EP4272104A1

EP4272104A1 - Display arrangement of a vehicle, vehicle, method of operating a display arrangement of a vehicle, computer program product

Info

Publication number: EP4272104A1
Application number: EP20967391.2A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Anna Paetzold; Bilal Khan
Original assignee: Wuhan Lotus Cars Co Ltd
Current assignee: Wuhan Lotus Cars Co Ltd
Priority date: 2020-12-29
Filing date: 2020-12-29
Publication date: 2023-11-08
Also published as: TW202247020A; CN116745769A; EP4272104A4; WO2022141042A1; TWI809630B

Abstract

Display arrangement of a vehicle (2), the display arrangement (4) comprising: at least one display (6, 8, 10) configured to display content (44) to a driver (12) and/or passenger (14) of the vehicle (2), wherein at least one field of view restrictor (16, 18, 20) is associated to the at least one display (6, 8, 10), the field of view restrictor (16, 18, 20) being switchable between at least an unrestricted mode, in which a field of view angle (α) of the display (6, 8, 10) is unrestricted, and a restricted mode, in which the field of view angle (α) of the display (6, 8, 10) is restricted, the field of view restrictor (16, 18, 20) covering at least parts of the display (6, 8, 10), a controller (22) to control the field of view re-strictor (16, 18, 20) to switch between at least the unrestricted and the restricted mode, the controller (22) comprising a processor (24), the processor (24) being configured to calculate a privacy value (vp) based on at least one context factor input into the processor (24), wherein the controller (22) is configured to switch the field of view restrictor (16, 18, 20) into the restricted mode if a privacy value threshold (vt) of the privacy value (vp) calculated by the processor (24) is exceeded.

Description

DISPLAY ARRANGEMENT OF A VEHICLE, VEHICLE, METHOD OF OPERATING A DISPLAY ARRANGEMENT OF A VEHICLE, COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT

Technical Field

Disclosed are a display arrangement of a vehicle, the display arrangement comprising at least one display configured to display content to a driver and/or passenger of the vehicle, wherein the display contains a privacy screen, a method of controlling such a display arrangement, and a computer program product.

Background Art

Display arrangements of the aforementioned type are generally known in the art. In recent years, great advancements have been made in enlarging the visual angle of flatscreen-type displays like LCDs. There are, however, use cases in which a large angular viewing range of a screen can be a disadvantage. Increasingly, information such as banking data or other private particulars and sensitive data is becoming available on screens usable in public space, such as mobile devices. Accordingly, users require some control over who shall be able to see such sensitive data. There is a need to be able to choose between a wide viewing angle to share displayed information with others and a narrow viewing angle needed to keep displayed information private.

A similar problem is encountered in vehicles such as cars: When a vehicle is driving, the driver must not be distracted by image contents such as digital entertainment shows, whereas a front-seat passenger and/or a rear-seat passenger would like to watch such content during the ride. This is particularly important during the night, as the light pollution might cause the driver’s eye to adapt to the interior brightness which might decrease the ability to recognize potential dangers in the low-contrast and dark surroundings. This requires a screen that can be switched between corresponding display modes.

US 10,838,133 B2 discloses a screen with a transmissive image generator with pixels which is operable in at least two operating modes, B1 for a free viewing mode and B2 for a restricted viewing mode, and with an illuminating apparatus comprising a backlight that has a planar extension and radiates light in a restricted angular range, a plate-shaped light guide arranged in front of the backlight and provided with outcoupling elements on one of the large surfaces and/or within its volume, the light guide being transparent to at least 70% of the light emitted by the backlight; and light sources arranged laterally at edges of the light guide. In mode B2, the backlight is switched on and the light sources are switched off, and in mode B1 at least the light sources are switched on. In interaction with the transmissive image generator the illuminating apparatus constitutes an advantageous screen permitting the operating modes.

However, there are situations in vehicles where driver or passengers might not recognize the circumstances, e.g., pedestrians walking past a vehicle parked in a public space. Driver or passengers might then not be aware of the pedestrians’ ability to see the screen content, so they might easily forget activating a restricted viewing mode, thereby making sensitive content such as passwords visible to the pedestrian.

Technical Problem

It is therefore an object to provide a display arrangement of a vehicle and a method of operating the same that can automatically switch to a restricted viewing mode depending on the circumstances without the users need to get active.

Technical Solution

The invention is disclosed in independent claims 1, 6, 7 and 12. Further embodiments are disclosed in the dependent claims.

Disclosed is a display arrangement of a vehicle, the display arrangement comprising at least one display configured to display content to a driver and/or passenger of the vehicle, wherein at least one field of view restrictor is associated to the at least one display, the field of view restrictor being switchable between at least an unrestricted mode, in which a field of view angle of the display is unrestricted, and a restricted mode, in which the field of view angle of the display is restricted, the field of view restrictor covering at least parts of the display, a controller to control the field of view restrictor to switch between at least the unrestricted and the restricted mode, the controller comprising a processor, the processor being configured to calculate a privacy value based on at least one context factor input into the processor, wherein the controller is configured to switch the field of view restrictor into the restricted mode if a privacy value threshold of the privacy value calculated by the processor is exceeded.

The vehicle can be a car, a truck, a bus, or the like.

The display can be a flatscreen-type display using technologies such as LCD, OLED or Micro-LED. It might be mounted on a dashboard, an armrest or on a headrest of the car. It might be detachable and/or rotatable.

The field of view restrictor can have more that two different modes, for example modes with different viewing angles depending on circumstances, preferences, or presets. In an exemplary setting, an unrestricted viewing mode could allow for the natural viewing angle of the associated display. A restricted viewing mode could limit the field of view to an angle of 20° relative to a normal axis of the display or an axis tilted to the normal axis of the display. The field of view angle can be different in different directions of the display, it could be wider in a vertical direction and narrower in a horizontal direction. Also, the field of view angle might be shiftable in a horizontal and/or vertical plane, e.g., to restrict the viewing angle to a driver or to a passenger in the front seat, depending on who is using the display.

The field of view restrictor can be built using different technologies. One suitable technology uses switchable polarizers. Another suitable technology uses light guides with elements that have switchable optical properties. Another technology uses diffractive elements. If optical elements are used that are sensitive to electrical properties, e.g., an electrical field, such optical elements can be switched quickly using electric circuits. Such optical elements can be switchable liquid crystal displays. The field of view restrictor can comprise multiple layers, of which some can be active, and others can be passive, depending on the selected embodiment.

The field of view restrictor can cover the whole visible surface of the associated display or it can cover parts of the display. In the latter case, some visible areas of the display are not covered by the field of view restrictor and therefore will remain visible irrespective of the mode of the field of view restrictor. This allows for content to remain visible in a broader field of view, for example such that it is important for other passengers of the vehicle or the driver. Thus, it is possible for a passenger to watch a video on the display while the driver can still see certain other information on the screen, such as navigation information.

The field of view restrictor might be activatable across its whole surface or selected areas thereof, e.g., to just hide an area in which a password is supposed to be entered.

The calculation of the privacy value based on at least one context factor allows for an automatic assessment as to whether the restricted mode should be activated or not. Once the privacy value crosses the threshold, the field of view restrictor automatically switches into restricted mode. The respective user, driver, or passenger, of the display cannot forget about switching the display into restricted mode.

For example, if a passenger is asked to enter a password while standing in a parking lot, the controller can automatically activate the restricted mode of the field of view restrictor such that people surrounding the vehicle cannot see the password entered. Restricting the field of view angle for the same purpose while the vehicle is driving might not be necessary. Another example is the display of a video on a front central display, which usually serves as main infotainment display, of the vehicle that the driver should not be able to see while driving to avoid distractions, whereas making the video visible to the driver while the vehicle is parked might not be of concern.

In a first further embodiment, the controller can be configured to switch the field of view restrictor into the unrestricted mode if a privacy value threshold of the privacy value calculated by the processor is not exceeded.

This allows for passengers to view content if the privacy value is low enough, e.g., to display a cabin temperature in summer in case animals are left in a car.

In another further embodiment, the display arrangement comprises more than one display, wherein a privacy value is calculated for each display separately, wherein the controller is configured to switch a field of view restrictor of at least one of the displays to a restricted mode if the privacy value for the display exceeds the privacy value threshold.

Vehicles can comprise more than one display, e.g., a driver’s display, a front central display and/or rear seat displays. All those displays might display different content at the same time so that the need for privacy might be different depending on the circumstances.

In another further embodiment, at least one sensor is connected to the controller wherein a sensor output is used as a context factor or used to calculate a context factor.

Depending on the sensor, it might be necessary to convert the raw sensor output into a more suitable format, e.g., if a sensor provides an analog value such as a current or voltage which needs to be converted into a digital value that represents the respective analog sensor output.

Using sensor output as a context factor can provide repeatable behavior of the display arrangement, so that under equal circumstances, the display arrangement will behave equally.

In another further embodiment, wherein the at least one sensor is at least one of a location sensor, a seat occupancy detection sensor, a drive status sensor, a clock, or a light sensor.

A location sensor can for example be a GPS sensor of a navigation system of the vehicle. Such sensor can determine the position of the vehicle on a map. The map can comprise clusters of different zones with different context factors. For example, a parking lot, a gas station, a charge spot, an inner-city road, or the like might have a higher need for privacy than a cross-country road, a highway, or the like. If, for example, the driver needs to enter an address into the navigation system, which usually happens while the car is parked in an urban area, it can be prevented that people outside of the vehicle can read the address.

A seat occupancy sensor can help determine which seats of the vehicle are occupied. If, for example, the rear-seats are occupied, for example with children, and the passenger wants to watch a movie, the field of view restrictor can be switched into the restricted mode and the children on the back seat do not get disturbed, in particular in nighttime.

A drive status sensor, such as a speed sensor or a drive mode sensor – autonomous driving vs. manual driving for example – can be used to determine whether it is appropriate for the driver to see the content displayed on the screen without being distracted from the task of driving the vehicle.

A clock and/or a light sensor can be used to determine day- and nighttime and therefore how visible content is from the outside of the car because of the high contrast of the screen content to the surroundings of the vehicle.

In another further embodiment, the controller is connected to or comprises a content classifier module to classify the content to be displayed on the at least one display wherein the content classifier module is configured to calculate a privacy value based on the content to be displayed on the at least one display.

The content classifier module can be a part of a computer program product run on the processor or it can be a separate software or hardware module that is part of the controller or external to the controller.

The content classifier can determine whether the respective content is sensitive, e.g., passwords, PIN-codes, addresses or the like, or which type of content shall be displayed, e.g., videos like movies etc. Also, the content classifier might classify the content based on audience properties such as age. Content with restriction recommendations might then only be visible in a restricted viewing mode.

A first independent aspect relates to a vehicle with at least one display arrangement as described above.

The vehicle can be a car, a truck, a bus, or the like.

A further independent aspect relates to a method of controlling a display arrangement of a vehicle, the display arrangement comprising at least one display configured to display content to a driver and/or passenger of the vehicle, wherein at least one field of view restrictor is associated to the at least one display, the field of view restrictor being switchable between at least an unrestricted mode, in which a field of view angle of the display is unrestricted, and a restricted mode, in which the field of view angle of the display is restricted, the field of view restrictor covering at least parts of the display, wherein a privacy value is calculated in a processor, the processor being part of a controller for controlling the field of view restrictor, the privacy value being calculated based on at least one context factor input into the processor, wherein, when a privacy value threshold of the privacy value calculated by the processor is exceeded, wherein the controller switches the field of view restrictor into the restricted mode.

The calculation of the privacy value based on at least one context factor allows for an automatic assessment as to whether the restricted mode should be activated or not. Once the privacy value crosses the threshold, the field of view restrictor automatically switches into restricted mode. The respective user of the display - driver, or passenger - cannot forget about switching the display into restricted mode.

In a first further embodiment, the display arrangement comprises more than one display, wherein a privacy value is calculated for each display separately, wherein the controller switches a field of view restrictor of a display to a restricted mode if the privacy value for the display exceeds the privacy value threshold.

In another further embodiment, the at least one context factor includes at least one of a location factor, a seat occupancy status factor, a drive status factor, a time factor and/or a content class of the content to be displayed on the display.

A location sensor can for example be a GPS sensor of a navigation system of the vehicle. Such a can determine the position of the vehicle on a map. The map can comprise clusters of different zones with different context factors. For example, a parking lot, a gas station, a charge spot, an inner-city road, or the like might have a higher need for privacy than a normal road, a highway, or the like. If, for example, the driver needs to enter an address into the navigation system, it can be prevented that people outside of the vehicle can read the address.

A seat occupancy sensor can help determine which seats of the vehicle are occupied. If, for example, the rear-seats are occupied, for example with children, and the passenger wants to watch a movie, the field of view restrictor can be switched into the restricted mode and the children on the back seat do not get disturbed.

A drive status sensor, such as a speed sensor or a drive mode sensor, autonomous driving vs. manual driving for example, can be used to determine whether it is appropriate for the driver to see the content displayed on the screen without being distracted from the task of driving the vehicle.

A clock or a light sensor can be used to determine day- and nighttime and therefore how visible content is from the outside of the car and to determine a level of light pollution within the car.

The content class can indicate whether the respective content is sensitive, e.g., whether passwords, PIN-codes, addresses or the like will be displayed, or which type of content shall be displayed, e.g., videos like movies etc.

Also, the content might be classified by audience properties such as age. Content with restriction recommendations might only be visible in a restricted viewing mode.

In another further embodiment, more than one context factors are used to calculate the privacy value wherein each context factor is weighed and combined.

The combination can comprise additions and/or multiplications, e.g.

with: v _p = privacy value; f _i = context factor, w _i = context weight.

Context factors can be discrete or continuous values, depending on the type of context factor. E.g., location-related context factors might usually be rather discrete, lighting-related context factors can be continuous.

The context factors and context weights can be part of a look-up-table. The look-up-table might be preset. The look-up-table might be configurable through a user or a service station for the vehicle. A learning algorithm might be used to learn about driver and/or passenger preferences with regards to certain conditions.

Some weighted context factors might be big enough to trigger a switch to privacy mode alone, e.g., if a password needs to be entered, others might be too small such that only a combination of circumstances will lead to a switch to privacy mode, e.g., watching a limited audience rated movie while charging the car vs. watching a movie without such recommendation while charging or watching the first mentioned movie while driving.

In another further embodiment, the calculation of the privacy value is performed consecutively, wherein, when the privacy value is lower or equal to the privacy value threshold, the field of view restrictor is switched to the unrestricted mode.

As soon as circumstances change, e.g., the location or the content, the field of view restrictor can be switched in the most appropriate mode.

Another independent aspect relates to a computer program product stored on a computer readable, non-transitory storage medium, the storage medium comprising a computer readable program for causing a computer processor to control the execution of an application, the application implementing the method according to the method described above.

Further features, details and properties of the invention are provided in the claims, the drawings, and the following description of embodiments. It is understood that the features mentioned before and those to be explained below are applicable not only in the combinations stated but also in other combinations or as stand-alone features without leaving the scope if the present invention.

Advantageous Effects

The field of view restrictors can comprise technology to gradually limit the respective field of view. Their central axis of the field of view might be off axis of a normal axis of the display and/or the central axis might be shiftable to limit the field of view to a certain side. It might also be possible to have different field of view angles horizontally and vertically.

Description of Drawings

Below, the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, which also show features essential to the invention, among others, and in which:

Fig. 1 shows a car with a display arrangement;

Fig. 2 shows the display arrangement of Fig. 1 in greater detail, and

Fig. 3 shows a flow diagram of the method.

Best Mode

Fig. 1 shows a car 2 with a display arrangement 4 (elements in dashed box).

The display arrangement 4 comprises displays 6, 8, and 10, wherein display 6 is a central display located at the dashboard of the car 2 and in front of a driver 12 and a passenger 14 so that it is in comfortable eyesight for both, the driver 12 and the passenger 14. The center display 6 is a graphical display used as part of a human machine interface of the car 2 and can display different types of content, such as car status information, maps, media player information, entertainment content and the like. Display 6 can display videos. Displays 8 and 10 are rear-seat-entertainment displays.

The displays 6, 8, and 10 can use the same or different display technologies such as LCD, OLED, or micro-LED.

The driver 12 is not supposed to be exposed to content like videos while driving the car 2, as such content might distract the attention of the driver 12 and may impact the safety of the operation of the car 2. In many countries, showing distracting content on screens while driving is legally prohibited.

The displays 6, 8, and 10 are equipped with respective field of view restrictors 16, 18, and 20. The field of view restrictors 16, 18, 20 are switchable between an unrestricted mode and a restricted mode, as shown in connection with display 6. The field of view restrictor 16, 18, and 20 comprise multiple layers with switchable optical properties.

The field of view restrictors 16, 18, and/or 20 can comprise technology to gradually limit the respective field of view. Their central axis of the field of view might be off axis of a normal axis of the display and/or the central axis might be shiftable to limit the field of view to a certain side. It might also be possible to have different field of view angles horizontally and vertically.

Two field of view angles α are shown, a restricted field of view angle α _r and an unrestricted field of view angle α _u. The restricted field of view angle α _r is associated with a restricted mode and the unrestricted field of view angle α _u is associated with an unrestricted mode of the field of view restrictor 16. The restricted field of view angle α _r is oriented towards the side of the passenger 14 and tilted from a normal axis (not shown) of the display 6.

A controller 22 is connected to displays 6, 8, 10 and field of view restrictors 16, 18, 20. The controller 22 comprises a processor 24 and a non-transitory storage medium 26. The processor 24 is set up to load and execute a computer program product 28 stored in the non-transitory storage medium 26.

The controller 22 is further connected to several sensors, a drive status sensor 30, a GPS sensor 32, a light sensor 34, and seat occupation sensors 36, 38, 40, and 42. The controller 22 is also connected to a clock 44.

The sensor inputs of sensors 30 to 44 are converted into context factors. This conversion can happen on the sensor side of sensors 30 to 44 or it can happen on the controller side of controller 22. The conversion can yield continuous or discrete values, e.g., a speed of car 2 (continuous), or seat occupancy (discrete).

The context factors are then used to calculate a privacy value as described in conjunction with the following figures. If the privacy value v _p exceeds a given privacy value threshold v _t for a particular screen content, the controller 22 causes one or more of the field of view restrictors 16, 18, or 20 to switch to restricted mode to protect the information displayed on the respective display 6, 8, or 10.

Fig. 2 shows the display arrangement 4 in more detail.

On display 6, content 44 is currently presented. Content 44 is a video. Data of the content 44 is stored in a storage space 46 of storage medium 26 of controller 22.

The content 44 is fed through a content classifier 48. Content classifier module 48 classifies the content 44 according to its properties, e.g., type of content or content rating. Content classifier module 48 is connected to processor 24 and feeds the content type class as a context factor to the processor 24.

In other embodiments not shown but encompassed herein, the content classifier 48 is integral to the computer program product 28 and executed in the processor 24.

An external media source 50, e.g., a handheld consumer device, can also be connected to the controller 22 and the content classifier 48 such that content stored on the media source 50 can also be classified and displayed either in unrestricted or in restricted mode. The connection between external media source 50 and controller 22 can be wired or wireless using one of the known protocols such as Bluetooth or WLAN.

Sensor data of sensors 30 to 42 is fed to a converter 52 that converts raw or pre-processed sensor data into context factors. The processed context factors are then fed into the processor 24.

In other embodiments not shown but encompassed herein, the conversion can partly be conducted on-sensor so that a converter in the controller 22 is not required.

Display 6 also comprises a switch 54 to manually switch between restricted mode and unrestricted mode. Such switch 54 might be positioned differently in different embodiments or it might not be present in certain other embodiments.

The processor 24 calculates a privacy value v _p based on context factors f _i, each weighted with an individual weight w _i:

For example, a privacy value threshold v _t is defined, such that if v _p>v _t, the field of view restrictor 16 is triggered to activate the restricted mode. If v _p ≤ v _t, then the field of view restrictor 16 is triggered to activate the unrestricted mode.

Weights w _i can be stored in a look-up-table stored in the storage medium 26. The weights w _i can be preset and/or editable, either through user input, update or through machine learning. Such look-up-table could have the following exemplary format:

Input	Context factor range	Weight
Drive status	0, 0,5, 1	10
Seat occupation rear-seat	0, 1	5
Location	0-1	10
Content type	0-1	10
Light	0-1	3
…	…	…

The privacy value threshold v _t can be set to 9, i.e., if the calculated privacy value v _p exceeds a value of 9, the respective field of view restrictor 16, 18, and/or 20 is switched to restricted mode.

Example 1

A video is shown on display 6 while car 2 is driven by driver 12 in a manual drive mode.

Then the drive status weight is 1 and v _p equals 10, so it exceeds the privacy value threshold v _t, so the field of view restrictor 16 is switched to restricted mode.

Example 2

A user is asked to enter a password while standing in a parking lot. The content type context factor equals 0,5, while the location context factor equals 0,7. v _p then equals 13 and the field of view restrictor 16 is switched to restricted mode.

Example 3

Passenger 14 wants to watch an action movie while a passenger sits on the rear seat behind him, which is associated with seat occupation sensor 42.

The seat occupation context factor then is 1, wherein the content type context factor is 6, so v _p equals 11 and the field of view restrictor 16 is switched to restricted mode.

Example 4

Passenger 14 wants to watch a kid show while a passenger sits on the rear seat behind him, which is associated with seat occupation sensor 42.

The seat occupation context factor then is 1, wherein the content type context factor is 1. v _p then equals 6, so the field of view restrictor 16 is switched to unrestricted mode.

Fig. 3 shows a flow diagram of a potential implementation of the method in a computer program product.

In contrast to the example shown above, each of the weighted context factors alone can trigger activation of the restricted mode.

After start, the controller 22 checks whether the display is active. While this is usually true for the central display 6, rear seat entertainment displays 8 and 10 or arm-rest displays are usually only activated when a rear seat passenger wishes to use the respective display 8 or 10.

Then, the controller 22 checks whether it is daytime or night-time. If it is nighttime, the controller checks whether further passengers are present in the car 2. If this is the case, the field of view restrictor 16 is set or switched to restricted mode to reduce brightness in the car.

If this is not the case, controller 22 checks whether the car 2 is located at a point of interest like a parking lot, a gas station, a charging spot or the like. If this is not the case, consecutively, controller 22 checks whether the car 2 is currently parking in a public area. If this is the case, the controller 22 checks via content classifier module 48 whether the screen content 44 is sensitive, e.g., a password, a PIN, an address, a movie, or a video game. If this is the case, the field of view restrictor 16 is set or switched to restricted mode. If this is not the case, the field of view restrictor is set or switched to unrestricted mode.

If the car 2 is located at a point of interest, the method jumps to the step of checking for

The process is repeated at regular intervals, so that the field of view restrictor might be switched in between restricted and unrestricted mode according to the current circumstances.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above but can be modified in various ways.

All features and properties disclosed in claims, description, and drawings, including constructive details, spatial orientation, and process steps, can be significant to the invention disclosed herein, either in isolation or in any meaningful combination.

Reference Signs List

2:car; 4:display arrangement; 6, 8, 10:display; 12:driver; 14:passenger; 16, 18, 20:field of view restrictor; 22:controller; 24:processor; 26:non-transitory storage medium; 28:computer program product; 30:drive status sensor; 32:GPS sensor; 34:light sensor; 36, 28, 40, 42:seat occupation sensor; 44:content; 46:storage space; 48:content classifier module; 50:external media source; 52:converter; 54:switch; α:field of view angle; α _r:restricted field of view angle; α _u:unrestricted field of view angle; v _t:Privacy value threshold; v _p:Privacy value; w _i:Weight; f _i:Context factor.

Claims

Display arrangement of a vehicle (2), the display arrangement (4) comprising at least one display (6, 8, 10) configured to display content (44) to a driver (12) and/or passenger (14) of the vehicle (2), wherein at least one field of view restrictor (16, 18, 20) is associated to the at least one display (6, 8, 10), the field of view restrictor (16, 18, 20) being switchable between at least an unrestricted mode, in which a field of view angle (α) of the display (6, 8, 10) is unrestricted, and a restricted mode, in which the field of view angle (α) of the display (6, 8, 10) is restricted, the field of view restrictor (16, 18, 20) covering at least parts of the display (6, 8, 10), a content (22) to control the field of view restrictor (16, 18, 20) to switch between at least the unrestricted and the restricted mode, the content (22) comprising a processor (24), the processor (24) being configured to calculate a privacy value (v _p) based on at least one context factor input into the processor (24), wherein the content (22) is configured to switch the field of view restrictor (16, 18, 20) into the restricted mode if a privacy value threshold (v _t) of the privacy value (v _p) calculated by the processor (24) is exceeded.
Display arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the display arrangement (4) comprises more than one display (6, 8, 10), wherein a privacy value (v _p) is calculated for each display (6, 8, 10) separately, wherein the content (22) is configured to switch a field of view restrictor (16, 18, 20) of at least one of the displays (6, 8, 10) to a restricted mode if the privacy value (v _p) for the display (6, 8, 10) exceeds the privacy value threshold (v _t).
Display arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one sensor (30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42) is connected to the content (22) wherein a sensor output is used as a context factor or used to calculate a context factor.
Display arrangement according to claim 3, wherein the at least one sensor (30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42) is at least one of a location sensor (30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42), a seat occupancy detection sensor (30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42), a drive status sensor (30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42), a clock or a light sensor (30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42).
Display arrangement according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the controller (22) is connected to or comprises a content classifier module (48) to classify the content to be displayed on the at least one display (6, 8, 10) wherein the content classifier module (48) is configured to calculate a privacy value (v _p) based on the content (44) to be displayed on the at least one display (6, 8, 10).
Vehicle with at least one display arrangement (4) according to one of the preceding claims.
Method of controlling a display arrangement of a vehicle (2), the display arrangement (4) comprising at least one display (6, 8, 10) configured to display content (44) to a driver (12) and/or passenger (14) of the vehicle (2), wherein at least one field of view restrictor (16, 18, 20) is associated to the at least one display (6, 8, 10), the field of view restrictor (16, 18, 20) being switchable between at least an unrestricted mode, in which a field of view angle (α) of the display (6, 8, 10) is unrestricted, and a restricted mode, in which the field of view angle (α) of the display (6, 8, 10) is restricted, the field of view restrictor (16, 18, 20) covering at least parts of the display (6, 8, 10), wherein a privacy value (v _p) is calculated in a processor (24), the processor (24) being part of a content (22) for controlling the field of view restrictor, the privacy value (v _p) being calculated based on at least one context factor input into the processor (24), wherein, when a privacy value threshold (v _t) of the privacy value (v _p) calculated by the processor (24) is exceeded, wherein the content (22) switches the field of view restrictor (16, 18, 20) into the restricted mode.
Method according to claim 7, wherein the display arrangement (4) comprises more than one display (6, 8, 10), wherein a privacy value (v _p) is calculated for each display (6, 8, 10), wherein the content (22) switches a field of view restrictor (16, 18, 20) of a display (6, 8, 10) to a restricted mode if the privacy value (v _p) for the display (6, 8, 10) exceeds the privacy value threshold (v _t).
Method according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the at least one context factor includes at least one of a location factor, a seat occupancy status factor, a drive status factor, a time factor and/or a content class of the content to be displayed on the display.
Method according to any of claims 7 to 9, wherein more than one context factors are used to calculate the privacy value (v _p) wherein each context factor is weighed and combined.
Method according to any of claims 7 to 10, wherein, the calculation of the privacy value (v _p) is performed consecutively, wherein, when the privacy value (v _p) is lower or equal to the privacy value threshold (v _t), the field of view restrictor (16, 18, 20) is switched to the unrestricted mode.
Computer program product stored on a computer readable, non-transitory storage medium, the storage medium comprising a computer readable program for causing a computer processor to control the execution of an application, the application implementing the method according to any of preceding claims 7 to 11.