Transparent Vehicle Window Display With Selective Privacy Masking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle display apparatuses require complex configurations and processing to prevent information from being viewed externally, leading to undesirable transmittance reduction and obstruction for occupants, especially when highly sensitive information is displayed on transparent windows.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle display apparatus featuring a transparent display on a window with a mask unit that can change visibility settings, allowing for simple reduction of content visibility from outside by varying the transparency or opacity of the mask unit, which is controlled by a visibility setting unit based on content details or metadata.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the transmittance of the window is reduced to prevent external viewing of displayed information, then the privacy protection is improved, but the occupant's viewing comfort and natural light intake deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The window display system is segmented into multiple independent display regions, each with its own visibility control. The mask unit can selectively obscure only specific regions containing sensitive information while leaving other regions transparent, allowing privacy protection for particular content without reducing overall window transmittance or occupant viewing comfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The mask unit implements local quality change by providing differential transparency across different regions of the window. Rather than uniformly reducing transmittance across the entire window, the mask selectively applies opacity only to regions where privacy is needed, maintaining high transmittance and viewing comfort in non-sensitive areas.
2Measurement precision
If a camera and proximity sensor are used to detect viewing possibility, then the privacy protection accuracy is improved, but the device complexity and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the display device's own characteristics (transparent display properties and fixed position relative to the window) to determine viewing risk, rather than requiring external sensors. The control unit analyzes the inherent relationship between display content, display position, and window transparency to assess viewing possibility, eliminating the need for separate camera and proximity sensor systems.
3Reliability
If the mask unit is always activated to prevent external viewing, then the information security is improved, but the visibility obstruction for occupants increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mask unit's transparency state is dynamically adjusted based on real-time assessment of viewing risk. The control unit continuously evaluates whether external viewing is possible based on display content and position, activating the mask only when necessary. This dynamic control allows the system to maintain high transmittance and visibility for occupants during low-risk periods while providing security when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the transparency parameter of the mask unit based on assessed viewing risk. Rather than maintaining a fixed opaque state, the mask's transparency parameter is adjusted dynamically - remaining transparent when viewing risk is low and becoming opaque when viewing risk is high, thus balancing security requirements with occupant comfort and natural light intake.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle display apparatus includes: a transparent display that is installed on a window glass of a vehicle and displays an image of content which is a display target; a mask layer that is disposed to overlap the transparent display and is capable of changing a visibility of a display region of the image from outside the vehicle; and a mask setting unit that sets a visibility of the mask layer depending on details of the content.