In-Vehicle Entertainment Hardware for Driver-Safe Passenger Interaction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Passengers in vehicles lack dedicated hardware for engaging and entertaining experiences, and there is a need for improved customization and expression, especially with the advent of autonomous vehicles where human drivers are not needed.
Innovation Solution
A portable apparatus with processors and output devices provides non-navigational entertainment experiences for passengers, including social interaction programs and media content, and enables exterior communication with other vehicles or pedestrians using displays and audio.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If passengers use personal devices (smartphones, tablets) for entertainment, then entertainment content is accessible, but the experience is not optimized for vehicular travel and drivers may be distracted
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the vehicle interior into distinct zones: driver zone with minimal distractions and passenger zone with dedicated entertainment hardware. Portable apparatus are distributed to passengers rather than using shared driver devices, separating entertainment functions from driving functions.
Solution Approach 2:
Dedicated portable apparatus serve as intermediaries between the entertainment content and passengers, providing optimized vehicular interfaces (mounts, holders, vehicle-optimized displays) that prevent direct use of personal devices by the driver while still delivering entertainment content to passengers.
2Adaptability or versatility
If traditional signaling devices (brake lights, turn indicators) are used, then communication with external objects is achieved, but the expressive range is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The signaling system transitions from static, fixed-function devices to dynamic, reconfigurable displays that can change appearance, color, and message content based on context. Exterior surfaces become dynamic communication canvases that can express multiple meanings and emotions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes color-changing capabilities of display devices to convey different signaling meanings and emotional states, expanding beyond the limited color palette of traditional brake lights and turn indicators to provide richer communication with pedestrians and other vehicles.
3Adaptability or versatility
If vehicle customization is limited to simple items (air fresheners, fuzzy dice), then personal expression is possible, but the sophistication is insufficient given advances in robotic and electronic technologies
Solution Approach 1:
The portable apparatus serve multiple functions: entertainment delivery, personal expression through customization, signaling to external objects, and social interaction facilitation. This multi-functionality replaces multiple separate systems with integrated smart devices.
Solution Approach 2:
Customization extends to changing multiple parameters of the vehicle environment: display content, lighting colors, ambient atmosphere, and interactive behaviors. Users can dynamically adjust these parameters rather than being limited to static decorative items.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and computer-implemented methods are disclosed for providing social entertainment experiences in a moving vehicle via an apparatus that simulates human social behavior relevant to a journey undertaken by the vehicle, for displaying human-perceivable exterior communication on the moving vehicle to neighboring vehicles and/or pedestrians, and for providing a modular travel experience.