News

Dec 27, 2023

Two Apple Patents surfacing this week related to Adjustable Tinted Windows for Semi and Fully

Last week Patently Apple covered a Project Titan project patent from Apple that

Last week Patently Apple covered a Project Titan project patent from Apple that we covered in a report titled "Apple Invents 'Adjustable Exterior Lighting' Systems for future Semi and fully Autonomous Vehicles" This week the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office officially published more Project Titan patents. This report covers two of them that relate to "adjustable tinting windows.'

System with Adjustable Windows

Apple a patent that relates to their electric, autonomous vehicle project known as Project Titan. More specifically, Apple's granted patent relates to adjustable windows by allowing the vehicle windows to adjust tinting and more.

According to Apple, adjustable windows may have adjustable layers such as adjustable tint layers, adjustable reflectivity layers, and adjustable haze layers. Adjustable window layers may be incorporated into a window with one or more transparent structural layers such as a pair of glass window layers. Adjustable components such as adjustable reflectivity layers, adjustable haze layers, and adjustable tint layers may be interposed between the pair of glass window layers. Fixed partially reflective mirrors, fixed tint layers, and/or fixed haze layers may be used in place of adjustable tint, haze, and reflectivity layers and/or may be incorporated into windows in addition to adjustable tint, haze, and reflectivity layers.

Apple's patent FIG. 1 below illustrates a rudimentary illustration of a vehicle with windows that provide adjustable tint and reflectivity layers; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing how a window may have layers that modify light propagation.

Another aspect to the tinting is that it could provide the vehicle with various levels of privacy. Apple specifically states that "higher ratios of reflected external light to transmitted interior light are associated with a greater one-way mirror effect and therefore enhanced privacy."

Apple's patent FIG. 6 above is a table showing how a window may be configured to operate in a variety of different modes.

Apple's first patent application US 20230013056 A1 places emphasis in it's first 9 patent claims regarding a "Guest-Host Liquid Crystal Device' as follows:

Apple's second patent application US 20230014610 A1 places emphasis on the "Adjustable Tint Layer." Below are just a few key patent claims:

Apple Inventors

Posted by Jack Purcher on January 27, 2023 at 07:43 AM in 1A. Patent Applications, 1B. Continuation Patents, Project Titan, Vehicle Technology | Permalink | Comments (0)