A new patent signed by Apple indicates that much work is still being done on the Apple Car. A new document indicates that the car's own windshield It could act as a protection sheet to avoid glare from other lights. Whether from the sun or from other vehicles.
If you are a driver, you will know that when the sun hits your eyes, the danger behind the wheel multiplies. The same thing happens when a vehicle approaches us with too powerful lights. Glare can lead to an accident. One of the solutions is to use the sunshade to keep the lenses clean or to wear sunglasses. I've always thought why the windshields can't act like some rear view mirrors that darken in direct contact with light.
Apple must have thought the same (and everyone of course) and has put the idea into practice. For this I has registered the patent called "Active Glare Suppression System" which offers a form of Active Visual Noise Cancellation. One that could eprevent bright lights from reaching the driver's eyes, while keeping the rest clear.
Apple's system has two main sections, dealing with detection and suppression respectively. For the former, the system proposed by Apple relies on sensors inside the car to collect many data points. They cover a few items, including where the driver's eyes are in the vehicle, ambient light levels, and where the sources of bright light are outside the vehicle. By knowing where the driver's eyes and light sources are located, the system could determine the path of light and what elements of the windshield or other windows the light passes through.
These modulators can switch between transparent and opaque according to the commands of the control system. Apple suggests that the modulators could be made from photochromic or electrochromic layers of liquid crystal, which could make the glass opaque, dark, or reflective.
As we always say about patents they may never come true. They are ideas that as such can remain on paper forever or become reality. The good thing is that over time we will see what it becomes.
