DISPLAY DEVICE EMPLOYING A VIRTUAL PLANE OVERLAYING MECHANICAL INDICIA

Abstract

Display device is disclosed herein, and may be implementable in a variety of contexts, including a motor vehicle (for example, the instrument cluster). A semi-transparent plane is essentially placed in between a display and a mechanical element member. This allows a virtual projection of information over the mechanical plane in an on-state, while the mechanical element shows non-indicia during the off state.

Claims

1. A display device, comprising: a mechanical decorative member with an observer-facing side provided with mechanical elements; a semi-transparent mirror panel arranged in front of the mechanical decorative member in the observer's viewing direction, and a display configured to provide electrical illumination from a first side of the display, arranged such that the semi-transparent mirror panel is located between the first side and the mechanical decorative member, wherein an angle of orientation of the semi-transparent display is provided to generate a virtual display reflection by reflecting the electrical illumination on the semi-transparent mirror panel.

2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the mechanical elements of decorative member are configured to be illuminate-able.

3. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the mechanical elements of the decorative member are static.

4. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the semi-transparent mirror panel (3) is formed of combiner glass.

5. The display device according claim 1, wherein the semi-transparent mirror panel is tint-able.

6. The display device according to claim 5, wherein the semi-transparent mirror panel is configured to be tinted electrically.

7. The display device according to claim 5, wherein the semi-transparent mirror panel is provided with an electrical tinting film.

8. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the semi-transparent mirror panel is arranged such that a plane of the virtual reflection overlapping the mechanical decorative member and its mechanical elements is aligned at an angle of 90 degrees to the display.

9. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the display device comprises multiple semi-transparent mirror panels.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0023] Further details, features and advantages of the disclosure design will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the relevant drawings. In which:

[0024] FIG. 1: shows a schematic diagram of an embodiment of an instrument display device according to the disclosure in a side view, and

[0025] FIG. 2: shows a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the instrument display device according to the disclosure in a perspective front view.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The figures FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show the schematic diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a display device 1 according to the disclosure for the interior of a motor vehicle. Display device 1 comprises a mechanical decorative member 2 with a side 2a facing an observer, for example the driver of a motor vehicle, and provided with mechanical elements, for example decorative elements and/or measurement devices. The mechanical elements are preferably static.

[0027] Display device 1 further comprisesin the viewing direction of the observer, for example the driver of a motor vehiclea semi-transparent mirror panel 3 arranged in front of mechanical decorative member 2, which is made from combiner glass and may have means for setting a tint. As such, the semi-transparent mirror panel 3 may be electrically tinted itself, or it may have an additional electrical tinting film. The tint may be suitable for fading out the background depending on the content.

[0028] Furthermore, display 4 for generating images is arranged such that the semi-transparent mirror panel 3 is located between the side 4a of the image output of display 4 and the mechanical decorative member 2. As such, display 4 is positioned at an angle a to semi-transparent mirror panel 3 such that, if display 4 is turned on, a virtual display reflection 5 is generated by reflecting the display 4 on semi-transparent mirror panel 3, the plane of which being aligned at an angle b to display 4 which is larger than angle a. This virtual display reflection 5 is positioned within the observer's viewing direction above the observer-facing side 2a of mechanical decorative member 2 so that the mechanical decorative member 2 is overlapped by virtual display reflection 5.

[0029] The observer-facing side 2a of mechanical decorative member 2 and the imaging-outputting side 4a of display 4 are positioned at a 90-degree angle to one another, according to the exemplary embodiment shown. Semi-transparent mirror panel 3, made from combiner glass, is arranged in the middle and makes it possible to project virtual reflection 5 onto mechanical decorative member 2. As such, semi-transparent mirror panel 3 is arranged such that a display reflection 5 is generated as a virtual image by reflecting the display image on the reflecting combiner glass of semi-transparent mirror panel 4, this reflection being aligned at an angle b=90 degrees to the plane of display 4 and being located above decorative member 2. More specifically, if the observer looks into the combiner glass, the display image is reflected and display reflection 5 appears at a virtual plane which overlaps the mechanical elements of decorative member 2. In this way, moving indicators animated on display 4, for example, can be reflected as if they were placed on the mechanical elements of decorative member 2.