Vehicle image display

Abstract

Head-up display system (100), which includes the following: several display devices (115) and a computer (105) programmed to receive data (110) from one or more sources in a vehicle (101) and to provide the data (110) to each of the display devices (115), wherein at least one of the display devices (115) is configured to provide a first display (120) on a vehicle windscreen (135), and at least one of the display devices (115) is configured to provide a second display (120) on a vehicle column, wherein at least two displays (120) are provided, characterized by the fact that the display device (115) providing the second display (120) is located at the base of the vehicle column, and the second display (120) is projected onto the vehicle column.

Description

BACKGROUND

[0001] Drivers may experience difficulty shifting their focus from the road to a vehicle display. For example, the time it takes for the driver's eyes to adjust their focus (the adjustment time) generally increases with age. Adjustment time becomes particularly noticeable and disruptive when a driver needs to quickly switch their gaze between the road and a vehicle instrument panel. Furthermore, some drivers may find it impossible to focus on an instrument panel without using reading glasses or bifocals.

[0002] One solution to problems caused by adaptation time requirements was to implement a type of head-up display (display device) capable of generating images that appear at a certain distance from the driver, thereby reducing or essentially eliminating adaptation time. Unfortunately, current display devices suffer from limitations regarding their ability to display virtual images, both in terms of the number of virtual images and the locations where virtual images can be displayed in a vehicle.

[0003] DE 10 2004 005 816 A1 discloses a motor vehicle with symbol surfaces in the driver's field of vision, each symbol surface containing a function executable by the vehicle. A device also detects the driver's direction of gaze, determines the symbol surface being viewed, and triggers the function associated with that symbol surface.

[0004] US patent 2014 / 0 285 398 A1 discloses a display control device that assigns display images to multiple areas of a display mounted in a vehicle. The display control device stores area relationship information for each area and image relationship information for each display image.

[0005] US Patent 2013 / 0021224A1 discloses a head-up display device that projects a display image onto a projection surface of a display element to allow a viewer to view a virtual image of the display image from a predetermined viewing area.

[0006] DE 10 2007 061 962 A1 discloses a display system arranged in a vehicle interior with a laser projection device and a surface having a light-emitting layer for displaying information.

[0007] The patent application most closely related to the present invention, JP 2014 - 15 127 A, discloses a device for displaying information on a windshield of a vehicle.

[0008] According to the invention, a head-up display system according to claim 1 is provided. Furthermore, according to the invention, a head-up display system according to claim 7 is provided. In addition, according to the invention, a computing device according to claim 13 is provided. DRAWING

[0009] They show: Fig. 1. A block diagram of a head-up display system in a vehicle, Fig. 2 a perspective view of a front section of the interior of a vehicle, including an example of several head-up displays provided on the windshield of the vehicle, Fig. 3A a perspective view of a front section of the interior of a vehicle, including a further example of multiple head-up displays, including displays provided on the windshield of the vehicle and another vehicle component, Fig. 3B a perspective view of a front section of the interior of a vehicle, including a further example of multiple head-up displays, including displays provided on the windshield of the vehicle and another vehicle component, Fig. 4A a perspective view of a front section of the interior of a vehicle, including an example of multiple head-up displays, including displays provided outside a vehicle, Fig. 4B a perspective view of a front section of the interior of a vehicle, including another example of multiple head-up displays, including displays provided outside a vehicle, and Fig. 5. A flowchart of a process for using the system. Fig. 1. DESCRIPTION INTRODUCTION

[0010] Fig. Figure 1 is a block diagram of a head-up display (HUD) system 100 in a vehicle 101. The system 100 includes a vehicle computer 105, which provides data 110 to one or more display devices 115. Each of the display devices 115 can generate a display 120, which generally shows data 110 that the computer 105 has received from one or more components in the vehicle 101, such as data 110 relating to speed, location, status of systems of the vehicle 101, etc. The display devices 115 can be configured to provide displays 120 at various locations on or in relation to the vehicle 101, such as on pillars of the vehicle 101, on the windshield, the hood, the dashboard of the vehicle 101, etc. SYSTEM OVERVIEW

[0011] A vehicle 101 is typically a motor vehicle of the automobile type. The computer 105 of the vehicle 101 is contained in the system 100 for performing various operations, including those described herein, and it generally comprises a processor and memory, the memory comprising one or more forms of computer-readable media and storing instructions executable by the processor to perform various operations, including those disclosed herein. Although in Fig. 1. For the sake of simplicity, a computer 105 is shown; it should be understood that the computer 105 could actually have one or more computing devices and thereby perform various operations described here, for example, vehicle component control devices that are known, and / or a computing device that is specifically assigned to the system 100.

[0012] The memory of the computer 105 also generally stores data 110 received from one or more sources in the vehicle 101 via various communication mechanisms, wherein, for example, the computer 105 is generally designed for communication on a control unit area network (CAN) bus or the like and / or for the use of other wired or wireless protocols, such as Bluetooth, etc. The computer 105 may also have a connection to an on-board diagnostic connector (OBD-II). Via the CAN bus, OBD-II and / or other wired or wireless mechanisms, the computer 105 can transmit messages to and / or receive messages from various devices in a vehicle, such as control units, actuators, sensors, etc.As mentioned above, data 110 can be received from various components of the vehicle 101, such as sensors and control units, and can indicate the speed, location, or status of systems of the vehicle 101, such as engine temperature, rotational speed, tire pressure, air conditioning data, etc. The data 110 can also include still images and / or moving images obtained from cameras inside and / or outside the vehicle 101.

[0013] A display device 115, in conjunction with the system 100, generally comprises a liquid crystal display (LCD) array and a multiple lens arrangement for providing a display 120. A display device 115 configured in this way is generally dimensioned to be positioned at various locations within the vehicle 101. An exemplary device for use as a display device 115 is described in international patent application PCT / US2014 / 028799 (publication number WO 2014 / 144403 A2), filed on March 14, 2014, entitled "Optical System for Head-up and Near-to-Eye Displays," which application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0014] As in the Fig. 2, Fig. 3 and Fig. As can be seen in Figure 4, the display devices 115 can be arranged in various locations in relation to a dashboard (sometimes referred to as an "instrument panel") 130 of a vehicle 101 or elsewhere in a vehicle 101, such as at or near the base of a pillar, on the steering column, etc. Furthermore, the display devices 115 can provide respective displays 120 on the windscreen 135 of the vehicle, as shown in Figure 4. Fig. Figure 2 is shown. Preferably, the displays 120 can be arranged in a tile-like pattern to cover substantially the entire horizontal width on or near a lower section of a windshield 135.

[0015] As can be seen, various displays 120 in the system 100 can be used to provide different information and different types of information from the computer 105. For example, in Fig. 2. A first display 120 on the left side of the windshield 135, from the driver's perspective, shows vehicle status information such as the current vehicle speed, fuel level, etc. A second display 120 to the right of the first display 120 may show navigation information. A third display 120 to the right of the second display 120 may provide environmental and / or more general information, such as the outside temperature, time, etc. It should be noted that other examples are possible, and although it is shown that three displays 120 are arranged tile-like across a windshield 135, it is possible that the displays 120 could be spaced or arranged differently and that a different number of displays 120 could be included.

[0016] Furthermore, the display devices 115, as described in the Fig. 3A and Fig. As can be seen in Figure 3B, displays 120 are available on other components of the vehicle 101, in particular on a vehicle pillar such as one or both A-pillars 125. Similarly, a display device 115 could be used to provide a display 120 on an interior or exterior mirror of the vehicle 101, on the instrument panel, etc. Furthermore, devices 115 are located, as shown in the Fig. 3A and Fig. As shown in Figure 3B, the respective displays 120 are projected onto the respective pillars 125 at the bases of the A-pillars 125 of the vehicle 101. Furthermore, displays 120 could be projected onto the lower part of the windscreen 135 ( Fig. 3A) and / or on the upper part of the windscreen 135 ( Fig. 3B) will be provided.

[0017] Moreover, as in the Fig. 4A and Fig. As can be seen in Figure 4B, one or more display devices 115 are used to provide a display 120 that is projected to appear above and / or beyond the hood of the vehicle 101. For example, as shown in Fig. As shown in Figure 4A, an image of an object, animal, etc., on a road with which a vehicle could collide, could be provided on a display 120, for example, projected onto or superimposed on the view of the driver of vehicle 101 onto the road. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. As shown in Figure 4B, several displays 120 relating to the exterior of a vehicle 101 are provided. For example, a first display 120 could be provided showing a first virtual image with a focus at a first distance, where, for example, a first object such as the deer could be displayed on a first display 120 at five meters. Furthermore, a second display 120 could be provided showing a second virtual image with a focus at a second distance, where, for example, a second object such as the tank truck could be displayed on the second display 120 at ten meters. Moreover, arrangements of virtual displays 120 outside a vehicle are possible, apart from those shown in the Fig. 4A and Fig. 4B shown. For example, three or more displays 120 could be provided, with these displays focusing on the same or different depths and arranged in different ways, for example tiled, top-to-bottom, etc.

[0018] Fig. Figure 5 is a flowchart of an example process 500 for the use of system 100. Process 500 begins in block 505, where the computer 105 receives data 110, for example from various components in the vehicle 101, via the CAN bus or via other mechanisms, etc.

[0019] The computer 105 then identifies a display device 115 in block 510 for the respective data 110. For example, a first display device 115 can be positioned on the vehicle's dashboard 130 to provide a display 120 on a pillar 125 of a vehicle 101, while a second display device 115 could be positioned on the vehicle's dashboard 130 to provide a display 120 on the windshield 135 of a vehicle 101. Furthermore, a specific display device 115 could be selected for a specific type of data 110. For example, image data 110 could be displayed on the right side of the windshield 135, while speed data 110 could be displayed in the lower left corner of the windshield 135, on a pillar 125, at one end of the vehicle's hood, and so on.

[0020] According to block 510, in block 515 each of the one or more display devices 115, which are provided with data 110 in block 510, provides a respective display 120.

[0021] After block 515, process 500 ends. CONCLUSION

[0022] Here, the adverb "essentially" means that a form, a structure, a measurement, a size, a time, etc., may deviate from a precisely described geometry, a precisely described distance, a precisely described measurement, a precisely described size, a precisely described time, etc., due to imperfections in materials, machining, manufacturing, data transmission, computing speed, etc.

[0023] Computing devices of the type discussed here generally each have instructions that can be executed by one or more computing devices of the type identified above, which serve to execute blocks or steps of the processes described above. For example, the process blocks discussed above can be implemented as computer-executable instructions.

[0024] Computer-executable instructions can be compiled or interpreted by computer programs created using a variety of programming languages ​​and / or technologies, including, but not limited to, Java™, C, C++, Visual Basic, JavaScript, Perl, HTML, etc., either alone or in combination. Generally, a processor (for example, a microprocessor) receives instructions, for example, from memory, a computer-readable medium, etc., and executes these instructions, thereby running one or more processes, including one or more of the processes described herein. These instructions and other data can be stored and transmitted using a variety of computer-readable media. A file in a computing device is generally a collection of data stored on a computer-readable medium such as a storage medium, random-access memory, etc.

[0025] A computer-readable medium includes any medium that participates in providing data (for example, instructions) that can be read by a computer. Such a medium can take many forms, including non-volatile and volatile media, etc., but without limitation. Non-volatile media include, for example, optical or magnetic disks and other permanent storage devices. Volatile media include, for example, dynamic random-access memory (DRAM), which typically forms main memory.Common forms of computer-readable media include, for example, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape, another magnetic medium, a CD-ROM, a DVD, another optical medium, punched cards, a paper tape, another physical medium with hole patterns, a RAM, a PROM, an EPROM, a FLASH EEPROM, another memory chip or memory cartridge, or another medium from which a computer can read.

[0026] In the drawing, the same reference numerals denote the same elements. Furthermore, some or all of these elements could be modified. With regard to the media, processes, systems, procedures, etc., described herein, it should be understood that, although the steps of these processes, etc., have been described as occurring in a specific, ordered sequence, these processes could also be realized if the described steps are carried out in a different order than the one described here. It should also be noted that certain steps could be carried out simultaneously, that other steps could be added, or that certain steps described herein could be omitted. In other words, the descriptions of processes given here serve to illustrate certain embodiments and should not be interpreted as limiting the claimed invention.

[0027] Accordingly, the foregoing description is to be understood as explanatory and not as limiting. Many embodiments and applications beyond the examples provided will become clear to those skilled in the art upon reading the foregoing description. The scope of protection is not to be determined with reference to the foregoing description, but rather with reference to the attached claims, together with the full range of equivalents to which these claims relate. It is expected and intended that future developments will occur in the technologies discussed herein and that the disclosed systems and methods will be incorporated into these future embodiments. In summary, it should be noted that the invention can be modified and amended and is limited only by the following claims.

[0028] All terms used in the claims shall be provided with their broadest reasonably possible constructions and their usual meanings as those skilled in the art would understand them, unless explicitly stated otherwise herein. In particular, the use of singular articles such as "a," "the," "that," etc., should be understood as indicating one or more of the specified elements, unless a claim explicitly restricts this to the contrary.

Claims

[1] Head-up display system (100) comprising the following: several display devices (115) and a computer (105) programmed to receive data (110) from one or more sources in a vehicle (101) and to provide the data (110) to each of the display devices (115), wherein at least one of the display devices (115) is configured to provide a first display (120) on a vehicle windscreen (135), and at least one of the display devices (115) is configured to provide a second display (120) on a vehicle column, wherein at least two displays (120) are provided, characterized by , that the display device (115) providing the second display (120) is located at the base of the vehicle column, and the second display (120) is projected onto the vehicle column. [2] System (100) according to claim 1, wherein one of the displays (120) provides image data (110) and one of the displays (120) provides data (110) from a vehicle control unit or a vehicle sensor. [3] System (100) according to claim 1, wherein one of the displays (120) is provided outside a vehicle (101) and has a virtual image superimposed on an external environment of the vehicle (101). [4] System (100) according to claim 1, wherein the first display (120) has a first subset of the data (110) and the second display (120) has a second subset of the data (110), wherein the first subset of the data (110) and the second subset of the data (110) do not have any data (110) in common. [5] System (100) according to claim 1, wherein one of the displays (120) has data (110) relating to a status of at least one vehicle component, and another of the displays (120) has navigation data (110). [6] System (100) according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the displays (120) is mounted on a vehicle instrument console (130). [7] Head-up display system (100) which includes the following: at least three display devices (115) and a computer (105) programmed to receive data (110) from one or more sources in a vehicle (101) and to provide respective subsets of the data (110) to each of the display devices (115), wherein each of the display devices (115) is configured to provide a display (120) at a respective location in relation to the vehicle (101), the first of the locations being on a component selected from the group consisting of a vehicle instrument console (130), the exterior of the vehicle (101) and a windscreen (135) of the vehicle (101), and the second of the locations being on a vehicle pillar, characterized by , that the display device (115) providing the display (120) at the second of the locations is located at the base of the vehicle column, and the second display (120) is projected onto the vehicle column. [8] System (100) according to claim 7, wherein one of the displays (120) is provided at a location outside a vehicle (101) and has a virtual image superimposed on an external environment of the vehicle (101). [9] System (100) according to claim 7, wherein the first display (120) has a first subset of the data (110) and the second display (120) has a second subset of the data (110), wherein the first subset of the data (110) and the second subset of the data (110) do not have any data (110) in common. [10] System (100) according to claim 7, wherein one of the displays (120) has data (110) relating to a status of at least one vehicle component, and another of the displays (120) has navigation data (110). [11] System (100) according to claim 7, wherein at least one of the displays (120) is mounted on a vehicle instrument console (130). [12] System (100) according to claim 7, wherein the displays (120) are tiled so that they extend over substantially the entire width of the windshield (135) of the vehicle (101). [13] A computing device comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the memory stores instructions that can be executed by the processor, so that the computing device is programmed to perform the following: Receiving data (110) from one or more sources in a vehicle (101), Identifying respective subsets of the data (110) to be provided by several display devices (115), and Providing the respective subsets of the data (110) for the respective display devices (115) according to the respective locations of displays (120) provided by the respective display devices (115), the first of the locations being on a component selected from the group consisting of a vehicle instrument panel (130), the exterior of the vehicle (101) or a windshield (135) of the vehicle (101), and wherein the second of the locations is on a vehicle column, characterized by , that the display device (115) providing the display (120) at the second of the locations is located at the base of the vehicle column, and the second display (120) is projected onto the vehicle column. [14] Device according to claim 13, wherein the device is installed in a vehicle (101). [15] Device according to claim 13, wherein the device is communicatively coupled with the display devices (115). [16] Device according to claim 13, wherein one of the displays (120) provides image data (110) and one of the displays (120) provides data (110) from a vehicle control unit or a vehicle sensor. [17] Device according to claim 13, wherein one of the displays (120) is provided outside a vehicle (101) and has a virtual image superimposed on an environment of the vehicle (101). [18] Device according to claim 13, wherein the first display (120) has a first subset of the data (110) and the second display (120) has a second subset of the data (110), wherein the first subset of the data (110) and the second subset of the data (110) do not have any data (110) in common. [19] Device according to claim 13, wherein one of the displays (120) has data (110) relating to a status of at least one vehicle component, and another of the displays (120) has navigation data (110). [20] Device according to claim 13, wherein at least one of the displays (120) is mounted on a vehicle instrument console (130).

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