Vehicle shade assembly

• US 10,639,993 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2016
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan North America Incorporated (Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Tan, Adrian
• Primary Examiner(s): Castiaux, Brent D
• Application Number:
  US15/383,565
• Publication Number:
  US 20180170181A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,233 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 7/0015 roller blind
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/771 on the ceiling
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/22 Display screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/223 Flexible displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/53 Movable instruments, e.g. slidable
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/002 Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0272 using sensors or detectors for detecting the position of seat parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/22 the back-rest being adjustable B60N2/2878 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/04 Changes in size, position or resolution of an image
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0492 Change of orientation of the displayed image, e.g. upside-down, mirrored

Abstract

A vehicle shade assembly includes a vehicle body structure, a cover supporting structure, a cover material, an electronic display and a controller. The vehicle body structure defines an opening with a transparent material installed within the opening. The cover supporting structure is installed to the vehicle body structure adjacent to the opening. The cover material is supported to the cover supporting structure and is movable from a closed orientation covering the opening and the transparent material and an open orientation exposing the opening and the transparent material. The electronic display is installed to the cover material for movement therewith. The controller is configured to operate the display to display content thereon.

Claims

1. A vehicle shade assembly, comprising:

a vehicle body structure defining an opening with a transparent material installed within the opening, and includes a first hook located forward of the opening and a second hook located forward of the first hook;

a cover supporting structure installed to the vehicle body structure adjacent to the opening;

a cover material supported to the cover supporting structure, the cover material defining a rollup shade member and the cover supporting structure includes a rollup mechanism attached to the rollup shade member, the cover material being movable from a first closed orientation covering the opening and the transparent material to an open orientation exposing the opening and the transparent material and the cover material being movable from a second closed orientation covering the opening and the transparent material to the open orientation exposing the opening and the transparent material, such that the forward end of the cover material hooks to the first hook in the first closed orientation, the cover material hooks to the second hook in the second closed orientation and the cover material is rearward of and spaced apart from both the first hook and the second hook in the open orientation;

an electronic display installed to the cover material for rollup movement therewith, the electronic display being a flexible display; and

a controller configured to operate the electronic display to display content thereon.

2. The vehicle shade assembly according to claim 1, wherein

the vehicle body structure includes a roof portion with the opening being horizontally oriented along the roof portion.

3. The vehicle shade assembly according to claim 1, wherein

the electronic display includes a touch sensitive layer.

4. The vehicle shade assembly according to claim 1, wherein

the electronic display is either transparent or translucent.

5. The vehicle shade assembly according to claim 1, wherein

the electronic display includes an electronically controlled tinting layer.

6. The vehicle shade assembly according to claim 1, further comprising:

a passenger detection feature connected to the controller of the electronic display, and

the controller is configured to display the content at any of a plurality of displaying locations of the display where the displaying locations are defined by differing portions of the display.

7. The vehicle shade assembly according to claim 1, further comprising:

a control panel connected to the controller such that a vehicle occupant can input selections to the control panel, and

the controller is configured to display the content at any of a plurality of displaying locations of the display in response to input selections made by the vehicle occupant.

8. The vehicle shade assembly according to claim 1, further comprising:

at least one seat installed within a passenger compartment defined by the vehicle body structure, the seat being adjustable to a plurality of differing orientations and positions, including a forward position, a rearward position, and a plurality of reclined orientations, and

the controller is configured to automatically position the content to a portion or portions of the electronic display in response to determining an orientation and position of the at least one seat.

9. The vehicle shade assembly according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of seats installed within a passenger compartment defined by the vehicle body structure, each of the plurality of seats having a corresponding occupancy sensor, and

the controller is configured to automatically position the content to a portion or portions of the electronic display in response to determining occupancy of each of the plurality of seats.

10. The vehicle shade assembly according to claim 1, wherein

the content displayed on the electronic display by the controller includes at least one of an entertainment video, vehicle status information from an instrument panel within the vehicle body structure and images captured by a camera installed to an exterior of the vehicle body structure.

11. The vehicle shade assembly according to claim 1, wherein

the electronic display includes a wireless communication device in communication with the controller.

12. The vehicle shade assembly according to claim 1, wherein

the vehicle body structure defines a passenger compartment having a plurality of audio speakers connected to the controller, and

the controller is configured to provide audio signals to the audio speakers corresponding to the content including separate and unique audio signals to each of the plurality of speakers.

13. The vehicle shade assembly according to claim 1, wherein

with the cover in the first closed orientation a front end of the electronic display is approximately aligned with a front end of the opening, and with the cover in the second closed orientation a front end of the electronic display is located forward of the front end of the opening.

14. A vehicle shade assembly, comprising:

a vehicle body structure defining an opening with a transparent material installed within the opening;

a cover supporting structure installed to the vehicle body structure adjacent to the opening;

a cover material supported to the cover supporting structure, the cover material defining a rollup shade member and the cover supporting structure includes a rollup mechanism attached to the rollup shade member, the cover material being movable from a first closed orientation covering the opening and the transparent material to an open orientation exposing the opening and the transparent material and the cover material being movable from a second closed orientation covering the opening and the transparent material to the open orientation exposing the opening and the transparent material;

a flexible electronic display installed to the cover material for rollup movement therewith; and

a controller configured to operate the flexible electronic display to display content thereon.

15. The vehicle shade assembly according to claim 14, wherein

the vehicle body structure includes a first hook located forward of the opening and a second hook located forward of the first hook, and

the forward end of the cover material hooks to the first hook in the first closed orientation, the cover material hooks to the second hook in the second closed orientation and the cover material is rearward of and spaced apart from both the first hook and the second hook in the open orientation.