Controller of dimming device and dimming system

Abstract

The invention provides a controller of a dimming device and a dimming system, the controller of the dimming device comprises a control module and a dimming driving module, the control module is connected with the dimming driving module, and the dimming driving module is connected with the dimming device; the control module is used for waking up the dimming driving module when a dimming device switching trigger condition is met, so that the dimming driving module drives the dimming device to perform state switching; and the control module is also used for sleeping the dimming driving module when a sleeping condition is met, so that the power consumption of the controller is reduced. The controller enables power supply through a battery to be possible by greatly reducing system power consumption.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of optoelectronic technology, and in particular to a controller and a dimming system of a dimming device capable of reducing power consumption. Background Art

[0002] Dimming glass is a product that uses electrical energy to change the transparent and opaque state of glass. Dimming glass generally needs to be connected to the controller through cables, and the controller is connected to the mains through cables to power the entire system. In door and window applications, wiring problems between the controller and the mains socket are inevitable, especially for dimming glass products that require users to install them themselves. The above wiring and installation operations often place more stringent requirements on users.

[0003] After analysis, the inventor believes that only by significantly reducing the power consumption of the entire control system and supporting battery power supply can the difficulty of wiring be reduced and the installation by users be facilitated.

[0004] Therefore, it is urgent to propose a low-power solution for dimming device controller. Summary of the invention

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, the present application provides a controller for a dimming device and a dimming system, which can greatly reduce the power consumption of the system and make it possible to power it with a battery.

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present application provides a controller of a dimming device, comprising a control module and a dimming driving module, wherein the control module is connected to the dimming driving module, and the dimming driving module is connected to the dimming device;

[0007] The control module is used to wake up the dimming driving module when the dimming device switching trigger condition is met, so that the dimming driving module drives the dimming device to switch the state;

[0008] The control module is also used to put the dimming driving module into sleep mode when a sleep condition is met, thereby reducing the power consumption of the controller.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment, satisfying the dimming device switching trigger condition includes: the control module confirming a dimming device switching trigger signal.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment, the control module confirms that the dimming device switching trigger signal includes:

[0011] The control module periodically polls whether a dimming device switching trigger signal is received.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment, the control module periodically polling whether a dimming device switching trigger signal is received includes: the control module periodically switching between an awake state and a sleep state, and determining whether a dimming device switching trigger signal is received in the awake state.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment, the control module confirms that the dimming device switching trigger signal includes:

[0014] The dimming device switching trigger signal causes a first interrupt signal to be generated, and the control module receives the first interrupt signal, thereby causing the control module to execute a corresponding interrupt processing process.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment, the dimming device switching trigger signal includes: a key trigger signal or a remote control trigger signal.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment, the sleep condition is satisfied including: the dimming driving module has completed a process of driving the dimming device to switch states.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment, the process of the dimming driving module driving the dimming device to switch the state has been completed, including: the process of the dimming driving module driving the dimming device to switch the state has been completed, and the state of the dimming device after switching does not need to apply voltage to maintain.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment, the satisfying of the sleep condition includes: the duration of not satisfying the dimming device switching trigger condition exceeds a first time length threshold.

[0019] In a preferred embodiment, the controller is powered by a battery.

[0020] In a preferred embodiment, the controller further includes: a button or remote control signal receiving module.

[0021] Another aspect of the present invention provides a dimming system, including a dimming device and the controller as described above.

[0022] In a preferred embodiment, at least one of the operating states of the dimming device does not require continuous application of voltage.

[0023] The beneficial effect of the present application is that, through the sleep and wake-up mechanism of the dimming drive module, the power consumption of the controller can be greatly reduced while ensuring that the dimming device is driven and controlled, which provides the feasibility of the controller being powered by a battery.

[0024] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description of the present application are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the application as claimed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the present application, are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the present application and together with the description are used to explain the principles of the present application. In the drawings:

[0026] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a controller of a dimming device provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a controller of a dimming device provided in another embodiment of the present application;

[0028] Figure 3 This is a power consumption waveform diagram of a controller when a control module in an embodiment of the present application works in a polling manner;

[0029] Figure 4 This is a power consumption waveform diagram of the controller when the control module operates in an interrupt mode in one embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] Now, reference will be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of the present application, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numerals will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.

[0031] The shapes, sizes, ratios, angles, and quantities disclosed in the drawings used to describe the embodiments of the present application are examples only, and therefore, the present application is not limited to the details shown in the drawings. Similar reference numerals always represent similar elements. In the following description, when it is determined that a detailed description of related known functions or structures unnecessarily confuses the main points of the present application, the detailed description will be omitted.

[0032] In the case where “including,” “having,” and “comprising” described in the present specification are used, other parts may be added unless “only” is used. Terms in the singular form may include plural forms unless described otherwise.

[0033] When explaining an element, the element is interpreted as including an error range although not explicitly described.

[0034] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, when a structure (e.g., an electrode, a line, a wiring, a layer, or a contact) is described as being formed on the upper portion / lower portion of another structure or on top of / below other structures, this description should be understood to include the case where these structures are in contact with each other, and also includes the case where a third structure is provided therebetween.

[0035] In describing a time relationship, for example, when a time order is described as “after,” “subsequently,” “next,” and “before,” discontinuous cases may be included unless “just” or “immediately” is used.

[0036] It should be understood that although the terms "first", "second", etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another element. For example, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element without departing from the scope of the present application.

[0037] The “X-axis direction”, “Y-axis direction” and “Z-axis direction” should not be interpreted only by a geometric relationship of being merely perpendicular to each other, but may have broader directivities within the range in which the elements of the present application can function.

[0038] The term "at least one" should be understood to include any and all combinations of one or more of the related listed items. For example, the meaning of "at least one of the first, second and third items" represents all combinations of items proposed from the first, second and third items and two or more of the first, second or third items.

[0039] The features of the various embodiments of the present application may be connected or combined with each other in part or in whole, and may interoperate and be driven by technology in various ways, as can be fully understood by those skilled in the art. The embodiments of the present application may be performed independently of each other, or may be performed together in a mutually dependent relationship.

[0040] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0041] An embodiment of the present invention provides a controller for a dimming device, such as Figure 1 As shown, the controller 11 includes a control module 111 and a dimming driving module 112. The control module 111 is connected to the dimming driving module 112. The controller 11 is connected to the dimming device 2, specifically, the controller 11 is connected to the dimming device 2 through the dimming driving module 112, so as to drive the dimming device 2.

[0042] In addition, the controller 11 is also connected to the power source 3. In one example, the power source 3 can be a battery. When the power source 3 is a battery, the battery can be connected to the controller 11 through a cable to power the internal circuit. In addition, the battery can also be integrated into the controller 11.

[0043] In the embodiment of the present invention, when the dimming device switching trigger condition is met, the control module 111 wakes up the dimming driving module 112, so that the dimming driving module 112 drives the dimming device 2 to switch states. When the sleep condition is met, the control module 111 controls the dimming driving module 112 to sleep, thereby reducing the power consumption of the entire controller.

[0044] In practice, the dimming device 2 changes its working state according to the voltage applied thereto, and the dimming device 2 may not even need to continuously apply voltage during the process of maintaining the working state. Therefore, the power consumption of the controller 11 can be flexibly adjusted according to the state of the dimming device to reduce the power consumption of the entire controller.

[0045] In the embodiment of the present invention, when the dimming device switching trigger condition is met, the working state of the dimming device 2 needs to be switched, and the dimming driving module 112 needs to be awakened at this time, and the dimming driving module 112 outputs a corresponding voltage signal to the dimming device 2, so that the dimming device 2 completes the state switching. When the sleep condition is met, for example, during the period of maintaining the working state of the dimming device 2, the control module 111 can put the dimming driving module 112 into a sleep state.

[0046] The dimming device 2 can modulate the intensity, color, phase, polarization and / or direction of the incident light. Therefore, as an example, the dimming device 2 can be a device that can adjust the light transmittance, or a device that can adjust its own haze, or a device that can adjust both the light transmittance and its own haze.

[0047] Types of dimming devices 2 may include electro-variable dimming devices, liquid crystal dimming devices, and / or SPD dimming devices.

[0048] Among them, electrochromic dimming devices and SPD dimming devices can adjust light transmittance, and liquid crystal dimming devices can adjust light transmittance.

[0049] In addition, there is a liquid crystal dimming device that can adjust both the light transmittance and the haze, such as the liquid crystal dimming device in the Chinese invention patent application 202111232990.8 applied by the applicant in 2021, which will not be repeated here.

[0050] It should be noted that the above-mentioned various types of dimming devices all support at least one working state without maintaining the applied voltage, which provides good support for the controller to meet the sleep condition.

[0051] The control module 111 may be a general chip for reading program instructions to complete corresponding control operations, or a dedicated chip for executing corresponding control operations.

[0052] Through the sleep and wake-up mechanism of the dimming drive module, the power consumption of the controller can be greatly reduced while ensuring that the dimming device is driven and controlled. This provides the feasibility of the controller being powered by a battery. If the power consumption of the controller is high, the battery will be exhausted quickly and the battery needs to be replaced frequently, which is unacceptable to users in scenarios where the dimming device and controller are installed in relatively closed doors and windows. The power consumption of the controller in the embodiment of the present invention is greatly reduced. After actual measurement, the battery as the power source of the controller can even maintain an average usage time of up to several months, which greatly reduces the frequency of battery replacement or charging by users. It can be seen that the field of dimming devices is not only particularly suitable for introducing the low-power solution adopted in the embodiment of the present invention, but also that the solution solves the technical problems that urgently need to be solved in this field.

[0053] Compared with low-power technical solutions in other technical fields, since the working state of one or some dimming devices does not require voltage maintenance, based on this feature, the present application creatively decouples the control module and the dimming drive module in the controller in terms of power consumption, so that the dimming drive module can be put into sleep mode when it does not need to work. In practice, the power consumption of the dimming drive module in the entire controller is also relatively large, so putting it into sleep mode also greatly reduces the power consumption of the controller.

[0054] In an optional implementation, the battery can be a solar cell, so that it can be charged with the help of solar energy, saving the user the trouble of external charging. In a specific implementation example, the solar cell can directly power the controller; it can also charge the battery, and the battery can power the controller.

[0055] Figure 2 FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a controller of a dimming device according to another embodiment of the present invention, in which an optional device required to generate a corresponding signal of a trigger condition for switching the dimming device is particularly shown. Figure 2 As shown, the controller 12 includes not only a control module 111 and a dimming driving module 112 , but also a button 113 , a button detection circuit 114 , and a remote control signal receiving module 115 .

[0056] The button 113 can be used to operate by, for example, touching, pressing, rotating, and / or shaking, and the button detection circuit 114 can generate a corresponding button trigger signal according to the operation of the button 113. The button 113 is connected to the button detection circuit 114, and the button detection circuit 114 is connected to the control module 111. Thus, the control module 111 can receive the corresponding button trigger signal generated by the button detection circuit 114 due to the operation of the button 113. It should be noted that in a more simplified alternative implementation scheme, the button 113 can be directly connected to the control module 111, and the button 113 directly generates a button trigger signal, and the button detection circuit 114 can be omitted. In addition, the button 113 can be arranged on or inside the housing of the controller 12, or it can be arranged outside the controller 12, for example, it can be arranged on a door or window frame that is convenient for user operation.

[0057] The remote control signal receiving module 115 is used to receive a wireless signal from a remote controller and generate a corresponding remote control trigger signal according to the wireless signal. The frequency of the wireless signal may be, for example, 315 MHz or 433 MHz.

[0058] The button trigger signal or remote control trigger signal here is a specific implementation form of the dimming device switching trigger signal. Therefore, in an alternative embodiment, according to the system configuration or actual needs, only one of the devices required for the trigger signal can be retained in the controller, for example, the remote control signal receiving module 115 required for the remote control trigger signal can be omitted, or the button 113 and button detection circuit 114 required for the button trigger signal can be omitted.

[0059] In addition, no matter how the user operates (such as operating a button or operating a remote controller), the purpose is to generate a dimming device switching trigger signal. When the control module confirms the dimming device switching trigger signal, it is considered that the dimming device switching trigger condition is met.

[0060] The method by which the control module 111 in the controller 12 determines whether the dimming device switching triggering condition is satisfied is explained below through two specific implementation methods.

[0061] Figure 3 The first method for the control module 111 to determine whether the dimming device switching trigger condition is satisfied is shown, namely the polling method. Figure 3 The power consumption waveform of the entire controller is used to illustrate the working status of the controller.

[0062] like Figure 3As shown, initially starting from the time axis t, there is no need to switch the working state of the dimming device. During this period, the overall power consumption of the controller is at a low level, wherein the dimming driver module 112 is continuously in a dormant state, and the control module 111 uses a polling mechanism to detect whether a dimming device switching trigger signal is generated. Therefore, at this stage, the control module 111 itself periodically switches between the dormant and awake states, for example, the duration of the control module 111 awakening is T1, and the duration of the dormancy is T2. The controller 111 can detect the dimming device switching trigger signal in the awakening period T1. Assuming that at time ts, a dimming switching trigger signal is generated by a key or remote control, and the waveform of the signal just at least partially covers the nth awakening period of the control module 111, the control module 111 can normally receive the dimming switching trigger signal in the awakening period, thereby determining that the dimming device switching trigger condition is met, and then wakes up the dimming driver module 112 to work, driving the dimming device 2 to switch the state, and in the period after the dimming driver module 112 wakes up, the power consumption of the entire controller is increased. When the dimming driver module 112 completes the process of driving the dimming device 2 to switch states, it can be considered that the sleep condition is met, so the control module 111 controls the dimming driver module 112 to sleep again, and the time is tf. After that, the control module 111 returns to the periodic wake-up and sleep process again, and the dimming driver module 112 continues to be in the sleep state, and the entire controller returns to the low-power working state until the control module 111 confirms again that the dimming device switching trigger condition is met, thereby executing the aforementioned related process of waking up the dimming driver module 112 again, and so on.

[0063] It can be seen that in this embodiment, the control module confirms that the dimming device switching trigger signal includes periodically polling whether the dimming device switching trigger signal is received, and when the dimming device switching trigger signal is received, the dimming device switching trigger signal is confirmed. The specific process of the control module periodically polling whether the dimming device switching trigger signal is received includes: the control module periodically switches between the awake state and the sleep state, and determines whether the dimming device switching trigger signal is received in the awake state.

[0064] The above-mentioned process of the dimming driving module 112 driving the dimming device 2 to switch the state has been completed, which can specifically include: the process of the dimming driving module 112 driving the dimming device 2 to switch the state has been completed, and the state of the switched dimming device does not need to be maintained by applying voltage.

[0065] It should be noted that, in the above-mentioned polling process, in theory, there is a situation where the time when the dimming switching trigger signal is generated is just within the period when the control module 111 is in sleep (i.e., within period T2). At this time, the control module 111 may just not detect the dimming switching trigger signal, and thus does not perform the corresponding action of waking up the dimming driving module 112, making the controller appear to have not responded to the user's operation. In order to solve this problem, considering that the user usually presses a button or presses the remote control for a short period of time before lifting it, the dimming switching trigger signal will also last for a short period of time. As long as the length or ratio of the period T2 when the control module 111 is in sleep and the period T1 when it is awake are optimized through reasonable design, the control module 111 can always detect the dimming switching trigger signal within the awakening period T1.

[0066] In addition, in the above mechanism, when the dimming drive module 112 has completed the process of driving the dimming device 2 to switch the state, it can be considered that the sleep condition is met. In practice, the control module 111 can also determine whether the duration of not meeting the dimming device switching trigger condition exceeds the first time length threshold. If it exceeds the threshold, it is determined that the sleep condition is met. The latter method requires the control module 111 to time the duration of not meeting the dimming device switching trigger condition. In practice, the timing can be started from the last time the dimming device switching trigger condition was met. The latter method is particularly suitable for situations where the control module 111 cannot confirm or cannot accurately confirm the exact time when the dimming device switching is completed, thereby adopting a working mechanism of forced sleep when the time length is exceeded.

[0067] The advantages of the polling method mentioned above include: when the waveform of the dimming device switching trigger signal is complex due to factors such as environmental interference, it is necessary to first perform waveform judgment to determine whether it is a real dimming device switching trigger signal. At this time, the interrupt mechanism is not capable of such complex detection processing. Through the polling method, the control module 111 can perform corresponding waveform detection operations (for example, including pre-filtering processing) within the wake-up cycle (for example, within the time period T1) to determine whether the received signal is a dimming device switching trigger signal.

[0068] The main disadvantage of working in a polling mode is that during the period when the entire controller is in low-power operation, the control module 111 still needs to wake up periodically (for example, during period T1) to complete the active detection of the dimming device switching trigger signal. However, despite this, it is also significantly advantageous over the prior art control device and the dimming drive device that always maintain a high-power working state. In order to further reduce the power consumption of the entire controller, an interrupt mechanism can be used to determine the dimming device switching trigger signal. Therefore, the control module confirms that the dimming device switching trigger signal specifically includes in this embodiment: the dimming device switching trigger signal prompts the generation of a first interrupt signal, and the control module receives the first interrupt signal, thereby causing the control module to execute a corresponding interrupt processing process.

[0069] like Figure 4 The power consumption waveform of the controller using the interrupt working system is shown. Due to the interrupt mechanism, the control module 111 usually remains in a dormant state, and the power consumption of the entire controller is maintained at a minimum. Assuming that an interrupt signal (hereinafter referred to as the first interrupt signal) corresponding to the dimming switching trigger signal is generated by a button or remote control at time ts, the control module 111 is awakened through the interrupt detection mechanism to perform the corresponding interrupt processing process. In an embodiment of the present invention, the interrupt processing process corresponding to the first interrupt signal generated by the dimming switching trigger signal is: wake up the dimming drive module 112, so that the dimming drive module 112 drives the dimming device 2 to switch states. In this process, the power consumption of the entire controller is increased. After the dimming drive module 112 drives the dimming device 2 to switch states, it can be considered that the dormancy condition is met, so that the control module 111 controls the dimming drive module 112 to sleep again, and can make itself sleep again, and the time at this time is tf. Thereafter, the overall power consumption of the controller is maintained at a minimum again until the first interrupt signal is generated again, and so on.

[0070] The advantages of using the interrupt mode include: the entire controller is always in the state of minimum power consumption during the period when the sleep conditions are met. However, its disadvantages are as mentioned above. Due to the limitations of the actual interrupt detection mechanism, the commonly used interrupt trigger mechanisms include rising edge triggering, falling edge triggering, etc. These trigger mechanisms are too simple for the complex dimming device switching trigger signal waveform and are prone to false triggering. Therefore, when the dimming device switching trigger signal waveform is too complex, the interrupt mode may not meet the needs.

[0071] When the dimming driving module 112 needs to generate an AC driving voltage signal, the dimming driving module 112 may include an AC signal generating device, and the control module 111 controls the AC signal generating device to generate a periodic AC pulse voltage signal, thereby driving the dimming device 2 to switch states. The AC signal generating device may include an H-bridge circuit.

[0072] When the dimming drive module 112 also needs to generate an AC drive voltage signal of different amplitudes, the dimming drive module 112 may include an AC signal generating device and a voltage adjustment module. The voltage adjustment module provides a working voltage to the AC signal generating device. The control module 111 controls the AC signal generating device to adjust the shape of the AC voltage (such as shape and frequency, etc.). The control module 111 controls the voltage adjustment module to adjust the size of the working voltage output by the AC signal generating device, thereby adjusting the size of the working voltage of the AC signal generating device, and further adjusting the amplitude of the AC voltage output by the AC signal generating device.

[0073] The embodiment of the present invention further provides a dimming system, comprising the above-mentioned controller and dimming device, wherein at least one of the working states of the dimming device does not require continuous application of voltage.

[0074] The preferred embodiments of the present application are described in detail above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings; however, the present application is not limited to the specific details in the above embodiments. Within the technical concept of the present application, a variety of simple modifications can be made to the technical solution of the present application, and these simple modifications all fall within the protection scope of the present application.

[0075] In addition, the various implementation modes of the present application may be arbitrarily combined, and as long as they do not violate the concept of the present application, they should also be regarded as the contents disclosed in the present application.

Claims

1. A controller for a dimming device, comprising a control module and a dimming driving module, wherein the control module is connected to the dimming driving module, and the dimming driving module is connected to the dimming device; The control module is used to wake up the dimming driving module when the dimming device switching trigger condition is met, so that the dimming driving module drives the dimming device to switch the state; The control module is also used to put the dimming driving module into sleep mode when a sleep condition is met, thereby reducing the power consumption of the controller.

2. The controller of the dimming device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The dimming device switching trigger condition being met includes: the control module confirming a dimming device switching trigger signal.

3. The controller of the dimming device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The control module confirms that the dimming device switching trigger signal includes: The control module periodically polls whether a dimming device switching trigger signal is received.

4. The controller of the dimming device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The control module periodically polling whether a dimming device switching trigger signal is received includes: the control module periodically switching between an awake state and a dormant state, and determining whether a dimming device switching trigger signal is received in the awake state.

5. The controller of the dimming device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The control module confirms that the dimming device switching trigger signal includes: The dimming device switching trigger signal causes a first interrupt signal to be generated, and the control module receives the first interrupt signal, thereby causing the control module to execute a corresponding interrupt processing process.

6. The controller of the dimming device according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that: The dimming device switching trigger signal includes: a key trigger signal or a remote control trigger signal.

7. The controller of the dimming device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sleep condition being met includes: the dimming driving module driving the dimming device to switch states has been completed.

8. The controller of the dimming device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The process that the dimming driving module drives the dimming device to switch the state has been completed includes: the process that the dimming driving module drives the dimming device to switch the state has been completed, and the state of the dimming device after switching does not need to be maintained by applying voltage.

9. The controller of the dimming device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The dormancy condition is met including: the duration of not meeting the dimming device switching trigger condition exceeds a first time length threshold.

10. The controller of the dimming device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The controller is powered by a battery.

11. The controller of the dimming device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The controller also includes: a button or remote control signal receiving module.

12. A dimming system, characterized in that: The invention comprises a dimming device and a controller as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. The dimming system according to claim 12, wherein: At least one of the operating states of the dimming device does not require continuous application of voltage.

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