Control device, control method and dimming glass system

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to suppress radiation noise radiated from a dimming glass. A control device is provided with: a control unit that generates a sampling signal having a predetermined sampling frequency; a waveform generation unit that generates, on the basis of the sampling frequency, a drive signal to be output to a plurality of segments of the switchable glass; and an output unit that outputs the drive signals to the plurality of segments at different time points, respectively.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a control device, a control method, and a dimming glass system. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, glass with a dimming film capable of switching light transmission states by applying an electric field has been under development. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a composite glass plate that is divided into multiple segments and each segment can be controlled. Existing technical documents Patent documents

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 7137702 Summary of the Invention The technical problem that the invention aims to solve

[0004] Dimming glass divided into multiple sections is sometimes connected by wiring to apply voltage to each section, and the grounding of each section is shared. For such dimming glass, it is necessary to suppress the radiated noise emitted from the dimming glass.

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a control device, control method, and dimming glass system capable of suppressing radiated noise emitted from dimming glass. means of solving technical problems

[0006] The control device disclosed herein includes: a control unit that generates a sampling signal having a predetermined sampling frequency; a waveform generation unit that generates a drive signal for outputting to multiple segments of a dimming glass according to the sampling frequency; and an output unit that outputs the drive signal to the multiple segments at different time points.

[0007] In the control method disclosed herein, a sampling signal with a specified sampling frequency is generated, a driving signal for outputting to multiple sections of the dimming glass is generated according to the sampling frequency, and the driving signal is output to the multiple sections at different time points.

[0008] The dimming glass system disclosed herein includes the control device of the present disclosure and a dimming glass having multiple sections whose dimming state is controlled by the control device. Invention Effects

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress radiated noise emitted from the dimming glass. Attached Figure Description

[0010] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the dimming glass in the embodiment. Figure 2 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the dimming glass according to the embodiment. Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating the dimming control of a comparative example of the implementation method. Figure 4 This is a diagram used to illustrate the first and second drive signals in the comparative example. Figure 5 This is a diagram used to illustrate the dimming control of the implementation method. Figure 6 This is a diagram used to illustrate the drive signal and reference potential of the implementation method. Figure 7 This is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a dimming glass system. Figure 8 This is a diagram illustrating a method for controlling a dimming glass system. Figure 9 This is a diagram illustrating a method for controlling the timing of the output drive signal in an implementation embodiment. Figure 10 This is a flowchart illustrating the processing flow of controlling the timing of output drive signals for multiple segments in an embodiment. Figure 11 This is a diagram illustrating a method for controlling the timing of the output drive signal in another embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0011] The embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this disclosure is not limited to these embodiments, and in the following embodiments, the same symbols are used to mark the same parts to omit repeated descriptions.

[0012] (Smart glass) Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a smart glass implementation. The smart glass 10 is, for example, laminated glass for vehicles. The smart glass 10 can be applied to sunroofs, rear windows, side windows, door windows, triangular window windows, auxiliary window windows, windshields, etc., for vehicles. An auxiliary window window refers to glass installed at the rear of a vehicle to improve the driver's rear visibility. Here, "vehicle" typically refers to an automobile, but also includes moving bodies with glass such as trams, ships, and airplanes. However, the application of the smart glass 10 is not limited to vehicles.

[0013] The dimming glass 10 is configured to control the dimming state. The dimming state refers to, for example, haze or visible light transmittance. In the following examples, an example of the dimming glass 10 being configured to switch between two different states is described, but it is also possible to change the dimming state to three or more stages. Furthermore, in the following examples, "transparent state" and "blocked state" are described as two different states, but haze and visible light transmittance can be appropriately set (adjusted) as required. "Transparent state" is, for example, a state where the haze is so low that light is almost not scattered, allowing the opposite side of the dimming glass 10 to be seen. "Blocked state" is a state where the haze is so high that light is strongly scattered, making the opposite side of the dimming glass 10 invisible. However, it is not limited to this; for example, when using a dimming film with varying visible light transmittance, "transparent state" can be a state where visible light transmittance is so high that light is almost not absorbed, allowing the opposite side of the dimming glass 10 to be seen, while "blocked state" can be a state where visible light transmittance is so low that light is strongly absorbed, making the opposite side of the dimming glass 10 invisible.

[0014] The dimming glass 10, for example, has a first segment 11, a second segment 12, a third segment 13, a fourth segment 14, a fifth segment 15, a sixth segment 16, a seventh segment 17, and an eighth segment 18. The dimming glass 10 is configured such that the transparent and opaque states of the first segment 11 to the eighth segment 18 can be controlled independently. That is, the dimming area of ​​the dimming glass 10 capable of switching between transparent and opaque states is divided into multiple regions. Figure 1 In the example shown, the dimming glass 10 is divided into eight regions from the first segment 11 to the eighth segment 18, but this disclosure is not limited thereto. The dimming glass 10 may also be divided into 2 to 20 dimming regions, for example.

[0015] Figure 2 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the dimming glass according to the embodiment. Figure 2 Show Figure 1 The image shows a cross-sectional view (AA) of the dimming glass 10. Figure 2 As shown, the dimming glass 10 has a first glass plate 21, a second glass plate 22, a first intermediate film 23, a second intermediate film 24, and a dimming film 25.

[0016] The first glass plate 21 is a glass plate that constitutes one surface of the dimming glass 10. The shape and material of the first glass plate 21 can be arbitrary. The second glass plate 22 is a glass plate that constitutes the other surface of the dimming glass 10. The shape and material of the second glass plate 22 can be arbitrary.

[0017] The first intermediate film 23 is located between the first glass plate 21 and the dimming film 25. The first intermediate film 23 is an adhesive layer that bonds the first glass plate 21 and the dimming film 25. The second intermediate film 24 is located between the second glass plate 22 and the dimming film 25. The second intermediate film 24 is an adhesive layer that bonds the second glass plate 22 and the dimming film 25.

[0018] The dimming film 25 includes, for example, a PDLC (Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal) film. For instance, the dimming film 25 has a structure in which a PDLC layer is sandwiched between two PET films on one main surface, each having an ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) electrode. Thus, the dimming film 25 is configured to switch between a transparent state and a light-blocking state by applying a voltage. However, it is not limited to this; dimming films utilizing SPD (Suspended Particle Device) or GHLC (Guest Host Liquid Crystal) can also be used. In this disclosure, the dimming glass 10 is configured to have multiple segments by dividing the ITO electrode into multiple sections. Specifically, by applying a voltage to the divided ITO electrode, the transparent state and light-blocking state of the dimming film 25 in that region can be partially switched. Therefore, the transparent state and light-blocking state of the first segment 11 to the eighth segment 18 of the dimming glass 10 can be independently controlled. However, the method of segmenting the segments is not limited to this.

[0019] [Dimming Control] (Comparative Example) Before describing this embodiment, a comparative example of this embodiment will be described first. Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating the dimming control of a comparative example of the implementation method.

[0020] like Figure 3 As shown, in the comparative example, each segment is connected to an electrode to independently control the dimming state of the first segment 11 to the eighth segment 18.

[0021] One end of the first electrode 31 and one end of the second electrode 41 are connected to the first segment 11. A first drive signal and a second drive signal for controlling the dimming state of the first segment 11 are respectively input from the other end of the first electrode 31 and the other end of the second electrode 41.

[0022] One end of the first electrode 32 and one end of the second electrode 42 are connected to the second segment 12. A first drive signal and a second drive signal for controlling the dimming state of the second segment 12 are respectively input from the other end of the first electrode 32 and the other end of the second electrode 42.

[0023] One end of the first electrode 33 and one end of the second electrode 43 are connected to the third segment 13. A first drive signal and a second drive signal for controlling the dimming state of the third segment 13 are respectively input from the other end of the first electrode 33 and the other end of the second electrode 43.

[0024] One end of the first electrode 34 and one end of the second electrode 44 are connected to the fourth section 14. A first drive signal and a second drive signal for controlling the dimming state of the fourth section 14 are respectively input from the other end of the first electrode 32 and the other end of the second electrode 42.

[0025] One end of the first electrode 35 and one end of the second electrode 45 are connected to the fifth segment 15. A first drive signal and a second drive signal for controlling the dimming state of the fifth segment 15 are respectively input from the other end of the first electrode 35 and the other end of the second electrode 45.

[0026] One end of the first electrode 36 and one end of the second electrode 46 are connected to the sixth segment 16. A first drive signal and a second drive signal for controlling the dimming state of the sixth segment 16 are respectively input from the other end of the first electrode 36 and the other end of the second electrode 46.

[0027] One end of the first electrode 37 and one end of the second electrode 47 are connected to the seventh segment 17. A first drive signal and a second drive signal for controlling the dimming state of the seventh segment 17 are respectively input from the other end of the first electrode 37 and the other end of the second electrode 47.

[0028] One end of the first electrode 38 and one end of the second electrode 48 are connected to the eighth segment 18. A first drive signal and a second drive signal for controlling the dimming state of the eighth segment 18 are respectively input from the other end of the first electrode 38 and the other end of the second electrode 48.

[0029] Figure 4 This is a diagram used to illustrate the first and second drive signals in the comparative example. (Example) Figure 4 As shown, the first driving signal S1 and the second driving signal S2 are AC signals with opposite phases. That is, the first driving signal S1 and the second driving signal S2 are differential signals.

[0030] (Implementation Method) Figure 5 This is a diagram used to illustrate the dimming control of the implementation method. For example... Figure 5 As shown, in this embodiment, each segment is connected to an electrode for the input drive signal, and the reference potential (e.g., ground) of each segment is shared. In this embodiment, by sharing the reference potential among the segments, a structure advantageous for miniaturization is created, which reduces the number of electrodes.

[0031] One end of the electrode 51 is connected to the first section 11. A drive signal for controlling the dimming state of the first section 11 is input from the other end of the electrode 51.

[0032] One end of the second section 12 is connected to the electrode 52. A drive signal for controlling the dimming state of the second section 12 is input from the other end of the electrode 52.

[0033] One end of the third section 13 is connected to the electrode 53. A drive signal for controlling the dimming state of the third section 13 is input from the other end of the electrode 53.

[0034] One end of the electrode 54 is connected to the fourth section 14. A drive signal for controlling the dimming state of the fourth section 14 is input from the other end of the electrode 54.

[0035] One end of the fifth section 15 is connected to the electrode 55. A drive signal for controlling the dimming state of the fifth section 15 is input from the other end of the electrode 55.

[0036] One end of electrode 56 is connected to the sixth segment 16. A drive signal for controlling the dimming state of the sixth segment 16 is input from the other end of electrode 56.

[0037] One end of electrode 57 is connected to the seventh segment 17. A drive signal for controlling the dimming state of the seventh segment 17 is input from the other end of electrode 57.

[0038] One end of electrode 58 is connected to the eighth segment 18. A drive signal for controlling the dimming state of the eighth segment 18 is input from the other end of electrode 58.

[0039] One end of the common grounding electrode 60 is connected to the first section 11 to the eighth section 18, and the other end is connected to the reference potential layer.

[0040] Figure 6 This is a diagram used to illustrate the drive signals and reference potentials of the implementation method. For example... Figure 6 As shown, the drive signal S3 is an AC signal. The reference potential S4 represents the signal level of the reference potential connected to the ground electrode 60.

[0041] In this embodiment, the drive signal output to each segment is a single-ended output. Therefore, the differential signal cancels out the in-phase noise signals contained in the positive and negative signals respectively. However, in this embodiment, since the noise cancellation effect cannot be achieved as with the differential signal, radiated noise may increase. The dimming glass 10 is constructed by covering the dimming film 25 with a first glass plate 21 and a second glass plate 22, making it prone to noise emission from the reference potential layer. Therefore, in this embodiment, radiated noise is suppressed by controlling the drive signal output to each segment of the dimming glass 10.

[0042] (Smart Glass System) Figure 7 This is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a dimming glass system. (As shown) Figure 7 As shown, the dimming glass system 1 includes a dimming glass 10, a power supply 100, and a control device 120. The dimming glass system 1 of this disclosure is, for example, mounted on a vehicle.

[0043] Figure 8 This is a diagram illustrating a method for controlling a dimming glass system. The dimming glass system 1 is directly controlled by an advanced control module including a Body Control Module (BCM) 1100, which controls vehicle electrical components including headlights.

[0044] The power supply 100 outputs a specified output voltage to the boost unit 110 of the control device 120. The output voltage output by the power supply 100 is, for example, DC 12V, but is not limited to this.

[0045] The control device 120 generates a drive signal for controlling the dimming state of the dimming glass 10. The control device 120 controls the timing of outputting the drive signal to the dimming glass 10. The control device 120 may include, for example, an information processing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), and a storage device such as RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory). The controller 120 can be implemented through a combination of hardware and software.

[0046] The control device 120 includes a boost unit 110, a control unit 121, a waveform generation unit 122, and an output unit 123.

[0047] The boost unit 110 boosts the input voltage from the power supply 100 and outputs it to the control device 120. For example, the boost unit 110 boosts the input voltage of DC 12V to DC 80V and outputs it to the control device 120, but is not limited to this.

[0048] The control unit 121 controls the waveform generation unit 122 to generate a drive signal that is output to the dimming glass 10. The control unit 121 outputs a sampled signal with a predetermined sampling frequency to the waveform generation unit 122. The sampled signal is, for example, a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) signal. For example, the control unit 121 is configured to output four PWM signals simultaneously.

[0049] The waveform generation unit 122 generates a drive signal for controlling the dimming state of the dimming glass 10. The waveform generation unit 122 determines the period and pulse width, etc., based on the PWM signal input from the control unit 121, and generates the drive signal.

[0050] The output unit 123 outputs drive signals to each segment of the dimming glass 10. Specifically, the output unit 123 outputs drive signals to the dimming film 25 of each segment of the dimming glass 10. The output unit 123 controls the drive signals output to each segment of the dimming glass 10. The output unit 123 controls the timing of the output of drive signals to each segment of the dimming glass 10. For example, the output unit 123 outputs drive signals to each segment at different times.

[0051] Figure 9 This is a diagram illustrating a method for controlling the timing of the output drive signal in an embodiment. The first drive signal S11 is a drive signal input to the first segment 11. The second drive signal S12 is a drive signal input to the second segment 12. The third drive signal S13 is a drive signal input to the third segment 13. The fourth drive signal S14 is a drive signal input to the fourth segment 14. The fifth drive signal S15 is a drive signal input to the fifth segment 15. The sixth drive signal S16 is a drive signal input to the sixth segment 16. The seventh drive signal S17 is a drive signal input to the seventh segment 17. The eighth drive signal S18 is a drive signal input to the eighth segment 18. The reference signal S19 is a reference potential. Figure 9 As shown, the timing of the input of the first driving signal S11 to the eighth driving signal S18 to each segment is different.

[0052] Output unit 123 outputs the first drive signal S11 to the first segment 11 at time point t1. The first current waveform S21 represents the intensity of the surge current generated by the first drive signal S11 in the first segment 11. The first current waveform S21 rises and shows a peak at time point t1, then gradually decreases, and shows 0 at time point t2.

[0053] Output unit 123 outputs the second drive signal S12 to the second segment 12 at time point t2. The second current waveform S22 represents the intensity of the surge current generated by the second drive signal S12 in the second segment 12. The second current waveform S22 rises and shows a peak at time point t2, then gradually decreases, and shows 0 at time point t3.

[0054] Output unit 123 outputs the third drive signal S13 to the third segment 13 at time point t3. The third current waveform S23 represents the intensity of the surge current generated by the third drive signal S13 in the third segment 13. The third current waveform S23 rises and shows a peak at time point t3, then gradually decreases, and shows 0 at time point t4.

[0055] Output unit 123 outputs the fourth drive signal S14 to the fourth segment 14 at time t4. The fourth current waveform S24 represents the intensity of the surge current generated by the fourth drive signal S14 in the fourth segment 14. The fourth current waveform S24 rises and shows a peak at time t4, then gradually decreases, showing 0 at time t5.

[0056] Output unit 123 outputs the fifth drive signal S15 to the fifth segment 15 at time t5. The fifth current waveform S25 represents the intensity of the surge current generated by the fifth drive signal S15 in the fifth segment 15. The fifth current waveform S25 rises and shows a peak at time t5, then gradually decreases, showing 0 at time t6.

[0057] Output unit 123 outputs the sixth drive signal S16 to the sixth segment 16 at time point t6. The sixth current waveform S26 represents the intensity of the current generated by the sixth drive signal S16 in the sixth segment 16. The sixth current waveform S26 rises and shows a peak at time point t6, then gradually decreases, showing 0 at time point t7.

[0058] Output unit 123 outputs the seventh drive signal S17 to the seventh segment 17 at time t7. The seventh current waveform S27 represents the intensity of the surge current generated by the seventh drive signal S17 in the seventh segment 17. The seventh current waveform S27 rises and shows a peak at time t7, then gradually decreases, showing 0 at time t8.

[0059] Output unit 123 outputs the eighth drive signal S18 to the eighth segment 18 at time point t8. The eighth current waveform S28 represents the intensity of the surge current generated by the eighth drive signal S18 in the eighth segment 18. The eighth current waveform S28 rises and shows a peak at time point t8, then gradually decreases, showing 0 at time point t9.

[0060] That is, the output unit 123 outputs a drive signal to each segment in such a way that the time points at which the surge current is generated in each segment are not repeated. For example, the output unit 123 may also output a drive signal to each segment in such a way that the peak time points of the surge current generated in each segment are different. For example, the output unit 123 outputs a drive signal to each segment within one cycle from time point t1 to time point t9. Specifically, when the number of segments of the dimming glass 10 is set to n (n is an integer greater than or equal to 2), the output unit 123 outputs a drive signal to each segment at time points with phase shifts of (1 / n) × 2π. Furthermore, if the pulse width of the current waveform is sufficiently small, the output unit 123 may not need to output a drive signal to each segment at time points with phase shifts of (1 / n) × 2π. Moreover, Figure 9 The illustration shows an example of the output unit 123 sequentially outputting drive signals to the first segment 11 to the seventh segment 17, but this disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the output unit 123 may also randomly output drive signals to the first segment 11 to the seventh segment 17 in a manner such as the first segment 11, the fifth segment 15, the seventh segment 17, and so on.

[0061] like Figure 9 As shown, in this embodiment, the output unit 123 controls the timing of outputting drive signals to each segment of the dimming glass 10. This allows the peak times of the surge current generated by the drive signal to differ in each segment. Therefore, in this embodiment, the magnitude of the surge current generated by the dimming glass 10 can be reduced to approximately 1 / n. Consequently, in this embodiment, the magnitude of the radiated noise generated by the surge current can also be reduced to approximately 1 / n.

[0062] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the technical problem of preventing radiated noise from the dimming glass can be addressed without adding additional circuitry for controlling radiated noise. For example, when adding circuitry such as filter circuits, buffer circuits, and waveform adjustment circuits to prevent radiated noise, energy loss occurs because some of the noise is converted into heat. Therefore, since this embodiment does not involve heat conversion, it is also possible to suppress the decrease in the vehicle's fuel consumption rate and electricity consumption rate.

[0063] (Control methods) Figure 10 This is a flowchart illustrating the processing flow of controlling the timing of output drive signals for multiple segments in an embodiment.

[0064] The control unit 121 outputs a sampling signal with a predetermined sampling period to the waveform generation unit 122 (step S100). The waveform generation unit 122 generates a drive signal for controlling the dimming state of the dimming glass 10 based on the sampling signal input from the waveform generation unit 122 (step S102). The waveform generation unit 122 outputs the generated drive signal to the output unit 123 (step S104). The output unit 123 calculates the timing point for outputting the drive signal to each segment based on the number of segments of the dimming glass 10 (step S106). The output unit 123 outputs the drive signal to each segment of the dimming glass 10 according to the calculated timing points (step S108).

[0065] [Another implementation method] The implementation method reduces radiated noise by changing the timing of the output drive signal for each section, but the method of reducing radiated noise is not limited to this. Figure 11 This is a diagram illustrating a method for controlling the timing of the output drive signal in another embodiment.

[0066] The first drive signal S31 is the drive signal input to the first segment 11. The second drive signal S32 is the drive signal input to the second segment 12. The third drive signal S33 is the drive signal input to the third segment 13. The fourth drive signal S34 is the drive signal input to the fourth segment 14. The fifth drive signal S35 is the drive signal input to the fifth segment 15. The sixth drive signal S36 is the drive signal input to the sixth segment 16. The seventh drive signal S37 is the drive signal input to the seventh segment 17. The eighth drive signal S38 is the drive signal input to the eighth segment 18. The reference signal S39 represents the reference potential. Figure 11 As shown, the output unit 123 outputs the first drive signal S31 to the eighth drive signal S38 to the first segment 11 to the eighth segment 18 at the same time point t10.

[0067] The first driving signal S31 and the second driving signal S32 are out of phase. Therefore, like differential signals, the noise signals contained in the first driving signal S31 and the second driving signal S32 cancel each other out.

[0068] The third drive signal S33 and the fourth drive signal S34 are out of phase. Therefore, like differential signals, the noise signals contained in the third drive signal S33 and the fourth drive signal S34 cancel each other out.

[0069] The fifth drive signal S35 and the sixth drive signal S36 are out of phase. Therefore, like differential signals, the noise signals contained in the fifth drive signal S35 and the sixth drive signal S36 cancel each other out.

[0070] The seventh drive signal S37 and the eighth drive signal S38 are out of phase. Therefore, like differential signals, the noise signals contained in the seventh drive signal S37 and the eighth drive signal S38 cancel each other out.

[0071] That is, in another embodiment, the output unit 123 outputs to each segment at the same time point, and controls the phase of the drive signal output to adjacent segments to be out of phase. In this way, in another embodiment, noise signals contained in the drive signal can be canceled, thus reducing radiated noise. However, in this case, if the number of segments of the dimming glass 10 is odd, one segment may not be able to be paired, potentially failing to reliably cancel noise signals. Therefore, in another embodiment, the number of segments of the dimming glass 10 is preferably even.

[0072] (Effect) The control device 120 of the first aspect of this disclosure includes: a waveform generation unit 122 that generates drive signals for outputting to multiple segments of the dimming glass 10 according to a predetermined sampling frequency; and an output unit 123 that outputs drive signals to the multiple segments at different time points. According to this disclosure, since the time points at which the peak current generated by the drive signals input to each segment can be made different between the segments, current superposition between the segments can be prevented. Therefore, this disclosure can prevent radiated noise from the dimming glass 10.

[0073] The second type of control device 120 of this disclosure is an improvement upon the first type of control device 120, in which the output unit 123 outputs a drive signal such that the peak times of the surge currents in each of the multiple sections are different times. In this way, this disclosure can reliably prevent current from superimposing between sections, and thus reliably prevent radiated noise from the dimming glass 10.

[0074] The control device 120 of the third aspect of this disclosure is, in the control device 120 of the first or second aspect, wherein when the number of segments is set to n (n is an integer greater than or equal to 2), the output unit 123 outputs drive signals to each of the multiple segments at time points with phases staggered by (1 / n) × 2π. In this way, this disclosure can reliably prevent radiated noise from the dimming glass 10.

[0075] The fourth control method of this disclosure involves generating a sampling signal with a predetermined sampling frequency, generating drive signals for outputting to multiple segments of the dimming glass 10 according to the sampling frequency, and outputting the drive signals to the multiple segments at different time points. In this way, this disclosure can prevent radiated noise from the dimming glass 10.

[0076] The fifth control method of this disclosure includes outputting a drive signal such that the peak times of the surge currents of the plurality of said sections are different times. In this way, this disclosure can reliably prevent current from superimposing between the sections, and thus reliably prevent radiated noise from the dimming glass 10.

[0077] The sixth control method of this disclosure includes: when the number of segments is set to n (n is an integer greater than or equal to 2), the output unit 123 outputs drive signals to each of the multiple segments at time points with phases staggered by (1 / n) × 2π. In this way, this disclosure can reliably prevent radiated noise from the dimming glass 10.

[0078] The seventh aspect of the dimming glass system 1 disclosed herein includes a control device 120 of any one of the first to third aspects, and a dimming glass 10 having multiple sections whose dimming state is controlled by the control device 120. Therefore, this disclosure can prevent radiated noise from the dimming glass 10.

[0079] The eighth aspect of the dimming glass system 1 disclosed herein is an improvement upon the seventh aspect of the dimming glass system 1, wherein the dimming glass 10 includes a dimming film 25 driven by an alternating current voltage. Therefore, this disclosure is able to prevent radiated noise from the dimming glass 10.

[0080] The ninth aspect of the dimming glass system 1 disclosed herein is an improvement upon the eighth aspect of the dimming glass system 1, wherein the dimming film 25 driven by AC voltage is any one of PDLC (Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal), SPD (Suspended Particle Device), or GHLC (Guest Host Liquid Crystal). According to this disclosure, radiated noise can be prevented from radiating from the dimming glass 10 used in vehicles.

[0081] The components of each device illustrated are functionally schematic and do not necessarily need to be physically configured as shown in the illustration. That is, the specific way in which each device is distributed or integrated is not limited to the way shown in the illustration; all or part of it can be functionally or physically distributed or integrated in any unit according to various loads and usage conditions. In addition, this distributed or integrated configuration can also be carried out dynamically.

[0082] The embodiments of this disclosure have been described above, but this disclosure is not limited to the content of these embodiments. Furthermore, the aforementioned constituent elements include elements readily conceived by those skilled in the art, substantially identical elements, and elements of so-called equal scope. Moreover, the aforementioned constituent elements can be appropriately combined. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, or modifications of the constituent elements can be made without departing from the spirit of the aforementioned embodiments. Symbol Explanation

[0083] 1. Smart Glass System 10 dimming glass 11 First Section 12 Second Section Section 13, Third Section 14 Fourth Section Section 15, Fifth Section Section 16, Section 6 Section 17 Section 8 of 18 21 First Glass Plate 22 Second glass plate 23 First Intermediate Membrane 24 Second Intermediate Membrane 25 dimming film 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38 First Electrode 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48 Second electrodes Electrodes 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, and 58 60 grounding electrode 100 power supply 110 boost section 120 control device 121 Control Department 122 Waveform Generation Unit 123 Output Section 1100 Body Control Module.

Claims

1. A control device comprising: a control section that generates a sampling signal having a prescribed sampling frequency; a waveform generation section that generates a drive signal for output to a plurality of segments of a dimming glass in accordance with the sampling frequency; and an output section that outputs the drive signal to the plurality of segments at different points in time respectively.

2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the output section outputs the drive signal in such a manner that points in time of peaks of surge currents of the plurality of segments respectively are different points in time.

3. The control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein in a case where the number of the segments is set to n (n is an integer of 2 or more), the output section outputs the drive signal to the plurality of segments at points in time at which phases are staggered by (1 / n) x 2π respectively.

4. A control method comprising: generating a sampling signal having a prescribed sampling frequency, generating a drive signal for output to a plurality of segments of a dimming glass in accordance with the sampling frequency, outputting the drive signal to the plurality of segments at different points in time respectively.

5. The control method of claim 4, wherein, including outputting the drive signal in such a manner that points in time of peaks of surge currents of the plurality of segments respectively are different points in time.

6. The control method of claim 5, wherein, including in a case where the number of the segments is set to n (n is an integer of 2 or more), outputting the drive signal to the plurality of segments at points in time at which phases are staggered by (1 / n) x 2π respectively.

7. A dimming glass system comprising the control device according to claim 1, and a dimming glass having a plurality of segments whose dimming state is controlled by the control device.

8. The dimming glass system according to claim 7, wherein the dimming glass includes a dimming film that is driven by an alternating voltage.

9. The dimming glass system according to claim 8, wherein the dimming film that is driven by an alternating voltage is any one of a PDLC (Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal), an SPD (Suspended Particle Device), and a GHLC (Guest Host Liquid Crystal).

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