Electrochromic Window Monitoring for Adaptive Site Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
As electrically tintable windows, such as electrochromic windows, become more widely deployed, there is a need for sophisticated control and monitoring systems to manage the large amounts of data associated with these installations, particularly in managing switchable optical devices, controllers, and sensors to ensure optimal performance and energy efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A site monitoring system that analyzes data from remote sites to identify any devices or controllers operating outside expected performance regions, learns user preferences, and adapts control logic to meet customer goals, including generating notifications, determining corrective actions, and communicating these actions to the sites, while also integrating with HVAC and lighting systems to enhance occupant comfort and save energy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If sophisticated control and monitoring systems are deployed to manage switchable optical devices, then device performance and energy efficiency are improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring system is divided into multiple independent components including remote monitoring devices at individual sites, central servers for data aggregation, and modular analysis modules. Each component performs a specific function (data collection, transmission, storage, analysis) rather than requiring a single complex system, thereby improving reliability through distributed architecture while managing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediate monitoring devices and controllers that act as mediators between the switchable optical devices and the central management system. These intermediaries collect and pre-process data locally before transmitting to central servers, reducing the complexity burden on any single component while ensuring reliable device performance through layered monitoring.
2Productivity
If monitoring systems collect and analyze large amounts of data from multiple sites, then performance optimization is improved, but data management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Data management is segmented into hierarchical levels: local monitoring devices collect data from individual devices, regional servers aggregate data from multiple sites, and central servers perform comprehensive analysis. This segmentation allows performance optimization through distributed data collection while managing complexity by processing data at appropriate hierarchical levels rather than centralizing all functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The monitoring system performs preliminary data processing, filtering, and validation at local monitoring devices before data is transmitted to central servers. This preliminary action reduces the volume and complexity of data requiring centralized management while maintaining the ability to optimize performance through comprehensive analysis of the pre-processed data.
3Ease of operation
If the system implements adaptive control logic that learns user preferences, then user comfort is improved, but processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The adaptive control system is segmented into lightweight local monitoring devices that collect user interaction data and transmit it to central servers for complex learning and analysis. This segmentation allows user comfort to be improved through sophisticated preference learning while managing processing requirements by distributing computational tasks across multiple devices with different processing capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements adaptive control at selective locations and for selective devices rather than uniformly across all switchable optical devices. This partial action approach improves user comfort in high-priority areas while reducing overall processing requirements by focusing computational resources on critical monitoring and control functions.
Data Source
AI summary
A site monitoring system may analyze information from sites to determine when a device, a sensor, a controller, or other structure associated with optically switchable devices has a problem. The system may, if appropriate, act on the problem. In certain embodiments, the system learns customer/user preferences and adapts its control logic to meet the customer's goals.