Apparatus for Positioning an Interactive-Display Device within an Interior of an Autonomous Vehicle

• US 20190361656A1
• Filed: 06/18/2018
• Published: 11/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uatc, LLC (Uber Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Ellis, Johad Husseini, D'Eramo, Christopher Matthew
• Granted Patent: US 10,613,815 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1438 Touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/175 Autonomous driving
• 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 35/22 Display screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/53 Movable instruments, e.g. slidable
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/81 for controlling displays
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/10 Automotive applications
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/363 Graphics controllers

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to an apparatus for positioning an interactive-display device within an interior of an autonomous vehicle. In particular, an autonomous vehicle can include an interior comprising at least two different interior portions configured to accommodate one or more passengers. The autonomous vehicle can also include an interactive-display device. The autonomous vehicle can further include an apparatus for positioning the interactive-display device within the interior such that it is accessible by at least one of the passenger(s).

Claims

1. An autonomous vehicle comprising:

an interior comprising at least two different interior portions configured to accommodate one or more passengers;

an interactive-display device; and

an apparatus for positioning the interactive-display device within the interior such that it is accessible by at least one of the one or more passengers, wherein;

the interactive-display device is affixed to at least a portion of the apparatus;

the apparatus is affixed to at least a portion of the interior; and

the apparatus is configured to position the interactive-display device in at least two different predetermined positions associated with the at least two different interior portions configured to accommodate the one or more passengers.

2. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1, wherein:

the at least two different interior portions comprise a first portion and a second portion;

the first portion being configured such that a passenger occupying the first portion faces forward within the interior;

the second portion being configured such that a passenger occupying the second portion faces rearward within the interior;

a first position of the at least two different predetermined positions locates the interactive-display device within the interior such that it is accessible by the passenger occupying the first portion; and

a second position of the at least two different predetermined positions locates the interactive-display device within the interior such that it is accessible by the passenger occupying the second portion.

3. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises a track along which the interactive-display device is configured to travel amongst the at least two different predetermined positions.

4. The autonomous vehicle of claim 3, wherein the track comprises a plurality of different discrete positions that are distinct from one another and include the at least two different predetermined positions.

5. The autonomous vehicle of claim 3, wherein the track provides continuous resistance to the travel by the interactive-display device amongst the at least two different predetermined positions such that the interactive-display device can be positioned in a stationary manner between the at least two different predetermined positions.

6. The autonomous vehicle of claim 3, wherein a geometry of the track defines at least in part a cavity in the at least a portion of the interior to which the apparatus is affixed.

7. The autonomous vehicle of claim 6, wherein the cavity accommodates one or more wires or cables that interface the interactive-display device with the autonomous vehicle.

8. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises a motor configured to move the interactive-display device amongst the at least two different predetermined positions.

9. The autonomous vehicle of claim 8, wherein:

the autonomous vehicle comprises one or more sensors configured to detect presence of a passenger in a particular portion of the at least two different interior portions; and

the apparatus is configured to, responsive to the one or more sensors detecting the presence of the passenger in the particular portion, utilize the motor to move the interactive-display device to a position of the at least two different predetermined positions associated with the particular portion of the interior.

10. The autonomous vehicle of claim 8, wherein the apparatus is configured to, responsive to a determination that the at least two different interior portions are unoccupied by the one or more passengers, utilize the motor to move the interactive-display device to a default position located between the two different predetermined positions.

11. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least a portion of the interior to which the apparatus is affixed comprises at least a portion of a door of the autonomous vehicle.

12. The autonomous vehicle of claim 11, wherein:

the door comprises a portion that opens toward a top of the autonomous vehicle and away from a different portion of the door that opens toward a bottom of the autonomous vehicle; and

the at least a portion of the interior to which the apparatus is affixed comprises at least a portion of the portion of the door that opens towards the top of the autonomous vehicle.

13. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1, comprising a computing system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory storing instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the computing system to perform operations comprising;

receiving data indicating the interactive-display device is positioned in a particular position of the at least two different predetermined positions;

generating, based at least in part on the data indicating the interactive-display device is positioned in the particular position, data describing one or more graphical interfaces for display by the interactive-display device, the one or more graphical interfaces comprising one or more elements positioned within the one or more graphical interfaces to be accessible by a passenger located in a portion of the at least two different interior portions associated with the particular position; and

communicating, to the interactive-display device, the data describing the one or more graphical interfaces for display by the interactive-display device.

14. The autonomous vehicle of claim 13, wherein:

the interactive-display device comprises a touchscreen; and

the one or more elements correspond to one or more functions of the autonomous vehicle for invocation by the passenger located in the portion via the touchscreen.

15. The autonomous vehicle of claim 13, wherein:

the interactive-display device comprises one or more configurable controls;

the one or more elements comprise one or more labels for the one or more configurable controls;

the one or more labels identify one or more functions of the autonomous vehicle; and

the operations comprise configuring the one or more configurable controls to correspond to the one or more functions.

16. An apparatus for positioning an interactive-display device within an interior of an autonomous vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a portion for affixing an interactive-display device to at least a portion of the apparatus;

a portion for affixing the apparatus to at least a portion of an interior, of an autonomous vehicle, comprising at least two different interior portions configured to accommodate one or more passengers; and

a mechanism for moving the interactive-display device between at least two different predetermined positions associated with the at least two different interior portions configured to accommodate the one or more passengers.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein:

the at least two different interior portions comprise a first portion and a second portion;

the first portion being configured such that a passenger occupying the first portion faces forward within the interior;

the second portion being configured such that a passenger occupying the second portion faces rearward within the interior;

a first position of the at least two different predetermined positions locates the interactive-display device within the interior such that it is accessible by the passenger occupying the first portion; and

a second position of the at least two different predetermined positions locates the interactive-display device within the interior such that it is accessible by the passenger occupying the second portion.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the mechanism comprises a track along which the interactive-display device is configured to travel between the at least two different predetermined positions.

19. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory storing instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the system to perform operations comprising;

receiving data indicating a position of an interactive-display device within an interior of an autonomous vehicle, the data indicating the interactive-display device is positioned in a particular position of at least two different predetermined positions of the interactive-display device within the interior associated with at least two different interior portions configured to accommodate one or more passengers of the autonomous vehicle, the particular position being associated with a particular portion of the at least two different interior portions;

generating, based at least in part on the data indicating the position, data describing one or more graphical interfaces for display by the interactive-display device, the one or more graphical interfaces comprising one or more elements positioned within the one or more graphical interfaces to be accessible by a passenger located in the particular portion of the interior of the autonomous vehicle; and

communicating, to the interactive-display device, the data describing the one or more graphical interfaces for display by the interactive-display device.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein:

the interactive-display device comprises a touchscreen; and

the one or more elements correspond to one or more functions of the autonomous vehicle for invocation by the passenger located in the particular portion via the touchscreen.