Movable personal computer using system in a motor vehicle

• US 20040160124A1
• Filed: 01/20/2004
• Published: 08/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Calsonic Kansei Corporation
• Original Assignee: Calsonic Kansei Corporation
• Inventors: Arai, Masatoshi
• Application Number:
  US10/759,074
• Publication Number:
  US 20040160124A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0252 for personal computers, e.g. laptops, notebooks
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0005 Dashboard
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0007 Mid-console
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0071 using latches, clips, clamps, straps or the like

Abstract

The movable personal computer using system is located inside the instrument panel of a motor vehicle. It has a PC holder comprising a supporting table on which a movable personal computer is set on, three leaf springs to retain the computer at the predetermined position of the supporting table, and cams contacting to the supporting table and adjusting its height. The computer is connectable to the CAN of the motor vehicle. A front and back mirror member is arranged in a case to cover the PC holder and the computer. A screen on the display of the computer is reflected by the mirror members toward a driver to see its virtual image.

Claims

1. A movable personal computer using system in a motor vehicle comprising:

a PC holder which is arranged inside an instrument panel of the motor vehicle to hold a movable personal computer in said instrument panel in a manner that said movable personal computer is attachable to and detachable from said PC holder;

a virtual image displaying means that shows a virtual image of a screen on a display of said movable personal computer so that the virtual image can seen from a passenger compartment of the motor vehicle.

2. A movable personal computer using system in a motor vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein said PC holder has a data connector to exchange a data of information between said movable personal computer and a on-board device of the motor vehicle.

3. A movable personal computer using system in a motor vehicle according to claim 2,

wherein said data connector of said PC holder is connectable to a data input/output connector of a movable personal computer so that a Controller Area Network of the motor vehicle and said movable personal computer are linked to each other.

4. A movable personal computer using system in a motor vehicle according to claim 2,

wherein said movable personal computer is inputted with data of information from an on-board device of the motor vehicle and displays on said display a screen based on the data from the on-board device.

5. A movable personal computer using system in a motor vehicle according to claim 2.,

wherein the screen based on the data from the on-board device is concerned about an instrument data of the motor vehicle, and said virtual image displaying means being arranged at an instrument portion of said instrument panel.

6. A movable personal computer using system in a motor vehicle according to claim 2,

wherein said movable personal computer is prevented from manually operating said movable personal computer during vehicle running.

7. A movable personal computer using system in a motor vehicle according to claim 2,

wherein said instrument panel has an auxiliary display that displays limited information obtained from an on-board device when said display of said movable personal computer fails to display the screen based on the data from the on-board device.

8. A movable personal computer using system in a motor vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein said PC holder has a height adjuster that adjusts a holding position of said movable personal computer in a vertical direction when said movable personal computer is held by said PC holder.

9. A movable personal computer using system in a motor vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein said virtual image displaying means is arranged inside said instrument panel, and

said instrument panel has an opening through which the virtual image of the screen on the display of said movable personal computer can be seen from a passenger compartment of the motor vehicle.

10. A movable personal computer using system in a motor vehicle according to claim 9,

wherein said virtual image displaying means is composed of a plurality of mirror members.

11. A movable personal computer using system in a motor vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein said instrument panel has a cover which is attached to said instrument panel to be rotatable between a closed position and an opened position,

and said cover being provided with a mirror supporting means to support said virtual image displaying means,

and wherein said PC holder is exposed to a passenger compartment when said cover is located at the opened position.

12. A movable personal computer using system in a motor vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein said PC holder has a retainer to retain said movable personal computer and a flat supporting table on which said movable personal computer is supported so as to set the screen side of the display of said movable personal computer upward when said movable personal computer is held by said retainer on said flat supporting table.

13. A movable personal computer using system in a motor vehicle according to claim 12,

wherein said retainer is composed of at least one spring biasing said movable personal computer in three directions from three different sides of said supporting table toward a central portion of said supporting table to retain said movable personal computer at a predetermined position of said supporting table.

14. A movable personal computer using system in a motor vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein said movable personal computer is inputted with data of information from an on-board device of the motor vehicle and displays on said display a screen based on the data from the on-board device.

15. A movable personal computer using system in a motor vehicle according to claim 14,

wherein the screen based on the data from the on-board device is concerned about an instrument data of the motor vehicle, and said virtual image displaying means being arranged at an instrument portion of said instrument panel.

16. A movable personal computer using system in a motor vehicle according to claim 14,

wherein said movable personal computer is prevented from manually operating said movable personal computer during vehicle running.

17. A movable personal computer using system in a motor vehicle according to claim 14,

wherein said instrument panel has an auxiliary display that displays limited information obtained from an on-board device when said display of said movable personal computer fails to display the screen based on the data from the on-board device.

18. A movable personal computer using system in a motor vehicle according to claim 14,

wherein said movable personal computer is prevented from manually operating said movable personal computer during vehicle running.

19. A movable personal computer using system in a motor vehicle according to claim 18,

wherein said instrument panel has an auxiliary display that displays limited information obtained from an on-board device when said display of said movable personal computer fails to display the screen based on the data from the on-board device.

20. A movable personal computer using system in a motor vehicle according to claim 14,

wherein said instrument panel has an auxiliary display that displays limited information obtained from an on-board device when said display of said movable personal computer fails to display the screen based on the data from the on-board device.