PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-12109941-B1
Application Number: US-202217748946-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B1

Title: Windows with photoluminescent lighting

Abstract:
A system may have a window. The window may have a waveguide that includes photoluminescent material such as a phosphor layer. The waveguide may have a waveguide core surrounded by cladding layers. The waveguide may be located between an outer structural glass layer and an inner structural glass layer. A light source such as an ultraviolet light source provides pump light to one or more edges the waveguide. The pump light is guided within the waveguide and excites the photoluminescent material. This causes the photoluminescent material to luminesce and create visible light illumination. The visible light illumination may be used to light up an interior region of the system.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A window configured to separate an interior region in a system from an exterior region surrounding the system, the window comprising:
 first and second glass layers; 
 a waveguide interposed between the first and second glass layers and having a core surrounded by and in contact with cladding layers, wherein the core has a first refractive index and the cladding layers have a second refractive index that is lower than the first refractive index, and wherein the waveguide includes photoluminescent material doped into the core of the waveguide; 
 first and second ultraviolet-light-blocking filters, wherein the first and second glass layers are interposed between the first and second ultraviolet-light-blocking filters; and 
 a pump light source coupled to an edge of the waveguide, wherein the pump light source is configured to emit pump light that causes the photoluminescent material to luminesce and emit light with a yellow color cast, and wherein one of the first and second ultraviolet-light-blocking filters is a thin-film interference filter that has a blue color cast to offset the yellow color cast. 
 
     
     
       2. The window defined in  claim 1  wherein the core guides the pump light via total internal reflection and the cladding layers confine the pump light within the core. 
     
     
       3. The window defined in  claim 2  wherein the pump light source is configured to emit the pump light to cause the photoluminescent material to emit the light into the interior. 
     
     
       4. The window defined in  claim 3  wherein the pump light source is an ultraviolet pump light source. 
     
     
       5. The window defined in  claim 3  wherein the cladding layers comprise a first cladding layer between the first glass layer and the core and a second cladding layer between the second glass layer and the core. 
     
     
       6. The window defined in  claim 1  wherein the pump light source is an ultraviolet light pump source and wherein the first and second glass layers comprise outer and inner structural glass layers. 
     
     
       7. The window defined in  claim 6  wherein the second ultraviolet-light-blocking filter is on the inner structural glass layer and is configured to prevent the pump light from reaching the interior. 
     
     
       8. The window defined in  claim 6  wherein the first ultraviolet-light-blocking filter is on the outer structural glass layer and is configured to prevent ultraviolet ambient light in the exterior region from reaching the photoluminescent material. 
     
     
       9. The window defined in  claim 1  further comprising blue colorant, wherein the photoluminescent material is configured to luminesce when pumped by the pump light to produce visible light illumination that has a color cast and wherein the blue colorant is configured to adjust the color cast of the visible light illumination as the visible light illumination passes from the photoluminescent material to the interior region. 
     
     
       10. A system, comprising:
 a body; 
 a window in the body, wherein the body and the window separate an interior region from an exterior region, wherein the window contains a thin-film interference filter, a waveguide, and a polymer coating with photoluminescent material, wherein the thin-film interference filter is located on an outermost surface of the window facing the interior region, wherein the waveguide comprises a core surrounded by a cladding, and wherein the polymer coating is interposed between the core and the cladding and has a refractive index that matches a refractive index of one of: the core and the cladding; and 
 an ultraviolet light source configured to emit ultraviolet light into the waveguide that pumps the photoluminescent material and causes the photoluminescent material to luminesce and provide visible light illumination to the interior region, wherein the visible light illumination has a yellowish color cast and wherein the thin-film interference filter comprises an ultraviolet-light-blocking filter having a blue color cast to compensate for the yellowish color cast. 
 
     
     
       11. The system defined in  claim 10  wherein the window has a first glass layer and a second glass layer and wherein the waveguide is located between the first and second glass layers. 
     
     
       12. The system defined in  claim 11  wherein the photoluminescent material comprises a layer of phosphor. 
     
     
       13. A window, comprising:
 an outer glass layer; 
 an inner glass layer; 
 a waveguide between the outer glass layer and the inner glass layer, wherein the waveguide includes a core surrounded by cladding material, wherein the cladding material comprises photoluminescent material and is in contact with the core, wherein the photoluminescent material comprises a first photoluminescent material that is excited by a first range of ultraviolet wavelengths and a second photoluminescent material that is excited by a second range of ultraviolet wavelengths that is different from the first range of ultraviolet wavelengths; 
 a light source configured to emit ultraviolet pump light into the core, wherein the ultraviolet pump light is tunable between the first range of ultraviolet wavelengths and the second range of ultraviolet wavelengths, wherein the core guides the ultraviolet pump light to the photoluminescent material via total internal reflection, wherein the cladding material confines the ultraviolet pump light within the core, and wherein the ultraviolet pump light pumps the photoluminescent material so that the photoluminescent material emits visible light illumination that passes through the inner glass layer; 
 a first ultraviolet-light-blocking filter on the outer glass layer; and 
 a second ultraviolet-light-blocking filter on the inner glass layer, wherein at least one of the first and second ultraviolet-light-blocking filters is a thin-film interference filter that has a blue color cast to offset a yellow color cast in the visible light illumination.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application No. 63/231,665, filed Aug. 10, 2021, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     This relates generally to structures that pass light, and, more particularly, to windows. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Windows are used in buildings and vehicles. Windows may be formed from glass or other transparent material. 
     SUMMARY 
     A system such as a building or vehicle may have windows. The windows may be used in separating an interior region of the system from an exterior region surrounding the system. 
     A window in the system may have a waveguide that includes photoluminescent material such as a phosphor layer. The waveguide may have a waveguide core surrounded by cladding layers. The waveguide may be located between an outer structural glass layer and an inner structural glass layer. 
     A light source such as an ultraviolet light source provides pump light to the waveguide core. The pump light is guided within the waveguide and excites the photoluminescent material. This causes the photoluminescent material to luminesce and create visible light illumination. The visible light illumination may be used to light up the interior region of the system. 
     The window may be provided with structures that adjust the color of the visible light illumination. For example, the phosphor layer may produce yellowish light and the window may have blue colorant or a thin-film interference filter that imparts a bluish color cast to help compensate for the yellowish light (e.g., by making the yellowish light less yellow in appearance). 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a diagram of an illustrative system with windows in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  2    is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative window in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  3    is an interior view of an illustrative window in accordance with an embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     A system may have one or more windows or other transparent structures. The windows may have photoluminescent material. The photoluminescent material may be pumped by light sources such as light-emitting diodes. In response, the photoluminescent material may luminesce. Emitted light from the photoluminescent material may be used as a source of illumination. For example, an area of photoluminescent material may be configured to emit light that serves as interior illumination for an interior region of the system. 
     The system in which the windows are used may be a building, a vehicle, or other suitable system. Illustrative configurations in which the system is a vehicle may sometimes be described herein as an example. This is merely illustrative. Window structures may be formed in any suitable systems. 
     A cross-sectional side view of an illustrative system that includes windows is shown in  FIG.  1   . System  10  may be a vehicle, building, or other type of system. In an illustrative configuration, system  10  is a vehicle. As shown in the illustrative side view of system  10  in  FIG.  1   , system  10  may have support structures such as body  12 . Body  12  may be a vehicle body that includes doors, trunk structures, a hood, side body panels, a roof, window pillars, and/or other body structures. Body  12  may be configured to surround and enclose an interior region such as interior region  20 . 
     One or more windows such as windows  14  may be mounted within openings in body  12 . Windows  14  may, for example, be mounted on the front of body  12  (e.g., to form a front window on the front of a vehicle), on the rear of body  12  (e.g., to form a rear window at the rear of a vehicle), on the top of body  12  (e.g., to form a sun roof as shown in the example of  FIG.  1   ), and/or on sides of body  12  (e.g., to form side windows). Windows  14  (e.g., front and rear windows) may include windows that are fixed in place and/or may include windows that can be manually and/or automatically rolled up or down. For example, one or more windows  14  may be controlled using window positioners (e.g., window motors that open and close windows  14  in response to user input or other input). The area of each window  14  may be at least 0.1 m 2 , at least 0.5 m 2 , at least 1 m 2 , at least 5 m 2 , at least 10 m 2 , less than 20 m 2 , less than 10 m 2 , less than 5 m 2 , or less than 1.5 m 2  (as examples). Windows  14  and portions of body  12  may be used to separate interior region  20  from the exterior environment that is surrounding system  10  (exterior region  22 ). 
     System  10  may include a chassis to which wheels are mounted, may include propulsion and steering systems, and may include a vehicle automation system configured to support autonomous driving (e.g., a vehicle automation system with sensors and control circuitry configured to operate the propulsion and steering systems based on sensor data). This allows system  10  to be driven semi-autonomously and/or allows system  10  to be driven autonomously without a human operator. 
     System  10  may include components  18 . Components  18  may include seats in the interior of body  12 , sensors, control circuitry, input-output devices, and/or other vehicle components. Control circuitry in system  10  may include one or more processors (e.g., microprocessors, microcontrollers, application-specific integrated circuits, etc.) and storage (e.g., volatile and/or non-volatile memory). Input-output devices in system  10  may include displays, sensors, buttons, light-emitting diodes and other light-emitting devices, haptic devices, speakers, and/or other devices for providing output and/or gathering environmental measurements and/or user input. The sensors may include ambient light sensors, touch sensors, force sensors, proximity sensors, optical sensors, capacitive sensors, resistive sensors, ultrasonic sensors, microphones, three-dimensional and/or two-dimensional image sensors, radio-frequency sensors, and/or other sensors. Output devices may be used to provide a user with haptic output, audio output, visual output (e.g., displayed content, light, etc.), and/or other suitable output. 
     During operation, control circuitry in system  10  may gather information from sensors (e.g., environmental sensors) and/or other input-output devices, may gather user input such as voice commands provided to a microphone, may gather a touch command supplied to a touch sensor, may gather button input supplied to one or more buttons, etc. Control circuitry in system  10  may use this input in driving system  10  and in controlling components in system  10 . For example, the control circuitry can adjust electrically adjustable illumination sources such as windows with built-in illumination capabilities based on user input and/or environmental measurements. Windows with built-in illumination, which may sometimes be referred to as illuminated windows or adjustable-illumination windows, may have sources of illumination based on optically pumped photoluminescent material. 
     Windows in system  10  such as window  14  of  FIG.  1    may, for example, include photoluminescent material  36 . Pump light source  30  may produce pump light  32 . Pump light  32  may be distributed within window  14  by a waveguide in window  14 . When pump light  32  reaches material  36 , material  36  will luminesce and produce corresponding visible output light  34 . Light  34  may serve as interior illumination (light that illuminates interior region  20  of system  10 ) and/or may be emitted outwardly so that people in exterior region  22  may view light  34  and/or be illuminated by light  34 . If desired, material  36  may be patterned to form icons, sign symbols (e.g., warning symbols such as stop sign symbols, etc.), characters such as letters (e.g., text), and/or other illuminated shapes viewable by occupants of system  10  and by nearby observers. 
     Material  36  may include a phosphor such as cerium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) or other phosphor, photoluminescent nanoparticles (e.g., photoluminescent semiconductor particles), photoluminescent dyes, and/or other photoluminescent material. Material  36  may be provided in a blanket layer (e.g., a global layer covering substantially all of a window) or may cover only a portion of window  14  (e.g., 90% or less of window  14 , 50% or less of window  14 , 30% or less of window  14 , at least 5% of window  14 , at least 40% of window  14 . etc. Material  36  may, for example, be formed in one or more areas (e.g., patches suitable shapes) that cover one or more subregions of a window while leaving remaining parts of the window free of photoluminescent material. 
     During operation, control circuitry in system  10  may, in response to detecting user commands, predetermined environmental conditions, or other conditions, adjust the amount of light being output by a source of pump light. The magnitude of the pump light determines the amount of visible-light luminescence produced by the pumped photoluminescent material. Window illumination may therefore be adjusted by adjusting the pump light source. 
     Window  14  may be flat (e.g., window  14  may lie in the X-Y plane of  FIG.  1   ) or window  14  may have one or more curved portions. As an example, one or more portions of window  14  may be characterized by a curved cross-sectional profile and may have convex and/or concave exterior surfaces (and corresponding concave and/or convex interior surfaces). The area of each window  14  in system  10  may be at least 0.1 m 2 , at least 0.5 m 2 , at least 1 m 2 , at least 5 m 2 , at least 10 m 2 , less than 20 m 2 , less than 10 m 2 , less than 5 m 2 , or less than 1.5 m 2  (as examples). 
     Windows such as window  14  of  FIG.  1    may be formed from one or more layers of transparent glass, clear polymer (e.g., adhesive, non-adhesive polymer films, etc.), and/or other layers. For example, a window may be formed from two glass layers or three glass layers laminated together with polymer. The glass layers may be chemically or thermally tempered (e.g., to create compressive stress on the surfaces of the glass layers). 
       FIG.  2    is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative window. In the illustrative configuration of  FIG.  2   , window  14  is formed from outer window layer  42  and inner window layer  52  (e.g., outer and inner structural glass layers and/or other layers of transparent material). The thicknesses of layers  42  and  52  may be, for example, 0.5 mm to 3 mm, at least 0.3 mm, at least 0.5 mm, less than 4 mm, less than 3 mm, or other suitable thickness. 
     An optical waveguide (sometimes referred to as a light guide layer, light guide, waveguide layer, waveguide, etc.) may be formed in window  14 . The waveguide may include a waveguide core layer such as core  46  surrounded by cladding such as cladding layers  44  and  50 . Core  46  may be formed from a layer of glass, polymer, or other suitable material. Cladding layers  44  and  50 , which may be formed from polymer or other suitable material, may surround core  46  and may have refractive index value(s) that are lower than the refractive index value of core  46 . With this arrangement, core  46  and cladding layers  44  and  50  form a waveguide that confines light  32  within core  46  in accordance with the principal of total internal reflection, thereby allowing light  32  to be distributed across window  14  within the X-Y plane (e.g., so that light  32  propagates in the −Y direction of  FIG.  2    while spreading and mixing in the X dimension). 
     Photoluminescent material  36  may be incorporated into cladding layers  44  and/or  50 , in core  46 , or in one or more separate layers and/or other locations in the waveguide. In the example of  FIG.  2   , photoluminescent material  36  is included in polymer coating layer  48  (sometimes referred to as a phosphor layer or photoluminescent layer), which is interposed between core  46  and cladding layer  50 . The refractive index of layer  48  may match (e.g., within 0.1, within 0.07, within 0.05, or within 0.03) the refractive index of layer  46  or that of layer  50  or the refractive index of layer  48  may have another suitable value (e.g., a value between that of core  46  and that of layer  50 ). In configurations in which photoluminescent material is doped into core  46  or incorporated into cladding layers  44  and  50 , layer  48  may be omitted. 
     Cladding layers  44  and  50  (and, if desired, layer  48  and/or other layers in window  14 ) may be formed from polymer (sometimes referred to as polymer adhesive) that helps attach the structural layers of window  14  together. For example, consider an arrangement in which core  46  is formed from a layer of glass or polymer. In this type of arrangement, layers  44 ,  48 , and  50  may be formed from polymer and may serve to attach layer  42  to the outwardly facing surface of layer  46  and to attach layer  52  to the opposing inwardly facing surface of layer  46 . 
     Examples of polymers that may be used for forming core  46  and cladding layers  44  and  50  (and/or photoluminescent layer  48  and/or other polymer layers in window  14 ) include polycarbonate, acrylic, fluoropolymers, thermoplastic polyurethane, ethylene-vinyl acetate, and polyvinyl butyral (as examples). These polymers may be provided as liquid polymer material that is cured under application of light and/or heat and/or may be provided as preformed polymer films that are laminated into the transparent layers of window  14  during assembly. 
     Spectral filters such as filter layers  40  and  54  may be formed on the outwardly facing surface of layer  42  and the inwardly facing surface of layer  52 , respectively. Filter layers  40  and  54 , may, as an example, be filters configured to block (e.g., absorb and/or reflect) ultraviolet light and/or configured to block some or all of the visible light spectrum and/or infrared light spectrum. In an illustrative configuration, layers  40  and  54 , which may sometimes be referred to as ultraviolet blocking layers, ultraviolet-light-blocking filters, or ultraviolet-light-blocking filter layers, may help prevent ultraviolet light from exterior  22  from reaching photoluminescent layer  48  (see, e.g., layer  40 ) and may help prevent any ultraviolet light that is present in pump light  32  from being emitted inwardly from the waveguide towards interior  20  (see, e.g., layer  54 ). Spectral filters may be provided using polymer that contains material that absorbs, reflects, and/or transmits light of desired wavelengths (e.g., dye, pigment, and/or other colorant), may include thin-film interference filter structures (e.g., a filter formed from a stack of organic and/or inorganic layers dielectric layers with appropriate thicknesses and refractive index layers to form a thin-film interference filter such as a stack of dielectric layers of alternating higher and lower refractive index values, etc.), and/or may include other filter structures (e.g., nano-imprinted ultraviolet light absorption structures for blocking ultraviolet light or other nano-scale features). Although shown as being located on the outermost surfaces of window  14  in the illustrative example of  FIG.  2   , filter layers  40  and/or  54  (and/or the filtering structures and/or materials that form such filters) may be located at any suitable locations within window  14  (e.g., between layers  42  and  44 , between layers  50  and  52 , between other transparent window layers, partly or fully within any one or more transparent window layers in window  14 , etc.). 
     Outer window layer  42  may be formed from a single layer of structural window glass or may include multiple sublayers such as one or more layers of glass, optically clear adhesive, and/or polymer films. Inner window layer  52  may similarly be formed from a single layer of structural window glass or may include multiple sublayers such as one or more layers of glass, optically clear adhesive, and/or polymer films. 
     If desired, optional fixed and/or adjustable optical components may be incorporated into window  14  in addition to and/or in place of window layer(s) shown in  FIG.  2   . Such optional additional layers may be fixed and/or adjustable optical layers providing fixed and/or adjustable amounts of opacity, polarization, reflection, color cast, haze, and/or other optical properties. Configurations for window  14  in which such optional fixed and/or adjustable optical components are not present may sometimes be described herein as an example. 
     During operation, pump light source  30  produces pump light  32 . Control circuitry in system  10  may be used to adjust pump light source  30  and therefore the magnitude of pump light  32 . When it is desired to optically pump photoluminescent layer  48 , source  30  is turned on and set to a desired intensity so that an appropriate amount of pump light  32  is supplied by source  30 . Light  32  is conveyed to the photoluminescent material of layer  48  through the waveguide formed by core  46  and the cladding material surrounding core  46 . When pump light  32  excites photoluminescent material  36 , material  36  exhibits photoluminescence (e.g., material  36  luminesces and emits light  34 ). Emitted light  34  preferably includes visible light. Light  32  may be visible light (e.g., blue light or other visible light), ultraviolet light (e.g., ultraviolet light at a wavelength near the blue end of the visible light spectrum), and/or infrared light (in which case material  36  includes anti-Stokes phosphors and photoluminescence in material  36  is a non-linear two-photon or three-photon process). In an illustrative configuration, which may sometimes be described herein as an example, light  32  is ultraviolet and/or blue light and light  34  is visible light with a longer wavelength than light  32 . 
     Photoluminescent emissions from material  36  tend to be omnidirectional (e.g., characterized by a uniform angular intensity distribution that is independent of the direction from which pump light  32  strikes materials  36 ). As a result, at least some of light  34  may be emitted in directions parallel (or nearly parallel) to the surface normal of window  14  (e.g., the Z axis in the example of  FIG.  2   ). This helps to prevent retention of this portion of light  34  within window  14  due to total internal reflection and therefore helps allow this portion of light  34  to pass out of the waveguide efficiently (e.g., to illuminate interior  22 ). 
     Moreover, the use of photoluminescent layer  48  for producing illumination  34  may help maintain the level of haze for window  14  at a desired low level (e.g., below 2%, below 1.5%, below 1%, below 0.5%, below 0.25%, or other suitably low value). This is because it is not necessary to incorporate hazy visible light extraction features into window  14  to scatter light  32  in the −Z direction. 
     Pump light source  30  may be formed from one or more light-emitting devices such as light-emitting diodes and/or laser diodes. Pump light source  30  may, for example, include sets (one-dimensional arrays) of multiple light-emitting devices that extend along one or more of the edges of window  14 . When light  32  is in the ultraviolet spectrum, light  32  will not be visible, which helps ensure that the output beams of individual light-emitting devices in pump  30  and the mixing of these beams in window  14  will not be visible along the edges of window  14 . Due to the presence of filters  40  and  54 , ultraviolet light from source  30  will be confined within the interior of window  14  and will therefore not expose occupants of system  10  or people in exterior  22 . 
     The color of light  34  may be white or may have a non-white (non-neutral) color cast. As an example, layer  48  may contain yellow phosphor that causes light  34  to have a yellowish color cast. If white light output from window  14  is desired, some or all of the yellow color cast may be compensated (converted to pure white light or other light with less of a yellow color cast) by providing window  14  with a compensating blueish color cast (e.g., by incorporating blue colorant into one or more of the layers of window  14  and/or by configuring thin-film interference filter structures or other filter structures in filters such as filters  40  and/or  54  or other filter structures in window  14  to exhibit a bluish color cast). As an example, layer  48 , filter  54 , or other layer in window  14  (e.g., cladding layer  50 , glass layer  52 , etc.) may be provided with blue colorant (and/or a yellow-blocking thin-film interference filter structure) to help selectively block yellow light and thereby provide light  34  with a bluer (and therefore whiter and less yellow) color cast. In general, light  34  may have a warm tone (e.g., a yellowish appearance), a cold tone (e.g., a bluish appearance), a white appearance, and/or may have any other suitable color cast. 
     To help reduce visible light haze that might otherwise arise by allowing ambient visible light from exterior region  22  to pump layer  48 , the photoluminescent material of window  14  may be configured to luminesce only under ultraviolet light illumination and not visible light illumination and/or a narrowband photoluminescent material may be used for layer  48 . If desired, deep blue pump light (e.g., pump light at or near 400 nm in wavelength) may be used as pump light  32  and material  36  may be configured to luminesce only when pumped by deep blue pump light or ultraviolet light (thereby reducing undesired pumping by longer wavelength visible light). 
     If desired, more than one type of photoluminescent material may be used in window  14 . This allows pump light sources  30  of different wavelengths to be used to selectively pump photoluminescent material in different respective areas of window  14 . Consider, as an example, the top view of window  14  of  FIG.  3   . As shown in  FIG.  3   , window  14  may have three different areas of photoluminescent material  36  (e.g., a first area containing layer  48 - 1 , a second area containing layer  48 - 2 , and a third area containing layer  48 - 3 ). In this example, the first, second, and third areas do not overlap and are located in a row that extends along the Y axis away from pump light source  30 . 
     Pump light source  30  contains multiple light-emitting devices  30 ′ arranged along the edge of window  14 . Devices  30 ′ may contain light-emitting diodes and/or other light-emitting components that emit light of different wavelengths. Control circuitry in system  10  may adjust source  30  to adjust the spectrum of emitted light  32 . In this way, different areas of window  14  may be caused to luminesce. 
     Each area of window  14  may have photoluminescent material with different pump light requirements. As an example, layer  48 - 1  may contain photoluminescent material that only luminesces under pump light of 350 nm or less, layer  48 - 2  may contain photoluminescent material that only luminesces under pump light of 370 nm or less (including 350 nm pump light), and layer  48 - 3  may contain photoluminescent material that only luminesces under pump light of 390 nm or less (including 370 nm and 350 nm pump light). Source  30  may contain individually controlled light-emitting diodes. Source  30  may, for example, contain first diodes that emit light at 350 nm, second diodes that emit light at 370 nm, and third diodes that emit light at 390 nm. By controlling which diodes in source  30  are activated, source  30  can produce pump light  32  at 350 nm, 370 nm, or 390 nm. When source  30  is directed to output 390 nm light, this light will pass the first and second areas without causing layers  48 - 1  or  48 - 2  to luminesce, but will successfully pump layer  48 - 3  in the third area and will therefore cause layer  48 - 3  in the third area to luminesce. Accordingly, in this first scenario, light  34  will be emitted from the third area and not from the first and second areas. When it is desired to emit light from the second and third areas, source  30  may be adjusted so that light  34  has a 370 nm wavelength. Pump light  32  of with wavelength will not cause layer  48 - 1  to luminesce but will cause both layers  48 - 2  and layer  48 - 3  to luminesce. Light  34  may be emitted from the first, second, and third areas of window  14  by adjusting source  30  to produce pump light  32  at 350 nm (thereby causing layers  48 - 1 ,  48 - 2 , and  48 - 3  to luminesce). 
     As this example demonstrates, by using a tunable-wavelength pump light source  30  in window  14  and using photoluminescent material with different pump light energy requirements (maximum wavelength requirements) in different areas of window  14 , the areas of window  14  that emit light  34  can by dynamically controlled. This allows chasing light effects and other dynamic visual effects to be produced, allows different areas of window  14  to be statically illuminated (e.g., so that different areas of interior  22  can be selectively provided with illumination  34 ), and/or otherwise allows the pattern of illumination  34  that is emitted by window  14  to be adjusted. 
     The foregoing is merely illustrative and various modifications can be made to the described embodiments. The foregoing embodiments may be implemented individually or in any combination.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20220519
Publication Date: 20241008
Grant Date: 20241008
Priority Date: 20210810
Inventors: MAZUIR, Clarisse
KINGMAN, DAVID E
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "B32B17/10458", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B32B17/10449", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B32B1/00", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B32B2307/418", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B32B17/10201", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B32B17/10743", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B32B17/10752", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B32B17/10788", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B32B17/10761", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B32B17/1077", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B32B2250/02", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B32B2457/20", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B32B2457/208", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B32B2307/422", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B32B2419/00", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B32B2605/00", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B32B17/10541", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B32B17/10036", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B32B17/10045", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02B6/0003", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02B6/0095", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02B6/0063", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60Q3/208", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60J1/20", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60Q3/68", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60Q3/74", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60Q1/268", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "F21S43/16", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60Q3/64", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02B6/0003", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60Q1/268", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B32B17/10541", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02B6/0063", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02B6/0095", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60Q3/68", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "F21S43/16", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60J1/20", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60Q3/64", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60Q3/74", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60Q3/208", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02B6/0095", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02B6/0063", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02B6/0003", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "F21S43/16", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60Q3/68", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60Q1/268", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B32B17/10541", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60Q3/74", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60Q3/64", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60J1/20", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60Q3/208", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 92936158