Ambient display

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10131364-B2
Application number	US-201514920499-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 22, 2015
Priority date	Apr 25, 2013
Publication date	Nov 20, 2018
Grant date	Nov 20, 2018

Abstract

A windshield includes a windshield body and an ambient display coupled to the windshield body. The ambient display includes a light guide plate and a light source optically coupled to the light source. Aside from the light source, the ambient display includes a transparent phosphor film and an optic array. The transparent phosphor film includes at least one phosphor. The optic array includes a plurality of lenses and is disposed between the light guide plate and the transparent phosphor film. The light guide plate is positioned relative to the optic array such that light emitted from the light source is directed toward the optic array. The chromaticity and luminance of the light emitted by the transparent phosphor film can be adjusted based on the electrical current received by the light source.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A windshield for a vehicle, comprising:
a first glass layer;
a second glass layer;
an interlayer disposed between the first and second glass layers, wherein at least the first glass layer, the second glass layer, and the interlayer collectively form a windshield body;
an ambient display coupled to the windshield body, wherein the ambient display includes:
a light guide plate;
a light source optically coupled to the light guide plate such that light emitted from the light source is received by the light guide plate;
a substantially transparent phosphor film including at least one phosphor;
an optic array including a plurality of lenses, the optic array being disposed between the light guide plate and the substantially transparent phosphor film such that the optic array shapes a distribution of light guided by the light guide plate according to a shape and size of the substantially transparent phosphor film, wherein the light guide plate is positioned relative to the optic array such that light emitted from the light source is directed toward the optic array;
wherein a chromaticity and a luminance of light emitted by the substantially transparent phosphor film is adjustable based on an electrical current received by the light source;

a control module programmed to adjust an electrical current supplied to the light source to adjust a temporal nature of the luminance and spatial characteristics of the luminance of the ambient display; and
wherein the second glass layer defines an outer surface, the ambient display is directly coupled to the outer surface of the second glass layer, the outer surface of the second glass layer faces away from the interlayer, the outer surface of the second glass layer faces away from the first glass layer, the light source is directly coupled to the light guide plate, the light guide plate includes at least one frustration facet configured to frustrate a total internal reflection in the light guide plate, the optic array is configured to direct magnified light to the substantially transparent phosphor film, and the substantially transparent phosphor film is configured to absorb the magnified light and emit a colored light.

2. The windshield of claim 1 , wherein the substantially transparent phosphor film includes a green phosphor.

3. The windshield of claim 2 , wherein the substantially transparent phosphor film includes a red phosphor.

4. The windshield of claim 3 , wherein the substantially transparent phosphor film includes a blue phosphor.

5. The windshield of claim 4 , wherein the luminance of light emitted by the substantially transparent phosphor film is adjustable based on a magnitude of the electrical current received by the light source.

6. The windshield of claim 4 , wherein the chromaticity of the light emitted by the substantially transparent phosphor film is adjustable based on a duty cycle of a pulse modulated current received by the light source.

7. The windshield of claim 1 , wherein the ambient display is laminated to the outer surface of the second glass layer.

8. The windshield of claim 1 , wherein the ambient display is embedded inside the interlayer.

9. The windshield of claim 1 , wherein the light source is a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) that are coupled to the light guide plate.

10. A vehicle, comprising:
a vehicle body;
a windshield coupled to the vehicle body;
a power supply;
a control module in communication with the power supply, wherein the control module is programmed to control an electrical current supplied by the power supply;
an ambient display coupled to the windshield, wherein the ambient display includes:
a light guide plate;
a light source electrically connected to the power supply such that the power supply is capable of supplying electrical current to the light source, wherein the light source is optically coupled to the light guide plate such that light emitted from the light source is received by the light guide plate;
a substantially transparent phosphor film including at least one phosphor;
an optic array including a plurality of lenses, the optic array being disposed between the light guide plate and the substantially transparent phosphor film such that the optic array shapes a distribution of light guided by the light guide plate according to a shape and size of the substantially transparent phosphor film, wherein the light guide plate is positioned relative to the optic array such that light emitted from the light source is directed toward the optic array;

wherein the control module is programmed to adjust the electrical current supplied by the power supply in order to adjust a chromaticity and a luminance of light emitted by the substantially transparent phosphor film; and
wherein the windshield includes a first glass layer, a second glass layer, and an interlayer disposed between the first and second glass layers, at least the first glass layer, the second glass layer, and the interlayer collectively form a windshield body, the second glass layer defines an outer surface, the ambient display is directly coupled to the outer surface of the second glass layer, the outer surface of the second glass layer faces away from the interlayer, the outer surface of the second glass layer faces away from the first glass layer, the light source is directly coupled to the light guide plate, the light guide plate includes at least one frustration facet configured to frustrate a total internal reflection in the light guide plate, the optic array is configured to direct magnified light to the substantially transparent phosphor film, the substantially transparent phosphor film is configured to absorb the magnified light and emit a colored light, the control module is programmed to command the power supply to adjust the electrical current supplied to the light source to adjust a temporal nature of the luminance and spatial characteristics of the luminance of the ambient display.

11. The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the control module is programmed to adjust a magnitude of the electrical current supplied by the power supply in order to adjust the luminance of the light emitted by the substantially transparent phosphor film.

12. The vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the control module is programmed to adjust a duty cycle of a pulse modulated current received by the light source in order to adjust the chromaticity of the light emitted by the substantially transparent phosphor film.

13. The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the windshield defines a top edge, a bottom edge opposite the top edge, a first lateral edge located between the top edge and the bottom edge, and a second lateral edge opposite the first lateral edge, the second lateral edge is located between the top edge and the bottom edge, the ambient display is a first ambient display, the first ambient display is closer to the top edge than to the bottom edge of the windshield, the vehicle further includes a second ambient display, the second ambient display is closer to the top edge than to the bottom edge of the windshield, the first ambient display is closer to the first lateral edge than to the second lateral edge of the windshield, the second ambient display is closer to the second lateral edge than to the first lateral edge of the windshield, the vehicle includes a third ambient display, the third ambient display is closer to the bottom edge than to the top edge of the windshield, and the third ambient display is equidistant from the first lateral edge and the second lateral edge of the windshield.

14. The vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the interlayer is directly coupled

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Seder Thomas A
• Szczerba Joseph F
• Mathieu Roy J

Classifications

• G07C5/02

  Registering or indicating driving, working, idle, or waiting time only (apparatus forming part of taximeters G07B13/00) · CPC title

• B60Y2302/03

  Actuating a signal or alarm device · CPC title

• G08C17/02 Primary

  using a radio link · CPC title

• A61B5/0533

  Measuring galvanic skin response · CPC title

• G02B27/0101

  characterised by optical features (G02B27/0172 takes precedence) · CPC title