Display on engine hood of motor vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a motor vehicle (2) having a direction of travel (8) for straight forward travel; comprising a seat region (10) having a head region (16) for an occupant (14); comprising a hood (4) which is arranged in front of a seat area in the direction of travel and which has a display element (20) which can be seen from the head area and which can be switched in the event of an electrical energy demand in order to vary the displayed information (24), which can be kept without energy, the motor vehicle is provided for displaying such content as information on a display element (20) for an occupant. The invention also relates to a method for displaying information (24) on a motor vehicle (2), in which a display element (20) is switched in the event of an electrical energy demand in order to change the displayed information, and in the absence of energy, the displayed information remains unchanged, on which display element (20) such content is displayed as information to an occupant.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to an information display on a motor vehicle bonnet. Background Art

[0002] It is known from JP P2009-67251A to provide an information display device capable of outputting information display at a position ensuring a good view for the driver without hindering the aerodynamic characteristics of the vehicle. The information display device is mounted on the hood of the vehicle and displays route guidance information. The information display device utilizes the hood surface of the vehicle as a screen to display information on the screen by a projector. The information display device can display route guidance information including a relatively large amount of information. Summary of the invention

[0003] The object of the present invention is to improve the display of information on the bonnet of a motor vehicle.

[0004] This object is achieved by a motor vehicle according to claim 1. Preferred or advantageous embodiments of the invention and further inventive categories are apparent from the further claims, the following description and the drawings.

[0005] The motor vehicle is in particular a passenger vehicle, in particular an off-road vehicle or SUV (Sports Utility Vehicle). The motor vehicle has a driving direction for straight ahead, i.e., during such driving, the vehicle moves in this direction. The vehicle has a seating area for passengers. When the motor vehicle is used as intended or for a prescribed user, the user sits in the seating area. The seating area has a head area. When used as intended, the passenger's head is located in the head area.

[0006] “Designed” means that the motor vehicle is designed for a certain occupant or a certain type of occupant and is intended for use with them; for example, it is designed for the geometric / dimensional requirements determined thereby, etc. In other words, it is particularly assumed that the relevant occupant is known in terms of his size, etc.

[0007] The motor vehicle comprises a bonnet arranged in front of the seat area in the direction of travel. The bonnet is at least partially visible to an occupant whose head is located in the head area. The bonnet has a display element that can be seen from the head area, in particular can be seen completely. This means that the occupant whose head is located in the head area can see the display element with his eyes. The display element extends parallel to the bonnet, that is, follows the shape of the bonnet. The display element can be switched under the demand for electrical energy (when electrical energy is required) to change the displayed information. The information that is displayed unchanged can be maintained on the display element without energy. In other words, energy is only required to change the displayed information, and no energy is required as long as the information is displayed unchanged.

[0008] The motor vehicle is provided for displaying such contents as information for the occupants on a display element. The information is thus information for potential occupants. The information is in particular: information about the current state of the motor vehicle (speed, charging state, etc.), traffic tips about the current traffic situation (current speed limit, weather, congestion, distance to the vehicle ahead, etc.), navigation information (route instructions, time information, street names, etc.), messages (emails, text messages, etc.). The information here in particular includes texts, symbols, graphics or also visual media contents (such as images or videos).

[0009] In any case, the information is not information directed outside the vehicle, for example information directed to or concerning passers-by, such as, for example, advertisements, the current vehicle colour, the exterior design of the vehicle or similar information.

[0010] Energy is required only for creating or changing the display, not for maintaining the displayed information (ie the display) in an unchanging manner, so that the display element is particularly energy-efficient. As a result, the entire motor vehicle is also designed to be energy-efficient.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment, the display element is a display element based on electrophoresis. Electrophoresis is a suitable technology so that energy is required only when the information / display is changed and not when the information / display remains unchanged. The display element is especially embodied in the manner of electronic ink technology.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment, the display element is arranged on the bonnet as a film or foil. The display element can thus be arranged particularly easily. In particular, display elements based on electrophoresis are known in practice in the form of films, making the motor vehicle according to the invention particularly easy to implement.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment, the motor vehicle comprises a sensor. The sensor is directed towards the head region, i.e., receives its sensor information from there. The sensor is configured to determine the current visual position of the eyes of the occupant located in the head region relative to the display element. The visual position is thus or gives information about the relative relationship between the head or the eyes of the occupant and the display element. In particular, the visual position is the current position of the eyes of the occupant and / or the current viewing direction of the occupant or the eyes of the occupant relative to the display surface.

[0014] In this embodiment, the motor vehicle further comprises a control unit. The control unit is configured to predistort the information or its presentation / rendering on the display element. The predistortion takes place here as a function of the current visual orientation and as a function of an undistorted perception from the head region, i.e., by the occupant or his eyes. In other words, the relative position from which the occupant currently observes the display element is taken into account. Since the display element does not extend transversely to the occupant's viewing direction (viewed towards the bonnet extending flatly away from the occupant), the display element appears distorted to him. The corresponding distortion resulting from viewing the content on the display element is compensated by the predistortion. As a result, the information viewed on the display element (i.e., its display) appears undistorted to the occupant.

[0015] In a preferred variant of this embodiment, the sensor is a camera or comprises a camera. Such cameras are already integrated in modern vehicles and can therefore be used in conjunction with the invention. For example, such cameras can be used to detect fatigue of the occupants. The current visual position can be determined simply from the camera images recorded by the camera.

[0016] The object of the invention is also achieved by a method according to claim 6. In this method, when electrical energy is required, the display element is switched to change the displayed information, and when energy is not available, the displayed information remains unchanged. This content is displayed to the occupants as information on the display element.

[0017] The method and at least some of its possible embodiments as well as the respective advantages have already been explained in conjunction with the motor vehicle according to the invention.

[0018] The present invention is based on the following understanding, observation or consideration, and also has the following preferred embodiments. These embodiments are also referred to as "the present invention" in a simplified manner. These embodiments may also include or correspond to parts or combinations of the above-mentioned embodiments, and / or may also include embodiments not mentioned here if necessary.

[0019] The invention is based on observations from practice, namely that head-up displays are used in practice in vehicles: Head-up displays (HUDs) project virtual images into the driver's field of vision. Important information such as cruise control or navigation instructions are often projected onto the windshield and are therefore permanently visible in the driving environment.

[0020] Furthermore, the camera can convert image material into signals. Thus, for example, a camera is installed behind the steering wheel in a vehicle in order to monitor the driver's attention and then, if necessary, to output an acoustic signal to the driver in the event of inattention (eg, eyes not directed toward the road).

[0021] Furthermore, electronic ink concepts for vehicle bodies have been proposed for vehicles, in which the vehicle can dynamically change its color and can also assume different hues.

[0022] The invention is based on the recognition that the recognizability of the HUD display on the windshield is also influenced by the seat position, objects on the cover of the HUD, sunglasses with certain polarization filters, wet roadways or unfavorable light conditions. One possibility is to install a camera for adapting the image of the HUD depending on the body posture or eye position.

[0023] The basic idea of ​​the invention is to display useful information for the driver on the bonnet by means of electronic ink technology, for example, similar to the previous HUD on the windshield.

[0024] Because, for example, in large SUVs, the driver sits relatively high and the hood protrudes into the field of vision. This provides the possibility of displaying messages and information on this surface. The perspective or position of the driver's eyes should be detected here, in particular, by the camera sensor, in order to adjust it relative to the overall vehicle geometry. This is important because there are distortions in the display of information, which must be taken into account in order to be able to display text or icons. If the vehicle now has the possibility of presenting information on the hood via electronic ink and the distortion angle can also be calculated by combining the vehicle geometry with the determined eye position, the information is displayed on the hood in a correspondingly adapted manner.

[0025] The following advantages are obtained according to the invention: Electronic ink technology itself has the outstanding advantage of high energy efficiency. Unlike displays or projectors, electrophoresis technology does not require any energy to keep the corresponding selected color state constant. The current flows only during the correspondingly short color change phase. Depending on the sitting position or the position of the eyes, the information on the engine hood is presented in an adaptive manner.

[0026] According to the present invention, in particular, it is possible to present information on the engine hood using electronic ink. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Other features, effects and advantages of the present invention are derived from the following description and drawings of preferred embodiments of the present invention. Here, they are shown in schematic principle diagrams accordingly:

[0028] Figure 1 A cross-section through a portion of a motor vehicle is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] Figure 1A detail of a motor vehicle 2 (here an SUV) is shown, namely its front area with the bonnet 4 and the adjacent windshield 6. The vehicle has a direction of travel 8, which is indicated here by an arrow and corresponds to the motor vehicle 2 traveling straight ahead.

[0030] The motor vehicle 2 comprises a seating area 10 in the form of a spatial area, which is indicated by a dashed box. The seating area 10 is bounded by a vehicle seat 12. The seating area 10 is the area in the vehicle where the occupants are to sit. In the present example, an occupant 14 sits on the vehicle seat 12, which is here the driver's seat. The occupant 14 is the driver of the vehicle.

[0031] The seat area 10 includes a head area 16 for the occupant 14. The head area 16 is also indicated by a dashed line. Since the occupant 14 is a qualified occupant, when he is seated in the vehicle seat 12, i.e. in the seat area 10, his head 18 with eyes 22 is located in the head area 16.

[0032] The bonnet 4 is arranged in front of the seating area 10 along the driving direction 8. The bonnet 4 has a display element 20. Information 24 (here only symbolically represented) can be displayed or presented on the display element. The display element 20 is electrically switchable with respect to the displayed information 24: in order to change the displayed information, i.e. to change the display, the display element 20 requires electrical energy. This is possible without energy as long as the information 24 remains unchanged or is displayed unchanged, i.e. the displayed information can remain on the display element 20 without energy.

[0033] A large part of the bonnet 4 and the entire display element 20 are visible from the head region 16 and thus from the occupant 14 or his head 18 or his eyes 22 .

[0034] Motor vehicle 2 is provided to display such content as information 24 for occupant 14 on display element 20. In the present case, texts and symbols are displayed to occupant 14 as information 24, which include a navigation display and traffic signs currently valid on the route being traveled.

[0035] The display element 20 is a display element based on electrophoresis. In addition, the display element 20 is applied to the engine hood 4 as a film or foil.

[0036] The motor vehicle comprises a sensor 26. The sensor is directed toward the head region 16. The sensor 26 is provided for determining a current visual position 28 of the eye 22 of the occupant 14 relative to the display element 20. The visual position 28 is represented here as a double arrow and indicates the relative position of the eye 22 relative to the display element 20. The visual position 28 comprises here the position of the eye 22 relative to the display element 20 and the viewing direction.

[0037] The motor vehicle 2 further comprises a control unit 30. The control unit is configured to predistort the information 24 as a function of the current visual position 28. The predistortion is performed in such a way that the occupant 14 perceives the information 24 undistorted when viewing the display element 20 and the information 24 presented thereon with his eyes 22. Thus, the occupant 14 perceives a traffic sign symbol that is predistortedly presented on the display element 20 in a strongly elliptical shape in the direction of travel 8 as a circle.

[0038] In the present case, the sensor 26 is a camera.

[0039] Reference numerals list

[0040] 2Motor Vehicles

[0041] 4 Engine cover

[0042] 6 Windshield

[0043] 8 Driving Direction

[0044] 10 Seating area

[0045] 12 Vehicle seats

[0046] 14 Crew

[0047] 16 Head area

[0048] 18 Head

[0049] 20 Display components

[0050] 22 Eyes

[0051] 24 Information

[0052] 26 Sensors

[0053] 28 Visual orientation

[0054] 30 Control unit

Claims

1. Motor vehicle (2), The motor vehicle has a travel direction (8) for traveling straight ahead, The invention comprises a seating area (10) having a head area (16) for an occupant (14), The vehicle comprises an engine cover (4) arranged in front of a seating area (10) in a driving direction (8), in, The bonnet (4) has a display element (20) visible from the head region (16), which can be switched when electrical energy is required in order to change displayed information (24), wherein the unchanged displayed information (24) can be retained without energy. The motor vehicle (2) is provided for displaying such content as information (24) for an occupant (14) on a display element (20).

2. The motor vehicle (2) according to claim 1, characterized in that The display element (20) is an electrophoretic based display element (20).

3. The motor vehicle (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The display element (20) is arranged as a film on the engine bonnet (4).

4. The motor vehicle (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The motor vehicle (2) comprises: a sensor (26) directed toward the head region (16), the sensor being configured to determine a current visual position (28) of an eye (22) of the occupant (14) located in the head region (16) relative to the display element (20), A control unit (30) is provided for pre-distorting the information (24) according to an undistorted perception from the head region (16) in dependence on a current visual orientation (28).

5. The motor vehicle (2) according to claim 4, characterized in that The sensor (26) includes or is a camera.

6. Method for displaying information (24) on a motor vehicle (2) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein: Switching the display element (20) in the event of a demand for electrical energy to change the displayed information (24) and maintaining the displayed information (24) unchanged in the absence of energy, Such contents are displayed as information (24) to the occupant (14) on the display element (20).

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that A sensor (26) directed toward the head region (16) determines a current visual position (28) of an eye (22) of the occupant (14) located in the head region (16) relative to the display element (20), The control unit (30) pre-distorts the information (24) according to the undistorted perception of the occupant (14) based on the current visual orientation (28).

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