Multiple interacting systems at a site
Disclosed are platforms for communicating among one or more otherwise independent systems involved in controlling functions of buildings or other sites having switchable optical devices deployed therein. Such independent systems include a window control system and one or more other independent systems such as systems that control residential home products (e.g., thermostats, smoke alarms, etc.), HVAC systems, security systems, lighting control systems, and the like. Together the systems control and/or monitor multiple features and/or products, including switchable windows and other infrastructure of a site, which may be a commercial, residential, or public site.
1. A window control system, comprising at least one controller configured (i) to control an optical state of one or more optically switchable windows in a building and (ii) to interact directly, by way of an application programming interface (API), and not by way of a building management system of the building, with at least one other system of the building selected from at least one member of the group consisting of a lighting system, a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system, a security system, and a home appliance control system.
2. The window control system of claim 1 , wherein the window control system comprises a window controller configured to control transitions of at least one optically switchable window.
3. The window control system of claim 2 , wherein the window control system comprises a plurality of electrochromic windows in electrical communication with one or more window controllers configured to communicate over a network.
4. The window control system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one other system is the home appliance control system.
5. The window control system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to interface, by way of at least one API, with one or more building control service entities and/or one or more dashboards configured to present monitoring and/or performance information associated with a site including the building.
6. The window control system of claim 5 , wherein the one or more dashboards are hosted locally on an internal server.
7. The window control system of claim 5 , wherein the one or more dashboards are hosted externally on a leased or owned virtualized collection of servers.
8. The window control system of claim 5 , wherein the window control system is operated by a first entity and the one or more building control service entities and/or the one or more dashboards are controlled by respective entities different from the first entity.
9. The window control system of claim 5 , wherein at least one dashboard is configured to support an energy consulting service and provides information about the building including one or more of energy consumption of the building, window tinting decisions, solar radiation flux, and local weather information.
10. The window control system of claim 1 , wherein the window control system and the at least one other system are configured to provide data obtained or generated by the window control system to the at least one other system.
11. The window control system of claim 1 , wherein the window control system and the at least one other system are configured such that the window control system controls one or more devices of the at least one other system.
12. The window control system of claim 1 , wherein the window control system and the at least one other system are configured such that the at least one other system controls one or more devices of the window control system.
13. A method comprising:
controlling an optical state of one or more optically switchable windows in a building with a window control system; and
with the window control system, interacting directly, by way of an application programming interface (API), and not by way of a building management system of the building, with at least one other system of the building selected from at least one member of the group consisting of a lighting system, a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system, a security system, and a home appliance control system.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein interacting directly with the at least one other system includes:
(i) receiving a first communication from the at least one other system, wherein the first communication has a format specified by the API for communicating between the window control system and the at least one other system;
performing, at the window control system, one or more operations using instructions and/or data contained in the communication; and/or
(ii) transmitting a second communication to the at least one other system wherein the communication has a format specified by the API for communicating between the window control system and the at least one other system, wherein the at least one other system performs one or more operations using instructions and/or data contained in the communication.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the window control system comprises a plurality of electrochromic windows in electrical communication with one or more window controllers configured to communicate over a network.
16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the at least one other system is the home appliance control system.
17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the window control system is configured to interface, by way of at least one API, with one or more building control service entities and/or one or more dashboards configured to present monitoring and/or performance information associated with a site including the building.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the window control system is operated by a first entity and the one or more building control service entities and/or the one or more dashboards are controlled by respective entities different from the first entity.
19. The method of claim 17 , wherein at least one dashboard is configured to support an energy consulting service and provides information about the building including one or more of energy consumption of the building, window tinting decisions, solar radiation flux, and local weather information.
20. A window control system, comprising at least one controller configured (i) to control an optical state of one or more optically switchable windows in a building and (ii) to interface, by way of at least one API, with one or more building control service entities and/or one or more dashboards configured to present monitoring and/or performance information associated with a site including the building.
21. The window control system of claim 20 , wherein the dashboard is hosted locally on an internal server.
22. The window control system of claim 20 , wherein the dashboard is hosted externally on a leased or owned virtualized collection of servers.
23. The window control system of claim 20 , wherein the window control system is operated by a first entity and the one or more building control service entities and/or the one or more dashboards are controlled by respective entities different from the first entity.
24. The window control system of claim 20 , wherein at least one dashboard is configured to support an energy consulting service and provides information about the building including one or more of energy consumption of the building, window tinting decisions, solar radiation flux, and local weather information.