Wirelessly controlled heads-up display having solar charging and charge level indication

• US 9,604,565 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2012
• Issued: 03/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Prasad, Krishnaswamy Venkatesh, Peplin, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): HOFSASS, JEFFERY A
• Application Number:
  US13/606,123
• Publication Number:
  US 20140070932A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,663 Days
• Field of Search: 340/438, 340/439, 340/441, 340/980, 345/7, 345/8, 701/400
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/00 Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor for lighting vehicle interior B60Q3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays

Abstract

A heads up display apparatus for a vehicle, comprising a wireless transceiver configured to connect and communicate with a device providing information for display, an energy storage device configured to provide energy to the display apparatus, a processor configured receive information from the transceiver and configure the information for display, and a display configured to output the information.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for displaying information on a heads up display (HUD), comprising:

charging with a solar panel an energy storage device located within the HUD;

utilizing a wireless transceiver to send vehicle information to a vehicle computer system (VCS) related to a charge-level status of the energy storage device; and

outputting the charge-level status in a heads-up manner of a vehicle windshield, and a VCS display.

2. A computer-implemented method for displaying information on the heads up display (HUD) of claim 1, wherein the HUD includes an inductive coil.

3. A computer-implemented method for displaying information on the heads up display (HUD) of claim 1, further comprising sending a message to the vehicle computer system utilizing the wireless transceiver, the message indicating a low-energy supply of the HUD when the energy storage device is below a threshold amount of energy.

4. A computer-implemented method for displaying information on the heads up display (HUD) of claim 1, further comprising updating software of the HUD utilizing an application program interface.

5. A computer-implemented method for displaying information on the heads up display (HUD) of claim 1, wherein the VCS includes an instrument panel.

6. A computer-implemented method for displaying information on the heads up display (HUD) of claim 1, wherein the VCS includes a vehicle in communication with a nomadic device.

7. A computer-implemented method for displaying information on the heads up display (HUD) of claim 1, wherein the energy storage device is a battery, capacitor, or super capacitor.

8. A heads up display (HUD), comprising:

an energy storage device configured to power the HUD and charge using a solar panel;

a wireless transceiver configured to send vehicle information to a vehicle computer system (VCS) related to a charge-level status of the energy storage device; and

a processor configured to output the charge-level status in a heads-up manner of a vehicle windshield.