Display for a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10377351-B2
Application number	US-201715636006-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2017
Priority date	Jun 28, 2017
Publication date	Aug 13, 2019
Grant date	Aug 13, 2019

Abstract

An interior cleaning system for a vehicle is disclosed. The system may include a display, and the display may include: a screen that includes a cover having a light-sensitive coating on an outwardly-facing side thereof; and a bezel having a lamp, wherein, when actuated, light from the lamp activates the coating.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A display, comprising:
a screen comprising a cover having a light-sensitive coating on an outwardly-facing side thereof; and
a bezel extending around a periphery of the screen, the bezel carrying a lamp that comprises a light source and an optic positioned relative to the light source to direct light emitted from the source toward the light-sensitive coating,
wherein, when actuated, light from the lamp activates the coating.

2. The display of claim 1 , wherein, when the lamp is actuated, light is directed axially and radially-inwardly from the bezel and toward the cover.

3. The display of claim 1 , wherein the lamp emits an ultraviolet wavelength.

4. The display of claim 1 , wherein the coating comprises a material which undergoes a chemical reaction in a presence of light from the lamp.

5. The display of claim 1 , wherein the screen comprises an electronics portion that includes: the cover, a capacitive or resistive film, a liquid crystal display (LCD), and a backlight, wherein the film and LCD are sandwiched between the cover and backlight.

6. The display of claim 1 , wherein the coating comprises titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ), wherein the lamp emits light at a wavelength within 310-390 nanometers (nm).

7. The display of claim 1 , wherein the lamp comprises a plurality of light sources located in the bezel.

8. The display of claim 7 , wherein the bezel comprises a plurality of members, wherein each member comprises at least one of the plurality of light sources.

9. The display of claim 8 , wherein the screen comprises a matrix of user-touch regions.

10. The display of claim 9 , wherein a first member comprises a selectively-actuatable first light source and a selectively-actuatable second light source, wherein a second member comprises a selectively-actuatable third light source and a selectively-actuatable fourth light source, wherein, when selectively-actuated, the second and third light sources illuminate the same user-touch region of the screen.

11. The display of claim 10 , wherein, when selectively-actuated, the first light source illuminates a different user-touch region of the screen and the fourth light source illuminates another, different user-touch region of the screen.

12. The display of claim 9 , wherein each of the plurality of members comprise at least two light sources, wherein the matrix comprises four user-touch regions, wherein, when selectively-actuated, the respective light sources of each pair of adjacently-located members illuminates one of the user-touch regions.

13. The display of claim 7 , wherein at least one of the plurality of light sources comprises a plurality of light elements.

14. The display of claim 13 , wherein at least two of the plurality of light elements emit light in different wavelengths, wherein the wavelengths comprise: 310-390 nanometers (nm), 400-410 nm, 670-700 nm, and 700-800 nm.

15. The display of claim 7 , wherein, when actuated, light power, incident at the coating, from each of the respective light sources is at least 1 milli-Watt per square centimeter (mW/cm 2 ).

16. The display of claim 1 , wherein the screen is a touchscreen.

17. An interior cleaning system for a vehicle, comprising:
the display of claim 1 , wherein the lamp comprises a plurality of light sources; and
a computer, comprising:
a processor, and
memory storing instructions executable by the processor,
the instructions comprising: to selectively-actuate the plurality of light sources.

18. The system of claim 17 , further comprising a manual switch which, when actuated, triggers at least one of the plurality of light sources to illuminate.

19. The system of claim 17 , further comprising an occupancy detection system coupled to the computer that provides an indication of an occupancy state, wherein the instructions further comprise: to temporarily inhibit actuation of the plurality of light sources based on the occupancy state being occupied when an ambient light is less than a threshold.

20. The display of claim 1 , wherein the bezel further comprises a cavity, wherein the light source is located within the cavity.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Dellock Paul Kenneth
• Salter Stuart C
• Glickman David Brian
• Huebner Annette Lynn
• Krishnan Venkatesh

Classifications

• G06F3/03547

  Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface · CPC title

• A61L2202/17

  Combination with washing or cleaning means · CPC title

• G02B27/0006

  with means to keep optical surfaces clean, e.g. by preventing or removing dirt, stains, contamination, condensation (G02B1/18 takes precedence; cleaning in general B08B) · CPC title

• G02F1/13338

  Input devices, e.g. touch panels · CPC title

• G02B1/18

  Coatings for keeping optical surfaces clean, e.g. hydrophobic or photo-catalytic films (G02B1/16 takes precedence) · CPC title