Reflective display device for visible light and infrared camouflage and active camouflage device using the same

• US 10,642,121 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2018
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Korea Electronics Technology Institute (Government of South Korea)
• Original Assignee: Korea Electronics Technology Institute (Government of South Korea)
• Inventors: Kwon, Soon Hyung, Kim, Won Keun
• Primary Examiner(s): An, Shawn S
• Application Number:
  US15/909,561
• Publication Number:
  US 20180267382A1
• Time in Patent Office: 796 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 3/00 Camouflage, i.e. means or methods for concealment or disguise for vessels B63G8/34, B63G13/02 ; sound camouflage, i.e. simulating gun fire noise, F41A33/04; dummy or decoy targets F41J; chaff per se F41J2/00; ammunition for dispensing chaff F42B5/15, F42B12/70; radar absorbing fabrics H01Q17/005
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 3/02 Flexible, e.g. fabric covers, e.g. screens, nets characterised by their material or structuremaking thereof, see the relevant classes, e.g. D04
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/167 by electrophoresis
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/16757 Microcapsules
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/16766 for active matrices
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1677 Structural association of cells with optical devices, e.g. reflectors or illuminating devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1685 Operation of cells; Circuit arrangements affecting the entire cell
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/083 infrared absorbing
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/08 Active matrix structure, i.e. with use of active elements, inclusive of non-linear two terminal elements, in the pixels together with light emitting or modulating elements
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/035 for flexible display surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/344 based on particles moving in a fluid or in a gas, e.g. electrophoretic devices electrophoretic devices per se G02F1/167
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/11 for generating image signals from visible and infrared light wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

Disclosed is a reflective display device for visible light and infrared camouflage and an active camouflage device using the same, the reflective display device including: an upper substrate formed of a transparent material; an upper electrode layer formed of a transparent material provided under the upper substrate; at least one unit cell provided under the upper electrode layer, the unit cell containing a fluid and multiple particles being charged with opposite polarities and having different quantities of electric charge or different sizes; a lower electrode layer provided under the unit cell, the lower electrode layer for generating an electric field in conjunction with the upper electrode layer and defining a pixel area; a metal layer provided under the lower electrode layer, the metal layer blocking thermal-infrared rays; and a lower substrate provided under the metal layer.

Claims

1. A reflective display device for visible light and infrared camouflage, the reflective display device comprising:

an upper substrate formed of a transparent material;

an upper electrode layer formed of a transparent material provided under a lower surface of the upper substrate;

at least one unit cell provided under a lower surface of the upper electrode layer, the unit cell containing a fluid and multiple particles being charged with opposite polarities and having different quantities of electric charge or different sizes;

a lower electrode layer provided under the unit cell, the lower electrode layer for generating an electric field in conjunction with the upper electrode layer to control the unit cell included in a pixel area;

a shielding layer provided under a lower surface of the lower electrode layer, the shielding layer blocking thermal-infrared rays; and

a lower substrate provided under a lower surface of the shielding layer,

wherein the unit cell includes;

a first particle having a first camouflage color and a pigment absorbing near-infrared rays; and

a second particle having a second camouflage color different from the first camouflage color and a pigment reflecting near-infrared rays,

wherein the multiple particles is moved to an upper portion or a lower portion of the unit cell by the electric field, such that a color represented at the upper portion of the unit cell is adjusted to display a visible light camouflage pattern, and

wherein the multiple particles is moved to the upper portion or the lower portion of the unit cell by the electric field, such a near-infrared reflectance of the unit cell observed from outside is adjusted to display an infrared camouflage pattern determined by a proportion and distribution of pixel areas reflecting near-infrared rays and pixel areas absorbing near-infrared rays.

2. The reflective display device of claim 1, wherein the upper electrode layer includes a plurality of upper electrodes arranged parallel to each other in a first direction,

the lower electrode layer includes a plurality of lower electrodes arranged parallel to each other in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and

the upper electrode layer and the lower electrode layer control the pixel area in a passive matrix (PM) manner.

3. The reflective display device of claim 1, wherein the lower electrode layer includes a thin film transistor for controlling each pixel area, and

the upper electrode layer and the lower electrode layer control the pixel area in an active matrix (AM) manner.

4. The reflective display device of claim 1, wherein the lower electrode layer includes lower electrodes positioned at each pixel area, and each of the lower electrodes controls the pixel area in a segment manner.

5. The reflective display device of claim 1, wherein the shielding layer contains at least one of platinum (Pt), gold (Au), silver (Ag), aluminium (Al), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), tin oxide, indium tin oxide (ITO), antimony tin oxide (ATO), Al₂O₃, ZnO, TiO₂, and indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) that block thermal-infrared rays.

6. The reflective display device of claim 1, wherein the fluid and the multiple particles are provided in at least two colors selected from a group of military beige gray, military forest green, military olive green, military chocolate, and military charcoal.

7. The reflective display device of claim 1, wherein the upper substrate is formed of a material having transmittance of 80% or more in a wavelength range of 600 to 860 nm.

8. An active camouflage device comprising:

a display unit composed of multiple reflective display devices for visible light and infrared camouflage of claim 1, the display unit surrounding an exterior of a combat vehicle;

a camera unit photographing a surrounding environment of the combat vehicle in every direction to obtain a visible light image and an infrared image; and

an image controller forming a visible light camouflage pattern based on the visible light image or an infrared camouflage pattern based on the infrared image so as to display the formed pattern on the display unit.

9. The active camouflage device of claim 8, wherein the image controller includes:

an image analysis module analyzing the visible light image to extract a plurality of representative colors, analyzing distributions, and analyzing the infrared image to calculate infrared reflectance;

a pattern forming module, based on the representative colors and the distribution, forming the visible light camouflage pattern to be displayed on the display unit and, based on the infrared reflectance, forming the infrared camouflage pattern to be displayed on the display unit; and

an operating module controlling the display unit to enable the visible light camouflage pattern or the infrared camouflage pattern formed by the pattern forming module to be displayed on the display unit.

10. The active camouflage device of claim 9, further comprising:

a pattern database storing preset visible light camouflage patterns and preset infrared camouflage patterns,

wherein the pattern forming module compares the representative colors, the distributions, and the infrared reflectance with the preset patterns stored in the pattern database to select a similar camouflage pattern.