US 2026/0084500 A1 · ADAPTIVE WINDSHIELD

Abstract

A system includes a windshield and processor(s). The windshield has a first substrate and a second substrate that are optically transparent, and a liquid crystal (LC) layer encased between the first substrate and the second substrate. A surface of at least one of: the first substrate and the second substrate that is in contact with the LC layer has at least one optical feature that pertains to at least one optical property. The at least one optical property includes at least one of: optical power, diffraction, refraction, transmittance, reflectance, polarization. The processor(s) are configured to selectively adjust a refractive index of an LC material in at least a given portion of the LC layer, to modulate the at least one optical property in a corresponding portion of the windshield.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A system comprising:

a windshield comprising:
a first substrate and a second substrate that are optically transparent;
and
a liquid crystal (LC) layer encased between the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein a surface of at least one of:
the first substrate, the second substrate that is in contact with the LC layer has at least one optical feature that pertains to at least one optical property, wherein the at least one optical property comprises at least one of:
optical power, diffraction, refraction, transmittance, reflectance, polarization;
and
at least one processor configured to selectively adjust a refractive index of an LC material in at least a given portion of the LC layer, to modulate the at least one optical property in a corresponding portion of the windshield.

5 more elements

A method implemented by a system comprising a windshield comprising a first substrate and a second substrate that are optically transparent, and a liquid crystal (LC) layer encased between the first substrate and the second substrate, the method comprising:

employing at least one optical feature of a surface of at least one of:
the first substrate, the second substrate that is in contact with the LC layer to produce at least one optical property, wherein the at least one optical property comprises at least one of:
optical power, diffraction, refraction, transmittance, reflectance, polarization;
and
selectively adjusting a refractive index of an LC material in at least a given portion of the LC layer, to modulate the at least one optical property in a corresponding portion of the windshield.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Adaptive windshield

Life of this patent

Adaptive windshield

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20