Intelligent electro-optical system and method for automatic glare reduction

A method for automatically reducing glare produced from a three-dimensional spatial scene by reducing the intensity of light rays propagating from points in the three-dimensional spatial scene towards an optical element having a field of view, said method comprising the steps:

• a) providing an elector-optical element at a desired distance from said optical element so that the field of view of said optical element passes through said electro-optical element and in the direction of the three-dimensional spatial scene, said electro-optical element having an optically transparent surface including a plurality of pixels, each said pixel having an controllable light transmittance for selectively reducing the intensity of incident light rays propagating from one or more points in said three-dimensional spatial scene, through said pixel, then towards said optical element;
• b) acquiring one or more images of said three-dimensional spatial scene within the field of view of said optical element;
• c) processing said one or more acquired images so as to determine at which pixels the light transmittance is to be actively controlled in order to reduce the intensity of incident light rays by a selected amount before said incident light rays reach said optical element;
• and
• d) actively controlling the light transmittance of said determined pixels so that after incident light rays propagate through said determined pixels, the incident light rays propagate towards said optical element with an intensity reduced by said selected amount, so that glare produced from points in the three-dimensional spatial scene is automatically reduced.

An electro-optical system for automatically reducing glare produced from a three-dimensional spatial scene by reducing the intensity of light rays propagating from points in the three-dimensional spatial scene towards the eyes of a driver having a field of view from aboard a vehicle, said electro-optical system comprising:

• an electro-optical element mounted aboard the vehicle and having an optically transparent surface including a plurality of pixels through which the field of view of the eyes of the driver passes, each said pixel having an controllable light transmittance for selectively reducing the intensity of incident light rays propagating from one or more points in the three-dimensional spatial scene, through said pixel, then towards the eyes of the driver;
• image acquisition means for acquiring one or more images of said three-dimensional spatial scene within the field of view of the eyes of the driver;
• image processing means for processing said one or more acquired images and determining at which pixels the light transmittance is to be actively controlled in order to reduce the intensity of incident light rays by a selected amount before reaching the eyes of the driver;
• and
• control means for actively controlling the light transmittance of said determined pixels so that after incident light rays propagate through said determined pixels, the incident light rays propagate towards the eyes of the driver with an intensity reduced by said selected amount, so that glare produced from the three-dimensional spatial scene is automatically reduced.

A method for automatically reducing glare produced from a three-dimensional spatial scene by reducing the intensity of light rays propagating from points in the three-dimensional spatial scene towards the eyes of a driver having a field of view from aboard a vehicle, sad method comprising the steps:

• a) providing an electro-optical element at a desired distance from the eyes of the driver so that the field of view of the driver passes through said electro-optical element, said electro-optical element having an optically transparent surface including a plurality of pixels, each said pixel having a controllable light transmittance for selectively reducing the intensity of incident light rays propagating from one or more points in the three-dimensional spatial scene, through said pixel, then towards the eyes of the driver;
• b) acquiring one or more images of the three-dimensional spatial scene within the field of view of the eyes of the driver;
• c) processing said one or more acquired images so as to determine at which pixels the light transmittance is to be actively controlled in order to reduce the intensity of incident light rays by a selected amount before said incident light rays reach the eyes of the driver;
• and
• d) actively controlling the light transmittance of said determined pixels so that after incident light rays propagate through said determined pixels, the incident light rays propagate towards the eyes of the driver with an intensity reduced by said selected amount, so that glare produced from the three-dimensional spatial scene is automatically reduced.