MONITOR MANIPULATOR

• US 20140334075A1
• Filed: 05/07/2013
• Published: 11/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Yamada, Hajime
• Granted Patent: US 9,144,169 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.01
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/135 Joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1446 Touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/55 Remote control arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/774 on or in the centre console
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/822 Adjustment of instruments during mounting
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/22 Display screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/50 Instruments characterised by their means of attachment to or integration in the vehicle B60K35/231 takes precedence
• 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: B60K 35/80 Arrangements for controlling instruments
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0017 with operator interface units
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0018 having an electronic display
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/02 Arrangements of circuit components or wiring on supporting structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20396 Hand operated

Abstract

A system includes a display, a manually operable controller and a mechanism. The display includes a screen, a first axis and a second axis disposed within a plane that is parallel and adjacent the screen. The second axis is perpendicular to the first axis. The controller can be tilted around a first controller axis and around a second controller axis and is configured as an elongate beam longitudinally disposed parallel to the first controller axis at a default position. The second controller axis is perpendicular about the first controller axis. The mechanism operatively couples the controller to the display such that the screen is configured to rotate around the first axis in response to the controller being tilted around the first controller axis and the screen is configured to rotate around the second axis in response to the controller being tilted around the second controller axis.

Claims

1. A system including:

a display including a screen, a first axis and a second axis disposed within a plane that is parallel and adjacent the screen, the second axis being perpendicular to the first axis, the screen being rotatable around the first axis and around the second axis;

a manually operable controller that can be tilted around a first controller axis and around a second controller axis, the controller configured as an elongate beam longitudinally disposed parallel to the first controller axis at a default position, the second controller axis being perpendicular about the first controller axis; and

a mechanism operatively coupling the controller to the display such that the screen is configured to rotate around the first axis in response to the controller being tilted around the first controller axis, the screen is configured to rotate around the second axis in response to the controller being tilted around the second controller axis, the plane is configured to be disposed parallel to the screen throughout the rotation of the screen, and the first axis and the second axis are configured to remain disposed within the plane throughout the rotation of the screen.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is disposed such that the first controller axis is substantially parallel to the first axis at an initial position of the screen.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the first axis and the first controller axis are substantially horizontal, the second axis is substantially upright and the second controller axis is substantially vertical.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein a screen rotational direction is substantially similar to a controller tilt direction in that the screen is configured to rotate away from a viewer around the first axis in response to the controller being tilted in a fore direction around the first controller axis, the screen is configured to rotate toward a viewer around the first axis in response to the controller being tiled in an aft direction around the first controller axis, the screen is configured to rotate in a clockwise direction around the second axis in response to the controller being tilted in a clockwise direction around the second controller axis and the screen is configured to rotate in a counterclockwise direction around the second axis in response to the controller being tilted in a counterclockwise direction around the second controller axis.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is biased to return to a default position after being tilted, and the screen is configured to maintain a position altered from an initial position through rotation.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the screen is a rectangle including a top edge, a bottom edge, a left edge and a right edge.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the first axis is located below and parallel to the bottom edge.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the second axis is parallel to a line through a midpoint of the top edge and a midpoint of the bottom edge.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the display is part of a head-up display unit.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is provided in a vehicle with a first seat and a second seat, the system is accessible from the first and second seats, and the system provides a set of controls configured to orient the screen for viewing from any of the first seat and the second seat.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the screen is concealed when the system is turned off.

12. A manually operable controller including:

a base portion; and

an elongate grasped portion that is mounted on the base portion and movable relative to the base portion, the controller including a first controller axis around which the grasped portion can be rotated and a second controller axis around which the grasped portion can be rotated, the controller longitudinally disposed parallel to the first controller axis at a default position, the second controller axis being perpendicular about the first controller axis,

wherein the grasped portion is configured to be tilted around the first controller axis and around the second controller axis, and the grasped portion is biased to return to a default position after being tilted.

13. The controller of claim 12, wherein the first controller axis is substantially horizontal and the second controller axis is substantially vertical.

14. The controller of claim 13, wherein the grasped portion can be tilted in a fore direction around the first controller axis, the grasped portion can be tilted in an aft direction around the first controller axis, the grasped portion can be tilted in a clockwise direction around the second controller axis, and the grasped portion can be tilted in a counterclockwise direction around the second controller axis.

15. A method of operating a system, the system including a display including a screen, a first axis and a second axis disposed within a plane, the second axis being perpendicular to the first axis, the screen being rotatable around the first axis and around the second axis, the plane configured to move and maintain a parallel orientation relative to the screen during rotation of the screen, the first axis and the second axis configured to remain disposed within the plane throughout the rotation of the screen, the screen shaped as a rectangle including a top edge, a bottom edge, a left edge and a right edge, the method including steps of:

disposing the first axis below and parallel to one of the top edge and the bottom edge;

disposing the second axis to be parallel to a line through a midpoint of the top edge and a midpoint of the bottom edge;

providing a manually operable controller which is located at a distance from the screen, the controller configured to be tilted around a first controller axis and around a second controller axis that is perpendicular about the first controller axis, the controller configured as an elongate beam longitudinally parallel to the first controller axis at a default position of the controller; and

altering an orientation of the screen with the controller through rotation around the first axis and around the second axis.

16. The method of claim 15, the method further including a step of disposing the controller such that the first controller axis is substantially parallel with the first axis at an initial position of the screen.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of altering involves tilting the controller around the first controller axis to rotate the screen around the first axis or tilting the controller around the second controller axis to rotate the screen around the second axis.

18. The method of claim 15, further including steps of configuring the controller to be biased toward the default position and configuring the screen to maintain a position altered from an initial position through rotation.

19. The method of claim 15, the system being provided in a vehicle with a first seat and a second seat, the system being accessible from the first seat and the second seat, the method further including a step of orienting the screen for viewing from one of the first seat and the second seat.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the first controller axis and the first axis are substantially horizontal, the second axis is substantially upright and the second controller axis is substantially vertical.