Heating window on automotive glass product

Abstract

A heated window (110) on an automotive glass article (100) is disclosed. The glass article includes one or more heatable patches (111) comprised of a functionally graded material comprising a metal nanocomponent (113) dispersed in a solvent (112), and a power supply unit (114) configured to power the one or more heatable patches. An automotive glass article (100) comprises a laminated unit of at least two glass or polymeric panes sandwiched between them, and one or more heatable patches (111) have optimized optical and thermal properties to provide improved uniform heating over specific areas of the glass article where the heated window is provided. The provided technical solution provides a desired transparency and defrost function for application to a particular area.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a heating system in an automotive glazing. In particular, the present invention relates to a heating system in an automotive glazing having a functionally manufactured defogger unit for specific automotive applications. Background Art

[0002] The Background Description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present disclosure. No admission is made that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed disclosure, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.

[0003] As known to those skilled in the art, glass refers to any and all glass or polymer or similar materials within a structure or any sheet of glass or polymer or such similar material mounted within a window frame or frame. The glass windows of a car are called glass. For laminated glass, two or more layers of glass or similar material are fused together with an interlayer in between. The fusion is done by pressure and heat and it prevents the sheets of glass or polymer or similar material from breaking.

[0004] Heating automotive glass products (such as windshields) in foggy and cold weather conditions is a key requirement for driver safety as it affects the visibility of the windshield. Known in the art are various ways of heating windshields, and conventional solutions include defoggers or heated grids that are widely used to heat tempered glass units. However, such solutions are easily applied to the rear window glass of the vehicle and may not be suitable for windshields that are the front windows of the vehicle and which use laminated glass. Known in the art are heating solutions with specific conductive metal wires (such as silver) in specific areas in the windshield. Such wires are either made of expensive transparent inks or are made extremely thin so as not to affect the driver's visual area in the windshield.

[0005] Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) in different vehicles include multiple types of cameras in a single imaging system. Such a camera system may include one or more lenses with different focal points, or the lenses may have different wide angle amounts. Some lenses may have a smaller focal length, so any opaque heating wire or defogger passing through it will make these lines look enlarged in the image and will destroy the view of the actual object, thereby interfering with the ADAS function itself. In order to defog the camera area of ​​the glass (say, the windshield), a defogger line (such as placed in Figures 1a and 1b) is strategically provided above the camera area. Most designs of this defogger line require about 30 minutes to de-ice. This timing duration is considered high because it will affect the safety needs in the ADAS system. If this ADAS-based technical solution is part of an autonomous vehicle, in this case, it is necessary to have faster defog or de-icing. If this does not happen, it may cause problems, especially in autonomous vehicles. Reference is made to Figures 1a and 1b depicting some heating technical solutions for an imaging system with three lenses. If the non-transparent heating wires are replaced with transparent wires, such as the designs shown in Figure 1a or Figure 1b, the de-icing time is further increased. In these designs, as shown in the heat map in Figure 1b, there may still be some parts of ice to be defrosted.

[0006] Referring to patent KR20210120225A, a transparent heating film located on a transparent substrate is disclosed, which includes a plurality of metal nanostructures that form a plurality of intersections by contacting each other. The transparent heating film also includes an adhesive layer in contact with the metal nanostructures and located on the transparent substrate. At least one of the metal nanostructures forms a first intersection with another of the metal nanostructures, and at least one of the metal nanostructures includes a protrusion protruding outside the adhesive layer and an impregnated portion impregnated inside the adhesive layer, wherein a portion of the first intersection is included in the protrusion. However, such a film may not be suitable for laminated glass units. For laminated units, the material should be able to withstand lamination process parameters, such as but not limited to bending cycles. The technical solution mentioned also relates to a specific adhesive layer having protruding features, which is an additional parameter to be considered.

[0007] Another reference is patent CN205546005U, which discloses a defogger for a rear windshield of an automobile, in which the heating plate of the defroster is used to process an electrode structure in the form of a forked electrode or a broach, including a thick strip electrode, a slice electrode and a transparent conductive film, a transparent conductive film respectively in contact with the thick strip electrode, and a slice electrode for filling the entire thick strip electrode and the area surrounded by the slice electrode. The heating plate is a forked electrode, or the design of the heating plate is a comb-shaped electrode structure, including a thick strip electrode, a slice electrode and a transparent conductive layer. The transparent conductive layer contacts the thick strip electrode and the slice electrode, and fills the entire thick strip electrode and the area surrounded by the slice electrode. This solution is not suitable for application in a windshield because it affects the driver's visual area.

[0008] Referring to patent CN104053256B, it discloses a heating scheme based on a nanosilver wire transparent conductive film. According to the scheme, nanosilver wires synthesized by a low-temperature liquid polymerization method are used as raw materials, and a transparent conductive film is coated using a film-forming technology. The scheme mainly focuses on the method of manufacturing such a film. However, these steps do not take into account the needs of laminated glass.

[0009] With regard to the known prior art and its shortcomings, it is observed that there is an urgent need for a heating solution for automotive glazing that does not affect the driver's visual area, can withstand the process parameters of lamination, the optical and thermal requirements of automotive glazing, and is cost-effective. In addition, it is desirable to have a heating solution that defogs or de-ices the area on the glass near the camera area in an optimized time. Summary of the invention

[0010] The object of the present invention is to provide a heating technology solution that overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art.

[0011] It is another object of the present invention to provide a heating solution in automotive glazing having a printed circuit or system for heating to defog the glazing.

[0012] Another object of the present invention is to provide a heating solution with an electronic circuit system, wherein the electronic circuit system is transparent or gradually transparent or partially transparent.

[0013] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a heated window for automotive glass articles, such as windshields, for defogging without affecting the driver's visual area.

[0014] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a heated window for automotive glass articles such as windshields for defogging the camera area within an optimized time.

[0015] Another object of the present invention is to provide a heated window for an automotive glazing having a lamination unit, wherein the heated window complies with lamination process parameters.

[0016] These and other purposes of the present invention are achieved through the following aspects of the present invention. The following disclosure presents a simplified overview of the present invention to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the present invention. This presents some concepts of the present invention in a simplified form and will be described in more detail later. This is a comprehensive summary of the present disclosure, rather than a broad overview of the present invention. The purpose of this overview is to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the present invention.

[0017] In one aspect of the present invention, a heated window on an automotive glass article is disclosed. The heated window includes one or more heatable patches composed of a functionally graded material comprising metal nanocomponents dispersed in a solvent, and a power supply unit configured to supply power to the one or more heatable patches. The automotive glass article includes a laminated unit of at least two glass or polymer panes, with an interlayer sandwiched between the at least two glass or polymer panes, and the one or more heatable patches have optimized optical and thermal properties to provide improved uniform heating on a specific area of ​​the glass article where the heated window is provided. Functionally graded materials are referred to as materials that exhibit control over composition and thickness and thereby have an effect on transparency and sheet resistance.

[0018] In this aspect of the invention, the specific area of ​​the glass article is above the arrangement of the imaging system. The patch is configured to exhibit the desired thermal gradient and transparency gradient. The material composition of the patch is selected based on one or more of the following parameters: manufacturing parameters of the window and the glass article, transparency, thermal gradient and other thermal parameters. The composition of the functional graded material is suitable for providing position-specific optical and thermal functions, wherein the material exhibits the same or different functions at different positions of the window. The material composition of the patch optimizes the window for the desired optical vision requirements of the imaging system. The solvent is an adhesive solvent, whereby the patch includes a plurality of silver nanowires and silver nanoparticles dispersed therein. The silver nanowires are sparsely dispersed to obtain a substantial transparency of 80%-95%. The heated window includes transparent and non-transparent particles. The non-transparent particles can be used to increase the heat distribution, and the non-transparent metal component can be mainly used as a bus bar or a power supply. The patch includes a scratch-resistant, high-temperature-resistant and corrosion-resistant sealant. The sealant is a metal oxide having a transparency corresponding to the transparency of the patch. The automotive glass article mentioned herein can be a windshield, a side glass, a rear window glass, a sunroof glass or a side window glass.

[0019] Another aspect of the present invention discloses a heating system comprising one or more heated windows, one or more heatable patches consisting of a functionally graded material comprising metal nanocomponents dispersed in a solvent. The heating system is configured to heat an area above an imaging system from a first temperature to a second temperature within an optimized time. The patches of the heated window are configured to defog the area to simultaneously meet a desired transparency, haze or distortion, an optimized heating rate, a threshold temperature, a heating time, and a temperature gradient of the window and the glass article.

[0020] The salient features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The following briefly describes the drawings, which illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, to help those skilled in the art understand the present invention. It is obvious that the drawings in the following description only illustrate some embodiments of the present invention, and those skilled in the art can derive other drawings from the drawings without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0022] 1a-1b show heat maps of defogging for a heating grid design over the camera area and those designs known in the prior art.

[0023] Figure 2 An exemplary embodiment of a heated window on an automotive glazing according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0024] Figure 3 A comparative study of the behavior of different materials considering the transparency parameter for selecting the material of the heatable patch of the present invention is shown.

[0025] Figure 4a-4c Different embodiments of heating sheets and arrangements on automotive glazings according to embodiments of the present invention are shown.

[0026] Figure 5a-5b Some experimental results according to embodiments of the present invention are shown.

[0027] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the elements in the drawings are shown for simplicity and clarity and need not be drawn to scale. For example, the sizes of some elements in the drawings may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help improve the understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] The present disclosure will be discussed in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the present application. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the description is used to assist in understanding the present invention, but is only considered as exemplary.

[0029] Features described and / or illustrated with respect to one embodiment may be used in the same or similar manner in one or more other embodiments and / or used in combination with or in place of features of other embodiments.

[0030] The terms and words used in the following specification are not limited to the bibliographic meanings, and are used to enable a clear and consistent understanding of the present invention. Therefore, the terms / phrases are to be read in the context of the present disclosure rather than in isolation. In addition, for the sake of clarity and brevity, descriptions of well-known functions and configurations have been omitted.

[0031] In one embodiment of the present invention, a heated window 110 on an automotive glass product 100 is disclosed. An exemplary embodiment thereof is Figure 2 . The heatable window or heated window 110 of an automotive glass product includes one or more heatable patches 111. The heatable patch is composed of a functionally graded material comprising a metal nanocomponent 113 dispersed in a solvent 112. The automotive glass product 100 includes a laminated unit of at least two glass or polymer panes, with one or more interlayers sandwiched between the at least two glass or polymer panes. The heatable patch 111 has optimized optical and thermal properties to provide improved heating specifications, such as uniform heat distribution or a desired thermal gradient on a specific area of ​​the glass on which the heated window is set. The material of the patch is defined as being functionally graded according to the control it exhibits in composition and thickness. These properties, in turn, affect the transparency and device resistance of the patch of the heated window. The heatable window also has a power supply unit 114, which is configured to supply power to the one or more heatable patches. The automotive glazing 100 comprises a laminated unit of at least two glass or polymer panes having an interlayer sandwiched therebetween and one or more heatable patches 111 having optimized optical and thermal properties to provide improved uniform heating specifications, such as uniform heat distribution or a desired thermal gradient, over a specific area of ​​the glass on which the heated window is disposed.

[0032] In an embodiment of the present invention, a conductive line made of silver nanoparticle ink is configured to be used as a busbar or power supply line, which can be connected to a transparent patch coated or printed on a specific position of an automotive glass product as a functional graded heated window or heating system. The patch 111 may also include a scratch-resistant, high temperature-resistant and corrosion-resistant sealant. The sealant may be, but is not limited to, a metal oxide or polydimethylsiloxane having a transparency corresponding to the transparency of the patch. It is hoped that the sealant can withstand and protect the patch from the heating shock of the circuit.

[0033] The automotive glass article 100 in which the heated window 110 is arranged may be a windshield, a side glass, a rear window glass, a sunroof glass or a side window glass. The heating system including the heated window 110 disposed in the glass article is configured to heat the area above the imaging system from a first temperature to a second temperature within an optimized time. The patch of the heated window is configured to defog the area to simultaneously meet the desired transparency, haze or distortion, optimized heating rate, threshold temperature, heating time, and temperature gradient of the window and the glass article.

[0034] Figure 2 The patch 111 shown in is configured to exhibit the desired thermal gradient and transparency gradient. The material composition of the patch is selected based on one or more of the following parameters: manufacturing parameters of the window and glass products, transparency, thermal gradients and other thermal parameters. The composition of the functionally graded material is suitable for providing location-specific optical and thermal functions, wherein the material exhibits the same or different functions at different locations of the window. The material composition of the patch is such that the window is optimized for the desired optical vision requirements of the imaging system or camera area 115 or such sensor module area. The patch is preferably in an adhesive solvent, whereby the patch includes a plurality of silver nanowires and silver nanoparticles dispersed therein. The patch is preferably in a solvent that provides improved adhesive and stability parameters for the substrate material.

[0035] In an embodiment of the present invention, silver nanowires are sparsely arranged in a solvent. The dispersion of the nanowires can be obtained by ink treatment such as ink synthesis, ultrasonic treatment before printing, etc. to avoid agglomeration, precipitation or blockage of the ink in the printer. The solvent can be isopropyl alcohol, ethanol or diisopropyl ether, which can provide uniform heating. In the prior art design, the demister is designed to be drawn as a copper wire. This prior art design provides uneven heating with high Joule heating and undesirable high thermal gradients around the wire.

[0036] In this embodiment of the invention, by fine-tuning the solvent percentage and its type, the metal nanowire diameter and length, the desired dispersion level of the ink in the substrate can be achieved. The printed substrate can be annealed after printing so that the solvent can evaporate and only the nanowires will remain in the substrate. In the patch, more dispersed wires will ensure uniform heating at the same time. This will also advantageously meet the desired transparency requirements. This can be achieved at different heating rates and thermal gradients by modifying the applied voltage and the thickness or diameter of the nanowires. With the optimization of at least these parameters, the desired defogging will be achieved within the optimized time. The thermal properties of the patch should take into account the required heating rate. Heating rates above 5 degrees / minute can cause glass cracking. Taking into account the properties of automotive glass products and regulatory or safety requirements, the composition of the patch is selected so that it ensures the thermal gradient requirements, heating rate and maximum temperature that the device can achieve.

[0037] In an embodiment, the silver nanowires are sparsely dispersed to obtain a substantial transparency of 80% to 95%. The material composition of the heatable patch must exhibit a desired transparency of up to 95% and a sheet resistance close to a threshold value (referred to as a target). In addition, it should withstand manufacturing process parameters such as the bending cycles involved in the lamination process of automotive glass products. Reference Figure 3 , which shows a comparative study of the behavior of different materials when considering the transparency parameter. One target depicted in the figure indicates the desired transparency (the target indicated in the upper part of the figure), and another target depicted in the figure indicates the desired sheet resistance (the target indicated in the lower part of the figure). As shown in the graph, the silver nanowire has the desired value. The transmittance value of the silver nanowire is much higher than the transmittance value of the CNT (carbon nanotube). The silver nanowire is also close to the target of the sheet resistance parameter. It provides up to 90% optical transparency and up to about 10,000 cycles of bending resistance. The Ag nanowire (NW) after curing (or annealing) will further withstand lamination and other manufacturing or operating conditions (such as but not limited to voltage increase or decrease). In one embodiment, the transparent defogger can be composed of a mesh patch of metal nanowires, which has suitable mechanical properties, high transparency, low sheet resistance, and is compatible with the existing conventional structure and manufacturing-related parameters of the glass products of the vehicle.

[0038] In one embodiment of the present invention, the heating window includes transparent particles 206a, 206b, 206c and non-transparent particles 207a, 207b. Figure 4a A side view of this embodiment is shown in FIG. Figure 4a The glass product disclosed in the invention comprises at least two panes 201, 205 of glass or other similar materials. Each of the panes has a surface 1 and a surface 2. The glass product unit 200 comprises one or more polymers, such as polyvinyl butyral (PVB), interlayers 202, 204. The patch forming the heating window can be directly arranged on the interlayer or any suitable layer of the glass product. Alternatively, it can be arranged on a polymer matrix 203 such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and the heatable patch thus obtained is arranged between the glass substrates 201, 205. The heatable patch on the PET matrix 203 can be further laminated using an interlayer. The heating window can be made transparent or non-transparent. For example, the bus bar or power connection can include one or more non-transparent conductive heating lines 207a, 207b. The heatable patch can be a transparent conductive patch. The non-transparent line can be printed on the glass substrate, interlayer or PET layer. Similarly, the transparent patch can be printed on the glass or interlayer or PET layer. The transparent patch can be coated on the glass or interlayer or PET layer. The non-transparent particles are used to increase the heat distribution, whereby the metal component can be used mainly as a bus bar.

[0039] In an embodiment of the present invention, a heated window as disclosed herein is provided that can be used to defog or de-ice a specific area of ​​a glass article 100, such as an area above an arrangement of an imaging system. The imaging system may include a camera lens arrangement, wherein the lens may require a transparent medium on the glass article to capture an image of an object. Figure 4b , which discloses a heating window 300 disposed above a camera area 302 of a glass article. It includes a non-transparent heating wire made of silver nanoparticles 301 of different thicknesses. The silver nanoparticle wire includes a transparent heating wire of silver nanowires 303 with different line widths. In one embodiment, the change in thickness can be achieved by changing the ink extrusion characteristics of an inkjet printing module used to print the heatable patch. Alternatively, the change in thickness can be achieved by changing coating parameters such as inlet temperature, lead temperature, coating rate, coating distance from the bed, etc. The transparent patch can be disposed on the glass article above the sensitive camera area. The sheet resistance of the nanoparticle ink can be in the range of 0.1 milliohms to 10,000 milliohms per square. The line length can be in the range of 1um to 50um. The length can depend on the printing characteristics. Therefore, the thickness can be basically controlled, thereby controlling the transparency of the line.

[0040] refer to Figure 4c , which discloses a heating system for glass products such as windshields. The heating system includes a heating window 400 having at least three heatable patches 402, 403, 404. In an embodiment of the present invention, it is proposed to laminate the heating window 400 into a windshield in which a camera system is to be set. The camera system includes at least 3 cameras or lens units, such as camera 1 (or lens L1), camera 2 (or lens L2) and camera 3 (or lens L3). The heatable patches are powered by a common bus channel with high sheet resistance, low optical transparency, and the material is therefore selected to have faster heating. In this embodiment, a patch 402 with a sheet resistance and optical transparency that varies from bottom to top is provided. This is suitable for ultra-wide-angle lenses. Patch 403 has a sheet resistance and optical transparency that varies from right to left and is suitable for being arranged above a camera area with a smaller focal length. The following table provides parameters related to the heating window of this embodiment. Since the applied voltage is considered to be fixed, the total device resistance provided in the table is measured in amperes.

[0041] Table 1

[0042]

[0043]

[0044] A patch 404 with sheet resistance and optical transparency varying from left to right is provided above the main camera area. The common bus channel 401 includes a non-transparent conductive line made of silver nanoparticle ink, which can be connected to a transparent conductive line or patch coated or printed on a sensitive position as a functional graded heatable patch of the camera module. The heatable patches 402, 403, 404 have local characteristics, each of which has slightly different characteristics. The characteristics of the glass specifications are considered for optimizing the defogger line or heated window patch in the glass. For example, based on the thickness, size and composition of the glass, the properties of the glass such as thermal expansion, coefficient, tensile stress are obtained. Glass crack propagation is mainly due to tensile stress because glass can withstand good compressive stress. The de-lamination temperature is also estimated based on the location of the heating line or patch. Based on these parameters and other related parameters, the allowable temperature gradient and heating rate of the heated window based on the specific application are fixed. The deicing time of the defogger line or heated window will be 70 degrees or below the maximum temperature of the glass in the camera area. The thermal gradient of the camera glass area is expected to be 10 degrees less than the outside temperature. Based on the constant voltage, the heat generated is indirectly proportional to the resistance and directly proportional to the time. The de-icing time is fixed depending on the heating rate of the heating system. In addition, temperature sensor data from the outside of the vehicle can be used to derive the allowed temperature gradient and modify the resistance of the heating line. The bus channel or bus bar 401 can be optionally transparent and non-transparent, and the transparent patches 402, 403, 404 can be silver nanowires. It can be provided by conductive ink by printing or coating or etching and is suitable for connection with the non-transparent printed wire 401 of silver nanoparticles around the lens or camera area.

[0045] Example: A range of compositions were considered and two examples were provided: one at 1 mg / ml and the other at 2 mg / ml. It was observed that the different compositions brought significant performance differences. This is essential and is a necessary performance indicator for the desired changes in the functional classification of the proposed composition according to one or more embodiments of the present invention. The table shows the device resistance observed at 1 mg / ml and 2 mg / ml compositions.

[0046] Table 2

[0047]

[0048]

[0049] refer to Figure 5a, which shows a transmittance graph for a 2 mg / ml composition. The design and specific composition desired can be displayed based on aesthetic and use case requirements. Similarly, a suitable solvent (e.g., ethylene glycol, water, IPA solvent, and combinations thereof) can be selected to disperse the silver nanowires. Based on the ink composition, the appropriate concentration can be fine-tuned to obtain the desired wire length for heating.

[0050] Experimental: Thermal testing was conducted to determine whether a heatable patch could provide improved uniform heating in specific areas of a glazing where a heated window was provided. It was observed that the uniformity of heating was enhanced when using a patch according to the invention. Figure 5b , which depicts the measured values ​​of temperature readings at two different areas of the patch providing nearly uniform heating (small deviations are observed).

[0051] In practice it has been observed that patches for heated windows according to the invention are configured to meet the desired transparency, haze or distortion, optimizing heating rate, threshold temperature, heating time and temperature gradient of the window and the glass. Printed prototypes of silver nanowire ink have shown increased transparency and haze (optical tests performed with 2 and 4 passes).

[0052] Some non-limiting advantages of the present invention are:

[0053] In the present technical solution, a heated window is provided for a functionally graded transparency of a heating wire with a desired specification which is also location specific in nature. The functionally graded material provides the desired transparency, de-icing time, temperature gradient around the glass and circuit.

[0054] The material composition of the patch is selected so that the heating system is configured to defog an imaging system (eg, a camera area on a windshield) within an optimized time.

[0055] In the present invention, non-transparent bus bars are combined with transparent patches, thus achieving cost-effectiveness and heating functionality.

[0056] In the present invention, the heating window includes specifications that can be preferably printed as functionally graded non-transparent to transparent heating lines without affecting the required performance of the heating system and at the same time having a transparent patch for uniform heating.

[0057] This technology solution can be used for driver assistance displays in glass products, which have the expected brightness and instant experience of laminated display technology solutions to obtain seamless embedding results.

[0058] It should be noted that not all activities described above in the general description or examples are required, that a portion of a specific activity may not be required, and that one or more further activities may be performed in addition to those described. Additionally, the order in which the activities are listed is not necessarily the order in which the activities are performed.

[0059] The benefits, other advantages and solutions to problems have been described above with respect to specific embodiments. However, the benefits, advantages, solutions to problems and any features that may cause any benefit, advantage or solution to occur or become more obvious should not be interpreted as key, essential or necessary features of any or all claims.

[0060] The description and explanation of the embodiments described herein are intended to provide a general understanding of the structures of various embodiments. The description and illustration are not intended to be used as an exhaustive and comprehensive description of all elements and features of the devices and systems using the structures or methods described herein. For the sake of clarity, certain features described herein in the context of a separate embodiment may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. On the contrary, for the sake of brevity, the various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be provided separately or in a sub-combination. In addition, references to the values ​​described in the range include each value within the range. Only after reading this specification, many other embodiments may be apparent to the technician. Other embodiments may be used and derived from the present disclosure, so that structural replacement, logical replacement or other changes may be performed without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure is considered to be illustrative rather than restrictive.

[0061] The description in conjunction with the drawings is provided to aid in understanding the teachings disclosed herein, is provided to aid in describing the teachings, and should not be construed as limiting the scope or applicability of the teachings. However, other teachings can certainly be used in this application.

[0062] As used herein, the terms "comprises," "comprising," "includes," "including," "has," "having," or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of features is not necessarily limited to only those features, but may include other features not expressly listed or inherent to such method, article, or apparatus. In addition, unless expressly stated to the contrary, "or" means inclusive-or, not exclusive-or. For example, a condition A or B is satisfied by any of the following: A is true (or present) and B is false (or absent), A is false (or absent) and B is true (or present), and both A and B are true (or present).

[0063] In addition, "a" or "an" is used to describe the elements and components described herein. This is done only for convenience and to give a general sense of the scope of the invention. The description should be understood to include one or at least one, and the singular also includes the plural, or vice versa, unless it is clear that it is otherwise intended. For example, when a single item is described herein, more than one item can be used in place of the single item. Similarly, where more than one item is described herein, a single item can replace the more than one item.

[0064] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention belongs. The materials, methods, and examples are illustrative only and are not intended to be limiting. To the extent that certain details regarding specific materials and processing actions are not described, such details may include conventional methods, which may be found in reference books and other sources within the manufacturing field.

[0065] Although various aspects of the present disclosure have been specifically shown and described with reference to the above embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various additional embodiments may be envisioned by modifying the disclosed machines, systems, and methods without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Such embodiments should be understood to fall within the scope of the present disclosure as determined based on the claims and any equivalents thereof.

[0066] List of reference numerals and corresponding features appearing in the drawings:

[0067] 100, 200: Glass products

[0068] 110, 300, 400: Heated windows

[0069] 111: Heating patch

[0070] 113: Metal Nanocomponents

[0071] 114: Power supply unit / bus channel

[0072] 115: Camera area

[0073] 201, 205: Glass

[0074] 202, 204: Mezzanine

[0075] 203: Polymer Matrix

[0076] 207a, 207b: Opaque conductive unit

[0077] 206a: Transparent conductive unit

[0078] 301: Silver Nanoparticles

[0079] 302: Camera area

[0080] 303: Silver Nanowire

[0081] 401: Public bus

[0082] 402: patch on the first camera lens L1

[0083] 403: patch on the second camera lens L2

[0084] 404: patch on the third camera lens L3

Claims

1. A heating window (110) on an automobile glass product (100), comprising: one or more heatable patches (111) composed of a functionally graded material comprising metallic nanocompositions (113) dispersed in a solvent (112); a power supply unit (114), the power supply unit being configured to supply power to the one or more heatable patches; wherein the automotive glass product (100) comprises a laminated unit of at least two glass or polymer panes, wherein an interlayer is sandwiched between the at least two glass or polymer panes; and The one or more heatable patches (111) have optimized optical and thermal properties to provide improved uniform heating over a specific area of ​​the glazing where the heated window is located.

2. The heating window (110) according to claim 1, wherein: The specific area of ​​the glass article (100) is located above the arrangement of the imaging system.

3. The heating window (110) according to claim 1, wherein: The patch (111) is configured to exhibit desired thermal and transparency gradients.

4. The heating window (110) according to claim 1, wherein: The material composition of the patch is selected based on one or more of the following parameters: manufacturing parameters of the window and the glazing, transparency, thermal gradients, and other thermal parameters.

5. The heating window (110) according to claim 1, wherein: The composition of the functionally graded material is adapted to provide location-specific optical and thermal functionality, wherein the material exhibits the same or different functionality at different locations on the window.

6. The heating window (110) according to claim 2, wherein: The material composition of the patch is such that the window is optimized for the desired optical vision requirements of the imaging system.

7. The heating window (110) according to claim 1, wherein: The solvent is a binder solvent, whereby the patch includes a plurality of silver nanowires and silver nanoparticles dispersed therein.

8. The heating window (110) according to claim 7, wherein: The silver nanowires are sparsely dispersed to achieve a substantial transparency of 80%-95%.

9. The heating window (110) according to claim 1, wherein: The patch (111) includes a scratch-resistant sealant, a high-temperature-resistant sealant, and a corrosion-resistant sealant.

10. The heating window (110) according to claim 9, wherein: The sealant is a metal oxide having a transparency corresponding to the transparency of the patch.

11. An automotive glass product (100), comprising a heated window (110) according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 10, wherein: The automobile glass product is a windshield, a side glass, a rear window glass or a side window glass.

12. A heating system, comprising one or more heating windows as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein: The heating system is configured to heat a region above the imaging system from a first temperature to a second temperature within an optimized time.

13. The heating system according to claim 12, wherein: The patch of the heated window is configured to defog the area to simultaneously meet a desired clarity, haze or distortion, optimized heating rate, threshold temperature, heating time, and temperature gradient of the window and the glazing.

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