Zoned electro-optic element

An electro-optic device, comprising:

• a first individually addressable zone and a second individually addressable zone adjacent to the first zone;
• a lower electrode including a first lower electrode segment in alignment with the first zone and a second lower electrode segment in alignment with the second zone;
• an upper electrode including a first upper electrode segment in alignment with the first zone and a second upper electrode segment in alignment with the second zone;
• an electro-optic medium located between the lower and upper electrode segments and configured to switch between one of a high transmissive state, an intermediate transmissive state, and a low transmissive state;
• and
• a control system configured to:
• receive an instruction to switch the state of the electro-optic medium in the first zone to one of the intermediate and low transmissive states;
• apply a higher electric potential to one of the first upper and lower electrode segments and a lower electric potential to the other one of the first upper and lower electrode segments, the higher electric potential being greater than the lower electric potential with an average electric potential equally between the higher electric potential and the lower electric potential;
• and
• apply a high intermediate electric potential being associated with a voltage that is less than a voltage associated the higher electric potential to one of the second upper and lower electrode segments and a low intermediate electric potential being associated with a voltage greater than a voltage associated with the lower electric potential to the other of the second upper and lower electrode segments, wherein an average intermediate electric potential between the low and high intermediate electric potentials is substantially equal to the average electric potential and the electro-optic medium in the second zone is in a more transmissive state than the first zone.

An electro-optic device, comprising:

• a plurality of individually addressable zones, each addressable zone including a lower electrode segment and an upper electrode segment;
• an electro-optic medium located between the lower and upper electrode segments and configured to switch between one of a high transmissive state, an intermediate transmissive state, and a low transmissive state;
• and
• a control system configured to:
• receive an instruction to switch the state of the electro-optic medium within the first zone of the plurality of zones to one of the intermediate and low transmissive states;
• apply a high electric potential difference to the first zone;
• apply a first intermediate electric potential difference that is less than the high electric potential difference to a second zone of the plurality of zones adjacent to the first zone;
• and
• apply a second intermediate electric potential difference that is less than the first intermediate electric potential difference to a third zone of the plurality of zones adjacent to the second zone, wherein the second zone spaces the first zone from the third zone.