System and method for dynamic privacy and window tinting

• US 10,843,535 B1
• Filed: 12/01/2016
• Issued: 11/24/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Mazuir, Clarisse, Dan, Budhadipta, Bayat, Khadijeh, Last, Matthew E., Garrone, Ryan J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mott, Adam R
• Application Number:
  US15/366,671
• Time in Patent Office: 1,454 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 3/04 adjustable in transparency
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2009/2464 featuring transparency control by applying voltage, e.g. LCD, electrochromic panels
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/6722 with adjustable passage of light
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/24 Screens or other constructions affording protection against light, especially against sunshine; Similar screens for privacy or appearance; Slat blindsoperating, guiding or securing devices or arrangements for roll-type closures E06B9/56; free-hanging flexible screens A47H23/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13306 Circuit arrangements or driving methods for the control of single liquid crystal cells G02F1/132, G02F1/133382 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13318 Circuits comprising a photodetector
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13725 based on guest-host interaction G02F1/13762, G02F1/13737, take precedence

Abstract

A system includes a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations including determining a current state of a vehicle, the current state determined based on information from sensors, receiving a tinting control signal based on the current state of the vehicle, and adjusting a voltage level of an adjustable tint film to control a tinting level of an exterior facing surface of the vehicle based on the tinting control signal.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a processor;

a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

determining a current state of a vehicle, the current state of the vehicle determined based on information from sensors, and the current state of the vehicle including a current location of the vehicle;

in response to anticipating that the vehicle is approaching a physical structure that causes less ambient light to enter the vehicle than the ambient light entering the vehicle at the current location of the vehicle based on the current state of the vehicle, determining a tinting control signal that allows an increased amount of ambient light to enter a front of the vehicle at the physical structure; and

sending a command to a tinting module to adjust a voltage level of an adjustable tint film to control a tinting level of an exterior facing surface of the vehicle based on the tinting control signal.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensors comprise a global positioning system (GPS) hardware device, a thermometer, a barometer, a precipitation sensor, an ambient light sensor (ALS), a three dimensional camera, a two-dimensional camera, an iris camera, a weight sensor, a microphone, an electrocardiography (ECG) sensor, an infrared antenna, and a touch screen.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein adjusting the voltage level of the adjustable tint film to control the tinting level of the exterior facing surface further comprises:

adjusting a first portion of the exterior facing surface to a first tinting level and adjusting a second portion of the exterior facing surface to a second tinting level, the first tinting level different than the second tinting level.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the adjustable tint film comprises a first polycarbonate layer, a first conductive layer, a guest host liquid crystal layer having adjustable dye, a second conductive layer, and a second polycarbonate layer.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the tinting module further performs:

adjusting an orientation of the adjustable dye based on the voltage level, the orientation of the adjustable dye controlling the tinting level having a particular level of light absorption.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the exterior facing surface of the vehicle comprises a first layer of glass in a transparent window, the transparent window further comprising a first bonding layer, the adjustable tint film, a second bonding layer, and a second layer of glass, the adjustable tint film located between the first layer of glass and the second layer of glass.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein determining the tinting control signal comprises:

in response to determining that the vehicle is parked based on the current state of the vehicle, modifying the tinting control signal to obstruct a view of an interior of the vehicle.

8. A method comprising:

determining, by a processor, a current state of a vehicle based on information from sensors, wherein the current state of the vehicle comprises a state of a passenger of the vehicle and a current location of the vehicle;

in response to determining that the passenger is asleep or falling asleep based on the current state of the vehicle, determining, by the processor, a first tinting control signal that controls a first tinting level of a first exterior facing surface of the vehicle to prevent ambient light from entering a zone of the vehicle through the first exterior facing surface;

in response to anticipating that the vehicle is approaching a landmark such that less ambient light enters the vehicle due to the landmark than at the current location of the vehicle based on the current state of the vehicle, determining, by the processor, a second tinting control signal that controls a second tinting level of a second exterior facing surface of the vehicle to allow more ambient light to enter the vehicle through the second exterior facing surface, wherein the second exterior facing surface is not the first exterior facing surface; and

adjusting, by the processor, a voltage level of an adjustable tint film to control a tinting level of at least one of the first exterior facing surface of the vehicle based on the first tinting control signal or the second exterior facing surface of the vehicle based on the second tinting control signal.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining the current state of the vehicle based on information from the sensors comprising a global positioning system (GPS) hardware device, a thermometer, a barometer, a precipitation sensor, an ambient light sensor (ALS), a three dimensional camera, a two-dimensional camera, an iris camera, a weight sensor, a microphone, an electrocardiography (ECG) sensor, an infrared antenna, and a touch screen.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining the current state of the vehicle in a particular zone of the vehicle and activating a tinting hardware module in the particular zone of the vehicle based on the current state in the particular zone.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining a proximity of a mobile computing device to the vehicle and adjusting the voltage level of the adjustable tint film based on the proximity.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining tinting preferences of an occupant of the vehicle based on a communication received from the mobile computing device; and

adjusting the voltage level of the adjustable tint film further based on the tinting preferences of the occupant of the vehicle.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining a third tinting control signal based on the information received from the sensors; and

adjusting the voltage level of the adjustable tint film to control a tinting level of a mirror of a plurality of mirrors of the vehicle based on the third tinting control signal, wherein each mirror of the plurality of mirrors has a respective adjustable tinting level.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining a third tinting control signal based on the information received from the sensors; and

adjusting the voltage level of the adjustable tint film to control a tinting level of a diffuser of the vehicle based on the third tinting control signal, each diffuser having an individually definable tinting level.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a processor to;

determine, based on information from sensors, a degree of closing of eyes of an occupant of a vehicle;

determine an intent of the occupant of the vehicle based on the degree of closing of eyes of the occupant of the vehicle;

in response to determining that the occupant intends to sleep based on the intent of the occupant of the vehicle, determine a tinting control signal to reduce an amount of ambient light entering the vehicle; and

send a command to a tinting module to adjust a voltage level of an adjustable tint film to control a tinting level of an exterior facing surface of the vehicle based on the tinting control signal.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, the processor further to determine interior light within the vehicle and determine the tinting control signal based on the interior light within the vehicle to obstruct a view of an interior of the vehicle.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, the processor further to determine interior light within the vehicle and determine the tinting control signal based on the interior light within the vehicle to obstruct a view of an interior of the vehicle in a particular privacy area identified by a passenger.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, the processor further to receive an explicit tinting command, the explicit tinting command comprising one of a gesture activated command, a voice activated command, and a touch command, and adjust the voltage level of the adjustable tint film based on the explicit tinting command.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the exterior facing surface of the vehicle comprises one of a roof of the vehicle, a windshield of the vehicle, and a window of the vehicle.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the intent of the occupant is determined based on a gaze of the occupant of the vehicle, and wherein the intent is determined based on a first vector from a finger or hand from the occupant of the vehicle or a second vector to the eyes of the occupant of the vehicle.