Patent ID: 11971634
Assignee: MERCK PATENT GMBH
Field: Optics (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G  B | IPC B  G

Claim 0:
1. A method for preparation of a window comprising an optical device which is operable in and electrically switchable between at least two optical states, the method comprising:
providing a first transparent substrate supporting a first electrode and a second transparent substrate supporting a second electrode,
wherein each of the first electrode and the second electrode is a patterned electrode, wherein at least one predetermined resistive portion being void of any conductive material is arranged in an otherwise continuous layer of a transparent conductive material such that at least one electrically insulated segment having a predetermined shape is formed on each substrate, and

configuring an electro-optical cell including the first patterned electrode as arranged on the first transparent substrate and the second patterned electrode as arranged on the second transparent substrate and disposing between said substrates with said electrodes a medium capable of modulating light in response to an applied voltage,
wherein the first transparent substrate and the second transparent substrate of the optical device are arranged such that a region of the first transparent substrate does not overlap with the second transparent substrate, and a region of the second transparent substrate does not overlap with the first transparent substrate,
wherein respective electrically insulated segments have open shapes which correspond to complementary parts of a desired pattern having at least one closed feature and which are arranged in relation with each other on the first and second transparent substrates,
wherein the first and second substrates are aligned with respect to one another in a manner such that an image having at least one closed feature is portrayable by the optical device in one of the optical states,
wherein the first and second transparent substrates are aligned such that complementary edges of the respective electrically insulated segments are matched or slightly overlap and the desired closed pattern feature appears without gap, and
wherein the optical device has a size greater than 1 m2.