Driver for electrochromic element, method for driving electrochromic element, optical filter, imaging device, lens unit, and window component

• US 9,933,681 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2014
• Issued: 04/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Jun, Okada, Shinjiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Edouard, Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fox, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US14/296,307
• Publication Number:
  US 20140362430A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,399 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1503 caused by oxidation-reduction reactions in organic liquid solutions, e.g. viologen solutions
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/163 Operation of electrochromic cells, e.g. electrodeposition cells; Circuit arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/19 using electrochromic devices

Abstract

A driver for an electrochromic element is configured to adjust the transmittance of a solution-type electrochromic element to allow the element to display a tone. The element has a pair of electrodes and at least one organic electrochromic material mixed between the electrodes. The driver has an adjusting controller configured to adjust the transmittance of the element. The adjusting controller has controller A and controller B. Controller A is configured to saturate a change in the transmittance of the element to an initial state by applying the voltage which resets the element to the initial state. Controller B is configured to control the tone of the element by applying the voltage which adjusts the transmittance of the element following controller A.

Claims

1. A driver for an electrochromic element, the driver configured to adjust transmittance of the electrochromic element, the electrochromic element having a pair of electrodes and an electrochromic layer, which includes at least one organic electrochromic material and which is positioned between the electrodes, the driver comprising:

an adjusting controller, wherein;

the adjusting controller, after applying a voltage V1,

applies a voltage V2, the voltage V2 being higher than the voltage V1 and not lower than an oxidation voltage if the voltage V1 is equal to or lower than a back reduction voltage, or the voltage V2 being lower than the voltage V1 and not higher than the back reduction voltage if the voltage V1 is equal to or higher than the oxidation voltage, and

the adjusting controller is configured to adjust the transmittance of the electrochromic element with use of a pulse width of the voltage V2,

wherein the voltage V1 is equal to or higher than the oxidation voltage, and

wherein the adjusting controller adjusts the pulse width of the voltage V2 by controlling a ratio of a duration T1 to a total duration T1+T2 the duration T1being the duration for which back reduction of the organic electrochromic material proceeds and the duration T2 being the duration for which the back reduction stops.

2. The driver for an electrochromic element according to claim 1, wherein:

the adjusting controller is configured to saturate a change in the transmittance of the electrochromic element by applying the voltage V1.

3. The driver for an electrochromic element according to claim 1, wherein the adjusting controller is configured to adjust the transmittance of the electrochromic element by changing T1 with a total duration T1+T2 constant.

4. The driver for an electrochromic element according to claim 3, wherein the duration T1+T2 is 100 milliseconds or less.

5. The driver for an electrochromic element according to claim 1, wherein the electrochromic layer includes a plurality of organic electrochromic materials, and the voltage V1 and V2 are voltages equal to or higher than a highest oxidation voltage of or equal to or lower than a lowest back reduction voltage of oxidation and back reduction voltages of each of the plurality of organic electrochromic materials.

6. The driver for an electrochromic element according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the plurality of organic electrochromic materials has an optical absorption peak different from an optical absorption peak of the other organic electrochromic materials.

7. The driver for an electrochromic element according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the plurality of organic electrochromic materials has an optical absorption peak in a wavelength range from 440 nm to 490 nm or a wavelength range from 540 nm to 630 nm.

8. An optical filter comprising an electrochromic element and the driver for an electrochromic element according to claim 1.

9. An imaging device comprising the optical filter according to claim 8 and a light-receiving element configured to receive light after the light has passed the optical filter.

10. The driver for an electrochromic element according to claim 1, wherein:

the electrochromic element is a solution-type electrochromic element.

11. The driver for an electrochromic element according to claim 1, wherein the adjusting controller connects a resistor R1 and the electrochromic element for a duration T1 and connects a resistor R2 of higher resistivity than the resistor R1 and the electrochromic element for a duration T2;

and

the adjusting controller continuously alternates connecting the resistor R1 for the duration T1 and connecting the resistor R2 for the duration T2 while in operation for controlling the pulse width of the voltage V2.

12. A driver for an electrochromic element, the driver configured to adjust transmittance of the electrochromic element, the electrochromic element having a pair of electrodes and an electrochromic layer, which includes at least one organic electrochromic material and which is positioned between the electrodes, the driver comprising:

an adjusting controller, wherein;

the adjusting controller, after applying a voltage V1,

applies voltage V2, the voltage V2 being higher than the voltage V1 and not lower than a reduction voltage if the voltage V1 is equal to or lower than a back oxidation voltage, or the voltage V2 being lower than the voltage V1 and not higher than the back oxidation voltage if the voltage V1 is equal to or higher than the reduction voltage, and

the adjusting controller is configured to adjust the transmittance of the electrochromic element with use of a pulse width of the voltage V2,

wherein the voltage V1 is equal to or higher than the reduction voltage, and

wherein the adjusting controller adjusts the pulse width of the voltage V2 by controlling a ratio of a duration T1 to a total duration (T1 +T2) the duration T1 being the duration for which back oxidation of the organic electrochromic material proceeds and the duration T2 being the duration for which the back oxidation stops.

13. The driver for an electrochromic element according to claim 12, wherein:

the adjusting controller is configured to saturate a change in the transmittance of the electrochromic element by applying the voltage V1.

14. An optical filter comprising an electrochromic element and the driver for an electrochromic element according to claim 12.

15. An imaging device comprising the optical filter according to claim 14 and a light-receiving element configured to receive light after the light has passed the optical filter.

16. The driver for an electrochromic element according to claim 12, wherein the adjusting controller connects a resistor R1 and the electrochromic element for a duration T1 and connects a resistor R2 of higher resistivity than the resistor R1 and the electrochromic element for a duration T2;

and

the adjusting controller continuously alternates connecting the resistor R1 for the duration T1 and connecting the resistor R2 for the duration T2 while in operation for controlling the pulse width of the voltage V2.

17. A method for driving an electrochromic element, the method designed to adjust transmittance of the electrochromic element, the electrochromic element having a pair of electrodes and an electrochromic layer, which includes at least one organic electrochromic material and which is positioned between the electrodes, the method comprising:

adjusting the transmittance of the electrochromic element, the adjustment including applying a voltage V1 to the electrochromic element and then controlling the transmittance, wherein the control, following the application of the voltage V1, includes;

applying a voltage V2, the voltage V2 being higher than the voltage V1 and not lower than an oxidation voltage if the voltage V1 is equal to or lower than a back reduction voltage, or the voltage V2 being lower than the voltage V1 and not higher than the back reduction voltage if the voltage V1 is equal to or higher than the oxidation voltage, and adjusting a pulse width of the voltage V2,

wherein the adjusting the transmittance of the electrochromic element includes controlling a ratio of a duration T1 to a total duration (T1 +T2), the duration T1 being the duration for coloring, and the duration T2 being the duration for erasing.

18. The method for driving an electrochromic element according to claim 17, wherein:

the application includes saturating a change in the transmittance of the electrochromic element to reset the electrochromic element to an initial state by applying the voltage V1.