Vehicular display system

• US 10,703,276 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2018
• Issued: 07/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Kanaguchi, Yutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Peter D
• Application Number:
  US16/125,964
• Publication Number:
  US 20190077313A1
• Time in Patent Office: 666 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/27 using semi-transparent optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/334 Projection means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/22 Display screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/002 specially adapted for covering the peripheral part of the vehicle, e.g. for viewing tyres, bumpers or the like integrated in the windows B60R1/001; combined with rear-view mirrors B60R1/08
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/12 Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1253 with cameras, video cameras or video screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/205 using a head-up display
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/70 characterised by an event-triggered choice to display a specific image among a selection of captured images
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13306 Circuit arrangements or driving methods for the control of single liquid crystal cells G02F1/132, G02F1/133382 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1334 based on polymer dispersed liquid crystals, e.g. microencapsulated liquid crystals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A vehicular display system is provided that is capable of achieving both display performance of images or videos and viewability as a window in a non-display mode. The vehicular display system includes: a window that is a transparent plate mounted on a vehicle; a liquid crystal unit that is arranged on the inner surface, in the inside/outside direction of the vehicle, of the window and has changeable levels of transparency; a projector that projects images or videos onto the liquid crystal unit; and a control unit that controls the liquid crystal unit and the projector, wherein the control unit controls the projector in a state of the liquid crystal unit being translucent, to cause the projector to project images or videos onto the liquid crystal unit.

Claims

1. A vehicular display system comprising:

a window that is a transparent plate mounted on a vehicle;

a liquid crystal unit that is arranged on the inner surface, in the inside/outside direction of the vehicle, of the window and has changeable levels of transparency;

a projector that projects images or videos onto the liquid crystal unit; and

a control unit that controls the liquid crystal unit and the projector,

wherein

the control unit controls the projector in a state of the liquid crystal unit being translucent, to cause the projector to project images or videos onto the liquid crystal unit,

the liquid crystal unit includes;

a first liquid crystal unit that is provided on the inner side, in the inside/outside direction of the vehicle, of the window; and

a second liquid crystal unit that is provided on the inner side, in the inside/outside direction of the vehicle, of the first liquid crystal unit so as to be separated from the first liquid crystal unit, and

the control unit controls the first liquid crystal unit and the second liquid crystal unit, and controls the projector, in the state of the second liquid crystal unit being translucent, so that images or videos are displayed on the second liquid crystal unit,

the first liquid crystal unit can be set to have a darker color tone or a lower transparency level than the second liquid crystal unit.

2. The vehicular display system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a front window as the window; and

a rearview mirror that is provided in back of the front window,

wherein the rearview mirror can be housed so as to run along a ceiling surface of the vehicle.

4. The vehicular display system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a frontward view imager that images frontward view of the vehicle,

wherein the control unit controls the projector so that the imaged result by the frontward view imager is displayed on an interior member provided on a surface of a front pillar which faces the vehicle compartment.

5. The vehicular display system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a position detector that detects the position on the surface of the liquid crystal unit touched by a passenger,

wherein the control unit controls the projector based on the detection result by the position detector.

6. The vehicular display system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of:

a steering angle detector that detects a steering angle of a steering wheel of the vehicle;

an accelerator operation amount detector that detects an operation amount of an accelerator pedal of the vehicle;

a brake operation amount detector that detects an operation amount of a brake pedal of the vehicle; and

a gear position detector that detects a gear position of a transmission of the vehicle,

wherein the control unit controls the projector based on at least one detection result by the steering angle detector, the accelerator operation amount detector, the brake operation amount detector, and the gear position detector.

7. The vehicular display system according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit controls the liquid crystal unit and the projector to display images or videos for people outside of the vehicle.

8. The vehicular display system according to claim 7, further comprising at least one of:

a sound generator that generates sound for people outside the vehicle; and

an aroma generator that generates aroma for people outside the vehicle,

wherein the control unit controls at least one of the sound generator and the aroma generator in conjunction with images or videos.

3. A vehicular display system, comprising:

a window that is a transparent plate mounted on a vehicle;

a liquid crystal unit that is arranged on the inner surface, in the inside/outside direction of the vehicle, of the window and has changeable levels of transparency;

a projector that projects images or videos onto the liquid crystal unit; and

a control unit that controls the liquid crystal unit and the projector,

a front door window as the window; and

a rearward view imager that images rearward view of the vehicle,

wherein

the control unit controls the projector in a state of the liquid crystal unit being translucent, to cause the projector to project images or videos onto the liquid crystal unit;

the liquid crystal unit includes;

a third liquid crystal unit that is provided on the inner side, in the inside/outside direction of the vehicle, of a front door window; and

a fourth liquid crystal unit that is provided on the inner side, in the inside/outside direction of the vehicle, of a part of the third liquid crystal unit, and

the control unit controls the third liquid crystal unit, the fourth liquid crystal unit, and the projector so that the imaged result by the rearward view imager is displayed on the fourth liquid crystal unit, in the state that the third liquid crystal unit has higher transparency than the fourth liquid crystal unit.