Window system for a passenger compartment of a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10067402-B2
Application number	US-201615235690-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 12, 2016
Priority date	Aug 12, 2016
Publication date	Sep 4, 2018
Grant date	Sep 4, 2018

Abstract

A window system for a passenger compartment of a vehicle includes a transparent window having a window treatment, an incident light monitoring subsystem, an incident light management subsystem and a controller. The incident light monitoring subsystem monitors incident light transmitted into the passenger compartment, determines a field of view of a passenger and determines an intensity of the incident light relative to the field of view of the passenger. The incident light management subsystem individually controls a plurality of light projectors to project a light beam that interacts with a subsection of the window treatment to modulate light transparency of one of the subsections of the window based upon the intensity of the incident light in relation to a field of view of the passenger.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A window system for a passenger compartment of a vehicle, comprising:
a transparent window including a window treatment;
an incident light monitoring subsystem being disposed to monitor incident light transmitted through the window into the passenger compartment, being disposed to monitor a spatial location of a passenger in the passenger compartment, and being disposed to determine an intensity of the incident light relative to a field of view of the passenger;
an incident light management subsystem that is disposed to interact with the window treatment to reduce transparency of a plurality of subsections of the window, wherein the incident light management subsystem comprises a plurality of individually controllable light projectors that are in communication with the controller; and
a controller, in communication with the incident light monitoring subsystem and the incident light management subsystem, the controller including an instruction set that is executable to:
determine, via the incident light monitoring subsystem, the field of view of the passenger of the vehicle,
determine, via the incident light monitoring subsystem, the intensity of incident light in relation to the field of view of the passenger, and
control the incident light management subsystem to interact with the window treatment to reduce the transparency of one of the plurality of subsections of the window based upon the intensity of the incident light in relation to the field of view of the passenger.

2. The window system of claim 1 , wherein the individually controllable light projectors are disposed to project a light beam onto a spatially-defined subsection of the window.

3. The window system of claim 2 , wherein the light beam interacts with the window treatment that is disposed on the window within the spatially-defined subsection to reduce the transparency of the window within the spatially-defined subsection.

4. The window system of claim 2 , wherein the light beam interacts with the window treatment that is disposed on the window within the spatially-defined subsection to reduce transmission of incident light into the passenger compartment through the spatially-defined subsection.

5. The window system of claim 1 , wherein the incident light monitoring subsystem includes a photometric sensor.

6. The window system of claim 1 , wherein the incident light monitoring subsystem includes a camera.

7. The window system of claim 1 , wherein the window comprises a windshield.

8. The window system of claim 1 , wherein the window comprises one of a side window or a rear window.

9. The window system of claim 1 , wherein the window treatment is disposed on a surface of the window.

10. The window system of claim 1 , wherein the window treatment is interposed between laminate layers of the window.

11. The window system of claim 1 , wherein the window treatment comprises a laminate layer composed of transparent material having embedded nanoparticles that are selected to scatter selected wavelengths of the light spectrum while permitting other wavelengths to pass through unaffected in response to a light beam projected thereon.

12. The window system of claim 1 , wherein the passenger comprises a vehicle driver.

13. A window system for a passenger compartment of a vehicle, comprising:
a plurality of windows, each including a window treatment;
an incident light monitoring subsystem being disposed to monitor incident light transmitted through the plurality of windows into the passenger compartment, being disposed to monitor spatial locations of passengers in the passenger compartment, and being disposed to determine intensity of the incident light relative to fields of view of the passengers;
an incident light management subsystem that is disposed to interact with the window treatment of each of the plurality of windows to reduce transparency thereof, wherein the window treatment comprises a laminate layer composed of transparent material having embedded nanoparticles that are selected to scatter selected wavelengths of the light spectrum while permitting other wavelengths to pass through unaffected in response to a light beam projected thereon; and
a controller, in communication with the monitoring subsystem and the incident light management subsystem, the controller including an instruction set that is executable to:
determine, via the incident light monitoring subsystem, the fields of view of the passengers of the vehicle,
determine, via the incident light monitoring subsystem, the intensity of incident light in relation to the fields of view of the passengers, and
control the incident light management subsystem to interact with the window treatment of one or more of the windows to reduce the transparency based upon the intensity of the incident light in relation to the fields of view of the passengers.

14. The window system of claim 13 , wherein the light projectors are individually controllable devices that are disposed to project light beams onto the spatially-defined subsections of each of the windows.

15. The window system of claim 14 , wherein each of the projected light beams interacts with the window treatment that is disposed on the window within one of the spatially-defined subsections to reduce the transparency within the spatially-defined subsection.

16. A method for managing transmission of incident light through a window of a passenger compartment of a vehicle, comprising:
applying a window treatment on the window, including applying a laminate composed of transparent material having embedded nanoparticles that are selected to scatter selected wavelengths of the light spectrum while permitting other wavelengths to pass through unaffected in response to a light beam projected thereon;
monitoring incident light transmitted through the window into the passenger compartment,
monitoring a spatial location of a passenger in the passenger compartment;
determining field of view of the passenger of the vehicle based upon the spatial location of the passenger;
determining an intensity of the incident light relative to a field of view of the passenger; and
controlling an incident light management subsystem that is disposed to interact with the window treatment to reduce the transparency of one of a plurality of subsections of the window based upon the intensity of the incident light in relation to the field of view of the passenger.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Kaphengst Michael R
• Hamilton Jamie L
• Van De Velde Michael P
• Hadlocon Lara Jane S
• Marczewski Breitner S
• Sala Dorel M
• Winarski Ramona L
• Stefanski Anthony J

Classifications

• B60J1/00

  Windows; Windscreens; Accessories therefor (B60J10/00 takes precedence; air curtains instead of windows B60J9/04 {; sealing strips for windshields B60J10/70; sealing sash guides for sliding window panes B60J10/74; glass partitions inside vehicles to protect occupants against personal attack B60R21/12}) · CPC title

• G02F1/293 Primary

  by another light beam, i.e. opto-optical deflection · CPC title

• B60J3/04 Primary

  adjustable in transparency · CPC title