Retractable Flexible Vehicle Display With Partial Screen Activation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing display devices in vehicles face limitations in space utilization, visibility, and power efficiency due to fixed installations and pop-up mechanisms, which restrict the display's range of use and consume excessive power regardless of exposure.
Innovation Solution
A flexible display device with a casing that allows the display to retract or extend via a display unit, driven by a motor and winder system, enabling control over exposure and direction of the display, using a flexible POLED and guided by curvature and straight guides, with sensors for precise operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a fixed display is installed in the vehicle, then the display is stable and easy to use, but it limits forward visibility and consumes excessive power regardless of exposure
Solution Approach 1:
The display device transitions from a fixed installation to a movable one, capable of extending and retracting along a guide rail. The display can be positioned at different locations including fully retracted, partially extended, and fully extended states, allowing dynamic adjustment based on usage requirements to optimize both visibility and power consumption
Solution Approach 2:
The display operates in periodic cycles of extension and retraction based on detected usage conditions. The control unit activates the display only when needed (e.g., when the vehicle is stationary or in specific driving conditions), keeping it retracted during normal driving to save power while maintaining readiness for use
2Adaptability or versatility
If a pop-up type movable display is used, then the display can be extended when needed, but it requires a separate accommodating space that increases in size with display size
Solution Approach 1:
The display unit is nested within the casing when retracted, with the accommodating space integrated into the vehicle's existing structure (dashboard or door panel). The display slides along a guide rail that is housed within the casing, allowing the display to be stored compactly when not in use while maintaining full extendability when needed
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of vertical pop-up extension that requires upward space, the display extends horizontally along the guide rail within the plane of the dashboard or door panel. This dimensional change allows the display to extend outward without requiring additional vertical accommodating space, utilizing the available horizontal space more efficiently
3Ease of operation
If the display is extended only in an upward direction from the accommodating space, then the display can be viewed, but the installation location and range of use are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The display device is designed with a universal mounting system that can be installed in multiple locations including the dashboard and door panels. The guide rail and winder mechanism provide consistent functionality regardless of installation location, allowing the same display unit to be mounted in different positions to suit various vehicle configurations and user preferences
Solution Approach 2:
The display can extend in multiple directions depending on the installation location. When installed in the door panel, the display extends outward from the door; when installed in the dashboard, it extends forward. The guide rail system allows dynamic positioning in the direction perpendicular to the mounting surface, providing versatility across different installation scenarios
4Loss of information
If the entire LCD screen outputs visual information, then complete information is displayed, but a great amount of power is used regardless of the degree of exposure
Solution Approach 1:
The display screen is divided into active and inactive regions based on the degree of extension. Only the exposed portion of the display that is visible to the user is activated to show information, while the retracted portion remains inactive. This local activation significantly reduces power consumption while maintaining complete information display in the visible area
Solution Approach 2:
The display maintains continuous useful action only in the exposed region where information is needed. The control unit continuously monitors the display position and adjusts the active display area accordingly, ensuring that power is consumed only when and where information is actually being viewed, eliminating wasted energy in hidden portions
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a flexible display device for a vehicle, including a casing with an opening defined therein, a display unit capable of being retracted into and extended out of the casing via the opening, a display driver for moving the display unit, and a display winder for winding the display unit thereon based on the movement of the display unit.