PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-10827564-B1
Application Number: US-201715615547-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B1

Title: Windows with heatable infrared-transparent areas

Abstract:
A window such as a vehicle window may have an infrared-light-blocking area formed from an infrared-light-blocking layer. The window may also have an infrared-light-transparent area formed from an infrared-light-transparent layer that is not covered by the infrared-light-blocking layer. The infrared-light-transparent layer may have a conductive layer that is transparent to near-infrared light such as a conductive oxide layer or a metal layer. The infrared-light-blocking layer may have one or more layers of infrared-light-reflecting material such a silver layer that is electrically coupled to the conductive layer in the infrared-light-transmitting layer. Ohmic heating current may be passed to the conductive layer in the infrared-light-transmitting layer through the conductive layer in the infrared-light-blocking layer or through elongated metal contacts that run along edges of the infrared-light-transmitting layer.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A vehicle window having an infrared-light-blocking area and an infrared-light-transmitting area that is at least partly surrounded by the infrared-light-blocking area, comprising:
 at least one transparent layer; 
 an infrared-light-blocking layer that is supported by the transparent layer in the infrared-light-blocking area, wherein the infrared-light-blocking layer includes a first conductive layer; and 
 an infrared-light-transmitting layer that is supported by the transparent layer in the infrared-light-transmitting area, wherein the infrared-light-transmitting layer includes a second conductive layer that is electrically coupled to the first conductive layer. 
 
     
     
       2. The vehicle window defined in  claim 1  wherein the first conductive layer comprises metal. 
     
     
       3. The vehicle window defined in  claim 2  wherein the second conductive layer comprises a conductive layer selected from the group consisting of: a transparent conductive oxide conductive layer and a metal conductive layer. 
     
     
       4. The vehicle window defined in  claim 3  wherein the first conductive layer is a silver layer. 
     
     
       5. The vehicle window defined in  claim 4  wherein the second conductive layer comprises a transparent conductive oxide. 
     
     
       6. The vehicle window defined in  claim 3  wherein the second conductive layer comprises a thin-film dielectric stack. 
     
     
       7. The vehicle window defined in  claim 1  wherein the infrared-light-blocking layer has multiple layers of metal and wherein the first conductive layer is one of the layers of metal. 
     
     
       8. The vehicle window defined in  claim 1  wherein the first conductive layer is configured to absorb visible light and wherein the second conductive layer is configured to receive an ohmic heating current through the first conductive layer. 
     
     
       9. A vehicle, comprising:
 a body; 
 control circuitry; and 
 a vehicle window in the body that has an infrared-light-blocking area with a first conductive layer and that has an infrared-light-transmitting area with a second conductive layer that is electrically coupled to the first conductive layer, wherein the control circuitry is configured to ohmically heat the infrared-light-transmitting area by applying ohmic heating current to the second conductive layer through the first conductive layer. 
 
     
     
       10. The vehicle defined in  claim 9  further comprising:
 a light-based system that is configured to emit and detect infrared light that passes through the infrared-light-transmitting area. 
 
     
     
       11. The vehicle defined in  claim 10  wherein the vehicle window comprises first and second transparent conductive layers and wherein the vehicle window comprises a polymer layer between the first and second transparent conductive layers. 
     
     
       12. The vehicle defined in  claim 11  wherein the first conductive layer is between the first and second transparent conductive layers. 
     
     
       13. The vehicle defined in  claim 12  wherein the first conductive layer comprises metal and wherein the second conductive layer comprises a conductive oxide. 
     
     
       14. The vehicle defined in  claim 9  further comprising a light detection and ranging system that emits light that passes through the infrared-light-transmitting area. 
     
     
       15. The vehicle defined in  claim 9  further comprising a light detection and ranging system adjacent to the infrared-light-transmitting area, wherein:
 the first conductive layer comprise silver; 
 the second conductive layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of: a metal and a conductive oxide; and 
 the vehicle window has at least first and second glass layers and has polymer that attaches the first and second glass layers. 
 
     
     
       16. A window, comprising:
 a glass layer; 
 an infrared-light-blocking layer having at least one layer of metal, wherein the infrared-light-blocking layer is coupled to the glass layer in an infrared-light-blocking area of the glass layer; and 
 an infrared-light-transmitting layer that is coupled to the glass layer in an infrared-light-transmitting area of the glass layer that is surrounded by the infrared-light-blocking layer, wherein the infrared-light-transmitting layer has a conductive layer that is configured to receive ohmic heating current. 
 
     
     
       17. The window defined in  claim 16  further comprising elongated metal terminals formed along edges of the conductive layer, wherein the conductive layer is configured to receive the ohmic heating current through the elongated metal terminals. 
     
     
       18. The window defined in  claim 16  further comprising elongated metal terminals formed along edges of the infrared-light-blocking layer, wherein the conductive layer is configured to receive the ohmic heating current through the elongated metal terminals, the layer of metal, and the conductive layer. 
     
     
       19. The window defined in  claim 16  wherein the layer of metal is a layer of silver. 
     
     
       20. The window defined in  claim 16  wherein the conductive layer comprises a conductive layer selected from the group consisting of: transparent conductive oxide layer and a metal layer.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application No. 62/372,447, filed Aug. 9, 2016, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     This relates generally to systems with windows, and, more particularly, to systems such as vehicles having windows. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Vehicle windows sometimes include heating and light filtering components. For example, vehicle windows may include filter layers that block infrared light. Vehicle windows with infrared-light-blocking capabilities may help avoid excessive heat buildup in vehicles that are exposed to sunlight. A rear window in a vehicle may use an ohmically heated wire for defrosting. In some vehicles, portions of windows are coated with black ink to hide interior components from view. 
     It can be challenging to incorporate systems such as these effectively into a vehicle. If care is not taken, window structures may be unsightly or may not accommodate desired components. 
     SUMMARY 
     A system such as a vehicle may have windows. A window may have an infrared-light-blocking area formed from an infrared-light-blocking layer supported by one or more transparent layers such as rigid glass or plastic layers. The window may also have an infrared-light-transparent area formed from an infrared-light-transparent layer on the transparent layers of glass or plastic. 
     The infrared-light-blocking layer may have one or more layers of infrared-light-reflecting material such as silver or other metal. The infrared-light-transparent layer may have a conductive layer that is transparent to near-infrared light such as a conductive oxide layer or a metal layer. A conductive layer in the infrared-light-blocking layer such as a silver layer may be electrically coupled to the conductive layer in the infrared-light-transmitting layer. 
     The vehicle may have a body in which a vehicle window is mounted. Control circuitry in the body may be used to generate an ohmic heating current. The ohmic heating current may be passed to the conductive layer in the infrared-light-transmitting layer through the conductive layer in the infrared-light-blocking layer or through elongated metal contacts that run along edges of the infrared-light-transmitting layer. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of an illustrative system in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of a window and an associated light-based component such as a light detection and ranging system that operates through an infrared-transparent area of the window in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional top view of an illustrative window having infrared-transparent areas in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative window in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 5  is a top view of a portion of a window with a layer such as an infrared-blocking layer and an infrared-transparent area that is surrounded by the infrared blocking layer in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative infrared-light-blocking layer in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative infrared-light-transparent layer with a conductive layer for supporting ohmic heating in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative window having an infrared-transparent area that is at least partly within an infrared-light-blocking region in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 9  is a diagram of an illustrative window having terminals (busbars) for applying ohmic heating current to the window and having infrared-light-transparent areas surrounded at least partly by an infrared-light-blocking area in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 10  is a diagram showing how an infrared-light-transparent area on a window may be provided with terminals (busbars) for ohmic heating in accordance with an embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     A system may have windows with one or more structural layers such as layers of glass or rigid plastic. For example, a window may have an outer structural layer such as an outer glass or plastic layer that is laminated to an inner structural layer such as an inner layer of glass or plastic using a layer of polymer. To provide the windows with desired optical properties, additional structures may be incorporated into the windows. These additional structures may include dielectric thin films, conductive layers such as thin-film metal layers, layers that form filters for blocking infrared, visible and/or ultraviolet light, ink layers and other layers for adjusting the outward appearance of part or all of a window, and/or other structures. 
     A system such as a vehicle may have light-based components such as light detection and ranging (LIDAR) systems, infrared illumination systems for supporting night vision, and other optical systems. These components may operate at near-infrared wavelengths of 900-1000 nm, more than 800 nm, less than 1800 nm, or other suitable wavelengths. To allow near infrared light-based components such as near infrared LIDAR systems to operate through a window in a system such as a vehicle, the window may be provided with one or more infrared-transparent areas (infrared-light-transparent areas). These areas may be provided with an appearance that matches the appearance of adjacent portions of a window. The adjacent portions of the window may, for example, have a light gray appearance associated with an infrared-light-blocking coatings and light visible window tint and/or may have an opaque black appearance associated with a black ink window coating or other window layer. To match the appearance of the infrared-transparent areas of a window to adjacent areas that may block infrared light, the infrared-transparent areas may be provided with thin-film coatings. If desired, the thin-film coatings may have multiple layers and may form thin-film interference filters. 
     It may be desirable to ohmically heat an infrared-transparent area of a window to device and/or defrost the area and ensure that a light-based component that is aligned with the area operates satisfactorily and is not blocked by ice or window condensation. To facilitate ohmic heating, at least one of the layers in the thin-film coating for the infrared-transparent area may be formed from a conductive layer. Current may be applied to the conductive layer to ohmically heat the conductive layer and thereby defrost and/or device the infrared-transparent area in the window. 
     An illustrative system with windows is shown in  FIG. 1 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , system  10  may be a vehicle having portions such as portions  18  and  20 . Portion  18  may include wheels  14 , a body such as body  12  with a chassis to which wheels  14  are mounted, propulsion and steering systems, and other vehicle systems. Body  12  may include doors, trunk structures, a hood, side body panels, a roof, and/or other body structures. Seats may be formed in the interior of vehicle  10 . Portion  20  may include windows such as window(s)  16  mounted to body  12 . Window  16  and portions of body  12  may separate the interior of vehicle  10  from the exterior environment that is surrounding vehicle  10 . 
     Windows  16  may include front windows on the front of vehicle  10 , a moon roof (sunroof) window or other window extending over some or all of the top of vehicle  10 , rear windows on the rear of vehicle  10 , and side windows on the sides of vehicle  10 . Windows  16  may be formed from one or more layers of transparent glass, clear rigid polymer (e.g., polycarbonate), polymer adhesive layers, and/or other layers. In some arrangements, window(s)  16  may include laminated window structures such as one or more transparent layers (glass, rigid polymer, etc.) with interposed polymer layer(s). The polymer in a laminated window may be, for example, a polymer such as polyvinyl butyral (PVB) or ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA). 
     Vehicle  10  may include control circuitry  24  and input-output devices  22 . Control circuitry  24  may include storage and processing circuitry for supporting the operation of vehicle  10 . The storage and processing circuitry may include storage such as hard disk drive storage, nonvolatile memory (e.g., electrically-programmable-read-only memory configured to form a solid state drive), volatile memory (e.g., static or dynamic random-access-memory), etc. Control circuitry  24  may also include processing circuitry based on one or more microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, baseband processors, power management units, audio chips, application specific integrated circuits, etc. 
     Processing circuitry in control circuitry  24  may be used to control the operation of vehicle  10  and the components in vehicle  10  (e.g., components associated with windows  16  and input-output components  22 , etc.). For example, control circuitry  24  can apply signals (ohmic heating currents) to conductive films in windows  16  to ohmically heat windows  16  or portions of windows  16 . 
     Input-output devices  22  may be used to gather data for vehicle  10 , may be used to gather information from a user (vehicle occupant, etc.) of vehicle  10 , may be used to provide data from vehicle  10  to external systems or a user, and/or may be used in handling other input and output operations. Input-output devices  22  may include buttons, scrolling wheels, touch pads, key pads, keyboards, and other user input devices. Microphones may be used to gather voice input from a user and may gather information on ambient sounds. Devices  22  may include ambient light sensors, proximity sensors, magnetic sensors, force sensors, accelerometers, image sensors, and/or other sensors for gathering input. Output may be supplied by devices  22  using audio speakers, tone generators, vibrators, haptic devices, displays, light-emitting diodes and other light sources, and other output components. Vehicle  10  (e.g., devices  22 , etc.) may include wired and wireless communications circuitry that allows vehicle  10  (e.g., control circuitry  24 ) to communicate with external equipment and that allows signals to be conveyed between components (circuitry) at different locations in vehicle  10 . 
     Light filter layers and other layers may be incorporated into window  16 . As an example, an infrared-light-blocking filter may be used to cover some or all of a window. As another example, portions of window  16  may be covered with opaque material (e.g., black ink, thin-film dielectric interference filters, coatings of metal, and/or other coatings for masking layers, light filtering, etc.). These layers may be formed from thin-film coatings deposited using physical vapor deposition or other thin-film deposition techniques, may be applied as a polymer coating (e.g., by spraying, printing, etc.), may be formed by laminating a flexible polymer film that includes these layers to window  16 , or may be formed using other suitable fabrication techniques. 
     Inclusion of light filter layers, masking layers, and other layers into window  16  may alter the visible light and infrared light transmission of window  16 . For example, visible light transmission in the infrared-light-transmitting area and visible and/or infrared light transmission in the infrared-light-blocking area may be reduced in (e.g., to 70-95%, to less than 95%, to less than 85%, to less than 75%, to less than 30%, to less than 10%, to less than 5%, to more than 25%, to more than 50%, to more than 70%, etc.). In the infrared-light-blocking layer, infrared light transmitting may be reduced to less than 50%, less than 25%, less than 10%, or more than 1% (as examples). 
     Infrared light blocking may be desirable to prevent excessive heat buildup in the interiors of vehicles exposed to sunlight. Visible light blocking may be used to cut down on transmitted light levels (e.g., to reduce excessive bright light to more desirable brightness levels). To ensure satisfactory operation of light-based components such as infrared-light LIDAR systems or other infrared systems, portions of a window layer adjacent to a LIDAR system may be selectively modified. For example, an infrared-light-transmitting area may be created adjacent to a LIDAR system through which light emitted from the LIDAR system and through which reflected light being detected by the LIDAR system may pass. The infrared-light-transmitting area may be partly or fully surrounded by an infrared-light-blocking area. 
     To visually match the infrared-light-transmitting area to surrounding portions of a window (e.g., infrared-light-blocking and/or visible-light-blocking areas), the infrared-light-transmitting area may, if desired, be provided with layers that help match the appearance of the infrared-light-transmitting area to a surrounding area at visible wavelengths. To facilitate ohmic heating and thereby allowing defrosting and/or deicing of the infrared-light-transmitting areas, the layers in these areas may include at least one conductive layer that can receive ohmic heating current from control circuitry  24 . 
     A top view of a portion of a window (window  16 ) and an associated light-based component such as an infrared LIDAR system (system  30 ) is shown in  FIG. 2 . System  30  may have light-based devices such as light source  34  (e.g., an infrared light source such as an infrared laser or infrared light-emitting diode operating at wavelengths of 800-1000 nm, 700-2000 nm, more than 1500 nm, less than 1000 nm, or other suitable wavelength), and light detector  36  (e.g., in infrared-sensitive photodiode). Optical system  38  may include one or more lenses for collimating light from source  34  and/or for gathering light for detector  36  from light source  34  that has been emitted by system  30  and that has reflected off of external objects in the exterior region surrounding vehicle  10  (see, e.g., object  44  in exterior  46 ). Scanner  40  may be used to scan emitted light beams from source  34  across external objects (e.g., over field-of-view  42 ). System  30  of  FIG. 2  is merely illustrative. Any suitable light-emitting and/or light gathering components operating at any suitable wavelengths (e.g., near infrared wavelengths, etc.) may be incorporated into vehicle  10  if desired. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , system  30  may be aligned with area  161 T of window  16 . Area  16 IT may be an infrared-light-transparent area that allows light emitted by system  30  and detected by system  30  to pass through window  16 . Window  16  may also have regions such as regions  161 B that surround area  16 IT. In regions  161 B, window  16  may have layers that serve to block infrared light and/or that block visible light. 
     There may be one or more areas such as area  161 T of  FIG. 2  in vehicle  10 . In the example of  FIG. 3 , window  16  has four areas  161 T, which are spread along window  16  so that LIDAR systems such as system  30  may view the surroundings of vehicle  10  effectively. More areas  161 T or fewer areas  16 IT may be included in window  16 , if desired. The configuration of  FIG. 3  is illustrative. 
     A cross-sectional side view of an illustrative window is shown in  FIG. 4 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , window  16  may include one or more transparent structural layers such as structural window layers  50 . Two layers  50  are included in window  16  in the example of  FIG. 4 , but more than two layers or fewer than two layers may be included in window  16 , if desired. Layers  50  may be clear layers of rigid polymer, glass, or other transparent material. Polymer layer  52  (e.g., a PVB layer, an EVA layer, or other polymer layer) may be used to couple layers  50  together. 
     One or more layers such as layer  54  may be included in window  16 . These layers may include diffuser layers (e.g., a translucent sheet of polymer, a textured polymer layer coated with a thin transparent metal layer, etc.), a light filter (e.g., one or more metal layers such as one or more silver layers on one or more inorganic or organic dielectric layers, a filter formed from a multilayer dielectric stack having layers with different refractive index values or other multilayer filter structure that is used to block infrared light, ultraviolet light, and/or visible light, etc.), a tint layer (e.g., an optical absorption layer that has a gray color or other suitable color), and/or other layers (e.g., adjustable layers, etc.). One or more of layers  54  may be incorporated into window  16  (e.g., on the inner and/or outer surface of an inner structural layer  50 , on the inner and/or outer surface of an outer structural layer  50 , and/or embedded within polymer layer  52  (e.g., as a thin metal film, as one or more thin-film coating layers on a polymer film carrier or other substrate layer, etc.). 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , layer(s)  54  may be arranged in window  16  to provide some areas such as area  161 T with infrared-light transparency (e.g., 70% or more, 90% or more, etc. at wavelengths of 800-1000 nm or other suitable near infrared wavelengths). Surrounding areas such as area  161 B may block some or all infrared light (e.g., 50% or more, 90% or more, etc. at wavelengths of 800-1000 nm or other suitable near infrared wavelengths). Area  161 T and/or surrounding area  161 B may have optical absorption characteristics that cause area  16 IT and/or area  161 B to reduce visible light transmission. Area  16 IT may be aligned with internal optical systems in vehicle  10  such as LIDAR system  30  of  FIG. 2 . In the example of  FIG. 5 , area  16 IT has a rectangular outline (footprint when viewed perpendicular to the surface of window  16 ). Areas such as area  161 T may also have circular shapes, oval shapes, and/or shapes with other straight and/or curved edges. 
     A cross-sectional side view of an illustrative layer  541 B that may be used in portions of window  16  such as region  161 B is shown in  FIG. 6 . Layer  541 B may have alternating layers  60  and  62 . Layers  60  and/or  62  and/or additional layers of metal, semiconductor, and/or dielectric may be configured to provide layer  541 B with desired optical properties. For example, in scenarios in which region  161 B is an infrared-light-blocking region, layer  541 B may be configured to block infrared light. As an example, layer  541 B may include one or more layers such as layers  60  that are formed from silver, other metals, or other materials that reflect infrared light. Layers  62  may be formed from dielectric (e.g., inorganic and/or organic materials such as oxides, polymers, etc.). If desired, the compositions, thicknesses, and locations and numbers of each of the layers of layer  541 B may be varied to exhibit desired levels of visible light transmission, visible light absorption, and visible light reflection and to exhibit desired levels of infrared light transmission, infrared light absorption, and infrared light reflection. Infrared light may be blocked in a visible-light-transmitting version of layer  541 B and/or in a visible-light-blocking version of layer  541 B. Silver layer(s) may be used to block infrared light or other low emissivity coating structures may be used to form layer  541 B. The example of  FIG. 6  is illustrative. 
     A cross-sectional side view of an illustrative layer  54 IT that may be used in portions of window  16  such as area  16 IT is shown in  FIG. 7 . Layer  54 IT may have a dielectric stack formed from dielectric layers  64 . Layers  64  may include alternating high and low refractive index dielectric layers or patterns of three or more dielectric layers with different respective refractive indices and may be configured to form a thin-film dielectric stack optical filter that transmits near infrared light while transmitting or blocking visible light to a desired degree. If desired, an optical filter formed by layers  64  may be configured to exhibit antireflection properties (e.g., by forming an antireflection layer from the top few layers of layers  64 ) and/or a color adjustment properties. Layers  64  may be formed form silicon oxide, silicon nitride, titanium oxide, other oxides, nitrides, and/or other inorganic and/or organic materials. To enhance conductivity (e.g., to allow ohmic heating of layer  54 IT), layer  54 IT may include one or more conductive layers. For example, a layer such as layer  66  may be formed from a metal, a transparent conductive material such as indium tin oxide (e.g. an indium tin oxide with an enhance oxygen content to enhance infrared transmission), other transparent conducting oxides, and/or other conductive materials (e.g., conductive materials that are at least partly transparent at infrared wavelengths). Although layer  66  is shown as being located below layers  64  in the example of  FIG. 7 , this is merely illustrative. Layer  66  may be embedded within layers  64 , may be formed on top of layers  64 , and/or may be formed elsewhere in layer  54 IT. 
     If desired, color, light absorption, light transmission, light reflection, and/or other optical properties may also be adjusted using one or more additional layers such as optional layer  68 . Layer  68  may be, for example, a semiconductor layer that absorbs different amounts of visible light at different visible wavelengths and thereby adjusts the color of layer  54 IT, a polymer layer with a pigment or dye that absorbs visible light and therefore helps reduce visible light transmission for layer  54 IT (e.g., layer  68  may be an opaque masking layer formed from black ink or polymer including pigments of different colors), and/or other layers for adjusting the optical properties of layer  54 IT. 
     To apply current to area  16 IT to ohmically heat area  16 IT, a conductive layer in area  16 IB may be shorted (electrically coupled) to an ohmic heating conductive layer in area  16 IT. With this arrangement, current may be provided to area  16 IT through area  16 IB. 
     Consider, as an example, the configuration of window  16  that is shown in  FIG. 8 . In the example of  FIG. 8 , area  16 IT includes layer  54 IT and area  161 B includes layer  541 B. Layers  54 IT and  541 B may be supported by substrate  70 . Substrate  70  may be a substrate such as a polymer film in a layer  54  that is embedded in polymer  52  of  FIG. 4 , a polymer film that is laminated to one of layers  50 , a structural substrate layer such as one of layers  50 , and/or other supporting layers formed from polymer, glass, etc. Layers  541 T and  541 B may be located where indicated by illustrative layers  54  in window  16  of  FIG. 4  or at other suitable locations. 
     Layer  541 B may include layers such as layers  72 ,  74 , and  76 . Each of these layers may include one or more dielectric and/or metal layers, or other suitable layers. For example, layer  74  may be a silver layer (see, e.g., layer  60  of  FIG. 6 ) or other conductive layer that forms part of a thin-film stack. Layers  72  and  76  may include additional silver layers (or other metal layers), dielectric layers, or other materials for forming a film such as layer  541 B of  FIG. 6  that blocks infrared light. 
     Layer  541 T may include layers such as layers  78 ,  80 , and  82 . Each of these layers may include one or more dielectric and/or metal layers, or other suitable layers. For example, layer  80  may be a conductive layer such as conductive layer  66  of  FIG. 7 , layer  78  may be a layer such as layer  68  of  FIG. 7 , and layer  82  may include a stack of layers such as layers  64  of  FIG. 7  (as an example). If desired, layers  78  and  82  may include additional layers (dielectric layers, metal layers, semiconductor layers, etc.), for forming a film such as layer  54 IT of  FIG. 7  that transmits infrared light for system  30 . The configuration of  FIG. 8  is merely illustrative. 
     Because both layer  541 B and layer  54 IT include conductive layers, current can be routed through area  161 T for defrosting and/or deicing window  16  in area  161 T and thereby ensuring satisfactory operation of system  30 . For example, control circuitry  24  may supply current to conductive layer  80  from layer  74  via connections (terminals)  84  between layer  74  and layer  80  during operation of vehicle  10 . 
       FIG. 9  shows how window  16  may have terminals such as terminals  86  (sometimes referred to as busbars) through which current may be applied to window  16  by control circuitry  24 . Terminals  86  may be shorted to one or more conductive layers in layer  541 B ( FIG. 8 ) such as conductive layer  74 . Terminals  86  may have elongated shapes (e.g., terminals  86  may be formed from strips of metal that run along the edges of window  16 , etc.) or may have other suitable shapes. The sheet resistance of the metal or other conductive material in terminals  86  may be less than the sheet resistance of conductive layer  74 , which helps spread current along the edges of layer  74  before the current is routed through layer  74  between respective terminals  86 . In the example of  FIG. 9 , infrared-transparent areas  16 IT are formed within area  16 IB, so conductive layer(s) of material in layers  54 IT of areas  16 IT such as conductive layer  80  can be provided with current through connections such as connections  84  of  FIG. 8 . There are three infrared transparent areas  16 IT within the surrounding infrared blocking area  16 IB in the example of  FIG. 9  (two circular and one rectangular). More infrared-transparent areas  16 IT, fewer infrared-transparent areas, infrared-transparent areas of other shapes, and/or infrared-transparent areas  16 IT that are not completely surrounded by area  16 IB (e.g., areas  16 IT that are formed along one or more edges of window  16 ) may also be used. 
     If desired, infrared-transparent areas  16 IT in window  16  may have sets of busbars. As shown in  FIG. 10 , for example, window  16  may have an infrared-transparent region such as area  16 IT that is surrounded by infrared-blocking region  16 IB. Area  16 IT may have metal strips or other structures that form terminals (busbars)  88  that are shorted directly to one or more conductive layers in area  16 IT such as conductive layer  80  ( FIG. 8 ). Signal paths such as conductive traces  90  may be formed in region  16 IB (e.g., using patterned metal, patterned indium tin oxide, etc.). Traces  90  may be narrow and need not cover all of area  16 IB (as with conductive layer  74 ). The width of traces  90  may be relatively small (e.g., 1-100 microns, more than 1 micron, less than 500 microns, etc.) so that traces  90  are not unsightly. 
     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: 20170606
Publication Date: 20201103
Grant Date: 20201103
Priority Date: 20160809
Inventors: WILSON, JAMES R.
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "H05B2203/011", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H05B3/84", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H05B2203/013", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H05B2203/008", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B32B17/10174", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B32B17/061", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B32B17/061", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H05B2203/013", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B32B17/10174", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H05B3/86", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B32B17/061", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B32B17/10174", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H05B2203/013", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H05B3/86", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 73019883