Light control system for windshield

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11628710-B2
Application number	US-202017022463-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 16, 2020
Priority date	Oct 4, 2019
Publication date	Apr 18, 2023
Grant date	Apr 18, 2023

Abstract

A light control system for a windshield can change a visible light transmittance of an upper part and a non-upper part of each of a front windshield, a right side windshield, and a left side windshield. A controller that controls a change includes a mode changing unit that changes a mode depending on whether a vehicle is not in a driving state or in a driving state. When the vehicle is not in a driving state, a change of reducing the visible light transmittance of the upper part and the non-upper part to be lower than a predetermined value is permitted. When the vehicle is in a driving state, a change of reducing the visible light transmittance of the upper part to be lower than the predetermined value is permitted and a change of reducing the visible light transmittance of the non-upper part to be lower than the predetermined value is prohibited.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A light control system for a windshield comprising:
a windshield of a vehicle, the windshield being capable of changing a visible light transmittance of an upper part and a non-upper part; and
a controller that controls a change of the visible light transmittance, wherein
when the vehicle is not in a driving state, the controller permits a change of reducing the visible light transmittance of the upper part and the non-upper part to be lower than a predetermined value,
when the vehicle is in a driving state, the controller controls the visible light transmittance of the upper part to be freely selectable in a first changeable range that is set in advance and includes a visible light transmittance lower than the predetermined value, and controls the visible light transmittance of the non-upper part to be selectable only in a range having a visible light transmittance equal to or higher than the predetermined value within a second changeable range that is set in advance and includes a visible light transmittance lower than the predetermined value, and
when the vehicle is in the driving state, the controller permits a change of reducing the visible light transmittance of the upper part to be lower than the predetermined value and prohibits a change of reducing the visible light transmittance of the non-upper part to be lower than the predetermined value.

2. The light control system for a windshield according to claim 1 , wherein
when the vehicle is not in a driving state, the controller controls the visible light transmittance of the upper part to be freely selectable in the first changeable range, and controls the visible light transmittance of the non-upper part to be freely selectable in the second changeable range.

3. The light control system for a windshield according to claim 1 , wherein
the windshield is a front windshield disposed on front of the vehicle, and
the upper part is set to be outside a range of a field of view necessary for a driver of the vehicle to check a traffic condition.

4. The light control system for a windshield according to claim 3 , wherein
the upper part is set as an area within 20% of a height of the front windshield.

5. The light control system for a windshield according to claim 1 , wherein
the predetermined value is set in a range in which the visible light transmittance is equal to or higher than 70%.

6. The light control system for a windshield according to claim 1 , wherein
the vehicle not being in a driving state includes when the vehicle is in a state wherein an ignition switch or a power switch that activates the vehicle is turned off.

7. The light control system for a windshield according to claim 1 , wherein
the vehicle is capable of traveling in an automatic driving mode,
the vehicle not being in a driving state includes a state wherein the vehicle is traveling in a non-automatic driving mode, and
the vehicle not being in a driving state includes a state wherein the vehicle is traveling in the automatic driving mode.

8. The light control system for a windshield according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller includes a storage unit having a plurality of pieces of light control data, detects a number of times that a single light control switch is operated by a user, reads the light control data from the storage unit, and changes the visible light transmittance in the upper part and the non-upper part.

9. A light control system for a windshield comprising:
a windshield of a vehicle, the windshield being capable of changing a visible light transmittance of an upper part and a non-upper part; and
a controller that controls a change of the visible light transmittance, wherein
when the vehicle is not in a driving state, the controller permits a change of reducing the visible light transmittance of the upper part and the non-upper part to be lower than a predetermined value,
when the vehicle is in a driving state, the controller permits a change of reducing the visible light transmittance of the upper part to be lower than the predetermined value and prohibits a change of reducing the visible light transmittance of the non-upper part to be lower than the predetermined value,
the vehicle is capable of traveling in an automatic driving mode,
the vehicle not being in the driving state includes a state wherein the vehicle is traveling in a non-automatic driving mode, and
the vehicle not being in the driving state includes a state wherein the vehicle is traveling in the automatic driving mode.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Tanaka Ryusuke

Classifications

• B60K35/80

  Arrangements for controlling instruments · CPC title

• B60K35/28

  characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver · CPC title

• B60K37/20

  Dashboard panels · CPC title

• B60K35/10 Primary

  Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor · CPC title

• B60K35/60

  Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles (arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10) · CPC title