Glare-Reducing Windshield with Local Dimming for Driver Vision
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle drivers are often dazzled or bothered by the headlights of oncoming vehicles, which conventional sun visors cannot effectively mitigate.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle vision system with a dynamic, partially dimmable windshield that creates darkened spots or regions to attenuate bright light sources, adjusting their size and intensity based on the glare intensity and driver's gaze direction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a sun visor is used to shield the driver's eyes from glare, then protection from sun glare is improved, but protection from oncoming vehicle headlights is not provided
Solution Approach 1:
The windshield is transformed into a multi-functional element that provides glare protection for multiple types of light sources (sun, oncoming headlights, street lights) rather than relying on separate dedicated devices for each scenario. The electro-optic material enables the windshield to adapt its light-blocking properties universally across different glare conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The electro-optic material acts as an intermediary between the external light sources and the driver's eyes. This intermediate layer can dynamically modulate light transmission, providing adaptive protection that neither a fixed sun visor nor direct exposure would achieve.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the windshield creates darkened spots to block bright lights, then glare reduction is improved, but the windshield structure complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The windshield's optical parameters (light transmission properties) are changed dynamically through electro-optic material that can alter its transparency in response to detected glare conditions. This allows the same physical structure to provide different optical characteristics as needed without mechanical moving parts.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical system of movable sun visors or adjustable shutters is replaced with an electro-optic system that achieves the same glare-blocking function through electrical control of material properties, eliminating complex mechanical mechanisms.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Effectively reduces glare from various light sources, preventing driver dazzle and flash blindness by dynamically blocking or attenuating bright lights, enhancing driving safety.
Implementation Method 1
The windshield includes an electro-optic material sandwiched between two sheets of glass that changes light transmission properties in response to an applied electric field
Implementation Method 2
at least one exterior viewing imaging sensor or camera (14) disposed at and behind the windshield (16) and viewing forward through the windshield so as to capture image data representative of the scene occurring forward of the vehicle
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicular vision system includes a forward viewing camera disposed at and viewing through a windshield of a vehicle, and a driver viewing camera that views the eyes of a driver of the vehicle. Image data captured by the forward viewing camera is processed to determine (i) a light source ahead of the vehicle, (ii) an intensity of the determined light source and (iii) a position of the determined light source relative to the vehicle. Image data captured by the driver viewing camera is processed to determine gaze direction of the driver. The system determines a region of the windshield based at least in part on (i) the determined position of the determined light source and (ii) the determined gaze direction of the driver. The system, responsive to the intensity of the determined light source being greater than a threshold level, locally darkens the determined region of the windshield.