Vehicle pillar display system

Abstract

A display system disposed on a vehicle pillar may include a flexible display disposed on a portion of the pillar of the vehicle, the display including a micro-LED display having a plurality of micro-LED chips allowing the display to be flexible, and the display configured to receive and display an image from at least one camera, the at least one camera is configured to acquire an image from an exterior of the vehicle to provide a line of sight through the pillar via the display.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Disclosed herein are systems and methods for a vehicle pillar mounted display system. Background Art

[0002] Vehicle structure often creates blind spots. For example, pillars such as the A-pillar can block the driver's view from certain angles. This can become a greater problem as pillar size increases, further narrowing the driver's field of view. While some vehicles may include a blind spot information system (BLIS), such systems simply alert the driver to the presence of an object without providing further information. Summary of the Invention

[0003] A display system disposed on a vehicle pillar may include a flexible display disposed on a portion of the vehicle's pillar, the display including a micro-LED display having a plurality of micron-LED chips that allow the display to be flexible, and the display configured to receive and display images from at least one camera configured to acquire images from outside the vehicle to provide a line of sight through the pillar via the display.

[0004] A vehicle with a camera and display system may include a transparent display forming a portion of a pillar of the vehicle, the display comprising a plurality of micron-LED chips mounted on a matrix allowing the display to be flexible and transparent and produce a visible line of sight through the portion of the pillar; and at least one interior camera arranged behind the flexible display to acquire an image of the interior of the vehicle, wherein the at least one camera is capable of acquiring images through the flexible display. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] These and / or other features, aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will be better understood after reading the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals represent like parts, wherein:

[0006] Figure 1 An example vehicle having a vehicle display system is shown;

[0007] Figure 2 Shown Figure 1 Example displays of a vehicle display system;

[0008] Figure 3 Shown Figure 2 a perspective view of an example display disposed on a pillar of a vehicle; and

[0009] Figure 4 An example process for a display system is shown.

[0010] For the purpose of illustration, the present disclosure provides descriptions of embodiments, but the embodiments described are not exhaustive or limited to the embodiments disclosed herein. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that there are many modifications and variations without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0011] As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it should be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various alternative forms. The drawings are not necessarily to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to illustrate details of particular components. Therefore, the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein should not be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention.

[0012] Vehicle frames often include several pillars that can obstruct the driver's field of view. As the size of these pillars increases, the field of view is further obstructed, resulting in blind spots that prevent the driver from seeing oncoming objects such as pedestrians, cyclists, etc. To assist with this, displays can be arranged throughout the vehicle to provide images showing the environment outside the vehicle. In the system described herein, a three-dimensional folding display with micro-LEDs can be arranged on the vehicle pillars. Such displays can be configured to provide images generated by external cameras to simulate the environment outside the vehicle. This allows vehicle occupants to have a line of sight through the pillars, which reduces blind spots, etc.

[0013] Furthermore, in addition to being flexible, the display can often be transparent. A camera can be placed behind the display and within the pillar. The display forms a transparent portion of the pillar, which provides the camera's field of view. The camera can collect images of the vehicle interior. These images can be used to determine whether the driver is distracted.

[0014] The display can be a flexible display configured to conform to a specific shape. In the examples disclosed herein, the flexible display can be wrapped around a pillar or integrally formed with it. The display can be formed from multiple micro-LEDs (light-emitting diodes). Micro-LEDs allow the display to be flexible and bendable. In addition to presenting images, information, etc. to vehicle occupants, the display can be transparent, thereby increasing the field of view of cameras positioned behind it. Similarly, the flexible display helps eliminate blind spots typically created by pillars.

[0015] Figure 1An example vehicle 100 is shown with a vehicle display system 102. The vehicle 100 may be any type of passenger vehicle, such as a crossover utility vehicle (CUV), a sport utility vehicle (SUV), a truck, a recreational vehicle (RV), a boat, an airplane, or other mobile machine used to transport people or goods. The vehicle 100 may include a frame having various support structures, such as pillars, a roof, doors, windows, etc. Such support structures may provide structure to the vehicle, but may also create blind spots, obstructions, etc. when the vehicle is in use. Figure 1 In the example of FIG, the A-pillar 114 is specifically labeled.

[0016] The display system 102 may be included in the vehicle 100 and may interface with a processor 110 disposed within the vehicle 100. The processor 110 may be included in a vehicle head unit or vehicle ECU. The processor 110 may include various vehicle systems such as navigation, infotainment, autonomous vehicle systems, etc. The processor 110 may include a display system processor configured to determine how, when, and where to configure certain vehicle displays.

[0017] The processor 110 may also include a driver behavior application configured to determine the driver's status based on certain characteristics of the driver's behavior based on data received from other vehicle components such as cameras, biometric sensors, microphones, etc.

[0018] The vehicle 100 may be a passenger car with various seats. The vehicle 100 may include multiple internal infotainment devices. Generally, an infotainment device may be a device configured to present content to a user within the vehicle's cabin via audio, visual, tactile, or other means. An infotainment device may include a display or projector configured to visually present information.

[0019] The infotainment devices may be arranged at various locations throughout the vehicle 100 , such as the vehicle head unit, rear headrests, sides of the vehicle, rear of the vehicle, etc. Figure 1 An example central display 108 is shown at the head unit and in communication with a processor 110. Additionally, the infotainment device may be a portable personal device for each occupant, such as a phone or tablet. The processor 110 may receive commands from the occupants and provide instructions to the various infotainment devices based on those commands.

[0020] exist Figure 1 In the example of FIG, one of the infotainment devices may further include a pillar display 112. The pillar display 112 may be a display disposed as part of or on a pillar 114 of the vehicle 100. The pillar display 112 may be disposed on one or more pillars 114 within the vehicle and may be positioned on the pillar 114. Figure 1In the example of FIG, two pillar displays 112 are shown, one on each of the two A-pillars. Although the displays 112 are shown as part of the A-pillars, the displays 112 can be part of other pillars, supports, doors, windows, mirrors, etc. In one example, the displays can be arranged on a portion of the A-pillars that faces the interior of the vehicle 102.

[0021] Display 112 can be formed from LEDs or micro-LEDs, which allow the display to be flexible and transparent. A micro-LED display can be made from multiple micron LED chips on a matrix or backplane. By using multiple LED chips, the display can be flexible, allowing the display to flex and bend. The display is made in an RGB format.

[0022] Such displays can offer benefits such as high brightness, a wide color palette, and a high aperture ratio. They can be borderless, transparent, or partially transparent, and require very low energy. Furthermore, microLEDs can be driven by high currents without overheating or wear. Compared to other transparent displays, microLEDs offer small pixel sizes while achieving high brightness.

[0023] Figure 2 Shown Figure 1 An example flexible display 112 of the vehicle display system 102 is shown. Such a display 112 can be borderless and flexible so as to form the necessary geometry of the pillar 114. The flexible display 112 can easily conform to the shape of the pillar 114 and be attached thereto.

[0024] Furthermore, while display 112 may be transparent and configured to allow line of sight through it, it may also be capable of displaying information, images, and the like. In use, processor 110 may instruct display 112 to present certain screens or displays. In one example, processor 110 may instruct display 112 to present information such as vehicle information, infotainment, weather, climate, navigation, and the like. In another example, processor 110 may instruct display 112 to display a line of sight image, which would be implemented as if the user were looking through pillar 114. In other words, the displayed image may be an image that is visible through pillar 114, as if pillar 114 were not present. This may be generated based on a mosaic of images acquired from external vehicle cameras.

[0025] Return to Figure 1, the vehicle 100 may include a plurality of exterior-facing cameras 120. The vehicle 100 may also include at least one interior-facing camera 122. Typically, the cameras 120, 122 may be video cameras, or configured to take still photos, and may be configured to capture areas inside and around the vehicle. The exterior cameras 120 may include cameras disposed on the vehicle and configured to capture the environment surrounding the exterior of the vehicle 102. For example, the exterior cameras 120 may be used for parking assistance, bird's-eye views, backup cameras, and the like. As illustrated, such exterior cameras 120 may be used to stitch together images for interior displays (i.e., the flexible display 112 and / or the center display 108), thereby allowing a user to visually see portions of the environment outside the vehicle 100 that may not otherwise be visible to vehicle occupants.

[0026] The exterior cameras 120 may be disposed at various winglets (such as rearview mirrors) and on each of the front and rear bumpers, although other and additional placements are contemplated.

[0027] The interior-facing camera 122 may include at least one camera 122 arranged to face the interior of the vehicle and acquire images thereof. Figure 1 In the example of FIG. 1 , the internal camera 122 is disposed behind the pillar display 112. In one example, the internal camera may be a three-dimensional camera to allow rotation and visualization from various perspectives. In another example, the internal camera 122 may include more than one camera to generate or acquire images, each camera in a different plane.

[0028] The interior camera 122 can be configured to capture an image of the driver of the vehicle 100. This, in turn, can be used by the processor 110 to determine the driver's state, such as alertness, drowsiness, distraction, etc. The interior camera 122 can be positioned within the pillar 114. Because the display 112 is transparent, the interior camera 122 can be placed behind the display 112 and directed toward the driver's seat to capture the driver's image. The camera 122 can capture the driver's image, but still be placed behind the display 112. This allows the camera 122 to be less obtrusive and take up less space within the vehicle. The interior camera 122 can also be used to capture biometric data, such as facial images, to verify an individual and their identity.

[0029] Such images acquired from the interior camera 122 may be sent to the processor 110, where the processor 110 may use the image data to determine the driver's state. The image data may be converted by the processor 110 to indicate certain information about the driver. In one example, the image data may indicate that the driver's head is in a certain position or has a certain gaze direction. In another example, when reviewing the image data over time, the image data may indicate a nod of the driver's head, or that the driver's head has not moved. Based on this analysis, the processor 110 may classify the driver according to the driver's state. This may include a distracted state. This determination may then trigger remedial action by the vehicle 100, such as the sounding of an alarm, tactile feedback to startle the driver, activation of certain advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) features, and the like. Figure 4 The process is described in more detail.

[0030] The vehicle 100 can communicate with a remote network 106. Although not shown, the vehicle 100 may include a connected vehicle system that includes one or more systems facilitated via connected car or connected vehicle telematics. These systems may also include features available on a separate mobile device (typically the driver's mobile device). The processor 110 of the vehicle 100 can communicate wirelessly with various vehicle components and with a mobile device (not shown) to access data, such as an occupant's calendar, navigation system, GPS antenna, media content, etc. The data may also include dynamic data provided from external sources, such as weather information, traffic information, etc. In addition to or as an alternative to the connected vehicle system, the processor 110 may receive data from the network 106, other mobile devices, other vehicles, etc.

[0031] Figure 3 Shown Figure 2 1 is a perspective view of an example display disposed on a pillar 114 of a vehicle 100. The display 112 may constitute at least a portion of the facade of the pillar 114 and allow transparency at that portion of the pillar 114. The display 112 may also allow an image to appear and refresh to provide a transparent appearance.

[0032] The display 112 can be attached or secured to the pillar 114 in one of a variety of ways. In one example, the display 112 can be attached via an adhesive. In another example, the display 112 can rest within a recess or ridge formed by the pillar 114. In yet another example, a bracket, track, or the like can be used to hold the display 112 on or in the pillar 114. Due to the flexibility of the display 112, the display 112 can be easily manipulated to fit on or within the pillar 114. Notably, a single display design can be configured to fit or cooperate with a variety of pillar designs, shapes, and sizes, thereby allowing such flexible displays to be widely used and installed on a variety of vehicle makes and models.

[0033] An interior-facing camera 122 may be mounted behind the display 112 within the support column 114. Figure 3 In the example shown, the camera 122 can be centrally located to maximize the field of view. However, due to the transparency of the display, the camera 122 can be located anywhere behind the display.

[0034] The display 112 and camera 122 may be powered by the vehicle battery, a separate battery, wired or wireless power transmission, etc. In the example of a wired connection, such wires may be housed within the support 114. The display 112 and camera 122 may also communicate with the processor 110 via wired or wireless communication.

[0035] Figure 4 An example process 400 is shown for display system 102. Process 400 may begin at step 405, where processor 110 may receive image data from interior-facing camera 122. As illustrated, the image data may include an image of a driver.

[0036] At box 410, the processor 110 may receive additional vehicle data from other vehicle systems such as ADAS (including but not limited to braking systems, charging systems, etc.). This additional vehicle data may indicate certain vehicle 100 behaviors, external or environmental information (e.g., weather), etc. When captured in conjunction with the image data, this data may indicate performance or give context. For example, if the driver slams on the brakes and turns his head, the processor 110 may determine that the driver may have pressed the brakes to avoid an approaching object. In another example, the driver may slam on the brakes, but the image data does not detect any movement of the driver's head, which may indicate that the driver is not paying attention. Other data indicating the user's pulse or other vital signs, such as biometric data, may be obtained.

[0037] At block 415, the processor 110 may determine whether the occupant behavior is indicative of a distracted driver. The processor 110 may classify the occupant behavior based at least in part on the image data, but may also use other data, such as additional vehicle data, to classify the driver behavior. The processor 110 may do this by comparing the image data with other known data, or by classifying the image data and comparing such classification to known classifications that indicate a distracted or distressed driver.

[0038] At block 420 , the processor 110 may issue an alert or other remedial response in response to the distracted driver classification. This may include sounding an alert, haptic feedback via the driver's seat, etc. Other remedial responses may be activating certain ADAS features, such as autonomous driving features, automatic braking, etc.

[0039] Although processor 110 is described as performing the features and methods herein, other processors and controllers may be used, including remote processors, dedicated processors, etc.

[0040] Various aspects of the present embodiment may be embodied as a system, method, or computer program product. Thus, various aspects of the present disclosure may take the form of a complete hardware embodiment, a complete software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, microcode, etc.), or a combination of a software embodiment and a hardware embodiment, all of which may generally be considered herein as a "module" or "system." Additionally, any hardware and / or software technology, process, function, component, engine, module, or system described in the present disclosure may be implemented as a circuit or group of circuits. Additionally, various aspects of the present disclosure may be in the form of a computer program product embodied in one or more computer-readable media, with computer-readable program code embodied on the one or more computer-readable media.

[0041] Any combination of one or more computer-readable media can be utilized. A computer-readable medium can be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium. A computer-readable storage medium can be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared or semiconductor system, device or equipment, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples (non-exhaustive list) of computer-readable storage media can include each of the following: an electrical connection with one or more wires, a portable computer floppy disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable CD-ROM, an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. In the context of this document, a computer-readable storage medium can be any tangible medium that can contain or store a program for use by an instruction execution system, device or device or used in combination with an instruction execution system, device or device.

[0042] Aspects of the present disclosure are described above with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, devices (systems) and computer program products according to implementations of the present disclosure. It should be understood that each frame of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams and the combination of frames in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer or other programmable data processing device to produce a machine. When the instructions are executed via a processor of a computer or other programmable data processing device, the functions / actions specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or multiple blocks can be implemented. These processors can be, but are not limited to, general-purpose processors, special-purpose processors, special-purpose processors or field programmable gate arrays.

[0043] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the accompanying drawings illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of the systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. In this regard, each box in the flowchart or block diagram may represent a module, segment, or portion of a code, and the code includes one or more executable instructions for implementing a specified logical function. It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions described in the box may not occur in the order described in the accompanying drawings. For example, two boxes shown in succession may actually be executed substantially simultaneously, or the boxes may sometimes be executed in reverse order depending on the functions involved. It should also be noted that each box in the block diagram and / or flowchart illustration and the combination of boxes in the block diagram and / or flowchart illustration may be implemented by a dedicated hardware-based system or dedicated hardware and computer instructions that perform the specified function or action.

[0044] While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present disclosure, other and additional embodiments of the present disclosure may be envisaged without departing from the basic scope of the present disclosure, and the scope of the present disclosure is determined by the appended claims.

[0045] Although exemplary embodiments have been described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms of the present invention. Indeed, the wording used in this specification is for description and not limitation, and it should be understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. In addition, the features of the various implemented embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A display system arranged on a vehicle pillar, the display system comprising: a flexible display disposed on a portion of a pillar of a vehicle, the display comprising a micro-LED display having a plurality of micron-LED chips that allow the display to be flexible; The display is configured to receive and display images from at least one camera configured to present images from an exterior of the vehicle to provide a line of sight through the pillar via the flexible display.

2. The display system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one interior camera disposed behind the flexible display and within the pillar to acquire images of an interior of the vehicle, wherein the at least one camera is capable of acquiring images through the flexible display.

3. The display of claim 1, wherein the flexible display is wrapped around the support and conforms to the dimensions of the support.

4. The display system of claim 1, further comprising a controller programmed to provide instructions to the flexible display for presenting the image via the display. 5 . The display system of claim 4 , wherein the controller is programmed to receive image data from the at least one camera, the image data being indicative of driver behavior. 6 . The display system of claim 5 , wherein the controller is programmed to classify the driver behavior based on the image data. 7 . The display system of claim 6 , wherein the controller is further programmed to send an alert in response to the driver behavior being classified as distracted.

8. The display system of claim 6, wherein the controller is further programmed to provide remedial action in response to the driver behavior being classified as distraction.

9. The display system of claim 1, further comprising at least one internal camera in the form of a three-dimensional camera configured to acquire images from multiple perspectives.

10. The display system of claim 1, further comprising at least one internal camera in the form of at least two two-dimensional cameras, each two-dimensional camera configured to acquire images from a different plane.

11. A vehicle having a camera and display system, the vehicle comprising: a transparent display forming a portion of a pillar of a vehicle, the display comprising a plurality of micron-LED chips mounted in a matrix, the plurality of micron-LED chips allowing the display to be flexible and transparent and to produce a visible line of sight through the portion of the pillar; as well as At least one interior camera is disposed behind the transparent display to acquire an image of an interior of the vehicle, wherein the at least one interior camera is capable of acquiring an image through the transparent display.

12. The display system of claim 11, wherein the transparent display is disposed on the support and conforms to the dimensions of the support.

13. The display system of claim 11, wherein the transparent display is configured to be attached to a portion of an A-pillar of a vehicle.

14. The display system of claim 11 , further comprising a controller programmed to provide instructions to the transparent display for presenting information via the display, wherein the information is at least one image that mimics an external environment of the vehicle at the pillar and provides the appearance of a line of sight through the portion of the pillar.

15. The display system of claim 14, wherein the controller is programmed to receive image data from the at least one interior camera, the image data being indicative of driver behavior.

16. The display system of claim 15, wherein the controller is programmed to classify the driver behavior based on the image data.

17. The display system of claim 16, wherein the controller is further programmed to transmit an alert in response to the driver behavior being classified as distracted.

18. The display system of claim 16, wherein the controller is further programmed to provide remedial action in response to the driver behavior being classified as distraction.

19. The display system of claim 11, wherein the at least one internal camera is a three-dimensional camera configured to acquire images from multiple perspectives.

20. The display system of claim 11, wherein the at least one internal camera comprises at least two two-dimensional cameras, each two-dimensional camera configured to acquire images from a different plane.

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