ACTIVE WINDOW FOR VEHICLE INFOMATICS AND VIRTUAL REALITY

• US 20170240047A1
• Filed: 02/18/2016
• Published: 08/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Candelore, Brant
• Granted Patent: US 10,682,911 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 3/04 adjustable in transparency
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1438 Touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/21 using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/27 using semi-transparent optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/77 Instrument locations other than the dashboard
• 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 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/013 comprising a combiner of particular shape, e.g. curvature
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00

Abstract

A camera on a vehicle captures an image of the surroundings, and the image is presented in a window of the vehicle that is established by a transparent display such as an OLED display or transparent LCD display. The image from the camera is presented on the display according to the angle of the camera with respect to the vehicle, such that an occupant of the vehicle sees the image on the window substantially in the same relative location with respect to the surroundings as the occupant would see looking at the objects in the image through the window. In other embodiments images from a database are presented on the window superimposed onto background objects seen through the window.

Claims

1. At least one apparatus comprising:

at least one computer memory that is not a transitory signal and that comprises instructions executable by at least one processor to;

receive an image from a camera on a vehicle of background surroundings of the vehicle;

access data representing orientation of the camera relative to the vehicle; and

based at least in part on the data representing orientation of the camera relative to the vehicle, present an object on a display on the vehicle.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display is a window of the vehicle.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the display is one of a transparent organic light emitting diode (OLED) display and a transparent liquid crystal display (LCD).

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display is a sunroof of the vehicle.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display is not a window of the vehicle.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the image is generated by the camera.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the image is not generated by the camera.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising the at least one processor.

9. A method comprising:

imaging, using a camera, surroundings of a vehicle to generate at least one image;

presenting the image on at least one window of the vehicle according to an angle of the camera with respect to the vehicle, such that an occupant of the vehicle sees the image on the window substantially in the same relative location with respect to the surroundings as the occupant would see looking at the objects in the image through the window.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the window includes a transparent organic light emitting diode (OLED) display.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the window includes a transparent liquid crystal display (LCD).

12. The method of claim 9, comprising:

presenting the image on at least one window of the vehicle according to an elevational angle of the camera with respect to the vehicle.

13. The method of claim 9, comprising:

presenting the image on at least one window of the vehicle according to an azimuthal angle of the camera with respect to the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 12, comprising:

presenting the image on at least one window of the vehicle according to an azimuthal angle of the camera with respect to the vehicle.

15. At least one apparatus comprising:

a display configured to match the curvatures and contours of a vehicle window;

the display able to render text, video and images to interior occupants of the vehicle;

the apparatus being configured with instructions executable to receive an image from a camera on the vehicle of background surroundings of the vehicle, access data representing orientation of the camera relative to the vehicle, and based at least in part on the data representing orientation of the camera relative to the vehicle, present an object on the display; and

the display is one of transparent organic light emitting diode (OLED) and transparent liquid crystal display (LCD).

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the glass in the display conforms to regulatory safety guidelines.

17. The assembly apparatus of claim 15, wherein the images are generated by at least one camera on the vehicle.

18. The assembly apparatus of claim 15, wherein at least some of the images are not generated by a camera mounted on the vehicle and are selected from a database using object recognition of at least one object in at least one image from the camera mounted on the vehicle.