Controlled switching for electrochromic devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2015362818-A1
Application number	US-201514741161-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 16, 2015
Priority date	Jun 17, 2014
Publication date	Dec 17, 2015
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electrochromic device is structured to include multiple independently controllable electrochromic regions which can be independently controlled to switch to different transmission levels. One of the electrochromic regions is isolated from any direct electrical connection with any electrodes, and one or more other electrochromic regions interpose an indirect electrical connection between one or more electrodes and the isolated electrochromic region. The electrochromic device can be structured to include multiple independently controllable electrochromic regions, based at least in part upon segmentation of the conductive layers into separate segments to establish the various electrochromic regions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electrochromic device, comprising:
at least two independently controllable electrochromic (EC) regions and at least two electrodes; wherein at least one EC region, of the at least two EC regions, is isolated from direct electrical connections with any of the at least two electrodes via at least one interposing EC region, of the at least two EC regions, which interposes an indirect electrical connection between at least one electrode, of the at least two electrodes, and the at least one EC region.

2 . The electrochromic device of claim 1 , comprising:
at least two conductive layers, on opposite sides of an EC stack, which are each segmented into two or more conductive layer segments to establish the at least two EC regions.

3 . The electrochromic device of claim 2 , wherein:
the at least two separate EC regions comprise a circular EC region and at least one annular EC region.

4 . The electrochromic device of claim 3 , wherein:
each conductive layer is segmented into a major conductive layer segment and a minor conductive layer segment; each major conductive layer segment is structured to extend through a portion of the at least one annular EC region, and an entirety of the circular EC region; and each minor conductive layer segment is structured to extend through a remainder portion of the at least one annular EC region.

5 . The electrochromic device of claim 4 , wherein:
the conductive layer segments are structured to selectively apply at least two different potential differences across the EC stack, in the at least two EC regions, based at least in part upon separate applied voltages in separate conductive layer segments which overlap in one or more of the at least two EC regions.

6 . The electrochromic device of claim 5 , wherein:
the conductive layer segments of each conductive layer are arranged in a rotationally symmetric configuration, such that: a portion of a major conductive layer segment of one conductive layer which extends through the circular EC region overlaps with a major conductive layer segment of another conductive layer, across the EC stack, which extends through the circular EC region.

7 . The electrochromic device of claim 5 , wherein the two or more conductive layer segments are structured to selectively apply at least two different potential differences across the EC stack, in the at least two EC regions to selectively change a transmission pattern of the electrochromic device.

8 . The electrochromic device of claim 7 , wherein the two or more conductive layer segments are structured to selectively change the transmission pattern of the electrochromic device to a pattern which decreases in transmission level towards one or more edge portions of the electrochromic device.

9 . The electrochromic device of claim 8 , wherein:
the electrochromic device comprises a selectively apodized camera aperture filter structured to switch between a clear transmission state and an apodized transmission state, based at least in part upon selectively varying voltage applied to the separate conductive layer segments, to selectively change the transmission pattern of the electrochromic device to a particular transmission pattern which approximates a Gaussian pattern.

10 . A method, comprising:
structuring an electrochromic (EC) device to comprise at least one EC region, isolated from direct electrical connections with any electrodes via at least one interposing EC region which interposes an indirect electrical connection between at least one electrode and the at least one EC region.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein structuring an EC device to comprise at least one EC region, isolated from direct electrical connections with any electrodes via at least one interposing EC region which interposes an indirect electrical connection between at least one electrode and the at least one EC region comprises:
depositing an electrochromic (EC) layer and at least two conductive layers on a substrate, such that the EC stack is between the at least two conductive layers; and segmenting each of the at least two conductive layers into at least two separate conductive layer segments to establish the at least one EC region and the at least one interposing EC region.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein:
segmenting each of the at least two conductive layers into at least two separate conductive layer segments comprises segmenting the at least two conductive layers into separate conductive layer segments which collectively define respective boundaries of at least two separate EC regions comprising at least one annular EC region encircling at least one circular EC region.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein structuring an EC device to comprise at least one EC region, isolated from direct electrical connections with any electrodes via at least one interposing EC region which interposes an indirect electrical connection between at least one electrode and the at least one EC region comprises:
coupling separate electrodes to each of the separate conductive layers segments of each of the at least two conductive layers, wherein each electrode is structured to apply a selected voltage to the respective conductive layer segment to which the respective electrode is coupled.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein:
segmenting each of the at least two conductive layers into at least two separate conductive layer segments to establish the at least one EC region and the at least one interposing EC region comprises:
executing a first cutting process to segment the at least one of the at least two separate conductive layers into a major conductive layer segment and a minor conductive layer segment; and
executing a second cutting process to segment another one of the at least two separate conductive layers into a major conductive layer segment and a minor conductive layer segment.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein:
segmenting each of the at least two conductive layers into at least two separate conductive layer segments to establish the at least one EC region and the at least one interposing EC region further comprises:
executing a third cutting process to segment a major conductive layer segment of at least one of the at least two conductive layers to establish a circular EC region encircled by at least one other EC region.

16 . The method of claim 10 , wherein:
the electrochromic device comprises a selectively apodized camera aperture filter; and structuring an EC device to comprise at least one EC region, isolated from direct electrical connections with any electrodes via at least one interposing EC region which interposes an indirect electrical connection between at least one electrode and the at least one EC region comprises structuring each of the at least one EC region and the at least one interposing EC region to be selectively switched to a separate one of at least two different transmission levels, such that the EC device is selectively switched between a clear transmission state and a particular transmission pattern n.

17 . An apparatus, comprising:
an electrochromic (EC) device structured to switch between different transmission patterns, based at least in part upon independently controlling a potential difference across a particular EC region of a plurality of separate EC regions of the EC device via at least two electrodes coupled to separate ones of at least two separate interposing EC regions, wherein the particular EC region is isolated from any direct electrical connections with any electrodes.

Assignees

• Sage Electrochromics Inc

Inventors

• Greer Bryan D

Classifications

• G02B27/58

  Optics for apodization or superresolution; Optical synthetic aperture systems · CPC title

• G02F1/1533

  structural features not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• G02B5/005

  Diaphragms (for cameras G03B9/02) · CPC title

• G02F1/163 Primary

  Operation of electrochromic cells, e.g. electrodeposition cells; Circuit arrangements therefor · CPC title

• G02F1/13439

  characterised by their electrical, optical, physical properties; materials therefor; method of making · CPC title