Apple may have canceled its Apple Car project, but the company continues to be granted technology involving vehicles. The latest is number US 12007639 B2 for “Systems With Adjustable Window Transmission And Haze.”
About the patent
In the patent Apple notes that (obviously) windows such as vehicle windows sometimes include glass layers. To enhance privacy or block sunlight, windows may sometimes be tinted.
Apple’s patent involves windows that may include electrically adjustable layers. An electrically adjustable layer may have adjustable optical properties such as adjustable amounts of haze and light transmission.
Summary of the patent
Here’s Apple’s abstract of the patent: “A system such as a vehicle, building, or electronic device system may have a support structure with one or more windows. The support structure and window may separate an interior region within the system from a surrounding exterior region. Control circuitry may receive input such as user input and may adjust an adjustable layer in the window based on the input. The adjustable layer may have a polymer matrix layer with embedded cells.
“The cells may include intermixed guest-host liquid crystal cells and liquid crystal cells. The guest-host liquid crystal cells and liquid crystal cells may have different liquid crystal materials and/or different sizes that allow the guest-host liquid crystal cells and liquid crystal cells to electrically switch states at different respective threshold voltages. Based on the user input or other input the control circuitry can adjust a drive signal across the adjustable layer to change light transmittance and haze.”
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