Dimmable mirror device

• US 9,415,724 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2013
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pictiva Displays International Limited (f/k/a Dolya Holdco 5 Limited) (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: OSRAM OLED GMBH (Ams-Osram AG)
• Inventors: Popp, Michael, Krummacher, Benjamin Claus
• Primary Examiner(s): Tra, Tuyen
• Application Number:
  US14/648,666
• Publication Number:
  US 20150314731A1
• Time in Patent Office: 986 Days
• Field of Search: 359265-275, 359/896, 359/900, 345/105
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/088 using a cell of electrically changeable optical characteristic, e.g. liquid-crystal or electrochromic mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/157 Structural association of cells with optical devices, e.g. reflectors or illuminating devices
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 30/00 Organic devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation integrated devices or assemblies of multiple devices H10K39/00, H10K65/00; electrolytic light-sensitive devices H01G9/20

Abstract

A dimming mirror device has a substrate having an electrochromic material that has a controllable transparency. At least one organic optoelectronic element, which has an organically functional layer stack, is arranged on the substrate. This element has at least one organic optoelectronic layer between two electrodes. The layer detects, in a first operational state of the mirror device, ambient light through the substrate such that the organic optoelectronic element acts, in the first operational state, as an element detecting organic light. The transparency of the substrate can be controlled in the first operational state in accordance with a measurement signal from the organic optoelectronic element.

Claims

1. A dimmable mirror device, comprising:

a substrate comprising an electrochromic material that has a controllable transparency;

an organic optoelectronic element disposed on the substrate, the optoelectronic element comprising an organic functional layer stack having an organic optoelectronic layer between two electrodes, the layer being embodied as an organic light detecting layer that detects ambient light through the substrate in a first operating state of the mirror device, such that the organic optoelectronic element acts as an organic light detecting element in the first operating state, wherein the transparency of the substrate can be regulated depending on a measurement signal of the organic optoelectronic element in the first operating state; and

a reflective layer on a side of the organic functional layer stack facing away from the substrate.

2. The mirror device according to claim 1, wherein an electrode of the organic optoelectronic element is in direct contact with the substrate, and wherein a base surface of the substrate facing away from the organic optoelectronic element forms an outer surface of the mirror device.

3. The mirror device according to claim 1, further comprising contact elements for electrically driving the electrochromic, the contact elements being arranged on the substrate and being spaced apart laterally with respect to the organic optoelectronic element.

4. The mirror device according to claim 3, wherein the contact elements are in direct contact with the substrate.

5. The mirror device according to claim 1, wherein the reflective layer comprises an electrode of the organic optoelectronic element facing away from the substrate.

6. The mirror device according to claim 1, wherein the reflective layer comprises a mirror layer having a regulatable reflectivity on an opposite side of the organic optoelectronic element relative to the substrate, and wherein the electrode of the organic optoelectronic element facing away from the substrate is transparent.

7. The mirror device according to claim 1, wherein the organic optoelectronic element comprises an organic photodiode, an organic photoconductor and/or an organic photoresistor.

8. The mirror device according to claim 1, wherein the organic optoelectronic layer of the organic optoelectronic element is further embodied as an organic light emitting layer that emits light in a second operating state of the mirror device.

9. The mirror device according to claim 8, wherein the organic optoelectronic element acts as an organic light emitting diode in the second operating state.

10. The mirror device according to claim 1, further comprising an organic light emitting element having an organic functional layer stack having at least one organic light emitting layer between two electrodes arranged on the substrate laterally adjacently to the organic optoelectronic element.

11. The mirror device according to claim 10, wherein the reflective layer comprises an electrode of the organic light emitting element facing away from the substrate.

12. The mirror device according to claim 1, further comprising an organic light detecting element is arranged on the substrate laterally adjacently to the organic optoelectronic element, the organic light detecting element being configured to detect ambient light radiated onto the mirror device from an opposite side of the mirror device relative to the substrate.

13. The mirror device according to claim 1, further comprising an organic light detecting element arranged on the organic optoelectronic element, as viewed from the substrate, the organic light detecting element being configured to detect ambient light which is radiated onto the mirror device from an opposite side of the mirror device relative to the substrate.

14. The mirror device according to claim 13, wherein the organic light detecting element comprises an organic functional layer stack between two electrodes, the organic functional layer having an organic light detecting layer, wherein one of the electrodes is formed by one of the electrodes of the organic optoelectronic element.

15. The mirror device according to claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises an electrochromic glass and/or an electrochromic foil.

16. The mirror device according to claim 1, wherein the mirror device is embodied as a rear-view mirror of a motor vehicle.

17. The mirror device according to claim 1, wherein the reflective layer is formed by an electrode of the optoelectronic element.

18. A dimmable mirror device, comprising:

a substrate comprising an electrochromic material which has a controllable transparency;

an organic optoelectronic element, disposed on the substrate, the optoelectronic element comprising an organic functional layer stack having an organic optoelectronic layer between two electrodes, the layer being embodied as an organic light detecting layer that detects ambient light through the substrate in a first operating state of the mirror device, such that the organic optoelectronic element acts as an organic light detecting element in the first operating state; and

a reflective layer on a side of the organic functional layer stack facing away from the substrate;

wherein the transparency of the substrate can be regulated depending on a measurement signal of the organic optoelectronic element in the first operating state;

wherein at least one electrode of the organic optoelectronic element is in direct contact with the substrate;

wherein a base surface of the substrate facing away from the organic optoelectronic element forms an outer surface of the mirror device; and

wherein the reflective layer comprises the electrode of the organic optoelectronic element facing away from the substrate.

19. A method of operating a dimmable mirror that comprises a substrate, an organic light detecting layer and a reflective layer on a side of the organic light detecting layer facing away from the substrate, the substrate comprising an electrochromic material with a controllable transparency and the organic light detecting layer comprising an organic functional layer structure having an organic optoelectronic layer between two electrodes, wherein the method comprises:

detecting ambient light through the substrate by the organic light detecting layer; and

controlling the transparency of the substrate based on a measurement signal derived from the detecting by the organic light detecting layer.