Selective Windshield Darkening System for Glare Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current solutions for reducing glare, such as manual sun visors and sunglasses, are inadequate for all angles and conditions, particularly at night, and lack adjustability to varying glare situations.
Innovation Solution
A system with a windshield coating that can be selectively darkened using a point-controlled emitter, controlled by a processor that determines the location of external light sources and the driver's eyes to reduce glare by exciting the coating from a transparent to an opaque state.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If manual sun visors or sunglasses are used to reduce glare, then glare reduction is achieved for certain angles, but the solution is not sufficient for all angles and conditions particularly at night
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the windshield coating dynamically controllable through an emitter system. The coating can be selectively excited to transition between transparent and opaque states, allowing real-time adaptation to varying glare conditions and angles, unlike static manual solutions
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the optical parameter (transparency/opacity) of the windshield coating through controlled emission. By adjusting the emitter's activation, the coating's optical properties change from transparent to opaque, providing versatile glare protection across different angles and lighting conditions
2Object-affected harmful factors
If sunglasses are worn to block external light, then glare from headlights is prevented, but the operator cannot safely wear sunglasses at night
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides self-service by automatically detecting light source positions and eye locations, then selectively darkening the appropriate windshield regions without requiring driver action. The driver simply needs to wear the vehicle's regular windshield, eliminating the need to switch between sunglasses and no-protection modes
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a coating is excited to darken the windshield, then glare is reduced, but the coating must be selectively excited at the correct location based on light source and eye position
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs feedback by using sensors to continuously monitor light source positions and eye locations, then feeding this information to the controller to dynamically adjust the emitter's activation. This closed-loop control enables precise selective darkening while managing system complexity through intelligent automation
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
Automatically adjusts the opacity of the windshield to minimize glare from external light sources, improving driver visibility without requiring driver action, and adapting to changes in light source position and driver orientation.
Implementation Method 1
a windshield treated with a coating... an emitter housed within the vehicle and configured to excite a location of the coating on the windshield from a first state to a second state, wherein the second state is more opaque than the first state
Data Source
AI summary
A system for reducing glare in a vehicle includes a windshield treated with a coating, an external light sensor configured to detect a position of a light source external to a vehicle, an eye sensor configured to detect a location of an eye of an operator of the vehicle. The system also includes an emitter configured to excite a location of the coating on the windshield from a first state to a second state that is more opaque than the first state. The system further includes a processor programmed to determine the location of the coating for exciting based on the detected position of the light source and detected position of the eye, and to control the emitter to selectively excite the coating at the location from the first state to the second state.