Systems, methods, and vehicles providing adaptive window transparency for vehicle mode switching
AssigneeToyota Research Institute, Inc.
InventorManuel Ludwig Kuehner
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In one embodiment, a method of controlling adaptive window transparency includes calculating a buffer period having a start time and an end time. The method also includes adjusting transparency on a set of windows based on the start time of the buffer period and transferring control of the vehicle to the vehicle or driver based on the end time. In response to detecting an emergency, the method further includes removing all tinting on the set of windows. In another embodiment, a method of controlling adaptive window transparency includes calculating a buffer period based on a navigation route.
Claims19
A method to enhance situational awareness of a driver, the method comprising:
- operating a vehicle having an autonomous mode, a manual mode, and a set of windows;
- calculating, with a processor, a buffer period having a start time and an end time based on switching between the autonomous mode and the manual mode, and a transition rate that is a rate of transparency change to change a transparency of the set of windows from a first transparency state to a second transparency state over the buffer period;
- adjusting the transparency on the set of windows according to the transition rate such that the transparency changes from the first transparency state to the second transparency state at the end time;
- switching modes based on the end time;
- and
- in response to detecting an emergency, removing all tinting on the windows.
A vehicle capable of enhancing situational awareness of a driver, the vehicle comprising:
- a set of windows capable of adjusting transparency;
- a computer system affixed to the vehicle having:
- a communication path;
- a window tinting module communicatively connected to the communication path;
- an autonomous control module communicatively connected to the communication path having an autonomous mode and a manual mode;
- an electronics control module communicatively connected to the communication path having:
- one or more processors communicatively connected to the electronics control module;
- one or more memory modules communicatively connected to the electronics control module having a set of machine readable instructions and upon execution by the one or more processors, performing at least the following:
- operating the vehicle by the autonomous control module;
- calculating, with the processor, a buffer period having a start time and an end time based on switching between the autonomous mode and the manual mode, and a transition rate that is a rate of transparency change to change a transparency of the set of windows from a first transparency state to a second transparency state over the buffer period;
- adjusting transparency on the set of windows according to the transition rate such that the transparency changes from the first transparency state to the second transparency state at the end time;
- switching modes based on the end time;
- and
- in response to detecting an emergency, removing all tinting on the windows.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.