STORAGE DEVICE FOR A VEHICLE WITH AN IMAGE-CAPTURING DEVICE

• US 20160304030A1
• Filed: 12/10/2014
• Published: 10/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Company KG Coburg
• Original Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Company KG Coburg
• Inventors: RIENECKER, Maik, BAUERNFEIND, Markus, TREICHL, Markus
• Granted Patent: US 10,059,262 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/29 for viewing an area inside the vehicle, e.g. for viewing passengers or cargo
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/00 Arrangements for holding or mounting articles, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0003 inside the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/007 using magnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8006 for monitoring and displaying scenes of vehicle interior, e.g. for monitoring passengers or cargo
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 7/04 in driver or passenger space , e.g. using racks B60R7/005, B60R7/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle

Abstract

A storage device for a vehicle which has a plurality of compartments for storing objects is provided. The device comprises a receptacle space with a removal opening, at least one storage unit which is accommodated inside the receptacle space and has at least one compartment, an adjustment device by means of which the at least one storage unit can be adjusted within the receptacle space, with the result that whether a specific compartment of the storage device is accessible to a user via the removal opening depends on the position of the storage unit, an electronic memory, an image-capturing device by means of which at least one image of contents of one of the compartments can be produced and stored in the memory and a control unit by means of which an image produced by the image-capturing device and stored in the memory can be displayed on a display device.

Claims

1-15. -15. (canceled)

16. A storage device for a vehicle which has a plurality of compartments for storing objects and comprises at least the following:

a receptacle space with a removal opening,

at least one storage unit which is accommodated inside the receptacle space and has at least one compartment,

an adjustment device by means of which the at least one storage unit can be adjusted within the receptacle space, with the result that whether a specific compartment of the storage device is accessible to a user via the removal opening depends on the position of the storage unit,

an electronic memory and an image-capturing device by means of which at least one image of contents of one of the compartments can be produced and stored in the memory, and

a control unit by means of which an image which is produced by the image-capturing device and stored in the memory can be displayed on a display device, and by means of which a specific compartment which is selected by a user can be made accessible to the user via the removal opening with the aid of the adjustment device.

17. The storage device as claimed in claim 16, wherein a compartment which is associated with a stored image can be selected by the user via the display device, and the selected compartment is made accessible to the user via the removal opening by means of the control unit.

18. The storage device according to claim 16, wherein the control unit has control electronics which automatically trigger the production of an image by means of the image-capturing device if the occurrence of at least one predefined operator control event has been detected.

19. The storage device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the removal opening can be closed by an adjustable closure element, and the control electronics are designed and provided to trigger the production of an image of the content of that compartment which is accessible via the removal opening when the closure element is adjusted into an open position and subsequently into a closed position in which the removal opening is closed by the closure element.

20. The storage device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the display device is located within the vehicle.

21. The storage device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the display device can be used outside the vehicle.

22. The storage device as claimed in claim 21, wherein a mobile terminal comprises the display device, and means for wireless communication between the mobile terminal and the control unit are provided.

23. The storage device as claimed in claim 16, wherein an input device is provided by means of which a user can make an input to the content of the respective compartment and store it.

24. The storage device as claimed in claim 23, wherein inputs which are made to the individual compartments (and stored can be searched through by a user by means of the control unit, in order to be able to search for a specific input.

25. The storage device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the adjustment device comprises at least one circulating drive element for adjusting the at least one storage unit.

26. The storage device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the storage device comprises a plurality of adjustable storage units, and/or an adjustable storage unit has a plurality of compartments.

27. The storage device as claimed in claim 25, wherein the storage device comprises a plurality of adjustable storage units which are coupled to the at least one circulating drive element and are arranged one behind the other with respect to a direction of circulation of the drive element.

28. The storage device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the storage device is integrated into a central console of a vehicle.

29. A method for making available at least one of a plurality of compartments of a storage device for a vehicle, with the result that said compartment is accessible to a user, wherein the storage device comprises at least the following:

a receptacle space with a removal opening,

at least one storage unit which is accommodated inside the receptacle space and has at least one compartment, and

an adjustment device by means of which the at least one storage unit can be adjusted within the receptacle space, with the result that whether a specific compartment of the storage device is accessible to a user via the removal opening depends on the position of the storage unit, wherein

at least one image of contents of each compartment is produced and stored, and

the stored images are displayed on a display device, with the result that the user can select a specific compartment on the basis of a displayed image, and a compartment which is selected by the user is made accessible via the removal opening by means of the adjustment device.