Movable personal computer using system in a motor vehicle

• US 20040186632A1
• Filed: 03/17/2004
• Published: 09/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Calsonic Kansei Corporation
• Original Assignee: Calsonic Kansei Corporation
• Inventors: Arai, Masatoshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,146,259 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• 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

Abstract

The movable personal computer using system is located inside the instrument panel of a motor vehicle and has a PC holder on which a movable personal computer is set on. The movable personal computer is connectable to the CAN of the motor vehicle and has a screen showing different information on four partial areas of the screen at the same time. The screen is reflected by the mirror member toward a driver to see its virtual image. The mirror member is moved to show the virtual image reflecting partial area that appears information different from another partial and selectively shift the virtual image of the screen from the one partial area to the another partial area of the screen.

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 attached to said PC holder so that the virtual image can be seen from a passenger compartment of the motor vehicle,

wherein said virtual image displaying means shows the virtual image reflecting a partial area of the screen that appears information different from another partial area of the screen appeared at the same time and is capable of moving to selectively shift the virtual image of the screen from the one partial area to the another partial area of the screen.

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

wherein said virtual image displaying means has a mirror moving mechanism to move said virtual image displaying means over the screen of the display and shift the virtual images according to a shift demand signal.

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

wherein said movable personal computer receives vehicle state information from the motor vehicle side to output alert information to a driver of the motor vehicle.

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

wherein said movable personal computer is prevented from use in a normal personal computer mode when a vehicle speed exceeds substantially zero Km/h, and allowed to use in the normal personal computer mode when the vehicle speed becomes substantially zero Km/h.

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

further comprises a wireless communication facility to communicate between said movable personal computer and outside of the motor vehicle, and

wherein said movable personal computer shows an incoming result received by said wireless communication facility when a vehicle speed becomes substantially zero Km/h.

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

wherein said movable personal computer has a body and the display that is connected to and rotatable with respect with the body so that the display and the body can be rotated to each other and form a figure such as one of V-letter shaped, L-letter shaped, and U-letter shaped figures to face the screen on the display to said virtual image displaying means when said movable personal computer is held on said PC holder.

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

wherein said movable personal computer is a notebook sized personal computer.

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

wherein said movable personal computer is connectable to a Controller Area Network of the motor vehicle to communicate with an on-board device.

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

wherein said PC holder has a lift mechanism that adjusts a holding position of said movable personal computer in a vertical direction when said movable personal computer is held on said PC holder.