CONTEXT ADAPTATION OF VEHICLE Dimmable GLASS

Abstract

Some embodiments disclosed herein relate to controlling the level of coloration of a dimmable glass on a vehicle. Other embodiments may be disclosed or claimed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to control systems for dimmable glass on vehicles. Specifically, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to dynamically controlling the tint level of vehicle glass based on contextual data associated with the vehicle.

[0002] For decades, vehicle glass (e.g., windshields, sunroofs, windows) has been tinted to help provide better visibility in bright conditions and for other purposes. Such tinting typically involves applying a thin layer of tinting material to the glass to provide a static tint level to the glass. Modern vehicles increasingly utilize dimmable glass. Dimmable glass typically includes an electrochromic layer between two glass layers. The electrochromic layer can be electrically controlled to adjust the tint level of the dimmable glass, allowing the glass to provide, for example, a darker tint level in bright conditions and a brighter tint level in darker conditions.

[0003] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a control system with enhanced capabilities to dynamically adjust the tinting level of a vehicle's dimmable glass in real time or near real time based on contextual data input associated with the vehicle. In addition, embodiments of the present disclosure improve the efficiency and effectiveness of dimmable glass control systems, thereby improving their overall functionality. Summary of the invention

[0004] In an exemplary embodiment, a control system for a vehicle is provided. The control system includes a processor and a memory connected to the processor. The memory stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the control system to retrieve multiple contextual data inputs associated with the vehicle. In some embodiments, the contextual data input includes location information of the vehicle, such as type information of the vehicle, driving mode of the vehicle, environmental conditions of the vehicle, and user preferences associated with the vehicle. The memory also stores instructions that cause the control system to determine a tint value of a portion of dimmable glass connected to the vehicle based on the contextual data input. In some embodiments, determining the tint value includes determining a corresponding weighted visible light transmittance value for each corresponding contextual data input in a plurality of contextual data inputs. The memory also stores instructions to generate a command to control a portion of the dimmable glass including the determined tint value, and to send the command to a dimming controller connected to the portion of the dimmable glass to control the tint level of the portion of the dimmable glass according to the determined tint value.

[0005] In addition to one or more features described herein, determining the tint value of the portion of the dimmable glass includes determining a provision that limits an upper or lower limit on the determined tint value based on the position information of the vehicle. In some embodiments, the provision limits the tint value to a fixed value.

[0006] In addition to one or more features described herein, determining the tint value of the portion of the dimmable glass is further based on dividing the intermediate tint value by a refinement factor, wherein the refinement factor is an integer value greater than one.

[0007] In addition to one or more features described herein, the environmental conditions of the vehicle may include, for example, a solar azimuth level and / or a solar intensity level. In some embodiments, the environmental conditions of the vehicle include, for example, a temperature level and / or a humidity level. In some embodiments, the environmental conditions of the vehicle include a safety level determined based on the location information of the vehicle. In some embodiments, the environmental conditions of the vehicle include a time of day.

[0008] In addition to one or more features described herein, environmental conditions of the vehicle are retrieved from sensors coupled to the vehicle, where the sensors include, for example, a thermometer, a hygrometer, a light level sensor, and / or a motion sensor.

[0009] In addition to one or more features described herein, the vehicle type information also includes an indication of the number and configuration of a plurality of dimmable glass sections associated with the vehicle.

[0010] In addition to one or more of the features described herein, the driving mode of the vehicle includes, for example, an indication of the vehicle's speed, an indication of the vehicle's direction of travel, and / or an indication of whether the vehicle is moving forward or backward.

[0011] In addition to one or more features described herein, user preferences associated with the vehicle dictate upper and lower limits for the determined hue value.

[0012] In addition to one or more features described herein, multiple portions of dimmable glass are coupled to the vehicle, and wherein the memory further stores instructions to cause the control system to determine a respective tint value for each respective portion of the dimmable glass coupled to the vehicle based on the contextual data input.

[0013] In addition to one or more features described herein, the generated command includes a respective tint value for each respective portion of the dimmable glass.

[0014] In addition to one or more features described herein, the memory stores instructions for generating and transmitting a plurality of commands, wherein each respective command is associated with a respective portion of the dimmable glass and includes a respective tint value for the respective portion of the dimmable glass.

[0015] In addition to one or more features described herein, the multiple portions of the dimmable glass include a windshield, a front portion, and a rear portion.

[0016] In addition to one or more features described herein, the front portion is a front driver-side portion, and the plurality of portions of the dimmable glass further includes a front passenger-side portion.

[0017] In addition to one or more features described herein, a tint value of a first portion of the plurality of portions of the dimmable glass is different than a tint value of a second portion of the plurality of portions of the dimmable glass.

[0018] In an exemplary embodiment, a dimming control system for a vehicle is provided. The dimming control system includes a processor and a memory connected to the processor. The memory stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the dimming control system to retrieve multiple contextual data inputs associated with the vehicle. In some embodiments, the contextual data inputs include location information of the vehicle and type information of the vehicle, a driving mode of the vehicle, environmental conditions of the vehicle, and / or user preferences associated with the vehicle. The memory also stores instructions for determining a tint value of a portion of dimmable glass connected to the vehicle based on the contextual data inputs, wherein determining the tint value includes determining a corresponding weighted visible light transmittance value for each corresponding contextual data input in the multiple contextual data inputs. The memory also stores instructions for controlling the tint level of the portion of the dimmable glass according to the determined tint value.

[0019] In an exemplary embodiment, a vehicle is provided, comprising: a portion of dimmable glass; and a dimming control system coupled to the portion of the dimmable glass. The dimming control system comprises a processor and a memory coupled to the processor and storing instructions, which, when executed by the processor, causes the dimming control system to retrieve a plurality of contextual data inputs associated with the vehicle. In some embodiments, the contextual data inputs include location information of the vehicle and type information of the vehicle, a driving mode of the vehicle, environmental conditions of the vehicle, and / or user preferences associated with the vehicle. The memory also stores instructions for determining a tint value of the portion of the dimmable glass based on the contextual data inputs. In some embodiments, determining the tint value comprises determining a corresponding weighted visible light transmittance value of each corresponding contextual data input in a plurality of contextual data inputs. The memory also stores instructions for controlling the tint level of the portion of the dimmable glass according to the determined tint value.

[0020] The above features and advantages and other features and advantages of the present disclosure are apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Other features, advantages and details appear, by way of example only, from the following detailed description, which refers to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0022] Figure 1A is a schematic diagram of a vehicle for use in conjunction with embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0023] Figure 1B According to the embodiment of the present disclosure Figure 1AAnother schematic diagram of the vehicle in;

[0024] Figure 2 is a functional block diagram showing a control system for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0025] Figure 3 is an example of a flowchart illustrating a process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0026] Figure 4 is an example of a flowchart illustrating another process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, its application, or uses. It should be understood that throughout the drawings, corresponding reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts and features.

[0028] According to an exemplary embodiment, a control system for a portion of dimmable glass coupled to a vehicle is provided. The control system can determine a tint value of a portion of the dimmable glass based on contextual data input associated with the vehicle, such as one or more of: location information of the vehicle, type information of the vehicle, driving mode of the vehicle, measured environmental conditions of the vehicle, and user preferences associated with the vehicle. In addition, embodiments of the present disclosure facilitate dynamically changing the tint level of the dimmable glass without manual intervention by the user, thereby improving the efficiency and performance of the dimmable glass system in the vehicle.

[0029] Reference now Figure 1A , a schematic diagram of a vehicle 100 for use in conjunction with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. This view of the vehicle 100 shows a first portion of dimmable glass 105 (front passenger side window) and a second portion of dimmable glass 110 (rear passenger side window). The dimmable glass portions 105, 110 are coupled to a control system 150 for controlling the tint level of the respective portions of the dimmable glass. Figure 1B A top view of a vehicle 100 is provided showing an additional portion of dimmable glass coupled to the vehicle 100. In this example, the vehicle 100 is coupled to a windshield 114 that includes a lower portion of dimmable glass 115 for the main windshield and a portion of dimmable glass 117 that serves as a dimmable glass visor along the top of the windshield 114. In this example, the windshield 114 can provide different levels of tinting in the visor 117 and the main windshield 115 to help shield the user's eyes from the sun.

[0030] like Figure 1BAs further shown in FIG. 1 , vehicle 100 additionally includes dimmable glass portions 120 (driver front side window), 125 (driver rear side window), and 130 (rear window). In alternative embodiments, the vehicle may have more or fewer dimmable glass portions, and not all glass on the vehicle must be dimmable. In some embodiments, control system 150 may independently control the tinting level of each individual portion of dimmable glass, such that each portion may have a different tinting level. Alternatively, control system 150 may control two or more portions of dimmable glass on the vehicle to have the same tinting level.

[0031] In some exemplary embodiments, the control system 150 includes at least one processor, such as a general purpose processor, a central processing unit, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a digital signal processor, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a digital circuit, an analog circuit, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the control system 150 includes a memory in communication with the processor to store data and instructions executable by the processor to retrieve contextual data input from various sensors (and other sources) on the vehicle and generate commands to control portions of the dimmable glass on the vehicle.

[0032] Embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented by the control system 150 directly controlling the tinting level of the dimmable glass portion of the vehicle, or by sending commands to one or more intermediate devices (e.g., dimming controllers). Figure 2 An example of a functional block diagram 200 is shown, which includes a control system 150 coupled to a dimming controller 250 for controlling various portions of dimmable glass of a vehicle 100. In some embodiments, the control system 150 can communicate with a separate dimming controller for each portion of dimmable glass coupled to the vehicle. In other embodiments, for example Figure 2 In the example shown, the control system 150 may communicate with a single dimming controller 250 that controls all of the dimmable glass sections 105, 110, 115, 117, 120, 125, and 130 on the vehicle 100. In alternative embodiments, other configurations are possible.

[0033] exist Figure 2 In the example depicted in , diagram 200 shows that the control system 150 receives contextual data input, which includes location information of vehicle 205, type information of vehicle 210, driving mode information of vehicle 215, one or more environmental conditions associated with vehicle 220, and one or more user preferences associated with vehicle 225.

[0034] exist Figure 2In the exemplary diagram 200 shown, contextual data input features 205, 210, 215, 220, and 225 may be implemented in conjunction with a lookup table stored in a memory of the control system 150. Such a lookup table may include pre-stored values ​​associated with each respective contextual data input to help facilitate faster data retrieval by the control system 150. Additionally or alternatively, the control system 150 may retrieve data associated with the contextual data input (e.g., from a sensor or other source coupled to the vehicle) in real time or near real time.

[0035] exist Figure 2 In the example depicted in , the location information of the vehicle 205 may include information retrieved from a global positioning sensor (GPS) coupled to or in communication with the vehicle, such as a GPS system on a mobile device of a vehicle user. The location information 205 may also be retrieved or determined based on data from other sources, such as from cell site location information (CSLI) retrieved from neighboring cellular network towers.

[0036] The type information of the vehicle 210 may include details such as the make, model, manufacturer, and other information of the vehicle. The vehicle type information 210 may include an indication of the number and configuration of multiple dimmable glass sections coupled to the vehicle.

[0037] The driving mode information of the vehicle 215 may include any suitable information about whether or how the vehicle is currently being driven. For example, the driving mode information 215 may include an indication of one or more of the following: the speed of the vehicle, the direction of travel of the vehicle, and an indication of whether the vehicle is moving forward or backward. In some embodiments, the driving mode information 215 may be derived by the control system 150 based on other contextual data input information. For example, the position information 205 may be used in conjunction with speed information from onboard sensors on the vehicle to determine that the vehicle is traveling eastbound on a highway.

[0038] The environmental condition information of the vehicle 220 may include any suitable information related to conditions inside or outside the vehicle and within a predetermined distance from the vehicle. For example, the environmental conditions of the vehicle 220 may include one or more of the following: solar azimuth level, solar intensity level, temperature level, humidity level, weather conditions (e.g., rain, fog) within a predetermined distance of the vehicle, and time of day in the time zone where the vehicle is located.

[0039] In some embodiments, environmental condition information 220 may be measured directly from sensors coupled to the vehicle or from other data sources. For example, environmental condition information 220 may include data from a thermometer, a hygrometer, a light level sensor, or a motion sensor.

[0040] In some embodiments, the environmental condition information of the vehicle 220 may include information based on other contextual data input information. For example, the environmental condition of the vehicle 220 may include a safety level determined by the control system 150 based on the location information of the vehicle 205 .

[0041] The user preference information 225 may include various settings associated with the tint level of the dimmable glass portion of the vehicle. For example, in some embodiments, the user preferences associated with the vehicle 225 indicate upper and lower limits for the tint value of a portion of the dimmable glass on the vehicle 100.

[0042] Figure 3 An example of a process that can be performed according to various embodiments is shown. In this example, process 300 includes, at 310, determining a number and configuration of portions of dimmable glass for the vehicle based on type information of vehicle 210. For example, Figure 1A and Figure 1B An example of dimmable glass for an exemplary passenger vehicle is shown. The vehicle type information 210 also indicates the configuration of each portion of the dimmable glass, such as its size, shape, and information about the interface and control of the electrochromic properties of the glass. A truck or sport utility vehicle may include more or fewer dimmable glass portions, each with a different shape and size. In some cases, not all glass in a vehicle may be dimmable (e.g., only the windshield and rear window).

[0043] Based on the dimmable glass portions and their properties determined in 310, process 300 also includes performing a weighted averaging process at 320 to determine a tint value for one or more portions of the dimmable glass. Figure 3 In the example above, a single hue value T is generated. auto To each part of the dimmable glass applied to the vehicle. auto and each component T value (T safety ,T vehicle In one example, T can be determined based on the weighted average of the retrieved context data input features 205, 210, 215, 220, and 225 according to the following formula: auto Values:

[0044] T_auto=ω safety ×T safety +ω vehicle ×T vehicle +ω sun ×T sun +ω weather ×T weather +ω preferred ×T preferred

[0045] in:

[0046] T safety is a safety shading value based on location information 205 and environmental condition information 220 (such as time of day);

[0047] T vehicle is a coloring value based on the vehicle type information 210 and the driving mode information 215 ;

[0048] T sun is a shading value based on solar intensity and solar azimuth angle determined based on position information 205 and ambient condition information 220 (e.g., from a light sensor coupled to the vehicle);

[0049] T weather is a shading value based on weather conditions determined from environmental condition information 220; and

[0050] T preferred is a coloring value based on the user preference information 225 .

[0051] In the aforementioned equation, a corresponding weight ω is assigned to each corresponding coloring value to reflect the importance level of the corresponding coloring value. The ω value reflects a percentage and the sum is equal to 1. For example, an exemplary value of the corresponding weight in the aforementioned equation can be:

[0052] ω safety =0.3;ω vehicle =0.1;ω sun =0.2;ω weather =0.2; and ω preferred =0.2.

[0053] In some embodiments, T may be determined based on a refinement factor auto Tone value. For example, the refinement factor may include any integer greater than 1, and may be used to generate various tone levels based on different variables. In some embodiments, the refinement factor may be adjusted by the control system 150 based on input from a user.

[0054] Process 300 also includes, at 330, performing a auto The tint value applies a thresholding process to ensure that the tint value is within an appropriate threshold. In some embodiments, the threshold can be based on regulations associated with the current location of the vehicle. For example, in some embodiments, different portions of the dimmable glass can have upper and lower limits for the area where the vehicle is located as specified by law or regulation.

[0055] In a particular example, the windshield 115 and front windows 105, 120 of the vehicle 100 may have a lower threshold of 20% and an upper threshold of 70% enforced by local and regional laws for vehicles in a particular location. In the same example, the visor portion 117, the rear side windows 110, 125, and the rear window 130 may have a lower threshold of 0.01% and an upper threshold of 70%. In this example, the control system 150 may increase the tinting level of all dimmable glass on the vehicle to 70%, but the thresholding process will prevent the tinting value of the windshield 115 and front windows 105, 120 from falling below 20%. In some embodiments, the control system may set the window tinting level of one or more portions of the dimmable glass on the vehicle to a fixed value based on laws or regulations determined for the location of the vehicle 100.

[0056] In this way, embodiments of the present disclosure can help ensure that users of the vehicle 100 comply with applicable laws and regulations regarding window tinting, even if the driver is unaware of such requirements. In addition, the control system 150 can adjust the tinting level of the dimmable glass in the vehicle in real time or near real time to accommodate such laws and regulations in response to the vehicle 100 passing through a zone boundary, without user intervention.

[0057] The tint value applied to a portion of dimmable glass according to embodiments of the present disclosure may be manually overridden by a user (e.g., a driver of a vehicle). The automatic tint determination feature of embodiments of the present disclosure may also be disabled (temporarily or indefinitely) by a user. In some embodiments, features of the control system 150 may be accessed, modified, or disabled by an external user, such as a remote representative providing customer service to the vehicle or vehicle user. In other embodiments, law enforcement personnel may interact with the control system 150 vehicle through an interface to control the tint level of a portion of dimmable glass.

[0058] In some embodiments, the control system 150 can determine or adjust the tint value of a portion of the dimmable glass on the vehicle 100 based on the driving mode information 215 indicating status information associated with the autonomous control of the vehicle. For example, in some embodiments, the driver in the autonomous vehicle does not need to constantly monitor road conditions, so the upper and lower limits of all window glasses can be the same, such as within the range of 0.01% to 70%. Therefore, in this example, the front windows 105, 120 and the windshield 115 can have the same tint level as the other windows 110, 125, 130.

[0059] In some embodiments, the control system 150 may determine or adjust the tint value of a portion of the dimmable glass on the vehicle 100 based on a predicted score associated with lux level comfort and safety. For example, the control system may determine a lux level comfort prediction score based on the illuminance level (lux) from a light sensor coupled to the vehicle 100. The control system 150 may determine a predicted anti-glare safety score based on time of day and location information from the contextual data input information.

[0060] Based on the lux level comfort prediction score and the predicted anti-glare safety score, the control system 150 can generate a lux comfort and safety combination prediction score. The lux comfort and safety combination prediction score can be adjusted based on user input associated with a user preferred lighting range (e.g., 2000-6000 lux) and used to adjust the tint value of the portion of the dimmable glass in the vehicle 100 to help achieve the user preferred lighting level while still meeting legal / regulatory requirements.

[0061] In some embodiments, ambient lux may be estimated using a data-driven model that takes data from existing vehicle sensors (such as ambient light sensors, HUD light sensors, display light sensors, and other light sensors) as input and produces estimated ambient lux as output. In other embodiments, the control system 150 may combine vehicle sensed data using a weighting scheme and give more weight to the ambient light sensor relative to other sensors.

[0062] Figure 4 Yet another example of a process that may be performed according to various embodiments is shown. Figure 4 Process 400 in may be performed by any suitable device or combination of means, such as by a processor of control system 250 executing computer-readable instructions stored in a memory of control system 250 .

[0063] In this example, process 400 includes retrieving contextual data input associated with the vehicle at 410. As described herein, the contextual data input may include one or more of: location information of the vehicle, type information of the vehicle, driving mode of the vehicle, environmental conditions of the vehicle, and user preferences associated with the vehicle.

[0064] Process 400 also includes determining a tint value for a portion of dimmable glass coupled to the vehicle based on the contextual data at 420. In some embodiments, determining the tint value includes determining a respective weighted visible light transmittance value for each respective contextual data input of a plurality of contextual data inputs.

[0065] Process 400 also includes, at 430, generating a command to control the portion of the dimmable glass including the determined tint value. Process 400 also includes, at 440, sending the command to a dimming controller (e.g., a dimming controller) coupled to the portion of the dimmable glass. Figure 2 A dimming controller 250 is provided in the embodiment to control the tinting level of the portion of the dimmable glass according to the determined tint value.

[0066] The terms "one" and "an" do not indicate a limitation of quantity, but rather indicate the presence of at least one of the referenced item. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the term "or" means "and / or". References to "aspects" throughout the specification mean that a particular element (e.g., a feature, structure, step, or characteristic) described in conjunction with that aspect is included in at least one aspect described herein, and may or may not be present in other aspects. In addition, it should be understood that the described elements may be combined in any suitable manner in the various aspects.

[0067] When an element such as a layer, film, region, or substrate is referred to as being "on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or intervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly on" another element, there are no intervening elements present.

[0068] Unless otherwise indicated herein, all test standards are the most current standards in effect as of the filing date of this application or, if priority is claimed, the filing date of the earliest priority application in which the test standards appear.

[0069] Unless defined otherwise, technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs.

[0070] Although the above disclosure has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for its elements without departing from its scope. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt specific circumstances or materials to the teachings of the disclosure without departing from the basic scope of the disclosure. Therefore, it is intended that the disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, but will include all embodiments falling within its scope.

Claims

1. A control system for a vehicle, the control system comprising: processor; as well as a memory coupled to the processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the control system to: retrieving a plurality of contextual data inputs associated with the vehicle, wherein the contextual data inputs include location information of the vehicle and one or more of: type information of the vehicle, a driving mode of the vehicle, an environmental condition of the vehicle, and user preferences associated with the vehicle; determining a tint value for a portion of a dimmable glass coupled to the vehicle based on the contextual data input, wherein determining the tint value comprises determining a respective weighted visible light transmittance value for each respective contextual data input of the plurality of contextual data inputs; generating a command to control a portion of the dimmable glass including the determined tint value; as well as The command is sent to a dimming controller coupled to the portion of the dimmable glass to control a tinting level of the portion of the dimmable glass according to the determined tint value.

2. The control system according to claim 1, wherein: Determining a tint value for the portion of the dimmable glass includes determining a provision that limits an upper or lower limit on the determined tint value based on the position information of the vehicle.

3. The control system according to claim 2, wherein: The regulations limit the tonal value to a fixed value.

4. The control system according to claim 1, wherein: Determining the tint value of the portion of the dimmable glass is also based on dividing the mid-tone value by a refinement factor, wherein the refinement factor is an integer value greater than one.

5. The control system according to claim 1, wherein: The environmental conditions of the vehicle include one or more of: a solar azimuth level and a solar intensity level.

6. The control system according to claim 1, wherein: The environmental conditions of the vehicle include one or more of: temperature level and humidity level.

7. The control system according to claim 1, wherein: The environmental conditions of the vehicle include a safety level determined based on the position information of the vehicle.

8. The control system according to claim 1, wherein: The environmental conditions of the vehicle include time of day.

9. The control system according to claim 1, wherein: The environmental condition of the vehicle is retrieved from a sensor coupled to the vehicle, wherein the sensor comprises at least one of: a thermometer, a hygrometer, a light level sensor, and a motion sensor.

10. The control system according to claim 1, wherein: The vehicle type information includes an indication of a number and configuration of a plurality of dimmable glass sections coupled to the vehicle.

Images