Vehicle window assembly with integrated touch/proximity sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11080958-B2
Application number	US-202016785808-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 10, 2020
Priority date	Jun 30, 2017
Publication date	Aug 3, 2021
Grant date	Aug 3, 2021

Abstract

A vehicular window assembly includes a laminated glass window panel comprising an inner glass sheet and an outer glass sheet that are laminated together. A sensing device is disposed between the inner and outer glass sheets and includes a plurality of sensors and a plurality of illumination sources. With the laminated glass window panel disposed at a vehicle and when one or more of said illumination sources are activated, a person viewing the laminated glass window panel from exterior of the vehicle views one or more of a plurality of icons or alphanumeric characters illuminated by light emitted by the activated respective one or more of the illumination sources. With the laminated glass window panel disposed at the vehicle and when the illumination sources are not activated, the sensing device is not readily visible to the person viewing the laminated glass window panel from exterior of the vehicle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicular window assembly, comprising:
a laminated glass window panel comprising an inner glass sheet and an outer glass sheet that are laminated together;
a sensing device disposed between said inner glass sheet and said outer glass sheet of said laminated glass window panel;
wherein said sensing device includes a plurality of sensors and a plurality of illumination sources disposed between said inner glass sheet and said outer glass sheet of said laminated glass window panel;
wherein said illumination sources are individually activated to emit light that is viewable through said outer glass sheet;
wherein, with said laminated glass window panel disposed at a vehicle and when one or more of said illumination sources are activated, a person viewing said laminated glass window panel from exterior of the vehicle views one or more of a plurality of icons or alphanumeric characters illuminated by light emitted by the activated respective one or more of said illumination sources;
wherein, with said laminated glass window panel disposed at the vehicle and when said illumination sources are not activated, said sensing device is not readily visible to the person viewing said laminated glass window panel from exterior of the vehicle; and
wherein said laminated glass window panel has a non-light-transmitting layer established at a perimeter region thereof, and wherein said sensing device is disposed at said non-light-transmitting layer.

2. The vehicular window assembly of claim 1 , wherein said non-light-transmitting layer is established at said inner glass sheet.

3. The vehicular window assembly of claim 2 , wherein said plurality of sensors and said plurality of illumination sources are disposed at an inner surface of said inner glass sheet.

4. The vehicular window assembly of claim 2 , wherein said non-light-transmitting layer is established at an inner surface of said inner glass sheet, and wherein said plurality of sensors and said plurality of illumination sources are disposed at the non-light-transmitting layer.

5. The vehicular window assembly of claim 1 , wherein said non-light-transmitting layer is established at an inner surface of said outer glass sheet.

6. The vehicular window assembly of claim 5 , wherein said plurality of sensors and said plurality of illumination sources are disposed at the inner surface of said outer glass sheet, and wherein said non-light-transmitting layer is established at said plurality of sensors and said plurality of illumination sources.

7. The vehicular window assembly of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of sensors and said plurality of illumination sources are disposed at an inner surface of said outer glass sheet.

8. The vehicular window assembly of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of sensors and said plurality of illumination sources are disposed on a thin strip that is disposed between said inner glass sheet and said outer glass sheet.

9. The vehicular window assembly of claim 1 , wherein said laminated glass window panel comprises a side window mounted at a side of the vehicle.

10. A vehicular window assembly, comprising:
a laminated glass window panel comprising an inner glass sheet and an outer glass sheet that are laminated together;
a sensing device disposed between said inner glass sheet and said outer glass sheet of said laminated glass window panel;
wherein said sensing device includes a plurality of sensors and a plurality of illumination sources disposed between said inner glass sheet and said outer glass sheet of said laminated glass window panel;
wherein said plurality of sensors and said plurality of illumination sources are disposed at an inner surface of said inner glass sheet;
wherein said illumination sources are individually activated to emit light that is viewable through said outer glass sheet;
wherein, with said laminated glass window panel disposed at a vehicle and when one or more of said illumination sources are activated, a person viewing said laminated glass window panel from exterior of the vehicle views one or more of a plurality of icons or alphanumeric characters illuminated by light emitted by the activated respective one or more of said illumination sources; and
wherein, with said laminated glass window panel disposed at the vehicle and when said illumination sources are not activated, said sensing device is not readily visible to the person viewing said laminated glass window panel from exterior of the vehicle.

11. The vehicular window assembly of claim 10 , wherein said laminated glass window panel comprises a visible light-transmitting glass window panel.

12. A vehicular window assembly, comprising:
a laminated glass window panel comprising an inner glass sheet and an outer glass sheet that are laminated together;
wherein said laminated glass window panel comprises a side window panel configured to be mounted at a side of a vehicle;
wherein said laminated glass window panel comprises a visible light-transmitting glass window panel;
wherein said laminated glass window panel has a non-light-transmitting layer established at a perimeter region thereof;
wherein said non-light-transmitting layer is established at said inner glass sheet;
a sensing device disposed between said inner glass sheet and said outer glass sheet of said laminated glass window panel;
wherein said sensing device is disposed at said non-light-transmitting layer;
wherein said sensing device includes a plurality of sensors and a plurality of illumination sources disposed between said inner glass sheet and said outer glass sheet of said laminated glass window panel;
wherein said illumination sources are individually activated to emit light that is viewable through said outer glass sheet;
wherein, with said laminated glass window panel disposed at the side of the vehicle and when one or more of said illumination sources are activated, a person viewing said laminated glass window panel from exterior of the side of the vehicle views one or more of a plurality of icons or alphanumeric characters illuminated by light emitted by the activated respective one or more of said illumination sources; and
wherein, with said laminated glass window panel disposed at the side of the vehicle and when said illumination sources are not activated, said sensing device is not readily visible to the person viewing said laminated glass window panel from exterior of the side of the vehicle.

13. The vehicular window assembly of claim 12 , wherein said plurality of sensors and said plurality of illumination sources are disposed at an inner surface of said inner glass sheet.

14. The vehicular window assembly of claim 12 , wherein said non-light-transmitting layer is established at an inner surface of said inner glass sheet, and wherein said plurality of sensors and said plurality of illumination sources are disposed at the non-light-transmitting layer.

15. The vehicular window assembly of claim 12 , wherein said plurality of sensors and said plurality of illumination sources are disposed at an inner surface of said outer glass sheet.

16. A vehicular window assembly, comprising:
a laminated glass window panel comprising an inner glass sheet and an outer glass sheet that are laminated together;
wherein said laminated glass window panel comprises a side window panel configured to be mounted at a side of a vehicle;
wherein said laminated glass window panel comprises a visible light-transmitting glass window panel;
wherein said laminated glass window panel has a non-light-transmitting layer established at a perimeter region thereof;
a se

Assignees

• Magna Mirrors Of America Inc

Inventors

• Snider Darin J
• Johnson David K

Classifications

• B60J1/10 Primary

  fixedly mounted {(B60J1/085 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• G07C2209/65

  using means for sensing the user's hand · CPC title

• B60R25/23

  using manual input of alphanumerical codes · CPC title

• G07C9/00857 Primary

  where the code of the data carrier can be programmed · CPC title

• G07C9/00174

  Electronically operated locks; Circuits therefor; Nonmechanical keys therefor, e.g. passive or active electrical keys or other data carriers without mechanical keys (mechanical locks with electric permutation E05B49/00; arrangements for sensing or reading record carriers G06K7/00; electronic switching H03K17/00) · CPC title