GPS Anti-Dazzling System and Method for Vehicles

• US 20080266641A1
• Filed: 01/24/2008
• Published: 10/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: University of Ulsan Foundation for Industry Cooperation
• Original Assignee: University of Ulsan Foundation for Industry Cooperation
• Inventors: Lee, Won Kyu, Park, Se Myoung, Yum, Young Jin, Hahn, Sung Hong
• Application Number:
  US12/018,893
• Publication Number:
  US 20080266641A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/246
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0231 Circuits relating to the driving or the functioning of the vehicle monitoring tyres B60C23/00; indicating overspeed B60K31/00; for dash boards B60K37/00, B60Q3/10; for indicating emergencies B60Q1/52; brake control systems B60T; registering or indicating the working of vehicles G07C5/00; measuring distance G01C, e.g. combinations of speed and distance G01C23/00; engine indicators G01L; measuring speed or acceleration G01P

Abstract

Provided is a system for preventing driver'"'"'s dazzling caused by illumination lights of headlights of other vehicles at night. The system includes: a windshield polarization plate installed on a windshield of a vehicle, and transmitting a light polarized in a direction determined by an electric signal; a polarization information storing unit storing driveway information on a map, and storing polarization information including the polarization direction of the windshield polarization plate that is set in advance to prevent driver'"'"'s dazzling according to a location of the driveway and a driving direction; a GPS unit sensing a location of the vehicle on the driveway and the driving direction of the vehicle, and acquiring the polarization information from the polarization information storing unit according to the sensed location and the driving direction; and a polarization controller controlling the polarization direction of the windshield polarization plate according to the polarization information transmitted from the GPS unit.

Claims

1. A global positioning system (GPS) anti-dazzling system for vehicles, the system comprising:

a windshield polarization plate installed on a windshield of a vehicle, and transmitting a light polarized in a direction determined by an electric signal;

a polarization information storing unit storing driveway information on a map, and storing polarization information including the polarization direction of the windshield polarization plate that is set in advance to prevent driver'"'"'s dazzling according to a location of the driveway and a driving direction;

a GPS unit sensing a location and a driving direction of the vehicle, and acquiring the polarization information from the polarization information storing unit according to the sensed location and the driving direction; and

a polarization controller controlling the polarization direction of the windshield polarization plate according to the polarization information transmitted from the GPS unit.

2. The anti-dazzling system of claim 1, further comprising:

headlight polarization plates installed on headlights of the vehicle, and polarizing illumination lights of the headlights in a direction determined by the electric signal,

wherein the polarization controllers controls the polarization direction of the headlight polarization plates to be the same as the polarization direction of the windshield polarization plate, and the polarization information stored in the polarization information storing unit includes the polarization direction of the windshield polarization plate, which is set differently for both directions of the driveway.

3. The anti-dazzling system of claim 1, further comprising:

a front polarization sensor sensing illumination lights of other vehicles approaching from the front,

wherein when the front polarization sensor senses the illumination lights of the vehicle approaching from the front, and the polarization controller controls the polarization direction of the windshield polarization plate according to the polarization information transmitted from the GPS unit.

4. The anti-dazzling system of claim 2, further comprising:

a front polarization sensor sensing illumination lights of other vehicles approaching from the front,

wherein when the front polarization sensor senses the illumination lights of the vehicle approaching from the front, and the polarization controller controls the polarization direction of the windshield polarization plate according to the polarization information transmitted from the GPS unit.

5. The anti-dazzling system of claim 2, further comprising:

a front polarization sensor sensing the illumination lights of other vehicles approaching from the front and polarization of the illumination lights,

wherein if the illumination lights of the vehicle approaching from the front are determined to be polarized by the front polarization sensor, the polarization controller controls the polarization direction of the windshield polarization plate according to the polarization information transmitted from the GPS unit and controls the polarization of the headlight polarization plates to be the same as that of the windshield polarization plate.

6. The anti-dazzling system of claim 1, further comprising:

rear polarization plates installed on outside mirrors of the vehicle, and transmitting the light polarized in a direction determined by the electric signal,

wherein the polarization controller controls the polarization direction of the rear polarization plates to be different from the polarization direction of the windshield polarization plate.

7. The anti-dazzling system of claim 2, further comprising:

rear polarization plates installed on outside mirrors of the vehicle, and transmitting the light polarized in a direction determined by the electric signal,

wherein the polarization controller controls the polarization direction of the rear polarization plates to be different from the polarization direction of the windshield polarization plate.

8. The anti-dazzling system of claim 6, further comprising:

a rear illumination sensor sensing illumination lights of other vehicles approaching from behind,

wherein if the illumination lights of the vehicle approaching from behind is sensed by the rear illumination sensor, the polarization controller controls the polarization direction of the rear polarization plates to be different from the polarization direction of the windshield polarization plate.

9. The anti-dazzling system of claim 8, wherein the polarization information further includes the polarization direction of the rear polarization plates that is different from the polarization direction of the windshield polarization plate according to the location of the driveway and the driving direction, and the polarization controller controls the polarization directions of the windshield polarization plate and the rear polarization plates according to the polarization information transmitted from the GPS unit.

10. A GPS anti-dazzling method for vehicles, the method comprising:

sensing a location and a driving direction of a vehicle on a driveway by using a GPS;

acquiring polarization information from a polarization information storing unit storing road map information and a polarization direction set in advance according to the location and the driving direction of the vehicle for preventing driver'"'"'s dazzling; and

polarizing a windshield polarization plate, which is installed on a windshield of the vehicle and transmits lights polarized in a direction determined by an electric signal, according to the polarization direction stored in the polarization information.

11. The GPS anti-dazzling method of claim 10, further comprising:

polarizing illumination lights of headlights in a direction that is the same as the polarization direction of the windshield polarization plate using headlight polarization plates that are installed on the headlights of the vehicle and transmit the illumination lights that are polarized in a direction determined by an electric signal,

wherein the polarization direction of the windshield polarization plate stored in the polarization information storing unit is differently set with respect to both directions of the driveways.

12. The GPS anti-dazzling method of claim 10, further comprising:

sensing illumination lights of other vehicles approaching from the front,

wherein if the illumination lights of other vehicle approaching from the front are sensed, the windshield polarization plate is polarized according to the polarization information.

13. The GPS anti-dazzling method of claim 11, further comprising:

sensing illumination lights of other vehicles approaching from the front,

wherein if the illumination lights of other vehicle approaching from the front are sensed, the windshield polarization plate is polarized according to the polarization information.

14. The GPS anti-dazzling method of claim 11, further comprising:

sensing illumination lights of other vehicles approaching from the front; and

sensing a polarization of the illumination lights, when the illumination light of the vehicle approaching from the front is sensed,

wherein if the illumination lights of the vehicle approaching from the front is sensed, the windshield polarization plate is polarized according to the polarization information, and if the illumination lights of the vehicle approaching from the front are polarized, the headlight polarization plates are polarized.

15. The GPS anti-dazzling method of claim 10, further comprising:

polarizing outside mirrors in a direction different from the polarization direction of the headlight polarization plates so that the polarization direction of rear polarization plates that are installed on the outside mirrors of the vehicle to transmit the light polarized in a direction determined by an electric signal is different from the polarization direction of the headlight polarization plates.

16. The GPS anti-dazzling method of claim 11, further comprising:

polarizing outside mirrors in a direction different from the polarization direction of the headlight polarization plates so that the polarization direction of rear polarization plates that are installed on the outside mirrors of the vehicle to transmit the light polarized in a direction determined by an electric signal is different from the polarization direction of the headlight polarization plates.

17. The anti-dazzling method of claim 15, further comprising:

sensing rear illumination lights of other vehicles approaching from behind,

wherein if the illumination lights of the vehicle approaching from the behind are sensed, the outside mirrors are polarized.

18. The anti-dazzling method of claim 17, wherein the polarization information further includes the polarization direction of the rear polarization plates that is different from the polarization direction of the windshield polarization plate, and the polarizing of the outside mirrors is performed by controlling the polarization direction of the rear polarization plates according to the polarization information.