Mobile telephone equipment with head-up display

• US 6,091,376 A
• Filed: 03/31/1995
• Issued: 07/18/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Takekawa, Yasuhisa
• Primary Examiner(s): CHANG, KENT WU
• Application Number:
  US08/414,112
• Time in Patent Office: 1,936 Days
• Field of Search: 345/7-9, 345/173, 359/630, 379/110
• US Class Current: 345/7
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/785 on or in relation to the windshield or windows
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• 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 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0141 characterised by the informative content of the display
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0194 with combiner of laminated type, for optical or mechanical aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays

Abstract

A mobile telephone equipment for use in an automobile having a front windshield includes an antenna for transmitting and receiving radio waves, a main unit having a transmitter, a receiver, and a first controller, said transmitter and said receiver being connected to said antenna; a handset having a speaker, a microphone, and a second controller, said second controller being connected to said speaker, said microphone, and said first controller; and a display unit having a head-up display for displaying communications information and telephone push buttons in a superimposed relation to a front view outside of the front windshield. The mobile telephone equipment also includes a touch panel formed on the front windshield in a pattern corresponding to the telephone push buttons which are displayed in superimposed relation to the front view outside of the front windshield by said head-up display.

Claims

1. A mobile telephone equipment for use in an automobile having a front windshield, comprising:

an antenna for transmitting and receiving radio waves;

a main unit having a transmitter, a receiver, and a first controller, said transmitter and said receiver being connected to said antenna;

a handset having a speaker, a microphone, and a second controller, said second controller being connected to said speaker, said microphone, and said first controller;

a display unit having a head-up display for displaying communications information and telephones push buttons in a superimposed relation to a front view outside of the front windshield; and

a transparent touch panel formed on the front windshield in a pattern corresponding to the displayed telephone push buttons.

2. A mobile telephone equipment according to claim 1, wherein said display unit has a light-emitting display element which comprises a vacuum fluorescent display.

3. A mobile telephone equipment according to claim 1, wherein said display unit has a display element which comprises a liquid crystal display.

4. A mobile telephone equipment according to claim 1, wherein said display unit has a light-emitting display element which comprises a cathode-ray tube.

5. A mobile telephone equipment according to claim 1, wherein the display unit is operable for displaying on the head-up display a symbol marking the location of the touch panel so as not to obscure the front view when a driver'"'"'s viewpoint differs widely from an ordinary range.

6. A mobile telephone equipment according to claim 1, wherein said transparent touch panel includes transparent electrodes of ITO (indium oxide) disposed on said front windshield.

7. A mobile telephone equipment according to claim 1, wherein said transparent touch panel includes transparent electrodes of Nesa (tin oxide) disposed on said front windshield.