Display system

• US 7,036,936 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2004
• Issued: 05/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kuwabara, Takashi, Hattori, Toshikazu, Mori, Toshiaki, Ibaraki, Susumu, Itabashi, Toshiyuki, Kotani, Satoru, Iwasaki, Morio, Hori, Tomoo
• Primary Examiner(s): Dowling, William C.
• Application Number:
  US10/812,090
• Publication Number:
  US 20040189947A1
• Time in Patent Office: 763 Days
• Field of Search: 353/12, 353/13, 353/79, 353/119
• US Class Current: 353/13
• 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 2011/0045 with visible part, e.g. flush mounted
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0082 collapsible, e.g. for storing after use
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0085 with adjustment by rotation in their operational position
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/58 collapsible, e.g. foldable; of variable area

Abstract

In a display system, a projector is mounted inside a vehicle, and emits a light beam, which is generated based on an image signal, toward an opening formed at a portion near a rear end of the vehicle. An exterior screen is extendable toward the opening and is made of a material having low stiffness. While being extended toward the opening, the exterior screen displays an image by allowing the light beam emitted by the projector to pass therethrough. A screen housing unit is mounted on or near one of a rear hatch and a back door of the vehicle for accommodating the exterior screen.

Claims

1. A display system comprising:

a projector mounted inside a vehicle for emitting a light beam, which is generated based on an image signal;

an exterior screen extendable toward an opening formed at a portion near a rear end of the vehicle and made of a material having low stiffness for displaying an image by allowing the light beam emitted by said projector to pass therethrough while being extended toward the opening;

an interior screen mounted inside the vehicle for displaying an image by allowing the light beam emitted by said projector to pass therethrough or by reflecting the light beam; and

a housing unit mounted on or near one of a rear hatch and a back door of the vehicle for accommodating said exterior screen;

wherein said projector is operable to project the light beam selectively upon either said exterior screen or said interior screen.

2. The display system according to claim 1, further comprising a loudspeaker mounted on said housing unit for outputting sound based on an input sound signal.

3. The display system according to claim 2, further comprising an orientation setting mechanism for setting an orientation of said loudspeaker toward either one of the inside of the vehicle and the outside of the vehicle.

4. The display system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a fixing member mounted on a portion near an end of said exterior screen for removably fixing said exterior screen near either one of the opening and ground; and

an elastic member for providing said exterior screen with tension from an end of said exterior screen toward said housing unit.

5. The display system according to claim 1, wherein said projector is mounted at a mounting position on one of a ceiling of the vehicle and a back surface of a rear seat included in the vehicle.

6. The display system according to claim 5, wherein said projector is operable to emit the light beam toward said exterior screen while a back rest of the rear seat is tilted toward the front of the vehicle.

7. The display system according to claim 5, further comprising a reflecting member for reflecting the light beam emitted from the projector toward the exterior screen, wherein:

the mounting position of said projector is on a back surface of a rear seat included in the vehicle; and

said projector is operable to emit the light beam from the mounting position on the back surface of the rear seat toward said reflecting member.

8. The display system according to claim 1, wherein:

said interior screen is mounted near a front seat of the vehicle; and

said display system further comprises a reflecting member for reflecting the light beam emitted by said projector toward either one of said exterior screen and said interior screen; and

either one of said exterior screen and said interior screen to which the light beam enters is operable to diffuse the light beam reflected by said reflecting member for displaying the image.

9. The display system according to claim 1, wherein:

said interior screen is mounted near a front seat of the vehicle for displaying an image by reflecting the light beam emitted by said projector; and

said display system further comprises a reflecting member mounted on a rear surface of said interior screen for reflecting the light beam emitted by said projector toward said interior screen while said interior screen is changed in position.

10. The display system according to claim 1, further comprising a reflecting member mounted near a front seat of the vehicle for reflecting the light beam emitted by said projector toward said exterior screen;

wherein said interior screen is mounted on a rear surface of said reflecting member and is operable to reflect the light beam emitted by said projector for displaying an image while said reflecting member is changed in position.

11. The display system according to claim 8, wherein said projector is mounted to a rear seat of the vehicle, and is operable to emit, in accordance with a state of the rear seat, the light beam toward either said exterior screen or said interior screen.

12. The display system according to claim 8, further comprising at least one additional interior screen mounted near the front seat of the vehicle.

13. The display system according to claim 9, further comprising at least one additional interior screen mounted near the front seat of the vehicle for displaying the image by reflecting the light beam emitted by said projector.

14. The display system according to claim 10, further comprising at least one additional interior screen mounted near the front seat of the vehicle for reflecting the light beam emitted by said projector toward said exterior screen.

15. A display system comprising:

a projector mounted inside a vehicle for emitting a light beam generated based on an image signal;

a screen mounted inside the vehicle for displaying an image by reflecting the light beam emitted by said projector;

a supporting member for rotatably supporting said screen;

a reflecting member mounted inside the vehicle for reflecting the light beam reflected by said screen toward a rear seat of the vehicle; and

a detector for detecting a rotation angle of said screen;

wherein said projector includes;

an image deforming unit for deforming the image based on the rotation angle detected by said detector and a position of said screen; and

an optical system for generating a light beam based on the image deformed by said image deforming unit and emitting the light beam.