DISPLAY APPARATUS FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE

Abstract

A one-piece display has a main display area at least partly viewable from one point of observation, and a secondary display area arranged so as to not be viewable from that point of observation. The main display area and the secondary display area are arranged relative to one another in such a way that the secondary display area is reflected in the main display area to produce a virtual display plane that is viewable from the point of observation.

Claims

1-9. (canceled)

10. A display device for a motor vehicle, comprising: a main display area at least partially visible from a predefined viewing point; and a secondary display area not visible from the viewing point, contiguous with the main display area and positioned to reflect display content off of the main display area to the viewing point to produce a virtual display level, visible from the viewing point of the display content of the secondary display area, that appears optically behind the main display area.

11. The display device as claimed in claim 10, further comprising: a support element; and controllable lighting elements arranged on the support element that form the main and secondary display areas.

12. The display device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the controllable lighting elements are at least one of organic light-emitting diodes and micro-light-emitting diodes.

13. The display device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the display device is curved and the main display area and the secondary display area form an angle greater than zero and smaller than 90 degrees.

14. The display device as claimed in claim 13, further comprising a bending edge of the display area between the main display area and the secondary display area.

15. The display device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the main display area is a touch-sensitive screen.

16. The display device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the main display area is transparent.

17. The display device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the display device is curved and the main display area and the secondary display area form an angle greater than zero and smaller than 90 degrees.

18. The display device as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a bending edge of the display area between the main display area and the secondary display area.

19. The display device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the main display area is a touch-sensitive screen.

20. The display device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the main display area is a transparent screen.

21. A motor vehicle, comprising: a chassis; and a display device having a main display area at least partially visible from a predefined viewing point, and a secondary display area not visible from the viewing point, contiguous with the main display area and positioned to reflect display content off of the main display area to the viewing point to produce a virtual display level, visible from the viewing point of the display content of the secondary display area, that appears optically behind the main display area.

22. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 21, wherein the display device further comprises: a support element; and controllable lighting elements arranged on the support element that form the main and secondary display areas.

23. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 22, wherein the controllable lighting elements are at least one of organic light-emitting diodes and micro-light-emitting diodes.

24. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 23, wherein the display device is curved and the main display area and the secondary display area form an angle greater than zero and smaller than 90 degrees.

25. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 24, further comprising a bending edge of the display area between the main display area and the secondary display area.

26. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 25, wherein the main display area is a touch-sensitive screen.

27. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 26, wherein the main display area is transparent.

28. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 27, wherein the display device is arranged in a dashboard of the motor vehicle.

29. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 21, wherein the display device is arranged in a dashboard of the motor vehicle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] These and other aspects and advantages will become more apparent and more readily appreciated from the exemplary embodiments described below, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

[0029] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a motor vehicle interior with a display device;

[0030] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a display device for a motor vehicle;

[0031] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a display device for a motor vehicle;

[0032] FIG. 4a is a cross-sectional view of a display device for a motor vehicle having a shutter film;

[0033] FIG. 4b is a cross-sectional view of a sharply curved display device for a motor vehicle, and

[0034] FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of a display device for a motor vehicle having two display areas arranged next to one another.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] 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.

[0036] In the exemplary embodiments, the components of the embodiments which are described each represent individual features which are to be regarded as independent of one another. The disclosure is therefore also intended to include combinations of features of the embodiments which differ from those depicted. Furthermore, additional features that have already been described can also be added to the embodiments that have been described.

[0037] In the figures, the same reference signs each denote elements with identical functions.

[0038] FIG. 1 shows a motor vehicle 10. A display device 14 is arranged in this motor vehicle 10 in the region of a dashboard 12 of the motor vehicle 10. This display device 14 may only be located in the region of the dashboard 12 itself. However, alternatively or in addition to this, it may also be formed in such a manner that it extends over an entire front region of the motor vehicle 10, so that it is ultimately arranged between two A-pillars 13 of the motor vehicle 10. This enlarged embodiment of the display device 14, compared with the embodiment in which the display device 14 is only arranged in the region of the dashboard 12, is shown using dotted lines in FIG. 1. In addition, a hatched area 23 is sketched in FIG. 1.

[0039] In FIG. 2, the display device 14 is depicted as a sectional representation. The display device 14 is observed by a viewer from a viewing point 15. This viewer will be a user of the motor vehicle 10, for example, who is sitting on a driver's seat of the motor vehicle 10 and looking at the display device 14. The display device 14 has a display area 16 designed in one piece. This firstly includes a main display area 18, which is arranged so as to be at least partly viewable from the viewing point 15. Strictly speaking, the main display area 18 has a partial region 19 that can be viewed from the viewing point 15 and a partial region 20 that cannot be seen from the viewing point 15. The partial region 19 that is visible is depicted as the hatched area 23 in FIG. 1. Moreover, the display area 16, as depicted in FIG. 2, has a secondary display area 22, which is arranged such that it cannot be viewed from the viewing point 15. The main display area 18 and the secondary display area 22 are separated from one another by a bending edge 26 in this case. The display area 16 therefore has a curved design, wherein the main display area 18 and the secondary display area 22 are arranged at an angle 28 to one another which is greater than zero and smaller than 90 degrees. Due to this arrangement of the display area 16, the main display area 18 and the secondary display area 22 are arranged relative to one another in such a manner that the secondary display area 22 is reflected in the main display area 18. Consequently, a virtual display level 24 that can be viewed from the viewing point 15 is produced behind the main display area 18.

[0040] A perspective view of the display device 14 is depicted in FIG. 3. In this case, a road layout 30 is displayed on the main display area 18. A displayed arrow 31 is represented on the secondary display area 22. This is reflected on the main display area 18, so that a virtual arrow 32 can be seen on the virtual display level 24. The virtual display level 24 therefore shows a display which is displayed on the secondary display area 22, but this is visible from the viewing point 15, having been reflected onto the virtual display level 24.

[0041] A further display device 14 is depicted in FIG. 4a and FIG. 4b as a sectional representation in each case. The arrangement of the main display area 18 and the secondary display area 22 in this case is inverted by comparison with the arrangement described above; in other words, the secondary display area 22 is arranged in the vertical vehicle direction, in other words in the z-direction, below the main display area 18 in each case. In FIG. 4a, it is made possible with the help of a viewing protection film 33 on the secondary display area 22 for the display on the secondary display area 22 not to be seen from the viewing point 15. The viewing protection film 33 is a film frequently referred to as shutter film or privacy film which acts as a filter. The viewing protection film 33, which may include microscopic laminations, therefore causes a view of the display shown on the secondary display area 22 to be blocked outside a viewing angle of typically 60 degrees. In FIG. 4b, the angle 28 is between 0 degrees and under 45 degrees, so that in the case of the viewing point 15 as depicted, no viewing protection film 33 is needed on the secondary display area 22, in order ensure that the display shown there is not directly visible from the viewing point 15.

[0042] FIG. 5 shows two display devices 14 arranged alongside one another in the motor vehicle 10, which are arranged in the region of a recess in the dashboard 12. In this case, with each display device 14, the secondary display area 22 is arranged laterally in the transverse vehicle direction, in other words in the y-direction, alongside the main display area 18. In this case, viewed from the viewing point 15 of the driver of the motor vehicle 10 in each case, only the main display area 18 can be viewed at least sectionally, whereas the driver cannot view the secondary display area 22 directly. As an alternative to this, the display devices 14 depicted in FIG. 5 may be arranged in the motor vehicle 10 in a freestanding manner.

[0043] The display device 14 may also have a support element, as well as multiple controllable lighting elements which are arranged on the support element. The lighting elements arranged on the support element then form the display area 16, in other words ultimately the main display area 18 and the secondary display area 22. The multiple lighting elements in this case may each be configured as OLEDs, in other words as organic light-emitting diodes, or as micro-LEDs, in other words as micro-light-emitting diodes. Moreover, the main display area 18 may be configured as a touch-sensitive screen. If this is the case, not only is a pure display of information possible with the help of the display device 14, but a user concept for the motor vehicle 10 can also be supplied.

[0044] The curved OLED display illustrated in the drawings is formed as a curved display device 14 made of individually controllable lighting elements, wherein a portion of the display device is reflected in itself. In this case, a curved display area 16 is formed in such a manner that there are two regions. The first region lies in such a manner that a user of the motor vehicle 10 cannot see this region, in other words the first region exists in the form of the secondary display area 22. The second region lies obliquely thereto, so that a display on this region is visible to the user, in other words the main display area 18 is provided, which is visible at least in part from the viewing point 15. This second region, in other words the main display area 18, has a reflective design and reflects the display of the first region, in other words of the secondary display area 22. In this way, the virtual display level 24 is formed behind the main display area 18. A display of this kind on two display levels, in other words on the main display area 18 and the virtual display level 24 behind it, is particularly fascinating and, moreover, can be operated in an ergonomically advantageous manner, since particularly with the help of the embodiment of the main display area 18 as a touch-sensitive screen, a particularly user-friendly user concept can be implemented.

[0045] It should be noted in this case that the main display area 18 has advantageous reflecting properties, so that the display of the secondary display area 22 can easily be seen from the viewing point 15 reflected in the main display area 18. In this way, the virtual display level 24 can easily be seen on the main display area 18. This advantageous reflecting property of the main display area 18 is possible, for example, due to a corresponding coating of the main display area 18. Moreover, a degree of intensity of the display on the secondary display area 22 should be selected such that there can be a sufficiently clearly visible virtual display on the virtual display level 24, taking account of the ambient lighting in the motor vehicle 10, for example.

[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).