Vehicle display system and operation method thereof

Abstract

This disclosure provides an automotive display system, characterized in that it includes: a display for displaying images; a directional ambient light sensor for detecting light intensity in different directions; and a processor electrically connected to the display and the directional ambient light sensor.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This disclosure relates to an automotive display system, and more particularly to an automotive display system capable of accurately detecting the intensity of light incident on the driver's line of sight and adjusting the visibility of images. [Previous Technology]

[0002] The intensity of ambient light inside a vehicle can affect the driver's ability to read the display screen or the visibility of road conditions. Traditional methods to improve strong glare inside a vehicle simply rely on an ambient light sensor to detect the total intensity of ambient light at the sensor's location and adjust the display screen accordingly.

[0003] However, the ambient light that actually affects the driver is not all the light intensity at the location of the ambient light sensor, but the light intensity that is incident on the driver's line of sight, especially strong light from a specific direction, which will affect driving safety. [Summary of the Invention]

[0004] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, an automotive display system is provided, characterized in that it includes: a display for displaying images; a directional ambient light sensor for detecting light intensity in different directions; and a processor electrically connected to the display and the directional ambient light sensor.

[0005] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for operating an automotive display system is provided, characterized in that it includes: detecting light intensity in different directions using a directional ambient light sensor; and receiving the light intensity in different directions provided by the directional ambient light sensor as raw light intensity by a processor, and weighting the raw light intensity to obtain a weighted light intensity, comparing the weighted light intensity or the sum of the weighted light intensity with a corresponding threshold, and adjusting the visual contrast of the image by the display when one of the weighted light intensities or the sum of the weighted light intensities is equal to or greater than the corresponding threshold; or, the processor does not weight the raw light intensity, but directly compares the raw light intensity with the corresponding threshold, and adjusts the visual contrast of the image by the display when one of the raw light intensities is equal to or greater than the corresponding threshold.

[0006] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, an automotive display system is provided, characterized in that it includes: a display for displaying images; a plurality of directional ambient light sensors surrounding the display for detecting light intensity in different directions; and a processor electrically connected to the display and the directional ambient light sensors.

Implementation Method

[0008] The following description illustrates various embodiments of this invention to introduce the basic concepts, and is not intended to limit the scope of this invention. The actual scope of the invention should be defined in accordance with the scope of the patent application. The exemplary embodiments disclosed herein will be described in detail below, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same element symbols are used in the drawings and description to denote the same or similar parts.

[0009] Certain terms are used throughout this specification and the appended claims to refer to specific components. Those skilled in the art will understand that sensing device manufacturers may use different names to refer to the same components. This document is not intended to distinguish between components that have the same function but different names. In the following specification and claims, words such as "containing," "comprising," and "including" are open-ended terms and should therefore be interpreted as "containing but not limited to...".

[0010] The directional terms used herein, such as "up," "down," "front," "back," "left," and "right," are only for reference to the accompanying drawings. Therefore, the directional terms used are for illustrative purposes and not for limiting this disclosure. In the accompanying drawings, the various figures illustrate general features of the methods, structures, and / or materials used in specific embodiments. However, these figures should not be construed as defining or limiting the scope or nature covered by these embodiments. For example, for clarity, the relative dimensions, thicknesses, and positions of various films, regions, and / or structures may be reduced or enlarged.

[0011] In this disclosure, a structure (or layer, component, substrate) located on / above another structure (or layer, component, substrate) can refer to the two structures being adjacent and directly connected, or to the two structures being adjacent but not directly connected. Indirect connection means that there is at least one intermediate structure (or intermediate layer, intermediate component, intermediate substrate, intermediate spacer) between the two structures, with the lower surface of one structure adjacent to or directly connected to the upper surface of the intermediate structure, and the upper surface of the other structure adjacent to or directly connected to the lower surface of the intermediate structure. The intermediate structure can be composed of a single or multiple solid or non-solid structure, without limitation. In this disclosure, when a structure is placed "on" another structure, it may mean that the structure is "directly" on the other structure, or that the structure is "indirectly" on the other structure, meaning that at least one structure is sandwiched between the structure and the other structure.

[0012] The terms “approximately,” “substantially,” or “roughly” are generally interpreted as being within 10% of a given value or range, or as being within 5%, 3%, 2%, 1%, or 0.5% of a given value or range.

[0013] Furthermore, there may be a certain error between any two values ​​or directions used for comparison. If the first value is equal to the second value, it implies that there may be an error of about 10% between the first value and the second value; if the first direction is perpendicular to or "approximately" perpendicular to the second direction, the angle between the first direction and the second direction may be between 80 degrees and 100 degrees; if the first direction is parallel to or "approximately" parallel to the second direction, the angle between the first direction and the second direction may be between 0 degrees and 10 degrees.

[0014] The ordinal numbers used in the specification and claims, such as "first," "second," etc., to modify elements, do not in themselves imply or represent any prior ordinal number of that (or those) element, nor do they represent the order of one element with another, or the order of manufacturing methods. The use of these ordinal numbers is solely to clearly distinguish one named element from another element with the same name. The claims and specification may not use the same terminology; therefore, a first element in the specification may be a second element in the claims.

[0015] In this disclosure, the terms "given range is from the first value to the second value" and "given range falls within the range of the first value to the second value" indicate that the given range includes the first value, the second value, and other values ​​in between.

[0016] It should be understood that, according to the embodiments disclosed herein, the depth, thickness, width, or height of each element, or the spacing or distance between elements, can be measured using an optical microscope (OM), a scanning electron microscope (SEM), an alpha-step thickness gauge, an elliptic gauge, or other suitable methods. According to some embodiments, a scanning electron microscope can be used to obtain a cross-sectional image containing the element to be measured, and to measure the depth, thickness, width, or height of each element, or the spacing or distance between elements.

[0017] Electronic devices may include, but are not limited to, image capturing devices, bonding devices, display devices, backlight devices, antenna devices, splicing devices, touch electronic devices, curved electronic devices, or free-shape electronic devices. Electronic devices may include, for example, liquid crystal, light-emitting diode, fluorescence, phosphorescence, other suitable display media, or combinations thereof, but are not limited to. Display devices may be non-emissive or self-emissive. Antenna devices may be liquid crystal type antenna devices or non-liquid crystal type antenna devices; sensing devices may be sensing capacitance, light, heat, or ultrasound, but are not limited to. Splicing devices may be, for example, display splicing devices or antenna splicing devices, but are not limited to. It should be noted that electronic devices may be any arrangement or combination of the foregoing, but are not limited to. Electronic devices may be bendable or flexible electronic devices. It should be noted that the electronic device can be any of the aforementioned arrangements and combinations, but is not limited thereto. Furthermore, the electronic device can be rectangular, circular, polygonal, have curved edges, or other suitable shapes. The electronic device may have peripheral systems such as drive systems, control systems, light source systems, and shelving systems to support display devices, antenna devices, or splicing devices.

[0018] It should be understood that the features in the following embodiments can be replaced, recombined, or mixed to complete other embodiments without departing from the spirit of this disclosure. Features between embodiments can be arbitrarily mixed and combined as long as they do not violate the spirit of the invention or conflict with it.

[0019] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. It is understood that such terms, for example, as defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the relevant art and the background or context of this disclosure, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal manner, unless specifically defined in the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0020] Furthermore, the word "adjacent" in the specification and claims is used to describe mutual proximity and does not necessarily mean mutual contact.

[0021] Furthermore, descriptions such as "when..." or "...time" in this disclosure indicate states such as "at present, before, or after," and are not limited to simultaneous occurrences; this is stated in advance. Descriptions such as "set on..." in this disclosure indicate the corresponding positional relationship between two elements, and do not limit whether the two elements are in contact, unless specifically limited; this is stated in advance. Moreover, when this disclosure describes multiple functions, the use of the word "or" between functions indicates that the functions can exist independently, but does not exclude the possibility that multiple functions can exist simultaneously.

[0022] Furthermore, the terms "electrical connection" or "coupled" used in the specification and claims do not only refer to a direct electrical connection with another element, but may also refer to an indirect electrical connection with another element. Electrical connection includes direct electrical connection, indirect electrical connection, or the exchange of radio signals between two elements.

[0023] In this disclosure, when “or” is used as a conjunction between multiple elements, unless otherwise stated, it includes the states of “and” and “or”.

[0024] In this disclosure, when “a certain element is disposed on another element”, it means that the certain element may be disposed on a certain side of the other element, such as, but not limited to, above, below, left, right, front or back, and the two do not necessarily have to be in contact.

[0025] Please refer to Figure 1. According to an embodiment of this disclosure, an automotive display system 10 is provided. Figure 1 is a simplified schematic diagram of the automotive display system 10.

[0026] As shown in Figure 1, the automotive display system 10 includes a display 12, a directional ambient light sensor 14, and a processor 16. The display 12 is used to display images. The directional ambient light sensor 14 is used to detect light intensity in different directions. The processor 16 is electrically connected to the display 12 and the directional ambient light sensor 14. For example, the processor 16 receives light intensity data from different directions provided by the directional ambient light sensor 14, processes the data appropriately, and then transmits the signals to the display 12 to adjust the image visual contrast.

[0027] According to some embodiments, the vehicle display system 10 further includes a driver monitoring system 18, which uses, for example, an eye-tracking sensor or a hand (gesture) sensor to obtain the driver's gaze direction in real time. The signal of the driver's gaze direction provided by the driver monitoring system 18 and the signal of light intensity in different directions provided by the directional ambient light sensor 14 are transmitted together to the processor 16 for signal processing and interpretation.

[0028] According to some embodiments, the automotive display system 10 further includes a smart window system 20 for adjusting window transparency. The processor 16 also transmits relevant signals to the smart window system 20 to adjust the window transparency.

[0029] The relative positional relationship between the directional ambient light sensor and the display is explained below with reference to Figures 2A and 2B. Figure 2A is a top view of some components in the automotive display system. Figure 2B is a cross-sectional view of Figure 2A.

[0030] As shown in Figures 2A and 2B, a first display 12a and a second display 12b are disposed below the glass cover 11, along with a plurality of directional ambient light sensors (e.g., a first directional ambient light sensor 14a, a second directional ambient light sensor 14b, a third directional ambient light sensor 14c, and a fourth directional ambient light sensor 14d). According to some embodiments, the directional ambient light sensors are disposed adjacent to the side, inside, above, or below the display, but are not limited thereto. For example, as shown in Figure 2A, the first directional ambient light sensor 14a is disposed between the first display 12a and the second display 12b, adjacent to the side of the first display 12a and the second display 12b. The second directional ambient light sensor 14b is disposed inside the second display 12b. The third directional ambient light sensor 14c is disposed below the second display 12b. The fourth directional ambient light sensor 14d is disposed adjacent to the side of the second display 12b.

[0031] Further explanation based on Figure 2A: For example, relative to the display area D on the first display 12a, the driver's line of sight 22a and the first incident direction 24a (having a specific direction) of the strong glare 24 are essentially mirror-symmetrical, that is, the angle θ1 between the driver's line of sight 22a and the reflective surface R is equal to the angle θ2 between the first incident direction 24a of the strong glare 24 and the reflective surface R. Furthermore, according to some embodiments, when there is a positional deviation between the driver's observation point and the sensor's measurement point, a correction value can be considered when evaluating the angle of the strong glare incident direction. For example, when there is a positional deviation between the observation point Po of the driver 22 (the line of sight of the driver 22 on the first display 12a) and the measurement point Pm of the first directional ambient light sensor 14a (the position of the first directional ambient light sensor 14a), a correction value δ can be added when evaluating the angle of the incident direction of the strong glare 24, for example, θ2'=θ1+δ, to obtain the corrected second incident direction 24b of the strong glare 24, where θ2' is the angle between the second incident direction 24b of the strong glare 24 and the reflecting surface R.

[0032] The following describes the types of directional ambient light sensors.

[0033] According to some embodiments, the directional ambient light sensor receives light from various directions and can detect the light intensity corresponding to each direction.

[0034] According to some embodiments, a directional ambient light sensor receives light from a specific direction, and the intensity of the received light is the light intensity corresponding to that specific direction. In this case, the directional ambient light sensor can detect the light intensity corresponding to the light from that specific direction. The structure of such a directional ambient light sensor is shown in Figures 3A and 3B. Figures 3A and 3B are cross-sectional schematic diagrams of some components in an automotive display system.

[0035] Referring to Figure 3A, a shielding layer 26 is provided below the glass cover plate 11. The shielding layer 26 overlaps with the directional ambient light sensor 14 in the vertical direction, that is, in the direct viewing direction, the shielding layer 26 completely blocks the directional ambient light sensor 14. In the figure, the shielding layer 26 has an opening 28 formed in the inclined direction relative to the directional ambient light sensor 14, through which the directional ambient light sensor 14 receives light 30 from a specific direction. According to some embodiments, the shielding layer 26 includes, for example, ink, a metal layer, or an opaque material, but is not limited thereto.

[0036] Please refer to Figure 3B. An oblique collimation structure 32 is provided around the directional ambient light sensor 14 to form an oblique opening 34. The directional ambient light sensor 14 receives light 36 from a specific direction through the oblique opening 34.

[0037] According to some embodiments, a directional ambient light sensor is disposed on a rotatable base (not shown), which drives the directional ambient light sensor thereon by mechanical rotation to receive light in a specific direction and detect the light intensity corresponding to the light in the specific direction.

[0038] In some embodiments, the light in a specific direction may be incident light that can easily interfere with driving. For example, it may be glare that is reflected from the display after the ambient light is incident on the display. More specifically, it may be strong ambient light that is incident on the display and reflected within a 120° field of view of the human eye, causing driving difficulties for the user, but it is not limited thereto.

[0039] Please refer to Figure 1 for a further explanation of the operation of the vehicle display system 10.

[0040] According to some embodiments, as shown in Figure 1, firstly, a directional ambient light sensor 14 detects light intensity in different directions. Then, a processor 16 receives the light intensity from the directional ambient light sensor 14 in different directions and performs numerical processing. For example, the received light intensity from different directions is used as the original light intensity, and the original light intensity is weighted to obtain a weighted light intensity. Next, the weighted light intensity or the sum of the weighted light intensities is compared with a corresponding threshold. When one of the weighted light intensities or the sum of the weighted light intensities is equal to or greater than the corresponding threshold, an adjustment signal is transmitted to the display 12. Then, the display 12 adjusts the visual contrast of the image.

[0041] Based on some embodiments, the detailed flow of execution by the processor 16 is described below using a weighted table 1 (Table 1 below). Table 1 Polar angle (θ) Plane angle (φ) original Light intensity Weighted Weighted light intensity threshold Adjustment Whether or not 0 180 400 0.1 40 100 N 20 180 500 0.1 50 100 N 0 90 300 0.2 60 100 N 20 90 100 1.0 100 100 Y 0 0 200 0.5 100 100 Y 20 0 180 1.0 180 100 Y

[0042] The polar angle (θ) is between 0 degrees and 90 degrees. The plane angle (φ) is between 0 degrees and 360 degrees. The polar angle (θ) and plane angle (φ) determine the orientation of the incident light. For example, in Table 1, incident light with a polar angle (θ) of 0 degrees and a plane angle (φ) of 180 degrees, and incident light with a polar angle (θ) of 20 degrees and a plane angle (φ) of 180 degrees, are left-side lights for the driver. Incident light with a polar angle (θ) of 0 degrees and a plane angle (φ) of 90 degrees, and incident light with a polar angle (θ) of 20 degrees and a plane angle (φ) of 90 degrees, are upward lights for the driver. Incident light with a polar angle (θ) of 0 degrees and a plane angle (φ) of 0 degrees, and incident light with a polar angle (θ) of 20 degrees and a plane angle (φ) of 0 degrees, are right-side lights for the driver. Here, the original light intensities of the left-side light are 400 and 500, respectively. The original light intensities of the upper-side light are 300 and 100, respectively. The original light intensities of the right-side light are 200 and 180, respectively. The weighting in the table is related to the severity of the light's impact on driving. For example, it was assessed that the left-side light has a lower impact on driving than the upper-side and right-side light, therefore, a lower weighting of 0.1 is given. For the upper-side and right-side light, especially the upper-side light with a polar angle (θ) of 20 degrees and a plane angle (φ) of 90 degrees, and the right-side light with a polar angle (θ) of 20 degrees and a plane angle (φ) of 0 degrees, the impact on driving is the most severe, therefore, a higher weighting of 1.0 is given. Here, the processor increases the weighting of light intensity for specific directions (incident light directions that easily interfere with driving). The weighted light intensities of the left-side light after weighting are 40 and 50, respectively. The weighted light intensities obtained after weighting the original light intensity of the upward light are 60 and 100, respectively. The weighted light intensities obtained after weighting the original light intensity of the right light are 100 and 180, respectively. The threshold values ​​for all light sources in Table 1 are set to 100. After comparing the weighted light intensities with the corresponding threshold values, it was found that the weighted light intensities of the upward light with a polar angle (θ) of 20 degrees and a plane angle (φ) of 90 degrees, the right light with a polar angle (θ) of 0 degrees and a plane angle (φ) of 0 degrees, and the right light with a polar angle (θ) of 20 degrees and a plane angle (φ) of 0 degrees are all equal to or greater than the corresponding threshold values. This indicates that the incident light intensity from these directions has interfered with the driver's vision and the visual contrast of the image needs to be further adjusted by the display 12. In the embodiment shown in Table 1, when one of the weighted light intensities is equal to or greater than the corresponding threshold value, an adjustment signal is transmitted to the display 12 to adjust the visual contrast of the image.

[0043] Based on some embodiments, the detailed flow of execution by the processor 16 is described below using a weighted table 2 (Table 2 below). Table 2 Polar angle (θ) Plane angle (φ) original Light intensity Weighted Weighted light intensity threshold Adjustment Whether or not 60 180 80 0.1 8 100 N 40 180 100 0.1 10 100 N 20 180 80 0.1 8 100 N 0 0 60 0.2 12 100 N 20 0 60 0.5 30 100 N 40 0 40 1.0 40 100 N 60 0 40 0.5 20 100 N sum 128 300 N

[0044] In Table 2, incident light with an epipolar angle (θ) of 60 degrees and a plane angle (φ) of 180 degrees, incident light with an epipolar angle (θ) of 40 degrees and a plane angle (φ) of 180 degrees, and incident light with an epipolar angle (θ) of 20 degrees and a plane angle (φ) of 180 degrees are considered left-side light for driving. Incident light with an epipolar angle (θ) of 0 degrees and a plane angle (φ) of 0 degrees, incident light with an epipolar angle (θ) of 20 degrees and a plane angle (φ) of 0 degrees, incident light with an epipolar angle (θ) of 40 degrees and a plane angle (φ) of 0 degrees, and incident light with an epipolar angle (θ) of 60 degrees and a plane angle (φ) of 0 degrees are considered right-side light for driving. Here, the original light intensities of the left-side light are 80, 100, and 80, respectively. The original light intensities of the right-side light are 60, 60, 40, and 40, respectively. The evaluation showed that left-side light has a lower impact on driving than right-side light, therefore, it was given a lower weighting of 0.1. For right-side light, especially the right-side light with a polar angle (θ) of 40 degrees and a plane angle (φ) of 0 degrees, the impact on driving is the most severe, therefore, it was given a higher weighting of 1.0. Here, the processor increases the weighting of light intensity for specific directions (incident light directions that easily interfere with driving). The weighted light intensities obtained after weighting the original light intensity of left-side light are 8, 10, and 8, respectively. The weighted light intensities obtained after weighting the original light intensity of right-side light are 12, 30, 40, and 20, respectively. The threshold for each type of light in Table 2 is set to 100. After comparing the weighted light intensity with the corresponding threshold, it was found that the weighted light intensity of each direction and the sum of the weighted light intensities were both less than the corresponding threshold. This indicates that the incident light intensity from these directions does not interfere with the driver's vision, and no further adjustment of the image's visual contrast is required. In the embodiment shown in Table 2, when both the weighted light intensity and the sum of the weighted light intensities are less than the corresponding threshold, no adjustment signal will be transmitted to the display 12.

[0045] Based on some embodiments, the detailed flow of execution by the processor 16 is described below using weighted table 3 (Table 3 below). Table 3 Polar angle (θ) Plane angle (φ) original Light intensity Weighted Weighted light intensity threshold Adjustment Whether or not 60 180 400 0.1 40 100 N 40 180 500 0.1 50 100 N 20 180 400 0.1 40 100 N 0 0 300 0.2 60 100 N 20 0 100 0.5 50 100 N 40 0 50 1.0 50 100 N 60 0 40 0.5 20 100 N Total 310 300 Y

[0046] In Table 3, incident light with an epipolar angle (θ) of 60 degrees and a plane angle (φ) of 180 degrees, incident light with an epipolar angle (θ) of 40 degrees and a plane angle (φ) of 180 degrees, and incident light with an epipolar angle (θ) of 20 degrees and a plane angle (φ) of 180 degrees are considered left-side light for driving. Incident light with an epipolar angle (θ) of 0 degrees and a plane angle (φ) of 0 degrees, incident light with an epipolar angle (θ) of 20 degrees and a plane angle (φ) of 0 degrees, incident light with an epipolar angle (θ) of 40 degrees and a plane angle (φ) of 0 degrees, and incident light with an epipolar angle (θ) of 60 degrees and a plane angle (φ) of 0 degrees are considered right-side light for driving. Here, the original light intensities of the left-side light are 400, 500, and 400, respectively. The original light intensities of the right-side light are 300, 100, 50, and 40, respectively. The evaluation showed that left-side light has a lower impact on driving than right-side light, therefore, it was given a lower weighting of 0.1. For right-side light, especially the right-side light with a polar angle (θ) of 40 degrees and a plane angle (φ) of 0 degrees, the impact on driving is the most severe, therefore, it was given a higher weighting of 1.0. Here, the processor increases the weighting of light intensity for specific directions (the incident light direction most likely to interfere with driving). The weighted light intensities obtained after weighting the original light intensity of left-side light are 40, 50, and 40, respectively. The weighted light intensities obtained after weighting the original light intensity of right-side light are 60, 50, 50, and 20, respectively. The threshold for each type of light in Table 3 is set to 100. By comparing the weighted light intensity with the corresponding threshold, it was found that although the weighted light intensity of each direction was less than the corresponding threshold, the sum of the weighted light intensities was greater than the corresponding threshold. This indicates that although the individual incident light intensities from these directions do not interfere with the driver's vision, the combined effect of the light from each direction is sufficient to interfere with the driver's vision, requiring further adjustment of the image's visual contrast by the display 12. In the embodiment shown in Table 3, when the sum of the weighted light intensities is equal to or greater than the corresponding threshold, an adjustment signal is transmitted to the display 12 to adjust the image's visual contrast.

[0047] According to some embodiments, as shown in Figure 1, firstly, a directional ambient light sensor 14 detects light intensity in different directions. Then, a processor 16 receives the light intensity from the directional ambient light sensor 14 in different directions and performs numerical processing. For example, the received light intensity in different directions is used as the raw light intensity. At this time, the processor 16 does not weight the raw light intensity but directly compares it with a corresponding threshold. When the raw light intensity is equal to or greater than the corresponding threshold, an adjustment signal is transmitted to the display 12. Then, the display 12 adjusts the visual contrast of the image.

[0048] Based on some embodiments, the detailed flow of execution by the processor 16 is described below using a weighted table 4 (Table 4 below). Table 4 Polar angle (θ) Plane angle (φ) Original light intensity threshold Adjust or not 60 180 80 100 N 40 180 80 100 N 20 180 80 100 N 0 0 80 100 N 20 0 80 100 N 40 0 80 50 Y 60 0 80 100 N sum 480 500 N

[0049] In Table 4, incident light with a polar angle (θ) of 60 degrees and a plane angle (φ) of 180 degrees, incident light with a polar angle (θ) of 40 degrees and a plane angle (φ) of 180 degrees, and incident light with a polar angle (θ) of 20 degrees and a plane angle (φ) of 180 degrees are considered left-side light for driving. Incident light with a polar angle (θ) of 0 degrees and a plane angle (φ) of 0 degrees, incident light with a polar angle (θ) of 20 degrees and a plane angle (φ) of 0 degrees, incident light with a polar angle (θ) of 40 degrees and a plane angle (φ) of 0 degrees, and incident light with a polar angle (θ) of 60 degrees and a plane angle (φ) of 0 degrees are considered right-side light for driving. Here, the original light intensity of the left-side light is 80. The original light intensity of the right-side light is 80. After evaluation, the right-hand light with a polar angle (θ) of 40 degrees and a plane angle (φ) of 0 degrees has the most significant impact on driving; therefore, its corresponding threshold is lowered. Here, the processor lowers the corresponding threshold for the light intensity in a specific direction (the incident light direction most likely to interfere with driving). In Table 4, the threshold for the right-hand light with a polar angle (θ) of 40 degrees and a plane angle (φ) of 0 degrees is set to 50, and the thresholds for all other light directions are set to 100. After directly comparing the original light intensity with the corresponding threshold, it was found that since the threshold for the right-hand light with a polar angle (θ) of 40 degrees and a plane angle (φ) of 0 degrees has been lowered to 50, the original light intensity in this direction is greater than the corresponding threshold. This indicates that the incident light intensity in this direction has reached a level that interferes with the driver's vision, and the visual contrast of the image needs to be further adjusted by the display 12. In the embodiment shown in Table 4, when one of the original light intensities is equal to or greater than the corresponding threshold, an adjustment signal is transmitted to the display 12 to adjust the visual contrast of the image.

[0050] According to the embodiments shown in Tables 1-4 above, when one of the weighted light intensities or the sum of the weighted light intensities is equal to or greater than the corresponding threshold, or when one of the original light intensities is equal to or greater than the corresponding threshold (in the unweighted case), an adjustment signal is transmitted to the display to adjust the image visual contrast. The features of this disclosure are further explained below with the flowcharts shown in Figures 4 and 5.

[0051] As shown in Figure 4, firstly, the ambient light intensity is detected, and the light intensity can correspond to at least one direction. Then, it is determined whether the light intensity is higher than a preset threshold. If the light intensity is higher than the preset threshold, the display image is adjusted to a first state. The visual contrast of this first state is greater than that of the original state. If the light intensity is lower than the preset threshold, the display maintains its original state.

[0052] As shown in Figure 5, firstly, at least one light path is preset, which will cause glare to the driver. Then, the ambient light intensity is detected, which includes at least one light intensity corresponding to the light path. Next, it is determined whether the light intensity is higher than a preset threshold. If the light intensity is higher than the preset threshold, the display image is adjusted to a first state. The visual contrast of this first state is greater than that of the original state. If the light intensity is lower than the preset threshold, the display maintains its original state.

[0053] The following describes how to adjust the visual contrast of the monitor image.

[0054] Visual contrast ratio, or effective contrast ratio, refers to the visual quality of an image as truly perceived by the human eye. For example, it considers the reflected light from ambient light onto the display surface. Therefore, visual contrast ratio can be expressed as 1 + (display light intensity / reflected light intensity). In some cases, the resolution, sharpness, and refresh rate of the displayed image may affect visual contrast ratio, but this is not a limitation. For example, when the visual contrast ratio of the monitor before adjustment is less than the contrast ratio that is comfortable for the human eye to view, adjustment is made to make the adjusted visual contrast ratio greater than the original visual contrast ratio. The contrast ratio that is comfortable for the human eye to view can be the threshold value disclosed herein, for example, 500, 250, 100, or other contrast ratios greater than 2. For example, the adjusted visual contrast ratio can be improved by 5% or 10% or more compared to the original visual contrast ratio.

[0055] The visual contrast is defined as follows:

[0056] Visual contrast = 1 + (monitor brightness / ambient light reflection brightness)

[0057] Methods for adjusting the visual contrast of a display image include, for example, increasing the brightness of the display, reducing the ambient light reflectivity, reducing the brightness of ambient light reflected to the human eye, or adjusting the transparency of the vehicle window, but are not limited thereto.

[0058] According to some embodiments, the method of increasing the brightness of the display includes, for example, increasing the global backlight brightness, increasing the regional backlight brightness, increasing the brightness of the self-emissive unit, increasing the transparency of the element (e.g., the dimming shutter) disposed between the display and the backlight, increasing the pulse-width modulation (PWM) driving frequency, or increasing the pulse-amplitude modulation (PAM) driving frequency, but is not limited thereto.

[0059] According to some embodiments, methods for reducing ambient light reflectivity include, for example, increasing the haze of the display surface (e.g., attaching a polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) film) or reducing the transparency of elements disposed on the display (e.g., a dimming shutter), but are not limited thereto.

[0060] According to some embodiments, methods for reducing the brightness of ambient light reflected to the human eye include, for example, adjusting the angle of the display surface (e.g., setting a mechanical structure) or moving the position of the display, but are not limited thereto.

[0061] According to some embodiments, methods for adjusting the transparency of vehicle windows include, for example, using dimming glass, curtains, or blinds, but are not limited thereto. According to some embodiments, materials that can be used as dimming glass include, for example, dye-dyed liquid crystal (DDLC), polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC), polymer network liquid crystal (PNLC), cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC), electrochromic (EC) materials, suspended particle device (SPD) color-changing materials, electronic ink, or photochromic (PC) materials, but are not limited thereto.

[0062] The following figures 6A and 6B further illustrate how the setting of upper and lower backlights can increase backlight brightness. Figure 6A illustrates how to increase global backlight brightness, and Figure 6B illustrates how to increase local backlight brightness. Figures 6A and 6B are cross-sectional schematic diagrams of the display module 50.

[0063] Referring to Figure 6A, the display module 50 includes a display 52, a wide-viewing-angle backlight 54 (emitting light 54' in multiple directions), and a narrow-viewing-angle (collimated) backlight 56 ​​(emitting light 56' in a specific direction). The wide-viewing-angle backlight 54 is positioned below the display 52. ​​The narrow-viewing-angle (collimated) backlight 56 ​​is positioned between the display 52 and the wide-viewing-angle backlight 54. When strong glare simultaneously interferes with the vision of both the driver and passenger, the display module 50 can selectively activate and enhance the wide-viewing-angle backlight 54 while temporarily deactivating the narrow-viewing-angle (collimated) backlight 56 ​​to increase overall backlight brightness and simultaneously improve the visual contrast of the image viewed by both the driver and passenger.

[0064] Referring to Figure 6B, when strong glare only interferes with the view of either the driver or the passenger, the display module 50 can selectively turn on and enhance the narrow-viewing-angle (collimated) backlight 56 ​​while temporarily turning off the wide-viewing-angle backlight 54 to increase the regional backlight brightness. For example, when strong glare only interferes with the passenger's view but not the driver's view, in order to maintain the stability of the view for the driver, the display module 50 can selectively turn on and enhance the narrow-viewing-angle (collimated) backlight 56 ​​(intensifying the display light directed at the passenger) while temporarily turning off the wide-viewing-angle backlight 54. This can improve the visual contrast of the view for the passenger without affecting the viewing quality for the driver.

[0065] The following figure, Figure 7, further explains how to increase the brightness of the self-emissive units by setting up two types of self-emissive units, including how to increase the brightness of the global self-emissive units and how to increase the brightness of the regional self-emissive units. Figure 7 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the self-emissive display 100.

[0066] Referring to Figure 7, the self-emissive display 100 includes a wide-viewing-angle self-emissive unit 102 (capable of emitting light 102' in multiple directions) and a narrow-viewing-angle (collimated) self-emissive unit 104 (capable of emitting light 104' in a specific direction). When strong glare simultaneously interferes with the vision of both the driver and passenger, the self-emissive display 100 can selectively turn on and enhance the wide-viewing-angle self-emissive unit 102, while temporarily turning off the narrow-viewing-angle (collimated) self-emissive unit 104, in order to increase the brightness of the overall self-emissive unit and simultaneously improve the visual contrast of the image viewed by both the driver and passenger.

[0067] When strong glare only interferes with the view of either the driver or the passenger, the self-emissive display 100 can selectively turn on and enhance the narrow-viewing-angle (collimating) self-emissive unit 104, while temporarily turning off the wide-viewing-angle self-emissive unit 102, to increase the brightness of the regional self-emissive unit. For example, when strong glare only interferes with the passenger's view but not the driver's view, in order to maintain the stability of the view for the driver, the self-emissive display 100 can selectively turn on and enhance the narrow-viewing-angle (collimating) self-emissive unit 104 (intensifying the display light directed at the passenger), while temporarily turning off the wide-viewing-angle self-emissive unit 102. This can improve the visual contrast of the view for the passenger without affecting the viewing quality for the driver.

[0068] The following flowchart, shown in Figure 8, further illustrates that after the display image is adjusted to the first state due to the ambient brightness being higher than the threshold, when the driving state or environmental state meets the adaptation conditions, the display can choose to cancel the adjustment of the visual contrast (restore the first state to the original state).

[0069] As shown in Figure 8, firstly, the ambient brightness is detected (each ambient brightness corresponds to a different light source angle). Then, it is determined whether the ambient brightness is higher than a threshold. If the ambient brightness is higher than the threshold, the display image contrast is adjusted to a first state or the window transparency is adjusted to a first state (the visual contrast of the first state is greater than the original state). The driving state or environmental state is constantly monitored. During the process, it is determined whether the driving state or environmental state meets the adaptation conditions. According to some embodiments, the adaptation conditions include, for example, a driver's pupil dilation ratio of 50% or entering the environment for a preset time (e.g., 30 seconds, 1 minute, etc.), but are not limited thereto. If the driving state or environmental state meets the adaptation conditions, the display image contrast is adjusted to the original state or the window transparency is adjusted to the original state.

[0070] The following flowchart, shown in Figure 9, further illustrates that after the display image is adjusted to the first state due to the ambient brightness being higher than the first threshold, when the driving state or environmental state meets the adaptation conditions and the ambient brightness is lower than the second threshold (since the driver will adapt to the environment over time, the second threshold is higher than the first threshold), the display can choose to cancel the adjustment of the visual contrast (restore the first state to the original state).

[0071] As shown in Figure 9, firstly, the ambient brightness is detected (each ambient brightness corresponds to a different light source angle). Then, it is determined whether the ambient brightness is higher than a first threshold. If the ambient brightness is higher than the first threshold, the display image contrast is adjusted to a first state or the window transparency is adjusted to a first state (the visual contrast of the first state is greater than the original state). The driving state or environmental state is constantly monitored. During the process, it is determined whether the driving state or environmental state meets the adaptation conditions. According to some embodiments, adaptation conditions include, for example, a driver's pupil dilation ratio of 50% or entering the environment for a preset time (e.g., 30 seconds, 1 minute, etc.), but are not limited thereto. If the driving state or environmental state meets the adaptation conditions and the ambient brightness begins to fall below a second threshold (since the driver adapts to the environment over time, the second threshold is higher than the first threshold), the display image contrast is adjusted to the original state or the window transparency is adjusted to the original state.

[0072] The following figure, Figure 10, further illustrates the relationship between the first threshold, the second threshold, and the original state and the first state.

[0073] As shown in Figure 10, when the ambient brightness is below the first threshold, the display image remains in its original state. Once the ambient brightness exceeds the first threshold, the display image contrast is adjusted to the first state or the window transparency is adjusted to the first state (the visible contrast of the first state is greater than that of the original state). When the ambient brightness begins to fall below the set second threshold (since the driver will adapt to the environment over time, the second threshold is higher than the first threshold), the display image contrast is adjusted back to the original state or the window transparency is adjusted back to the original state.

[0074] According to some embodiments, the relative positional relationship between the directional ambient light sensor and the display is illustrated in Figure 11. Figure 11 is a top view of some components in an automotive display system (the processor electrically connecting the display and the directional ambient light sensor is not shown in the figure).

[0075] As shown in Figure 11, a display 12 for displaying images and multiple directional ambient light sensors 14 for detecting light intensity from different directions are provided below the glass cover 11. It should be noted that the multiple directional ambient light sensors 14 surround the display 12. The positions of each directional ambient light sensor 14 correspond to the angles at which the driver is most likely to receive strong glare.

[0076] The components of some of the above embodiments are provided so that those skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains can better understand the viewpoints of the embodiments disclosed herein. Those skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains should understand that they can design or modify other processes and structures based on the embodiments disclosed herein to achieve the same purpose and / or advantages as the embodiments described herein. Those skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains should also understand that such equivalent structures do not depart from the spirit and scope of this disclosure, and that they can make various changes, substitutions, and replacements without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection of this disclosure shall be determined by the appended claims. Furthermore, although this disclosure has been presented above with reference to several preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit this disclosure.

[0077] References to features, advantages, or similar language throughout this specification are not intended to imply that all features and advantages achievable using this disclosure should or may be implemented in any single embodiment of this disclosure. Rather, language relating to features and advantages is to be understood as meaning that a particular feature, advantage, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of this disclosure. Thus, the discussion of features and advantages and similar language throughout this specification may, but does not necessarily, represent the same embodiments.

[0078] Furthermore, in one or more embodiments, the features, advantages, and characteristics described herein may be combined in any suitable manner. Based on the description herein, those skilled in the art will recognize that this disclosure may be implemented without one or more specific features or advantages of a particular embodiment. In other instances, additional features and advantages may be identified in certain embodiments that may not be present in all embodiments of this disclosure. [Simplified Explanation of the Diagram]

[0007] The embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the various feature components are not drawn to scale and are only used for illustrative purposes. In fact, the dimensions of the components may be enlarged or reduced to clearly show the technical features of the embodiments of this disclosure. Figure 1 is a simplified schematic diagram of an automotive display system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 2A is a top view of some components in an automotive display system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 2B is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of Figure 2A; Figure 3A is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of some components in an automotive display system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 3B is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of some components in an automotive display system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 4 is a flowchart of an operation method of an automotive display system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 5 is a flowchart of an operation method of an automotive display system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 6A is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a display module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 6B is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a display module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 7 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a self-emissive display according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 8 is a flowchart of an operation method of an automotive display system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 9 is a flowchart of an operation method of an automotive display system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of an operation method of an automotive display system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and Figure 11 is a top view of some components in an automotive display system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A vehicle display system, comprising: A monitor, used to display images; Directional ambient light sensor, used to detect light intensity in different directions; The processor is electrically connected to the display and the directional ambient light sensor; A narrow-viewing-angle backlight and a wide-viewing-angle backlight are disposed below the display, wherein the narrow-viewing-angle backlight and the wide-viewing-angle backlight are selectively turned on to provide light to the display.

2. The automotive display system of claim 1, wherein the directional ambient light sensor is disposed adjacent to the side, interior, top, or bottom of the display.

3. The automotive display system of claim 1, wherein the directional ambient light sensor receives light from a specific direction.

4. The automotive display system of claim 1, wherein when the display is a self-emissive display, the display includes a narrow-viewing-angle light-emitting unit and a wide-viewing-angle light-emitting unit.

5. The automotive display system of claim 1, wherein the directional ambient light sensor is a plurality of multiple sensors.

6. A method for operating a vehicle display system, comprising: A directional ambient light sensor detects light intensity from different directions; The processor receives light intensities from different directions provided by the directional ambient light sensor, generates multiple raw light intensities, and weights these raw light intensities to obtain multiple weighted light intensities. It compares these weighted light intensities or the sum of these weighted light intensities with corresponding thresholds. When one of these weighted light intensities or the sum of these weighted light intensities is equal to or greater than the corresponding threshold, the display image is adjusted to a first state. Alternatively, the processor does not weight the raw light intensities and directly compares them with corresponding thresholds. When one of these raw light intensities is equal to or greater than the corresponding threshold, the display image is adjusted to a first state, wherein the visual contrast of the first state is greater than the visual contrast of the original state. A narrow-viewing-angle backlight and a wide-viewing-angle backlight are positioned below the display, wherein the narrow-viewing-angle backlight and the wide-viewing-angle backlight are selectively activated to provide light to the display.

7. The method of operating a vehicle display system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the processor increases the weighting of light intensity for incident light directions that may interfere with driving.

8. The method of operating a vehicle display system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the processor reduces a corresponding threshold for the light intensity of incident light that may interfere with driving.

9. The method of operating the vehicle display system as claimed in claim 6, wherein after the display image is adjusted to the first state, when the driving state or environmental state meets the adaptation conditions, the display image is adjusted back to the original state.

Images