DUAL-SIDED DISPLAY FOR VEHICLE REAR-VIEWING SYSTEM

• US 20120092497A1
• Filed: 10/15/2010
• Published: 04/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH, Robert Bosch LLC (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Hoetzer, Dieter, Luo, Yun
• Granted Patent: US 8,564,729 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/04 mounted inside vehicle B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/08 involving special optical features, e.g. avoiding blind spots , e.g. convex mirrors; Side-by-side associations of rear-view and other mirrors B60R1/025, B60R1/10 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0235 of flat type, e.g. LCD
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0028 Ceiling, e.g. roof rails
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0094 characterised by means for covering after user, e.g. boxes, shutters or the like

Abstract

A display system for a vehicle including a dual-sided display panel pivotably mounted to the interior ceiling of the vehicle. The dual-sided display panel displays an image from a media device to a rear-seat passenger of the vehicle and displays a different image to the driver on a second side of the display panel. The second side of the display panel is viewable by a driver of the vehicle through a rear-view mirror. A user-operated switch indicates what video source is displayed to the driver on the second side of the display panel. A first selectable video source is a camera mounted on the rear of the vehicle to capture rear-view images of the exterior behind the vehicle. A second selectable video source is a camera mounted in the rear passenger area of the vehicle to capture images of a rear-seat passenger.

Claims

1. A display system for a vehicle comprising:

a display panel mountable to the interior ceiling of a vehicle, the display panel including

a first side display screen viewable by a rear-seat passenger in the vehicle when the display panel is in a first panel position, and

a second side display screen positioned on the opposite side of the display panel from the first side display screen and viewable by a driver of the vehicle through an interior rear-view mirror of the vehicle when the display panel is in the first panel position;

a hinge pivotably connecting the display panel to a base and allowing the display panel to be move from the first panel position wherein the display panel is substantially perpendicular to the interior ceiling of the vehicle and a second panel position wherein the display panel is substantially parallel to the interior ceiling of the vehicle;

a first camera mountable to a rear portion of the vehicle and configured to capture images of a rear view of the vehicle;

a second camera configured to capture images of the rear-seat passenger;

a switch; and

a processor configured to

display the images from a media device on the first side display screen when the display panel is in the first panel position,

receive a signal from the switch indicating whether the switch is in a first switch position or a second switch position,

display images from the first camera on the second side display screen when the display panel is in the first panel position and the switch is in the first switch position, and

display images from the second camera on the second side display screen when the display panel is in the first panel position and the switch is in the second switch position.

2. The display system of claim 1, further comprising a motor configured to move the display panel from the first panel position to the second panel position.

3. The display system of claim 2, further comprising a user control and wherein the processor is further configured to cause the motor to move the display panel from the first panel position to the second panel position in response to receiving a signal from the user control.

4. The display system of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to receive a first signal from the vehicle when the vehicle is operating in reverse, and cause the motor to move the display panel from the second panel position to the first panel position in response to receiving the first signal.

5. The display system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to display images from the first camera on the second side display screen when the display screen is in the first panel position and the vehicle is operating in reverse regardless of the position of the switch.

6. The display system of claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to

determine whether the display panel is in the first panel position or the second panel position when the first signal is received indicating that the vehicle is operating in reverse,

cause the motor to move the display panel from the second panel position to the first panel position if the display panel is in the second panel position when the first signal is received,

receive a second signal from the vehicle indicating that the vehicle has begun operating in the forward direction after operating in a reverse direction, and

cause the motor to move the display panel from the first panel position to the second panel position in response to receiving the second signal if the processor previously determined that the display panel was in the second panel position when the first signal was received.

7. The display system of claim 1, wherein the media device includes at least one of a DVD player, a video game system, and a laptop personal computer.

8. The display system of claim 1, wherein the switch includes a third switch position and wherein the processor is further configured to display images from an additional video source on the second side display screen when the display panel is in the first panel position and the switch is in the third switch position.

9. A method of operating a display system for a vehicle including a dual-sided display panel pivotably connected to a base allowing the dual-sided display panel to be moved between a first panel position wherein the dual-sided display panel is substantially perpendicular to the interior ceiling of a vehicle and a second panel position wherein the dual-sided display panel is substantially parallel to the interior ceiling of the vehicle, the method comprising:

positioning the dual-sided display panel in the first position so that a first side display screen is viewable by a rear-passenger in the vehicle and a second side display screen positioned on the opposite side of the display panel from the first side display screen is viewable by a driver of the vehicle through an interior rear-view mirror of the vehicle;

displaying images from a media device on the first side display screen when the dual-sided display panel is in the first panel position;

receiving a signal from a user-operated switch indicating whether the switch is in a first switch position or a second switch position;

displaying images from a first camera on the second side display screen when the dual-sided display panel is in the first panel position and the switch is in the first switch position, the first camera being mounted on a rear portion of the vehicle and configured to capture images of a rear view of the vehicle; and

displaying images from a second camera on the second side display screen when the dual-sided display panel is in the first panel position and the switch is in the second switch position, the second camera being positioned to capture images of the rear-seat passenger of the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a signal from a user control; and

activating a motor to move the dual-sided display panel between the first panel position and the second panel position in response to the signal from the user control.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a first signal from the vehicle when the vehicle begins operating in reverse; and

activating a motor to move the dual-sided display panel from the second panel position to the first panel position in response to receiving the first signal.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising displaying images from the first camera on the second side display screen when the dual-sided display panel is in the first position and the vehicle is operating in reverse regardless of the position of the switch.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining whether the dual-sided display panel is in the first panel position or the second panel position when the first signal is received;

activating the motor to move the dual-sided display panel from the second panel position to the first panel position in response to receiving the first signal when the dual-sided display panel is in the second panel position;

receiving a second signal from the vehicle indicating that the vehicle has begun operating in a forward direction after operating in a reverse direction; and

activating the motor to move the dual-sided display panel from the first panel position to the second panel position in response to receiving the second signal if it has been determined that the dual-sided display panel was in the second panel-position when the first signal was received.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the act of display images from a media device includes receiving image data from at least one of a DVD player, a video game system, and a laptop personal computer.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising displaying images from an additional video source on the second side display screen when the dual-sided display panel is in the first panel position and the switch is in a third switch position.