Display device for a vehicle and a method for operating the display device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12097761-B2
Application number	US-201917416035-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2019
Priority date	Dec 19, 2018
Publication date	Sep 24, 2024
Grant date	Sep 24, 2024

Abstract

A display device for a vehicle includes a display panel, a control circuitry, and a supporting arrangement. The display panel displays a graphic display object and the control circuitry enables the displaying of the graphic display object, such that the information represented by the graphic display object is displayed based on a predefined physical environment condition. The supporting arrangement supports the display panel which is adjustable between a first position and a second position. In the first position, the graphic display object is visually accessible to a user inside the vehicle and in the second position, the graphic display object is visually accessible to at least one person outside the vehicle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A display device for a vehicle, comprising:
a display panel configured to display a graphic display object;
a control circuitry configured to enable a display of the graphic display object such that information represented by the graphic display object is displayed based on a predefined physical environment conditions; and
a support arrangement configured to rotatably support each side of two auxiliary sides of the display panel such that the display panel is turn-able about an axis parallel to a main edge of the display panel to be adjustable between a first position and a second position,
wherein
in response to a first turning adjustment of the display panel to the first position, sending a signal to display, by the display panel, a first graphic display object corresponding to the first position and a first predefined physical environment condition among the predefined physical environment conditions which is visually accessible to a user among users located inside the vehicle, and
in response to a second turning adjustment of the display panel to the second position, sending a signal to display, by the display panel, a second graphic display object corresponding to the second position and a second predefined physical environment condition among the predefined physical environment conditions which is visually accessible to at least one user among the users located outside the vehicle and/or another person located outside the vehicle.

2. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein when the display panel is in the second position, the second predefined physical environment condition is based on an identification of a presence of the at least one user within a predefined threshold distance from the display device outside the vehicle, as signaled by a proximity sensor.

3. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein when the display panel is in the second position, the information represented by the graphic display object includes a predefined text message including a personal message referring to a predefined user among the users, as signaled by at least one of a face recognition sensor and a receiver configured to receive an identification signal from a mobile device.

4. The display device according to claim 3 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to disable a display of the personal message by the display panel, in response to at least one of an expiration of a predefined time interval, receiving a communication signal from the predefined user that the personal message is no longer needed to be displayed, and identifying that the predefined user is no longer proximate to the display device.

5. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein when the display panel is in the second position, the information represented by the graphic display object includes a predefined parking time, corresponding to digital payment for parking the vehicle triggered by the control circuitry.

6. The display device according to claim 5 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to trigger the digital payment for parking the vehicle, in response to the vehicle being parked.

7. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein
when the display panel is in the second position, the information represented by the graphic display object includes at least one of an informational message and an advertisement based on the second predefined physical environment condition, and
the second predefined physical environment condition is based on at least one of an identification of a current location of the vehicle, a physical environment of the vehicle, and weather, as signaled by a backend server remotely located from the vehicle.

8. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein when the display panel is in the second position, the information represented by the graphic display object includes an identification code which indicates a booking of the vehicle in a booking system.

9. The display device according to claim 8 , wherein
the control circuitry is configured to receive an identification signal based on a booking code corresponding to the identification code, and
in response to receiving the identification signal, the control circuitry is configured to send a vehicle activation signal to an electronic control unit of the vehicle which controls accessibility to the vehicle.

10. A method of operating a display device of a vehicle, comprising:
displaying, by a display panel of the display device, a graphic display object;
controlling, by a control circuitry of the display device, the displaying of the graphic display object such that information represented by the graphic display object is displayed based on predefined physical environment conditions; and
rotatably supporting each side of two auxiliary sides of the display panel such that the display panel is turn-able about an axis parallel to a main edge of the display panel to be adjustable between a first position and a second position,
wherein
in response to a first turning adjustment of the display panel to the first position, sending a signal to display, by the display panel, so that a first graphic display object corresponding to the first position and a first predefined physical environment condition among the predefined physical environment conditions is displayed by the display panel which is visually accessible to a user among users located inside the vehicle, and
in response to a second turning adjustment of the display panel to the second position, sending a signal to display, by the display panel, so that a second graphic display object corresponding to the second position and a second predefined physical environment condition among the predefined physical environment conditions is displayed by the display panel which is visually accessible to at least one user among the users located outside the vehicle and/or another person located outside the vehicle.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein when the display panel is in the second position, the second predefined physical environment condition is based on an identification of a presence of the at least one user within a predefined threshold distance from the display device outside the vehicle, as signaled by a proximity sensor.

12. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising:
when the display panel is in the second position, displaying a personal message referring to a predefined user among the users as the information represented by the graphic display object, in response to receiving a signal identifying the predefined user; and
when the display panel is in the second position, disabling displaying of the personal message, in response to at least one of an expiration of a predefined time interval, receiving a communication signal from the predefined user that the personal message is no longer needed to be displayed, and identifying that the predefined user is no longer proximate to the display device.

13. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising:
automatically triggering a digital payment for parking the vehicle, in response to the vehicle being parked, and
automatically controlling the display panel to be adjusted to the second position after the vehicle is parked and displaying a predefined parking time as the information represented by the graphic display object, wherein the predefined parking time corresponds to the digital payment for parking the vehicle.

14. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising:
receiving, from a backend server remotely located from the vehicle, at least one of an identification of a current location of the

Assignees

• Audi Ag

Inventors

• Lottes Daniel
• Wall Christian
• Diboine Romain
• Kim Doh Yeon
• Kim Seonghwan

Classifications

• B60R11/0235 Primary

  of flat type, e.g. LCD · CPC title

• B60K35/29

  Instruments characterised by the way in which information is handled, e.g. showing information on plural displays or prioritising information according to driving conditions · CPC title

• B60K35/85

  Arrangements for transferring vehicle- or driver-related data · CPC title

• B60K35/10 Primary

  Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor · CPC title

• B60K35/60

  Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles (arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10) · CPC title