US 11,809,054 B2
Optical display system with regionally addressable electrochromic light modulator
Carlo L. Tiana, Portland, OR (US); Eric P. Stratton, Portland, OR (US); Christopher A. Keith, Wilsonville, OR (US); Robert D. Brown, Lake Oswego, OR (US); and Robert W. Wood, Beaverton, OR (US)
Assigned to Rockwell Collins, Inc., Cedar Rapids, IA (US)
Filed by Rockwell Collins, Inc., Cedar Rapids, IA (US)
Filed on Mar. 10, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/197,459.
Application 17/197,459 is a division of application No. 15/945,708, filed on Apr. 4, 2018, granted, now 11,119,379.
Prior Publication US 2021/0200054 A1, Jul. 1, 2021
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G02F 1/163 (2006.01); G02F 1/133 (2006.01); G02F 1/13357 (2006.01)
CPC G02F 1/163 (2013.01) [G02F 1/13318 (2013.01); G02F 1/133602 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An optical display system, comprising:
a first display, configured to operate at low brightness levels by reducing a minimum brightness of the first display;
a combiner arranged to combine at least one image from a scene and an image from the first display to provide a combined image, the combiner including an electrochromic layer including one or more electrochromic regions separated from each other, wherein the combiner is separated from the first display and comprises:
a high light transmissive side oriented to the scene;
a high reflectivity side oriented to the first display, wherein a coating for the electrochromic layer having an index of refraction different than the index of refraction of the electrochromic layer causes the high reflectivity;
and
an index matching material;
one or more electronic drivers arranged to electrically connect with and drive respective of the one or more electrochromic regions;
and
a controller configured to control the one or more electronic drivers to individually address each of the one or more electrochromic regions to selectively drive by applying a potential difference to some of the one or more electrochromic regions to change light transmission of the selectively driven one or more electrochromic regions;
wherein the light transmission of the selectively driven one or more electrochromic regions decreases when the potential difference increases;
and
wherein the controller is configured to allow the light transmission in each of the one or more electrochromic regions to be non-uniform.