FR3085908A1 - VEHICLE DISPLAY DEVICE - Google Patents

Abstract

Motor vehicle display device comprising: - at least one glazing (10, 20, 30) of a vehicle, - an image projection device (50), arranged to be able to project an image onto a portion of glazing (10A, 20A, 20B, 30A), characterized in that: - the glazing portion (10A, 20A, 20B, 30A) comprises an electrochromic material, - the display device comprises a control unit connected to the image projection device (50) and to the electrochromic material of the glazing portion (10A, 20A, 20B, 30A), so as to control an opacification only of the glazing portion (10A, 20A, 20B, 30A) when an image is projected thereon .

Description

VEHICLE DISPLAY DEVICE The present invention relates generally to a display device of a motor vehicle, which can display images or information for the attention of one or more occupants of the vehicle.

It is known in the prior art on-board display devices, such as that described in document W0200710542 which describes a displayable vehicle window, with a glass or transparent plastic panel, which can vary the capacity. light transmission. It can display advertisements, videos or messaging in a controlled manner. However, the techniques described are bulky, expensive, and the proposed solution is not very comfortable and / or ergonomic for the user.

An object of the present invention is to respond to the drawbacks of the prior art mentioned above and in particular, first of all, to provide a display device for a motor vehicle, which is simple and economical, while by offering a comfortable and / or ergonomic display for the occupants of the vehicle.

For this, a first aspect of the invention relates to a motor vehicle display device comprising:

- at least one vehicle window,

- an image projection device, arranged to be able to project an image onto a portion of glazing, characterized in that:

the glazing portion comprises an electrochromic material,

- the display device comprises a control unit connected to the image projection device and to the electrochromic material of the portion of

-2 glazing, so as to control an opacification only of the portion of glazing when an image is projected there.

The proposed display device comprises an electrochromic material, which requires only an electrical pulse to change opacity, which avoids providing a continuous supply. In addition, the reaction is reversible. The device is therefore simple, and the projected image then becomes very easy and easy to look at, due to the opacity which improves the contrast. In addition, only a portion of glazing is concerned. This allows the opaque area to be adjusted as closely as possible, to allow visibility to the outside via the rest of the glazing. Safety is improved, as well as the convenience for the occupants, because the images displayed can allow interaction or contextualization with the landscape or the places visited.

Advantageously, said glazing comprises a plurality of glazing portions each comprising an electrochromic material and each connected to the control unit, so as to control an independent clouding of each glazing portion. According to this implementation, the surface to be opacified is then variable, and can be adjusted as a function of the images to be projected, in order to provide optimal contrast, with an opaque surface limited to the minimum required. In other words, the glazing comprises a plurality of adjacent glazing portions, and each independently controllable to vary the opacity.

Advantageously, the display device comprises a plurality of glazings, each comprising at least one portion of glazing with an electrochromic material and each connected to the control unit, so as to control an opacification only of the portion of glazing when an image is projected. According to this implementation, several glazings of the vehicle comprise a portion with electrochromic material, so as to increase the possibilities of independent or synchronized display commands for one or more occupants.

Advantageously, the display device comprises a plurality of display devices, each dedicated to at least one portion of specific glazing.

Advantageously, said at least one portion of glazing has at least one radius of curvature, and the control unit is arranged to send a coefficient of distortion to the projection device to display an image which compensates for the radius of curvature. According to this implementation, when the glazing to be opacified is curved or very curved, then the device can however display an image without unpleasant deformation, with the coefficient of distortion or deformation to be applied to the source image, which makes it possible to compensate for the curvature of the windows.

Advantageously, said at least one portion of glazing comprises tactile detection means connected to the control unit, so as to detect contact between the portion of glazing and an occupant of the vehicle. Connected to the control unit, the detection means (a capacitive sensor for example) make it possible to provide an interactive system for the occupants.

Advantageously, the control unit is connected to a geolocation system, so as to contextualize the image displayed with a position or a path of the vehicle. This implementation increases interactivity, and takes advantage of the fact that only the portions necessary for display are clouded, which leaves the rest of the glass surface transparent. It is then possible to display beautiful, well-contrasted images (on the opaque portion), which change depending on the position of the vehicle. Guidance instructions can be displayed on a portion of the windshield, or on a window for a passenger, and / or tourist information related to the monuments visible from the vehicle, and / or information on the sky (a map of the stars) on an opaque portion of a panoramic glass roof for example.

Advantageously, a driver side of the windshield, and / or at least a portion of a front side window on the driver and / or passenger side, and or a portion of a rear window of the vehicle are free of electrochromic material. . According to this implementation, these portions free of electrochromic material will always be transparent, which guarantees safety.

Advantageously, the control unit is arranged to connect to a portable electronic device, so as to receive a display instruction relating to a particular glazing and / or a particular glazing portion of the vehicle. This implementation offers the possibility for the occupants to share content or to control the display device specifically.

Advantageously, the control unit is arranged to send an electric current to the electrochromic material, to cause an oxidation-reduction reaction. Such a reaction is reversible and consumes little current.

Advantageously, the electrochromic material comprises tungsten oxide.

A second aspect of the invention relates to a motor vehicle comprising at least one display device according to the first aspect of the invention.

A third aspect of the invention relates to a method of displaying images in a vehicle, comprising the steps consisting in:

- control the clouding of a portion of glazing of the display device according to the first aspect of the invention,

- display an image on the opaque glazed portion, with the projection device of the display device according to the first aspect of the invention.

Advantageously, the step of opacifying the glazing portion leaves the rest of the glazing transparent.

Advantageously, the step consisting in displaying an image comprises a step consisting in taking into account a radius of curvature of the glazing portion, and in sending to the display device a coefficient of distortion to be applied to the projected image, to compensate for the radius of curvature.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will appear more clearly on reading the following detailed description of an embodiment of the invention given by way of non-limiting example and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, wherein :

FIG. 1 represents a vehicle equipped with a display device according to the invention comprising glazing portions in a first state of opacity;

2 shows the vehicle of Figure 1, with the glazing portions in a second state of opacity;

FIG. 3 represents a first example of use of the display device according to the invention, seen from inside a vehicle;

FIG. 4 represents a second example of use of the display device according to the invention, seen from inside a vehicle;

FIG. 5 represents an exemplary configuration of the glazing of a vehicle equipped with a display device according to the invention;

FIG. 6 represents a possibility of image processing carried out by a display device according to the invention;

Figures 7a-c show a possibility of using the display device according to the invention.

Figure 1 shows a vehicle equipped with glazing such as a windshield 10 or a right passenger rear window 20, and a display device according to the present invention, with in particular portions of glazing shown in dotted lines , whose opacity may vary. In particular, the windshield 10 comprises a portion of glazing 10a, and the right rear passenger window 20 comprises two portions of glazing 20a and 20b,

-6 opacity may vary. Although not shown in this figure, it is also possible to provide such glazing portions on a panoramic roof and / or a rear window of the vehicle. In FIG. 1, all the panes are completely transparent.

Indeed, the display device according to the present invention comprises a projection device 50 (visible in the examples shown in Figures 3 and 4) arranged in the passenger compartment to project images on the windows of the vehicle. However, in order to guarantee good readability, the invention provides glazing portions whose opacity can be increased to offer a high contrast, even in the presence of external light as in broad daylight.

Consequently, as shown in FIG. 2, if information or images have to be projected onto the windows of the vehicle, then the portion or portions of glazing concerned are controlled to become opaque. To this end, each portion of glazing 10a, 20a, 20b ... comprises an electrochromic material (such as a layer of tungsten oxides), the opacity of which can vary following an electrical command. There is therefore provided in the display device a control unit connected to each portion of glazing concerned, in order to be able to send an electrical signal which causes the variation, in one direction or the other, of the opacity / transparency of the material. electrochromic.

Typically, the projection device 50 is a video projector, one can provide several in the vehicle, for example in the headrests, in the chassis pillars, in the interior trim ... Finally, the The control unit is housed in a non-visible part of the vehicle, but a man-machine interface can be provided to control the display device, for example a vehicle display screen.

One can provide on the same glazing a plurality of glazing portions whose opacity can be controlled independently, like the glazing portions 20a and 20b, but one can also provide that all the

-7 glass is mapped or segmented by sectors whose opacity can be controlled, in a similar manner with pixels for example. It is possible to envisage portions of glazing forming sectors of size less than 0.31 mm, and even of size less than 0.25 mm. In other words, the zones 10A, 20A and 20B can be mono-zone, that is to say made opaque with a single connection line, or else consist of a plurality of adjacent glazing portions each independently controllable, so that it can be finely adapted to the contours of the projected image.

Once the adequate glazing portions have been made opaque, the projection device 50 can display images for the occupants of the vehicle, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

In Figure 3, a panoramic roof 30 includes a portion of glazing 30a whose opacity has been increased, so as to be able to display a plurality of directional panels, according to information from a geolocation system (a GPS for example), to indicate for example the direction of a hotel, and / or a next stage to join, and / or tourist information, such as for example the name of the church that the occupants can see in front of the vehicle. In this way, with only the glazing portion 30a made opaque, the occupants can still see the landscape, while having the image displayed by the projection device 50 very legible because projected on an opaque background.

In Figure 4, another example is shown, in which the panoramic roof 30 includes the glazing portion 30a, the opacity of which has been increased, so as to be able to display a map of the constellation of the Big Dipper in the present case, according to geolocation information, so that the occupants can look at the starry sky via the panoramic roof portion that remains transparent, and find the stars of the constellation in question or their name on the opaque portion of glazing 30A .

FIG. 5 represents a flat view of the glazing of a vehicle, where zones A can be provided with separate portions whose opacity can change (therefore comprising an electrochromic material), and zones B where no material is present, so as to guarantee a total absence of clouding, by construction, in order to guarantee good visibility for the driver. For example, the windshield 10, the windows on the driver's side comprise zones B completely free of electrochromic material, which remain constantly transparent. In this example, provision can be made for the panoramic roof 30, and also the straight panes of the vehicle, to be fully segmented with glazing portions whose opacity may vary, in order to be able to make only the area where an image is to be projected opaque.

FIG. 6 illustrates a possibility of correcting images in the event that the portion of glazing which is made opaque also has a large radius of curvature. If no correction is made, then the projected image may appear distorted to the occupants. To avoid this inconvenience, and for strongly curved or curved glazing zones, the control unit and / or the projection device can apply a distortion coefficient to the image 100 in its digital form, to compensate for the curvature of the glazing. and display a projected image 100 'which seems normal to the occupants.

Figure 6 shows several possibilities for corrections. This correction function can use the radius of curvature of the windows which is known and defined since the vehicle was designed. We can also plan to leave the possibility to the user to activate or not this function, if he wants for example to optimize the image quality or the refresh time between the display of two images.

Figures 7a-c show a particular embodiment for controlling the display device. According to this example, the unit of

-9control of the display device can be connected to a portable electronic device (here a 200 mobile phone).

First, the user can select the type of image or information to display (here in this example in Figure 7a, the constellations visible from the vehicle). Then, in a second step, the user can select on which portion of glazing the information or the image should be displayed, as shown in Figure 7b. Finally, a portion of glazing 30A of the panoramic roof 30 is opacified to project the image selected by the user, as shown in FIG. 7c.

It will be understood that various modifications and / or improvements obvious to those skilled in the art can be made to the various embodiments of the invention described in the present description without departing from the scope of the invention. In particular, it is also possible to provide a tactile layer on all or some of the windows of the vehicle, to provide the possibility of interacting with the displayed images, to modify or organize them. We can for example plan to leave the possibility of dimensioning or distorting the images so that the user optimizes his viewing comfort. The opaque glazed portion and the projection can then be adapted accordingly.

Claims (10)

1. Motor vehicle display device comprising: - at least one glazing (10, 20, 30) of the vehicle, - an image projection device (50), arranged to be able to project an image onto a portion of glazing (10A, 20A, 20B, 30A), characterized in that: the glazing portion (10A, 20A, 20B, 30A) comprises an electrochromic material, - the display device comprises a control unit connected to the image projection device (50) and to the electrochromic material of the glazing portion (10A, 20A, 20B, 30A), so as to control an opacification only of the portion of glazing (10A, 20A, 20B, 30A) when an image is projected there. 2. Display device according to the preceding claim, in which said glazing comprises a plurality of glazing portions each comprising an electrochromic material and each connected to the control unit, so as to control an independent clouding of each glazing portion ( 10A, 20A, 20B, 30A). 3. Display device according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a plurality of glazings, each comprising at least one portion of glazing (10A, 20A, 20B, 30A) with an electrochromic material and each connected to the control unit , so as to control a clouding only of the glazing portion (10A, 20A, 20B, 30A) when an image is projected. 4. Display device according to one of the preceding claims, in which said at least one portion of glazing (10A, 20A, 20B, 30A) has at least one radius of curvature, and in which the unit of - 11 control is arranged to send a distortion coefficient to the projection device to display an image that compensates for the radius of curvature. 5. Display device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said at least one portion of glazing (10A, 20A, 20B, 30A) comprises tactile detection means connected to the control unit, so as to detect contact between the glazing portion (10A, 20A, 20B, 30A) and an occupant of the vehicle. 6. Display device according to one of the preceding claims, in which the control unit is connected to a geolocation system, so as to contextualize the displayed image with a position or a path of the vehicle. 7. Display device according to one of the preceding claims, in which a driver side of the windshield (10), and / or at least a portion of a front side window on the driver and / or passenger side, and or a portion rear window of the vehicle are free of electrochromic material. 8. Display device according to one of the preceding claims, in which the control unit is arranged to connect to a portable electronic device, so as to receive a display instruction relating to glazing (10, 20, 30 ) particular and / or a specific portion of glazing (10A, 20A, 20B, 30A) of the vehicle. 9. Motor vehicle comprising at least one display device according to one of the preceding claims. 10. A method of displaying images in a vehicle, comprising the steps consisting in: - controlling the clouding of a portion of glazing (10A, 20A, 20B, 30A) of the display device according to one of claims 1 to 8, - display an image on the glazed portion (10A, 20A, 20B, 30A), - 12 with the projection device of the display device according to one of claims 1 to 8.