DISPLAY DEVICE AND A VEHICLE WITH THE DISPLAY DEVICE

Abstract

A display panel in a display device has a pixel matrix and control circuitry designed to actuate pixel elements of the pixel matrix for displaying at least one graphic display object. A luminosity sensor is designed to estimate an intensity of the light independently for different portions of the display panel and provide an intensity signal to the control circuitry. The control circuitry is adapted to adjust the intensity of the light radiating from the pixel elements in the respective portion of the display panel individually.

Claims

1-10. (canceled)

11. A display device, comprising: a display panel having a pixel matrix; a luminosity sensor configured to estimate an intensity of light from an external light source; and control circuitry configured to actuate pixel elements of the pixel matrix to display at least one graphic display object in at least one portion of the pixel matrix with an intensity of light radiating from the pixel elements adjusted as a function of an intensity signal provided by the luminosity sensor, the luminosity sensor being configured to estimate the intensity of the light independently for different portions of the display panel and the control circuitry being configured to adjust the intensity of the light radiating from each of the pixel elements in the at least one portion of the display panel individually.

12. The display device according to claim 11, wherein the display panel has at least one of a bent surface and a folded surface.

13. The display device according to claim 12, wherein the display panel comprises a plurality of segments, each segment forming a respective part of the pixel matrix.

14. The display device according to claim 13, further comprising an identification sensor, and wherein the control circuitry is configured to activate at least one segment among the plurality of segments and/or customize display of the at least one graphic display object by the at least one segment based on an identification signal from the identification sensor upon identification of one of a person and a predefined user at most a predefined distance from the at least one segment.

15. The display device according to claim 14, wherein the control circuitry is configured to control display of a first part of the at least one graphic display object by a first segment and a remaining part of the at least one graphic display object by at least one second segment adjacent to the first segment.

16. The display device according to claim 15, wherein the luminosity sensor includes at least one of a photo sensitive diode and a camera.

17. The display device according to claim 13, wherein the control circuitry is configured to control display of a first part of the at least one graphic display object by a first segment and a remaining part of the at least one graphic display object by at least one second segment adjacent to the first segment.

18. The display device according to claim 11, wherein the display panel comprises a plurality of segments, each segment forming a respective part of the pixel matrix.

19. The display device according to claim 18, further comprising an identification sensor, and wherein the control circuitry is configured to activate at least one segment among the plurality of segments and/or customize display of the at least one graphic display object by the at least one segment based on an identification signal from the identification sensor upon identification of one of a person and a predefined user at most a predefined distance from the at least one segment.

20. The display device according to claim 19, wherein the control circuitry is configured to control display of a first part of the at least one graphic display object by a first segment and a remaining part of the at least one graphic display object by at least one second segment adjacent to the first segment.

21. The display device according to claim 18, wherein the control circuitry is configured to control display of a first part of the at least one graphic display object by a first segment and a remaining part of the at least one graphic display object by at least one second segment adjacent to the first segment.

22. The display device according to claim 11, wherein the luminosity sensor includes at least one of a photo sensitive diode and a camera.

23. A vehicle, comprising: an interior seating region; and a display device, disposed around the interior seating region of the vehicle, configured to provide a viewing range of at least 270°, including a display panel having a pixel matrix with pixel elements arranged in different portions, a luminosity sensor configured to estimate an intensity of light from an external light source independently for the different portions of the display panel, and control circuitry configured to actuate the pixel elements of the pixel matrix to display at least one graphic display object in at least one portion of the display panel with an intensity of light radiating from the pixel elements in the at least one portion of the display panel adjusted individually as a function of an intensity signal provided by the luminosity sensor for the at least one portion of the display panel.

24. The vehicle according to claim 23, wherein the viewing range is substantially 360°.

25. The vehicle according to claim 23, wherein in an unactuated state, each pixel element of the pixel matrix is transparent.

26. The vehicle according to claim 25, further comprising an electronic controller connected to the control circuitry, wherein the display panel includes a back layer configured to provide a degree of transparency of the display panel controlled by an electric signal, and wherein the control circuitry is configured to adjust the degree of transparency in accordance with the physical environment condition, and estimate the physical environment condition based on a signal from the electronic controller.

27. The vehicle according to claim 26, wherein the physical environment condition includes a driving situation of the vehicle, including one of a manual driving situation and an autonomous driving situation of the vehicle.

28. The vehicle according to claim 23, further comprising an identification sensor, connected to the control circuitry, configured to identify one of a person and a predefined user, and determine a distance to the one of the person and the predefined user, wherein the display panel comprises a plurality of segments, each forming a respective part of the pixel matrix, and wherein the control circuitry is configured to activate at least one segment among the plurality of segments and/or customize display of the at least one graphic display object by the at least one segment based on an identification signal from the identification sensor upon identification of the one of the person and the predefined user at most a predefined distance from the at least one segment.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] These and other aspects and advantages will become more apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the exemplary embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

[0028] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of the vehicle with a display device;

[0029] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a portion of the vehicle with the display device; and

[0030] FIG. 3 is a schematic exploded view of an embodiment of the display device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.

[0032] In the embodiment explained in the following, the described components of the embodiment each represent individual features which are to be considered independently of each other and are also to be regarded as a component in an individual manner or other than as shown in combination. Furthermore, the described embodiment can also be supplemented by further features already described.

[0033] In the figures identical reference signs indicate elements that provide the same function.

[0034] FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of a vehicle 10, wherein the vehicle 10 may be a personal vehicle which may be either driven manually or may be is a self-driving vehicle. Furthermore, the vehicle 10 may be a semi-autonomous vehicle. In FIG. 2, an interior seating region 11 of the vehicle 10 is depicted. The vehicle 10 may have a first front vehicle seat 12, a second front vehicle seat 13, a first rear vehicle seat 14 and a second rear vehicle seat 15. A user (not shown in the figures) can be seated on the first front vehicle seat 12, wherein the user may be a driver of the vehicle 10. Furthermore, other passengers (not shown in the figures) may be seated on the second front vehicle seat 13, the first rear vehicle seat 14 and the second rear vehicle seat 15, respectively. The vehicle 10 may include a display device 16 with a display panel 17 and control circuitry 18. The display panel 17 may include a pixel matrix 43, as shown in FIG. 3. The control circuitry 18 may be designed to actuate pixel elements of the pixel matrix 43 for displaying at least one graphic display object 19. The at least one graphic display object 19 may be a logo or an app or a vehicle graphic user interface (GUI).

[0035] Furthermore, the display panel 17 may have at least one bent surface 20, 21, 22, 23 and/or at least one folded surface. The display panel 17 may have a plurality of segments A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, A7, A8, as shown in FIG. 2, wherein each segment A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, A7, A8 may form a respective part of the pixel matrix 43. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the display device 16 may surround the interior seating region 11 of the vehicle 10 and provide a viewing range of at least 270°, such as 360°.

[0036] However, in the presence of a light 24 from an external light source 25, for example, the sun, a portion 26 of the display panel 17 facing the external light source 25 will be harder to read. However, a portion 27 of the display panel 17 may have the external light source 25 behind it and a portion 28 of the display panel 17 may lie in a shaded region 29 (shown by dashed lines), due to a shadow created by a tree 30 in front of the external light source 25. A boundary of the shaded region 29 may be depicted by a line 44. The portions 27 and 28 may appear much brighter although they may have the same brightness as the portion 26. In order to enable a homogenous perceivable brightness of the display panel 17, the control circuitry 18 may be adapted to adjust an intensity of light 31 radiating from the pixel elements as a function of an intensity signal X1, X2, X3. Intensity signal X1, X2, X3 may be provided by a luminosity sensor element L which may be designed to estimate an intensity of the light 24 from the external light source 25.

[0037] For the sake of understandability, the description of the embodiment of the display device 16 is constrained to the segment A7 of the display panel 17. As shown in FIG. 2, the luminosity sensor arrangement L may include three luminosity sensors L1, L2, L3, wherein the luminosity sensor arrangement L may include at least one photo sensitive diode and/or at least one camera. The luminosity sensors L1, L2, L3 may include photo sensitive diodes. The luminosity sensors L1, L2, L3 may be designed to estimate the intensity of the light 24 from the external light source 25 and send the respective intensity signal X1, X2, X3 to the control circuitry 18, respectively. The luminosity sensor L1 may estimate the intensity of the light 24 which is incident on a portion B1 of the segment A7, whereas the luminosity sensor L2 may estimate the intensity of the light 24 which is incident on a portion B2 of the segment A7 and the luminosity sensor L3 may estimate the intensity of the light 24 which is incident on a portion B3 of the segment A7. For the sake of understandability, the portions B1, B2 and B3 are separated by lines 31 and 32, wherein a sum of areas of the respective portions B1, B2 and B3 is an area of the segment A7.

[0038] Hence, the luminosity sensor arrangement L is designed to estimate the intensity of the light 24 independently for different portions B1, B2, B3 of the segment A7. As shown in FIG. 2, the portions B1 and B2 may receive a higher intensity of light 24 from the external light source 25, whereas the portion B3 may lie in the shaded region 29. Hence, the portion B3 may receive a lower intensity of the light 24 as compared to the portions B1 and B2. Hence, depending upon the estimated intensity of the light 24 which is incident upon the respective portions B1, B2, B3, the respective luminosity sensors L1, L2, L3 may send the respective intensity signals X1, X2, X3 to the control circuitry 18, for example, wirelessly. The Intensity signal X1 may be sent along a path 33, as shown by an arrow 36. The intensity signal X2 may be sent along a path 34, as shown by an arrow 37 and the intensity signal X3 may be sent along a path 35, as shown by an arrow 38. The control circuitry 18 may be adapted to adjust the intensity of the light 31 radiating from each of the pixel element corresponding to the respective portion B1, B2, B3 of the display panel 17 individually. In other words, upon receiving the respective intensity signals X1, X2, X3, the control circuitry 18 may be adapted to send respective display signals Y1, Y2, Y3 to the corresponding portions B1, B2, B3 of the segment A7. Hence, the control circuitry 18 may adjust the intensity of the light 31 radiating from the pixel elements in the respective portions B1, B2, B3, such that the brightness of the entire segment A7 is homogenous and constant as per a predefined perceived brightness, which may be set by the user for the display panel 17 as a whole or for each segment A1 to A8 individually.

[0039] Furthermore, the control circuitry 18 may be designed to actuate at least one of the plurality of segments A1 to A8 and/or customize a display of the at least one graphic display object 19 by the respective segment A1 to A8 as a function of an identification signal Z, wherein the identification signal Z may be sent by an identification sensor 39 upon an identification of at least one person or a predefined user at or within a predefined distance from the respective segment A1 to A8. The identification signal Z may be sent to the control circuitry 18 along a path 40, as shown by an arrow 41. Furthermore, the control circuitry 18 may be designed to enable the display of a part 42 of the at least one graphic display object 19 by the segment A1, such that another remaining part 50 of the at least one graphic display object 19 is displayed by the at least one adjacent segment A2.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 3, the display panel 17 may include the pixel matrix 43 and a back layer 45. The pixel matrix 43 may be in form of a TOLED screen. The control circuitry 18 may be designed to actuate at least one pixel element of the pixel matrix 43 for displaying the at least one graphic display object 19, wherein in an unactuated state each pixel element of the pixel matrix 43 may be transparent.

[0041] The back layer 45 may have a plurality of subareas 46, 46′ having an adjustable degree of light transmission. The subareas 46, 46′ may have quadrilateral shapes and/or triangle shapes and/or polygonal shapes or a mixture of the aforementioned shapes. As shown in the FIG. 3, the subareas 46, 46′ may have triangle shapes. The subareas 46, 46′ may be designed to allow a transmission of electricity or may be electrically conductive. In order to achieve an adjustable degree of light transmission, a voltage difference may be enabled across each of the subareas 46, 46′. This may enable a transformation of each of the subareas 46, 46′ from a transparent state to an opaque state depending on the degree of the voltage difference across the particular subarea 46, 46′. Furthermore, in the case of PDLC or DSLC, the subareas 46, 46′ can be transformed to a state between the opaque state and the transparence state. As shown in the FIG. 3, the subareas 46, which are at least covered by the graphic display object 19, are in the opaque state, whereas the other subareas 46′, which are not at least covered by the graphic display object 19, are in the transparent state.

[0042] Each of the subareas 46, 46′ may be separated or may be surrounded by a space 47 between each of them. The space 47 can enable a wiring across the respective subarea 46, 46′. The wiring can enable the voltage difference across a predetermined subarea 46, 46′. The control circuitry 18 may be adapted to adjust the respective light transmission to a predetermined individual degree for each of the plurality of subareas 46, 46′ of the back layer 45 independent of each of the respective subareas 46, 46′. For the sake of understandability the other subareas 46′, as shown in the FIG. 3, are in the transparent state.

[0043] For example, a display region 48 may be selected on the display panel 17, in order to display the at least one graphic display object 19 on the display region 48. The control circuitry 18 may be designed to actuate the pixel elements of the pixel matrix 43 corresponding to the display region 48, such that the pixel elements corresponding to the display region 48 radiate light in the respective colors associated with the at least one graphic display object 19. However, a remaining part of the display panel 17 outside the display region 48, that is a non-display region 49, can remain transparent. In this case, the pixel elements corresponding to the non-display region 49 remain in an unactuated state due to which each of the pixel elements corresponding to the non-display region 49 can remain transparent. In order to display the at least one graphic display object 19 on the display panel 17, the control circuitry 18 can be designed to determine the respective subareas 46, which are at least partly occupied by the at least one graphic display object 19. The subareas 46, which are at least partly occupied by the at least one graphic display object 19, may be turned opaque by changing the voltage difference across each of the respective subareas 46 corresponding to the display region 48. The control circuitry 18 may be adapted to adjust the light transmission of the set respective subareas 46 to a degree lower than that of the subareas 46′, which are not at least partly occupied by the graphic display object 19.

[0044] The control circuitry 18 may be adapted to enable the displaying of the at least one graphic display object 19. For the sake of understandability, the at least one graphic display object 19 may be a text message “XYM”, for example yellow in color, and with a colored background, which can be, for example, blue in color (represented by indented lines with broad spaces). Furthermore, the control circuitry 18 may be adapted to adjust a degree of transparency in accordance with a physical environment condition, wherein the control circuitry 18 is designed to estimate the physical environment condition, as signaled by an electronic control unit (not shown in the figures). Furthermore, the physical environment condition may include a driving situation of the vehicle 10, wherein the driving situation is one out of a manual driving situation and an autonomous driving situation of the vehicle 10.

[0045] Overall, the example shows how the display device 16 enables the display of the at least one graphic display object 19 on the display panel 17 in an efficient manner.

[0046] A description has been provided with particular reference to preferred embodiments thereof and examples, but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the claims which may include the phrase “at least one of A, B and C” as an alternative expression that means one or more of A, B and C may be used, contrary to the holding in Superguide v. DIRECTV, 358 F3d 870, 69 USPQ2d 1865 (Fed. Cir. 2004).