Systems and methods for improving the brightness of a transparent display using supplemental light sources that include ambient light collected by an array of metasurface lenses

US11807167B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC. · US

Inventors

• Sean P. Rodrigues · Ann Arbor, US
• Ercan Mehmet Dede · Ann Arbor, US
• Frederico Marcolino Quintao Severgnini · Ann Arbor, US
• Danny J. Lohan · Ann Arbor, US
• Masaaki Kawauchi · Mihama, JP
• Kojiro Tachi · Nagoya, JP
• Hiroshi Ando · Kariya, JP

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 30, 2022
• Grant date: Nov 7, 2023
• Expiry date: Nov 30, 2042

Classification

• Technology area (CPC B): Performing Operations; Transporting
• CPC primary: B60K2360/336
• WIPO field: Transport
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

Systems and methods for improving the brightness of a transparent display are disclosed herein. One embodiment collects ambient light using an array of metasurface lenses disposed on an external surface of a vehicle; collects internal light from the vehicle's headlights; filters the ambient light and the internal light to produce filtered ambient light and filtered internal light; generates primary-source light using a light-emitting-diode (LED) light source; and injects, into a transparent edge-lit liquid crystal waveguide display deployed in at least a portion of a window of the vehicle, the primary-source light, the filtered ambient light, and the filtered internal light in a color-synchronized manner. The filtered ambient light and the filtered internal light improve the brightness of the transparent edge-lit liquid crystal waveguide display.