Dynamically managing vehicle glass dimming

• US 9,409,464 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2013
• Issued: 08/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Globalfoundries US Incorporated (GlobalFoundries, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: GlobalFoundries, Inc.
• Inventors: Tomkins, Thomas G., Allen, Corville O., Duquene, Joel, Meli, Henri F., Tomkins, Gerald G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): LI, CE LI
• Application Number:
  US13/870,040
• Publication Number:
  US 20140320946A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,202 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 3/04 adjustable in transparency
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/163 Operation of electrochromic cells, e.g. electrodeposition cells; Circuit arrangements therefor

Abstract

A method, system or computer usable program product for dynamically changing transparency of portions of a vehicle transparent material including determining a location of a bright light with respect to a vehicle; determining a driver location within the vehicle; selectively changing a transparency of a selected portion of the vehicle transparent material to obscure the bright light from the driver'"'"'s eyes, while allowing a majority of the vehicle transparent material to remain normally transparent; and repeating the above steps continually to adjust a location of the selected portion of the vehicle transparent material as the vehicle changes orientation with respect to the bright light.

Claims

1. A method of dynamically changing transparency of portions of a vehicle transparent material comprising:

determining a location of a bright light with respect to a vehicle;

determining a driver location within the vehicle;

determining a relative brightness of the bright light relative to ambient light;

selectively changing transparency of a selected portion of the vehicle transparent material to obscure the bright light from the driver'"'"'s eyes while allowing a majority of the vehicle transparent material to remain normally transparent, wherein the amount of changed transparency is based on the relative brightness of the bright light;

determining whether the driver is wearing sunglasses, wherein the step of selectively changing transparency is affected by a positive sunglasses determination; and

repeating the above steps continually to adjust a location of the selected portion of the vehicle transparent material as the vehicle changes orientation with respect to the bright light;

wherein the method further comprises determining a tinting of the sunglasses and wherein the step of selectively changing transparency is modified by the determined tinting of the sunglasses.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the vehicle transparent material is a portion of a mirror.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining a passenger location within the vehicle; and

selectively changing transparency of a second selected portion of the vehicle transparent

material to obscure the bright light from the passenger'"'"'s eyes unless the second selected portion is directly in front of the driver;

wherein the step of repeating is also repeated for the above steps.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising changing transparency of a third and fourth selected portion of the vehicle transparent material in response to a second bright object;

wherein determining the driver location includes monitoring a head position of the driver;

wherein determining the passenger location includes monitoring a head position of the passenger;

wherein each selected portion includes multiple sections, each section changed in transparency selectively, wherein one section may be changed in transparency more than another section within each selected portion; and

wherein an interface is provided to the driver to adjust changing transparency of the selected portions.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the location of the sun as the bright light with respect to the vehicle is determined based on global positioning satellite signals, the current time, and the elevation and angle of the vehicle relative to the earth.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein an interface is provided to the driver to adjust the amount of changed transparency of the selected portion without disabling the changed transparency of a selected portion of the vehicle transparent material.

7. A computer usable program product comprising a non-transitory computer usable storage medium including computer usable code for use in dynamically changing transparency of a portion of a vehicle transparent material, the computer usable code being configured for performing the steps of:

determining a location of a bright light with respect to a vehicle;

determining a driver location within the vehicle;

determining a relative brightness of the bright light relative to ambient light;

selectively changing transparency of a selected portion of the vehicle transparent material to obscure the bright light from the driver'"'"'s eyes while allowing a majority of the vehicle transparent material to remain normally transparent, wherein the amount of changed transparency is based on the relative brightness of the bright light;

determining whether the driver is wearing sunglasses, wherein the step of selectively changing transparency is affected by a positive sunglasses determination; and

repeating the above steps continually to adjust a location of the selected portion of the vehicle transparent material as the vehicle changes orientation with respect to the bright light;

wherein the computer usable code is further configured for determining a tinting of the sunglasses and wherein the step of selectively changing transparency is modified by the determined tinting of the sunglasses.

8. The computer usable program product of claim 7 wherein the vehicle transparent material is a portion of a mirror.

9. The computer usable program product of claim 7 wherein the computer usable code is further configured for:

determining a passenger location within the vehicle; and

selectively changing transparency of a second selected portion of the vehicle transparent

material to obscure the bright light from the passenger'"'"'s eyes unless the second selected portion is directly in front of the driver;

wherein the step of repeating is also repeated for the above steps.

10. The computer usable program product of claim 7 wherein the location of the sun as the bright light with respect to the vehicle is determined based on global positioning satellite signals, the current time, and the elevation and angle of the vehicle relative to the earth.

11. The computer usable program product of claim 7 wherein the computer usable code is further configured for providing an interface to the driver to adjust the amount of changed transparency of the selected portion without disabling the changed transparency of a selected portion of the vehicle transparent material.

12. A data processing system for dynamically changing transparency of a portion of a vehicle transparent material, the data processing system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing program instructions which, when executed by the processor, execute the steps of;

determining a location of a bright light with respect to a vehicle;

determining a driver location within the vehicle;

determining a relative brightness of the bright light relative to ambient light;

selectively changing transparency of a selected portion of the vehicle transparent material to obscure the bright light from the driver'"'"'s eyes while allowing a majority of the vehicle transparent material to remain normally transparent, wherein the amount of changed transparency is based on the relative brightness of the bright light;

determining whether the driver is wearing sunglasses, wherein the step of selectively changing transparency is affected by a positive sunglasses determination; and

repeating the above steps continually to adjust a location of the selected portion of the vehicle transparent material as the vehicle changes orientation with respect to the bright light;

wherein the program instructions, when executed by the processor, further execute determining a tinting of the sunglasses and wherein the step of selectively changing transparency is modified by the determined tinting of the sunglasses.

13. The data processing system of claim 12 wherein the vehicle transparent material is a portion of a mirror.

14. The data processing system of claim 12 wherein the program instructions, when executed by the processor, further execute:

determining a passenger location within the vehicle; and

selectively changing transparency of a second selected portion of the vehicle transparent

material to obscure the bright light from the passenger'"'"'s eyes unless the second selected portion is directly in front of the driver;

wherein the step of repeating is also repeated for the above steps.

15. The data processing system of claim 12 wherein the location of the sun as the bright light with respect to the vehicle is determined based on global positioning satellite signals, the current time, and the elevation and angle of the vehicle relative to the earth.

16. The data processing system of claim 12 wherein the program instructions, when executed by the processor, further provide an interface to the driver to adjust the amount of changed transparency of the selected portion without disabling the changed transparency of a selected portion of the vehicle transparent material.