Window antennas
In one aspect, an apparatus is described that includes a transparent pane having a first surface and a second surface. An electrochromic device (ECD) is arranged over the second surface that includes a first conductive layer adjacent the second surface, a second conductive layer, and an electrochromic layer between the first and the second conductive layers. The apparatus further includes at least one conductive antenna structure arranged over the second surface.
1. A window comprising:
a first lite, having a first surface facing, when installed, an exterior environment and a first opposite surface, and a second lite having a second surface facing, when installed, an interior environment and a second opposite surface, the first lite and the second lite spaced apart from one another by a spacer to form an interior volume;
a first antenna structure disposed on the first surface of the first lite, the first opposite surface of the first lite, the second surface of the second lite, the second opposite surface of the second lite, on the spacer, on a frame of the window, on a mullion, or on a transom; and
a transceiver electrically coupled to the first antenna structure and configured to receive and/or transmit signals communicating via one or more of Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Zigbee, and EnOcean standard or configured to transmit and/or receive signals that comply with a cellular communications standard.
2. The window of claim 1 further comprising an electrochromic device disposed on a second surface of the first and second lites, wherein the first antenna structure is separate from the electrochromic device.
3. The window of claim 1 , wherein the transceiver is co-located with a controller for controlling an optical transition of the window.
4. The window of claim 1 , wherein the transceiver communicates utilizing a network for controlling one or more optically-switchable windows.
5. The window of claim 1 , wherein the first antenna structure comprises a dipole.
6. The window of claim 1 , wherein the first antenna structure comprises a patch antenna.
7. The window of claim 1 , wherein the transceiver is configured to transmit and/or receive signals communicating via a cellular communications standard, and wherein the cellular communications standard complies with either a 4G or a 5G cellular communications standard.
8. The window of claim 7 , wherein the cellular communications standard comprises the 5G cellular communications standard, and wherein the window comprises at least a second antenna structure, the first antenna structure and the second antenna structure being disposed on the first surface of the first and second lites and cooperating with a beamformer to provide beamforming of the received or transmitted signal.
9. The window of claim 8 , wherein the beamformer provides control over amplitude and phase of the received or transmitted signal.
10. The window of claim 8 , wherein the transceiver is configured to be coupled to a 4G or a 5G cellular communications base station.
11. The window of claim 8 , wherein the transceiver is configured to be coupled to a 4G or a 5G cellular communications repeater.