METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SWITCHING LARGE-AREA ELECTROCHROMIC DEVICES Russian patent published in 2013 - IPC G02F1/163 

FIELD: electricity.

SUBSTANCE: method includes a first and a second electrode layer in which ions can be reversibly inserted, and an ion-conducting layer. The first layer, in which ions may be reversibly inserted, is electrochromic, and the first and second layers in which ions can be reversibly inserted are counter electrodes to each other. The method comprises steps of: continuously measuring the current (i_c) flowing through the cell when a voltage is applied to the electrode layers; and applying a voltage to the electrode layers and varying the applied voltage in steps as a function of current, such that the voltage generated between the electrode layers is kept within predetermined temperature-dependent safe redox limits, and the cell current is limited to predetermined temperature-dependent limits; wherein the applied voltage is only increased if the cell current is less than a maximum cell current (i_max), determined according to the equation: i_max=j_max × Area + (T-T₀) × F, where J_max is current density, Area is the active cell area, T is the temperature of the electrochromic element, and T₀ is a initial temperature, wherein a factor F allows for modification of the current according to temperature, thereby allowing modification of switching speed with respect to temperature.

EFFECT: optimising switching speed and uniformity of light transmission.

21 cl, 5 dwg