Sunshade device in a motor vehicle

Abstract

This invention relates to a privacy screen in a motor vehicle, comprising a passenger-side display with a switchable privacy screen mechanism that, in a predetermined operating state, is switched on to prevent the content displayed on the passenger-side display from being seen from the driver's seat area. According to the invention, the privacy screen includes a light-emitting mechanism, controlled by a control unit, aligned with the passenger-side display, which illuminates the passenger-side display from the outside to block any remaining dynamic footage that is still visible from the driver's seat position even when the privacy screen mechanism is switched on.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The invention relates to a screening device for a co-driver display in a motor vehicle, which is designed to be switchable for screening a line of sight laterally directed at the co-driver display. BACKGROUND

[0002] DE 101 26 186 A1 (D1) discloses a lighting device arranged in the roof of a vehicle, which is aimed at a light-reflecting display. As an alternative to background lighting, a liquid crystal display is illuminated using daylight or light of a lighting device reflected by a mirror.

[0003] DE 10 2019 113 024 A1 discloses a projection device for a motor vehicle interior, comprising a light source for generating light rays and a deflection mechanism for deflecting the light rays to a surface of a component in the motor vehicle interior.

[0004] JP 2015 017895 A discloses a display device comprising a flat component having a prismatic structure directed perpendicular to each other, so that light emitted from a diffusing plate is concentrated towards a user and the optical density is improved.

[0005] GB 2571266 A discloses a control device and method for controlling the brightness of an illumination area in a vehicle. The control device is designed to receive an input signal indicating a measured eye direction of a driver of the vehicle and to determine a relationship between the measured eye direction and a predetermined area in the vehicle. In addition, the control device provides a brightness control signal to adjust the brightness of a light source depending on the determined relationship.

[0006] EP 1 262 741 A1 discloses a display device, wherein a light-reflecting display is illuminated by a light source arranged in the roof or in a region adjoining the roof, so that a direct front lighting mechanism of the light-reflecting display arranged on the display can be dispensed with.

[0007] DE 41 07 021 C2 discloses a display device for displaying a television picture, which has a liquid crystal filter, wherein the display device is illuminated by a lamp arranged at the edge of the display device with about 10 lumens, so that the blind area for the vehicle seat position is significantly enlarged. Optionally, the lamp can be connected to an unshown switch for the vehicle headlight during the night, in order to switch the lamp on and off or to adjust the lamp brightness, so that differences in the ambient light conditions are compensated.

[0008] Animations or dynamic images such as movies should not be displayed to the driver of a vehicle during the vehicle's journey. This leads to the need for obscuring the content for the driver, for example when a passenger in the passenger side looks at a movie. US 2013 / 0162924 Al discloses a switchable privacy filter, whereby information is displayed in at least two modes. In a first mode the viewing angle is limited, so that only from a normal near side orientation the filter can be looked at. In a second mode the viewing angle is increased, so that the information can also be seen from a larger angle of inclination.

[0009] A disadvantage of the above-mentioned obscuring devices is that, when the driver looks at the screen, despite the obscuring device being active, the remaining segments can still be seen due to the different viewing angles. SUMMARY

[0010] In contrast, it is the task of the present invention to provide a device and a method, whereby the distraction of the driver can be further minimized.

[0011] A first aspect of the present invention relates to an obscuring device, comprising a light emitting mechanism aligned to the passenger display and controlled by a control unit, the light emitting mechanism illuminating the passenger display from outside the display for preventing remaining segments of a dynamic from being visible from the driver's seat position in case the privacy viewing mechanism is switched to an obscuring. The passenger display can be purposefully illuminated with external light, the contrast ratio between the screen brightness and the ambient brightness can thereby be influenced. In other words, especially in the dark, because of the external light, the contrast of the illuminated passenger display with respect to the environment is reduced, the image on the screen appears less bright, whereby the so-called remaining segments can no longer be seen by the driver. The privacy viewing mechanism is for example designed as a switchable privacy film, which is arranged below the glass plate of the passenger display. The passenger display is for example arranged as an LCD display with backlight. In a special embodiment, a dual backlight is employed for compensating brightness fluctuations, one backlight illuminates in normal manner, i.e. in public mode, the other backlight illuminates in obscuring manner, i.e. in private mode. According to the invention, the control unit controls the brightness of the light emitting mechanism depending on the brightness of the passenger display. The control unit receives a brightness signal from the passenger display. Depending on one or more stored characteristic curves representing a corresponding assignment of display brightness and light emitting mechanism brightness, the control unit controls the light emitting mechanism. In combination with, or in correspondence to, the ambient brightness, a family of characteristic curves can also be stored, which indicate the brightness of the light emitting mechanism depending on the ambient brightness and the display brightness. Advantageously, an optimized obscuring of the driver's line of sight can thus be achieved depending on the system-side or user-adjustable screen brightness.

[0012] In another preferred embodiment, the device comprises an ambient light sensor, wherein the control unit controls the luminous intensity of the light-emitting means depending on the ambient brightness. The control unit controls the light-emitting means depending on one or more characteristic curves which show the corresponding assignment of ambient brightness to luminous intensity of the light-emitting means. The characteristic curves are determined empirically by setting the luminous intensity of the light-emitting means at various ambient brightnesses in such a way that the remaining segment, i.e. the projection / ghost, on the co-driver display is not visible from the driver's position in the case of switching of the privacy screen to the shielding position. In a preferred embodiment, the ambient light sensor is arranged in such a way that the light incidence on the light-emitting means and on the co-driver display is shielded, because otherwise a change in the light intensity of the light-emitting means would be evaluated as a change in the ambient brightness. The shielding is achieved, for example, by arranging the ambient light sensor away from the co-driver display and / or by shielding the housing.

[0013] In a refinement, the light-emitting means are only activated above a predetermined limit speed. In the low-speed range, the risk of distraction of the driver by the remaining segment is low, so that the activation of the light-emitting means can be dispensed with.

[0014] In a modified embodiment, the light-emitting means comprise a light shield which focuses the light emitted from the light-emitting means onto the co-driver display. By bundling the light emitted from the light-emitting means, the interior of the vehicle is no longer excessively illuminated, so that the distraction of the driver can be reduced.

[0015] In another preferred embodiment, the light-emitting means are arranged in an operating module which is preferably arranged in the roof of the vehicle. Such an operating module is usually arranged in the roof area between the driver and the co-driver and comprises, for example, operating elements for the sliding roof, interior lighting and reading light. By integrating the light-emitting means in the operating module, in addition to the advantageous position, a corresponding wiring possibility for the current and data lines is provided, so that the shielding device according to the application can be realized at low cost.

[0016] In another embodiment, the co-driver display adjusts the screen brightness depending on the ambient light. In order to ensure the best possible content recognizability and at the same time to ensure the least possible eye strain of the viewer, the screen brightness is reduced in the dark and increased in the case of high ambient brightness. In combination with the light-emitting means, an effective driver's line of sight shielding and a high image quality required for fatigue-free viewing of the co-driver display can be achieved in all operating states of the co-driver display.

[0017] In other or alternative embodiments, the co-driver display comprises a prismatic film which causes the screen brightness to be reduced from a predetermined limit angle in order to avoid disturbing the driver's mirror image in the windscreen of the motor vehicle. In particular, the light reflection of the light-emitting means on the co-driver display, which is reflected again at the windscreen and leads to a driver's line of sight obstruction and distraction, is inhibited by means of the prismatic film. The prismatic film is designed in such a way that the light exit on the display surface is reduced in a defined manner from a predetermined vertical limit angle.

[0018] A second aspect of the invention relates to a motor vehicle having a shielding device including the aforementioned features.

[0019] A third aspect of the invention relates to a method for controlling a shielding device, wherein the passenger-side display is illuminated to prevent dynamic residual segments that are still visible from the driver's seat position even when the privacy mechanism is switched to shielding, wherein the brightness of the light-emitting mechanism is controlled according to the brightness of the passenger-side display. By means of the shielding device control according to the invention, effective shielding of the display content for a viewer seated in the driver's seat is achieved under all environmental conditions and display brightness. The intensity of the light-emitting mechanism is controlled such that residual segments in the form of dynamic projections on the passenger-side display can no longer be seen. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Other advantages, features, and details are derived from the following description, which may be detailed with reference to at least one embodiment. As shown herein:

[0021] Figure 1 The interior of a motor vehicle equipped with the shielding device of the present invention is shown.

[0022] Figure 2 A family of characteristic curves is shown for the light-emitting mechanism of the shielding device that controls the brightness of the shielding device based on ambient light and the brightness of the passenger display. Detailed Implementation

[0023] according to Figure 1 The diagram schematically illustrates the seating or resting areas of the driver's seat 1 and the front passenger seat 3 within the interior of a vehicle 5. The vehicle has an instrument panel 7 associated with the driver's seating area, a centrally located display 9, and a front passenger display 11. The instrument panel 7 displays driving-related data to the driver, the centrally located display 9 is configured for both the driver and front passenger, for example, to adjust the radio transmitter or interior temperature, and the front passenger display 11 is configured to provide entertainment for the front passenger using dynamic images such as movies or television programs. The front passenger display includes a switchable privacy shutter. Privacy shutters known from the prior art, such as those designed as privacy films, are switched on when displaying animations or dynamic images, thus preventing them from being seen by the person in the driver's seat, i.e., the person in the driver's seating area. However, blocking the driver's view of the display by activating the privacy shutter is only insufficient under the corresponding display and ambient brightness, because the driver can still see the dynamic projection from their seating or resting area due to the high contrast between the ambient brightness and the brightness of the front passenger display 11.

[0024] A roof-mounted operating unit 13 is also provided in the vehicle interior 5. In addition to various operating components (not shown) for sliding roof, reading lights, etc., the roof-mounted operating unit 13 is equipped with a light-emitting mechanism 15. The light beam 17 emitted from the light-emitting mechanism 15 is focused onto the passenger-side display 11 by means of a light shield 12.

[0025] The light-emitting mechanism 15 is connected to the control unit 19 via a data cable (not shown). The control unit 19 is in turn connected to the passenger-side display 11 and the ambient light sensor 19 via data cables.

[0026] The control unit 19 stores characteristic curves that assign a brightness value of the light-emitting mechanism 15 to each brightness value in the vehicle interior 5 and each brightness value of the passenger display 11.

[0027] The light-emitting mechanism 15 is controlled by the control unit 19 such that it is at a brightness value determined from the characteristic curve or family of characteristic curves based on the ambient brightness and the brightness of the passenger display.

[0028] The light emitted by the light-emitting mechanism 15 is focused onto the passenger display 11, thus reducing the contrast difference with the environment. By reducing the contrast difference, the remaining segments can no longer be seen on the passenger display 11 from the driver's resting area.

[0029] Figure 2 Example shows a family of characteristic curves stored in control unit 19 for controlling the light-emitting mechanism 15. Ambient brightness is plotted about axis 23, and the brightness of the passenger-side display is plotted about axis 25. Each pair of ambient brightness and display brightness values ​​corresponds to a brightness value of the light-emitting mechanism 15 plotted about axis 27. For values ​​between these pairs, the brightness value of the light-emitting mechanism 15 is extrapolated. The family of characteristic curves may differ significantly from the family shown depending on the configuration of the privacy shutter and the passenger-side display. The family of characteristic curves shown is only used to illustrate basic relationships.

[0030] For example, under very low monitor brightness and simultaneously low ambient brightness, the brightness of the light-emitting mechanism 15 should be set low due to the small difference in contrast. As the monitor brightness remains low while the ambient brightness increases, the brightness of the light-emitting mechanism can be increased due to the increased contrast.

[0031] In situations with high ambient brightness and low monitor brightness, the brightness of the light-emitting mechanism 15 should be increased. However, if the ambient brightness remains constant while the monitor brightness increases, the brightness of the light-emitting mechanism 15 can decrease due to the reduced contrast.

[0032] To account for all configuration-dependent effects, the values ​​of the family of characteristic curves are determined empirically. For this purpose, an optimal brightness value for the light-emitting mechanism is determined for the corresponding pairs of ambient and display brightness values, namely, the following brightness value, which allows for optimal concealment of the passenger-side display content for viewers located within the driver's seating area.

Claims

1. A privacy screen for a motor vehicle, comprising a passenger-side display (11) with a switchable privacy screen mechanism, the privacy screen mechanism being switched on in a predetermined operating state to prevent the content displayed on the passenger-side display (11) from being seen from the driver's (1) seat area. Its characteristics are, The shielding device includes a light-emitting mechanism (15) controlled by a control unit (19) aligned with the passenger-side display (11). The light-emitting mechanism illuminates the passenger-side display (11) to prevent the remaining display content, which is visible from the driver's (1) seat area even when the privacy screen is switched on and active. The control unit (19) controls the brightness of the light-emitting mechanism according to the brightness signal received from the passenger-side display (11) based on the brightness of the passenger-side display (11).

2. The shielding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The device includes an ambient light sensor (21), wherein the control unit (19) controls the brightness of the light-emitting mechanism (15) based on the ambient brightness.

3. The shielding device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The light-emitting mechanism (15) includes a light shield (12) that focuses the light emitted from the light-emitting mechanism (15) onto the passenger display (11).

4. The shielding device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The light-emitting mechanism (15) is located in the operating module (13) inside the vehicle roof.

5. The shielding device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The passenger-side display (11) adjusts the screen brightness according to the ambient light.

6. The shielding device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The passenger-side display (11) includes a prism film that reduces screen brightness from a predetermined limit angle to avoid interfering with the driver's reflection in the windshield of the vehicle.

7. A motor vehicle having a shielding device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A method for controlling a privacy screen, the privacy screen comprising a passenger-side display (11) having a switchable privacy mechanism, the privacy mechanism being switched on in a predetermined operating state to prevent the content displayed on the passenger-side display (11) from being seen from the driver's seat area, characterized in that, The passenger-side display (11) is illuminated to prevent the remaining content of the display from being seen from the driver's seat position even when the privacy screen is switched to the shielded position, wherein the brightness of the light-emitting mechanism is controlled according to the brightness signal received from the passenger-side display (11).

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