Method means and device for limiting the light penetration through one or more pane in a single viewing port

• US 6,405,105 B1
• Filed: 12/17/1998
• Issued: 06/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hsu, Jimmy M., Lu, Yuan-Rong, Hsu, Peter Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hartman, Jr., Ronald D.
• Application Number:
  US09/213,921
• Time in Patent Office: 1,272 Days
• Field of Search: 700/12, 700/56, 700/299, 700/300, 160/310, 359/568, 359/270, 359/275, 100/120, 49/31, 701/49, 701/36
• US Class Current: 700/299
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 1/17 vertically
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 3/02 adjustable in position B60J3/002, B60J3/005 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/695 Control circuits therefor

Abstract

A method, means, and device for controlling the amount of light penetration through a viewing port and, more particularly, a new and improved method of controlling one or more pane such that the one or more pane varies the degree of energy reflection and absorption of a single viewing port.

Claims

1. A method for changing an amount of light penetration through a viewing port, comprising:

receiving an input signal;

determining the amount of light penetration through the viewing port at the time of said receiving an input signal;

performing an action as required to respond to the input signal based on said determining the amount of light penetration through the viewing port at the time of said receiving an input signal; and

recording the amount of light penetration through the viewing port after said performing an action.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

determining a state of at least one action override signal and blocking said performing an action in response to the state of said at least one action override signal.

3. The method according to claim 2 further comprising initiating a performance of an override action in response to at least one action override signal.

4. The method according to claim 2 in which said determining the state of said at least one action override signal comprises determining if a view port pane is unlocked.

5. The method according to claim 2 in which said determining the state of said at least one action override signal comprises determining the state of a system off switch.

6. The method according to claim 2 in which said determining the state of said at least one action override signal comprises determining the state of a remote control.

7. The method according to claim 2 in which said determining the state of said at least one action override signal comprises determining the state of a failure indication device.

8. The method according to claim 2 in which said determining the state of said at least one action override signal comprises determining the state of an automatic mode engaged switch.

9. The method according to claim 2 in which said determining the state of said at least one action override signal comprises determining the state of an optical sensor.

10. The method according to claim 2 in which said blocking comprises terminating an execution of at least one software program.

11. The method according to claim 3 further comprising recording the amount of light penetration through the viewing port before said performance of an override action.

12. The method according to claim 11 in which said recording the amount of light penetration through the viewing port before said performance of an override action, comprises storing in a random access memory, the current degree of shading of at least one pane residing in the viewing port.

13. The method according to claim 11 in which said recording the amount of light penetration through the viewing port before said performance of an override action, comprises storing in a random access memory, a current position of at least one pane residing in the viewing port.

14. The method according to claim 1 in which said receiving an input signal comprises receiving an input signal from a group comprising a darken pane signal, a darken pane to opaque signal, a lighten pane signal, and a lighten pane to clear signal.

15. The method according to claim 1 in which said receiving an input signal comprises receiving an input signal from a group comprising a raise pane signal, a raise all panes signal, a lower pane signal, and a lower all panes signal.

19. The method according to claim 1 in which said performing an action comprises changing a degree of shading of at least one pane residing in the viewing port.

20. The method according to claim 1 in which said performing an action comprises changing a position of at least one pane residing in the viewing port.

21. The method according to claim 1 in which said recording the amount of light penetration comprises storing in a random access memory, a current degree of shading of at least one pane residing in the viewing port.

22. The method according to claim 1 in which said recording the amount of light penetration comprises storing in a random access memory, a current position of at least one pane residing in the viewing port.

16. The method according to claim I in which said determining the amount of light penetration comprises retrieving from a current state random access memory, the amount of light penetration through the viewing port.

17. The method according to claim 16 in which said retrieving the amount of light penetration through the viewing port from a current state random access memory comprises retrieving from a current state random access memory, a current degree of shading of at least one pane residing in the viewing port.

18. The method according to claim 16 in which said retrieving the amount of light penetration through the viewing port from a current state random access memory comprises retrieving from a current state random access memory, a current position of at least one pane residing in the viewing port.

23. A device for changing an amount of light penetration through a viewing port, comprising:

a means for receiving an input signal;

a means for determining the amount of light penetration through the viewing port at the time the input signal is received;

a means for performing an action as required to respond to the input signal based on the amount of light penetration through the viewing port at the time the input signal is received; and

a means for recording the amount of light penetration through the viewing port after the performance of an action.

24. The device according to claim 23 further comprising:

a means for determining a state of at least one action override signal and a means for blocking the performance of an action in response to the state of said an action override signal.

25. The device according to claim 24 further comprising a means for initiating a performance of an override action in response to at least one action override signal.

26. The device according to claim 24 in which said means for determining the state of at least one action override signal comprises a means for determining if a view port pane is unlocked.

27. The device according to claim 24 in which said means for determining the state of said at least one action override signal comprises a means for determining the state of a system off switch.

28. The device according to claim 24 in which said means for determining the state of said at least one action override signal comprises a means for determining the state of a remote control.

29. The device according to claim 24 in which said means for determining the state of said at least one action override signal comprises a means for determining the state of a failure indication device.

30. The device according to claim 24 in which said means for determining the state of said at least one action override signal comprises a means for determining the state of an automatic mode engaged switch.

31. The device according to claim 24 in which said means for determining the state of said at least one action override signal comprises a means for determining the state of an optical sensor.

32. The device according to claim 24 in which said means for blocking comprises a means for terminating an execution of at least one software program.

33. The device according to claim 25 further comprising a means for recording the amount of light penetration through the viewing port before performance of an override action.

34. The device according to claim 33 in which said means for recording the amount of light penetration through the viewing port, before performance of an override action, comprises a means for storing in a random access memory, a current degree of shading of at least one pane residing in the viewing port.

35. The device according to claim 33 in which said means for recording the amount of light penetration through the viewing port, before performance of an override action, comprises a means for storing in a random access memory, a current position of at least one pane residing in the viewing port.

36. The device according to claim 23 in which said means for receiving an input signal comprises a means for receiving an input signal from a group comprising a darken pane signal, a darken pane to opaque signal, a lighten pane signal, and a lighten pane to clear signal.

37. The device according to claim 23 in which said means for receiving an input signal comprises a means for receiving an input signal from a group comprising a raise pane signal, a raise all panes signal, a lower pane signal, and a lower all panes signal.

38. The device according to claim 23 in which said means for determining the amount of light penetration comprises a means for retrieving from a current state random access memory, the amount of light penetration through the viewing port.

39. The device according to claim 38 in which said means for retrieving the amount of light penetration through the viewing port from a current state random access memory comprises a means for retrieving from a current state random access memory, a current degree of shading of at least one pane residing in the viewing port.

40. The device according to claim 38 in which said means for retrieving the amount of light penetration through the viewing port from a current state random access memory comprises a means for retrieving from a current state random access memory, a current position of at least one pane residing in the viewing port.

41. The device according to claim 23 in which said means for performing an action comprises a means for changing a degree of shading of at least one pane residing in the viewing port.

42. The device according to claim 23 in which said means for performing an action comprises a means for changing a position of at least one pane residing in the viewing port.

43. The device according to claim 23 in which said means for recording the amount of light penetration through the viewing port comprises a means for storing in a random access memory, a current degree of shading of at least one pane residing in the viewing port.

44. The device according to claim 23 in which said means for recording the amount of light penetration through the viewing port comprises a means for storing in a random access memory, a current position of at least one pane residing in the viewing port.

45. A device for changing an amount of light penetration through a viewing port, comprising:

a mode controller containing light penetration modifying functions;

an input device in signal communication with said mode controller; and

a light penetration recorder in signal communication with said mode controller wherein said mode controller is responsive to said input device and said light penetration recorder is responsive to said mode controller.

46. The device according to claim 45 further comprising:

an action override determiner in signal communication with and responsive to said mode controller; and

an input action blocking device in signal communication with said mode controller wherein said input action blocking device is responsive to said action override determiner and said mode controller is responsive to said input blocking device.

47. The device according to claim 46 further comprising an override input action initiator in signal communication with said action override determiner and responsive to said action override determiner.

48. The device according to claim 47 further comprising a pre-override action recorder in signal communication with said override input action initiator and said mode controller wherein said pre-override action recorder is responsive to said override input action initiator.

49. The device according to claim 48 further comprising at least one override input device in signal communication with said action override determiner.