METHOD FOR OPERATING A DISPLAY ARRANGEMENT OF A MOTOR VEHICLE, AND MOTOR VEHICLE

Abstract

A method for operating a display arrangement of a motor vehicle. A camera continuously captures camera images of a motor vehicle environment and a display device shows the camera images in the form of an alternating image display. An additional, continuously changing image element is shown in or adjacent to the display of alternating images. The image element does not change if a malfunction of the camera and/or the display device and/or another component of the display arrangement results in the display of a still image comprising a single camera image by the display device.

Claims

1-10. (canceled)

11. A method for operating a display arrangement of a motor vehicle, wherein a camera continuously captures camera images of a motor vehicle environment and a display device shows the camera images in the form of an alternating image display, wherein an additional, continuously changing image element is shown in or adjacent to the display of alternating images, wherein the image element does not change if a malfunction of the camera and/or the display device and/or another component of the display arrangement results in the display of a still image comprising a single camera image by the display device wherein at least one piece of operating information relating to the operation of the motor vehicle is detected, wherein the image element is only displayed if a display condition dependent on the operating information is met, wherein the operating information relates to the state of motion of the motor vehicle, wherein the display condition is only met when the motor vehicle is not moving.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein at least one piece of error information relating to the presence of the malfunction of the camera and/or the display device and/or another component of the display arrangement is detected, wherein the image element is generated as a function of the error information.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein a bar that changes its geometry or a number that represents an incrementing sequence of numbers, or an object which is moving and/or changing its color and/or its line width and/or its position in the image displayed by display device is displayed as the constantly changing image element.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the display device displays at least one image segment in addition to the camera image, which segment contains information relating to the driving operation of the motor vehicle.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the information relating to the driving operation of the motor vehicle relates to data from a navigation system and/or auxiliary lines of a parking assistance system and/or the current speed of the motor vehicle and/or the current time of day or the distance to a vehicle in front.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the constantly changing image element is the image segment or is contained in the image segment.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein a control device controls the image display mode, wherein said or another control device generates the image element.

18. A motor vehicle, comprising a display arrangement with a camera for continuously capturing a camera image of a motor vehicle environment, a display device for displaying the camera images in the form of an alternating image display, and a control device, wherein the control device is set up to control the operation of the display arrangement of the motor vehicle according to the method according to claim 11.

19. The method according to claim 12, wherein a bar that changes its geometry or a number that represents an incrementing sequence of numbers, or an object which is moving and/or changing its color and/or its line width and/or its position in the image displayed by display device is displayed as the constantly changing image element.

20. The method according to claim 12, wherein the display device displays at least one image segment in addition to the camera image, which segment contains information relating to the driving operation of the motor vehicle.

21. The method according to claim 13, wherein the display device displays at least one image segment in addition to the camera image, which segment contains information relating to the driving operation of the motor vehicle.

22. The method according to claim 14, wherein the constantly changing image element is the image segment or is contained in the image segment.

23. The method according to claim 12, wherein a control device controls the image display mode, wherein said or another control device generates the image element.

24. The method according to claim 13, wherein a control device controls the image display mode, wherein said or another control device generates the image element.

25. The method according to claim 14, wherein a control device controls the image display mode, wherein said or another control device generates the image element.

26. The method according to claim 15, wherein a control device controls the image display mode, wherein said or another control device generates the image element.

27. The method according to claim 16, wherein a control device controls the image display mode, wherein said or another control device generates the image element.

Description

[0026] Further advantages and details of the invention will be apparent from the exemplary embodiments described below and with reference to the drawings. Wherein:

[0027] FIG. 1 schematically shows a top view of the front of an exemplary embodiment of a motor vehicle according to the invention,

[0028] FIG. 2 schematically shows the image displayed by a display device of the embodiment of the vehicle according to the invention, and

[0029] FIG. 3 schematically shows the image displayed by a display device of another exemplary embodiment of the motor vehicle according to the invention.

[0030] FIG. 1 schematically shows a motor vehicle 1 with a display arrangement 2. Here, a camera 3 is provided for the ongoing detection of a motor vehicle environment 4, in particular an environment behind the motor vehicle 1, wherein a display device 6 is provided for displaying the camera images 5 in the form of a changing image display. The display arrangement 2 can also be referred to as a virtual rearview mirror and comprises the camera 3, the display device 6, and a control device 7 of the motor vehicle 1.

[0031] In addition to the changing image display of the camera images 5 by the display device 6, a continuously changing image element 8 is displayed. If due to a malfunction of the camera 3 and/or the display device 6 and/or another component of the display arrangement, the camera images from the display device 6 are no longer in the form of an alternating image display, but only in the form of a still image comprising a single camera image 5, the image element does not change.

[0032] A user 9 or driver of the motor vehicle 1 is thus enabled, in the case of a frozen still image displayed by the display device 6, to intuitively and immediately recognize the presence of a malfunction relating to the display arrangement 2 and therefore to be aware that he cannot trust the current display of the virtual rearview mirror or the display arrangement 2. Particularly in the case when the user 9 has already gotten used to the constantly changing image element 8 or the throbber, he can immediately conclude that a non-moving throbber means that the display device 6 is displaying a still image.

[0033] The image display operation is controlled by the controller 7. For this, the camera 3 transmits the recordings of the motor vehicle environment 4 to the control device 7, wherein the control device 7 in turn transmits the camera images 5 to the display arrangement 2. Although the control device 7 is provided as a separate component in the exemplary embodiment shown, it is conceivable that the control device 7 is alternatively a component of the camera 3 or of the display device 6.

[0034] The control device 7 is therefore set up in the motor vehicle 1, for example, to detect error information relating to the presence of a malfunction in the camera 3 and/or the display device 6 and/or the control device 7 itself and/or another component of the display arrangement 2. The image element 8 is generated by the control device 7 as a function of the error information.

[0035] In addition, the control device 7 is set up, although this is not absolutely necessary, to record operational information relating to the operation of the motor vehicle 1, wherein the image element 8 is only displayed when a display condition dependent on the operational information is met. In particular, in the exemplary embodiment shown, the image element 8 is only displayed when the motor vehicle 1 is not driving. In this case, it is clear to the user 9 that the camera images 5 must be displayed by the display device 6 in the form of an alternating image display. If there is a still image while driving, the user 9 intuitively concludes that there must be a malfunction in the display arrangement 2. The display of the image element 8 is unnecessary in this case.

[0036] FIG. 2 shows the view of the display device 6 from the perspective of a user 9. The entire display area of the display device 6 is filled, for example, by the camera image 5, which represents the rearward motor vehicle environment 4. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the continuously changing image element 8 is, for example, a rotating wheel that overlays the camera image 5. Alternatively, it is conceivable that the constantly changing image element 8 is a bar that changes its geometry or a number that represents an incremental sequence of numbers, or an object that moves and/or changes its color and/or its line width and/or its position in the image displayed by the display device 6.

[0037] FIG. 3 also shows the view of the display device 6 of another exemplary embodiment of the motor vehicle 1 according to the invention from the perspective of a user 9. In addition to the camera image 5, the display device 6 shows an image segment 10 that contains information from a navigation system 11 of the motor vehicle 1. The data shown by the image segment 10 relating to the navigation system 11 are just exemplary, that is, the image segment 10 can alternatively also contain other information relating to the driving operation of the motor vehicle 1. In the other exemplary embodiment of the motor vehicle 1, the image segment 10 is arranged next to the camera image 5 by way of example, but can also be faded in or embedded in the camera image 5. In this case, the image segment 10 itself can be the constantly changing image element 8. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the constantly changing image element 8 is a navigation arrow in the image segment 11. As an example, it is envisaged here that the navigation arrow constantly changes its color and pulsates. In addition, although not shown in FIG. 3, it is conceivable that a rotating wheel as shown in FIG. 2 is also displayed in the camera image 5.