# US 12,111,556 B2 · Multi-segment electro-optic apparatus and control methods > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,111,556 B2 - Document ID: US12111556B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/131,599 - Filed: 2023-04-06 - Published: 2023-10-12 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2022-04-06 - Assignees: Gentex Corporation - Applicants: Gentex Corporation - Inventors: Robert R. Turnbull; David A. Blaker; Xiaoxu Niu; Leroy J. Kloeppner; Bradley R. Hamlin; Michael J. Burns - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12111556B2 ## CPC - G02F 1/0121: {Operation of devices; Circuit arrangements, not otherwise provided for in this subclass} - G02F 1/166: characterised by the electro-optical or magneto-optical effect - G02F 1/0018: {Electro-optical materials} - G02F 1/155: Electrodes - G02F 1/163: Operation of electrochromic cells, e.g. electrodeposition cells; Circuit arrangements therefor - G02F 1/1676: Electrodes - G02F: OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS ## Abstract An electro-optic device includes a first electrode electrically connecting with power supply circuitry. A second electrode is spaced from the first electrode and electrically connecting with the power supply circuitry. An electro-optic medium is disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode. At least one third electrode is disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode and electrically connecting with one of the first electrode and the second electrode via switching circuitry. The switching circuitry is operable to control an electrical current through the first electrode, the electro-optic medium, and the second electrode. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electro-optic device comprising: a first electrode electrically connecting with a power supply circuit; a second electrode spaced from the first electrode and electrically connecting with the power supply circuit; an electro-optic medium disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode; at least one third electrode disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode; and a control circuit electrically connected to one of the first electrode and the second electrode wherein the control circuit: monitors a measured control signal of the at least one third electrode; and adjusts a driving control signal communicated to the one of the first electrode and the second electrode based on the measured control signal and updates a corresponding transmission state of the electro-optic device to a target transmittance. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electro-optic device according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit further: compares the measured control signal to correspond to the target transmittance of the driving control signal and adjusts the driving control signal based on the comparison. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The electro-optic device according to claim 2, wherein the measured control signal is indicative of an electrical potential between the first electrode and the second electrode and the driving control signal adjusts the electro-optic element to the target transmittance by adjusting an electrical potential between the first electrode and the second electrode. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The electro-optic device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one third electrode is interposed between the electro-optic medium and the one of the first electrode and the second electrode and extends over at least a portion of a transmissive surface area through which light is selectively transmitted in response to the electrical signal. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The electro-optic device according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit comprises a switching circuit electrically connecting the at least one third electrode with the one of the first electrode and the second electrode. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The electro-optic device according to claim 5, wherein the switching circuit controls current conducted through the first electrode, the electro-optic medium, and the second electrode resulting from the driving control signal. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The electro-optic device according to claim 5, wherein the monitoring of the control signal comprises monitoring a voltage drop from the first electrode to the second electrode across the electro-optic medium. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The electro-optic device of claim 7, wherein the control circuit further: controls the switching circuit based on the voltage drop across the electro-optic medium. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The electro-optic device of claim 7, wherein the control circuit controls the driving control signal by controlling the power supply circuit based on the voltage drop across the electro-optic medium. ### Claim 10 (depends on 5) The electro-optic device of claim 5, wherein the switching circuit comprises: a first switching circuit and a second switching circuit, wherein the at least one third electrode includes a first intermediate electrode conductively connected to the first switching circuit and a second intermediate electrode conductively connected to the second switching circuit. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The electro-optic device of claim 10, wherein the first intermediate electrode is interposed between the first electrode and the electro-optic medium, and the second intermediate electrode is interposed between the second electrode and the electro-optic medium. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The electro-optic device of claim 11, wherein the first switching circuit is disposed in a first switching layer interposed between the first electrode and the first intermediate electrode and the second switching circuit is disposed in a second switching layer interposed between the second electrode and the second intermediate electrode. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The electro-optic device of claim 12, wherein one of the first switching layer and the second switching layer includes a first transistor operable to prevent the current from flowing through the electro-optic medium. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The electro-optic device of claim 13, wherein the at least one third electrode includes a third intermediate electrode in parallel with the first intermediate electrode, and wherein the first switching circuit includes a second transistor operable to suppress the current from flowing through the electro-optic medium. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The electro-optic device of claim 10, wherein the control circuit is in communication with the first intermediate electrode and the second intermediate electrode and identifies the measured control signal as a voltage drop across the electro-optic medium between the first intermediate electrode and the second intermediate electrode. ### Claim 16 A method for controlling an electro-optic device comprising: supplying a driving control signal to at least one of a first electrode and a second electrode of the electro-optic device; conducting current across an electro-optic medium between the first electrode and the second electrode; monitoring a measured control signal of at least one third electrode conductively connected to one of the first electrode and the second electrode; and adjusting the driving control signal based on the measured control signal thereby updating a corresponding transmission state of the electro-optic device to a target transmittance. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method according to claim 16, wherein the monitoring comprises comparing the measured control signal to correspond to the target transmittance of the driving control signal and the adjusting updates the driving control signal based on the comparison. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method according to claim 16, further comprising: adjusting the transmission state to the target transmittance by controlling a switching circuit electrically connecting the at least one third electrode with the one of the first electrode and the second electrode. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The electro-optic device according to claim 18, wherein the switching circuit controls the current conducted through the electro-optic medium from the one of the first electrode and the second electrode resulting from the driving control signal. ### Claim 20 An electro-optic device comprising: a first electrode electrically connecting with a power supply circuitry; a second electrode spaced from the first electrode and electrically connecting with the power supply circuitry; an electro-optic medium disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode; at least one third electrode disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode and electrically connecting with one of the first electrode and the second electrode via a switching circuitry; and control circuitry in communication with the switching circuitry that controls the switching circuitry to adjust an electrical current through the first electrode, the electro-optic medium, and the second electrode.