Smart window system and control method therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018259804-A1
Application number	US-201615760577-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 5, 2016
Priority date	Sep 15, 2015
Publication date	Sep 13, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

In accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure, a smart window system may include a display element; an input device configured to receive a control command for the display element; and a controller configured to determine at least one of transparency, color, pattern, and gradation of the display element and information displayed on the display element on the basis of the control command.

First claim

1 . A smart window system comprising:
a display element; an input device configured to receive a control command for the display element; and a controller configured to determine at least one of transparency, color, pattern, and gradation of the display element and information displayed on the display element on a basis of the control command.

2 . The smart window system of claim 1 , further comprising a sensor unit configured to collect ambient information to control a state of the display element,
wherein the sensor unit includes at least one of an illuminance sensor, a temperature sensor, a distance sensor, a voice sensor, and a gesture sensor.

3 . The smart window system of claim 1 , wherein the display element comprises:
a transparency adjustment layer is configured to switch to a transparent mode or an opaque mode depending on whether power is applied; and a liquid crystal layer disposed adjacent to the transparency adjustment layer.

4 . The smart window system of claim 3 , wherein the transparency adjustment layer includes a cholesteric liquid crystal molecule and a black dye configured to form a helical structure along with the cholesteric liquid crystal molecule.

5 . The smart window system of claim 3 , wherein the transparency adjustment layer is configured to:
operate in the transparent mode when an electric field is applied to the transparency adjustment layer; and operate in the opaque mode when no electric field is applied to the transparency adjustment layer.

6 . The smart window system of claim 3 , wherein:
the liquid crystal layer has a structure in which a first layer and a second layer are bonded to each other by using a buffer layer as a boundary therebetween, and cholesteric liquid crystals with different types of chirality are contained in the first layer and the second layer.

7 . The smart window system of claim 3 , wherein:
the liquid crystal layer includes a plurality of liquid crystal layers configured to reflect light having different wavelength ranges, and the plurality of liquid crystal layers are stacked vertically with respect to the display element or horizontally with respect to a virtual plane parallel to the display element.

8 . The smart window system of claim 3 , wherein the display element further comprises a quantum layer including a liquid crystal molecule and a quantum rod having a surface to which surfactant is bonded.

9 . The smart window system of claim 8 , wherein the liquid crystal molecule includes at least one of a cholesteric liquid crystal molecule and a nematic liquid crystal molecule.

10 . The smart window system of claim 8 , wherein the quantum layer is arranged horizontally with respect to a virtual plane parallel to the display element.

11 . The smart window system of claim 8 , wherein:
the surfactant is bonded to at least one of both ends of the quantum rod, and the surfactant has a portion bonded to the quantum rod and having a property of being favorable to the quantum rod and another portion having a property of being favorable to the liquid crystal molecule.

12 . The smart window system of claim 1 , further comprising a communicator configured to receive a control command for the display element from the input device.

13 . A control method of a smart window system including an input device configured to receive a control command for a display element; and a smart window device including a display element including a transparency adjustment layer switched to a transparent mode or an opaque mode depending on whether power is applied and a liquid crystal layer disposed adjacent to the transparency adjustment layer and a communicator configured to receive a control command for the display element from the input device, the control method comprising:
receiving a control command for the display element through the input device; delivering the control command to the display element through the communicator; and adjusting power applied to at least one of the transparency adjustment layer and the liquid crystal layer according to the control command to control at least one of transparency, color, pattern, and gradation of the display element and information displayed on the display element.

14 . The control method of claim 13 , further comprising setting a control mode of the display element to an automatic mode or a manual mode.

15 . The control method of claim 13 , further comprising collecting ambient information,
wherein a state control condition of the display element is determined according to the collected information, and a state of the display element is controlled according to the state control condition.

16 . The control method of claim 13 , wherein the transparency adjustment layer switches to a transparent mode or an opaque mode depending on whether power is applied.

17 . The control method of claim 13 , further comprising:
operating in the transparent mode when an electric field is applied to the transparency adjustment layer.

18 . The control method of claim 17 , further comprising:
operating in the opaque mode when no electric field is applied to the transparency adjustment layer.

19 . The control method of claim 13 , further comprising:
reflecting light having different wavelength ranges using a plurality of liquid crystal layers in the liquid crystal letter.

20 . The control method of claim 19 , wherein the plurality of liquid crystal layers are stacked vertically with respect to the display element or horizontally with respect to a virtual plane parallel to the display element.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Bae Jun Cheol
• Song Hyun Min
• Ryu Jong Hyun
• Jung Ji Su
• Kim Yong Ho
• Kim Hong Suk
• Seo Byung Hwa
• Otsuka Tatsuhiro

Classifications

• E06B2009/2417

  Light path control; means to control reflection · CPC title

• G02F1/13718 Primary

  based on a change of the texture state of a cholesteric liquid crystal · CPC title

• G02F2202/04

  dye · CPC title

• B60J3/04

  adjustable in transparency · CPC title

• E06B2009/2464

  featuring transparency control by applying voltage, e.g. LCD, electrochromic panels · CPC title