Vehicle Display Viewing Angle Control for Driver Privacy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing display devices struggle to control the viewing angle such that a display image can be viewed from a passenger seat side but not from a driver seat side during driving, particularly in vehicles like cars.
Innovation Solution
A display system incorporating an external light sensor or eye gaze tracker to control a liquid crystal layer's drive voltage based on external light intensity or user gaze direction, using a polarization axis rotation element to adjust the viewing angle, ensuring the display is visible from the passenger seat but not the driver seat.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a display device is mounted on a vehicle to be visible to passengers, then passenger visibility is improved, but driver visibility also increases which creates safety issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making different regions of the display device have different visibility characteristics. The display is configured to be visible from the passenger side while remaining invisible from the driver side, creating spatially differentiated optical properties that resolve the contradiction between passenger visibility and driver safety
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dynamic viewing angle control that can adjust the display's visibility characteristics. By dynamically controlling the viewing angle range, the system can adapt to different driving conditions, passenger positions, and environmental factors, allowing the display to be visible when needed while automatically becoming invisible when it might distract the driver
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the viewing angle is controlled to prevent driver visibility, then driver safety is improved, but passenger visibility may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The display device creates distinct visibility zones with different optical characteristics. The viewing angle control mechanism ensures that the passenger seating area falls within the visible range while the driver seating area falls outside it, maintaining local quality differences that satisfy both safety and visibility requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates sensors and control mechanisms that monitor the display's visibility characteristics and adjust the viewing angle control accordingly. This feedback loop ensures that the display maintains optimal visibility for passengers while preventing driver visibility, automatically compensating for changes in passenger position, lighting conditions, or other environmental factors
3Adaptability or versatility
If the display is made visible from multiple angles, then viewing flexibility is improved, but control over who can see the display is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic viewing angle control that can adjust the display's visibility characteristics in real-time. This dynamic control allows the system to provide viewing flexibility for different passenger positions and configurations while maintaining the ability to restrict visibility from unauthorized directions, particularly the driver's side
Solution Approach 2:
The display device creates spatially differentiated visibility zones using local quality principles. Different angular regions are assigned different visibility properties, allowing the system to provide broad viewing flexibility for authorized users while maintaining targeted restrictions for unauthorized viewing directions
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Effectively controls the viewing angle to prevent the driver from seeing the display by reducing transmittance in the driver's direction while maintaining visibility from the passenger seat, enhancing safety and privacy.
Implementation Method 1
a liquid crystal layer containing liquid crystal molecules twist-aligned, configured such that a drive voltage applied to the liquid crystal layer is controlled based on the external light intensity
Implementation Method 2
a polarization axis rotation element disposed between the viewing angle control panel and the display panel, and rotating the second polarization axis of the second polarization component transmitted through the viewing angle control panel
Implementation Method 3
an external light sensor detecting an external light intensity
Data Source
AI summary
According to one embodiment, a display system includes an external light sensor, a display panel, a viewing angle control panel including a liquid crystal layer containing liquid crystal molecules twist-aligned, configured such that a drive voltage applied to the liquid crystal layer is controlled based on an external light intensity detected by the external light sensor, and a polarization axis rotation element disposed between the viewing angle control panel and the display panel. The drive voltage when the external light intensity is less than a threshold value is greater than the drive voltage when the external light intensity is greater or equal to than the threshold value.