A motorized window treatment for controlling the amount of daylight entering a space through a window includes a covering material, a drive shaft, and a motor coupled to the drive shaft for raising and lowering the covering material. The window treatment also includes a spring assist unit for assisting the motor by providing a torque that equals the torque provided by the weight on the cords that lift the covering material at a position midway between fully-open and fully-closed positions to minimize motor usage and conserve battery life. The window treatment may comprise a photosensor for measuring the amount of daylight outside the window and temperature sensors for measuring the temperatures inside and outside of the window. The position of the covering material may be automatically controlled in response to the photosensor and the temperature sensors, or in response to an infrared or radio-frequency remote control.

The invention relates to insulating composite materials comprising an inorganic aerogel and a melamine foam. The invention also relates to the product method of said materials, and to the use of same.

Onboard EC window controllers are described. The controllers are configured in close proximity to the EC window, for example, within the IGU. The controller may be part of a window assembly, which includes an IGU having one or more EC panes, and thus does not have to be matched with the EC window, and installed, in the field. The window controllers described herein have a number of advantages because they are matched to the IGU containing one or more EC devices and their proximity to the EC panes of the window overcomes a number of problems associated with conventional controller configurations.

This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus for controlling transitions in an optically switchable device. In one aspect, a controller for a tintable window may include a processor, an input for receiving output signals from sensors, and instructions for causing the processor to determine a level of tint of the tintable window, and an output for controlling the level of tint in the tintable window. The instructions may include a relationship between the received output signals and the level of tint, with the relationship employing output signals from an exterior photosensor, an interior photosensor, an occupancy sensor, an exterior temperature sensor, and a transmissivity sensor. In some instances, the controller may receive output signals over a network and/or be interfaced with a network, and in some instances, the controller may be a standalone controller that is not interfaced with a network.

The system includes information and data from analysis systems about optimal window covering positions that is communicated to building occupants. The analysis system communicates information to the occupant via the occupant's client computer to allow the occupant to fully or partially adjust the position of a manual shade or motorized shade, without the need for the analysis system to fully or partially electronically control the shades. The system may also adjust window covering systems and other systems to ensure desired or optimal daylight exposure in order promote optimal circadian functionality in the occupants.

A load control system may include control devices for controlling electrical loads. The control devices may include load control devices, such as a lighting device for controlling an amount of power provided to a lighting load, and controller devices, such as a remote control device configured to transmit digital messages for controlling the lighting load via the load control device. The remote control device may communicate with the lighting devices via a hub device. The remote control device may detect a user interface event, such as a button press or a rotation of the remote control device. The remote control device or the hub device may determine whether to transmit digital messages as unicast messages or multicast messages based on the type of user interface event detected. The remote control device, or other master device, may synchronize and/or toggle an on/off state of lighting devices in the load control system.

The invention relates to insulating composite materials comprising an inorganic aerogel and a melamine foam. The invention also relates to the product method of said materials, and to the use of same.

A load control system may include control devices for controlling electrical loads. The control devices may include load control devices, such as a lighting device for controlling an amount of power provided to a lighting load, and controller devices, such as a remote control device configured to transmit digital messages for controlling the lighting load via the load control device. The remote control device may communicate with the lighting devices via a hub device. The remote control device may detect a user interface event, such as a button press or a rotation of the remote control device. The remote control device or the hub device may determine whether to transmit digital messages as unicast messages or multicast messages based on the type of user interface event detected. The remote control device, or other master device, may synchronize and/or toggle an on/off state of lighting devices in the load control system.

The present technology relates to a light-shielding device and a light-shielding method which make an object that is meant to be invisible to human beings enter a state in which the object is hidden so as to be invisible to eyes, or make an object that is meant to be visible enter a state in which the object is visible to eyes in correspondence with biological information. A light-shielding wall, which partitions two spaces and includes a plurality of panels capable of being controlled to a transmitting state in which light is transmitted or a light-shielding state in which light is shielded, is used as a window, an orientation of a face of a user who is sleeping is detected as biological information, and the light-shielding wall is controlled so that the user is capable of visually recognizing light when it reaches an alarm setting time.

The present application discloses a thermally insulating aerogel vacuum composite panel and a preparation method thereof. The preparation method includes the following steps: (1) mixing TEOS solution and a metal particle, adding a hydrophobic agent, mixing, adding ammonium trifluoroacetate solution dropwise until completely gelating to obtain a metal aerogel precursor; (2) adding the metal aerogel precursor into an acid replacement solution for replacement for 1-24 h to obtain a gel; (3) washing the gel with deionized water to obtain a neutral gel; (4) soaking the neutral gel obtained in step (3) in a first organic resin solvent; (5) pouring the neutral gel into a substrate with honeycomb structure, and aging for re-gelating to obtain a modified panel; (6) drying the modified panel to obtain a honeycomb panel; and (7) aging the honeycomb panel at room temperature for 1-24 h to obtain the vacuum composite panel.