Method for operating a screen and motor vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a method (16) for operating a screen (5) of a motor vehicle (1) designed as an OLED display and as a touchscreen. Increased user comfort of the touchscreen can be achieved by faster cooling of the screen (5), which is achieved by operating the screen (5) in an energy-saving mode during an initial phase of driving the motor vehicle (1) in order to display content on the screen (5) with an energy-saving color scheme, and by operating the screen (5) in a normal operating mode (NM) during a normal operating phase following the initial phase of driving in order to display content on the screen (5) with a normal operating color scheme, wherein the energy-saving color scheme and the normal operating color scheme are configured such that the screen (5) requires less electrical energy to display the content in energy-saving mode than in normal operating mode (NM).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for operating a screen of a motor vehicle configured as an OLED display and as a touchscreen. The invention further relates to a motor vehicle equipped with at least one such screen.

[0002] Modern vehicles increasingly utilize screens in their interiors, particularly in the cockpit. These screens are designed as touchscreens, OLED displays, or LCD displays. OLED stands for Organic Light Emitting Diode, and LCD stands for Liquid Crystal Display. A touchscreen is typically a touch-sensitive screen, meaning it has sensors that respond to touch. Especially in the cockpit, the screen usually serves as a multifunctional instrument, allowing users to adjust settings for various vehicle components and displaying a wide range of information.

[0003] In high-end vehicles, the screen has a glass surface for the touchscreen function. When switched off, the screen is usually black. In direct sunlight, the screen can heat up considerably. During normal operation, the screen temperature adjusts to the interior temperature thanks to the vehicle's climate control system. However, during the initial phase of driving, especially at the start, the screen temperature can reach a relatively high level after the vehicle has been stationary for an extended period and has been exposed to sunlight. For example, intense sunlight can cause screen temperatures to exceed 80°C.Even with the air conditioning on, the screen, heated by sunlight, takes a relatively long time to passively cool down to a comfortable operating temperature. A person operating the vehicle, especially at the beginning of the journey, may need to adjust numerous settings via the screen, such as climate control, sound system, navigation system, seat settings, and the like. Using the touchscreen during this initial phase can be unpleasant due to the heated screen.

[0004] From DE 10 2019 204 124 A1 a method for operating a screen in a motor vehicle in a temperature-dependent manner is known, wherein, for example, the brightness of the screen is adjusted to avoid overheating of the screen.

[0005] From WO 2013 / 181 070 A1, a method for operating an OLED screen is known in which the color is adjusted to compensate for temperature-dependent color changes of the OLEDs. The color can be controlled as a function of temperature by means of temperature sensors distributed across the screen.

[0006] From WO 2011 / 125 271 A1, a method for displaying pixels on a flat screen under different lighting scenarios is known. The color can be adapted to the current shading and / or sunlight on the screen in order to improve the legibility of the information displayed on the screen.

[0007] The present invention deals with the problem of showing a way to operate a screen that increases ease of use.

[0008] This problem is solved according to the invention by the subject matter of the independent claim. Advantageous embodiments are the subject matter of the dependent claims.

[0009] The invention is based on the general concept of enabling a heated screen to cool passively more effectively and quickly during vehicle operation by operating it with reduced electrical energy for displaying content. The invention is based on the understanding that the switched-on screen requires electrical energy to display content, which in turn causes additional heat input into the screen. This energy input generated by the normal operation of the screen counteracts the cooling effect of the vehicle's air conditioning. By specifically reducing this energy input, the cooling effect of the interior air conditioning on the screen can be improved, allowing the screen to cool down to a comfortable temperature more quickly. This makes the screen available for comfortable operation sooner.

[0010] Specifically, the invention proposes a method for operating a motor vehicle screen configured as an OLED display and a touchscreen. During the initial phase of driving, the screen operates in an energy-saving mode to display content with an energy-saving color scheme. During the subsequent normal operating phase, the screen operates in a normal operating mode to display content with a normal color scheme. According to the invention, the energy-saving color scheme and the normal operating color scheme are configured such that the screen requires less electrical energy to display content in energy-saving mode than in normal operating mode.The invention utilizes the understanding that the color scheme, which can also be referred to as color theme or design theme, has a significant impact on the energy consumption of the screen, which is designed as an OLED display. While an LCD display requires the same amount of electrical energy to produce dark colors as it does to produce light colors, an OLED display is characterized, among other things, by the fact that producing dark colors requires significantly less energy than producing light colors. The energy-saving color scheme proposed according to the invention thus uses color themes and / or design themes for displaying content on the screen that lead to reduced energy consumption in the OLED display, while for normal operating color schemes, color themes and / or design themes are used that are crucial for a particularly high level of attractiveness of the image displayed on the screen.

[0011] In an HSV color space, colors are defined based on three fundamental characteristics: hue, saturation, and value, where HSV stands for Hue-Saturation-Value. Energy-saving color schemes primarily utilize color values ​​that require less electrical energy to produce on the OLED display. However, to achieve sufficient visibility, the necessary brightness and / or color saturation can be adjusted accordingly, ensuring adequate contrast.

[0012] In the present context, a “configuration” is synonymous with a “design” and / or “setup” and / or “programming”, so that the phrase “configured so that” is synonymous with the phrase “designed so that” and / or “set up so that” and / or “programmed so that”.

[0013] According to an advantageous embodiment, the energy-saving color scheme can display the content on the screen with more dark areas than the normal operating color scheme. This increased dark area significantly reduces the energy consumption of the OLED display.

[0014] Additionally or alternatively, the energy-saving color scheme can be configured to display content on the screen with darker colors and / or more dark colors than the normal operating color scheme. This measure also reduces the energy consumption of the OLED display.

[0015] Additionally or alternatively, the energy-saving color scheme can be configured to display the screen content with a higher black level than the normal operating color scheme. For example, the screen content in the normal operating color scheme can be displayed with a black level of less than 50%, preferably less than 40% or less than 30%, and particularly less than 25%, while the energy-saving color scheme displays the screen content with a black level of at least 50%, preferably at least 60% or at least 70%, and particularly at least 75%. The OLEDs used to display the black level in an image are switched off and do not require any electrical energy.

[0016] In a particularly simple case, it can be arranged that the energy-saving color scheme corresponds to a night mode on the screen, while the normal operating color scheme corresponds to a day mode. This makes it possible, in particular, to operate the screen in night mode at the start of a journey during the day, so that it can cool down more quickly.

[0017] According to an advantageous embodiment, it can be provided that, at the beginning of the initial phase of driving, the current interior temperature is first determined, for example, by means of a temperature sensor located in the vehicle interior. Furthermore, it can be provided that during the initial phase of driving, the screen is only operated in energy-saving mode if the current interior temperature is above a predetermined threshold. This embodiment is based on the experience that the screen typically only exhibits an undesirably high screen temperature if the vehicle interior has heated up to an undesirably high temperature when the vehicle is parked.

[0018] In another embodiment, the screen temperature is determined at the beginning of the initial driving phase. During this initial phase, the screen is only operated in energy-saving mode if the screen temperature is above a predetermined threshold. This threshold for the screen temperature can be higher than the aforementioned threshold for the vehicle interior temperature. This embodiment ensures that the energy-saving mode is only activated when faster cooling of the screen is necessary.

[0019] According to another advantageous embodiment, the system can monitor the screen temperature during the normal operating phase of the vehicle and / or during the screen's energy-saving mode, switching from energy-saving mode to normal operating mode as soon as the screen temperature falls below a predetermined threshold. The screen temperature threshold that triggers the switch from energy-saving mode to normal operating mode can be the same as the aforementioned screen temperature threshold that triggers the screen to operate in energy-saving mode at the beginning of the initial phase. However, the thresholds can also be different. Advantageously, the threshold for activating energy-saving mode during the initial phase of driving can be higher than the threshold for switching from energy-saving mode to normal operating mode.

[0020] According to an advantageous embodiment, the screen temperature can be determined at the beginning of the initial phase and / or monitored during normal operation using a thermal imaging camera located in the vehicle interior, which can be specifically aimed at the screen. Such a thermal imaging camera allows the current screen temperature and even the screen temperature distribution along the screen surface to be determined.

[0021] Alternatively, the screen temperature can be determined at the beginning of the initial phase and / or monitored during normal operation using temperature sensors located on or within the screen. The screen can be equipped with one or, preferably, several temperature sensors to determine the screen temperature. With multiple temperature sensors distributed across the screen, a temperature distribution across the screen can also be determined.

[0022] Alternatively, the screen temperature can also be determined using an interior camera positioned inside the vehicle, specifically aimed at the screen, at the start of the initial phase. In conjunction with such an interior camera, shading and / or sunlight on the screen can be monitored for a predetermined period immediately before the start of the initial driving phase. Based on this, and particularly using a suitable thermal model, the screen temperature can be calculated or estimated. For example, when the vehicle is parked, the interior camera can continuously monitor the interior and store the corresponding image data for a predetermined period, such as 60 or 30 minutes.At the beginning of the initial phase of operation, the image data for this period are available for evaluation, so that the shading and / or solar radiation of the screen can be evaluated in a short time based on the recorded image data and the screen temperature can be estimated accordingly.

[0023] A motor vehicle according to the invention has at least one screen designed as an OLED display and as a touchscreen and a control device for operating the respective screen, wherein the control device is configured to carry out the method of the type described above.

[0024] Further important features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims, the drawings and the associated description of the figures based on the drawings.

[0025] It is understood that the features mentioned above and those to be explained below can be used not only in the combinations specified, but also in other combinations or individually, without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims. Components of a higher-level unit, such as a device, apparatus, or arrangement, mentioned above and those to be mentioned below, which are designated separately, can form separate parts or components of this unit or be integral areas or sections of this unit, even if this is depicted differently in the drawings.

[0026] Preferred embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings and are explained in more detail in the following description, wherein identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar or functionally identical components.

[0027] They show, schematically, Fig. 1. A highly simplified, isometric view of a motor vehicle within the area of ​​a screen in a normal operating mode, Fig. 2 a view as in Fig. 1, however, in a power-saving mode of the screen, Fig. 3. A flowchart of a procedure for operating the screen.

[0028] According to the Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. A motor vehicle 1 comprises a vehicle interior 2 in which, for example, in the area of ​​an instrument panel 3, particularly in the area of ​​a center console 4, a screen 5 is arranged, which is configured as an OLED display and as a touchscreen and, expediently, also as a flat screen. The vehicle 1 is also equipped with a control unit 6 for operating the screen 5, for which purpose the control unit 6 is coupled to the screen 5 in a suitable manner, for example via a data line 7. The vehicle 1 can also optionally be equipped with a temperature sensor 8 arranged in the vehicle interior 2, with which a current interior temperature can be determined. The temperature sensor 8 can be coupled to the control unit 6 via a corresponding data line 9.Furthermore, the vehicle 1 can optionally be equipped with a camera 10 located in the vehicle interior 2, which is oriented so that it can capture at least the screen 5. The camera 10 can be connected to the control unit 6 via a corresponding data line 11. The camera 10 can be configured as a conventional interior camera 12 or as a thermal imaging camera 13. Additionally, the screen 5 can have a temperature sensor 14, which is located on or in the screen 5 and is configured to detect the screen temperature. The temperature sensor 14 expediently comprises several separate temperature sensors (not shown here) distributed across the entire surface of the screen 5. The temperature sensor 14 can also be connected to the control unit 6 via the data line 7.The screen 5 also has a surface 15, which is preferably made of glass and which can be touched by a person sitting in the vehicle 1 for the touchscreen function.

[0029] The vehicle 1 is also equipped with an HVAC air conditioning system (not shown in detail here) for climate control of the vehicle interior 2. This system allows the vehicle interior 2, which may have heated up when the vehicle 1 is parked (e.g., due to sunlight), to be cooled to a comfortable temperature. HVAC stands for Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning.

[0030] The control unit 6 is configured to carry out a procedure 16, which is described below based on the one in Fig. This will be explained in more detail in the flowchart shown in section 3.

[0031] In a typical initial situation, the vehicle 1 was exposed to sunlight for an extended period, causing the vehicle 1, particularly the vehicle interior 2 and especially the screen 5, to heat up to uncomfortably high temperatures. In step 17, during an initial phase of driving the vehicle 1, the screen 5 is operated in an energy-saving mode EM, which is Fig. 2 is indicated. In energy-saving mode EM, content is displayed on screen 5 using energy-saving colors. During the initial phase, the air conditioning system HVAC typically begins to cool the vehicle interior 2 and thus indirectly also screen 5. In a later step 18, during a normal operating phase of the vehicle 1's driving operation, screen 5 is operated in a normal operating mode NM, which is in Fig. Figure 1 is shown. The normal operating phase follows the initial phase. In normal operating mode (NM), content is displayed on screen 5 using normal operating colors. The energy-saving color scheme and the normal operating color scheme differ in that screen 5 requires less electrical energy to display content in energy-saving mode (EM) than in normal operating mode (NM). As a result, screen 5 heats up less during operation in energy-saving mode (EM), allowing the cooling of the vehicle interior (HVAC) and screen 5 to lower the screen temperature more quickly.

[0032] The reduced energy consumption in energy-saving mode (EM) compared to normal operating mode (NM) is primarily achieved by using darker shades in the HSV color space for color-accurate content. Optionally, the saturation and / or brightness of the colors can also be reduced for energy-saving mode. In any case, the representation of the content in the HSV color space is shifted towards darker shades. Accordingly, in Fig. 2. The image generated by screen 5 is displayed darker in energy-saving mode EM than the one in Fig. 1. Image shown, which is produced by screen 5 in normal operating mode NM.

[0033] In particular, the energy-saving color scheme may be configured to display content on screen 5 with more dark tones than the normal operating color scheme. Additionally or alternatively, the energy-saving color scheme may be configured to display content on screen 5 with darker colors and / or with more dark colors than the normal operating color scheme. Additionally or alternatively, the energy-saving color scheme may be configured to display content on screen 5 with a higher proportion of black than the normal operating color scheme. In a particularly simple case, a night design for screen 5 may be used as the energy-saving color scheme, while a day design for screen 5 is used as the normal operating color scheme.In modern motor vehicles 1, the screen 5 has a daytime design optimized for displaying content in daylight and a nighttime design optimized for displaying content in low ambient light. This configuration allows the nighttime design, specifically its energy-saving color scheme, to be used after intense sunlight exposure, enabling the screen 5 to cool down more quickly.

[0034] In a step 19 preceding step 17, the current interior temperature of the vehicle interior 2 can be determined at the beginning of the initial phase of driving operation, preferably using temperature sensor 8. In a subsequent step 20, the current interior temperature is compared with a predetermined threshold value. If the current interior temperature is above the predetermined threshold value, the procedure follows path 21 and proceeds to step 17, in which the screen 5 is operated in energy-saving mode EM. However, if the current interior temperature is below the threshold value, the procedure follows path 22, which bypasses step 17 and leads directly to step 18, in which the screen 5 is operated in normal operating mode NM.

[0035] In addition to or as an alternative to step 19 described above, the procedure 16 may include a step 23, which is also performed before step 17 and, in particular, in parallel with step 19. In this step 23, the current screen temperature is determined at the beginning of the initial phase of operation. In a subsequent step 24, the current screen temperature is compared with a predetermined threshold. If the determined screen temperature is above the threshold, the procedure follows a path 25, which leads to step 17, in which the screen 5 is operated in energy-saving mode EM. If, on the other hand, the determined screen temperature is below the threshold, the procedure 16 follows a path 26, which bypasses step 17 and leads directly to step 18, in which the screen 5 is operated in normal operating mode NM.

[0036] After activating energy-saving mode EM in step 17, the current screen temperature can be determined in step 27 according to a convenient embodiment of method 16. In a subsequent step 28, the determined screen temperature is compared with a predetermined threshold. If the current screen temperature is above this threshold, the method follows a path 29 that leads back to step 27 to determine the screen temperature again, thus achieving screen temperature monitoring. However, if the current screen temperature in step 28 is below the threshold, the method follows a path 30 and proceeds to step 31, in which the screen 5 is switched from energy-saving mode EM to normal operating mode N. Subsequently, the screen 5 is operated in normal operating mode NM according to step 18.

[0037] The screen temperature can be determined or monitored using the thermal imaging camera 13. It can also be determined or monitored using the temperature sensor 14. Alternatively, the screen temperature can be determined using the interior camera 12. In the latter case, step 23 for determining the screen temperature can be divided into several sub-steps. In a first sub-step 32, during a predetermined period immediately before the start of the initial phase of driving operation, shading and / or solar radiation of the screen 5 is observed or monitored to generate a data set in which the time and intensity of the shading and / or solar radiation of the screen 5 are recorded during this period. In a subsequent second sub-step 33, this data set can now be evaluated to determine the screen temperature based on the shading and / or solar radiation.To estimate or calculate the current screen temperature based on solar radiation during a predetermined period. A thermal model can be used for this purpose. QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents cited by the applicant was automatically generated and is included solely for the reader's convenience. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] DE 10 2019 204 124 A1

[0004] WO 2013 / 181 070 A1

[0005] WO 2011 / 125 271 A1

[0006]

Claims

[1] Method (16) for operating a screen (5) designed as an OLED display and as a touchscreen of a motor vehicle (1), - in which, during an initial phase of driving the motor vehicle (1), the screen (5) is operated in an energy-saving mode (EM) in order to display content on the screen (5) with an energy-saving color scheme, - in which, during a normal operating phase of driving operation following the initial phase, the screen (5) is operated in a normal operating mode (NM) to display content on the screen (5) with a normal operating color scheme, - wherein the energy-saving color scheme and the normal operating color scheme are configured such that the screen (5) requires less electrical energy to display the content in energy-saving mode (EM) than in normal operating mode (NM). [2] Method (16) according to claim 1, characterized by , - that the energy-saving color scheme displays the content on the screen (5) with more dark areas than the normal operating color scheme. [3] Method (16) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , - that the energy-saving color scheme displays the content on the screen (5) with darker colors and / or with more dark colors than the normal operating color scheme. [4] Method (16) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , - that the energy-saving color scheme displays the content on the screen (5) with a higher proportion of black than the normal operating color scheme. [5] Method (16) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , - that the energy-saving color scheme corresponds to a night design of the screen (5), - that the normal operating color scheme corresponds to a daytime design of the screen (5). [6] Method (16) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , - that at the beginning of the initial phase of driving operation, the current interior temperature of a vehicle interior (2) is first determined, - that during the initial phase the screen (5) is only operated in energy saving mode (EM) if the internal temperature is above a predetermined threshold. [7] Method (16) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , - that at the beginning of the initial phase of driving operation, the current screen temperature is determined first, - that during the initial phase the screen (5) is only operated in energy saving mode (EM) if the screen temperature is above a predetermined threshold. [8] Method (16) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , - that a current screen temperature is monitored during the normal operating phase of the motor vehicle (1) and / or during the energy saving mode (EM) of the screen, - that the system switches from energy saving mode (EM) to normal operating mode (NM) as soon as the screen temperature falls below a predetermined threshold. [9] Method (16) according to claim 7 or 8, characterized by , - that the screen temperature is determined and / or monitored by means of a thermal imaging camera (13) which is arranged in a vehicle interior (2), or - that the screen temperature is determined and / or monitored by means of a temperature sensor (14) arranged on or in the screen (5), - that the screen temperature is determined by means of an interior camera (12) arranged in a vehicle interior (2) by monitoring shading and / or solar radiation of the screen (5) during a predetermined period immediately before the start of the initial phase of driving operation and calculating the screen temperature accordingly. [10] Motor vehicle (1), - with at least one screen designed as an OLED display and as a touchscreen (5), - with a control device (6) for operating the respective screen (5) which is configured to perform the method (16) according to one of the preceding claims.

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