Force touch and haptics based digital shade control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12534019-B2
Application number	US-202218149023-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 30, 2022
Priority date	Dec 30, 2022
Publication date	Jan 27, 2026
Grant date	Jan 27, 2026

Abstract

Systems and methods for digital shading control in a vehicle. The digital shading control may be integrated into glass of a vehicle, pillars, and more. In at least one implementation, the digital shading control is integrated directly into glass of a vehicle and comprises a transparency-changing material interface layer disposed of over the glass, a capacitive touch interface layer disposed of over the transparency-changing material interface layer, a force touch interface layer disposed of over the capacitive touch interface layer, and a haptics interface layer disposed of over the force touch interface layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A digital shading control system integrated into glass of a vehicle, comprising:
a transparency-changing material interface layer; a capacitive touch interface layer; a force touch interface layer; a haptics interface layer; and a control unit comprising:
one or more processors; and
memory storing executable instructions that, as a result of execution by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
determine, based on a user interaction with the glass, first input data from the capacitive touch interface layer;
determine, based on the user interaction with the glass, second input data from the force touch interface layer;
determine, based on the first input data and the second input data, a shading intensity for at least a portion of the glass; and
provide an electrical signal to the transparency-changing material interface to adjust the shading intensity of the at least portion of the glass.

2 . The digital shading control system of claim 1 , wherein the haptics interface layer is a surface haptics interface layer.

3 . The digital shading control system of claim 2 , wherein the surface haptics layer comprises an ITO (indium tin oxide) layer.

4 . The digital shading control system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first input data comprises selection of a region of the glass that corresponds to a first zone of the glass; and the second input data comprises an amount of force applied to the glass that corresponds to the shading intensity.

5 . The digital shading control system of claim 1 , wherein the user interaction comprises tapping the glass of the vehicle.

6 . The digital shading control system of claim 1 , wherein the glass of the vehicle is a windshield, side window, or back window of the vehicle.

7 . The digital shading control system of claim 1 , wherein the capacitive touch interface layer, the force touch interface layer, and the haptics interface layer are made of transparent materials.

8 . A vehicle, comprising:
glass having a transparency-changing material interface layer; a vehicle pillar integrated with a digital shading control system, comprising:
a capacitive touch interface layer;
a force touch interface layer;
a haptics interface layer; and
a control unit comprising:
one or more processors; and
memory storing executable instructions that, as a result of execution by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
determine, based on a user interaction with the pillar, first input data from the capacitive touch interface layer;
determine, based on the user interaction with the pillar, second input data from the force touch interface layer;
determine, based on the first input data and the second input data, a shading intensity for at least a portion of the glass; and
provide an electrical signal to the transparency-changing material interface to adjust the shading intensity of the at least portion of the glass.

9 . The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the pillar is an A-pillar of the vehicle.

10 . The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine, based on the user interaction with the pillar, the first input data by at least:
determine that the user interaction is a tap at a first control region of the pillar; and determine that the first control region of the pillar is associated with the at least portion of the glass.

11 . The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein:
the first input data comprises selection of a region of the glass that corresponds to a first zone of the glass; and the second input data comprises an amount of force applied to the glass that corresponds to the shading intensity.

12 . The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the user interaction comprises tapping the pillar of the vehicle.

13 . The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the glass is a windshield of the vehicle, side window, or back window of the vehicle.

14 . The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the system is further configured to:
determine, based on a second user interaction with the pillar, third input data from the capacitive touch interface layer; determine, based on the second user interaction with the pillar, fourth input data from the force touch interface layer; determine, based on the third input data and the fourth input data, a second shading intensity for at least a portion of a second glass; and provide a second electrical signal to a transparency-changing material interface of the second glass to adjust the second shading intensity of the at least portion of the second glass.

15 . A method for digital shading control of a glass of a vehicle, comprising:
determine, based on a user interaction with the glass, first input data from a capacitive touch interface layer; determine, based on the user interaction with the glass, second input data from a force touch interface layer; determine, based on the first input data and the second input data, a shading intensity for at least a portion of the glass; provide, based on the user interaction with the glass, tactile feedback using the force touch interface layer; and provide an electrical signal to a transparency-changing material interface to adjust the shading intensity of the at least portion of the glass.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the glass comprises a surface haptics interface layer.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the surface haptics layer comprises an ITO (indium tin oxide) layer.

18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein:
the first input data comprises selection of a region of the glass that corresponds to a first zone of the glass; and the second input data comprises an amount of force applied to the glass that corresponds to the shading intensity.

19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the user interaction comprises tapping the glass of the vehicle.

20 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the glass of the vehicle is a windshield, side window, or back window of the vehicle.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Buttolo Pietro
• Singhal Neha
• Guo Biaohe
• Larry Mark
• Mayer Kenneth Michael

Classifications

• H03K2217/96062

  with tactile or haptic feedback · CPC title

• H03K17/962

  Capacitive touch switches · CPC title

• G06F3/016 Primary

  Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user · CPC title

• G02F1/163

  Operation of electrochromic cells, e.g. electrodeposition cells; Circuit arrangements therefor · CPC title

• B60J3/04

  adjustable in transparency · CPC title