TRANSPARENT DISPLAY FOR RESILIENT VEHICLE SURFACES

• US 20180284932A1
• Filed: 03/31/2017
• Published: 10/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2017
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: NEHMAD, Michael
• Application Number:
  US15/476,368
• Publication Number:
  US 20180284932A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/143 Touch sensitive instrument input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1442 Emulation of input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/27 using semi-transparent optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/334 Projection means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/77 Instrument locations other than the dashboard
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• 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: G06F 2203/04804 Transparency, e.g. transparent or translucent windows
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0487 using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

The systems and methods provided herein are directed to providing an touch interface on a transparent vehicle window by selectively providing current to an electro-reactive dye embedded within the window. Capacitive touch sensors relay user interaction with the display and allow for control of selected vehicle and device functions by means of the window display. The window display adapts to the user'"'"'s position and the position of the window by altering the display position.

Claims

1. A user display within a vehicle comprising:

a window including an electro-reactive dye between two layers of transparent material, the window moving relative to a surrounding surface of the vehicle;

a plurality of circuit components, each component configured to selectively apply an electric current to a different one of a plurality of regions of the electro-reactive dye to adjust the transparency of the one region; and

a controller in communication with the plurality of circuit components, the controller;

creating a display image in a first area of the window by controlling each of the plurality of circuit components and selectively applying electric cutrent to a first selected plurality of the regions of the electro-reactive dye; and

in response to determining that the window has moved relative to the surrounding surface of the vehicle, creating a display image in a second area of the window by controlling each of the plurality of circuit components and selectively applying electric current to a second selected plurality of the regions of the electro-reactive dye.

2. The vehicle user display of claim 1, the controller further, in response to determining that a position of a passenger has moved relative to the window, controlling the circuit components to create a display image in a third area of the window.

3. The vehicle user display of claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of capacitive touch sensors relaying a plurality of distinguishable user inputs from contact with the window.

4. The vehicle user display of claim 3, the controller further relaying one of a plurality of different control demands to a vehicle control system based on identifying the relayed user input and the created display image.

5. The vehicle user display of claim 4, wherein the relayed command is one of an entertainment system control command, a climate system control command, a navigation system control command, an automobile interior control command, a communication device control command, or an automobile information status request.

6. The vehicle user display of claim 3, the controller further:

receiving information from the vehicle control system in response to the relayed command, and;

based on the received information, altering the display image.

7. The vehicle user display of claim 6, wherein the relayed command results in moving the window, and wherein the display image is repositioned to compensate for the moved window.

8. The vehicle user display of claim 6, wherein the relayed command results in moving a user'"'"'s seat within the vehicle, and wherein the display image is repositioned to compensate for the moved seat.

9. The vehicle user display of claim 1, wherein the transparency of the displayed image is selected to contrast with a user-selected transparency of the window.

10. The vehicle user display of claim 1, wherein the window comprises one of a liquid crystal film, switchable transparent film, or polymer dispersed liquid crystal film.

11. The vehicle user display of claim 1, wherein the transparent material is shatter-resistant glass meeting industry standards for use in a consumer passenger vehicle.

12. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

selectively applying current to fewer than all of a plurality of circuit components contacting regions of electro-reactive dye within a vehicle window in order to create an image in a first area of the window with a contrast in transparency between the selected regions and adjacent regions of the dye;

in response to determining that the window has moved relative to a surrounding surface of the vehicle, selectively applying the current to a different plurality of the circuit components to create the image in a second area of the window.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, further comprising:

in response to determining that a position of a passenger has moved relative to the window, selectively applying the current to a further different plurality of the circuit components to create the image in a third area of the window.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving, from at least one of a plurality of capacitive touch sensors, data representing at least one of a plurality of distinguishable user inputs from contact with the window.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, further comprising:

relaying one of a plurality of different control demands to a vehicle control system based on identifying the relayed user input and the created display image.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein the relayed command is one of an entertainment system control command, a climate system control command, a navigation system control command, an automobile interior control command, a communication device control command, or an automobile information status request.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving information from the vehicle control system in response to the relayed command, and;

based on the received information, altering the display image.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein the relayed command results in moving the window, and wherein the display image is repositioned to compensate for the moved window.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein the relayed command results in moving a user'"'"'s seat within the vehicle, and wherein the display image is repositioned to compensate for the moved seat.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein the transparency of the displayed image is selected to contrast with a user-selected transparency of the window.