IR transmitting coating for electro-optic element

• US 10,766,422 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2016
• Issued: 09/08/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Inventors: Gao, Jian, Weller, Andrew D., Neuman, George A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bennett, Stuart D
• Application Number:
  US15/372,717
• Publication Number:
  US 20170166134A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,370 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/04 mounted inside vehicle B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence
• 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 1/15 based on an electrochromic effect
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/153 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1533 structural features not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2001/15145 the electrochromic layer comprises a mixture of anodic and cathodic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2001/1536 additional, e.g. protective, layer inside the cell
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2203/11 involving infrared radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/59 inside of a vehicle, e.g. relating to seat occupancy, driver state or inner lighting conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/19 Sensors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/197 Matching; Classification
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20

Abstract

The disclosure provides for an electrochromic element comprising a first substrate and a second substrate. The first substrate comprises a first surface and a second surface. The second substrate comprises a third surface and a fourth surface. The first substrate and the second substrate form a cavity have an electrochromic medium disposed therein. A dielectric coating is disposed on the fourth surface and is configured to provide for improved transmittance of the electrochromic element in the near infrared (NIR) range, wherein the near infrared transmittance exceeds the visible transmittance.

Claims

1. An electrochromic element comprising:

a first substrate comprising a first surface and a second surface;

a second substrate comprising a third surface and a fourth surface, wherein the first substrate and the second substrate form a cavity between the second surface and the third surface;

an electrochromic medium contained in the cavity; and

a transflective dielectric coating disposed on the fourth surface, wherein a near infrared transmittance through the electrochromic element exceeds a visible transmittance through the electrochromic element, wherein the near infrared transmittance corresponds to wavelengths between 800 nm and 940 nm and the visible transmittance comprises a visible color range comprising wavelengths of light from 400 nm to 700 nm, wherein an average of the visible transmittance through the electrochromic element is at least 20% and the electrochromic element is configured to transmit image data depicted on a display through the electrochromic element.

2. The electrochromic element according to claim 1, wherein the near infrared transmittance is at least 1.5 times greater than the visible transmittance.

3. The electrochromic element according to claim 1, wherein the transmittance of the transflective dielectric coating in the NIR range is greater than 30%.

4. The electrochromic element according to claim 1, wherein the transmittance of the transflective dielectric coating in the NIR range is greater than 50%.

5. The electrochromic element according to claim 1, wherein the transmittance of the transflective dielectric coating in the NIR range is greater than 70%.

6. The electrochromic element according to claim 1, wherein the transflective dielectric coating is configured in a stacked configuration of alternating high-index (H) and low-index (L) material in a multilayer stack (HL-Stack).

7. The electrochromic element according to claim 6, wherein the transflective dielectric coating comprises alternating layers of niobium oxide and silicon dioxide.

8. The system according to claim 6, wherein the difference in refractive index between the high-index (H) material and the low-index (L) material is greater than 0.4.

9. The system according to claim 6, wherein the multi-layer stack comprises at least three layers of the high-index (H) and low-index (L) materials.

10. The system according to claim 6, wherein the dielectric coating corresponds to a low-loss dielectric material comprising one of niobium oxide, silicon oxide, tantalum oxide, and aluminum oxide.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the near infrared transmittance is 1.5 times greater than the visible transmittance.

12. An electrochromic mirror system comprising:

an electrochromic element comprising;

a first substrate comprising a first surface and a second surface;

a second substrate comprising a third surface and a fourth surface,

wherein the first substrate and the second substrate form a cavity between the second surface and the third surface;

an electrochromic medium contained in the cavity;

a transflective dielectric coating disposed at the fourth surface, wherein the transflective dielectric coating comprises a multi-layer stack comprising alternating high-index (H) material and low-index (L) material; and

an image sensor located rearward of the electrochromic element and directed toward the fourth surface, wherein a near infrared transmittance through the electrochromic element comprises a wavelength from 800 nm to 940 nm and a visible transmittance through the electrochromic element, wherein the near infrared transmittance exceeds the visible transmittance and the visible transmittance is at least 20% through the electrochromic element and wherein the visible transmittance of the electrochromic element comprises a shift in a green-red color coordinate (a*) and blue-yellow color coordinate (b*) of less than 5.

13. The system according to claim 12, further comprising an emitter in communication with the image sensor, wherein the emitter is configured to emit light at a wavelength approximately from 800 nm to 940 nm.

14. A method for operating an electrochromic mirror system comprising an electrochromic element, the electrochromic element comprising a first substrate comprising a first surface and a second surface, a second substrate comprising a third surface and a fourth surface, and an electrochromic medium disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein the electrochromic medium comprises a transflective dielectric coating disposed at the fourth surface, the method comprising:

emitting an output emission of a near infrared light at a wavelength approximately from 800 nm to 940 nm from an emitter through the electrochromic element and the transflective dielectric coating;

transmitting the near infrared light reflected from a subject through the electrochromic element and the transflective dielectric coating;

transmitting a visible light comprising wavelengths of light from 400 nm to 700 nm through the electrochromic element and the transflective dielectric coating concurrently with the near infrared light, wherein the transmission of the near infrared light exceeds a visible transmittance and an average transmission of the visible light is at least 20%; and

receiving via an image sensor the near infrared light and the visible light transmitted through the electrochromic element and the transflective dielectric coating.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein at least 30% of the near infrared light is transmitted through the electrochromic element and the transflective dielectric coating.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the near infrared light is transmitted through the element and the transflective dielectric coating 1.5 times greater than the visible light.