Display unit for vehicle

• US 10,363,818 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2012
• Issued: 07/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG), Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: Coser, Nathaniel, Glaser, Erik, Lathrop, William Brian, Mejia, Maria
• Primary Examiner(s): Song, Zheng
• Application Number:
  US13/471,408
• Publication Number:
  US 20120287664A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,633 Days
• Field of Search: 362 2301, 362 2309, 362 2316, 362 2318, 362 2319, 362 232, 362 2321, 362242, 362489, 362551, 362436-442, 359242, 385115-121
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/20 Optical features of instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/33 Illumination features
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/336 Light guides
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/211 producing three-dimensional [3D] effects, e.g. stereoscopic images
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/22 Display screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor

Abstract

A display unit for a vehicle includes an electronic display and a light guide coupled to a portion of the display.

Claims

1. A display unit for a vehicle, comprising:

an electronic display configured to display information for an occupant of the vehicle;

a light guide configured as a light pipe, having a thickness, situated adjacent to a portion of a displaying face of the display, and configured to guide light from the portion of the displaying face of the display representing a part of the information displayed on the display from a first location at the display through the thickness of the light guide, by internal reflection, to a predetermined location spaced apart from the electronic display; and

a further light guide configured as a light pipe including at least one optical fiber situated adjacent to a further portion of the displaying face of the display and configured to guide light from the further portion of the displaying face of the display representing at least another part of the information to a further predetermined location spaced apart from the electronic display, the further predetermined location being different from the predetermined location;

wherein a display end of the light guide is provided at a distance from the electronic display, the distance based on a dimension of the light guide, the light guided from the portion of the displaying face of the display by the light guide being displayed at the display end of the light guide closer in view than the information displayed on the display outside of the portion of the displaying face of the display situated adjacent to the light guide, such that the displayed information appears three dimensional; and

wherein the light guide includes a surface provided parallel and adjacent to the portion of the displaying face of the display, the light guide further including a first portion and a second portion, a thickness of the first portion extending from the surface in a direction perpendicular to the surface being smaller than a thickness of the second portion from the surface in the direction perpendicular to the display surface of the electronic display.

2. The display unit according to claim 1, wherein the first portion and the second portion are cylindrical.

3. The display unit according to claim 2, wherein the first portion at least partially surrounds the second portion.

4. The display unit according to claim 3, wherein the second portion and the first portion are arranged concentrically.

5. The display unit according to claim 1, wherein the light guide includes a plurality of optical fibers fused together.

6. The display unit according to claim 1, wherein a distance of the further predetermined location to the electronic display is different from a distance of the predetermined location to the electronic display.

7. The display unit according to claim 1, wherein the light guide has a cylindrical shape, a ring shape, an elongate shape, and/or a section of a ring shape.

8. The display unit according to claim 1, wherein a surface of a face of the light guide opposite a face facing the electronic display has a flat shape and/or a rounded shape.

9. The display unit according to claim 1, wherein the light guide is bonded to the electronic display.

10. The display unit according to claim 1, wherein the light guide includes a planer portion covering a surface of the electronic display and a further portion protruding from the planer portion.

11. The display unit according to claim 1, further comprising a bezel covering parts of the electronic display.

12. The display unit according to claim 11, wherein other parts of the display remain uncovered by both the bezel and the light guide such that information is displayed on the electronic display.

13. The display unit according to claim 1, wherein the light guide has a band tape.

14. A vehicle, comprising:

a display unit configured to display information to a driver of the vehicle, the display unit including;

an electronic display configured to display information for the driver;

a light guide configured as a light pipe, having a thickness, situated adjacent to a portion of a displaying face of the electronic display and configured to guide light from the portion of the displaying face of the display representing part of the information displayed on the display from a first location at the display through the thickness of the light guide, by internal reflection, to a predetermined location spaced apart from the electronic display; and

a further light guide configured as a light pipe including at least one optical fiber situated adjacent to a further portion of the displaying face of the display and configured to guide light from the further portion of the displaying face of the display representing at least another part of the information to a further predetermined location spaced apart from the electronic display, the further predetermined location being different from the predetermined location;

wherein a display end of the light guide is provided at a distance from the electronic display, the distance based on a dimension of the light guide, the light guided from the portion of the displaying face of the display by the light guide being displayed at the display end of the light guide closer in view than the information displayed on the display outside of the portion of the displaying face of the display situated adjacent to the light guide, such that the displayed information appears three dimensional; and

wherein the light guide includes a surface provided parallel and adjacent to the portion of the displaying face of the display, the light guide further including a first portion and a second portion, a thickness of the first portion extending from the surface in a direction perpendicular to the surface being smaller than a thickness of the second portion from the surface in the direction perpendicular to the display surface of the electronic display.

15. The vehicle according to claim 14, wherein the light guide includes a plurality of optical fibers.

16. A method for manufacturing a display unit, comprising:

providing an electronic display; and

bonding a light guide configured as a light pipe, having a thickness, to a portion of a displaying face of the electronic display to arrange the light guide to guide light from the portion of the displaying face of the display representing a portion of information displayed on the electronic display from a first location at the electronic display through the thickness of the light guide, by internal reflection, to predetermined locations spaced apart from the electronic display;

bonding a further light guide configured as a light pipe including at least one optical fiber situated adjacent to a further portion of the displaying face of the display and configured to guide light from the further portion of the displaying face of the display representing at least another part of the information to a further predetermined location spaced apart from the electronic display, the further predetermined location being different from the predetermined location;

wherein a display end of the light guide is provided at a distance from the electronic display, the distance based on a dimension of the light guide, the light guided from the portion of the displaying face of the display by the light guide being displayed at the display end of the light guide closer in view than the information displayed on the display outside of the portion of the displaying face of the display situated adjacent to the light guide, such that the displayed information appears three dimensional; and

wherein the light guide includes a surface provided parallel and adjacent to the portion of the displaying face of the display, the light guide further including a first portion and a second portion, a thickness of the first portion extending from the surface in a direction perpendicular to the surface being smaller than a thickness of the second portion from the surface in the direction perpendicular to the display surface of the electronic display.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the light guide includes a plurality of optical fibers.

18. The method according to claim 16, further comprising fixing a bezel to the electronic display.