Dimming control device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9707830-B2
Application number	US-201415107611-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 7, 2014
Priority date	Dec 27, 2013
Publication date	Jul 18, 2017
Grant date	Jul 18, 2017

Abstract

A dimming control device includes a transmittance changing part provided on a windshield of a vehicle and configured to change light transmittance of the windshield; a detector configured to detect a position of a contact operation on the windshield by a user; and a dimming control part configured to change the transmittance according to the position of the contact operation on a detection surface of the detector on condition that the detector has detected a contact operation at a control start region which is preset within the detection surface.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A dimming control device comprising:
a transmittance changing part provided on a windshield of a vehicle and configured to change light transmittance of the windshield;
a detector configured to detect a position of a contact operation on the windshield by a user; and
a dimming control part configured to change the transmittance according to the position of the contact operation on a detection surface of the detector on condition that the detector has detected a contact operation at a control start region which is preset within the detection surface;
wherein the detector includes a first end portion of the transmittance changing part in a part of the detection surface;
wherein the control start region is set at the first end portion of the transmittance changing part; and
wherein, when the user performs a slide operation from a first contact position, which is within the control start region, to a second contact position as the contact operation after the detector has detected the contact operation on the control start region, the dimming control part sets a region determined on the basis of the first end portion and the second contact position as a target region in which the transmittance is changed by the user.

2. The dimming control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the control start region is reset at a second end portion opposite to the first end portion as an end portion of the target region in the detection surface of the detector; and
wherein, when the user performs a slide operation from a third contact position, which is within the control start region, to a fourth contact position as the contact operation after the detector has detected the contact operation on the control start region, the dimming control part sets a region determined on the basis of the first end portion and the fourth contact position as the target region.

3. The dimming control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the dimming control part changes the transmittance of the target region according to the slide operation by the user in a direction orthogonal to a direction from a second end portion, which is opposite to the first end portion, to the first end portion.

4. The dimming control device according to claim 3 ,
wherein the dimming control part changes the transmittance of the target region when the user performs the slide operation in the orthogonal direction within the target region.

5. The dimming control device according to claim 3 ,
wherein the detector sets the control start region at a third end portion which is opposite to the first end portion and which is an end portion in the detection surface; and
wherein the dimming control unit changes the transmittance of the target region according to the slide operation by the user within the control start region in a direction orthogonal to a direction from the third end portion to the first end portion.

6. The dimming control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the windshield is at least one of a front windshield, a rear windshield, and a side windshield; and
wherein the control start region is set at an upper end of the detector.

7. The dimming control device according to claim 2 ,
wherein the dimming control part changes the transmittance of the target region according to the slide operation by the user in a direction orthogonal to a direction from a second end portion, which is opposite to the first end portion, to the first end portion.

8. The dimming control device according to claim 2 ,
wherein the windshield is at least one of a front windshield, a rear windshield, and a side windshield; and
wherein the control start region is set at an upper end of the detector.

9. The dimming control device according to claim 3 ,
wherein the windshield is at least one of a front windshield, a rear windshield, and a side windshield; and
wherein the control start region is set at an upper end of the detector.

10. The dimming control device according to claim 4 ,
wherein the windshield is at least one of a front windshield, a rear windshield, and a side windshield; and
wherein the control start region is set at an upper end of the detector.

11. The dimming control device according to claim 5 ,
wherein the windshield is at least one of a front windshield, a rear windshield, and a side windshield; and
wherein the control start region is set at an upper end of the detector.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Okuda Yuichiro
• Miyoshi Takehiro
• Kondo Takashi
• Kawamura Masaki

Classifications

• B60J3/04 Primary

  adjustable in transparency · CPC title

• G02F1/13338

  Input devices, e.g. touch panels · CPC title