Displaying an image on a polyhedral or cylindrical screen of a human-machine interface of a motor vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for managing the display of an image on a polyhedral or cylindrical screen arranged in the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle. The invention also relates to a device (100) implementing such a method as well as a motor vehicle (1) comprising such a device. Figure for the abstract: 1

Description

Title of the invention: Displaying an image on a polyhedral or cylindrical screen of a human-machine interface of a motor vehicle Technical field of the invention

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of human-machine interfaces for motor vehicles with screens. The invention relates in particular to a method for managing the display of an image on a polyhedral or cylindrical screen arranged in the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle. The invention also relates to a device implementing such a method. The invention applies to motor vehicles such as land motor vehicles, in particular cars. State of the prior art

[0002] It is known that human-machine interfaces in motor vehicles traditionally included an instrument cluster composed of several analog dials with needles and push buttons or other levers for controlling the vehicle's functions. It is also known that, in certain modern vehicles, these traditional human-machine interfaces have been replaced by flat screens, sometimes touch screens, on which graphical interfaces are displayed in which graphical objects replace the counters and other traditional push buttons. These screens are generally arranged in the vehicle's central console or behind the steering wheel in place of the traditional instrument cluster.

[0003] However, although these screens are effective in presenting certain types of information to vehicle occupants, they are not sufficient when it comes to displaying certain specific visual content, in particular 360° images. However, it is precisely through such content that it is possible, for example, to enable a more precise volume representation of the entire driving environment of a vehicle. In addition, current graphical interfaces, given the flat configuration of the screens that display them, are not suitable for allowing easy reading by all vehicle occupants, in particular passengers seated in the front or rear. From this point of view, the human-machine interfaces with screens in current motor vehicles lack ergonomics. Summary of the invention

[0004] The invention aims to solve this problem. The invention aims in particular to provide a method and a device which allow the display of an image on a polyhedral or cylindrical screen of a motor vehicle. By this means, the invention aims to maximize the ergonomics of the human-machine interfaces of motor vehicles.

[0005] In order to achieve these aims, the invention relates, according to a first aspect, to a method of managing, by a computer device on board a motor vehicle, the display of an image on a screen of polyhedral or cylindrical shape arranged in the passenger compartment of the vehicle, the method comprising the steps of: i. performing a first processing of the image which modifies at least a portion of the image according to the shape of the screen so as to obtain a first processed image; ii. performing a second processing of the first processed image which modifies at least a portion of the first processed image so as to obtain a second processed image; and iii. cause the second processed image to be displayed on the screen.

[0006] According to a variant, if the screen is polyhedral in shape, the first processing may comprise stretching at least a portion of the image in a direction going from the center of the image towards an edge of the image by means of a polynomial function.

[0007] According to another variant, the second treatment may comprise the joining of two contiguous stretched portions.

[0008] According to yet another variant, the second processing may comprise a convex transformation based on a polynomial function.

[0009] According to yet another variant, if the screen is cylindrical in shape, the first processing may comprise a decrease in the pixels of at least a portion of the image.

[0010] According to yet another variant, the second processing may comprise a polar and / or logarithmic transformation.

[0011] According to a second aspect, the invention relates to a device for managing the display of an image on a screen of polyhedral or cylindrical shape arranged in the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle, the device comprising at least one information processing unit, comprising at least one processor, and a data storage medium configured to implement a method as described above.

[0012] According to a third aspect, the invention relates to a computer program comprising program code instructions for executing the steps of a method as described above when said program is executed by at least one processor.

[0013] According to a fourth aspect, the invention relates to a medium usable in a computer on which a program as described above is recorded.

[0014] According to a fifth aspect, the invention relates to a motor vehicle comprising a human-machine interface comprising a screen of polyhedral or cy- lindrique and a device as described above. Brief description of the figures

[0015] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on examining the detailed description below, and the appended figures, in which:

[0016] [Fig-1] is a diagram of a vehicle according to the invention;

[0017] [Fig.2] is a functional diagram of a device according to the invention;

[0018] [Fig.3] is a flowchart illustrating the steps of a method according to the invention;

[0019] [Fig.4] illustrates the implementation of at least one step of the method according to the invention; and

[0020] [Fig.5] illustrates the implementation of at least one step of a method according to the invention. Detailed description of the invention

[0021] [Fig.l] illustrates a motor vehicle 1 according to the invention which incorporates a human-machine interface comprising a touch screen 2 of polyhedral or cylindrical shape. Advantageously, the vehicle 1 according to the invention also incorporates a device 100 for managing the display of an image on a screen of polyhedral or cylindrical shape arranged in the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle within the meaning of the present invention, as described later, which implements a method for managing the display of an image on a screen of polyhedral or cylindrical shape arranged in the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle within the meaning of the present invention, as briefly summarized below and described in detail below.

[0022] When implementing the method according to the invention, the device 100 according to the invention receives an image to be displayed on the screen 2. To do this, depending on the shape of the screen, polyhedral or cylindrical, it then performs several processing operations on the image in order to enable it to be displayed on the screen 2. As will be seen below, it is in this way that the device 100 according to the invention enables the display of an image on a polyhedral or cylindrical screen of a motor vehicle, and that it thus contributes to improving the ergonomics of the human-machine interface of the vehicle 1 according to the invention with respect to the human-machine interfaces known from the prior art.

[0023] The device 100 for managing the display of an image on a screen of polyhedral or cylindrical shape arranged in the passenger compartment of the vehicle according to the invention which is on board the vehicle 1 according to the invention is illustrated in [Fig.2]. It is a computer device, which comprises at least one information processing unit 101, comprising one or more processors, a data storage medium 102, on which is recorded in particular a program which comprises program code instructions for the execution of the steps of the method according to the invention described below, and an input and output interface 103 allowing the reception and transmission of data.

[0024] According to one embodiment of the invention, the device 100 according to the invention is hosted on one or more computers, electronic control units or other telematic boxes of the vehicle 1. According to the preferred embodiment, that illustrated in [Fig.2], the device 100 according to the invention is hosted on an independent computer and it interacts via its input and output interface 103 and by means of a wired communication network of the vehicle (e.g. CAN, Ethernet, MOST) - shown in [Fig.l] by the arrow - with a computer of the human-machine interface or of the screen 2 of the vehicle. According to another embodiment, the device 100 according to the invention is partially or fully part of the screen 2.

[0025] According to the invention, all the elements described above contribute to enabling the implementation of a method for managing the display of an image on a screen of polyhedral or cylindrical shape arranged in the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle, as described below in connection with figures 3-5.

[0026] According to a first step 301 of the method according to the invention, the device 100 according to the invention, which has previously received from the human-machine interface an image to be displayed on the screen 2, carries out a first processing of the image which modifies at least a portion of the image according to the shape of the screen so as to obtain a first processed image.

[0027] In the case where the screen is polyhedral in shape, the first processing of the image carried out at this stage by the device 100 according to the invention comprises the stretching of at least one portion of the image in a direction going from the center of the image towards an edge of the image, preferably by means of a polynomial function. Alternatively, in the case where the screen 2 is cylindrical in shape, the first processing comprises a decrease in the pixels of at least one portion of the image.

[0028] Then, according to a second step 302 of the method according to the invention, the device 100 according to the invention carries out a second processing of the first processed image which modifies at least one portion of the first processed image, that which was obtained during the implementation of the previous step of the method, so as to obtain a second processed image.

[0029] In the case where the screen is of polyhedral shape, the second processing comprises the joining of two contiguous stretched portions and a convex transformation, preferably based on a polynomial function. Alternatively, in the case where the screen 2 is of cylindrical shape, the second processing comprises a polar and / or logarithmic transformation.

[0030] Finally, according to a third step 303 of the method according to the invention, the device 100 according to the invention causes the display of the second processed image, that obtained during the implementation of the previous step of the method, on the screen 2.

[0031] For greater clarity, [Fig.4] illustrates the implementation of the method according to the invention in the case where the screen is of polyhedral shape, for example a cube in the illustrated example. On the left, we see an image intended to be displayed on the screen 2 originally received by the device 100 according to the invention. On the right of the figure, we see the second processed image obtained at the end of the second step of the method that the device 100 according to the invention actually displays on the screen 2 during the third step of the method. To obtain the image on the right, the first processing stretches the faces represented in dark gray from the center of the image outwards, and this by preferentially using a polynomial (or non-linear) type function in order to compensate for the anamorphoses created by the screen lens.Then, the second processing joins the contiguous stretched portions at their common edges, then a convex type transformation is applied, which explains the convex shape of the edges. Preferably, the power of the convexity of this transformation is also of the polynomial type with respect to the center of the image towards the outside, and it is established in particular according to the optical parameters of the screen lens.

[0032] [Fig. 5] similarly illustrates the implementation of the method according to the invention in the case where the screen is cylindrical in shape. On the left, we see an image intended to be displayed on the screen 2 originally received by the device 100 according to the invention. On the right of the figure, we see the second processed image obtained at the end of the second step of the method that the device 100 according to the invention actually displays on the screen 2 during the third step of the method. Thus, the original image is in this case rectangular in shape. And to move from the image on the left to that on the right, the first processing decreases the pixels of the image in the lower part of the portion illustrated in dark gray (decrease of the spaces). The second processing preferentially applies a polar and / or logarithmic transformation to obtain the second processed image, that illustrated on the right, in the form of concentric rings.

[0033] Thus, thanks to the method and the device according to the invention described above, a solution is provided to enable the display of an image on a polyhedral or cylindrical screen of a motor vehicle. By this means, the method and the device according to the invention contribute to improving the ergonomics of the human-machine interfaces of motor vehicles.

Claims

Claims

1. Method for managing, by a computer device (100) on board a motor vehicle (1), the display of an image on a screen (2) of polyhedral or cylindrical shape arranged in the passenger compartment of the vehicle, characterized in that the method comprises the steps of: i. carrying out a first processing of the image which modifies at least a portion of the image according to the shape of the screen so as to obtain a first processed image; ii. carrying out a second processing of the first processed image which modifies at least a portion of the first processed image so as to obtain a second processed image; and iii. causing the display of the second processed image on the screen.

2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that, if the screen is polyhedral in shape, the first processing comprises stretching at least a portion of the image in a direction from the center of the image to an edge of the image by means of a polynomial function.

3. A method according to claim 2, characterized in that the second treatment comprises joining two contiguous stretched portions.

4. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that the second processing comprises a convex transformation based on a polynomial function.

5. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that, if the screen is cylindrical in shape, the first processing comprises a decrease in the pixels of at least a portion of the image.

6. Method according to claim 5, characterized in that the second treatment comprises a polar transformation.

7. Device (100) for managing the display of an image on a polyhedral or cylindrical screen arranged in the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle, characterized in that the device 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.

8. A computer program comprising program code instructions for executing the steps of a method according to one of any of claims 1 to 6 when said program is executed by at least one processor.

9. Support usable in a computer, characterized in that a program according to claim 8 is recorded therein.

10. Motor vehicle (1), characterized in that it carries a screen (2) of polyhedral or cylindrical shape and a device (100) according to claim 7.

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