Method and system for managing the positioning of a screen arranged in the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for managing the positioning of a screen arranged in the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle, said screen being fixed to a support in front of the front passenger seat, said support being attached to a jack capable of moving between a deployed position, in which the screen is in front of the vehicle's dashboard, and a retracted position, in which the front surface of the screen is flush with the dashboard, on a system (100) implementing such a method as well as on a motor vehicle comprising such a system. Figure for the abstract: 1

Description

Title of the invention: Method and system for managing the positioning of a screen arranged in the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle Technical field of the invention

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of passive safety systems for motor vehicles. The invention relates in particular to a method for managing the positioning of a screen located in the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle, said screen being fixed to a support in front of the front passenger seat, said support being attached to a jack capable of moving between a deployed position, in which the screen is in front of the vehicle's dashboard, and a retracted position, in which the front surface of the screen is flush with the dashboard. The invention also relates to a computer system implementing such a method. The invention is particularly applicable to cars, trucks, buses, commercial vehicles, etc. Prior art

[0002] It is known that nowadays it is common to equip motor vehicles with screens arranged in the vehicle's interior. It is also known that, for reasons of ergonomics and user comfort, car manufacturers now wish to arrange screens in various locations within the vehicle's interior, particularly in front of the front passenger seat. And, on the front passenger side of a motor vehicle, in other words, in the area adjacent to the driver's seat in a modern vehicle, it is considered ergonomically sound to position the screen intended for passenger use in front of the vehicle's dashboard at a height that allows the passenger to view the screen comfortably.

[0003] However, in the event of an accident, the presence of a screen in this location could disrupt the operation of the passenger airbag, a passive safety feature now standard in most motor vehicles. Indeed, when deployed, the passenger airbag generally inflates in such a way that at least its lower portion rests against the dashboard in front of the passenger to more effectively cushion the passenger should they be thrown forward by the impact. Thus, it is understandable that the presence of a screen positioned in front of the dashboard could interfere with this characteristic of passenger airbag deployment in a motor vehicle, even risking, in the worst-case scenario, puncturing the airbag during its deployment. Summary of the invention

[0004] The invention aims to overcome this drawback. The invention is indeed intended to provide a solution for having a screen arranged in front of the front passenger seat in a motor vehicle, without in any way affecting the operation of the vehicle's passenger airbag.

[0005] This objective is achieved, according to a first object of the invention, by means of a method for managing, by a computer system (100) embedded in a motor vehicle, the positioning of a screen arranged in the vehicle's passenger compartment, said screen being fixed to a support in front of the front passenger seat, said support being attached to a jack capable of moving between a deployed position, in which the screen is in front of the vehicle's dashboard, and a retracted position, in which the front surface of the screen is flush with the dashboard, the method comprising the steps of: i. determine whether an electrical signal is generated by passive safety equipment of the vehicle; and, where it is established that this is the case, ii. cause the cylinder to move from its deployed position to its contracted position.

[0006] According to one variant, step ii) may include a step of triggering a pyrotechnic device connected to the cylinder.

[0007] According to another variant, step ii) can be carried out in such a way that the front surface of the screen is flush with the dashboard when a passenger airbag of the passive safety equipment is fully inflated, so that at least a lower part of the airbag can rest on the screen.

[0008] According to another variant, step ii) can cause the displacement of a portion of the dashboard attached to the jack, leaving a free space in which the screen fits when its front surface is flush with the dashboard.

[0009] Furthermore, the invention also relates to a system for managing the positioning of a screen arranged in the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle, said screen being fixed on a support in front of the front passenger seat, said support being attached to a jack capable of moving between a deployed position, in which the screen is in front of a dashboard of the vehicle, and a contracted position, in which the front surface of the screen is flush with the dashboard, the system comprising at least one information processing unit, including at least one processor, and a data storage medium configured to implement a method as described above.

[0010] Furthermore, the invention also relates to a program comprising program code instructions for the execution of the steps of a process as described above when said program is executed on a computer and / or a processor.

[0011] Furthermore, the invention also relates to a medium usable in a computer on which a program such as described above is recorded.

[0012] Finally, the invention also relates to a motor vehicle comprising a system as described above. Brief description of the figures

[0013] Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from an examination of the detailed description below, and the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0014] [Fig.1] is a functional diagram of a system according to the invention;

[0015] [Fig.2] is a flowchart illustrating the steps of a process according to the invention; and

[0016] [Fig.3] is an illustration of the sequence of steps of the process according to the invention. Detailed description of the invention

[0017] According to the invention, a system 100 for managing the positioning of a screen arranged in the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle, said screen being fixed on a support in front of the front passenger seat, said support being attached to a jack capable of moving between a deployed position, in which the screen is in front of the dashboard of the vehicle, and a contracted position, in which the front surface of the screen is flush with the dashboard, is a computer system, represented in [Fig.1], which includes an information processing unit 101, comprising one or more processors, a data storage medium 102, at least one input and output interface 103, allowing the reception of data (and / or signals) and the transmission of data (and / or signals).

[0018] According to some embodiments, the system 100 of the invention is installed in a motor vehicle (e.g., cars, trucks, buses, commercial vehicles, etc.) and is hosted on one or more of the vehicle's computers, electronic control units, and / or other telematics devices. According to other embodiments, the system 100 of the invention is hosted on a computer of a motor vehicle and interacts, via its input / output interface 103, with a computer of the vehicle's passive safety equipment.According to the preferred embodiment, the system 100 of the invention is an integral part of a computer for passive safety equipment in a motor vehicle, which, traditionally, comprises at least one collision detection sensor capable of generating at least one electrical signal during a collision and at least one passenger airbag, in other words, an airbag that deploys in front of the seat adjacent to the driver's seat when an electrical signal is generated by the sensor. Furthermore, passive safety equipment in a motor vehicle as defined by the present invention advantageously comprises a jack, preferably fixed to a crossmember of the vehicle's dashboard, coupled to and integral with a pyrotechnic device. of a support on which a screen is fixed in front of the front passenger seat, which, upon activation of the pyrotechnic device, moves between a deployed position, in which the screen is in front of the dashboard, and a contracted position, in which the front surface of the screen is flush with the dashboard. Thus, by means of these means, the system 100 according to the invention is advantageously able to determine whether an electrical signal is generated by a passive safety device of a motor vehicle upon collision detection and, by triggering the pyrotechnic device, to cause the actuator to move from its deployed position to its contracted position.

[0019] According to the invention, all the elements described above therefore contribute to enabling the system 100 according to the invention to implement a method for managing the positioning of a screen arranged in the passenger compartment of the vehicle, said screen being fixed on a support, in front of the front passenger seat, said support being attached to a jack capable of moving between a deployed position, in which the screen is in front of the dashboard of the vehicle, and a contracted position, in which the front surface of the screen is flush with the dashboard, as described below in relation to [Fig.2] and 3.

[0020] According to a first step 201 of the method according to the invention, the system 100 according to the invention determines whether an electrical signal is generated by a passive safety device of the vehicle. To do this, the system 100 according to the invention uses its input and output interface 103 to determine whether the collision detection sensor of the vehicle's passive safety device is generating an electrical signal. And, when it establishes that this is the case, the system according to the invention performs a second step 202 of the method according to the invention in which it causes the cylinder to move from its extended position to its retracted position by triggering the pyrotechnic device coupled to the cylinder.

[0021] More specifically, with reference to [Fig. 3], which illustrates side views of the front passenger seat behind the windshield 300 of the vehicle, a normal situation is shown in the left-hand frame, in which the screen 301 arranged in front of the front passenger seat is attached to a support (not detailed) integral with the actuator 302 of the vehicle's passive safety equipment, which is at this stage in its deployed position so that the screen 301 is in front of the dashboard 303 of the vehicle. At this stage, the passenger airbag 304 is completely closed. Then, in the middle frame, which illustrates the situation during the implementation of the second step 202 of the method according to the invention, i.e.the situation which occurs when an electrical signal has been generated by the collision detection sensor during a shock, the system 100 according to the invention has triggered the pyrotechnic device (not shown) and the cylinder 302 begins its movement from its deployed position to its . contracted position. Simultaneously, the passive safety equipment triggers the deployment of the passenger airbag 304. Thus, the execution of this second step 202 advantageously causes the displacement of a portion 305 of the dashboard 303 attached to the cylinder 302, leaving a free space 306 in which the screen will be housed at the end of the second step 202 of the process according to the invention. Finally, in the right-hand frame, which illustrates the situation when the second step 202 of the method according to the invention is fully carried out, the cylinder 302 is in its contracted position and the front surface of the screen 301 is flush with the dashboard 303, advantageously fitting into the free space 306 left by the retraction of the portion 305 of the dashboard 303. Thus, advantageously, the front surface of the screen 301 is flush with the dashboard 303 when the passenger airbag is fully inflated (i.e.deployed), so that at least a lower part 307 of the passenger airbag 304 can rest on the screen 301. .

[0022] Therefore, according to the method and system of the invention described above, a solution is provided to allow the arrangement of a screen in front of the front passenger seat of a motor vehicle without affecting the proper functioning of a passive safety device of the vehicle.

Claims

Claims

1. Method for managing, by a computer system (100) on board a motor vehicle, the positioning of a screen (301) arranged in the passenger compartment of the vehicle, said screen (301) being fixed on a support in front of the front passenger seat, said support being integral with a jack (302) capable of moving between a deployed position, in which the screen (301) is located in front of the dashboard (303) of the vehicle, and a contracted position, in which the front surface of the screen (301) is flush with the dashboard (303), the method comprising the steps of: i. determining (201) whether an electrical signal is generated by a passive safety device of the vehicle; and, when it is established that this is the case, ii.causing (202) the displacement of the jack (302) from its deployed position to its contracted position; the method being characterized in that step ii) causes the displacement of a portion (305) of the dashboard (303) secured to the jack (302) leaving a free space (306) in which the screen (301) is housed when its front surface is flush with the dashboard (303).

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that step ii) comprises a step of triggering a pyrotechnic device connected to the jack.

3. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that step ii) is carried out in such a way that the front surface of the screen (301) is flush with the dashboard (303) at the moment when a passenger airbag (304) of the passive safety equipment is fully inflated, so that at least a lower part (307) of the airbag can rest on the screen (301).

4. System (100) for managing the positioning of a screen (301) arranged in the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle, said screen (301) being fixed on a support in front of the front passenger seat, said support being integral with a jack (302) capable of moving between a deployed position, in which the screen (301) is located in front of a dashboard (303) of the vehicle, and a contracted position, in which the front surface of the screen (301) is flush with the dashboard (303), characterized in that the system comprises at least one information processing unit (101), comprising at least one processor, and a data storage medium (102) configured to implement a method according to any one of the preceding claims.

5. A computer program comprising program code instructions for carrying out the steps of a method according to any one of claims 1 to 3 when said program is executed on a computer.

6. Support usable in a computer, characterized in that a program according to the preceding claim is recorded therein.

7. Motor vehicle, characterized in that it comprises a system according to claim 4.

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