Vehicle image display

• US 9,547,172 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2014
• Issued: 01/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Remillard, Jeffrey Thomas, King, Anthony Gerald, Greenberg, Jeff Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KIMNHUNG T
• Application Number:
  US14/512,575
• Publication Number:
  US 20160103319A1
• Time in Patent Office: 827 Days
• Field of Search: 345 11- 13, 345 7- 9
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/00 Optical viewing arrangements; Real-time viewing arrangements for drivers or passengers using optical image capturing systems, e.g. cameras or video systems specially adapted for use in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/24 in front of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/205 using a head-up display
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/14 Solving problems related to the presentation of information to be displayed
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/10 Automotive applications
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/002 to project the image of a two-dimensional display, such as an array of light emitting or modulating elements or a CRT
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/003 to produce spatial visual effects

Abstract

A heads up display system includes a computer that is programmed to receive data from one or more sources in a vehicle. The computer is further programmed to identify respective subsets of the data to be provided to respective ones of a plurality of display devices, and to provide the respective subsets of the data to the respective display devices.

Claims

1. A heads-up display system, comprising:

a plurality of display devices; and

a computer programmed to receive data from one or more sources in a vehicle, and to provide the data to each of the display devices;

wherein at least one of the display devices is arranged to provide a first display on a vehicle pillar and at least one of the display devices is arranged to provide a second display on one of a vehicle instrument panel, a vehicle exterior, and a vehicle windscreen, whereby at least two displays are provided.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein one of displays provides image data, and one of the displays provides data from a vehicle controller or vehicle sensor.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein one of the displays is provided exterior to a vehicle that includes a virtual image superimposed on an external environment of the vehicle.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first display includes a first subset of the data and the second display includes a second subset of the data, wherein the first subset of the data and the second subset of the data have no data in common.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein one of the displays includes data relating to a status of at least one vehicle component, and another of the displays includes navigation data.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the displays is mounted on a vehicle instrument panel.

7. A heads-up display system, comprising:

at least three display devices; and

a computer programmed to receive data from one or more sources in a vehicle, and to provide respective subsets of the data to each of the display devices;

wherein each of the display devices is arranged to provide a display at a respective location with respect to the vehicle, a first one of the locations being on a vehicle pillar, and a second one of the locations being on a component selected from the group consisting of a vehicle instrument panel, a vehicle exterior, and a vehicle windscreen.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein one of the displays is provided at a location exterior to a vehicle and includes a virtual image superimposed on an external environment of the vehicle.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the first display includes a first subset of the data and the second display includes a second subset of the data, wherein the first subset of the data and the second subset of the data have no data in common.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein one of the displays includes data relating to a status of at least one vehicle component, and another of the displays includes navigation data.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein at least one of the displays is mounted on a vehicle instrument panel.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the displays are tiled to extend for substantially an entire width of a vehicle windscreen.

13. A computing device that includes a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor such that the computing device is programmed to:

receive data from one or more sources in a vehicle;

identify respective subsets of the data to be provided to respective ones of a plurality of display devices; and

provide the respective subsets of the data to the respective display devices according to respective locations of displays provided by the respective display devices, a first one of the locations being on a vehicle pillar, and a second one of the locations being on a component selected from the group consisting of one of a vehicle instrument panel, a vehicle exterior, and a vehicle windscreen.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the device is installed in a vehicle.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein the device is communicatively coupled to the display devices.

16. The device of claim 13, wherein one of displays provides image data, and one of the displays provides data from a vehicle controller or vehicle sensor.

17. The device of claim 13, wherein one of the displays is provided exterior to a vehicle that includes a virtual image superimposed on an environment of the vehicle.

18. The device of claim 13, wherein the first display includes a first subset of the data and the second display includes a second subset of the data, wherein the first subset of the data and the second subset of the data have no data in common.

19. The device of claim 13, wherein one of the displays includes data relating to a status of at least one vehicle component, and another of the displays includes navigation data.

20. The device of claim 13, wherein at least one of the displays is mounted on a vehicle instrument panel.