Display device mounted on steering wheel of vehicle and control method thereof

• US 9,552,148 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2012
• Issued: 01/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Kihyeon, Hwang, Kyutae, Chang, Sukjin, Park, Sangjoon, Kim, Taenyon, An, Sungje, Bae, Euihwan
• Primary Examiner(s): BLOUNT, ERIC
• Application Number:
  US14/434,875
• Publication Number:
  US 20150286385A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,566 Days
• Field of Search: 340/461
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 37/00 Dashboards as road-vehicle superstructure sub-units B62D25/14
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 5/003 mounted on the steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/046 Adaptations on rotatable parts of the steering wheel for accommodation of switches
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/10 Hubs; Connecting hubs to steering columns, e.g. adjustable B62D1/11 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials

Abstract

A display device installed on a steering wheel of a vehicle. The display device includes a display configured to display a GUI (Graphic User Interface) having an indicator indicating a rotation of the steering wheel; a sensing unit configured to sense whether or not the steering wheel is rotated; and a controller configured to rotate the displayed GUI in an opposite direction of a rotation direction of the steering wheel, when the steering wheel is rotated, and change a gauge of the indicator according to an amount of the rotation of the steering wheel.

Claims

1. A display device installed on a steering wheel of a vehicle having an airbag and a central portion cover covering the airbag, the display device comprising:

a display unit disposed on the central portion cover and configured to display a GUI (Graphic User Interface) having an indicator indicating a rotation of the steering wheel;

a coaxial disposed one side of the central portion cover and connected to the display unit;

a multi-electric wire provided in the central portion cover and connected to the display unit;

a sensing unit configured to sense whether or not the steering wheel is rotated; and

a controller configured to;

cause the display unit to display the GUI rotating in an opposite direction of a rotation direction of the steering wheel, when the steering wheel is rotated, and

cause the display unit to display a gauge of the indicator changing according to an amount of the rotation of the steering wheel,

wherein a side opposite to that of the coaxial of the central portion cover is able to be opened for operating the airbag.

2. The display device of claim 1, wherein the indicator includes at least one of information regarding a running of the vehicle, an indicator indicating a state of the vehicle, an indicator in relation to a device connected to the vehicle, an indicator in relation to a terminal connected to the vehicle, an image obtained by capturing the outside of the vehicle, and a touch button.

3. The display device of claim 1, wherein the steering wheel is rotated based on a first axis, and the GUI is rotated based on a second axis.

4. The display device of claim 3, wherein the first axis is a rotation central axis of the steering wheel, and the second axis is the same as the first axis.

5. The display device of claim 1, wherein the sensing unit is further configured to sense a rotation angle of the steering wheel.

6. The display device of claim 5, wherein the sensing unit is further configured to sense the rotation angle of the steering wheel based on a first reference axis.

7. The display device of claim 6, wherein the first reference axis is vertical to and crosses a rotation central axis of the steering wheel.

8. The display device of claim 6, wherein the controller is further configured to rotate the GUI by a particular angle based on the sensed rotation angle of the steering wheel.

9. The display device of claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to rotate the GUI such that an absolute value of the particular angle is equal to an absolute value of the rotation angle of the steering wheel.

10. The display device of claim 9, wherein the particular angle is determined based on a second reference axis, and

wherein the second reference axis is vertical to a rotation central axis of the steering wheel and is parallel to the first reference axis.

11. The display device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to provide an editing function with respect to the GUI.

12. The display device of claim 11, wherein the editing function includes setting at least one of a type, size, a shape, a kind, a position, a color of a GUI element in the displayed GUI, or whether the GUI is rotated according to the rotation of the steering wheel.

13. The display device of claim 12, wherein the controller is further configured to activate the editing function based on a user input, and perform an editing function on the GUI based on the user'"'"'s input.

14. The display device of claim 1, wherein the sensing unit is further configured to sense situation information regarding the vehicle, and the controller is further configured to display a particular GUI based on the sensed situation information.

15. The display device of claim 14, wherein the situation information regarding the vehicle includes information regarding at least one of an operation state of the vehicle, a running situation of the vehicle, an emergency situation of the vehicle, a state of a device connected to the vehicle, and a state of a terminal connected to the vehicle.

16. The display device of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to determine a particular GUI element to be displayed on the particular GUI based on the sensed situation information.

17. The display device of claim 14, wherein the GUI includes a GUI element previously set based on a user input.

18. The display device of claim 1, wherein the display is disposed on a central portion or an edge portion of the steering wheel.