Coated articles and methods of making same

1. A coated substrate comprising:

a unitary glass sheet substrate having a major surface defined by a top edge, a bottom edge, and opposed side edges;

a first coated surface segment of the major surface, the first segment comprising the top edge and extending between the opposed side edges and from the top edge to a first boundary, the first boundary positioned on the major surface between the top edge and the bottom edge, wherein the first coated surface segment comprises a first layering system comprising at least one layer;

a second coated surface segment of the major surface, the second segment comprising the bottom edge and extending between the opposed side edges and from the bottom edge to a second boundary, the second boundary positioned on the major surface between the top edge and the bottom edge, wherein the second coated surface segment comprises a second layering system comprising at least one layer; and

a transitional coated surface segment of the major surface, the transitional coated segment comprising the first boundary, the second boundary, and the opposed side edges of the major surface, wherein the transitional coated surface segment comprises at least one layer of graded thickness between the first layering system and the second layering system;

wherein the first coated surface segment defines a high visible light transmission area and the second coated surface segment defines a low visible light transmission area.

2. The coated substrate of claim 1 , wherein the first layering system comprises a plurality of layers and the second layering system comprises a plurality of layers.

3. The coated substrate of claim 2 , wherein either or both of the first coated surface segment and the second coated surface segment comprise a low-emissivity coating.

4. The coated substrate of claim 3 , wherein both of the first coated surface segment and the second coated surface segment comprise a low-emissivity coating.

5. The coated substrate of claim 2 , wherein a plurality of the layers of the first and second layering systems are substantially identical and one or more layer differences is present in the first layering system relative to the second layering system.

6. The coated substrate of claim 5 , wherein the one or more layer differences comprise one or more additional layers, one or more fewer layers, one or more layers having greater thickness, one or more layers having lesser thickness, and/or one or more layers of a different material.

7. The coated substrate of claim 5 , wherein the one or more layer differences occur gradually over the transitional coated segment of the major surface.

8. The coated substrate of claim 3 , wherein the first coated surface segment has a visible light transmission of about 60% or more, and the second coated surface segment has a visible light transmission of about 40% or less.

9. The coated substrate of claim 8 , wherein the second coated surface segment has a solar heat gain coefficient that is less than the solar heat gain coefficient of the first coated surface segment.

10. The coated substrate of claim 1 , wherein the first coated surface segment is between about 10% and about 40% of the total surface area of the major surface.

11. The coated substrate of claim 9 , wherein the first coated surface segment is between about 10% and about 40% of the total surface area of the major surface.

12. The coated substrate of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is formed of a transparent, substantially transparent, or light transmissive material.

13. The coated substrate of claim 12 , wherein the substrate is float glass.

14. The coated substrate of claim 1 , wherein the first coated surface segment comprises about 1% to 90% of the area of the major surface.

15. The coated substrate of claim 3 , wherein the low-emissivity coating comprises a metal layer, a metal oxide layer or combinations thereof.