Display Device For A Vehicle And Method For Displaying Data

• US 20080068399A1
• Filed: 06/15/2005
• Published: 03/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: Specks, Will, Han, Kyoung, Haedicke, Andre, Hofmann, Robert, Bohrer, Lorenz, Wengelnik, Heino, Dehmann, Rainer, Lilienthal, Joerg, Goss, Stefan, Lux, Stefan
• Granted Patent: US 8,988,319 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/629
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/184 Displaying the same information on different displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/27 using semi-transparent optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/213 Virtual instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/29 Instruments characterised by the way in which information is handled, e.g. showing information on plural displays or prioritising information according to driving conditions
• 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

Abstract

A display device includes at least one processing device and at least one display element for representing at least two image planes that are able to be combined with each other, and a method is for representing a plurality of combinable image planes for displaying data.

Claims

1-42. -42. (canceled)

43. A display device for a vehicle, comprising:

at least one processor device adapted to generate at least two image planes including image elements and adapted to combine the image planes into at least one image; and

at least one display element adapted to display the image.

44. The display device according to claim 43, wherein the image planes include areas that appear transparent in at least one of (a) partial areas and (b) an entire area.

45. The display device according to claim 44, wherein the transparent areas appear at least one of (a) partially and (b) completely light-transmitting on the image planes.

46. The display device according to claim 43, wherein the display device is adapted to display primary and secondary information.

47. The display device according to claim 43, wherein data of different information content are displayable on the image planes.

48. The display device according to claim 43, wherein the image planes are displayable one after the other.

49. The display device according to claim 43, wherein data having different priorities are displayable on the image planes.

50. The display device according to claim 49, wherein data of different priorities include announcements.

51. The display device according to claim 50, wherein at least one of (a) the announcements and (b) announcements of a high priority are displayable on the image plane closest to a viewer.

52. The display device according to claim 50, for a plurality of announcements, at least a part of the announcements, rated as to priority, is displayable in the image plane facing closest to a viewer.

53. The display device according to claim 43, wherein data assigned to one image plane is shiftable to another image plane.

54. The display device according to claim 43, wherein logically connected data are displayable, rated as to logical sequence, on the image plane facing closest to a viewer.

55. The display device according to claim 43, wherein data of a menu plane of a menu structure is displayable on an image plane.

56. The display device according to claim 55, wherein data of a selected menu plane is displayable on the image plane closest to a viewer.

57. The display device according to claim 43, wherein three image planes are displayable one behind the other.

58. The display device according to claim 43, wherein the display device is at least a part of an instrument cluster of a motor vehicle.

59. The display device according to claim 43, wherein at least a part of the image elements displayed on the image planes is displayable in a three-dimensional manner.

60. The display device according to claim 43, wherein display elements that change dynamically are displayable in common on an image plane.

61. The display device according to claim 60, wherein the display elements that change dynamically are displayable in common on the image plane facing closest to a viewer.

62. The display device according to claim 43, wherein static display elements are displayable in common on an image plane.

63. The display device according to claim 62, wherein the image plane on which the static display elements are displayable is at least partially coverable by an image plane on which dynamically changing display elements are displayable.

64. A method for displaying data on a display device for a vehicle, comprising:

generating, by a processor device, at least two image planes having image elements;

combining the image planes for displaying at least one image; and

displaying the image on at least one display element.

65. The method according to claim 64, wherein the image planes include areas that appear transparent in at least one of (a) partial areas and (b) over an entire area.

66. The method according to claim 65, wherein the transparent areas appear at least one of (a) partially and (b) completely light-transmitting on the image planes.

67. The method according to claim 64, further comprising displaying primary and secondary information on the display device.

68. The method according to claim 64, wherein the displaying includes displaying different information content on various image planes.

69. The method according to claim 64, wherein the displaying includes showing the image planes one behind the other.

70. The method according to claim 64, wherein the displaying includes displaying, on various image planes, at least partial data of different priority.

71. The method according to claim 70, wherein at least a part of the data of different priority include announcements.

72. The method according to claim 71, wherein the displaying includes displaying at least one of (a) the announcements and (b) announcement of a high priority on the image plane closest to a viewer.

73. The method according to claim 71, wherein the displaying includes, for a plurality of announcements, displaying a part of the announcements, rated as to priority, in the image plane facing closest to a viewer.

74. The method according to claim 64, further comprising shifting data assigned to one image plane to another image plane.

75. The method according to claim 64, wherein the displaying includes displaying logically connected data, rated as to logical sequence, on the image plane facing closest to a viewer.

76. The method according to claim 64, wherein the displaying includes displaying data of a menu plane of a menu structure on an image plane.

77. The method according to claim 76, wherein the displaying includes displaying data of a selected menu plane on the image plane closest to a viewer.

78. The method according to claim 64, wherein the displaying includes showing three image planes one behind the other.

79. The method according to claim 64, wherein the display device is at least a part of an instrument cluster of a motor vehicle.

80. The method according to claim 64, wherein the displaying includes showing the image elements on the image planes in a three-dimensional manner.

81. The method according to claim 64, wherein the displaying includes displaying dynamically changing display elements in common on an image plane.

82. The method according to claim 81, wherein the displaying includes displaying display elements that change dynamically in common on the image plane facing closest to a viewer.

83. The method according to claim 64, wherein the displaying includes displaying static display elements in common on an image plane.

84. The method according to claim 83, wherein the image plane on which the static display elements are displayed is at least partially covered by an image plane on which dynamically changing display elements are displayed.