US 12,331,585 B2
Coil skew detection and correction techniques for electric-potential driven shade, and/or associated methods
Rudolph Hugo Petrmichl, Auburn Hills, MI (US); Jeffrey Iott, Auburn Hills, MI (US); Syed Uzair Ahmed, Auburn Hills, MI (US); and Timothy J. Frey, Auburn Hills, MI (US)
Assigned to Guardian Glass, LLC
Filed by Guardian Glass, LLC, Auburn Hills, MI (US)
Filed on Jul. 11, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/861,388.
Application 17/861,388 is a continuation in part of application No. 16/792,348, filed on Feb. 17, 2020, granted, now 11,421,470.
Prior Publication US 2022/0349242 A1, Nov. 3, 2022
Int. Cl. G02B 26/00 (2006.01); E06B 3/67 (2006.01); E06B 3/673 (2006.01); E06B 9/24 (2006.01)
CPC E06B 3/6722 (2013.01) [E06B 3/673 (2013.01); E06B 9/24 (2013.01); E06B 2009/2417 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An insulating glass (IG) unit, comprising:
a controller;
first and second substrates, each having interior and exterior major surfaces, the interior major surface of the first substrate facing the interior major surface of the second substrate;
a spacer system helping to maintain the first and second substrates in substantially parallel spaced apart relation to one another and to define a gap therebetween;
a dynamically controllable shade interposed between the first and second substrates, the shade including:
a first conductive coating provided, directly or indirectly, on the interior major surface of the first substrate;
a dielectric or insulator film provided, directly or indirectly, on the first conductive coating; and
a shutter including a polymer substrate supporting a second conductive coating, wherein the polymer substrate is extendible to a shutter closed position and retractable to a shutter open position;
first and second conductive traces, each operably connected to the controller, the first and second conductive traces each extending along opposing peripheral edges of the first substrate in a direction in/from which the shutter is extendable/retractable; and
a plurality of first conductive pads connected to the first conductive trace and a plurality of second conductive pads connected to the second conductive trace, the first and second conductive pads being aligned with one another in respective conductive pad pairs transverse to the direction in/from which the shutter is extendable/retractable, the first and second conductive pads being positioned on the first substrate such that the shutter is caused to overlap with different respective conductive pad pairs as the shutter extends;
wherein the first and/or second conductive coatings are electrically connectable to a power source that is controllable to set up an electric potential difference and create electrostatic forces to drive the polymer substrate to the shutter closed position;
wherein the shutter has a coil that is caused to uncoil when the polymer substrate is driven to the shutter closed position and re-coil when the polymer substrate returns to the shutter open position; and
wherein the controller is configured to receive signals generated by the conductive pads as the shutter overlaps or ceases to overlap the conductive pads and determine, from those received signals, a position, speed, and/or skew associated with the coil.