Patent ID: 8325409

Claim:
An apparatus, comprising: a first substantially transparent substrate; a first plurality of substantially transparent electrodes attached to the first substrate; a first plurality of reflective and electrically conductive vanes having first ends that are electrically coupled to first areas of the first plurality of electrodes; and a control system configured to apply a first voltage between the first areas of the first plurality of electrodes and second areas of the first plurality of electrodes at a first time, the first voltage causing first electrical forces between the first plurality of vanes and second areas of the first plurality of electrodes that are greater than restoring forces of the first plurality of vanes and sufficient to move the first plurality of vanes from an open position to a closed position proximate the second areas of the first plurality of electrodes, wherein the first plurality of vanes is configured to reflect ambient light through the first plurality of electrodes when in the open position and to block ambient light when in the closed position.