Reconfigurable center stack with touch sensing

• US 8,142,030 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2008
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Inventors: Bowden, Upton Beall, Channey, Royce Duchante', Pope, Henry Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Epps, Georgia Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOWDHURY, SULTAN U.
• Application Number:
  US12/110,407
• Publication Number:
  US 20090268163A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,429 Days
• Field of Search: 353/11, 353/12, 353/13, 353/14, 353/15, 353/119, 353/122, 345/173, 345/156, 345/157, 345/158, 345/159, 345/160, 345/161, 345/162, 345/163, 345/164, 345/165, 345/166, 345/167, 345/168, 345/169, 345/170, 345/171, 345/172, 345/174, 345/175, 345/176, 345/177, 345/178, 345/179, 345/180, 345/181, 345/182, 345/183, 345/184, 701/36, 701/1, 701/29, 296/70, 296/37.8, 348/837
• US Class Current: 353/82
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/29 Holographic features
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/334 Projection means
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/365 Guidance using head up displays or projectors, e.g. virtual vehicles or arrows projected on the windscreen or on the road itself

Abstract

A display system for a center stack of a vehicle is disclosed including a translucent material and a projection system. Dynamic graphical content derived from an input by a passenger of the vehicle via at least one of simulated controls and hard-tooled switches is projected onto the material by the projection system.

Claims

1. A vehicle center stack comprising:

a main body; and

a display system disposed in the main body, the display system further including;

a substantially pliable translucent material fixedly attached to a main body of a vehicle center stack which conforms to a shape and configuration of the main body to form a portion of the vehicle center stack, the material having a first surface and a second surface;

a projection system including a projector adapted to project a light beam containing graphical content, wherein the light beam is divided into at least a first portion and a second portion, the first portion of the light beam projected to a first location and the second portion of the light beam projected to a separate second location, wherein the first portion of the light beam is projected onto the second surface of the translucent material and the graphical content of the first portion of the light beam is visible on the first surface of the material.

2. The center stack according to claim 1, wherein the translucent material includes at least one of a pattern and a texture which emulates a material used to produce another portion of the vehicle center stack when the projection system is not in operation.

3. The center stack according to claim 1, wherein the projector of the projection system is a full color laser projector.

4. The center stack according to claim 1, wherein the at least one manipulable input device is at least one of a switch and a touch grid disposed adjacent the second surface of the translucent material.

5. The center stack according to claim 1, further comprising at least one actuator disposed adjacent the translucent material to provide tactile feedback.

15. The center stack according to claim 1, wherein the first portion of the light beam includes a first portion of the graphical content and the second portion of the light beam includes a second portion of the graphical content.

16. The center stack according to claim 15, wherein the first portion of the graphical content is different from the second portion of the graphical content.

17. The center stack according to claim 1, wherein the second location is at least one of a windshield, an instrument panel, a rear view mirror, the center stack, and a passenger seat entertainment zone.

6. A vehicle center stack comprising:

a main body; and

a display system disposed in the main body, the display system further including;

a substantially pliable translucent material fixedly attached to the main body which conforms to a shape and configuration of the main body to form a portion of the vehicle center stack, the translucent material having a first surface and a second surface;

a projection system adapted to project a light beam containing graphical content onto the second surface of the translucent material, wherein the graphical content is visible on the first surface of the material when the projection system is in operation, and wherein the first surface of the material emulates a material used to produce another portion of the vehicle center stack when the projection system is not in operation; and

at least one manipulable input device in electrical communication with the projection system, wherein the at least one manipulable input device is at least one of a switch and a touch grid.

7. The center stack according to claim 6, wherein the display system is adapted to provide sensory feedback.

8. The center stack according to claim 6, wherein the translucent material is produced from a pliable plastic material having at least one of a pattern and a texture formed therein.

9. The center stack according to claim 6, wherein the display system further includes at least one actuator disposed adjacent the translucent material to provide tactile feedback.

10. The center stack according to claim 6, wherein the touch grid is produced from a substantially transparent material.

11. The center stack according to claim 6, wherein the touch grid is produced from a substantially pliable material.

12. A vehicle center stack comprising:

a main body; and

a display system disposed in the main body, the display system further including;

a substantially pliable translucent material fixedly attached to the main body which conforms to a shape and configuration of the main body to form a portion of the vehicle center stack, the translucent material having a first surface and a second surface;

a projection system including a projector adapted to project a light beam containing graphical content, wherein the light beam is divided into at least a first portion containing a first portion of the graphical content and a second portion containing a second portion of the graphical content, the first portion of the light beam projected to a first location and the second portion of the light beam projected to a separate second location, wherein the first portion of the graphical content of the first portion of the light beam is projected onto the second surface of the translucent material and the first portion of the graphical content is visible on the first surface of the material.

13. The center stack according to claim 12, wherein the display system provides sensory feedback.

14. The center stack according to claim 12, wherein the translucent material is produced from a pliable plastic material having at least one of a pattern and a texture formed therein which emulates a material used to produce another portion of the vehicle center stack when the projection system is not in operation.

18. The center stack according to claim 12, further comprising at least one manipulable input device in electrical communication with the projection system, wherein the at least one manipulable input device is at least one of a switch and a touch grid.

19. The center stack according to claim 12, wherein the first portion of the graphical content is different from the second portion of the graphical content.

20. The center stack according to claim 12, wherein the second location is at least one of a windshield, an instrument panel, a rear view mirror, the vehicle center stack, and a passenger seat entertainment zone.