WO2022253160A1

WO2022253160A1 - Projection device for vehicle, control method, projection system and relevant vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO2022253160A1
Application number: PCT/CN2022/095865
Authority: WO
Inventors: Lu Wang; Rui Wang
Original assignee: Saint-Gobain Glass France
Priority date: 2021-05-31
Filing date: 2022-05-30
Publication date: 2022-12-08
Also published as: CN114633699A

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a projection device for a vehicle, a control method, a projection system, and a related vehicle. The projection device comprises a projector rotatably arranged on the vehicle and being capable of projecting light in any one of a plurality of predetermined directions; and a plurality of display areas arranged in the plurality of predetermined directions respectively, and configured to present respective information by diffusively reflecting and/or diffusively transmitting light projected by the projector. The projection device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure allows the projection device to meet various needs, thereby making it possible for the autonomous vehicle to interact with the person or object inside or outside the vehicle.

Description

PROJECTION DEVICE FOR VEHICLE, CONTROL METHOD, PROJECTION SYSTEM AND RELEVANT VEHICLE

FIELD

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a projection device for a vehicle, and more specifically to a method of controlling the projection device, a projection system and a relevant vehicle.

BACKGROUND

A projector is a device that may project information such as images or videos onto a specified object such as a curtain and a wall. The projector may be connected with a computer, VCD, DVD, BD, game console, DV, etc. via different interfaces to play respective signals indicating predetermined information.

At present, some manufacturers have applied projectors to vehicles. A projector used in a vehicle generally projects light toward one direction to present a specified image or picture on a predetermined area in the direction, thereby realizing a function such as advertisement display. It is common that projectors are used in some taxis to display advertisements in areas such as the rear window glass pane.

SUMMARY

Conventional projectors used in vehicles are usually single in terms of the display manner, direction and function. For example, functions such as advertisements can only be displayed toward the rear window glass pane, and the display effect is poor, thereby affecting the experience. In addition, with the vigorous development of autonomous driving, how to make the vehicle interact with pedestrians or objects inside and outside the vehicle is an important topic at present. Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a projection device for a vehicle, a method for controlling the projection device, a projection system, and a related vehicle, which solve or at least partially solve the above-mentioned problems and other potential problems in the field of vehicles.

In a first aspect of the present disclosure, a projection device for a vehicle is provided. The projection device comprises a projector rotatably arranged on the vehicle and being capable of projecting light in any one of a plurality of predetermined directions; and a plurality of display areas arranged in the plurality of predetermined directions respectively, and configured to present respective information by diffusively reflecting and/or diffusively transmitting light projected by the projector.

In some embodiments, the projection device further comprises a rotation mechanism coupled to the projector and configured to drive the projector to rotate between different directions among the plurality of predetermined directions.

In some embodiments, the plurality of display areas comprise at least a portion of glass panes of the vehicle.

In some embodiments, at least one display area is arranged in a sunshade belt area or an advanced driver assistance system area in the glass pane.

In some embodiments, the projector is disposed on a roof of the vehicle via the rotation mechanism.

In some embodiments, the rotation mechanism is adapted to be manually controlled to enable the projector to be rotated toward the plurality of predetermined directions.

In some embodiments, the rotation mechanism comprises a motor configured to drive the projector to rotate so that the projector faces toward the plurality of predetermined directions; and a motor sensor coupled to the motor and configured to at least acquire an angular position of a spindle of the motor, to control the projector to face toward one of the plurality of the predetermined directions corresponding to the angular position.

In some embodiments, at least one of the projector and the rotation mechanism is configured to be controlled based on a sensor signal sensed by the sensor.

In some embodiments, the projector is configured to face toward a respective predetermined direction with predetermined projection parameters, wherein the projection parameters comprise: an angle value of a center line of the projected light, a keystone correction value, coordinate values of the display area and/or a focal length value of the projector.

In some embodiments, the projection device further comprises a locking mechanism adapted to be coupled with one of the rotation mechanism and the projector to lock the projector toward one of the plurality of predetermined directions.

In some embodiments, the glass pane comprises a laminated glass pane having a polymer dispersed liquid crystal layer disposed therein to diffusively transmit light projected by the projector to enable the presented information to be visible from outside of the vehicle through the polymer dispersed liquid crystal layer.

In some embodiments, the glass pane comprises a laminated glass pane having a diffusive reflection layer disposed therein to diffusively reflect light projected by the projector to enable the presented information to be visible from inside of the vehicle via the diffusive reflection layer.

In some embodiments, the reflectivity of the diffusive reflection layer is at least 20%.

In a second aspect of the present disclosure, a method of controlling the projection device as described in the first aspect above is provided. The method comprises acquiring control parameters for controlling the projection device; and causing the projector to project light in a predetermined direction according to the control parameters to present respective information in at least one display area corresponding to the predetermined direction by diffusively reflecting and/or diffusively transmitting the light projected by the projector.

In some embodiments, acquiring the control parameters comprises acquiring a sensor signal; and acquiring the control parameters according to information indicated by the sensor signal.

In some embodiments, the information indicated by the sensor signal comprises at least one of the following: whether there is an object in a predetermined direction inside or outside the vehicle, information input via an input device, or whether the vehicle reaches a predetermined location.

In some embodiments, the input device comprises a keyboard, a mouse, a knob, a button, a voice input device, a gesture control, eye tracking and/or a touch input device.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises acquiring a sensor signal indicating that an object approaches in a predetermined direction outside the vehicle; acquiring the control parameters based on the sensor signal; and controlling the motor based on the control parameters to drive the projector to project light in the predetermined direction, to present information in a display area corresponding to the predetermined direction by diffusively transmitting the light projected by the projector.

In some embodiments, acquiring the control parameters comprises using preset control parameters as the control parameters in response to a condition for the preset control parameter being satisfied.

In some embodiments, the condition for the preset control parameters include at least one of the following: whether the projector is facing toward a predetermined direction, whether the vehicle reaches a predetermined position, whether a system time reaches a specified time, or a distance travelled by the vehicle.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises adjusting projection parameters of the projector according to the control parameters.

In some embodiments, the projection parameters comprise an angle value of a center line of the projected light, a keystone correction value, coordinate values of the display area and/or a focal length value of the projector.

According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a projection system for a vehicle is provided. The projection system comprises the projection device according to the first aspect above, and a control unit configured to: acquire control parameters for controlling the projection device; and cause the projector to project light in the predetermined direction according to the control parameters to present respective information in at least one display area corresponding to the predetermined direction by diffusively reflecting and/or diffusively transmitting the light projected by the projector.

In some embodiments, the control unit is configured to acquire a sensor signal from a sensor; and acquire the control parameters according to information indicated by the sensor signal.

In some embodiments, the sensor comprises at least one of the following: a first sensor for detecting whether there is an object at a predetermined location inside or outside the vehicle, an input device for inputting information, or a second sensor for detecting whether the vehicle has reached a predetermined location.

In some embodiments, the control unit is further configured to acquire, from the first sensor, a sensor signal indicating that there is an object in a predetermined direction outside the vehicle; acquire the control parameters according to the sensor signal; and control the motor based on the control parameters to drive the projector to project light in the predetermined direction, to present information in a display area corresponding to the predetermined direction by diffusively transmitting the light projected by the projector.

In some embodiments, the control unit is further configured to use preset control parameters as the control parameters in response to a condition for the preset control parameter being satisfied.

In some embodiments, the control unit is further configured to adjust projection parameters of the projector according to the control parameters.

According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle is provided. The vehicle comprises the projection system according to the above third aspect.

According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-readable medium is provided. The computer-readable medium comprises a computer program stored thereon. The computer program comprises a program code adapted to be executed by a processor, to cause the processor to perform the method according to the above second aspect.

It should be understood that this summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the embodiments of the disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. Other features of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description.

Optionally, in addition to the advantages of a large light source area and soft light, this illumination manner will not additionally occupy the limited space inside the vehicle, so that the interior of the vehicle can be more concise.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objectives, features, and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent, through the following detailed description of the example embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings in which the same reference symbols generally refer to the same elements.

FIG. 1 illustrates a simplified diagram of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 illustrates a simplified diagram of a projection system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 illustrates a flow chart of a method of controlling the projection device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 4 illustrates a block diagram of a controller according to a plurality of embodiments of the present disclosure.

Throughout the drawings, the same or similar reference symbols refer to the same or similar elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

The present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to several example embodiments. It should be appreciated that those embodiments of the present disclosure are provided to enable those skilled in the art to better understand and thus carry out the present disclosure, without suggesting any limitation to the scope of the technical solution of the present disclosure.

As used herein, the term “comprises” and its variants are to be read as open-ended terms that mean “comprises, but is not limited to. ” The term “based on” is to be read as “based at least in part on. ” The term “an embodiment” and “the embodiment” are to be read as “at least one embodiment. ” The term “another embodiment” is to be read as “at least another embodiment. ” The terms “first, ” “second, ” and the like may refer to different or the same objects. Other definitions, either explicit or implicit, may be included below. Definitions of terms are consistent throughout the specification unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

Currently, most vehicles are not equipped with projectors. Only a minority of business-running vehicles, such as taxis, are loaded with projectors to present images or pictures on the rear window pane of the vehicles, to achieve a purpose of displaying an advertisement and so on. On the one hand, the projector in such a vehicle has a single function, that is, it can only display content such as a predetermined advertisement in one direction, and lacks functions such as interaction. On the other hand, the projection device currently used in the vehicle has a blurry display screen and a poor display effect, thereby seriously affecting the experience.

In addition, there is also a need to apply a projection device to an autonomous vehicle to realize the function of enabling the autonomous vehicle to interact with a person or object inside or outside the vehicle.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a projection device, a control method, and a projection system for a vehicle, enabling presentation of information such as pictures, images and interfaces toward any of a plurality of directions, and enabling use of various sensor information to realize the interaction of the autonomous vehicle with persons or objects inside or outside the vehicle, to solve or at least partially solve the above-mentioned or other potential problems in the field of vehicles.

FIG. 1 illustrates a simplified diagram of a vehicle to which a projection device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is applied. In general, the projection device 100 for a vehicle according to the embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a projector 101 and a plurality of display areas 102. The projector 101 is rotatably disposed at an appropriate position on the vehicle to project light in any one of a plurality of predetermined directions. In some embodiments, the projector 101 may be disposed on a roof in the vehicle, so that the projector 101 can rotate toward all directions more conveniently.

It should be appreciated that the above embodiment in which the projector 101 is disposed on the roof in the vehicle is only illustrative, and is not intended to limit the protection scope of the present disclosure. Any other suitable arrangement positions or configurations are also possible. For example, in some alternative embodiments, the projector 101 may also be mounted on the bottom of the vehicle via a bracket and extend toward the roof so that it can rotate to project light in any direction.

The light projected by the projector 101 is projected on a plurality of display areas 102 distributed in a plurality of predetermined directions. In some embodiments, the display areas 102 may include at least a portion of a glass pane. That is, the display areas 102 may be arranged or formed on the glass pane of the vehicle. The glass pane mentioned here may include, but not limited to, a front windshield glass pane, a rear window glass pane, a sunroof glass pane, a door glass pane and/or a corner glass pane, etc. of the vehicle. The display area 102 can present respective information through diffusive reflection and/or diffusive transmission of the light projected by the projector 101. The “presented information” mentioned in the text refers to a type of content or information that can be acquired by a person or a sensor such as a camera or a detector in various ways, and may include but not limited to images, patterns, charts, words, QR code, barcode or video, etc.

In a case where the respective information is presented by diffusive reflection of the light projected by the projector 101, the presented information may be visible inside the vehicle. Similarly, in a case where the respective information is presented by diffusive transmission of the light projected by the projector 101, the presented information may be visible outside the vehicle. The display area 102 may also be configured to be both diffusely transmit and diffusely reflect so that the presented information is visible both inside and outside the vehicle. “Visible” here means that the brightness of the presented information (for example, images, pictures or text, etc. ) is higher than a predetermined threshold or the brightness of the presented information is higher than that of the light of a surrounding environment by a predetermined degree, so that the presented information can be recognized by a person or a recognition device such as a camera at a predetermined position.

The projection device 100 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure allows the projection device 100 to meet various needs, thereby making it possible for the autonomous vehicle to interact with the person or object inside or outside the vehicle. For example, in some embodiments, when the autonomous vehicle is driving, when a sensor of the autonomous vehicle detects that there is a pedestrian passing or approaching in front, the autonomous vehicle may make the projector 101 project light toward the front of the vehicle while the autonomous vehicle is parked, so that the predetermined information (e.g., an arrow or words indicating “you can cross the road safely” ) is presented in the display area 102 of the front windshield through diffusive transmission. The pedestrian in front of the vehicle can acquire this information and thereby cross the road safely, thereby improving human-vehicle interaction and thus improving the user experience.

It is to be understood that the above examples are only intended to illustrate that the projection device 100 according to embodiments of the present disclosure may achieve more functions and more thorough interaction between people and the vehicle. There may be many other cases than the above examples, which will be further explained below.

In some embodiments, the glass pane may be a laminated glass pane. The laminated glass pane in the text refers to two or more sheets of glass pane with one or more layers of organic polymer intermediate films sandwiched therebetween. After treatment by a special high-temperature pre-pressure (or evacuation) and high-temperature high-pressure process, the sheets of glass pane and the intermediate films are bonded into a one-piece composite glass product.

To achieve diffusive transmission of light, in some embodiments, a polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) layer may be provided in the laminated glass pane. The polymer dispersed liquid crystal layer comprises a polymer layer and liquid crystal droplets dispersed in the polymer layer. The polymer layer is made of a polymer material. The polymer layer generally employs a material whose refractive index matches an ordinary light refractive index of the liquid crystal droplets. The matching of refractive indexes here means that the refractive index of the polymer layer is the same as the ordinary light refractive index of the liquid crystal droplets (i.e., the refractive index in the long axis direction of the liquid crystal droplets) , or means that a ratio of the refractive index of the polymer layer to the ordinary light refractive index of the liquid crystal droplets (i.e., the refractive index in the long axis direction of the liquid crystal droplets) is in a range of 0.9 to 1.1.

In some embodiments, a control electrode may be formed on surfaces of the two layers of glass pane facing toward the polymer dispersed liquid crystal layer; an electric field is formed in the polymer dispersed liquid crystal layer by applying a voltage to the control electrode; changes of a magnitude of the electric field may control the polymer dispersed liquid crystal layer to switch between a transparent state and an opaque state, thereby achieving the purpose of regulating light. Certainly, in some alternative embodiments, there may be no control electrode. For example, the polymer dispersed liquid crystal layer may be configured to always present an opaque state or a translucent state capable of diffusely transmitting light.

In the opaque state or translucent state, the polymer dispersed liquid crystal layer can diffusely transmit light projected by the projector 101 to enable the presented information to be visible from the outside of the vehicle via the polymer dispersed liquid crystal layer. For example, in some embodiments, the display area 102 may be provided in an area of the glass pane of the vehicle related to an Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) (hereinafter referred to as an advanced driver assistance system area or ADAS area) or a sunshade belt area of the glass pane of the vehicle, thereby helping achieve the interaction between people and the vehicle.

The advanced driver assistance system area or ADAS area refers to an area that may facilitate the advanced driver assistance system to display various information and facilitate the identification of people or an identification device. The ADAS area include but not limited to an upper portion of the front windshield, a position near the driver’s seat, a corner, and a rear window glass pane, a window glass pane and a corner glass pane, etc.

The polymer in the aforementioned polymer dispersed liquid crystal layer may be transparent or colored. A dichroic dye may be added to the polymer dispersed liquid crystal layer, and can make the polymer dispersed liquid crystal layer appear colored or black when no voltage is applied. Depending on the type of the added dichroic dye, the polymer dispersed liquid crystal layer may be in various different colors, such as green, red, etc., when no voltage is applied. When a voltage is applied to an electrical control functional layer, the coloring degree of colors and black of the polymer dispersed liquid crystal layer decreases. As the voltage applied to the control electrode increases, the coloring degree of the polymer dispersed liquid crystal layer gradually decreases, and tends to colorless. That is, the opacity and color of the polymer dispersed liquid crystal layer may be controlled by the control electrode, so that the presented information can be adapted to different light environments and visible outside the vehicle.

In order to make the presented information visible inside the vehicle, in some embodiments, a diffusive reflection layer may be provided in the laminated glass pane. The diffusive reflection layer may be accomplished by any suitable means to diffusively reflect the light projected by the projector 101 to enable the presented information to be visible from the interior of the vehicle via the diffusive reflection layer. In order to achieve a reliable display effect, in some embodiments, the reflectivity of the diffusive reflection layer is at least 20%.

In some embodiments, the above-mentioned polymer dispersed liquid crystal layer and diffusive reflection layer may be implemented by superimposing one or more coatings, thereby enabling the presented information to be visible both inside the vehicle and outside the vehicle. In some alternative embodiments, the polymer dispersed liquid crystal layer and the diffusive reflection layer mentioned above may also be distributed in different regions in the same direction. When the light projected by the projector 101 is projected in this direction, the light can be diffusively transmitted through the polymer dispersed liquid crystal layer to the exterior of the vehicle so that people outside the vehicle may see the presented information, and can be diffusively reflected by the diffusive reflection layer to the interior of the vehicle so that people inside the vehicle may see the presented information. In this case, the projector 101 may be configured such that the information presented by the light projected on the diffusive reflection area and the polymer dispersed liquid crystal layer may be the same information or different information, which makes the control of the projection device 100 more diversified.

It is mentioned above that the projection device 100 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure can project and present information toward any one of a plurality of predetermined directions. To achieve this function, in some embodiments, projection device 100 may include a rotation mechanism 103 coupled to the projector 101. Using the rotation mechanism 103, the projector 101 may be driven to rotate between different directions of a plurality of predetermined directions. In some embodiments, the projector 101 may be manually driven to rotate. For example, in some embodiments, when a user (such as a driver) needs the projector 100 to implement a head-up display function during normal driving, the user only needs to manually rotate the projector 101 toward the front windshield, so that the information is presented in the display area 102 of the front windshield.

The head-up display referred to in the text, abbreviated as HUD, also known as a parallel display system, refers to a driver-centered, blind-operated, multi-functional instrument panel. The HUD functions to project important driving information such as speed and navigation onto the windshield in front of the driver, so that the driver can see important driving information such as speed and navigation without lowering his head or rotating his head.

It should be appreciated that the above-mentioned embodiment about manually adjusting the direction of the projector 101 is only illustrative, and not intended to limit the protection scope of the present disclosure. Any other suitable adjustment manners are also possible. For example, in order to improve the degree of automated control of the projection device 100, in some embodiments, the rotation mechanism 103 may include a motor and a motor sensor to achieve automatic adjustment of the direction of the projector 101. A spindle of the motor may be coupled with the projector 101 through an appropriate mechanism, thereby driving the projector 101 to rotate according to control parameters so that the projector 101 projects light toward different directions of a plurality of predetermined directions. The motor sensor is coupled to the motor and configured to at least obtain an angular position of the spindle of the motor. In this way, the projector 101 can be controlled to project light in one of the plurality of predetermined direction corresponding to the angular position.

The orientation of the projector 101 can be controlled more reliably and accurately with the motor sensor. In some embodiments, the motor and the motor sensor may be integral. For example, the motor may be a servo motor. The servo motor (or called an executive motor) is an executive element widely used in an automatic control system. The servo motor functions to convert the received electrical signal into an angular displacement or angular velocity of a rotation shaft of the motor. According to different types of current, the servo motor may be classified into two classes: DC servo motor and AC servo motor. The servo motor is a typical closed-loop feedback system. For ease of use in the vehicle, a DC servo motor may be employed.

In some embodiments, the projection device 100 may further include a locking mechanism that can be coupled with the rotation mechanism 103 or the projector 101. After the projector 101 rotates to a predetermined direction, the projector 101 can be stably oriented toward the predetermined direction by means of the locking mechanism, without being rotated or shaken accidentally to deviate from the predetermined direction. Certainly, for example, in an embodiment employing the servo motor, the locking mechanism may also be omitted, and the servo motor may prevent the projector 101 from deviating from the predetermined direction, thereby simplifying the structure of the projection device 100.

The projection device 100 may be controlled using a control unit 104. The projection device 100 and the control unit 104 may be combined into a projection system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in FIG. 2. The control unit 104 for controlling the projection device 100 may be integrated into an electronic control unit (ECU) for controlling the entire vehicle. In some alternative embodiments, the control unit 104 for controlling the projection device 100 may be integrated into a Cockpit Domain Control (CDC) unit of the autonomous vehicle. In a further alternative embodiment, the control unit 104 for controlling the projection device 100 may also be a separate control unit 104 independent of the ECU and the CDC. The control unit 104 may be in data communication with the CDC and/or the ECU via a control unit Local Area Network (CAN) and/or a Local Internet Network (LIN) of the vehicle to enable the control unit 104 to exchange data with the CDC and the ECU. In this way, the control unit 104 for controlling the projection device 100 may control the projection device 100 more conveniently by using the data provided by various sensors in the vehicle.

The connection between the control unit 104 and the projector 101 may include electrical connection and connection of data such as a low voltage differential signal. The connection between the control unit 104 and the rotation mechanism 103 may also include electrical connection as well as data connection for Local Interconnect Network (LIN) connection. It should be understood that the above-mentioned embodiments regarding the data connection between the control unit 104 and the projector 101 and between the control unit 104 and the rotation mechanism 103 are only illustrative, and not intended to limit the protection scope of the present disclosure. Any other suitable data connection manner is also possible. For example, in some alternative embodiments, the connection between the control unit 104 or a signal source and the projector 101 may also include a High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) connection or the like.

The control unit 104 may control any one or both of the projector 101 and the rotation mechanism 103 in the projection device 100. At least one of the projector 101 and the rotating mechanism 103 may be configured to be controlled based on a signal sensed by the sensors. In addition to the motor sensor mentioned above, the sensors mentioned here may also include but not limited to: an optical sensor, a sound sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a pressure sensor, a vibration sensor, a radio frequency signal receiver, and a satellite positioning signal receiver. For example, in some embodiments, there may be provided a first sensor 105 for detecting whether there is an object in a predetermined direction inside or outside the vehicle or a second sensor 106 for detecting whether the vehicle has reached a predetermined position. The first sensor 105 for detecting whether there is an object in the predetermined direction inside or outside the vehicle comprises, but is not limited to, a camera, an ultrasonic radar, a Lidar, a thermal imaging camera, a driver’s vital sign monitoring radar, and so on. The second sensor 106 for detecting whether the vehicle has reached the predetermined location comprises, but is not limited to, a global positioning system (GPS) -based sensor, a BeiDou navigation satellite system (BDS) -based sensor, a Galileo navigation satellite system-based sensor, and a GLONASS navigation satellite system-based sensor, etc.

In addition to the sensors mentioned above, the sensors herein may also include an input device 107 capable of inputting information. The input device 107 may include, but is not limited to, a keyboard, a mouse, a knob, a button, a voice input device, a gesture control, eye tracking and/or a touch input device, and so on.

The control unit 104 is configured to acquire control parameters for controlling the projection device 100, and to cause the projector 101 to project light in a predetermined direction according to the control parameters, to present respective information in at least one display area 102 corresponding to a predetermined direction by diffusively reflecting and/or diffusively transmitting the light projected by the projector 101.

For example, in some embodiments, the control unit 104 may acquire sensor signals and acquire control parameters according to information indicated by the acquired sensor signals. For example, in the case of an autonomous vehicle, when the vehicle is about to travel forward, a sensor in front of the vehicle detects that a person is crossing the road in front of the vehicle. At this time, the control unit 104 may acquire control parameters for rotating the projector 101 toward the front windshield according to the information detected by the sensor. The control unit 104 then drives the rotation mechanism 103 according to the control parameters to rotate the projector 101 toward the front windshield.

In addition, the control parameters further include a signal indicating the information to be presented. For example, the information may be characters or pattern information such as an arrow instructing the pedestrian to keep going to cross the road. When the information provided by the motor sensor indicates that the projector 101 has already rotated toward the front windshield, the control unit 104 may control the projector 101 to project light toward at least one display area 102 on the front windshield, so that the display area 102 presents respective information.

In some embodiments, the control parameters may further include a signal for controlling of the control electrode of the display area 102. For example, according to the control parameters, the control unit 104 may control the control electrode of the display area 102 to apply a proper voltage signal, so that the display area 102 exhibits a predetermined opaque or translucent state, such that the light projected by the projector 101 may diffusively transmit to the exterior of the vehicle to enable the presented information to be visible to persons outside the vehicle.

Certainly, it should be understood that the above-mentioned embodiment about the control unit 104 controlling the projection device 100 to present respective information in the display area 102 of the front windshield is only illustrative, and not intended to limit the protection of the present disclosure scope. With the various information provided by the above-mentioned sensors, the control unit 104 can realize more diversified and richer control manners.

For example, in some embodiments, when the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle or an ordinary vehicle used as a taxi, when the sensor detects that the vehicle speed gradually becomes 0 and the first sensor 105 detects that a person is approaching the side of the vehicle, the control unit 104 may acquire respective control parameters based on the signals detected by these sensors. Based on the control parameters, the control unit 104 can control the motor to drive the projector 101 of the projection device 100 to project light toward the side to which the person is approaching, to display information such as car rental price and driver’s information in the display area 102 of the door glass pane on the side by diffusively transmitting the light projected by the projector 101.

After the sensor detects that the person opens the door and gets onboard, the control unit 104 may acquire further control parameters based on further sensor signals. For example, the first sensor 105 detects that an passenger sits in a rear seat inside the vehicle, the control unit 104 may use the information detected by the first sensor 105 to obtain control parameters to control the projection device 100 to display information in the display area 102 on the rear door glass pane. For example, the control unit 104 may control the projector 101 to project light through the control parameters, to display information such as a destination, a route and a predetermined arrival time of a trip in the display area 102 of the rear door glass pane by diffusively reflecting the light projected by the projector 101, so that the passenger sitting inside the vehicle may easily understand the trip information.

After the sensor detects that the destination has been reached, the control unit 104 may acquire further control parameters based on the sensor information. With the help of the control parameters, the control unit 104 can control the projection device 100 to present information such as the price and payment code of the current ride in a predetermined display area 102. The passenger may use a mobile phone to scan the payment code to pay for this trip.

It can be seen that a more comprehensive human-machine interaction and a more satisfactory user experience are achieved with the help of the projection system. Certainly, it should be understood that the above-mentioned embodiments regarding the control unit 104 controlling the projection device 104 are not exhaustive. Other various control scenarios that can be realized based on sensor signals can also be realized using the projection system.

For example, the aforementioned sensors may also include an input device 107, which may include a voice input device 107 or gesture control and the like. For example, the driver may control the projection system by a voice while driving the vehicle or while the passenger is taking the autonomous vehicle. For example, the driver or passenger may control the projection system by speaking “show the route to a certain destination” .

The control unit 104 acquires control parameters for controlling the projection device 100 according to the voice input. The control parameters cause the projector 101 to project light in the direction of a default display area 102 (e.g., on the front windshield) , and the projected light can present in the default display area 102 the information of the trip to the destination and current position. Certainly, the user may also drive the projector 101 to face toward the display area 102 on the right side or left side of the vehicle through gesture control (for example, waving hand to the right or left at a predetermined position) , so that the display area 102 displays the trip information displayed in the front windshield just now.

In order to enable the projector 101 to clearly and accurately present information in the display area 102 in any determined direction when facing toward the predetermined direction, the control unit 104 can also control projection parameters of the projector 101. The projection parameters include, but are not limited to: an angle value of a center line of the projected light, a keystone correction value, coordinate values of the respective display area 102 and/or a focal length value of the projector 101 and so on.

The angle value of the center line of the projected light, as the name suggests, refers to a value of an angle between the center line of the light projected by the projector 101 and a reference plane, and may be adjusted by adjusting the angle of a light source and/or a lens set of the projector 101. When there is a plurality of display areas 102 in the same predetermined direction, information may be accurately presented on a desired projection area by controlling the angle value. The keystone correction value refers to shape information of a projected picture, and may be adjusted, for example, to adapt to the coordinate values of the display area 102 in which the information is to be presented, so that the information can be accurately presented in the display area 102. The focal length value of the projector 101 may be adjusted to change the clarity of the presented information. Since the positions of the plurality of display areas 102 away from the projector 101 in different directions or in the same direction are different, it is necessary to set the focal length value to a value corresponding to the display area 102 to clearly display the information in any display area 102 of different display areas 102.

These control parameters may be automatically set in the case of automatically controlling the projection device 100. For example, when the control parameters instruct to rotate the projector 101 toward the front windshield and present an image in the display area 102 of the front windshield, the projection parameters of the projector 101 may be automatically set by the control unit 104 as parameter values for enabling clear presentation of the information in the display area 102 of the front windshield glass pane. Likewise, when the user needs to present information on the left, right or rear glass pane, the control unit 104 may set the projection parameters to parameter values for enabling clear presentation of the information in the display area 102 of the left, right or rear glass pane.

Certainly, it should be understood that the above-mentioned embodiments of using the voice input device 107 and gesture control to cause the control unit 104 to generate control parameters are only illustrative, and are not intended to limit the protection scope of the present disclosure. Any other suitable methods or manners are also possible. For example, in some alternative embodiments, the user may also input the information via a button, a knob or the like to control the projection system.

In addition, in some embodiments, the control unit 104 may not only generate the control parameters according to the sensor signals, but also take the preset control parameters as the control parameters when a condition for the preset control parameters is satisfied. The condition for the preset control parameters may include whether the projector 101 is facing toward the predetermined direction mentioned above, as well as whether the vehicle reaches a predetermined position or whether the system time reaches a specified time.

For example, after the control unit 104 obtains that the system time reaches a certain predetermined time, the control unit 104 may automatically take the predetermined control parameters after the condition is satisfied (i.e., after the predetermined time is reached) as the control parameters to control the projection device 100. For example, in some embodiments, the condition for the predetermined control parameters is whether it is within the period from 8: 00 pm to 10: 00 pm, and the respective preset control parameters indicate that predetermined advertisement information is displayed on the rear window glass pane within the period from 8: 00 pm to 10: 00 pm.

When the control unit 104 detects that the system time has reached 8: 00 pm, the control unit 104 will take the predetermined control parameters as control parameters to control the projection device 100. The rotation mechanism 103 thus drives the projector 101 to project light toward the rear window glass pane, and the projection parameters of the projector 101 are automatically set to be parameter values enabling clear presentation of the information in the display area 102 of the rear window glass pane (i.e., control the projection parameters of the projector 10 according to the control parameters) , so that the projector 101 can clearly and accurately display predetermined advertisement information in the display area 102. When the control unit 104 detects that the time has reached 10: 00 pm, the control unit 104 controls the projection device 100 to power off according to the information of the predetermined control parameters.

The above examples illustrate that the control unit 104 may not only acquire the control parameters according to the signal of the sensor, but also acquire the respective control parameters according to the satisfaction of the predetermined condition. This enables more comprehensive control of the projection device 100, thereby further improving the level of human-machine interaction and thus improving the user experience.

Certainly, it should be understood that the above-mentioned embodiments in which the control parameters are generated using the satisfaction of predetermined conditions are only illustrative, and are not intended to limit the protection scope of the present disclosure. Any other suitable methods or manners are also possible. For example, in some alternative embodiments, the condition for the predetermined control parameters may further include whether a distance traveled by the vehicle reaches a preset value. For example, when the distance traveled by the vehicle in a single trip reaches 500 kilometers, the control unit 104 may generate respective control parameters so that the projection device 100 may display information such as “don’t’ drive when tired” in the predetermined display area 102, thereby facilitating safe driving of the vehicle.

An embodiment according to the present disclosure further provides a method of controlling the projection device 100 described above. The method may be performed by the above-mentioned control unit 104 to cause the projection device 100 to present respective information toward a predetermined direction. FIG. 3 shows a flow chart of the method. As shown in FIG. 3, at 510, the control unit 104 acquires control parameters for controlling the projection device 100. As mentioned above, the acquisition of the projection parameters may be achieved based on sensor signals or the satisfaction of the preset condition. At 520, the projector 101 is caused to project light in a predetermined direction according to the control parameters, to present respective information in at least one display area 102 corresponding to the predetermined direction by diffusively reflecting and/or diffusively transmitting the light projected by the projector 101. In this way, control of the projection device 100 is achieved.

In some embodiments, acquiring the control parameters of the method comprises acquiring a sensor signal, and acquiring control parameters according to the information indicated by the sensor signal. In this way, diversified control manners of the projection device 100 are achieved based on the sensor signal.

In some embodiments, the method may further comprise acquiring a sensor signal indicating that an object is approaching in a predetermined direction outside the vehicle; acquiring the control parameters according to the sensor signal, and controlling the motor to drive the projector 101 according to the control parameters to project light in the predetermined direction to present information in the display area 102 corresponding to the predetermined direction by diffusively transmitting the light projected by the projector 101.

In some embodiments, acquiring the control parameters comprises using preset control parameters as the control parameters in response to a condition for the preset control parameter being satisfied. This control manner makes the control of the control device more diversified.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises adjusting projection parameters of the projector 101 according to the control parameters. In this way, the picture presented by the projector 101 can be enabled to achieve a clear effect in different directions.

Embodiments of the present disclosure further provide a vehicle. The vehicle comprises the projection system descried above.

Embodiments of the present disclosure further provide a computer program. The computer program comprises a program code. The code can be executed by a processor such as the control unit 104, to cause the processor to perform the method of controlling the projection device 100 described above.

Embodiments of the present disclosure further provide a computer-readable medium. The computer-readable medium comprises a computer program stored thereon. The computer program comprises a program code. The code may be executed by a processor such as the control unit 104, to cause the processor to perform the method of controlling the projection device 100 described above.

FIG. 4 illustrates a block diagram of a computing device 800 such as the control unit 104 adapted to implement embodiments of the present disclosure. The device 800 may be used to implement the method shown in FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 4, the device 800 comprises a central processing unit (CPU) 801 that may perform various appropriate actions and processing based on computer program instructions stored in a read-only memory (ROM) 802 or computer program instructions loaded from a storage unit 808 to a random access memory (RAM) 803. In the RAM 803, there further store various programs and data needed for operations of the device 800. The CPU 801, ROM 802 and RAM 803 are connected to each other via a bus 804. An input/output (I/O) interface 805 is also connected to the bus 804.

Various components in the device 800 are connected to the I/O interface 805, including: an input unit 806 such as a keyboard, a mouse, a knob, a button and/or a voice input device and the like; an output unit 807 including various kinds of displays and a loudspeaker, etc.; a storage unit 808 including a magnetic disk, an optical disk, and etc.; a communication unit 809 including a network card, a modem, and a wireless communication transceiver, etc. The communication unit 809 allows the device 800 to exchange information/data with other devices through a computer network such as the Internet and/or various kinds of telecommunications networks.

Various processes and processing described above, e.g., the method 500 may be executed by the processing unit 801. For example, in some embodiments, the method 500 described above according to the present disclosure may be implemented as a computer software program that is tangibly included in a machine readable medium, e.g., the storage unit 808. In some embodiments, part or all of the computer program may be loaded and/or mounted onto the device 800 via ROM 802 and/or communication unit 809. When the computer program is loaded to the RAM 803 and executed by the CPU 801, one or more steps of the method 500 as described above may be executed. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the CPU 801 may be configured to perform the method 500 in any other suitable manners (e.g., by means of firmware) .

The functions described herein above may be performed, at least in part, by one or more hardware logic components. For example, without limitation, exemplary types of hardware logic components that may be used include: a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) , an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) , an Application Specific Standard Product (ASSPs) , a System on Chip (SOC) , a Load Programmable Logic Device (CPLD) and so on.

Program code for carrying out the methods of the subject matter described herein may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. The program code may be provided to a processor or control unit 104 of a general-purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus such that the program code, when executed by the processor or controller, causes the functions/operations specified in the flowcharts and/or block diagrams to be implemented. The program code may be executed entirely or partly on a machine, executed as a stand-alone software package partly on the machine, partly on a remote machine, or entirely on the remote machine or server.

In the context of this disclosure, a machine-readable medium may be any tangible medium that may contain or store a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. The machine-readable medium may be a machine-readable signal medium or a machine-readable storage medium. A machine-readable medium may include but is not limited to an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples of the machine-readable storage medium would include an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random-access memory (RAM) , a read-only memory (ROM) , an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory) , an optical fiber, a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) , an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

Further, while operations are depicted in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring that such operations are performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that all illustrated operations are performed to achieve the desired results. In certain circumstances, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Likewise, while several specific implementation details are contained in the above discussions, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the subject matter described herein, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to particular implementations. Certain features that are described in the context of separate implementations may also be implemented in combination in a single implementation. Rather, various features described in a single implementation may also be implemented in plurality of implementations separately or in any suitable sub-combination.

Claims

A projection device for a vehicle, comprising:

a projector (101) rotatably arranged on the vehicle and being capable of projecting light in any one of a plurality of predetermined directions; and

a plurality of display areas (102) arranged in the plurality of predetermined directions respectively, and configured to present respective information by diffusively reflecting and/or diffusively transmitting light projected by the projector (101) .
The projection device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a rotation mechanism (103) coupled to the projector (101) and configured to drive the projector (101) to rotate between different directions of the plurality of predetermined directions.
The projection device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of display areas (102) comprise at least a portion of glass panes of the vehicle.
The projection device according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the display areas (102) is arranged in a sunshade belt area or an advanced driver assistance system area in the glass pane.
The projection device according to claim 2, wherein the projector (101) is disposed on a roof of the vehicle via the rotation mechanism (103) .
The projection device according to claim 2, wherein the rotation mechanism (103) is adapted to be manually controlled to enable the projector (101) to be rotated toward the plurality of predetermined directions.
The projection device according to claim 2, wherein the rotation mechanism (103) comprises:

a motor configured to drive the projector (101) to rotate so that the projector (101) faces toward the plurality of predetermined directions; and

a motor sensor coupled to the motor and configured to at least acquire an angular position of a spindle of the motor, to control the projector (101) to face toward one of the plurality of predetermined directions corresponding to the angular position.
The projection device according to claim 7, wherein at least one of the projector (101) and the rotation mechanism (103) is configured to be controlled based on a sensor signal sensed by the sensor.
The projection device according to any of claims 2-8, wherein the projector (101) is configured to face toward the respective predetermined direction with predetermined projection parameters, wherein the projection parameters comprise: an angle value of a center line of the projected light, a keystone correction value, coordinate values of the display area (102) and/or a focal length value of the projector (101) .
The projection device according to claim 2, further comprising:

a locking mechanism adapted to be coupled with one of the rotation mechanism (103) and the projector (101) to lock the projector (101) in one of the plurality of predetermined directions.
The projection device according to claim 3, wherein the glass pane comprises a laminated glass pane having a polymer dispersed liquid crystal layer disposed therein to diffusively transmit light projected by the projector (101) to enable the presented information to be visible from outside of the vehicle through the polymer dispersed liquid crystal layer.
The projection device according to claim 3, wherein the glass pane comprises a laminated glass pane having a diffusive reflection layer disposed therein to diffusively reflect the light projected by the projector (101) to enable the presented information to be visible from inside of the vehicle via the diffusive reflection layer.
The projection device according to claim 12, wherein a reflectivity of the diffusive reflection layer is at least 20%.
A method of controlling the projection device according to any of claims 1-3, comprising:

acquiring control parameters for controlling the projection device; and

causing the projector (101) to project light in a predetermined direction according to the control parameters to present respective information in at least one display area (102) corresponding to the predetermined direction by diffusively reflecting and/or diffusively transmitting the light projected by the projector (101) .
The method according to claim 14, wherein acquiring the control parameters comprises:

acquiring a sensor signal; and

acquiring the control parameters according to information indicated by the sensor signal.
The method according to claim 15, wherein the information indicated by the sensor signal comprises at least one of the following:

whether there is an object in a predetermined direction inside or outside the vehicle, information input via an input device (107) , or whether the vehicle reaches a predetermined location.
The method according to claim 16, wherein the input device (107) comprises a keyboard, a mouse, a knob, a button, a voice input device, a gesture control, eye tracking and/or a touch input device.
The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

acquiring a sensor signal indicating that an object approaches in a predetermined direction outside the vehicle;

acquiring the control parameters based on the sensor signal; and

controlling the motor based on the control parameters to drive the projector (101) to project light in the predetermined direction, to present information in a display area (102) corresponding to the predetermined direction by diffusively transmitting the light projected by the projector (101) .
The method according to claim 14, wherein acquiring the control parameters comprises:

using preset control parameters as the control parameters in response to a condition for the preset control parameter being satisfied.
The method according to claim 14, wherein the condition for the preset control parameters include at least one of the following:

whether the projector (101) is facing toward a predetermined direction, whether the vehicle reaches a predetermined position, whether a system time reaches a specified time, or a distance travelled by the vehicle.
The method according to claim 14, further comprising:

adjusting projection parameters of the projector (101) according to the control parameters.
The method according to claim 21, wherein the projection parameters comprise:

an angle value of a center line of the projected light, a keystone correction value, coordinate values of the display area (102) and/or a focal length value of the projector (101) .
A projection system for a vehicle, comprising :

the projection device according to any of claims 1-13; and

a control unit (104) configured to

acquire control parameters for controlling the projection device; and

cause the projector (101) to project light in the predetermined direction according to the control parameters to present respective information in at least one display area (102) corresponding to the predetermined direction by diffusively reflecting and/or diffusively transmitting the light projected by the projector (101) .
The projection system according to claim 23, wherein the control unit (104) is further configured to

acquire a sensor signal from a sensor; and

acquire the control parameters according to information indicated by the sensor signal.
The projection system according to claim 24, wherein the sensor comprises at least one of the following:

a first sensor (105) for detecting whether there is an object at a predetermined location inside or outside the vehicle,

an input device (107) for inputting information, or

a second sensor (106) for detecting whether the vehicle has reached a predetermined location.
The projection system according to claim 25, wherein the input device (107) comprises a keyboard, a mouse, a knob, a button, a voice input device, a gesture control, eye tracking and/or a touch input device.
The projection system according to claim 25, wherein the control unit (104) is further configured to

acquire, from the first sensor (105) , a sensor signal indicating that there is an object in a predetermined direction outside the vehicle;

acquire the control parameters based on the sensor signal; and

control the motor based on the control parameters to drive the projector (101) to project light in the predetermined direction, to present information in a display area (102) corresponding to the predetermined direction by diffusively transmitting the light projected by the projector (101) .
The projection system according to claim 23, wherein the control unit (104) is further configured to

use preset control parameters as the control parameters in response to a condition for the preset control parameter being satisfied.
The projection system according to claim 23, wherein the control unit (104) is further configured to

adjust projection parameters of the projector (101) according to the control parameters.
The projection system according to claim 29, wherein the projection parameters comprise:

an angle value of a center line of the projected light, a keystone correction value, coordinate values of the display area (102) and/or a focal length value of the projector (101) .
A vehicle, comprising the projection system according to any of claims 23-30.
A computer-readable medium storing a computer program thereon, the computer program adapted to, when executed by a control unit (104) , perform the method according to any of claims 14-22.