Window-based temperature determination and/or display
AssigneeToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
InventorsSean P. Rodrigues, Ercan Mehmet Dede
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A window can comprise a first side and a second side substantially parallel to the first side. The window can comprise an optical grating operatively positioned with respect to one of the first side and the second side. The optical grating can be used to determine a temperature at or near the respective one of the first side and the second side.
Claims20
A window, comprising:
- a first side;
- a second side substantially parallel to the first side;
- a first optical grating operatively positioned on the first side and used to determine a temperature of an external environment of the first side;
- a second optical grating operatively positioned on the second side and used to determine a temperature of an external environment of the second side;
- a first light source operatively positioned on the first side and configured to emit light toward the first optical grating;
- a first detector operatively positioned to detect one or more wavelengths of the light after it has interacted with the first optical grating;
- a second light source operatively positioned on the second side and configured to emit light toward the second optical grating;
- and
- a second detector operatively positioned to detect one or more wavelengths of the light after it has interacted with the second optical grating.
A window system, comprising:
- a structure having a window, the window having a first side and a second side substantially parallel to the first side;
- an optical grating operatively positioned on one of the first side and the second side, the optical grating being used to determine a temperature of an external environment of the window on the respective one of the first side and the second side;
- a light source operatively positioned on one of the first side and the second side, the light source being configured to emit light toward the optical grating in a direction substantially parallel to one of the first side and the second side;
- a detector operatively positioned to detect one or more wavelengths of the light after it has interacted with the optical grating;
- and
- a processor operatively connected to the optical grating, the processor being configured to:
- determine, using wavelength-temperature dependence data, the temperature of the external environment of the window on the respective one of the first side and the second side based on the detected one or more wavelengths.
A method for determining a temperature of an external environment of a window on one of a first side and a second side of the window, the second side being substantially parallel to the first side, and the window including a first optical grating operatively positioned on the first side and used to determine a temperature of an external environment of the first side, a second optical grating operatively positioned on the second side and used to determine a temperature of an external environment of the second side, a first light source operatively positioned on the first side and configured to emit light toward the first optical grating, a first detector operatively positioned to detect one or more wavelengths of the light after it has interacted with the first optical grating, a second light source operatively positioned on the second side and configured to emit light toward the second optical grating, a second detector operatively positioned to detect one or more wavelengths of the light after it has interacted with the second optical grating, the method comprising:
- determining, using at least one of the first optical grating and the second optical grating, the temperature of the external environment of the window on one of the first side and the second side.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.