System and methods for exterior vehicle display

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10599260-B1
Application number	US-201816166502-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Oct 22, 2018
Priority date	Oct 22, 2018
Publication date	Mar 24, 2020
Grant date	Mar 24, 2020

Abstract

An exterior display apparatus for a vehicle comprises a first display panel in connection with a first door trim portion and a second display panel in connection with a second door trim portion. The first and second door trim portions are adjacent to each other. Each of the display panels comprises a touch sensor and a heater layer distributed over a corresponding display surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An exterior display apparatus for a vehicle comprising:
a first display panel in connection with a first door trim portion; and
a second display panel in connection with a second door trim portion adjacent to the first trim portion;
wherein each of the display panels comprises a touch sensor and a heater layer distributed over a display surface; and
a controller in communication with a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature proximate to the vehicle, wherein the controller is configured to:
detect a material on the display surface in response to a signal communicated from the touch sensor;
infer that the material is a frozen material based on the temperature; and
activate the heater layer in response to the frozen material.

2. The display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each of the door trim portions are disposed along a perimeter edge of a door.

3. The display apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein at least one of the door trim portions is disposed between the perimeter edge of the door and a window forming a portion of the door.

4. The display apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the perimeter edge forms a shared boundary between the first display panel and the second display panel along the perimeter edges of the doors.

5. The display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each of the display panels comprises a rear shell in thermal connection with an outer body panel of a door of the vehicle.

6. The display apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the rear shell comprises a thermally conductive polymeric material.

7. The display apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein each of the display panels comprises a backlight layer disposed between the rear shell and the heater layer.

8. The display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the heater layer comprises a film comprising a plurality of conductive strips distributed over the display surface.

9. The display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the touch sensor comprises a capacitive sensor pattern distributed over the display surface.

10. A method for displaying visual data on a panel of a vehicle, the method comprising:
displaying first data on a first display panel;
displaying second data on a second display panel;
detecting a closed configuration of a plurality of vehicle doors;
in response to the closed configuration, displaying a continuous representation of a third image data contiguously over the first display panel and the second display panel;
detecting a foreign substance on at least one of a first display surface of the first display panel and a second display surface of the second display panel;
inferring that the foreign substance is frozen based on a temperature proximate the vehicle in combination with the detection of the foreign substance; and
activating a heater apparatus of at least one of the first display panel and the second display panel in response to the inference that the foreign substance is frozen.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the detecting the foreign substance comprises detecting via a touch screen apparatus at least one of the display panels that the foreign substance is on at least one of the first display surface and the second display surface.

12. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the detecting the foreign substance comprises detecting the foreign substance via a rain sensor of the vehicle.

13. An exterior display apparatus for a vehicle comprising:
a first display panel connected to a first door trim portion;
a second display panel connected to a second door trim portion adjacent to the first trim portion, wherein each of the display panels comprises a touch sensor and a heater distributed over a display surface; and
a controller in communication with a temperature sensor configured to identify a temperature of an environment proximate the vehicle configured to:
identify a foreign object on one of the display panels via the touch sensor;
infer that the foreign object is frozen material in response to the temperature identified below a threshold temperature; and
activate the heater in response to the detection of the foreign object.

14. The display apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the controller is in communication with a defrost system and configured to activate the heater in response to a defrost state of the defrost system in combination with the detection of the foreign object.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Salter Stuart C
• Brown Kristopher Karl
• Huebner Annette Lynn
• Glickman David Brian
• Gardner Cornel Lewis

Classifications

• G06F3/0488

  using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures · CPC title

• G06F3/044

  by capacitive means · CPC title

• G02F1/133308

  Support structures for LCD panels, e.g. frames or bezels · CPC title

• G06F3/0416 Primary

  Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers · CPC title

• G02F1/133603

  with LEDs · CPC title