Vehicle window tinting

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11878575-B2
Application number	US-201716499246-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 31, 2017
Priority date	Mar 31, 2017
Publication date	Jan 23, 2024
Grant date	Jan 23, 2024

Abstract

A computing device in a vehicle can determine an occupant type, location and orientation and determine intensity and direction of sunlight. The computing device can tint one or more portions of vehicle windows based on the occupant type, location and orientation and the strength and direction of sunlight.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method, comprising:
determining an occupant type, location and orientation with respect to sunlight;
determining an intensity and a direction of sunlight wherein the intensity and the direction of sunlight is determined by a plurality of sensors arrayed to acquire a panoramic view of the interior of a vehicle; and
changing the tint of one or more portions of vehicle windows based on the occupant type, location and orientation and the intensity and direction of sunlight based on the intensity and the direction of sunlight is determined by the plurality of sensors arrayed to acquire the panoramic view of the interior of the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the occupant type includes adult, child and infant.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the location includes a location of a vehicle seat.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the location of the vehicle seat includes front, back and third row.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the orientation includes reclined and reversed.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the intensity of sunlight includes solar irradiance in watts/cm 2 .

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the direction of sunlight includes diffuse.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein changing the tint of one or more portions of vehicle windows includes changing the tint of one or more portions of a single window.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein changing the tint of one or more portions of vehicle windows is based on occupant types, locations and orientations of two or more occupants.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein one of the two or more occupants is operating the vehicle.

11. A computer apparatus, programmed to:
determine an occupant type, location and orientation;
determine intensity and direction of sunlight wherein the intensity and the direction of sunlight is determined by a plurality of sensors arrayed to acquire a panoramic view of the interior of a vehicle; and
change the tint of one or more portions of vehicle windows based on the occupant type, location and orientation and the intensity and direction of sunlight based on the intensity and the direction of sunlight is determined by the plurality of sensors arrayed to acquire the panoramic view of the interior of the vehicle.

12. The computer of claim 11 , wherein the occupant type includes adult, child and infant.

13. The computer of claim 11 , wherein the location includes a location of a vehicle seat.

14. The computer of claim 13 , wherein the location of the vehicle seat includes left, right, middle, front, back and third row.

15. The computer of claim 11 , wherein the orientation includes reclined and reversed.

16. The computer of claim 11 , wherein the intensity of sunlight includes solar irradiance in watts/cm 2 .

17. The computer of claim 11 , wherein the direction of sunlight includes diffuse.

18. The computer of claim 11 , wherein changing the tint of one or more portions of vehicle windows includes changing the tint of one or more portions of a single window.

19. The computer of claim 11 , wherein changing the tint of one or more portions of vehicle windows is based on occupant types, locations and orientations of two or more occupants.

20. The computer of claim 19 , wherein one of the two or more occupants is operating the vehicle.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Flanigan Cynthia Mowery
• Schein Victoria Leigh
• Maranville Clay Wesley
• Wykoff Ii Rick H
• Nietering Kenneth Edward
• Ferrer John Michael Galan

Classifications

• B60J3/04 Primary

  adjustable in transparency · CPC title

• G02F1/0121

  Operation of devices; Circuit arrangements, not otherwise provided for in this subclass · CPC title

• G05B19/0423

  Input/output · CPC title

• E06B2009/2464

  featuring transparency control by applying voltage, e.g. LCD, electrochromic panels · CPC title

• G05B2219/2628

  Door, window · CPC title