US 8,044,784 B2Granted

Sun protection system for automotive vehicle

AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC

InventorsMahmoud Y. Ghannam, Howard E. Churchwell, Todd N. Clark, John W. Jensen

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Abstract

A sun protection system for a transportation vehicle has plurality of LCD zones laminated into one or more glazings of the vehicle. An occupant sensor detects an expanse of at least one occupant in the vehicle. A navigation system determines a vehicle location, a date and time value, and a heading. External and internal temperature sensors sense outside and inside temperatures. A controller generates respective drive signals for the respective LCD zones in a manual mode and in an automatic mode. The controller compares a temperature difference between the outside temperature and the inside temperature to a temperature threshold. The respective drive signals provide substantially zero attenuation if the temperature difference is less than the temperature threshold while in the automatic mode.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A sun protection system for a transportation vehicle comprising:

a plurality of liquid crystal zones laminated in one or more glazings of the vehicle, wherein each liquid crystal zone attenuates light transmission in proportion to a respective drive signal applied across the respective liquid crystal zone;
an occupant sensor for detecting an expanse of at least one occupant in the vehicle;
a navigation system for determining a vehicle location, a date and time value, and a heading;
an external temperature sensor for sensing an outside temperature;
an internal temperature sensor for sensing an inside temperature;
and
a controller for generating the respective drive signals for the respective liquid crystal zones in a manual mode and in an automatic mode, wherein the is controller compares a temperature difference between the outside temperature and the inside temperature to a temperature threshold, and wherein the respective drive signals provide substantially zero attenuation if the temperature difference is less than the temperature threshold while in the automatic mode.

4 more elements

A sun protection system for a transportation vehicle comprising:

a plurality of liquid crystal zones laminated in one or more glazings of the vehicle, wherein each liquid crystal zone attenuates light transmission in proportion to a respective drive signal applied across the respective liquid crystal zone;
an occupant sensor for detecting an expanse of at least one occupant in the vehicle;
a navigation system for determining a vehicle location, a date and time value, and a heading;
a weather detector for detecting at least a predetermined likelihood of sunny conditions around the vehicle;
an external temperature sensor for sensing an outside temperature;
an internal temperature sensor for sensing an inside temperature:
a controller for generating the respective drive signals for the respective liquid crystal zones in a manual mode and in an automatic mode, wherein the controller compares a temperature difference between the outside temperature and the inside temperature to a temperature threshold, wherein the respective drive signals provide substantially zero attenuation if the temperature difference is less than the temperature threshold while in the automatic mode, wherein the drive signals provide substantially zero attenuation if the predetermined likelihood of sunny conditions is absent while in the automatic mode, wherein when the temperature difference is greater than the temperature threshold then the controller determines a sun projection in response to the vehicle location, data and time value, and heading, wherein the controller compares the sun projection with the expanse of the occupant, and wherein a respective drive signal is set to provide a selected attenuation if the sun projection coincides with the expanse while in the automatic mode;
and
a manual interface for manually inhibiting the automatic mode and for selecting a dimming attenuation for a selected liquid crystal zone in the manual mode.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.