Method for representing items of information in a means of transportation and instrument cluster for a motor vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11091036-B2
Application number	US-91160006-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 11, 2006
Priority date	Apr 14, 2005
Publication date	Aug 17, 2021
Grant date	Aug 17, 2021

Abstract

In a method for displaying items of information in a transportation device, the items of information are displayed in the form of hierarchical menu structures. A device for displaying items of information includes a control unit and a display unit for the stereoscopic and/or autostereoscopic display of items of information. In the method, the display is implemented stereoscopically, at least two different menus or menu items being displayed to the viewer at different distances. The instrument cluster includes the placement of a mask in front of the display of a display unit, the mask modifying the light emission of the light emitted by the display so as to result in a display of autostereoscopic images.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for displaying items of information in a transportation device, comprising:
stereoscopically representing the items of information in the form of hierarchical menu structures on a display device; wherein information concerning a part of the transportation device is displayed in the representing step by moving the stereoscopic representation of the part into a visual field of a viewer from a direction of the part in the transportation device;
displaying at least two different menus or menu items at different distances to a viewer;
displaying the menus or the menu items in the representing step in at least one plane that is offset in a direction of the viewer relative to a physical display plane of the display device; and
in response to selecting a menu item of the at least two different menus or menu items, displaying at least one submenu in a first plane and the selected menu or menu item in a second plane, the first plane offset in a direction toward the viewer from the physical display plane and the second plane offset in a direction away from the viewer from the physical display plane; wherein in response to the selection of the menu item, the submenu is opened in a plane that is rotated about an axis until a surface of the submenu is displayed in a plane parallel to the physical display plane; and
varying, in real time, the distances that each of the first and second planes are offset from the physical display plane, wherein the distance that the first plane is offset varies inversely with the relevance of the at least one menu or menu item displayed in the first plane to the current operation of the transportation device, and wherein the distance that the second plane is offset varies inversely with the relevance of the at least one other menu or menu item displayed in the second plane to the current operation of the transportation device;
wherein the menu is selectable by touching the display at a virtual key, the key being displayed offset away from a viewer after the touching.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the menus or the menu items that are offset toward the viewer are displayed in the representing step semi-transparently.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the menus or the menu items offset away from the viewer are displayed in the representing step blurred.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the axis of rotation is aligned one of (a) vertically and (b) horizontally.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the menus are disposed on surfaces of a stereoscopically displayed cube.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the menus are disposed on inner surfaces of a stereoscopically displayed hollow cube.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the menus are disposed on a surface of a stereoscopically displayed sphere.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the menus are disposed on a stereoscopically displayed rotating cylinder.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the menus are disposed on a stereoscopically displayed rotating ring.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the menus are disposed on the pages of a stereoscopically displayed open book.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein menu items are selectable by gestures.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein menu items are selectable by touching a display for the stereoscopic representation.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein information is displayed in the representing step on a surface that is aligned perpendicular to a line of sight of a view, and detailed information associated with the information is displayed in the representing step on a rear side of the surface, the rear side becoming visible to the viewer by a 180° stereoscopic rotation of the surface.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein three-dimensional movements of an operating device are reproduced in three dimensions in accordance with the stereoscopic representation.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the representing step includes displaying stereoscopically at least one of (a) a speed and (b) an engine speed in the form of a dial-type gauge.

16. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the representing step includes displaying stereoscopically at least one of (a) a radiator temperature and (b) a fuel level the form of a dial-type gauge.

17. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a menu includes a stereoscopic eye point representation of at least one of (a) the transportation device and (b) a part of the transportation device.

18. The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least one menu includes a stereoscopic representation of an interior of the transportation device, in which light, audio and climate control sources in the interior are shown.

19. The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least one menu includes the stereoscopic representation of a compass.

20. The method according to claim 19 , wherein the representation of the compass includes a stereoscopically displayed disk, which is viewed obliquely from above.

21. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the displays are implemented autostereoscopically.

22. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
displaying a warning notification in a third plane offset from the physical plane at a distance greater than the distance of the first plane from the physical plane and greater than the distance of the second plane from the physical plane.

23. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
displaying a dial-type gauge for vehicle speed or engine speed in a fourth plane offset from the first plane.

24. A device for displaying items of information in a transportation device, comprising:
a display unit configured to at least one of (a) stereoscopically and (b) autostereoscopically display of items of information in the form of a hierarchical menu structure; wherein information concerning a part of the transportation device is displayed by moving the one of the (a) stereoscopically and (b) autostereoscopically representation of the part into a visual field of a viewer from a direction of the part in the transportation device; wherein after the selection of the menu item, wherein in response to the selection of the menu item, the submenu is opened in a plane that is rotated about an axis until a surface of the submenu is displayed in a plane parallel to the physical display plane; and
a control unit configured to determine the display of menus such that at least two different menus or menu items are displayed by the display unit at different distances to a viewer;
wherein in response to selecting a menu item of the at least two different menus or menu items, a submenu is displayed in a first plane and the selected menu or menu item is displayed in a second plane, wherein the first plane is offset in a direction toward the viewer from a physical display plane of the display unit, and the second plane is offset in a direction away from the viewer from the physical display plane of the display unit
wherein the distances that the first plane is offset from the physical display plane is varied, in real time, inversely with the based on a relevance of the at least one menu or menu item displayed in the first plane to the current operation of the transportation device, and wherein the distance that the second place is offset from the physical display plane is varied, in real time, inversely

Assignees

• Wengelnik Heino
• Specks Will
• Kuhn Mathias
• Dehmann Rainer
• Bartoszewski Heiner
• Volkswagen Ag

Inventors

• Wengelnik Heino
• Specks Will
• Kuhn Mathias
• Dehmann Rainer
• Bartoszewski Heiner

Classifications

• G01C21/3614 Primary

  through interaction with a road map, e.g. selecting a POI icon on a road map · CPC title

• B60K35/80

  Arrangements for controlling instruments · CPC title

• B60K35/211 Primary

  producing three-dimensional [3D] effects, e.g. stereoscopic images · CPC title

• B60K35/23

  Head-up displays [HUD] (optical aspects of head-up displays G02B27/01) · CPC title

• B60K35/81

  for controlling displays · CPC title