Patent ID: 7394585

Claim:
A method of making an optical element comprising: forming an at least partial coating comprising an alignment medium to at least a portion of at least one surface of a substrate and at least partially ordering at least a portion of the alignment medium; forming at least one at least partial coating comprising an alignment transfer material on at least a portion of the at least partial coating comprising the alignment medium and at least partially aligning at least a portion of the alignment transfer material with at least a portion of the at least partially ordered alignment medium; and forming an at least partial coating comprising an anisotropic material and at least one photochromic-dichroic compound on at least a portion of the alignment transfer material, at least partially aligning at least a portion of the anisotropic material with at least a portion of the at least partially aligned alignment transfer material, and at least partially aligning at least a portion of the at least one photochromic-dichroic compound with at least a portion of the at least partially aligned anisotropic material.