US 11,754,863 B2
Polarization-agnostic optical dimming device and optical assembly including the same
Jasmine Soria Sears, Kirkland, WA (US); Afsoon Jamali, Issaquah, WA (US); Gareth Valentine, Kirkland, WA (US); and Nathan Matsuda, Seattle, WA (US)
Assigned to META PLATFORMS TECHNOLOGIES, LLC, Menlo Park, CA (US)
Filed by Meta Platforms Technologies, LLC, Menlo Park, CA (US)
Filed on Feb. 13, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/670,468.
Application 17/670,468 is a continuation of application No. 16/792,173, filed on Feb. 14, 2020, granted, now 11,281,031.
Prior Publication US 2022/0163826 A1, May 26, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G02F 1/03 (2006.01); G02F 1/35 (2006.01); G02F 1/1335 (2006.01); G02F 1/13363 (2006.01); G02F 1/1343 (2006.01)
CPC G02F 1/0311 (2013.01) [G02F 1/133528 (2013.01); G02F 1/3515 (2013.01); G02F 1/133638 (2021.01); G02F 1/134381 (2021.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A device, comprising:
a polarization rotator configured to be switchable between operating in two switching states;
a controller configured to control the polarization rotator to switch between operating in the two switching states at a predetermined switching frequency, to thereby switch, a polarization of a component of an input light having an initial light intensity, between two orthogonal polarizations at the predetermined switching frequency; and
a polarizer coupled with the polarization rotator, and configured to convert the input light transmitted through the polarization rotator into an output light having a light intensity reduced to a predetermined percentage of the initial light intensity of the input light.
 
14. A method, comprising:
switching, by a polarization rotator, a polarization of a component of an input light having an initial light intensity, between two orthogonal polarizations; and
converting, by a polarizer coupled with the polarization rotator, the input light output from the polarization rotator into an output light having a light intensity reduced to a predetermined percentage of the initial light intensity of the input light,
wherein the predetermined percentage is substantially the same when the input light has different initial polarizations.
 
18. A method, comprising:
controlling, by a controller, a polarization rotator to switch between operating in a first switching state and a second switching state at a predetermined switching frequency, to thereby switch, a polarization of a component of an input light having an initial light intensity, between two orthogonal polarizations at the predetermined switching frequency; and
converting, by a polarizer coupled with the polarization rotator, the input light output from the polarization rotator into an output light having a light intensity reduced to a predetermined percentage of the initial light intensity of the input light.