A glazing having switchable optical properties is described, including a transparent substrate having an outer surface and an inner surface, a reflection layer on the outer surface and/or on the inner surface and a switchable functional element arranged on the interior side with respect to the reflection layer. The reflection layer contains a material having a refractive index n.sub.R of 1.6 to 2.5. The product of the refractive index n.sub.R and the thickness d of the reflection layer is from 250 nm to 960 nm.

A transparent photovoltaic (TPV) integrated directly into the structure of an electrochromic (EC) device is beneficial in that it can eliminate at least one substrate and provide more uniform coloring. Integration of a transparent photovoltaic with an electrochromic device may also reduce or eliminate the need for an electrical bus on a substrate. In some embodiments, positioning the TPV internally with the EC cell may eliminate the need for additional substrate layers or a conductive layer on one side of the TPV cell. Integrating a PV cell into the EC device can additionally reduce the need for external wiring and an external power supply. Alternatively, the TPV can assist in charging a battery where the battery can be used to power the EC device when there is no sunlight available.

An electrochromic device is structured to selectively switch separate regions to separate transmission levels, based at least in part upon different respective sheet resistances of separate conductive layer regions. Sheet resistance of a conductive layer region can be associated with a transmission level to which a corresponding EC stack region can be switched, and a conductive layer with separate regions having separate sheet resistances causes corresponding EC stack regions to switch to different transmission levels. Sheet resistance in a conductive layer region can be adjusted via various processes, including introducing various chemical species into the conductive layer region to adjust a chemical species distribution in the region, where the chemical species distribution is associated with the sheet resistance of the region, heating conductive layer regions to induce oxidation of the region, adjusting the thickness of a conductive layer region, etc.

Protic-soluble electrochromic materials, ion-paired electrochromic materials including protic-soluble electrochromic materials, as well as electrochromic media and electrochromic devices incorporating such materials, are provided. The use of protic solvent mixtures, especially mixtures incorporating water, allows for the use of a wider variety of substrate materials. For example, plastics that may be soluble in organic aprotic solvent systems may be used in water-based devices.

A mirror assembly for a vehicle is disclosed. The mirror assembly comprises a support bracket, a glass element operably coupled with the support bracket, and an actuator assembly. The actuator assembly is in connection with the support bracket, wherein the actuator assembly is adjustable to tilt the glass element to a first position and to a second position. A damper is in engagement with the actuator assembly and the support bracket. The damper controls a movement of the actuator assembly corresponding to the movement of the glass element from the first position to the second position. The mirror assembly further comprises a sensor configured to detect a position of the actuator assembly.

An electrochromic multi-layer stack is provided. The multi-layer stack includes an electrochromic multi-layer stack having a first substrate, a first electrically conductive layer, a first electrode layer, an ion conductor layer, a second substrate, a second electrically conductive layer, and a second electrode layer. The multi-layer stack includes a redox element, wherein the redox element is electrically isolated from the first and second electrically conductive layers and the first and second electrode layer and is laterally adjacent to either the first electrically conductive layer and the first electrode, or the second electrically conductive layer and the second electrode layer. A method for controlling an electrochromic device is also provided.

A display apparatus includes a frame mounted on an observer's head, an image display device attached to the frame and a dimming device 700, the image display device includes an image forming device and an optical device 120, 320 having a virtual image forming region 140, 340 where a virtual image is formed on the basis of light emitted from the image forming device, the optical device 120, 320 overlaps with a portion of the dimming device 700, at the time of operation of the dimming device 700, a light blocking ratio of the dimming device 700 is changed over a range of from an upper region 701U to a lower region 701D and/or over a range of from an inner region 701C to an outer region 701S, and a virtual image forming region facing region 701 has a light blocking ratio higher than the light blocking ratio of the lower region 701D or the outer region 701S.

An energy storage device includes a cathodic material in an activated state; and an anodic material in an activated state; wherein: the cathodic material is a viologen covalently attached to, or confined within, a first polymer matrix, the first polymer matrix is configured to prevent or minimize substantial diffusion of the cathodic material in the activated state; and the anodic material is a phenazine, a phenothiazine, a triphenodithiazine, a carbazole, a indolocarbazole, a biscarbazole, or a ferrocene covalently attached to, or confined within, a second polymer matrix, the second polymer matrix is configured to prevent or minimize substantial diffusion of the anodic material in the activated state.

A display apparatus includes a frame mounted on an observer's head, an image display device attached to the frame and a dimming device 700, the image display device includes an image forming device and an optical device 120, 320 having a virtual image forming region 140, 340 where a virtual image is formed on the basis of light emitted from the image forming device, the optical device 120, 320 overlaps with a portion of the dimming device 700, at the time of operation of the dimming device 700, a light blocking ratio of the dimming device 700 is changed over a range of from an upper region 701U to a lower region 701D and/or over a range of from an inner region 701C to an outer region 701S, and a virtual image forming region facing region 701 has a light blocking ratio higher than the light blocking ratio of the lower region 701D or the outer region 701S.

An electrochromic composition has an anodic electrochromic compound and a cathodic electrochromic compound, in which the anodic electrochromic compound is represented by General Formula [1] ##STR00001##
and the cathodic electrochromic compound is represented by General Formula [2] ##STR00002##
In General Formula 1, A.sub.1 to A.sub.4 represent substituents, R.sub.1 and R.sub.2, and R.sub.20 and R.sub.21 represent a hydrogen atom or a substituent. n is an integer of 1 to 5. X represents a thiophene derivative and Y- represents an anion.