Interactive vehicle display system

• US 7,126,583 B1
• Filed: 08/24/2000
• Issued: 10/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: American Vehicular Sciences LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Automotive Technologies International Incorporated
• Inventors: Breed, David S.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHANG, KENT WU
• Application Number:
  US09/645,709
• Time in Patent Office: 2,252 Days
• Field of Search: 345 7- 9, 345/156, 345/157, 345/173, 345/856, 345/860, 345/158, 359630-632, 359/13
• US Class Current: 345/158
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1446 Touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/34 Backlit symbols
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/785 on or in relation to the windshield or windows
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/1446 Touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/34 Backlit symbols
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/785 on or in relation to the windshield or windows
• 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: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays

Abstract

An interactive display system for a vehicle including a heads up display system for projecting text and/or graphics into a field of view of a forward-facing occupant of the vehicle and an occupant-controllable device enabling the occupant to interact with the heads up display system to change the text and/or graphics projected by the heads up display system or direct another vehicular system to perform an operation. The device may be a touch pad arranged on a steering wheel of the vehicle (possibly over a cover of an airbag module in the steering wheel) or at another location accessible to the occupant of the vehicle. A processor and associated electrical architecture are provided for correlating a location on the touch pad which has been touched by the occupant to the projected text and/or graphics. The device may also be a microphone.

Claims

1. A vehicle including an interactive display system for a vehicle, comprising:

forming means for forming an image of text and/or graphics in a field of view of a forward-facing occupant of the vehicle,

interacting means coupled to said forming means for enabling the occupant to interact with said forming means to direct another vehicular system to perform an operation, said interacting means comprising a touch pad arranged to enable the occupant to interact with said forming means to direct the another vehicular system to perform a operation, said forming means being arranged to form the image apart from said touch pad, and

correlation means for correlating a location on said touch pad which has been touched by the occupant to the image to enable the occupant to change the image formed by said forming means or direct the another vehicular system to perform an operation by touching said touch pad, said correlation means being coupled to said forming means and arranged to cause said forming means to display an indicator in the image which correlates to the location on said touch pad touched by the occupant.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said forming means comprise a heads-up display.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said forming means are arranged in connection with an instrument panel of the vehicle.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said forming means are arranged to form the image on a windshield of the vehicle.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said forming means comprise two heads up displays, one arranged to project text and/or graphics into a field of view of a driver and the other arranged to project text and/or graphics into a field of view of the passenger.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said interacting means further comprise a microphone.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a steering wheel said touch pad being arranged on said steering wheel of the vehicle.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, further comprising an airbag module having a cover and being arranged in said steering wheel, said touch pad being arranged over said cover of said airbag module.

9. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein said touch pad is constructed to break upon deployment of said airbag from said airbag module.

10. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein said correlation means are arranged such that contact with said touch pad causes said forming means to change the image based on the location on said touch pad which has been touched by the occupant.

11. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said correlation means are arranged such that contact with said touch pad causes the vehicular system to perform the operation based on the location on said touch pad which has been touched by the occupant.

12. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said touch pad is separable from the vehicle.

13. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said touch pad and said forming means include means for enabling wireless communication between said touch pad and said forming means.

14. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said touch pad is arranged in an armrest of the vehicle.

15. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said touch pad is arranged in connection with an instrument panel of the vehicle and is movable between a storage position in which said touch pad is inaccessible to the occupant and a use position in which said touch pad is accessible to the occupant.

16. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said touch pad is arranged to enable the occupant to interact with said forming means to change the image formed by said forming means.

17. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the another vehicular system is a heating and air-conditioning system.

18. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said forming means comprise a holographic combiner arranged in connection with a windshield of the vehicle.

19. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising

determining means for determining a desired location of the eyes of the occupant, and

adjustment means coupled to said forming means for adjusting said forming means based on the determined desired location of the eyes of the occupant and thus the location of the image and thereby enable the occupant'"'"'s view of the image to be improved.

20. The vehicle of claim 19, wherein said determining means comprise at least one receiver for receiving waves from a space above a seat in the vehicle in which the occupant is likely to be situated.

21. The vehicle of claim 20, wherein said determining means further comprise pattern recognition means for determining the position of the occupant based on the waves received by said at least one receiver and enable the desired position of the eyes of the occupant to be determined from the position of the occupant.

22. The vehicle of claim 19, wherein said determining means comprise at least one transmitter for transmitting waves into the space above a seat in the vehicle and at least one receiver for receiving the transmitted waves after the waves have passed at least partially through the space above the seat.

23. A vehicle including a display system for a vehicle, comprising

forming means for forming an image of text and/or graphics in a field of view of a forward-facing occupant of the vehicle,

a touch pad coupled to said forming means for enabling the occupant to interact with said forming means to change the image formed by said forming means or direct another vehicular system to perform an operation,

correlation means for correlating a location on said touch pad which has been touched by the occupant to the image to enable the occupant to direct the another vehicular system to perform an operation by touching said touch pad, said correlation means being coupled to said forming means and arranged to cause said forming means to display an indicator in the image which correlates to The location on said touch pad touched by the occupant, said touch pad being arranged to enable the occupant to interact with said forming means to direct another vehicular system to perform an operation,

determining means for determining a desired location of the eyes of the occupant for optimum viewing of the image, and

adjustment means coupled to said forming means for adjusting said forming means based on the determined desired location of the eyes of the occupant and thus the location of the image and thereby enable the occupant'"'"'s view of the image to be improved.

24. The vehicle of claim 23, further comprising a steering wheel, said touch pad being arranged on said steering wheel of the vehicle.

25. The vehicle of claim 23, further comprising an airbag module having a cover and being arranged in said steering wheel, said touch pad being arranged over said cover of said airbag module and is constructed to break upon deployment of an airbag from the airbag module.

26. The vehicle of claim 23, wherein said correlation means are arranged such that contact with said touch pad causes said forming means to change the image based on the location on said touch pad which has been touched by the occupant.

27. The vehicle of claim 23, wherein said correlation means are arranged such that contact with said touch pad causes the vehicular system to perform the operation based on the location on said touch pad which has been touched by the occupant.

28. The vehicle of claim 23, wherein said touch pad is separable from the vehicle.

29. The vehicle of claim 23, wherein said touch pad and said forming means include means for enabling wireless communication between said touch pad and said forming means.

30. The vehicle of claim 23, wherein said touch pad is arranged in an armrest of the vehicle.

31. The vehicle of claim 23, wherein said touch pad is arranged in connection with an instrument panel of the vehicle and is movable between a storage position in which said touch pad is inaccessible to the occupant and a use position In which said touch pad is accessible to the occupant.

32. The vehicle of claim 23, wherein said touch pad is arranged to enable the occupant to interact with said forming means to change the image formed by said forming means.

33. The vehicle of claim 23, wherein determining means comprise at least one receiver for receiving waves from a space above a seat in the vehicle in which the occupant is likely to be situated.

34. The vehicle of claim 33, wherein said determining means further comprise pattern recognition means for determining the position of the occupant based on the waves received by said at least one receiver and enable the desired position of the eyes of the occupant to be determined from the position of the occupant.

35. The vehicle of claim 23, wherein said determining means comprise at least one transmitter for transmitting waves into the space above a seat in the vehicle and at least one receiver for receiving the transmitted waves after the waves have passed at least partially through the space above the seat.

36. A vehicle including an interactive display system for a vehicle, comprising:

forming means for forming an image of text and/or graphics in a field of view of a forward-facing occupant of the vehicle, said forming means comprising two heads up displays, one arranged to project tent and/or graphics into a field of view of a driver of the vehicle and the other arranged to project text and/or graphics into a field of view of a passenger of the vehicle, and

interacting means coupled to said forming means for enabling the occupant to interact with said forming means to change the image formed by said forming means or direct another vehicular system to perform an operation, said interacting means comprising a touch pad,

said forming means being arranged to form the image apart from said touch pad,

wherein a location on said touch pad which has been touched by the occupant is correlated to the image to enable the occupant to change the image formed by said forming means or direct the another vehicular system to perform an operation by touching said touch pad.

37. The vehicle of claim 36, wherein said forming means are aged in connection with an instrument panel of the vehicle.

38. The vehicle of claim 36, wherein said forming means are arranged to form the image on a windshield of the vehicle.

39. The vehicle of claim 36, wherein said interacting means further comprise a microphone.

40. The vehicle of claim 36, further comprising a steering wheel, said touch pad being arranged on said steering wheel of the vehicle.

41. The vehicle of claim 40, further comprising an airbag module having a cover and being arranged in said steering wheel, said touch pad being arranged over said cover of said airbag module.

42. The vehicle of claim 41, wherein said touch pad is constructed to break upon deployment of said airbag from said airbag module.

43. The vehicle of claim 36, further comprising correlation means for correlating a location on said touch pad which has been touched by the occupant to the image and arranged such that contact with said touch pad causes said forming means to change the image based on the location on said touch pad which has been touched by the occupant.

44. The vehicle of claim 36, further comprising correlation means for correlating a location on said touch pad which has been touched by the occupant to the image and arranged such that contact with said touch pad causes the vehicular system to perform the operation based on the location on said touch pad which has been touched by the occupant.

45. The vehicle of claim 36, wherein said touch pad is separable from the vehicle.

46. The vehicle of claim 36, wherein said touch pad and said forming means include means for enabling wireless communication between said touch pad and said forming means.

47. The vehicle of claim 36, wherein said touch pad is arranged in an armrest of the vehicle.

48. The vehicle of claim 36, wherein said touch pad is arranged in connection with an instrument panel of the vehicle and is movable between a storage position in which said touch pad is inaccessible to the occupant and a use position in which said touch pad is accessible to the occupant.

49. The vehicle of claim 36, wherein said touch pad is arranged to enable the occupant to interact with said forming means to change the image formed by said forming means.

50. The vehicle of claim 36, wherein said touch pad is arranged to enable the occupant to interact with said forming means to direct another vehicular system to perform an operation.

51. The vehicle of claim 50, wherein the another vehicular system is a heating and air-conditioning system.

52. The vehicle of claim 36, wherein said forming means comprise a holographic combiner arranged in connection with a windshield of the vehicle.

53. The vehicle of claim 36, further comprising

determining means for determining a desired location of the eyes of the occupant, and

adjustment means coupled to said forming means for adjusting said forming means based on the determined desired location of the eyes of the occupant and thus the location of the image and thereby enable the occupant'"'"'s view of the image to be improved.

54. The vehicle of claim 53, wherein said determining means comprise at least one receiver for receiving waves from a space above a seat in the vehicle in which the occupant is likely to be situated.

55. The vehicle of claim 54, wherein said determining means further comprise pattern recognition means for determining the position of the occupant based on the waves received by said at least one receiver and enable the desired position of the eyes of the occupant to be determined from the position of the occupant.

56. The vehicle of claim 53, wherein said determining means comprise at least one transmitter for transmitting waves into the space above a seat in the vehicle and at least one receiver for receiving the transmitted waves after the waves have passed at least partially through the space above the seat.

57. The vehicle of claim 36, further comprising correlation means for correlating a location on said touch pad which has been touched by the occupant to the image to enable the occupant to change the image formed by said forming means or direct the another vehicular system to perform an operation by touching said touch pad, said correlation means being coupled to said forming means and arranged to cause said forming means to display an indicator in the image which correlates to the location on said touch pad touched by the occupant.

58. The vehicle of claim 36, wherein said forming means are controlled to display an indicator in the image which correlates to the location on said touch pad touched by the occupant.