Coil skew detection and correction techniques for electric-potential driven shade, and/or associated methods

A glass substrate, comprising a dynamically controllable shade provided thereon, the shade including:

• a first conductive coating provided, directly or indirectly, on a major surface of the 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 a sensor coupleable to the substrate 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 a 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.

A method of making an insulating glass (IG) unit, the method comprising:

• having 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;
• providing a dynamically controllable shade on at least one of the first or second substrate, the shade including:
• a first conductive coating provided, directly or indirectly, on the interior major surface of the first substrate, the first conductive coating being divided into a plurality of zones that are electrically isolated from one another;
• 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;
• connecting the first and second substrates to one another in substantially parallel, spaced apart relation, such that a gap is defined therebetween and such that the dynamically controllable shade is located in the gap;
• wherein a sensor is located in the gap;
• 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 a controller is configured to receive the generated coil skew data from the sensor, determine whether coil skew is occurring, and affect least one of shutter extension or retraction in response to a determination that coil skew is occurring.

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 position data indicative of positions of more than one area of the coil of the shutter 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 position data from the sensor and to determine whether coil skew is occurring based on the position data.