US 12,454,860 B2
Coil skew detection and correction techniques for electric-potential driven shade, and/or associated methods
Yabei Gu, Auburn Hills, MI (US); Rudolph Hugo Petrmichl, Auburn Hills, MI (US); Jeffrey Iott, Auburn Hills, MI (US); Syed Uzair Ahmed, Auburn Hills, MI (US); Timothy J. Frey, Auburn Hills, MI (US); and Kevin Michael Swanson, 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. 17/861,364.
Application 17/861,364 is a continuation in part of application No. 16/792,348, filed on Feb. 17, 2020, granted, now 11,421,470.
Prior Publication US 2022/0349247 A1, Nov. 3, 2022
Int. Cl. G02B 26/00 (2006.01); E06B 3/67 (2006.01); E06B 9/264 (2006.01); G01B 7/31 (2006.01); H02J 50/90 (2016.01); E06B 9/24 (2006.01)
CPC E06B 9/264 (2013.01) [E06B 3/6722 (2013.01); G01B 7/31 (2013.01); H02J 50/90 (2016.02); E06B 2009/2447 (2013.01); E06B 2009/2464 (2013.01); E06B 2009/2643 (2013.01)] 30 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 sensor located in the gap; and
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;
wherein at least one of the first 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, which has a coil in the shutter open position, 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;
wherein the sensor is configured to generate coil skew data indicative of measured coil skew when the polymer substrate is being driven to the shutter closed position and when the polymer substrate is returning to the shutter open position; and
wherein the controller is configured to receive the generated coil skew data from the sensor, determine whether coil skew is occurring, and affect at least one of shutter extension or shutter retraction in response to a determination that coil skew is occurring.