Systems with adjustable windows

• US 10,625,580 B1
• Filed: 07/17/2017
• Issued: 04/21/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Jones, Christopher D., Kamei, Ibuki, Wilson, James R., Mazuir, Clarisse, Raff, John, Dan, Budhadipta, Kingman, David E., Melcher, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Hasan, Mohammed A
• Application Number:
  US15/651,889
• Time in Patent Office: 1,009 Days
• Field of Search: 359259
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 3/007 Sunglare reduction by coatings, interposed foils in laminar windows, or permanent screens layered glass products B32B17/00; process of coating windows C03C17/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 3/04 adjustable in transparency
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/6722 with adjustable passage of light
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/0121 Operation of devices; Circuit arrangements, not otherwise provided for in this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2203/01 transmissive
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2203/02 reflective
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2203/03 scattering

Abstract

A system such as a vehicle may have adjustable structures such as adjustable windows. Adjustable windows may have adjustable layers such as adjustable tint layers, adjustable reflectivity layers, and adjustable haze layers. Adjustable window layers may be incorporated into a window with one or more transparent structural layers such as a pair of glass window layers. Adjustable components such as adjustable reflectivity layers, adjustable haze layers, and adjustable tint layers may be interposed between the pair of glass window layers. Fixed partially reflective mirrors, fixed tint layers, and/or fixed haze layers may be used in place of adjustable tint, haze, and reflectivity layers and/or may be incorporated into windows in addition to adjustable tint, haze, and reflectivity layers.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

control circuitry; and

an adjustable vehicle window adjusted by the control circuitry, wherein the adjustable vehicle window includes an adjustable tint layer that exhibits an adjustable amount of light absorption, wherein the adjustable vehicle window includes an adjustable reflectivity layer selected from the group consisting of;

a cholesteric liquid crystal device and a switchable metal hydride film, and wherein the adjustable reflectivity layer exhibits an adjustable amount of light reflectivity.

2. The system defined in claim 1 wherein the adjustable tint layer comprises an electrochromic layer.

3. The system defined in claim 1 wherein the adjustable tint layer comprises a suspended particle device.

4. The system defined in claim 1 wherein the adjustable vehicle window further comprises an adjustable haze layer that is controlled by the control circuitry.

5. The system defined in claim 4 wherein the adjustable haze layer comprises a polymer dispersed liquid crystal layer.

6. The system defined in claim 4 wherein the adjustable haze layer is interposed between the adjustable reflectivity layer and the adjustable tint layer.

7. The system defined in claim 1 wherein the adjustable vehicle window has an outer glass layer and an inner glass layer and wherein the adjustable reflectivity layer and the adjustable tint layer are interposed between the outer glass layer and the inner glass layer.

8. The system defined in claim 7 wherein the adjustable vehicle window has an adjustable haze layer interposed between the outer glass layer and the inner glass layer and includes a polarizer layer.

9. A system, comprising:

control circuitry; and

an adjustable vehicle window adjusted by the control circuitry, wherein the adjustable vehicle window includes an adjustable tint layer that exhibits an adjustable amount of light absorption and includes an adjustable reflectivity layer that exhibits an adjustable amount of light reflectivity, and wherein the adjustable tint layer comprises a guest-host liquid crystal device.

10. A vehicle window that is adjusted using control circuitry, comprising:

a fixed partially reflective mirror layer;

an adjustable haze layer; and

an adjustable tint layer, wherein the adjustable haze layer and the adjustable tint layer are configured to be adjusted independently by the control circuitry.

11. The vehicle window defined in claim 10 further comprising outer and inner glass layers, wherein the adjustable haze layer is interposed between the outer and inner glass layers.

12. The vehicle window defined in claim 11 wherein the adjustable haze layer comprises a polymer dispersed liquid crystal layer.

13. The vehicle window defined in claim 12 wherein the fixed partially reflective mirror layer comprises a metal layer.

14. The vehicle window defined in claim 10 wherein the adjustable tint layer comprises an adjustable tint layer selected from the group consisting of:

a guest-host liquid crystal layer, an electrochromic layer, and a suspended particle device.

15. The vehicle window defined in claim 10, wherein the fixed partially reflective mirror layer exhibits a fixed reflectivity.

16. A vehicle having an interior and an exterior, comprising:

a window, wherein the window comprises;

an inner glass layer at the interior of the vehicle,

an outer glass layer at the exterior of the vehicle,

a circular polarizer interposed between the inner and outer glass layers, and

a fixed partially reflective mirror layer interposed between the circular polarizer and the outer glass layer, wherein the circular polarizer is configured to suppress reflections from the fixed partially reflective mirror layer.

17. The vehicle defined in claim 16, wherein the window further comprises an adjustable light modulator layer selected from the group consisting of:

a guest-host liquid crystal layer, an electrochromic layer, and a suspended particle device, wherein the adjustable light modulator layer is interposed between the inner and outer glass layers.