Patents by Inventor Rick L. McGann

Rick L. McGann has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Window method and apparatus for protection from bright light sources
    Patent number: 9835914
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, an electrically switchable mirror includes: a first electrically switchable layer of cholesteric liquid crystal material, the first electrically switchable layer having a first state in which right-handed circularly polarized light incident thereon is reflected and left-handed circularly polarized light incident thereon is transmitted and a second state wherein right-handed and left-handed circularly polarized light incident thereon are transmitted; a second electrically switchable layer of cholesteric liquid crystal material, the second electrically switchable layer having a first state in which left-handed circularly polarized light incident thereon is reflected and right-handed circularly polarized light incident thereon is transmitted and a second state wherein right-handed and left-handed circularly polarized light incident thereon are transmitted; and a first electrically switchable wave plate disposed between the first and second electrically switchable layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Mark J. Clemen, Jr., John R. Hull, Philip E. Johnson, Rick L. McGann, George A. Perry, Alan F. Stewart, Mark S. Wilenski, Donald V. Drouin, Jr., Le Li, Yongxin Tang, Haiping Yu, Jiangbin Zhao, Jie Yang, Shenggang Wang
  • Window Method and Apparatus for Protection from Bright Light Sources
    Publication number: 20170248811
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, an electrically switchable mirror includes: a first electrically switchable layer of cholesteric liquid crystal material, the first electrically switchable layer having a first state in which right-handed circularly polarized light incident thereon is reflected and left-handed circularly polarized light incident thereon is transmitted and a second state wherein right-handed and left-handed circularly polarized light incident thereon are transmitted; a second electrically switchable layer of cholesteric liquid crystal material, the second electrically switchable layer having a first state in which left-handed circularly polarized light incident thereon is reflected and right-handed circularly polarized light incident thereon is transmitted and a second state wherein right-handed and left-handed circularly polarized light incident thereon are transmitted; and a first electrically switchable wave plate disposed between the first and second electrically switchable layers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 29, 2016
    Publication date: August 31, 2017
    Applicant: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Mark J. Clemen, JR., John R. Hull, Philip E. Johnson, Rick L. McGann, George A. Perry, Alan F. Stewart, Mark S. Wilenski, Donald V. Drouin, JR., Le Li, Yongxin Tang, Haiping Yu, Jiangbin Zhao, Jie Yang, Shenggang Wang