Device and method for controlling a shading system for a vehicle

A vehicle, comprising:

• a rear window;
• one or more side windows;
• a shading system configured to shade or darken the rear window or the one or more side windows;
• a camera system configured to detect image data of a head or body position of a driver of the vehicle;
• an evaluation device configured to evaluate the detected image data to determine a gaze direction of the driver, wherein the gaze direction of the driver is determined either as a function of
• a current pose of the head or body position of the driver determined based on the detected image data, or
• eye positions of the driver determined based on the detected image data;
• and
• a control unit configured to control the shading system responsive to the following conditions being satisfied
• the determined current gaze direction of the driver is the driver looking in an interior rear view mirror of the vehicle or the driver looking in a direction of the rear window or one of the one or more side windows,
• a reverse gear of the vehicle is set or activated, and
• the vehicle is in operation or activated,
• wherein the control unit is configured to control the shading system, responsive to the conditions being satisfied, by suspending or switching off a current shading or darkening of the rear window or a current shading or darkening of a side window of the one or more side windows that is in the determined gaze direction of the driver.

A method for controlling a shading system for a vehicle that shades or darkens a rear window or one or more side windows of the vehicle, the method comprising:

• detecting, by a camera system of the vehicle, image data of a head or body position of a driver of the vehicle;
• evaluating, by an evaluation device, the detected image data in order to determine a gaze direction of the driver as a function of
• a current pose of the head or body position of the driver based on the detected image data, or
• eye positions of the driver determined based on the detected image data;
• controlling, by a control unit, the shading system responsive to the following conditions being satisfied
• the determined current gaze direction of the driver is the driver looking in an interior rear view mirror of the vehicle or the driver looking in a direction of the rear window or one of the one or more side windows,
• a reverse gear of the vehicle is set or activated, and
• the vehicle is in operation or activated,
• wherein the control of the shading system responsive to the conditions being satisfied involves suspending or switching off a current shading or darkening of the rear window or a current shading or darkening of a side window of the one or more side windows that is in the determined gaze direction of the driver.