the rigid substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2023
    Publication date: December 14, 2023
    Inventors: Andrew DeMiglio, Eric Bjergaard, Hari Atkuri, Nicholas Schleder
  • Patent number: 11826986
    Abstract: An electrical characteristic of a privacy glazing structure and indicative of a health of the privacy glazing structure can be measured at a first time and at a second time later than the first time. In response to detecting a change in the electrical characteristic indicating a change in the health of the privacy glazing structure, one or more parameters of an electrical drive signal can be adjusted to compensate for the change in the health of the privacy glazing structure. The electrical characteristic can be measured at a plurality of times after the second time and compared to the electrical characteristic measured at the first time. If, at any of the plurality of times, the measured electrical characteristic differs from the electrical characteristic measured at the first time by more than a threshold amount, one or more parameters of the electrical drive signal can be adjusted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: Cardinal IG Company
    Inventors: Nicholas Schleder, Hari Atkuri, Andrew DeMiglio, Michael Eul
  • Publication number: 20230350241
    Abstract: An electrical driver can be used to provide electrical drive signals to a first and second electrically controllable optical privacy glazing structures. A first electrical drive signal can be applied to the first privacy glazing structure and a second electrical drive signal can be applied to the second privacy glazing structure. Applying the first and second electrical drive signal can comprise temporally staggering delivery of the first and second electrical drive signals such that a peak power draw and/or a peak current draw from the first privacy glazing structure is temporally offset from a peak power draw and/or a peak current draw from the second privacy glazing structure. Staggering can include delaying the application of one electrical drive signal relative to the other, phase shifting one electrical drive signal relative to the other, or a combination thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2023
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Inventors: Nicholas Schleder, Peter Whaley, Eric Berner
  • Patent number: 11681170
    Abstract: An electrical driver can be used to provide electrical drive signals to a first and second electrically controllable optical privacy glazing structures. A first electrical drive signal can be applied to the first privacy glazing structure and a second electrical drive signal can be applied to the second privacy glazing structure. Applying the first and second electrical drive signal can comprise temporally staggering delivery of the first and second electrical drive signals such that a peak power draw and/or a peak current draw from the first privacy glazing structure is temporally offset from a peak power draw and/or a peak current draw from the second privacy glazing structure. Staggering can include delaying the application of one electrical drive signal relative to the other, phase shifting one electrical drive signal relative to the other, or a combination thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: Cardinal IG Company
    Inventors: Nicholas Schleder, Peter Whaley, Eric Berner
  • Publication number: 20230020132
    Abstract: An electrical response of a privacy glazing structure to an applied electrical sensing pulse can be measured, and one or more parameters of the privacy glazing structure can be characterized. The one or more parameters can be used to load one or more drive parameters for subsequent use in an electrical drive signal used to operate the privacy glazing structure. If an electrical drive signal is already in place, the characterized one or more parameters can be compared to one or more parameters characterized at a previous time. If the one or more characterized parameters are different from those characterized at the previous time by more than a threshold amount, one or more drive parameters of the electrical drive signal can be adjusted to a new value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2022
    Publication date: January 19, 2023
    Inventors: Nicholas Schleder, Michael Eul, William Emile Julien Schoettler, Peter Whaley
  • Publication number: 20220276525
    Abstract: A privacy glazing structure may include an electrically controllable optically active material, such as a liquid crystal material, sandwiched between a flexible substrate and a rigid substrate. The flexible substrate and the rigid substrate may each have a conductive layer deposited on the surface facing the optically active material. The flexible substrate may be bonded about its perimeter to the rigid substrate and may be sufficiently flexible to conform to non-planarity of the rigid substrate. As a result, the flexible substrate may adopt the surface contour of the rigid substrate to maintain a uniform thickness of optically active material between the flexible substrate and the rigid substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2022
    Publication date: September 1, 2022
    Inventors: Andrew DeMiglio, Eric Bjergaard, Hari Atkuri, Nicholas Schleder
  • Publication number: 20220258456
    Abstract: An electrical characteristic of a privacy glazing structure and indicative of a health of the privacy glazing structure can be measured at a first time and at a second time later than the first time. In response to detecting a change in the electrical characteristic indicating a change in the health of the privacy glazing structure, one or more parameters of an electrical drive signal can be adjusted to compensate for the change in the health of the privacy glazing structure. The electrical characteristic can be measured at a plurality of times after the second time and compared to the electrical characteristic measured at the first time. If, at any of the plurality of times, the measured electrical characteristic differs from the electrical characteristic measured at the first time by more than a threshold amount, one or more parameters of the electrical drive signal can be adjusted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2022
    Publication date: August 18, 2022
    Inventors: Nicholas Schleder, Hari Atkuri, Andrew DeMiglio, Michael Eul
  • Patent number: 11333912
    Abstract: A privacy glazing structure may include an electrically controllable optically active material, such as a liquid crystal material, sandwiched between a flexible substrate and a rigid substrate. The flexible substrate and the rigid substrate may each have a conductive layer deposited on the surface facing the optically active material. The flexible substrate may be bonded about its perimeter to the rigid substrate and may be sufficiently flexible to conform to non-planarity of the rigid substrate. As a result, the flexible substrate may adopt the surface contour of the rigid substrate to maintain a uniform thickness of optically active material between the flexible substrate and the rigid substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Cardinal IG Company
    Inventors: Andrew DeMiglio, Eric Bjergaard, Hari Atkuri, Nicholas Schleder
  • Patent number: 11325352
    Abstract: An electrical characteristic of a privacy glazing structure and indicative of a health of the privacy glazing structure can be measured at a first time and at a second time later than the first time. In response to detecting a change in the electrical characteristic indicating a change in the health of the privacy glazing structure, one or more parameters of an electrical drive signal can be adjusted to compensate for the change in the health of the privacy glazing structure. The electrical characteristic can be measured at a plurality of times after the second time and compared to the electrical characteristic measured at the first time. If, at any of the plurality of times, the measured electrical characteristic differs from the electrical characteristic measured at the first time by more than a threshold amount, one or more parameters of the electrical drive signal can be adjusted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Cardinal IG Company
    Inventors: Nicholas Schleder, Hari Atkuri, Andrew DeMiglio, Michael Eul
  • Publication number: 20220066250
    Abstract: An electrical driver can be used to provide electrical drive signals to a first and second electrically controllable optical privacy glazing structures. A first electrical drive signal can be applied to the first privacy glazing structure and a second electrical drive signal can be applied to the second privacy glazing structure. Applying the first and second electrical drive signal can comprise temporally staggering delivery of the first and second electrical drive signals such that a peak power draw and/or a peak current draw from the first privacy glazing structure is temporally offset from a peak power draw and/or a peak current draw from the second privacy glazing structure. Staggering can include delaying the application of one electrical drive signal relative to the other, phase shifting one electrical drive signal relative to the other, or a combination thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2021
    Publication date: March 3, 2022
    Inventors: Nicholas Schleder, Peter Whaley, Eric Berner
  • Patent number: 11243421
    Abstract: A driver for an electrically dynamic structure may store and release energy during polarity cycling to improve the energy efficiency of operation. In some examples, the driver includes an energy storage element. In operation, the driver can charge an electrically controllable optically active material to a first operating voltage at a first polarity and subsequently discharge the optically active material during polarity reversal. The driver may store energy released from the optically active material during discharging and subsequently release the energy to charge the optically active material to a second operating voltage at a second polarity different than the first polarity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: Cardinal IG Company
    Inventors: Nicholas Schleder, Michael Eul, Chad Peters, Hari Atkuri
  • Patent number: 11175523
    Abstract: An electrical driver can be used to provide electrical drive signals to a first and second electrically controllable optical privacy glazing structures. A first electrical drive signal can be applied to the first privacy glazing structure and a second electrical drive signal can be applied to the second privacy glazing structure. Applying the first and second electrical drive signal can comprise temporally staggering delivery of the first and second electrical drive signals such that a peak power draw and/or a peak current draw from the first privacy glazing structure is temporally offset from a peak power draw and/or a peak current draw from the second privacy glazing structure. Staggering can include delaying the application of one electrical drive signal relative to the other, phase shifting one electrical drive signal relative to the other, or a combination thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Cardinal IG Company
    Inventors: Nicholas Schleder, Peter Whaley, Eric Berner
  • Patent number: 11111720
    Abstract: A driver may be used to drive an electrically controllable optically active material in a privacy structure. In some examples, the driver receives power from a power source at a supply voltage and a supply apparent power level and converts the power received from the power source down to a converted voltage and a converted apparent power level. The converted voltage is less than the supply voltage and the converted apparent power level is less than the supply apparent power level. The driver may deliver power at the converted voltage and the converted apparent power level to a voltage convertor, which increase the converted voltage to an operating voltage. The driver can further condition power received from the voltage convertor having the operating voltage and operating apparent power level to provide a drive signal and provide the drive signal the electrically controllable optically active material of the privacy structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: Cardinal IG Company
    Inventors: Chad Peters, Nicholas Schleder, Eric Bjergaard
  • Publication number: 20200338865
    Abstract: An electrical characteristic of a privacy glazing structure and indicative of a health of the privacy glazing structure can be measured at a first time and at a second time later than the first time. In response to detecting a change in the electrical characteristic indicating a change in the health of the privacy glazing structure, one or more parameters of an electrical drive signal can be adjusted to compensate for the change in the health of the privacy glazing structure. The electrical characteristic can be measured at a plurality of times after the second time and compared to the electrical characteristic measured at the first time. If, at any of the plurality of times, the measured electrical characteristic differs from the electrical characteristic measured at the first time by more than a threshold amount, one or more parameters of the electrical drive signal can be adjusted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2020
    Publication date: October 29, 2020
    Inventors: Nicholas Schleder, Hari Atkuri, Andrew DeMiglio, Michael Eul
  • Publication number: 20200341313
    Abstract: An electrical response of a privacy glazing structure to an applied electrical sensing pulse can be measured, and one or more parameters of the privacy glazing structure can be characterized. The one or more parameters can be used to load one or more drive parameters for subsequent use in an electrical drive signal used to operate the privacy glazing structure. If an electrical drive signal is already in place, the characterized one or more parameters can be compared to one or more parameters characterized at a previous time. If the one or more characterized parameters are different from those characterized at the previous time by more than a threshold amount, one or more drive parameters of the electrical drive signal can be adjusted to a new value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2020
    Publication date: October 29, 2020
    Inventors: Nicholas Schleder, Michael Eul, William Emile Julien Schoettler, Peter Whaley
  • Publication number: 20200341312
    Abstract: An electrical driver can be used to provide electrical drive signals to a first and second electrically controllable optical privacy glazing structures. A first electrical drive signal can be applied to the first privacy glazing structure and a second electrical drive signal can be applied to the second privacy glazing structure. Applying the first and second electrical drive signal can comprise temporally staggering delivery of the first and second electrical drive signals such that a peak power draw and/or a peak current draw from the first privacy glazing structure is temporally offset from a peak power draw and/or a peak current draw from the second privacy glazing structure. Staggering can include delaying the application of one electrical drive signal relative to the other, phase shifting one electrical drive signal relative to the other, or a combination thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2020
    Publication date: October 29, 2020
    Inventors: Nicholas Schleder, Peter Whaley, Eric Berner
  • Publication number: 20200271981
    Abstract: A privacy glazing structure may include an electrically controllable optically active material, such as a liquid crystal material, sandwiched between a flexible substrate and a rigid substrate. The flexible substrate and the rigid substrate may each have a conductive layer deposited on the surface facing the optically active material. The flexible substrate may be bonded about its perimeter to the rigid substrate and may be sufficiently flexible to conform to non-planarity of the rigid substrate. As a result, the flexible substrate may adopt the surface contour of the rigid substrate to maintain a uniform thickness of optically active material between the flexible substrate and the rigid substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2020
    Publication date: August 27, 2020
    Inventors: Andrew DeMiglio, Eric Bjergaard, Hari Atkuri, Nicholas Schleder
  • Publication number: 20200256121
    Abstract: A driver may be used to drive an electrically controllable optically active material in a privacy structure. In some examples, the driver receives power from a power source at a supply voltage and a supply apparent power level and converts the power received from the power source down to a converted voltage and a converted apparent power level. The converted voltage is less than the supply voltage and the converted apparent power level is less than the supply apparent power level. The driver may deliver power at the converted voltage and the converted apparent power level to a voltage convertor, which increase the converted voltage to an operating voltage. The driver can further condition power received from the voltage convertor having the operating voltage and operating apparent power level to provide a drive signal and provide the drive signal the electrically controllable optically active material of the privacy structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2020
    Publication date: August 13, 2020
    Inventors: Chad Peters, Nicholas Schleder, Eric Bjergaard
  • Patent number: 10649252
    Abstract: A privacy glazing structure may include an electrically controllable optically active material, such as a liquid crystal material, sandwiched between a flexible substrate and a rigid substrate. The flexible substrate and the rigid substrate may each have a conductive layer deposited on the surface facing the optically active material. The flexible substrate may be bonded about its perimeter to the rigid substrate and may be sufficiently flexible to conform to non-planarity of the rigid substrate. As a result, the flexible substrate may adopt the surface contour of the rigid substrate to maintain a uniform thickness of optically active material between the flexible substrate and the rigid substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: Cardinal IG Company
    Inventors: Andrew DeMiglio, Eric Bjergaard, Hari Atkuri, Nicholas Schleder