OPTICAL PANEL CAPABLE OF SWITCHING BETWEEN REFLECTIVE AND TRANSMISSIVE STATES

• Main Authors: ANDREW JOHN OUDERKIRK, MICHAEL FRANCIS WEBER, DAVID JOHN WILLIAMS AASTUEN
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 28.09.2007
• Subjects: ADVERTISING; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS, THE OPTICAL OPERATION OF WHICH ISMODIFIED BY CHANGING THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIUM OF THEDEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF THE INTENSITY,COLOUR, PHASE, POLARISATION OR DIRECTION OF LIGHT, e.g.SWITCHING, GATING, MODULATING OR DEMODULATING; DISPLAY; DISPLAYING; DOORS, WINDOWS, SHUTTERS, OR ROLLER BLINDS IN GENERAL; EDUCATION; FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS; FIXED OR MOVABLE CLOSURES FOR OPENINGS IN BUILDINGS, VEHICLES,FENCES OR LIKE ENCLOSURES IN GENERAL, e.g. DOORS, WINDOWS,BLINDS, GATES; FREQUENCY-CHANGING; LABELS OR NAME-PLATES; LADDERS; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICS; PHYSICS; SEALS; SIGNS; TECHNIQUES OR PROCEDURES FOR THE OPERATION THEREOF

A DEVICE (8), COMPRISING A SWITCHABLE OPTICAL PANEL (10) AND MEANS (19,21,23) FOR SWITCHING THE PANEL BETWEEN A REFLECTING STATE AND A TRANSMITTING STATE. THE SWITCHABLE OPTICAL PANEL INCLUDES A TRANSPARENT OPTICALLY ACTIVE LAYER (12) HAVING A FIRST AND A SECOND MAJOR SURFACE, A FIRST REFLECTIVE POLARIZER (32) DISPOSED ON THE FIRST MAJOR SURFACE AND A SECOND REFLECTIVE POLARIZER (34) DISPOSED ON THE SECOND MAJOR SURFACE. THE OPTICALLY ACTIVE LAYER PREFERABLY COMPRISES A LIQUID CRYSTAL DEVICE AND THE SWITCHING MEANS PREFERABLY COMPRISES A SYSTEM OF DRIVING ELECTRONIC FOR APPLYING VOLTAGE ACROSS THE LIQUID CRYSTAL DEVICE. THE INVENTION ALSO INCLUDES A SWITCHABLE WINDOW (62, 114) AND A TRANSFLECTIVE OPTICAL DISPLAY (128).