Automotive screen deployment system
AssigneesToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsShailesh N. Joshi, Ercan Mehmet Dede, Frederico Marcolino Quintao Severgnini
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A screen deployment device includes a screen, a light source, and a photoactuator coupled to the screen and configured to change size or shape in response to light. When the photoactuator is illuminated by light from the light source, the screen is in a first shape, position, or orientation (e.g., unfolded, unrolled, or otherwise deployed), and when the photoactuator is not illuminated by light from the light source, the screen is in a second shape, position, or orientation (e.g., folded, rolled, or otherwise stowed).
Claims18
A screen deployment device, comprising:
- a screen;
- a plurality of light sources configured to emit near-infrared light;
- and
- a plurality of photoactuators directly physically coupled to the screen and to the plurality of light sources and configured to change size or shape in response to near-infrared light,
- wherein when the plurality of photoactuators is illuminated by near-infrared light from the plurality of light sources, the screen is in a first shape, position, or orientation, and
- wherein when the plurality of photoactuators is not illuminated by near-infrared light from the plurality of light sources, the screen is in a second shape, position, or orientation.
A screen deployment system, comprising:
- a vehicle;
- a screen disposed within the vehicle;
- a plurality of light sources configured to emit near-infrared light;
- and
- a plurality of photoactuators disposed within the vehicle and directly physically coupled to the screen and to the plurality of light sources and configured to change size or shape in response to near infrared light,
- wherein when the plurality of photoactuators is illuminated by near infrared light from the plurality of light sources, the screen is in a first shape, position, or orientation, and
- wherein when the plurality of photoactuators is not illuminated by near-infrared light from the plurality of light sources, the screen is in a second shape, position, or orientation.
A method for deploying a screen, the method comprising:
- coupling the screen to a plurality of photoactuators, wherein each photoactuator of the plurality of photoactuators is configured to change size or shape in response to near-infrared light;
- and
- illuminating the plurality of photoactuators with near-infrared light from a plurality of light sources directly physically coupled to the plurality of photoactuators, such that:
- when the plurality of photoactuators is illuminated by the near-infrared light from the plurality of light sources, the screen is in a first shape, position, or orientation, and
- when the plurality of photoactuators is not illuminated by the near-infrared light from the plurality of light sources, the screen is in a second shape, position, or orientation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.