VEHICLE DOOR HANDLE HAVING A DISPLAY ELEMENT

Abstract

A vehicle door handle includes an external visible surface having a display element. The display element includes a surface having a plurality of individually controllable pixels that are controllable via a control unit depending on a user interface. Displaying content on the display element of such a vehicle door handle involves the display content being predetermined or pre-stored display content retrieved via the user interface.

Claims

1-16. (canceled)

17. A vehicle door handle, comprising: an external visible surface having a display element, wherein display element comprises a surface having a plurality of individually controllable pixels that are controllable via a control device depending on a user interface.

18. The vehicle door handle of claim 17, wherein the display element comprises a liquid crystal display.

19. The vehicle door handle of claim 17, wherein the display element comprises a matrix of light points, which comprise light emitting diodes or organic light emitting diodes.

20. The vehicle door handle of claim 17, wherein the vehicle door handle is a mechanically moveable actuating handle.

21. The vehicle door handle of claim 20, wherein the external visible surface is formed flush with a door panel in a non-actuated state.

22. The vehicle door handle of claim 17, wherein the vehicle door handle is a non-moveable part on a door panel.

23. A method for displaying content on a display element on an external visible surface of a vehicle door handle, wherein the method comprises: determining the content to display on the display element, wherein the content is predetermined or is pre-stored display content is retrieved via a user interface; and displaying the determined content on the display element.

24. The method of claim 23, the method further comprising: detecting, using sensors of the user interface, an approach of a person potentially using the vehicle; determining content associated with the person; and depicting, on the display element responsive to the detected approach of the person, the content associated with the person and at least one further parameter.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the at least one further parameters is a time-, location-, weather-, date- or temperature-dependent variable.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein content associated with the person is freely programmable.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the content associated with the person is freely programmable with respect to color, a text, or a graphical design.

28. The method of claim 24, further comprising: detecting, via an optical sensor, a design or color pattern; and storing the detected design or color pattern as the content associated with the person or reproducing the detected design or color pattern directly on the display element.

29. The method of claim 23, wherein the determined content is selected at least partially depending on a vehicle interior, an ambient interior lighting, or from pre-programmed design examples.

30. An application program in a mobile terminal for programming a user interface for a vehicle door handle with an external visible surface having a display element, the application program comprising: a user interface via which content is created, selected from pre-stored or online retrievable design examples, or captured via a camera of the mobile terminal and transmitted as display content.

31. The application program of claim 30, wherein the content in the user interface is individualized with further parameters.

32. The program application of claim 31, wherein the further parameters are set individually or influenced by sensor data of the mobile terminal or by data stored in the mobile terminal.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

[0017] Here are shown:

[0018] FIGS. 1a)-1e) various examples of the individual design of a vehicle door handle according to the invention; and

[0019] FIG. 2 a possible procedure for individualizing a vehicle door handle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] In addition to exterior door handles painted purely in the vehicle color, those with additional chrome trim or those with an exterior visible surface painted in a contrasting color to the vehicle color, the vehicle door handle according to the invention makes it possible to design it flexibly and programmably in terms of its design. The depiction in FIGS. 1a)-1e) illustrate different views of one and the same vehicle door handle 1, wherein its entire surface visible here is to be designed in the form of a display element having a plurality of individually controllable pixels, for example as an OLED display. This display element now permits corresponding individualization.

[0021] In the depiction in FIG. 1a), for example, the irregular cross-hatching in the upper part is intended to indicate a chrome trim, while the lower part is intended to be depicted, for example, in the color of the car or in a color which harmonizes or contrasts with the color of the car. This can now be individually programmed accordingly.

[0022] In the depiction in FIG. 1b), for example, a different boundary line is depicted between the virtual chrome region and the colored region.

[0023] The depiction in FIG. 1c) is intended to show a vehicle door handle 1 which is set, for example, in a color or color gradient according to the user's individual preferences.

[0024] In the example of FIG. 1d), the depiction of writing, in this case “Good Morning”, as well as the depiction of a weather forecast, is displayed. This data can be downloaded from the Internet, for example, and visualized accordingly. By way of example, the greeting “Good Morning” can always be displayed in the morning, while in the evening or afternoon “Good day” or “Good evening” would be displayed. The parameter for control here is simply the time. Further parameters, such as the date, a date-related event such as a birthday or similar, could also be taken into account, such that a user would be wished a happy birthday. The temperature can also be displayed in accordance with the measured temperature in the vehicle and, for example, the danger of black ice can be indicated if the temperature is below 3° C.

[0025] FIG. 1e) depicts the example of a graphical pattern on the vehicle door handle 1. This can, for example, bear a design desired by the user, it can also, for example, imitate the wood look of trim strips in the interior, the look of seat covers, or similar, in order to obtain a consistent but individual design concept for the vehicle. In addition, many other graphical depictions on the display element of the vehicle door handle 1 are conceivable, for example also the display of photographs, of video sequences recorded by a camera, for example of the vehicle, or similar. All this can be done permanently or, in particular, as a greeting function when the vehicle has detected the approach of a user. This can be detected, for example, by means of a radio key of the user brought close to the vehicle. Different radio keys can be provided with various individualization features, such that, for example, the radio key used by person A results in a different graphical depiction in the display element of the vehicle door handle 1 than the approach of another radio key used by person B for the same vehicle. In addition, the approach of the user and the user himself/herself can be detected, for example, via a camera of the vehicle. He/she can further be detected by other means, for example, by an approach of a mobile terminal assigned to him/her, for example a smartphone.

[0026] This very smartphone can then also be used with a corresponding application programming or app on the smartphone to set the individual appearance of the vehicle door handle 1 accordingly via the user interface of the app. The individualization can then be carried out explicitly in accordance with a selection in the user interface, wherein predetermined designs or designs available on the internet are downloaded. Alternatively, or in addition to this, designs can also be created based on optical sensors such as cameras in particular. By way of example, a design can be created accordingly by means of a camera of the vehicle depicted in FIG. 2 and designated 2. In this case, the camera 2 is to detect the design of a garment designated 3 of a user 4. This design is then provided to the display element in the vehicle door handle 1 via a control unit 5.

[0027] An alternative would be, for example, to use a smartphone 6 as a mobile terminal. In the already mentioned user interface of an application programming or app running on it, a comparable image could then be captured via the integrated camera 7 of the smartphone 6 in this case and transmitted via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or similar, for example, to a communication interface 8 and from there to the control device 5, in order to then be depicted accordingly on the display element of the vehicle door handle 1.

[0028] This depiction of a special pattern based on the clothing 3 of the user 4 is, of course, only one example. Other graphical elements inside or outside the vehicle can also be captured as a design specification and directly depicted and stored for later use, be it, for example, a look of natural materials in the user's surroundings or even individual pictures or individual colors, such as the colors of the nail polish of a person using the vehicle.

[0029] It goes without saying that, in addition to such a pattern, content, such as a chrome trim in the upper region, or content, such as scrolling text or a static text display, can also be used, which is then combined with or superimposed on the pattern accordingly.

[0030] In principle, a permanent display of the corresponding patterns is conceivable, in particular they can be used for an individualized greeting in the case of an approach detection. In the de-energized state, the vehicle door handles can then display, for example, a basic color of the display element, e.g., black, or, if the display element is designed to be correspondingly transparent, also a basic color that shines through the display element, which can correspond in particular to the painted car color.

[0031] Although the invention has been illustrated and described in detail by way of preferred embodiments, the invention is not limited by the examples disclosed, and other variations can be derived from these by the person skilled in the art without leaving the scope of the invention. It is therefore clear that there is a plurality of possible variations. It is also clear that embodiments stated by way of example are only really examples that are not to be seen as limiting the scope, application possibilities or configuration of the invention in any way. In fact, the preceding description and the description of the figures enable the person skilled in the art to implement the exemplary embodiments in concrete manner, wherein, with the knowledge of the disclosed inventive concept, the person skilled in the art is able to undertake various changes, for example, with regard to the functioning or arrangement of individual elements stated in an exemplary embodiment without leaving the scope of the invention, which is defined by the claims and their legal equivalents, such as further explanations in the description.