Virtual mirror arrangement with adjustment function via a movement of the display

Abstract

A virtual mirror arrangement, in particular for a vehicle, including at least one screen arranged in the interior of a vehicle for displaying a detection region of at least one camera, where an actuator connected to the camera is controllable by a movement of the display. The disclosure further relates to a method for adjusting a virtual mirror.

Claims

1. A virtual mirror arrangement, in particular for a vehicle, comprising: at least one screen arranged in the interior of a vehicle for displaying a detection region of at least one camera, comprising at least one actuator to orient the at least one camera, and a controller to control the at least one actuator, where the at least one screen is movable and the at least one actuator is controllable by at least one movement of the screen, wherein the at least one screen is adapted to perform a horizontal tilting movement, a vertical tilting movement, a rotational movement, and a translation movement, and the at least one actuator is adapted to horizontally pivot the at least one camera upon a horizontal tilting movement of the at least one screen; to vertically pivot the at least one camera upon a vertical tilting movement of the at least one screen; to rotate the at least one camera about an optical axis upon a rotational movement of the at least one screen, to reduce a focal width of the at least one camera upon pushing the at least one screen and to increase the focal width of the at least one camera upon pulling the at least one screen.

2. The virtual mirror arrangement of claim 1, wherein the at least one movement of the at least one screen can be determined by at least one sensor.

3. The virtual mirror arrangement of claim 2, wherein the at least one sensor is connected with the controller for data exchange.

4. The virtual mirror arrangement of claim 1, wherein the at least one screen is adapted to return to a basic position after a movement and/or deflection.

5. The virtual mirror arrangement of claim 1, wherein the at least one screen is adapted to retain its position after a movement and/or deflection.

6. A method to adjust at least one virtual mirror of a virtual mirror arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the at least one camera is oriented in accordance with a movement and deflection of the at least one screen, wherein the at least one camera is pivoted horizontally by at least one horizontal tilting movement of the at least one screen and vertically by at least one vertical tilting movement of the at least one screen, wherein a focal width of the at least one camera is reduced by pushing the at least one screen and increased by pulling the at least one screen and the at least one camera is rotated by rotating the at least one screen about an optical axis.

7. The virtual mirror arrangement of claim 2, wherein the at least one screen is adapted to return to a basic position after a movement and/or deflection.

8. The virtual mirror arrangement of claim 3, wherein the at least one screen is adapted to return to a basic position after a movement and/or deflection.

9. The virtual mirror arrangement of claim 2, wherein the at least one screen is adapted to retain its position after a movement and/or deflection.

10. The virtual mirror arrangement of claim 3, wherein the at least one screen is adapted to retain its position after a movement and/or deflection.

11. A method to adjust at least one virtual mirror of a virtual mirror arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the at least one camera is oriented in accordance with a movement and deflection of the at least one screen, wherein the at least one camera is pivoted horizontally by at least one horizontal tilting movement of the at least one screen and vertically by at least one vertical tilting movement of the at least one screen, wherein a focal width of the at least one camera is reduced by pushing the at least one screen and increased by pulling the at least one screen and the at least one camera is rotated by rotating the at least one screen about an optical axis.

12. A method to adjust at least one virtual mirror of a virtual mirror arrangement according to claim 3, wherein the at least one camera is oriented in accordance with a movement and deflection of the at least one screen, wherein the at least one camera is pivoted horizontally by at least one horizontal tilting movement of the at least one screen and vertically by at least one vertical tilting movement of the at least one screen, wherein a focal width of the at least one camera is reduced by pushing the at least one screen and increased by pulling the at least one screen and the at least one camera is rotated by rotating the at least one screen about an optical axis.

13. A method to adjust at least one virtual mirror of a virtual mirror arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the at least one camera is oriented in accordance with a movement and deflection of the at least one screen, wherein the at least one camera is pivoted horizontally by at least one horizontal tilting movement of the at least one screen and vertically by at least one vertical tilting movement of the at least one screen, wherein a focal width of the at least one camera is reduced by pushing the at least one screen and increased by pulling the at least one screen and the at least one camera is rotated by rotating the at least one screen about an optical axis.

14. A method to adjust at least one virtual mirror of a virtual mirror arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the at least one camera is oriented in accordance with a movement and deflection of the at least one screen, wherein the at least one camera is pivoted horizontally by at least one horizontal tilting movement of the at least one screen and vertically by at least one vertical tilting movement of the at least one screen, wherein a focal width of the at least one camera is reduced by pushing the at least one screen and increased by pulling the at least one screen and the at least one camera is rotated by rotating the at least one screen about an optical axis.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(1) Embodiment of the invention are illustrated schematically in the drawings using embodiments and is further described with reference to the drawings. It shows:

(2) FIG. 1 as a schematic representation of a virtual mirror arrangement according to an embodiment of the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 as a schematic representation of different movement possibilities of the screen to clarify the method according to the invention; a) basic position; b) horizontal tilting movement; c) vertical tilting movement; d) pushing; e) pulling; f) rotational movement.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(4) In the figures, the same design elements have the same reference numbers.

(5) FIG. 1 shows schematically a virtual mirror arrangement 1 according to an embodiment of the invention. The arrangement 1 comprises a screen or in display 2. The display 2 is movably mounted. According to the exemplary embodiment, two sensors 4, 5 are mechanically coupled with the display 2.

(6) The sensors 4, 5 may determine how the display 2 is moved by a user. The sensors 4, 5 are here mechanical sensors to determine a vertical and horizontal tilting movement of display 2. For convenience, no further sensors are depicted. The depicted sensors 4, 5 are connected to a controller 6.

(7) The controller 6 may receive and assess the sensor measurement data determined by the sensors 4, 5. The movement of the display 2 is used as direct control input for at least one setting of a camera 8. Based on the assessed sensor measurement data of the two sensors 4, 5, actuators 10. 11 arranged on the camera 8 and controlled by the controller 6 may act on the camera 8.

(8) In accordance with the already mentioned simplification, two actuators 10, 11 are shown for horizontal and vertical pivoting of the camera 8. By horizontally or vertically pivoting the camera 8 by the two actuators 10, 11, a detection region of the camera 8 may be shifted. The detection region of the camera 8 is displayed directly on the display 2. Thus, the detection region displayed on the display 2 can be intuitively adjusted analog to a conventional mirror. Depending on the magnitude of a tilting movement of display 2, the controller 6 may apply a different voltage to the actuators 10, 11 and may mechanically pivot the camera 8 faster or slower.

(9) FIG. 2 illustrates schematically different movement possibilities of the screen 2 or display 2 to clarify the method 12 according to the invention. In particular, the display 2 is depicted in dotted lines in its original position to clarify at least one movement. An object 14 is arranged in the dotted detection region 16 of the camera 8 to demonstrate an influence of the respective settings of the display 2 and the camera 8. The arrows in the respective figures illustrate respective deflections of the camera 8 and the resulting changes of the detection region 16.

(10) FIG. 2a shows the display 2 in a basic position. According to the exemplary embodiment, the object 14 is arranged in the detection region 16 of the camera 8 and in the middle of the display 2 when in basic position.

(11) FIG. 2b shows a horizontal tilting movement of the display 2. The display 2 on a right edge of the display 2 was pushed away by a user. As a result, the camera 8 may, through the control of the actuators 10, 11 by the controller 6, be pivoted such that the detection region 16 is shifted to the right, as indicated by the arrow.

(12) FIG. 2c illustrates a horizontal tilting movement of the display 2 by pressing an upper edge of the display 2. In this case, the actuators 10, 11 are driven by the controller 6 such that the camera 8 is pivoted upwards and the detection region 16 of the camera 8, such as indicated by arrow, is also shifted upwards.

(13) FIG. 2d illustrates a pushing of the display 2 away from the user. As a result, an actuator in a lens of the camera 8 may be controlled by the controller 6 and a focal width of the camera 8 may be reduced. This enables a so-called zooming out of the detection region 16, by means of which a detection region 16, as indicated by a double arrow, is enlarged.

(14) FIG. 2e shows a pulling of the display 2 towards the user. This enables an opposite effect to the sequence shown in FIG. 2d. By pulling the display 2, the actuator, for varying a focal width of the camera 8, is driven by the controller such that the focal width is increased. By increasing the focal width, a so-called zooming in may be realized, as a result of which the detection region 16 of the camera 8 is reduced and the object 14, as indicated by the double arrow, is enlarged.

(15) FIG. 2e shows a rotational movement of the display 2, whereby the camera 8 is rotated by an actuator about an optical axis of the camera 8. As a result, the detection region 16, as indicated by an arc-shaped arrow, and the image shown on the display 2 are also shown rotated.