Adaptive exterior display

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11934063-B2
Application number	US-202218083314-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2022
Priority date	Feb 7, 2022
Publication date	Mar 19, 2024
Grant date	Mar 19, 2024

Abstract

A system may have a display that includes a plurality of light sources such as light-emitting diodes. The display may be an exterior display that is routinely operated in daytime conditions where ambient light levels are very high. To increase contrast in an exterior display, the display may include a sunlight blocking element. A static sunlight blocking element may include a louver film with asymmetric light blocking portions. The system may include an ambient light sensor that is configured to determine ambient light levels. Based on the detected ambient light level, control circuitry in the system may adjust one or more adjustable components in the display. The display may include an adjustable diffuser that has at least two states with different haze levels. The display may include an adjustable tint layer that has at least two states with different transmission levels.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A display comprising:
a plurality of light sources;
an adjustable diffuser that is formed over the plurality of light sources;
a transparent cover layer, wherein the adjustable diffuser is interposed between the plurality of light sources and the transparent cover layer;
a louver film that is interposed between the adjustable diffuser and the transparent cover layer; and
control circuitry configured to adjust the adjustable diffuser based on ambient light sensor data received from an ambient light sensor.

2. The display defined in claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to adjust the adjustable diffuser to have a first haze when an ambient light level has a first magnitude, wherein the control circuitry is configured to adjust the adjustable diffuser to have a second haze when the ambient light level has a second magnitude, wherein the second magnitude is greater than the first magnitude, and wherein the second haze is less than the first haze.

3. The display defined in claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to adjust the adjustable diffuser to be more diffusive at a first ambient light level than at a second, higher ambient light level.

4. The display defined in claim 1 , wherein the adjustable diffuser comprises a polymer stabilized cholesteric texture material.

5. The display defined in claim 1 , wherein the adjustable diffuser comprises a polymer dispersed liquid crystal material.

6. The display defined in claim 1 , wherein the louver film has alternating light blocking portions and transparent portions and wherein each one of the light blocking portions is asymmetric.

7. The display defined in claim 1 , further comprising:
an adjustable tint layer that is interposed between the adjustable diffuser and the transparent cover layer.

8. The display defined in claim 7 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to:
when an ambient light level has a first magnitude, adjust the adjustable diffuser to have a first haze and adjust the adjustable tint layer to have a first transmission; and
when the ambient light level has a second magnitude, adjust the adjustable diffuser to have a second haze and adjust the adjustable tint layer to have a second transmission, wherein the second magnitude is greater than the first magnitude, wherein the second haze is less than the first haze, and wherein the second transmission is less than the first transmission.

9. The display defined in claim 1 , further comprising:
an additional adjustable layer that is interposed between the louver film and the transparent cover layer.

10. The display defined in claim 9 , wherein the additional adjustable layer is an additional adjustable diffuser.

11. The display defined in claim 9 , wherein the additional adjustable layer is an adjustable electrochromic layer.

12. A system comprising:
an ambient light sensor configured to generate ambient light sensor data; and
a display, wherein the display comprises:
light sources;
a diffuser that receives light from the light sources;
an adjustable tint layer, wherein the diffuser is interposed between the light sources and the adjustable tint layer; and
control circuitry configured to adjust the adjustable tint layer based on the ambient light sensor data.

13. The system defined in claim 12 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to:
when an ambient light level has a first magnitude, adjust the adjustable tint layer to have a first transmission; and
when the ambient light level has a second magnitude, adjust the adjustable tint layer to have a second transmission, wherein the second magnitude is greater than the first magnitude and wherein the second transmission is less than the first transmission.

14. The system defined in claim 12 , wherein the adjustable tint layer comprises an electrochromic material.

15. The system defined in claim 12 , wherein the diffuser is an adjustable diffuser and wherein the control circuitry is configured to adjust the adjustable diffuser based on the ambient light sensor data.

16. A display comprising:
a plurality of light sources;
a diffuser that receives light from the plurality of light sources; and
a louver film, wherein the diffuser is interposed between the plurality of light sources and the louver film, wherein the louver film has alternating light blocking portions and transparent portions, and wherein each one of the light blocking portions is asymmetric.

17. The display defined in claim 16 , wherein a difference between a first index of refraction of the light blocking portions and a second index of refraction of the transparent portions is less than 0.05.

18. The display defined in claim 16 , wherein each light blocking portion has first, second, and third sides, wherein the first and second sides are separated by a first angle, wherein the second and third sides are separated by a second angle, wherein the first angle is between sixty degrees and seventy degrees and wherein the second angle is between eighty degrees and ninety degrees.

19. The electronic device defined in claim 12 , wherein the display further comprises:
a transparent cover layer; and
a louver film, wherein the louver film is interposed between the plurality of light sources and the transparent cover layer.

20. The electronic device defined in claim 12 , wherein the display further comprises:
an additional adjustable layer, wherein the control circuitry is configured to adjust the additional adjustable layer based on the ambient light sensor data.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Zhan Tao
• Sun Yu P
• Liu Rong
• Choi Yong Seok
• Spechler Joshua A
• Qi Jun
• Yin Victor H

Classifications

• G02F1/133504 Primary

  Diffusing, scattering, diffracting elements (associated to illuminating devices G02F1/133606) · CPC title

• G02F1/13312

  Circuits comprising photodetectors for purposes other than feedback · CPC title

• G02F1/1334

  based on polymer dispersed liquid crystals, e.g. microencapsulated liquid crystals · CPC title

• G02F1/13718

  based on a change of the texture state of a cholesteric liquid crystal · CPC title

• G02F1/157

  Structural association of cells with optical devices, e.g. reflectors or illuminating devices · CPC title