Window opacity attenuation using microfluidic channels

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9816501-B2
Application number	US-201514828559-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 18, 2015
Priority date	Dec 18, 2014
Publication date	Nov 14, 2017
Grant date	Nov 14, 2017

Abstract

A window has a pane of transparent material. A first set of microfluidic channels pass through a first area of the pane, and a second set of microfluidic channels pass through a second area of the pane. Microfluidic planes are in fluid communication with the first and second sets of microfluidic channels. A first pump is in fluid communication with the first set of microfluidic channels, and selectively moves a first fluid having a first level of opacity through the microfluidic planes via the first set of microfluidic channels. A second pump is in fluid communication with the second set of microfluidic channels, and selectively moves a second fluid having a second level of opacity through the microfluidic planes via the second set of microfluidic channels. Moving the second fluid into the microfluidic planes pushes the first fluid out of the microfluidic planes, thereby adjusting an opacity of the window.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of adjusting an opacity of a physical window, the method comprising:
receiving, by one or more processors, light data from a photosensor, wherein the photosensor generates the light data, and wherein the light data describes a quantity of light that is striking a physical window, and wherein the physical window comprises:
a pane of transparent material;
a first set of microfluidic channels through a first area of the pane;
a second set of microfluidic channels through a second area of the pane;
a plurality of microfluidic planes in fluid communication with the first and second sets of microfluidic channels;
a first pump in fluid communication with the first set of microfluidic channels, wherein the first pump selectively moves a first fluid having a first level of opacity through the microfluidic planes via the first set of microfluidic channels; and
a second pump in fluid communication with the second set of microfluidic channels, wherein the second pump selectively moves a second fluid having a second level of opacity through the microfluidic planes via the second set of microfluidic channels, wherein moving the second fluid into the microfluidic planes pushes the first fluid out of the microfluidic planes to adjust an opacity of the physical window; and

transmitting, by one or more processors, a first electrical control signal to a first actuator and a second electrical signal to a second actuator based on the light data from the photosensor, wherein the first electrical control signal directs the first actuator to activate the first pump to cause fluid to flow in a first direction through the microfluidic planes in the physical window, wherein the second electrical control signal directs the second actuator to activate the second pump to cause fluid to flow through a second direction in the microfluidic planes in the physical window, and wherein fluid changes within the microfluidic planes change an opacity of the physical window.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first fluid has opacity in a range of 80-100%, wherein the second fluid has opacity in a range of less than 5%.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the opacity of the first fluid is caused by suspended light absorbing particles in the first fluid.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the opacity of the first fluid is caused by suspended light reflecting particles in the first fluid.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first pump and the second pump are from a group consisting of a syringe pump, a peristaltic pump, a piston pump, and a centrifugal pump.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Briggs Simon A S
• Hook James K
• Hunt Hamish C
• Lincoln Nicholas K

Classifications

• E06B2009/2405

  Areas of differing opacity for light transmission control · CPC title

• F04B19/006

  Micropumps (F04B43/043 and F04B43/095 take precedence) · CPC title

• B60J3/04

  adjustable in transparency · CPC title

• E06B2009/2464

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

• G01J1/42

  using electric radiation detectors (optical or mechanical part G01J1/04; by comparison with a reference light or electric value G01J1/10) · CPC title