WO2023030828A1

WO2023030828A1 - System and method for adjusting a display screen

Info

Publication number: WO2023030828A1
Application number: PCT/EP2022/072072
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ulrich Müller; Tobias Moll
Original assignee: Audi Ag
Priority date: 2021-08-31
Filing date: 2022-08-05
Publication date: 2023-03-09
Also published as: DE102021122466B3

Abstract

The invention relates to a system for adjusting a display screen (20) of a vehicle, the display screen (20) being provided for a passenger of the vehicle, the display screen (20) being designed to display original display content, the system comprising an additional optical layer (3b) which is located on the display screen (20), the additional optical layer (3b) being designed to emit additional light only towards a driver of the vehicle and to blend the original display content for the driver.

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD OF ADJUSTING A SCREEN

DESCRIPTION:

The invention relates to a system for adjusting a screen and a method for adjusting a screen.

A screen for a free and a restricted view mode is described in one of the publications DE 10 2015 016 134 B3, WO 2019/002496 A1 and WO 2019/034557 A1.

Against this background, it has been an object to adjust a screen in a vehicle appropriately for a driver and a passenger.

This object is achieved by a system and a method having the features of the independent patent claims. Embodiments of the system and the method emerge from the dependent patent claims and the description.

The system according to the invention is designed for setting a screen or a monitor or a display or a display panel of a vehicle, the screen being provided for a passenger of the vehicle and assigned to him and being designed and/or designated as a passenger screen. The screen is designed to present or display original display content and to emit it into an interior of the vehicle, for example a motor vehicle. The system has an additional optical layer that is placed on top of and covers the screen. The additional optical layer, if activated, is designed to generate additional light and only in direction of a driver of the vehicle and to superimpose the original display content of the screen for the driver with the additional light.

The additional optical layer has a light guide and/or a diffraction grating as at least one optical element. The at least one optical element is designed to emit the additional light, usually depending on the angle, only or exclusively in the direction of the driver of the vehicle next to the passenger. In this case, it is possible for a diffraction grating to have a nanostructure as the at least one optical element.

Furthermore, the system has an additional lighting module which is arranged next to the additional optical layer. It is possible for the additional layer and the additional lighting element to be arranged in a plane which is arranged parallel to a likewise flat surface of the screen, it being possible for the additional lighting module to be arranged parallel relative to the surface of the screen. The additional optical layer is usually arranged parallel and congruent to the surface of the screen. The additional lighting module is designed as a light source to generate additional light and to emit and/or couple it into the additional optical layer, this additional light usually being oriented parallel to the surface of the screen. The additional layer is designed to convert the light from the additional lighting module into additional light and to emit it in the direction of the driver, the light from the additional lighting module being deflected by the optical additional layer depending on the angle.

In addition, the system has the screen disposed in front of a passenger's seat with respect to a forward traveling direction of the vehicle.

In one possible configuration, the system has at least one sensor and a computing unit, the at least one sensor being designed to detect and/or determine a viewing angle of at least one eye of the driver in the direction of the screen. The arithmetic unit is configured to set an add-on angle, which limits an angular range of the add-on light from the add-on optical layer with respect to the surface of the screen, smaller than the driver's viewing angle. The additional light, which fades over the original display content of the screen, is emitted or radiated exclusively within the angular range in the direction of the driver.

In a further optional refinement, the at least one sensor is designed to detect and/or determine a position of at least one eye of the front passenger relative to the screen and/or a position of at least one eye of a driver of the vehicle relative to the screen the computing unit is designed to set at least one property of the field of vision depending on the position of the at least one eye of the front passenger and/or the at least one eye of the driver. It is also possible for the additional angle to be set as a function of a distance between the at least one eye of the front passenger and/or a distance between the at least one eye of the driver and the screen. Furthermore, it is possible that the additional angle, with which the additional light is limited, is also set as a function of a viewing angle of the at least one eye of the front passenger.

In one embodiment, the method uses a characteristic map that is stored, for example, in the processing unit, with a position of the at least one eye of the front passenger relative to the screen and a respective position of the at least one eye of the driver relative to the screen being stored in the characteristic map a value of the additional angle is assigned. The map takes into account that the position of the at least one eye of the front passenger includes the distance of the at least one eye of the front passenger to the screen or monitor and/or the viewing angle of the at least one eye of the front passenger on the screen. Correspondingly, the at least one position of the driver's eye relative to the screen includes the distance of the at least one driver's eye from the screen and/or the viewing angle of the at least one driver's eye on the screen. It is therefore possible that the additional angle for limiting the additional height depends on the distance of the at least one eye of the passenger and the driver from the screen and/or the viewing angle of the at least one eye of the passenger and the driver on the screen. It is possible here for the additional angle or a value of the additional angle to be measured experimentally. In one embodiment, such a characteristic map determined by measurement is parameterized and stored in the computing unit.

The method according to the invention is provided for setting a screen of a vehicle, the screen or a corresponding passenger screen being provided for a passenger of the vehicle. An additional optical layer is or will be arranged on the screen. Here, an original display content is displayed with the screen. In addition, the optical additional layer, if it is activated or switched on, emits or radiates additional light only in the direction of a driver of the vehicle, with the original display content for the driver being superimposed with this additional light in the direction of the driver, which is hereby possible , that the original display content is visible to the passenger but not to the driver.

It is possible for an embodiment of the presented method to be carried out with an embodiment of the presented system. In one embodiment, the additional light is generated by the additional optical layer and/or emitted in the direction of the driver.

In one embodiment, the additional light is emitted by the additional layer into an interior of the vehicle in an angular range that is delimited relative to a surface of the screen by an acute additional angle that is less than 90° with respect to the surface.

Alternatively or additionally, the additional angle is set smaller than a viewing angle with which at least one eye, usually both eyes, of the driver looks at the screen relative to a surface of the screen. It is also possible that the additional angle automatically and is dynamically adapted to a respective current viewing angle of the at least one eye of the driver, the additional angle being set and adjusted to be smaller or less than the viewing angle of the at least one eye of the driver.

Furthermore, at least the original display content or the original display content, which is emitted largely perpendicularly to a surface of the screen within the usual tolerances, is transmitted through the additional optical layer and presented or displayed to the front passenger. The original display content of the screen, which is emitted at an angle that is larger than the additional angle for limiting the additional light, is visible or recognizable for the passenger.

The additional layer on the screen or the additional light provided and/or generated by it shines only at an acute angle relative to its surface in the direction of the driver, but not perpendicularly or perpendicularly to the surface, with only the original display content being overlaid by the additional light that is in the same Angular range of how the supplemental light is emitted, remaining original display content emitted at an angle greater than the supplemental angle traverses the supplemental optical layer unimpeded and/or unaltered and is only displayed to the passenger. If the additional optical layer and usually also the additional lighting element is or are activated, the system provides a privacy mode and/or a privacy screen that prevents the driver of the vehicle from viewing the original display content.

Stray light compensation is provided with the system and the method for providing the private mode or a privacy circuit or privacy circuit for the screen or for the display.

In this case, the additional optical layer or an additional or further optical layer in the form of the screen is on the screen or on its surface Arranged light guide, which is thus located above the screen and is designed to set a private function.

This additional optical layer is designed to emit and/or deflect light that is introduced laterally in a defined angular range, with this angular range being or being limited by the maximum additional angle. It is possible that the additional optical layer for light deflection, for example for light diffraction, has the light guide and a diffraction grating arranged thereon as the at least one optical element, which is designed, for example, as a nanostructure. Alternatively or additionally, it is possible for the at least one optical element to be designed or to be designated as a diffractive optical element (DOE). Alternatively or additionally, it is also possible for the additional optical layer to have other reflecting or scattering optical elements for angle-dependent light deflection. The additional optical layer is transparent when viewed from above and/or perpendicularly and is therefore optically permeable and/or transparent to the screen arranged underneath. The light introduced laterally into the additional layer is directed in the direction of the driver. As a result, the driver sees or recognizes a slightly illuminated area that is similar to ambient lighting on a surface of a display. The remaining scattered light of the original display content as the actual image content from or from the screen is superimposed by the additional light of the additional layer depending on the angle and, for example, moving display or image content and thus a moving or animated image is no longer perceived by the driver. It is also possible that an optical resolution and/or sharpness of the display content of the screen is reduced as a function of the angle by the additional layer, with the display content being represented blurry or out of focus, for example.

With or starting from the additional optical layer in front of or on the screen, e.g radiated or emitted by the driver. This additional light the original display content or a corresponding residual image radiates towards the driver or from a perspective of the driver, with which the driver does not see the original display content of the screen, for example moving, and/or private image content as the original display content that is only intended for the front passenger more disturbing.

In one embodiment, the light guide is formed or can be designated in the additional layer or in a corresponding cover layer on the screen. The additional or cover layer can consist or be formed of glass, for example cover glass, or of transparent plastic. The additional optical layer can also have or contain scattering, refracting and/or reflecting optical elements which are designed to generate patterns, for example geometric patterns, with the additional light. Such a pattern can include and/or show a logo, for example. When private mode is activated, the driver only sees the additional light generated by the additional layer, which includes the pattern, for example, and which superimposes the original display content of the screen, whereas the front passenger can see the complete original display content of the screen within the usual tolerances.

In a public mode or public mode, if the driver wants, may and/or should see the same display content as the passenger, the additional lighting of the optical additional layer is switched off, with a complete display content of the screen through the switched off or deactivated additional layer is displayed completely and independently of the angle and can also be viewed by the driver. For this purpose, the additional layer is switched from the private mode to the public mode when the original display content of the screen is hidden from the driver.

With the method and the system it is possible, for example in the case of low ambient lighting, that the driver is not distracted by moving stray light from the screen when the additional layer is activated, this stray light encompassing and/or providing the original display content. In addition, it is possible for optical elements in the additional layer to display patterns that comprise different colors and/or are graded in terms of brightness, it being possible for the additional layer to generate and emit an additional display content with the additional light that is optically varied and thus, for example, is not monochrome, avoiding that the screen of the front passenger or front passenger's screen appears to the driver as a black hole while the additional optical layer and thus the private function is active.

The additional optical layer is arranged, for example, on a base layer of the screen designed as a liquid crystal display (LCD) and is designed to scatter the additional light in the direction of the driver, with the display content, e.g. a residual image, of the screen pointing in the direction of the driver is overshadowed and/or outshined by the additional light, it being possible for the driver to no longer perceive an e.g. moving and/or animated display content of the screen in the passenger's private mode as disturbing.

In one embodiment, the additional display content from the additional layer, which has the light guide, for example, is radiated or radiated exclusively in the direction of the driver within the usual tolerances, whereas only the display content of the screen is radiated in the direction of the front passenger, within the usual tolerances. In one refinement, the additional light or corresponding additional light radiation is coupled out of the additional layer, for example from its light guide, exclusively in the direction of the driver.

The additional light from the additional layer prevents the driver from being shown a moving or dynamic original display content of the screen and thus moving images. Such a moving display content is usually in the form of a video, for example a film, which is hidden from the driver with the additional layer. The front passenger can still see the moving content of the screen. It goes without saying that the features mentioned above and those still to be explained below can be used not only in the combination specified in each case, but also in other combinations or on their own, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

The invention is shown schematically on the basis of embodiments in the drawing and is described schematically and in detail with reference to the drawing.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a first embodiment of the system according to the invention when a first embodiment of the method according to the invention is carried out.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of a second embodiment of the system according to the invention when carrying out a second embodiment of the method according to the invention.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of a third embodiment of the system according to the invention when a third embodiment of the method according to the invention is carried out.

The figures are described coherently and comprehensively. The same components are assigned the same reference symbols.

Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of an interior of a vehicle designed or to be designated here as a motor vehicle, in which a driver sits on a seat or driver's seat (not shown) behind a steering wheel 12 on the driver's side with a head 8, one eye of which is shown here 10 is shown schematically. Next to the steering wheel on a passenger side, a passenger sits on another seat 7 or passenger seat, whose head 4 and an eye 6 are shown schematically here. It is provided that the seat 7 for the front passenger and thus also the front passenger sitting on it are arranged behind a screen 2 or display, this screen 2 usually being provided for the front passenger and this is also assigned to view a display content on the screen 2. A first example of an additional optical layer 3a is arranged on this screen 2 .

The first embodiment of the system according to the invention has the additional optical layer 3a on the screen, a sensor 14 and a computing unit 16, which are shown schematically in FIG. Here it is optionally possible that the screen 2 is also designed as a component of this system.

It is provided that the driver is not distracted by the display content on the screen 2, at least during a journey, when he steers the vehicle and steers it with the steering wheel 12, and that the passenger can still see this display content on the screen 2.

For this purpose, the method provides for the sensor 14 to record both a position or positions of at least one eye 10, usually both eyes 10, of the driver and a position or positions of at least one eye 6, usually both eyes 6 , the front passenger is detected and/or determined relative to the screen 2. In one embodiment, this means that a distance of the at least one eye 6, 10 of the driver and/or front passenger relative to the screen 2 and/or a viewing direction, e.g. a viewing angle, of the at least one eye 6, 10 of the front passenger and the driver the sensor 14 is detected.

In this case, the screen 2 shows the front passenger an unchanged original display content. If the driver should not or may not see this original display content in order not to be stored and/or to implement a private mode for the passenger, the additional optical layer 3a on the screen 2 is activated in a first embodiment of the method according to the invention, whereby the original display content, taking into account the position of the at least one eye 10 of the driver relative to the screen 20 by additional light generated by the additional layer 3a and in the direction of the at least one eye 10 of the driver is emitted or broadcast, superimposed by the additional light and made unrecognizable for the driver.

The second embodiment of the system according to the invention is provided for a second example of a screen 20, of which a section parallel to a surface of the screen 20 is shown schematically in FIGS. 2a and 2b. The screen 20 includes a backlight 22, a first base layer 24, a second base layer 26 and a third base layer 28, all parallel to each other, parallel to the backlight 22 and parallel to the surface of the screen 20. In this case, the first base layer 24 is designed to produce a first display element. The second base layer 26 is designed as a liquid crystal display for producing a second display element and the third base layer 28 for producing a third display element. These display elements generated by the screen 20 result in a complete original display content, which is indicated by arrows 32 in both FIGS. 2a and 2b.

The embodiment of the system provided for the screen 20 has an additional optical layer 3b which is arranged on the surface of the screen 20 parallel to its base layers 24, 26, 28. The system also has an additional lighting module 30 which is arranged laterally offset here next to the additional layer 3b and next to the screen 20 . In this case, the optical additional layer 3b has a light guide as the optical element.

In the second embodiment of the method, a private mode is set for the screen 20 as a private function. For this purpose, the additional lighting module 30 is activated or switched on, with light being guided from the additional lighting module 30 into the light guide and thus into the additional optical layer 3b. As a result, starting from the additional layer 3b, additional light is sent or emitted in the direction of the driver, which is indicated in FIG. 2a by further arrows 34, the additional light here being relative to the surface of the screen 22 or to a ner surface of the additional layer 3b is or is oriented at most at an acute additional angle. Here, the additional light is emitted in an angular range that is limited by the additional angle, which is smaller than 90° relative to the surface of the screen 20 or the additional layer 3b. A maximum value of the acute additional angle is set as a function of the position of the at least one eye 10 of the driver and taking into account the viewing angle of the at least one eye 10 of the driver relative to the screen 20, it being provided in one embodiment that the acute additional angle, with which the additional light is emitted starting from the additional layer 3b, is smaller than the viewing angle of the at least one eye 10 of the driver relative to the screen 20 or to its surface, with this additional angle being adjusted automatically and dynamically to the position and thus is adapted to the viewing angle of the driver's at least one eye 10 relative to the screen 20 . In this case, a propagation of the original display content in the direction of the at least one eye 10 of the driver is prevented and/or disturbed by the additional layer 3b by the additional light provided by it.

In the second embodiment of the method, the original display content of the screen 20, which is emitted at an angle to the surface of the screen or the additional layer 3b that is larger than the additional angle and is a maximum of 90°, is transmitted through the additional layer 3b or let through, this original display content for the passenger 20 is visible or recognizable. Additional original display content is superimposed by the additional light in the direction of at least one eye 10 of the driver and is thus rendered unrecognizable.

It is also possible, as indicated in FIG. 2b, for the additional lighting module 30 to be switched off or deactivated. In this case, private mode will also be disabled. In addition, propagation of the original display content is not disturbed by the additional layer 3b, with the complete original display content being emitted unhindered in all directions, starting from the screen 20 and the additional layer 3b and what is indicated here by arrows 36 is visible to both the eyes of the passenger 6, 10 and the driver, also independent of the angle.

The third embodiment of the system according to the invention is provided for a further screen 40, which is shown schematically in FIGS. 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e and 3f, each from different perspectives. The third embodiment of the system also has an additional optical layer 3c which is arranged on the screen 40 or on a surface of the screen 40 . In addition, this system also has an additional lighting module which is designed to couple and/or introduce light into the additional layer 3c parallel to the surface of the screen 20 .

In the third embodiment of the method, it is provided that an original display content 42 is generated from the screen 40 and emitted into an interior of a vehicle. This original display content 42 is within the usual tolerances for the passenger, who is sitting directly behind the screen 40 and/or in the middle of the screen 40 and, based on his perspective, is looking at the screen 40 or its surface largely at an angle of 90° completely visible or recognizable, which is indicated here with reference to Figures 3b, 3d and 3f.

In contrast to this, the driver or at least one of his eyes 10, starting from his perspective, looks at the screen from an acute viewing angle, which is indicated schematically here with reference to FIGS. 3a, 3c and 3e.

In a first case, the additional lighting module and the additional optical layer 3c on the screen 40 are activated. In this case, additional light is generated by the additional layer 3c, which light is emitted relative to the surface of the screen 40 or to a surface of the additional layer 3c in an angular range which is smaller than an acute additional angle. A maximum value of the acute additional angle is dependent on the position of at least one eye 10 of the driver, taking into account the Perspective angle 3c of the at least one eye 10 of the driver relative to the screen 40 is adjusted, with provision being made in one embodiment for the acute additional angle at which the additional light is emitted, starting from the additional layer 3c, to be smaller than the viewing angle of the at least one eye 10 of the driver is adjusted relative to the screen 40 or to its surface, with this additional angle being automatically and dynamically adapted to the position and thus to the viewing angle of the at least one eye 10 of the driver relative to the screen 40 if he should move . The additional layer 3c prevents and/or interferes with the spread of the original display content in the direction of the at least one eye 10 of the driver, with the at least one eye 10 of the driver being shown a first modified, static and monochrome display content 44 that is covered by the additional layer 3c and the additional lighting module is generated and fades over the original display content.

In one embodiment, it is possible for the at least one eye 10 of the driver to be shown a second modified and static display content 46 which, in addition to a monochrome background, also includes a logo or symbol, here e.g. four rings from Audi ™ AG, which here is indicated in Figure 3c. In this case, the complete original display content 42 is visible to the passenger.

In a further refinement, the additional lighting module and the additional optical layer 3c on the screen 40 are deactivated and switched off. In this case, both from the driver's perspective (Figure 3e) and from the passenger's perspective (Figure 3f), the complete original display content 42 is shown or displayed, since this is no longer visible to the driver due to the deactivated additional optical layer 3c is disturbed. REFERENCE NUMBERS:

2 screen

3a, 3b, 3c additional layer

4 head

6 eye

7 seat

8 head

10 eye

12 steering wheel

14 sensors

16 unit of account

20 screen

22 backlight

24, 26 base layer

28

30 additional lighting module

32, 34 arrow

36 arrow

40 screen

42 original display content

44, 46 modified display content

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS:

1 . System for setting a screen (2, 20, 40) of a vehicle, the screen (2, 20, 40) being provided for a passenger of the vehicle, the screen (2, 20, 40) being designed to have an original display content to represent, wherein the system has an additional optical layer (3a, 3b, 3c) which is arranged on the screen (2, 20, 40), wherein the additional optical layer (3a, 3b, 3c) is designed to emit additional light only in direction of a driver of the vehicle and to overlay the original display content to the driver.

2. System according to claim 1, in which the additional optical layer (3a, 3b, 3c) has a light guide, a diffractive optical element and/or a diffraction grating as at least one optical element.

3. System according to claim 1 or 2, which has an additional lighting module which is arranged next to the additional optical layer (3a, 3b, 3c) and is designed to emit light into the additional optical layer (3a, 3b, 3c), the additional layer (3a, 3b, 3c) is designed to convert the light from the additional lighting module into additional light and to emit it in the direction of the driver.

4. System according to any one of the preceding claims, which has the screen (2, 20, 40) which is arranged in relation to a forward direction of travel of the vehicle in front of a seat (7) for the passenger.

5. System according to one of the preceding claims, which has at least one sensor (14) and a computing unit (16), wherein the at least one sensor (14) is designed to measure a viewing angle of at least one eye (10) of the driver in the direction of the To detect the screen (2, 20, 40) and to set an additional angle, which delimits an angular range of the additional light from the additional optical layer (3a, 3b, 3c), to be smaller than the driver's viewing angle. Method for creating a screen (2, 20, 40) of a vehicle, the screen (2, 20, 40) being provided for a passenger of the vehicle, an additional optical layer (3a, 3b, 3c), with the screen (2, 20, 40) showing an original display content, with the additional optical layer (3a, 3b, 3c) only emitting additional light in the direction of a driver of the vehicle, with the original Display content for the driver is superimposed. Method according to Claim 6, in which the additional light is emitted from the additional layer (3a, 3b, 3c) in an angular range which is limited by an acute additional angle relative to a surface of the screen (2, 20, 40). Method according to Claim 7, in which the additional angle is set smaller than a viewing angle with which at least one eye (10) of the driver looks at the screen (2, 20, 40) relative to a surface thereof. Method according to one of Claims 6 to 8, in which the original display content which is emitted perpendicularly to a surface of the screen (2, 20, 40) is transmitted through the additional optical layer (3a, 3b, 3c) and presented to the passenger.