Vehicle Light Modulator for Dynamic Glare Suppression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicles face significant glare issues from ambient light sources such as sunlight and headlights, which current sunshades and window tinting methods are cumbersome and ineffective in addressing.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle-integrated system that uses a control circuit and light modulators on windows and mirrors to selectively darken areas prone to glare, employing photochromic, liquid crystal, or electrochromic technologies, controlled by sensors to determine the driver's eye location and external light sources, allowing for real-time adjustment of light transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If sunshades and window tinting are used to reduce glare, then glare reduction is improved, but device complexity and ease of operation deteriorate due to cumbersome manual adjustment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by replacing static sunshades and tinting with dynamic light modulators that can automatically adjust their light-blocking properties in real-time based on detected glare conditions, eliminating manual adjustment while maintaining effective glare reduction
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses sensors to detect glare conditions and feeds this information back to the control circuit, which then adjusts the light modulators accordingly. This closed-loop feedback mechanism enables automatic glare reduction without requiring manual user intervention
2Object-affected harmful factors
If light modulators are used to selectively darken areas, then glare reduction is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional sensors and control circuits
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by integrating multiple functions into existing vehicle components - the light modulators are incorporated into windows and mirrors that already serve primary functions, allowing these components to simultaneously perform glare reduction without requiring entirely separate systems
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges the glare reduction function with existing vehicle windows and mirrors by integrating light modulator layers into these components, consolidating multiple functions into unified structures rather than adding separate dedicated glare reduction devices
3Object-affected harmful factors
If light modulators darken window areas to block glare, then glare reduction is improved, but transparency and driver visibility may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by enabling different regions of the same window to have different light transmission properties - areas experiencing glare are selectively darkened while other regions remain transparent, allowing simultaneous glare blocking and visibility maintenance
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the window surface into independently controllable regions with light modulators that can be selectively activated, allowing precise control over which areas darken to block glare while preserving transparency in non-glare regions
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 by dynamically blocking unwanted light, improving driver visibility without obstructing the view of external objects, using sensors to pinpoint glare sources and adjust light modulators accordingly.
Implementation Method 1
A light modulator for a window or vehicle mirror may have a photochromic layer that is adjusted by shining light onto the photochromic layer
Implementation Method 2
A light modulator may be patterned to form a series of strips, rectangular regions, or areas of other shapes that extend along the upper edge of the front window of a vehicle
Implementation Method 3
A light modulator may be patterned to form a series of strips, rectangular regions, or areas of other shapes that extend along the upper edge of the front window of a vehicle
Implementation Method 4
A control circuit may gather eye location information indicating where the eyes of the driver are located using a sensor such as a camera mounted in the vehicle
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle may have optical structures such as windows and mirrors that have the potential to allow glare from external objects to shine into the eyes of a driver or other vehicle occupant. A control circuit may gather information on where the eyes of the driver are located using a camera mounted in the vehicle and may gather information on where the sun or other source of glare are located outside of the vehicle. Based on this information, the control circuit may direct a light modulator on a window or mirror to selectively darken an area that prevents the glare from reaching the eyes of the driver. The light modulator may have a photochromic layer that is adjusted by shining light onto the photochromic layer, may be a liquid crystal modulator, an electrochromic modulator, or other light modulator layer.