GAMING DEVICE FOR A VEHICLE, VEHICLE AND METHOD FOR OPERATING A GAMING DEVICE FOR A VEHICLE

Abstract

A gaming device is provided for a vehicle. It contains a control device which is set up to run a computer game in a game mode, in which output image signals are determined based on input signals for influencing the gameplay of the computer game received from a user. It also includes a user interface connected to the control device which is set up to receive the input signals from the user and an output device on board the vehicle connected to the control device which is set up to output the output image signals to an external area of the vehicle. It is provided that the user interface is located in a vehicle interior of the vehicle and can be operated by a person in the vehicle interior as a user and that the output device includes at least one high-resolution vehicle headlamp of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A gaming device for a vehicle, comprising a control device which is set up to run a computer game in a game mode, in which output image signals are determined based on input signals received from a user for influencing a gameplay of the computer game; a user interface connected to the control device which is set up to receive the input signals from the user; and an output device on board the vehicle connected to the control device which is set up to output the output image signals to an external area of the vehicle, wherein the user interface is located in a vehicle interior of the vehicle and can be operated by a person in the vehicle interior as a user, and the output device contains at least one high-resolution vehicle headlamp of the vehicle.

2. The gaming device according to claim 1, wherein the user interface includes at least one input device of the vehicle with which the input signals for influencing at least one vehicle function can be received when the control device is not in the game mode.

3. The gaming device according to claim 2, wherein the at least one input device of the vehicle includes at least one switch on a steering wheel device of the vehicle.

4. The gaming device according to claim 1, wherein the control device is an electronic control unit of the vehicle.

5. The gaming device according to claim 1, wherein the output device includes another high-resolution vehicle headlamp of the vehicle.

6. The gaming device according to claim 5, wherein the control device includes an arbitration module which is set up to assign the output image signals to the high-resolution vehicle headlamp and/or to the other high-resolution vehicle headlamp.

7. The gaming device according to claim 1, wherein the control device is set up to adjust the output image signals according to an operating mode of the at least one vehicle headlamp.

8. The gaming device according to claim 1, wherein the user interface contains a mobile terminal device.

9. The gaming device according to claim 5, wherein the at least one high-resolution vehicle headlamp includes a plurality of lighting elements for the targeted generation of a light distribution according to received output image signals.

10. The gaming device according to claim 9, wherein the lighting elements are in the form of light-emitting diodes or of components of a liquid crystal display device or of components of a digital micromirror device.

11. The gaming device according to claim 1, wherein the control device is set up to detect a motion state of the vehicle and to switch to the game mode according to the detected motion state.

12. The gaming device according to claim 11, wherein the control device is set up to be able to switch to the gaming mode only when the vehicle is not moving.

13. A method for operating a gaming device for a vehicle, wherein the gaming device as a control device, a user interface in a vehicle interior and an output device containing at least one high-resolution vehicle headlamp on board the vehicle, the method including the steps of: changing the control device to a game mode; setting up the control device to run a computer game in which output image signals are determined based on input signals for influencing a gameplay of the computer game received from a user via the user interface; running the computer game; receiving input signals of the user in the vehicle interior via the user interface; determining output image signals by the control device according to the input signals; and outputting output image signals by the output device to an external area of the vehicle.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein changing the control device to a gaming operating state includes: detecting a motion state of the vehicle; and changing to the game mode according to the detected motion state.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the change to the game mode can only take place when the vehicle is not moving.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0049] Further advantages of the present invention can be seen from the detailed description and illustrations. The invention is also explained in more detail below in connection with the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying figures. In the figures:

[0050] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of an example of a vehicle with a gaming device according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0051] FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of an example of a method for operating a gaming device for a vehicle according to another embodiment of the invention; and

[0052] FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of an example of a gaming device for a vehicle according to yet another embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] It is understood that other embodiments may be used and structural or logical changes may be made without deviating from the scope of protection of the present invention. It is understood that the characteristics of the various exemplary embodiments described above and below may be combined with each other, unless specifically stated otherwise. The description is therefore not to be understood in a restrictive sense, and the scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the appended claims.

[0054] In FIG. 1, a schematic representation of an example of a vehicle 100 with a gaming device 110 according to an embodiment of the invention is shown. The vehicle 100 has a vehicle interior 101. The gaming device 110 has a control device 111 which is set up to run a computer game in a game mode. For this purpose, the control device 111 has a memory 112 in which a computer program product containing the computer game is stored, which can be loaded and executed by a processor 113 of the control device 111. Output image signals are determined based on input signals for influencing the course of the computer game received from a user, such as the driver of vehicle 100. In order to receive the input signals, the control device 111 is connected to a user interface 114 which is set up to receive the input signals from the user. In the case shown in FIG. 1, the user interface 114 has three switches 115, 116 117 as input devices on the steering wheel device 118 of the vehicle 100. The switches can be, for example, pushbutton switches or press switches. Depending on the requirements of the computer game being played, the user interface 114 may also include more or fewer input devices.

[0055] An output device 119 containing a high-resolution vehicle headlamp 120 is also connected to the control device 111. This has a matrix 121 with a large number of individually controllable lighting elements, such as micro-LEDs. The output device 119 also comprises a headlamp control unit 122 for adjusting the high-resolution vehicle headlamp 120 based on the output image signals generated by the control device 111 adapted to the resolution and/or operating mode (low beam or high beam mode) of the vehicle headlamp 120. The vehicle 100 also has another high-resolution vehicle headlamp (not shown) as part of the output device 119 on board the vehicle 100, which is set up to output the output image signals to an external area of the vehicle 100. In FIG. 1 it is envisaged that the high-resolution vehicle headlamp 120 is operated in the high beam mode and that an area of a wall 123 serves as a vertical projection surface for the output image signals.

[0056] In FIG. 2 a schematic representation of an example of a method for operating a gaming device for a vehicle according to a further embodiment of the invention is shown. The method 200 for operating a gaming device for a vehicle containing a control device, a user interface in a vehicle interior and an output device comprising at least one high-resolution vehicle headlamp on board the vehicle begins in a starting state 201 in which a passenger on board indicates that he or she wishes to play a computer game, for example by making an appropriate menu selection on a display of the on-board computer in the vehicle interior that a computer game is to be started, if appropriate also which one, if there are several to choose from.

[0057] In a first step the control device 202 is changed to a game mode. In the case shown in FIG. 2 the step of changing the control device 202 to a game mode includes first detecting a motion state of the vehicle 203 and changing to the game mode 204 depending on the detected motion state, wherein in the embodiment described, this means that the change to the game mode occurs only when the vehicle is not moving. Otherwise, the method ends here. Depending on the embodiment, the detected motion state may be a sufficient, i.e. adequate, or necessary condition for the control device to switch to the game mode. If it is a necessary condition, it may be necessary that one or more other conditions must also be met.

[0058] If the vehicle is not moving, i.e. the prerequisite for changing to the game mode is met, the next step is to set up 205 the control device to run the computer game, in which output image signals are then determined based on input signals received from the user, i.e. the passenger who wants to play, for influencing the gameplay in the computer game.

[0059] The next step is to run 206 the computer game. Running the computer game, i.e. the computer game algorithm, will continue during the following steps. In the further steps, the user's input signals are received 207 in the vehicle interior via the user interface, output image signals are determined 208 by the control device according to the input signals, and output image signals are output 209 to an external area of the vehicle by the output device, i.e. the output image signals are projected by the at least one high-resolution vehicle headlamp.

[0060] The method ends in a final state 210 when the passenger finishes the game or the requirement for the game mode, in this case: standstill of the vehicle, is no longer met.

[0061] The steps of the method are shown in FIG. 2 in a sequential order. Since playing the computer game is an interactive process in which the playing passenger reacts with his input signals to the displayed output image signals and these in turn depend on the input signals, it is understood that the procedural steps, in particular steps 206-209, although described according to a certain orderly sequence, are partly carried out in a different order than the one described here, in particular at the same time or consecutively, single or multiple times.

[0062] In FIG. 3 a schematic representation of an example of a gaming device 310 for a vehicle is provided according to yet another embodiment of the invention. The vehicle here is a motor vehicle, for example a passenger car, in which the signal transmission between components takes place via a CAN bus or other fieldbus.

[0063] On the input side, the gaming device 310 has a user interface 314 which has, for example, switches on the steering wheel of the vehicle by means of which input signals from the user, i.e. the playing passenger, are received and are passed via the CAN bus 315 of the vehicle to a computer game module 316, i.e. a computer game algorithm, which is executed by a control device 311 of the vehicle, which is thus the control device of the gaming device 310 of the vehicle. In addition, the gaming device 310 has a data interface 317 to the vehicle on the input side, via which parameters of the vehicle state, in particular of the motion state of the vehicle, of environmental conditions detected by vehicle sensors, such as the ambient brightness, and, for example, an activation message to switch to the game mode, are received, which are also passed via the CAN bus 318 of the vehicle to the computer game module 316 of the control device 311.

[0064] The computer game module 316 determines the output image signals 319, i.e. image data for a continuous sequence of images to be output, which reflect the gameplay, and transfers them to an arbitration module 320, which in FIG. 3 is also executed by the control device 311. The arbitration module 320 then makes an adjustment to or assignment to one of the high-resolution vehicle headlamps of the vehicle for the individual pixels of the respective image to be displayed and transmits the image data signals of the output image signals for the left high-resolution vehicle headlamp 321 for output to the left high-resolution vehicle headlamp 322, wherein this has a (not shown) control or driver unit for adapting the image data signals to the vehicle headlamps. The arbitration module 320 transmits the image data signals of the output image signals for the right high-resolution vehicle headlamp 323 for output to the right high-resolution vehicle headlamp 324, which also has a control or driver unit for adapting the image data signals to the vehicle headlamp.

[0065] The expression and/or used in the description when used in a series of two or more elements means that each of the listed elements can be used alone or can be used in any combination of two or more of the listed elements. If, for example, a composition containing components A, B and/or C is described, the composition may contain A alone; B alone; C alone; A and B in combination; A and C in combination; B and C in combination; or A, B, and C in combination.

REFERENCE SIGN LIST

[0066] 100 Vehicle [0067] 101 Vehicle interior [0068] 110 Gaming device [0069] 111 Control device [0070] 112 Memory [0071] 113 Processor [0072] 114 User Interface [0073] 115 Switch [0074] 116 Switch [0075] 117 Switch [0076] 118 Steering wheel device [0077] 119 Output device [0078] 120 High-resolution vehicle headlamp [0079] 121 Matrix with a large number of individually controllable lighting elements [0080] 122 Headlamp control unit [0081] 123 Wall [0082] 200 Method for operating a gaming device for a vehicle [0083] 201 Starting state [0084] 202 Changing the control device to a game mode [0085] 203 Detecting the vehicle's motion state [0086] 204 Changing to the game mode according to the detected motion state [0087] 205 Setting up the control device to run the computer game [0088] 206 Running the computer game [0089] 207 Receiving user input signals [0090] 208 Determining output image signals according to the input signals [0091] 209 Outputting output image signals to the exterior of the vehicle [0092] 210 Final state [0093] 310 Gaming device for a vehicle [0094] 311 Control device [0095] 314 User Interface [0096] 315 CAN bus [0097] 316 Computer game module [0098] 317 Data interface [0099] 318 CAN bus [0100] 319 Output image signals [0101] 320 Arbitration module [0102] 321 Image data signals for left high-resolution vehicle headlamp [0103] 322 Left high-resolution vehicle headlamp [0104] 323 Image data signals for right high-resolution vehicle headlamp [0105] 324 Right high-resolution vehicle headlamp