WO2023134866A1

WO2023134866A1 - Windscreen electronics module and vehicle with respective windscreen electronics module

Info

Publication number: WO2023134866A1
Application number: PCT/EP2022/050780
Authority: WO
Inventors: Kirk J. ANDERSON; Enrico CORTI
Original assignee: Lotus Tech Innovation Centre Gmbh
Priority date: 2022-01-14
Filing date: 2022-01-14
Publication date: 2023-07-20
Also published as: TW202342301A; CN118251327A

Abstract

A windscreen electronics module of a vehicle is described which is to be arranged in a central, upper section of a windscreen of the vehicle, wherein the windscreen electronics module comprises a housing with an attachment structure to attach the windscreen electronics module to a structural component of the vehicle, wherein the housing comprises an opening, at which a dis- play screen is located, wherein the display screen is arranged such that it faces at least partly a driver or operator of the vehicle, wherein the display screen is connected to a control unit for controlling to-be-displayed content of the display screen and for receiving user input via the dis- play screen, wherein the control unit is connected to a front-facing camera, wherein the control unit is set up to render camera data from said front-facing camera and have the camera data displayed on the display screen, wherein the control unit is set up to morph the camera data such as to correct for the shape of the display screen.

Description

Windscreen electronics module and vehicle with respective windscreen electronics module

The present invention relates to a windscreen electronics module and a vehicle with a respective windscreen electronics module.

Windscreen electronics modules and vehicles of the aforementioned type are generally known in the prior art. Most of the current vehicles use a windscreen electronics module with a housing for one or more windscreen electronics modules, further sometimes comprising, inter alia, camera modules, in particular for advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS), a rear-view mirror attached thereto, overhead controls, e.g., to control a panoramic glass roof, and overhead lighting, e.g., map and/or curtesy lighting.

US 8,547,298 B2 discloses a method to display a graphic illustrating an operational environment of a vehicle includes monitoring informational inputs describing the operational environment of the vehicle, processing the informational inputs to determine critical information, monitoring location of the eyes of an operator of the vehicle, determining a registered graphic describing the critical information hidden from a view of the operator by a non-transparent component of the vehicle based upon the location of the eyes of the operator, and displaying the registered graphic describing the critical information hidden from the view of the operator upon the non-transparent component of the vehicle, the non-transparent component including a material reactive to display graphics in response to an excitation projector.

The known solutions have a number of limitations. Known windscreen electronics module assemblies are necessarily very large and obstructs the view of traffic lights, road signs, as well as other important and relevant information for the driver or operator of a vehicle. Also, depending on the configuration of the vehicle, sometimes, the optical path between rear-view mirror and behind the vehicle is obstructed, e.g., through passengers, luggage, or the configuration of the vehicle, e.g., transportation vehicles.

The solution disclosed in US 8,547,298 B2 has the drawback, that the screen used therein is flat and can only be used for displaying information, but not for interaction.

It is an object of the invention to overcome the limitations of the prior art solutions and provide a windscreen electronics module of a vehicle and a respective vehicle that it is more user-friendly and can replace physical input means like buttons or knobs.

The object is solved by a windscreen electronics module according to claim 1 and a vehicle according to independent claim 14. Further embodiments are described in dependent claims.

Hereinafter, a windscreen electronics module of a vehicle is described which is to be arranged in a central, upper section of a windscreen of the vehicle, wherein the windscreen electronics module comprises a housing with an attachment structure to attach the windscreen electronics module to a structural component of the vehicle, wherein the housing comprises an opening, at which a display screen is located, wherein the display screen is arranged such that it faces at least partly a driver or operator of the vehicle, wherein the display screen is connected to a control unit for controlling to-be-displayed content of the display screen and for receiving user input via the display screen, wherein the control unit is connected to a front-facing camera, wherein the control unit is set up to render camera data from said front-facing camera and have the camera data displayed on the display screen, wherein the control unit is set up to morph the camera data such as to correct for the shape of the display screen.

The respective windscreen electronics module is generally located where in many of more traditional vehicles, a rearview mirror console or windscreen electronics module would be located. With the use of the respective attachment structure, the windscreen electronics module can be detachably mounted to a structural component such as a vehicle, like a roof of the vehicle or an upper horizontal beam of a windscreen frame of the vehicle. The windscreen electronics module can also be referred to as camera cover or as overhead console.

In combination with the use of a front-facing camera, which can also be used for other purposes within the vehicle, in particular advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), it is possible to display on the display screen content which would otherwise be blocked by the windscreen electronics module housing. This can provide the driver or operator of the vehicle with more time to react, for example in case the display screen displays a road sign that the driver otherwise would only have recognized once it was not blocked any longer from the windscreen electronics module housing, e.g. because of the vehicle moving forward, a direct path between the road sign and the eyes of the driver or operator of the vehicle no longer cross the housing or the windscreen electronics module.

The display screen can be adapted to display color images which makes it useful for many different purposes.

The front-facing camera can generally by directed in a direction opposite to a central axis of the display screen. If the display screen is in a further embodiment adjustable in its orientation, the front-facing camera can remain fixed relative to the vehicle. Then, the direction of the front-facing camera is not exactly parallel to the central axis of the display screen.

The camera data can, inter alia, be a series of still images that are refreshed at a certain refresh rate (e.g., more than 24 times per second), or a video stream. Known protocols for images, e.g., png, or video, e.g., avi, can be used for the camera data.

With the control unit morphing the camera input data such that it can be corrected for the shape of the display screen, a very natural looking image can be displayed on the display screen which can be recognized faster than images that are warped and therefore appear unnatural. Also, it can be achieved that the image displayed on the display screen seamlessly or more or less seamlessly transitions into the real view through the windscreen of the vehicle. Also, such respective morphing can lead to a lower dependency of the viewed content from the location of the eyes of a driver or operator of the respective vehicle.

According to a first further embodiment, the control unit is set up to correct for an optical light path of the front-facing camera. If the control unit can correct for an optical light path of the front-facing camera, it is possible to provide for an image or video stream that is free from the influence of the optical system of the camera, in particular its lens system.

Also, it can be used to adjust the respective focal length of the front-facing camera, which is usually equipped with a wide-angle lens, and transform it into an image similar to the one provided by a camera with a focal length more similar to the focal length of a human eyes. This avoids any unnatural feel of the image or video data displayed on the display screen.

According to another further embodiment, the control unit is connected to a driver monitoring camera configured to recognize a relative location of eyes and a viewing direction of the driver or operator.

If the relative eye location and viewing direction of the driver or operator of the vehicle are known, a correction for the to-be-displayed content can be made such that a seamless viewing experience can be achieved. This is particularly important in case the display screen is distanced relatively far away from the windscreen such that otherwise steps would appear between the exterior visible for the driver or operator through the windscreen and the image displayed on the display screen.

According to another further embodiment, the control unit is connected to a rear-facing camera of the vehicle, wherein the control unit is set up to render camera data from said rear-facing camera and have the camera data displayed the display screen.

If the control unit is connected to a rear-facing camera of the vehicle, the display screen can be used to replace a rearview mirror. In that case, the control unit can be further set up to switch between images or video feeds from the rearview mirror and the front-facing camera depending on certain circumstances as they will be described in further detail below.

According to another further embodiment, the control unit is set up to enhance certain features from the front-facing camera and/or from the rear-facing camera on the display screen.

This can be accomplished in various ways, e.g. through enlarging, through dynamic indicators like flashing frames, or through combinations thereof. Such feature can be useful to direct the attention of the driver to potentially safety- re leva nt circumstances. According to another further embodiment, the control unit is directly or indirectly connected to at least one driving status indicating sensor, wherein the control unit is configured to switch between the front-facing camera and the rear-facing camera depending on data derived from the driving status indicating sensor.

The driving status of the vehicle can be used to determine which image or video feed is to be displayed on the display screen. For example, if the vehicle is driving with a certain speed, under regular circumstances, the image or video feed of the rear-facing camera can be displayed such that the display screen acts like a rearview mirror. If the vehicle drives very slowly or is standing still, data from the front-facing camera can be displayed, because in this instance, it is to be assumed that an unobstructed view on road signs such as traffic lights is more important than the rear view.

Other factors can determine as well which information is more relevant. For example, A door that is currently opened can indicate that a rear view is more important than a front view because it can indicate that the driver is about to leave the car and the driver needs to be informed about what happens behind the vehicle. Such way, the windscreen electronics module can contribute to an increased safety of the passengers of the respective vehicle.

According to another further embodiment, the control unit is connected to at least one door sensor located at a vehicle door indicating a status of said door.

Depending on the respective embodiment, the door sensor can be a sensor that can monitor the open/closed and/or the locked/unlocked status of the related door. That way, the status of the related door can be used to influence the behavior of the display screen, e.g., the displayed content can be switched between a front-facing view and a rear-facing view as mentioned above.

According to another further embodiment, the display screen is a touchscreen.

The touchscreen functionality can be implemented by using a capacitive layer that reacts upon capacitive changes which are introduced by touching the surface at certain spots of the display screen with for example a finger of the driver or operator. The use of a display screen allows for an interaction between the driver or operator of the vehicle and the windscreen electronics module for different purposes, as will be described in more detail below.

According to another further embodiment, the control unit is configured to display a control panel on the display screen. In case a control panel can be displayed on the display screen, the display screen can be used to control certain functions of the vehicle, for example such that would traditionally be controlled by physical buttons or knobs in more traditional windscreen electronics modules. This way, the use of such additional control input means is not required.

According to another further embodiment, the display screen has a peak brightness in a range of 800 to 1000 nits.

Such display screen is bright enough to replace all or some further interior lighting of a cabin of the vehicle, some of which is usually positioned in the windscreen electronics module. In particular, if the control unit is directly or indirectly connected to a door sensor, the display screen can be switched on to display a relatively bright light which can illuminate the interior of the respective vehicle when passengers are about to enter the vehicle after unlocking and/or opening a door.

According to another further embodiment, the display screen is curved and/or can be flexibly morphed between a first configuration and a second configuration.

The first configuration can be flat, the second configuration can be curved.

The display screen can be shaped in or morphed into a concave form. It can generally be adjustable within certain limits so as to align it with the location of a head, or, more specifically, eyes of the driver or operator of the respective vehicle. The vehicle can be a car or a truck, a delivery vehicle, or a bus. Also, other types of vehicles can be equipped with a respective windscreen electronics module. The vehicle can, depending on the respective embodiment, be manually driven or it can be driven in assisted drive modes, e.g., lane assist, or traffic jam assist, or it can drive fully autonomous, at least during certain phases of a drive.

In particular in combination with the control unit morphing the camera input data such that it can be corrected for the shape of the display screen, a very natural looking image can be displayed on a curved display screen which can be recognized faster than images that are warped and therefore appear unnatural. Also, it can be achieved that the image displayed on the display screen seamlessly or more or less seamlessly transitions into the real view through the windscreen of the vehicle in a curved shape. Also, such respective morphing can lead to a lower dependency of the viewed content from the location of the eyes of a driver or operator of the respective vehicle. Also, in a further embodiment, depending on the respective curvature of the display screen, it is possible in some embodiment to direct the light more towards the driver side or towards the passenger side.

According to another further embodiment, the control unit is connected to or comprises an image recognition module, wherein the control unit is configured to switch or augment the to-be- displayed content dependent on output data from the image recognition module.

The image recognition module can be integral part of the front-facing camera, the rear-facing camera and/or the driver monitoring camera.

With the use of an image recognition module, important information in the surrounding in front of the vehicle can be recognized, such as road signs, traffic lights, or obstacles. In such way, the control unit can always display the most relevant information for the driver or operator, even if the display screen would normally display other information. As an example, if the vehicle is driving with a speed sufficient to switch the display screen content to a rear-facing camera, in case an important information that the driver or operator needs to be aware of appears in front of the vehicle, the displayed content can be rapidly switched such that the driver or operator of the vehicle can be notified of the respective information early on.

According to another further embodiment, the control unit is connected to a multimedia module of the vehicle, wherein the control unit is configured to render output data from the multimedia module as to-be-displayed content.

In that way, it is possible to enhance the functionality of the windscreen electronics module.

According to another further embodiment, the windscreen electronics module comprises at least one second display screen arranged on a driver side, wherein the at least one second display screen extends to an area adjacent to the windscreen of the vehicle or wherein the at least one second display screen touches the windscreen of the vehicle.

This at least one second display screen covers an area usually covered by a housing of an overhead console or a front camera cover of the vehicle, thereby allowing to view areas otherwise covered by the respective housing or cover.

The second display screen can have touchscreen functionality. A first independent aspect relates to a vehicle comprising a windscreen electronics module as described before.

Further features and details will be shown in the following description in which - where applicable with reference to the drawings - at least one exemplary embodiment will be described in detail. Described and/or shown features constitute the subject in itself or in any possible and meaningful combination, eventually also independent from the claims. In particular, they can be subject of one or more separate applications. The figures show schematically:

Fig. 1 a top view of a vehicle comprising a windscreen electronics module;

Fig. 2 an enlarged view of the windscreen electronics module and some of the external devices connected to the windscreen electronics module;

Fig. 3 a first driving scenario and content displayed on a curved touchscreen;

Fig. 4 a second driving scenario and content displayed on the curved touchscreen;

Fig. 5 a third driving scenario and content displayed on the curved touchscreen, and

Fig. 6 a perspective view on a windscreen electronics module in a further embodiment.

To improve readability and clarity, identical or similar features or features with identical or similar properties or functions in different embodiments may be numbered with the same reference numbers.

Fig. 1 shows a top view of a car 2 with a windscreen electronics module 4.

The windscreen electronics module 4 is placed in a central upper section 6.1 of a windscreen 6. This is a location in which most vehicles with rear windows and rearview mirrors have a windscreen electronics module positioned. The windscreen electronics module 4 is attached to a roof structure 2.1 of the car 2.

The windscreen electronics module 4 comprises a curved touchscreen 8 which faces a driver 10 of the car 2. The curved touchscreen 8 is positioned such that the driver 10 of the car 2 can see content displayed on the curved touchscreen 8. Also, the curved touchscreen 8 is in reach of a hand (not shown) of the driver 10.

The windscreen electronics module 4 further comprises a front-facing camera 12. The front-facing camera 12 has a wide-angle lens with a wide field of view 14 such that it can capture objects in front of the car 2. The front-facing camera 12 can also be used for other systems of the car 2 such as advanced driving assistance systems such as lane assistant, road sign recognition assistant, or autonomous driving systems.

The windscreen electronics module 4 further comprises a control unit 16 which is connected to the front-facing camera 12. They control unit 16 can comprise a processor (not shown) and a non-transitory memory (not shown) for storing a computer program.

The control unit 16 is connected to a number of external modules. First, the control unit 16 is connected to a rear-facing camera 18. The rear-facing camera 18 monitors the rear of the car 2 with a white angle lens with a field of view 20.

Next, the control unit 16 is also connected to a central car control unit 22. The central car control unit 22 can comprise a multimedia unit 23. The central car control unit 22 is further connected to a door sensor 24, a wheel speed sensor 26 as well as a driver monitoring camera 28.

Data coming from one of these sensors 24, 26 and/or 28 can be passed through the car control unit 22 to the control unit 16 of the windscreen electronics module 4. Also, data coming from the front-facing camera 12 can be passed through control unit 16 to the central control unit 22.

The driver monitoring camera 28 has a field of view 30 which captures the position of the head of the driver 10 as well as of his eyes 32. The driver monitoring camera 28 is capable of determining the driver’s 10 viewing direction 34. This data is used to calculate which data should be displayed in which way on the curved touchscreen 8. For example, in some embodiments, the control unit 16 can be programmed such that if the viewing direction 34 of driver at 10 is not directly directed towards the curved touchscreen 8, but more in a peripheral field of vision, the content of the front-facing camera 12 can be displayed. If the viewing direction 34 of driver 10 is directly directed towards the curved touchscreen 8, the content of the rear-facing camera 18 can be displayed.

Also, the respective status of the car 2 can be used to determine which content is displayed on the curved touchscreen 8. For example, if a door is opened from the outside of the car 2, which is recognizable via the door sensor 24 in combination with the driver monitoring camera 28, which, under these circumstances doesn’t recognize the presence of a driver, the curved touchscreen 8 can show for example a white display with high brightness to illuminate a passenger cabin of the car 2. If the door is opened from the inside, which is recognizable via the door sensor 24 and the driver monitoring camera 28, which under these circumstances recognizes the presence of a driver 10, the curved touchscreen 8 can display the content of the rearfacing camera 18.

If the car 2 is driving, which is recognizable via the wheel speed sensor 26, different content might be appropriate than if the car 2 is not driving or is driving very slowly, e.g., when it approaches a traffic light.

In practice, the determination of the to be displayed content on the curved touchscreen 8 is complicated, as it depends on many different factors. It can also depend on national laws or user preferences or user input, for example provided via speech or in other ways such as gestures or direct user input using certain control means.

The curved touchscreen 8 has a central axis 36 which is generally directed in a driving direction of the car 2. It is, in the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, parallel with a central axis 38 of the frontfacing camera 12. In certain other embodiments, the curved touchscreen 8 can be adjusted in its direction to better suit the needs and preferences of the driver 10. If that is the case, the respective central axis 36 is not necessarily parallel to the central axis 38 of the front-facing camera at 12.

Data from the front-facing camera 12 as well as from the rear-facing camera 18 can be provided by a series of individual images or by a video feed. The control unit 16 or the cameras 12 or 18 can comprise image recognition functionalities such that a detection of certain objects that appear in the images such as a traffic light 40 as shown in Fig. 1 is possible.

Fig. 2 shows an enlarged view of the windscreen electronics module 4 and some of the external devices connected to the windscreen electronics module 4.

The windscreen electronics module 4 comprises a housing 42. The housing 42 comprises an attachment structure 44 for attachment of the housing 42 to the roof structure 2.1 of the car 2. Further, the housing comprises an opening 46, in which the front-facing camera 12 is located. Further, the housing 42 comprises a further opening 48 in which the curved touchscreen 8 is located. Depending on the respective concrete embodiment, the curved touchscreen 8 can be held such in the housing 42 that the curved touchscreen 8 can be rotated relative to the housing 42. The curved touchscreen 8 comprises a capacitive surface 50 which can recognize the respective location of touch input provided by the driver 10.

Fig. 3 shows a first driving scenario and respective content displayed on the curved touchscreen 8.

The situation shown in Fig. 3 is a normal driving situation in which the car 2 is moving at a decent speed and the curved touchscreen 8 displays content provided by the rear-facing camera 18.

A car 52 which driving behind the car 2 is currently displayed. Because of that, the view on another car 54 driving in front of the car 2 is partially blocked by the curved touchscreen 8.

Fig. 4 shows a second driving scenario.

In this scenario, the front-facing camera 12 recognizes traffic light 40. Because of that, the curved touchscreen 8 is switched into a transparent mode, in which the traffic light 40 is visible as well as the formerly blocked part of the car 54.

Fig. 5 shows a third driving scenario.

In this scenario, the curved touchscreen 8 displays a control panel 56 for the multimedia unit 23. This mode can be used when the car 2 is standing or in an autonomous driving mode. Other content can be displayed as well, such as multimedia content like movies or other control fields, e.g., for controlling a sunroof or interior lighting of the car 2.

Fig. 6 shows a perspective view on a windscreen electronics module 4’ in a further embodiment.

The windscreen electronics module 4’ comprises a second display screen 60 which is arranged in housing 42 facing a driver side of the vehicle 2.

The second display screen 60 is arranged such that it is adjacent to the windscreen 6 and nearly touches the windscreen 6. The gap can vary depending on the temperatures on the inside and on the outside of the vehicle 2 and the temperature difference between inside and outside. Also, a gap like that can allow for some body movement during driving conditions without causing tension on the windscreen 6. The second display screen 60 allows for increased visibility of objects covered by the housing 42, e.g. traffic light 42.

While at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in the foregoing summary and detailed description as well as the claims, it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist. It should also be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are only examples, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration in any way. Rather, the foregoing summary and detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing at least one exemplary embodiment, it be- ing understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements described in an exemplary embodiment without departing from the scope as set forth in the appended claims and their legal equivalents.

Any feature disclosed in the claims, the description, and the drawings, including constructive de- tails, relative positioning or method steps can be relevant to the invention taken in isolation or in any meaningful combination with any other feature(s).

List of reference numbers

2 Car

2.1 Roof structure

4, 4’ Windscreen electronics module

6 Windscreen

6.1 Central upper section

8 Curved touchscreen

10 Driver

12 Front-facing camera

14 Field of view

16 Control unit

18 Rear-facing camera

20 Field of view

22 Central car control unit

23 Multimedia unit

24 Door sensor

26 Wheel speed sensor

28 Driver monitoring camera

30 Field of view

32 Eyes

34 Viewing direction

36 Central axis

38 Central axis

40 Traffic light

42 Housing

44 Attachment structure

46 Opening

48 Opening

50 Capacitive surface

52 Car

54 Car

56 Control panel

60 Second display screen

Claims

1. A windscreen electronics module (4, 4’) of a vehicle (2) to be arranged in a central, upper section (6.1) of a windscreen (6) of the vehicle (2), wherein the windscreen electronics module (4, 4’) comprises a housing (42) with an attachment structure (44) to attach the windscreen electronics module (4, 4’) to a structural component (2.1) of the vehicle (2), wherein the housing (42) comprises an opening (48), at which a display screen (8) is located, wherein the display screen (8) is arranged such that it faces at least partly a driver (10) or operator of the vehicle (2), wherein the display screen (8) is connected to a control unit (16) for controlling to-be-displayed content of the display screen (8) and for receiving user input via the display screen (8), wherein the control unit (16) is connected to a front-facing camera (12), wherein the control unit (16) is set up to render camera data from said front-facing camera (12) and have the camera data displayed on the display screen (8), wherein the control unit (16) is set up to morph the camera data such as to correct for the shape of the display screen (8).

2. Windscreen electronics module (4, 4’) according to claim 1, wherein the control unit (16) is set up to correct for an optical light path of the front-facing camera (12).

3. Windscreen electronics module (4, 4’) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit (16) is connected to a driver monitoring camera (28) configured to recognize a relative location of eyes (32) and a viewing direction (34) of the driver (10) or operator.

4. Windscreen electronics module (4, 4’) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the control unit (16) is connected to a rear-facing camera (18) of the vehicle (2), wherein the control unit (16) is set up to render camera data from said rear-facing camera (18) and have the camera data displayed the display screen (8).

5. Windscreen electronics module (4, 4’) according to claim 4, wherein the control unit (16) is connected to at least one driving status indicating sensor (26), wherein the control unit (16) is configured to switch between the front-facing camera (12) and the rear-facing camera (18) depending on data derived from the driving status indicating sensor (26).

6. Windscreen electronics module (4, 4’) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the control unit (16) is connected to at least one door sensor (24) located at a vehicle door indicating a status of said door.

7. Windscreen electronics module (4, 4’) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the display screen is a touchscreen (8).

8. Windscreen electronics module according to claim 7, wherein the control unit (16) is configured to display a control panel (54) on the display screen (8).

9. Windscreen electronics module (4, 4’) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the display screen (8) has a peak brightness in a range of 800 to 1000 nits.

10. Windscreen electronics module (4, 4’) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the display screen (8) is curved and/or can be flexibly morphed between a first configuration and a second configuration.

11. Windscreen electronics module (4, 4’) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the control unit (16) is connected to or comprises an image recognition module, wherein the control unit (16) is configured to switch or augment the to-be-displayed content dependent on output data from the image recognition module.

12. Windscreen electronics module (4, 4’) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the control unit (16) is connected to a multimedia module (23) of the vehicle (2), wherein the control unit (16) is configured to render output data from the multimedia module (23) as to-be-displayed content.

13. Windscreen electronics module (4’) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the windscreen electronics module (4’) comprises at least one second display screen (60) arranged on a driver side, wherein the at least one second display screen (60) extends to an area adjacent to the windscreen (6) of the vehicle (2) or wherein the at least one second display screen (60) touches the windscreen (6) of the vehicle (2).

14. Vehicle, comprising a windscreen electronics module (4, 4’) according to any of the preceding claims.