Rearview mirror

• US 10,137,837 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2015
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd., Chengdu BOE Optoelectronics Technology Company Limited (BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd., Chengdu BOE Optoelectronics Technology Company Limited (BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Sun, Shenglin, Bai, Feng, Qiu, Yun, Wang, Zhidong, Liu, Junguo, Chen, Zhiguo, Liu, Lihua
• Primary Examiner(s): Merlin, Jessica M
• Application Number:
  US14/908,829
• Publication Number:
  US 20170001569A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,218 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/088 using a cell of electrically changeable optical characteristic, e.g. liquid-crystal or electrochromic mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/12 Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1253 with cameras, video cameras or video screens
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13306 Circuit arrangements or driving methods for the control of single liquid crystal cells G02F1/132, G02F1/133382 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133553 Reflecting elements associated to illuminating devices G02F1/133605
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133555 Transflectors
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134309 characterised by their geometrical arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13439 characterised by their electrical, optical, physical properties; materials therefor; method of making
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/137 characterised by the electro-optical or magneto-optical effect, e.g. field-induced phase transition, orientation effect, guest-host interaction or dynamic scattering
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2203/02 reflective

Abstract

A rearview mirror, including a first substrate (100), a second substrate (200) cell-assembled to the first substrate (100), and a crystal material (300) filled between the first substrate (100) and the second substrate (200), a plurality of strip electrodes (11) are disposed on a side of the first substrate (100) that faces to the second substrate (200), an interval is formed between two adjacent strip electrodes (110), the strip electrodes (110) are made of a transparent electrode material, a planar electrode (210) capable of at least partially reflecting light is disposed on a side of the second substrate (200) that faces to the first substrate (100). In the present application, the refractive indices of the liquid crystal material (300) in the rearview mirror are changed by changing the voltage signal provided to the rearview mirror, such that an anti-glare operation mode of the rearview mirror is achieved.

Claims

1. A rearview mirror, comprising:

a first substrate,

a second substrate cell-assembled to the first substrate,

a liquid crystal material filled between the first substrate and the second substrate, and

a control circuit,

wherein a plurality of strip electrodes are disposed on a side of the first substrate that faces to the second substrate, an interval is formed between two adjacent strip electrodes, and a planar electrode capable of at least partially reflecting light is disposed on a side of the second substrate, which side faces to the first substrate;

the rearview mirror is configured to have a normal operation mode, in which the control circuit is configured to provide the plurality of strip electrodes with a same electric signal concurrently.

2. The rearview mirror according to claim 1, wherein the strip electrodes are made of a transparent electrode material.

3. The rearview mirror according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured for providing an electric signal to the strip electrodes and providing an electric signal to the planar electrode, in order to control a deflection of liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal material, and the strip electrodes are independently connected to the control circuit.

4. The rearview mirror according to claim 1, wherein the planar electrode is a total reflection electrode.

5. The rearview mirror according to claim 1, wherein the planar electrode is a half-transmission-half-reflection electrode.

6. The rearview mirror according to claim 1, wherein the rearview mirror further comprises a display panel disposed on a side of the second substrate, which side faces away from the liquid crystal material, and the rearview mirror is further configured to have a display mode, in which the display panel is configured for displaying an image.

7. The rearview mirror according to claim 6, wherein the second substrate together with a substrate where a light-exit surface of the display panel lies forms into one integrated body, or the second substrate and the substrate where the light-exit surface of the display panel lies are a same substrate.

8. The rearview mirror according to claim 6, wherein the display panel is a liquid crystal display panel or an organic light-emitting diode display panel.

9. The rearview mirror according to claim 1, wherein the rearview mirror further comprises a brightness sensor, the brightness sensor is configured for detecting a brightness change around the rearview mirror,

wherein the brightness sensor is configured to send a sensor signal to the control circuit according to the brightness change detected by the brightness sensor, and the control circuit is configured to provide various voltage signals or a same voltage signal to the plurality of strip electrodes respectively upon receiving the first sensor signal.

10. A method for controlling the rearview mirror according to claim 1, comprising providing various different electric signals to the plurality of strip electrodes.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising providing a same electric signal to the plurality of strip electrodes.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein providing various different electric signals to the plurality of strip electrodes comprises providing electric signals which change periodically along an arrangement direction of the plurality of strip electrodes to the plurality of strip electrodes.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein providing various different electric signals to the plurality of strip electrodes comprises providing electric signals which change periodically along an arrangement direction of the plurality of strip electrodes to the plurality of strip electrodes.

14. The rearview mirror according to claim 2, wherein the control circuit is configured for providing an electric signal to the strip electrodes and providing an electric signal to the planar electrode, in order to control a deflection of liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal material, and the strip electrodes are independently connected to the control circuit.

15. The rearview mirror according to claim 2, wherein the control circuit is configured for providing an electric signal to the strip electrodes and providing an electric signal to the planar electrode, in order to control a deflection of liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal material, wherein,

the rearview mirror is further configured to have an anti-glare operation mode;

the control circuit is configured for providing a same electric signal to the plurality of strip electrodes in the normal operation mode; and

the control circuit is configured for providing different electric signals to the plurality of strip electrodes in the anti-glare operation mode.

16. The rearview mirror according to claim 2, wherein the planar electrode is a total reflection electrode.

17. The rearview mirror according to claim 2, wherein the planar electrode is a half-transmission-half-reflection electrode.

18. A rearview mirror, comprising a first substrate, a second substrate cell-assembled to the first substrate, and a liquid crystal material filled between the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein a plurality of strip electrodes are disposed on a side of the first substrate that faces to the second substrate, an interval is formed between two adjacent strip electrodes, and a planar electrode capable of at least partially reflecting light is disposed on a side of the second substrate, which side faces to the first substrate,

and the rearview mirror comprises a control circuit, the control circuit is configured for providing an electric signal to the strip electrodes and providing an electric signal to the planar electrode, in order to control a deflection of liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal material, wherein,

the rearview mirror is configured to have a normal operation mode and an anti-glare operation mode;

the control circuit is configured for providing a same electric signal to the plurality of strip electrodes in the normal operation mode; and

the control circuit is configured for providing different electric signals to the plurality of strip electrodes in the anti-glare operation mode.

19. A rearview mirror, comprising a first substrate, a second substrate cell-assembled to the first substrate, and a liquid crystal material filled between the first substrate and the second substrate,

wherein a plurality of strip electrodes are disposed on a side of the first substrate that faces to the second substrate, an interval is formed between two adjacent strip electrodes, and a planar electrode capable of at least partially reflecting light is disposed on a side of the second substrate, which side faces to the first substrate;

the rearview mirror further comprises a control circuit and a display panel disposed on a side of the second substrate, which side faces away from the liquid crystal material, and the rearview mirror is configured to have a display mode, in which the display panel is configured for displaying an image;

the control circuit is configured for providing a same electric signal to the plurality of strip electrodes, so that light emitted by the display panel can exit after passing through the second substrate, the liquid crystal material between the first substrate and the second substrate, and the first substrate sequentially.

20. The rearview mirror according to claim 19, wherein the rearview mirror further comprises a brightness sensor, the brightness sensor is configured for detecting a brightness change around the rearview mirror,

wherein the brightness sensor is configured to send a sensor signal to the control circuit according to the brightness change detected by the brightness sensor, and the control circuit is configured to provide various voltage signals or a same voltage signal to the plurality of strip electrodes respectively upon receiving the sensor signal.