Dimming mirror

• US 8,094,358 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2008
• Issued: 01/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm MEMS Technologies Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Khazeni, Kasra
• Primary Examiner(s): Martinez, Joseph P
• Application Number:
  US12/057,115
• Publication Number:
  US 20090244679A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,384 Days
• Field of Search: 359/238
• US Class Current: 359/238
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/001 based on interference in an adjustable optical cavity interference filters G02B5/28; devices or arrangements using multiple reflections in spectrometry or monochromators G01J3/26
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3466 based on interferometric effect

Abstract

A dimming mirror comprises an array of interferometric light modulators is disclosed. In one embodiment of the invention, the dimming mirror comprises a plurality of interferometric light modulators and a control circuit adapted to configure the plurality of interferometric light modulators to at least one of a plurality of predefined states, including a first state having a substantially reflective appearance and a second state having a dimmed visual appearance as contrasted with the first state. Additional features may include additional states having an appearance with a dimmed visual appearance as contrasted with the first state and a reflective appearance as contrasted with the second state.

Claims

1. A dimming mirror, comprising:

an array comprising a plurality of interferometric light modulators configured to reflect incident light so as to portray a reflected image; and

a control circuit adapted to change a reflectance of one of more of the interferometric light modulators so as to configure the array to at least one of a plurality of states predefined with respect to the array, including a first state wherein the array portrays the reflected image with a first brightness and a second state wherein the array portrays the reflected image with a second brightness that is substantially less than the first brightness.

2. The dimming mirror of claim 1, wherein the plurality of predefined states further includes a third state wherein the array portrays the reflected image with a third brightness that is substantially less than the second brightness.

3. The dimming mirror of claim 1, further comprising an input device which allows a user to instruct the control circuit to set the array to one of the plurality of predefined states.

4. The dimming mirror of claim 3, wherein the input device is a slider, a dial, or at least one button.

5. The dimming mirror of claim 1, further comprising a sensor to detect the amount of light striking the mirror.

6. The dimming mirror of claim 5, wherein the control circuit is adapted to configure the plurality of interferometric light modulators into one of the plurality of predefined states based on the detected amount of light striking the mirror.

7. The dimming mirror of claim 1, wherein the predefined state of the array is changed to indicate information.

8. The dimming mirror of claim 7, wherein the predefined state of the array is repeatedly changed to indicate information.

9. The dimming mirror of claim 1, further comprising:

a processor that is configured to communicate with the array, the processor being configured to process image data; and

a memory device that is configured to communicate with said processor.

10. The dimming mirror of claim 9, further comprising an image source module configured to send said image data to said processor.

11. The dimming mirror of claim 10, wherein the image source module comprises at least one of a receiver, transceiver, and transmitter.

12. The dimming mirror of claim 9, further comprising an input device configured to receive input data and to communicate said input data to said processor.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the first state is predefined as substantially all of the interferometric modulators of the array being in a reflective state and the second state is predefined as substantially all of the interferometric modulators of the array being in a non-reflective state.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the first state is predefined as substantially all of the interferometric modulators of the array being in a reflective state and the second state is predefined as a checker-board pattern of interferometric modulators of the array being in a non-reflective state.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising a memory configured to store a pattern associated with each of the plurality of predefined states.

16. A method of using a dimming mirror, comprising:

receiving a signal indicative of one of a plurality of states predefined with respect to an array, including a first state wherein the array portrays a reflected image with a first brightness and a second state wherein the array portrays a reflected image with a second brightness that is substantially less than the first brightness; and

changing a reflectance of one or more interferometric light modulators of the array so as to configure the array to the indicated state.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the indicative signal indicates one of the plurality of predefined states with respect to a current predefined state of the array.

18. A dimming mirror, comprising:

means for receiving a signal indicative of one of a plurality of states predefined with respect to an array, including a first state wherein the array portrays a reflected image with a first brightness and a second state wherein the array portrays the reflected image with a second brightness that is substantially less than the first brightness; and

means for changing a reflectance of one or more interferometric light modulators of the array so as to configure the array to the indicated state.

19. The dimming mirror of claim 18, wherein the means for receiving or means for changing comprises a control circuit.

20. The dimming mirror of claim 18, wherein the means for receiving or means for changing comprises a processor.