Systems With Adjustable Window Transmission and Haze

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023152620-A1
Application number	US-202318156587-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 19, 2023
Priority date	Sep 8, 2020
Publication date	May 18, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system such as a vehicle, building, or electronic device system may have a support structure with one or more windows. The support structure and window may separate an interior region within the system from a surrounding exterior region. Control circuitry may receive input such as user input and may adjust an adjustable layer in the window based on the input. The adjustable layer may have a polymer matrix layer with embedded cells. The cells may include intermixed guest-host liquid crystal cells and liquid crystal cells. The guest-host liquid crystal cells and liquid crystal cells may have different liquid crystal materials and/or different sizes that allow the guest-host liquid crystal cells and liquid crystal cells to electrically switch states at different respective threshold voltages. Based on the user input or other input the control circuitry can adjust a drive signal across the adjustable layer to change light transmittance and haze.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A window, comprising:
a first window layer; a second window layer; and an adjustable layer between the first and second window layers, wherein the adjustable layer comprises a single polymer layer, guest-host liquid crystal cells embedded in the single polymer layer, and liquid crystal cells embedded in the single polymer layer.

2 . The window of claim 1 , wherein the guest-host liquid crystal cells comprise a first liquid crystal material and a dichroic dye.

3 . The window of claim 2 , wherein the liquid crystal cells comprise a second liquid crystal material without dichroic dye.

4 . The window of claim 3 , wherein the second liquid crystal material is different from the first liquid crystal material.

5 . The window of claim 1 , wherein the adjustable layer comprises first and second transparent conductive electrodes on opposing first and second sides of the single polymer layer.

6 . The window of claim 5 , wherein the first and second transparent conductive electrodes comprise a material selected from the group consisting of indium tin oxide and conductive polymer.

7 . The window of claim 1 , wherein the guest-host liquid crystal cells and the liquid crystal cells are intermixed within the single polymer layer.

8 . The window of claim 1 , wherein the guest-host liquid crystal cells and the liquid crystal cells have diameters of less than 250 nm.

9 . The window of claim 1 , wherein the guest-host liquid crystal cells are smaller than the liquid crystal cells.

10 . The window of claim 1 , wherein the guest-host liquid crystal cells have diameters of less than 200 nm and wherein the liquid crystal cells have diameters of at least 250 nm.

11 . A window system, comprising:
a first window layer; a second window layer; an adjustable layer between the first and second window layers, wherein the adjustable layer comprises a single polymer layer, guest-host liquid crystal cells embedded in the single polymer layer, and liquid crystal cells embedded in the single polymer layer; and first and second electrodes on coupled to the polymer layer, wherein the adjustable layer is configured to be adjusted between a first hazy state and a second hazy state in response to voltage applied to the first and second electrodes.

12 . The window system of claim 11 , wherein the first hazy state is a dark hazy state and the second hazy state is a clear low-haze state.

13 . The window system of claim 12 , wherein the adjustable layer is configured to be adjusted between the first and second hazy states in response to first and second different voltages, and wherein the adjustable layer is further configured to be adjusted to a third hazy state in response to a third voltage that is different from the first and second different voltages.

14 . The window system of claim 13 , wherein the third hazy state is a dark low-haze state or a clear hazy state.

15 . The window system of claim 11 , wherein the adjustable layer is configured to operate in:
a first mode in which the adjustable layer has a first light transmission level and a first haze level; and a second mode in which the adjustable layer has a second light transmission level that is greater than the first light transmission level and has a second haze level that is lower than the first haze level.

16 . The window system of claim 11 , wherein the guest-host liquid crystal cells comprise a first liquid crystal material, the liquid crystal cells comprise a second liquid crystal material, and the first liquid crystal material has a different value of dielectric anisotropy divided by elastic constant than the second liquid crystal material.

17 . The window system of claim 11 , wherein the guest-host liquid crystal cells have a first diameter and wherein the liquid crystal cells have a second diameter that is greater than the first diameter.

18 . A vehicle, comprising:
a support; and a vehicle window coupled to the support, wherein the vehicle window includes an adjustable window layer and electrodes, and wherein the adjustable window layer includes a single polymer layer coupled to the electrodes, the single polymer layer including:
guest-host liquid crystal cells that have a first liquid crystal material and dichroic dye, and
liquid crystal cells without dichroic dye.

19 . The vehicle of claim 18 , further comprising:
control circuitry configured to adjust light transmission and haze for the adjustable window layer by adjusting a voltage applied across the polymer layer with the electrodes.

20 . The vehicle of claim 18 , further comprising input-output circuitry configured to gather vehicle occupant input, wherein the control circuitry is configured to adjust the voltage based on the vehicle occupant input.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Chen Yuan
• Monroe Donald R
• Masschelein Peter F
• Lynch Stephen B
• Li Xiaokai
• Ge Zhibing

Classifications

• B60J3/04

  adjustable in transparency · CPC title

• G02F1/13737

  in liquid crystals doped with a pleochroic dye · CPC title

• B60J3/007

  Sunglare reduction by coatings, interposed foils in laminar windows, or permanent screens (layered glass products B32B17/00; process of coating windows C03C17/00) · CPC title

• G02F1/13725

  based on guest-host interaction (G02F1/13762, G02F1/13737, take precedence) · CPC title

• G02F1/0121 Primary

  Operation of devices; Circuit arrangements, not otherwise provided for in this subclass · CPC title