Patent ID: 9122005
Filing Date: 2015-09-01
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
1. A switchable retroreflector device comprising: a fluid vessel having an area therein; an electrically-conductive, polar fluid occupying at least a portion of the fluid vessel; a non-polar fluid that is immiscible with the polar fluid, the non-polar fluid occupying a portion of the fluid vessel that is not occupied by the polar fluid and that differs from the polar fluid in at least one optical property; retroreflective surface operably coupled to the fluid vessel and configured to retroreflect light that is incident onto the retroreflective surface as a reflected light, each of the incident light and the reflected light traveling through at least one of the polar and non-polar fluids; a capacitor disposed on at least a portion of the fluid vessel and in at least partial contact with the polar fluid; a voltage source electrically coupled to the capacitor, the voltage source configured to selectively apply a voltage to the capacitor and operable to cause the polar fluid to move within the area; wherein the polar and non-polar fluids have different relative geometrical configurations at different applied voltages and each one of the different geometrical configurations is operable to provide a different level of retroreflection; and wherein the retroreflective surface has a bead reflector geometry.