Apparatus for displaying information in a motor vehicle

• US 8,730,128 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2011
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Helot, Jacques, Kets, Wouter, Beierlein, Ulrich, Merk, Imanuel
• Primary Examiner(s): Sharifi-Tafreshi, Koosha
• Application Number:
  US13/637,923
• Publication Number:
  US 20130088412A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,158 Days
• Field of Search: 345/1.1, 345/1.3, 345/3.1, 345/7, 345/8, 345/9, 359/630
• US Class Current: 345/7
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/334 Projection means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/334 Projection means
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0165 associated with a head-down display
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T

Abstract

An apparatus for displaying information in a motor vehicle, has a first display device which has a display area which is arranged in a dashboard of the motor vehicle. The apparatus also has a second display device for displaying the information on a windshield of the motor vehicle, which has a projection device. The second display device is arranged with respect to the first display device, and the two display devices are connected to a common control device, in such a way that coherent information, which continues from the first display device to the second display device, can be displayed on the two display devices.

Claims

1. An apparatus to display information in a motor vehicle having a dashboard and a windshield, comprising:

a first display device which has a display area arranged in the dashboard; and

a second display device to display at least a portion of the information on the windshield, the second display device having a projection device,

wherein the second display device is arranged with respect to the first display device, and the two display devices are connected to a common control device, in such a way that coherent information, which continues from the first display device to the second display device, is displayed on the two display devices,

wherein the display area of the first display device curves toward the second display device, changing from a substantially vertical orientation on a side facing away from the second display device, into a substantially horizontal orientation on a side facing toward the second display device,

wherein the first display device extends toward the windshield, crossing a plane extending from the windshield to the projection device of the second display device, and

the display area of the first display device has an opening in a region between the projection device of the second display device and the windshield.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the first display device uses a projection device to project at least a portion of the information onto the display area.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first display device uses the projection device of the second display device to project at least a portion of the information onto the display area.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display area of the first display device is an image-generating device.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display area of the first display device is an image-generating device selected from the group consisting of an LED display, a LCD display and a plasma display.