Adaptive Sun Visor

• US 20080094529A1
• Filed: 06/08/2005
• Published: 04/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Eputmobile Inc.
• Original Assignee: Eputmobile Inc.
• Inventors: He, Long, Mei, Zhaozhi, He, Fan
• Application Number:
  US11/573,684
• Publication Number:
  US 20080094529A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 349/16
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 3/04 adjustable in transparency
• 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: G09G 2320/0626 for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/144 the light being ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3611 Control of matrices with row and column drivers

Abstract

This invention discloses an adaptive sun visor, which has a microcontroller (2), a keypad (4), a photo sensor array assembly (1), and a liquid crystal panel (3), which comprises a number of pixels. The microcontroller (2) has interfaces to keypad (4), photo sensor array assembly (1), and liquid crystal panel (3). Microcontroller (2) reads the outputs of photo sensor array assembly (1) through its A/D channels, and microcontroller (2) activates pixels on the liquid crystal panel based on the outputs of photo sensor array assembly (2). The invented adaptive sun visor can prevent the vehicle driver from the disturbance of the offending light and thus the driver can safely operate the vehicle.

Claims

1-13. -13. (canceled)

14. An adaptive sun visor, comprising:

a photo sensor array assembly to detect offending light source;

a liquid crystal panel with a number of pixels;

a keypad; and

a microcontroller configured to selectively activate pixels on the liquid crystal panel based on inputs from the photo sensor array assembly and the keypad.

15. The adaptive sun visor set forth in claim 14, wherein the microcontroller comprises at least one general input/output, at least one serial interface, at least one reset input, at least one interrupt input, and at least one A/D channel.

16. The adaptive sun visor set forth in claim 14, wherein the microcontroller comprises a plurality of input/output interfaces, a keypad interface and an interface to drive the liquid crystal panel.

17. The adaptive sun visor set forth in claim 15, wherein the microcontroller comprises a plurality of input/output interfaces, a keypad interface and an interface to drive the liquid crystal panel.

18. The adaptive sun visor set forth in claim 14, wherein the photo sensor array assembly comprises a vertical photo sensor array, a horizontal photo sensor array, or a combination thereof.

19. The adaptive sun visor set forth in claim 14, wherein the photo sensor array assembly comprises a plurality of A/D channels for reading input signals from photo sensors.

20. The adaptive sun visor set forth in claim 18, wherein the photo sensor array assembly comprises a plurality of A/D channels for reading input signals from photo sensors.

21. The adaptive sun visor set forth in claim 14, wherein the photo sensor array assembly comprises an optical filter, photosensitive cover glass, one or more cylindrical lens, a linear photo sensor array, and an interface circuit to the microcontroller.

22. The adaptive sun visor set forth in claim 18, wherein the photo sensor array assembly comprises an optical filter, photosensitive cover glass, one or more cylindrical lens, a linear photo sensor array, and an interface circuit to the microcontroller.

23. The adaptive sun visor set forth in claim 19, wherein the photo sensor array assembly comprises an optical filter, photosensitive cover glass, one or more cylindrical lens, a linear photo sensor array, and an interface circuit to the microcontroller.

24. The adaptive sun visor set forth in claim 20, wherein the photo sensor array assembly comprises an optical filter, photosensitive cover glass, one or more cylindrical lens, a linear photo sensor array, and an interface circuit to the microcontroller.

25. The adaptive sun visor set forth in claim 14, wherein the liquid crystal panel comprises a passive liquid crystal panel driver, which interfaces with the microcontroller and drives the strips in a front plane and the strips in a back plane of the liquid crystal panel.

26. The adaptive sun visor set forth in claim 14, wherein the liquid crystal panel comprises an active liquid crystal panel driver, which interfaces with the microcontroller and drives the pixels in a front plane of the liquid crystal panel.

27. The adaptive sun visor set forth in claim 14, wherein the pixels on the liquid crystal panel are in a transparent state when not activated, and the pixels on the liquid crystal panel are in a partially transparent or non-transparent state when activated.

28. The adaptive sun visor set forth in claim 25, wherein the pixels on the liquid crystal panel are in a transparent state when not activated, and the pixels on the liquid crystal panel are in a partially transparent or non-transparent state when activated.

29. The adaptive sun visor set forth in claims 16, wherein the pixels on the liquid crystal panel are in a transparent state when not activated, and the pixels on the liquid crystal panel are in a partially transparent or non-transparent state when activated.

30. The adaptive sun visor set forth in claim 14, wherein the front plane and back plane of the liquid crystal panel use laminated glass or plastic as substrates.

31. The adaptive sun visor set forth in claim 25, wherein the front plane and back plane of the liquid crystal panel use laminated glass or plastic as substrates.

32. The adaptive sun visor set forth in claim 26, wherein the front plane and back plane of the liquid crystal panel use laminated glass or plastic as substrates.

33. The adaptive sun visor set forth in claim 27, wherein the front plane and back plane of the liquid crystal panel use laminated glass or plastic as substrates.

34. The adaptive sun visor set forth in claim 14, wherein the keypad has a mode select key, a “

+”

key, a “

−

”

key and a reset key.