Patent Publication Number: US-2022219536-A1

Title: Display System for a Motor Vehicle

Description:
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a display system for a vehicle, in particular to an AR/VR display system (augmented reality and virtual reality, respectively). The invention furthermore relates to a vehicle having such a display system and to a method for outputting image contents in a vehicle. 
     In recent vehicle generations, provision is made for offering display systems to the occupants of a vehicle, for example passenger cars, buses, aircraft, or trains. In these display systems, image contents, in particular interactive image contents such as games or videoconferences, can be displayed for a user on a screen or using smart glasses (virtual reality glasses) or a data helmet. The user can use an input unit, such as a joystick, to control such display systems. In particular when data glasses or data helmets are used, it is not possible for the user to consider their surroundings when performing operations, such as gaming operations. That means that the user performs, for example using a joystick, movements that cause the user to bump into the vehicle door or touch a passenger on account of their movement. 
     The invention is therefore based on the object of dynamically providing image contents to a user in a manner that prevents the user from injuring himself or herself or disturbing others when performing movements as part of the operation or control. 
     This object is achieved by a display system according to the claimed invention and by a method for outputting image contents for a vehicle. 
     The display system for a vehicle has an output unit for displaying image contents for a user and an input unit for inputting operations for the image content. The image contents can be, in particular, interactive image contents, such as videogames, telephone conferences, or split screens, in which a user can control or operate the image content via an input unit. The input unit can be any type of input unit, for example a joystick, a laser pointer, or the like, that is suitable for receiving operations as actions for the image content. This also includes inputs in the form of gestures, where in this case, the input unit is an arm or a hand in combination with a capturing unit, e.g. a camera, for capturing the relevant gesture. 
     To prevent the user from disturbing or injuring himself or herself or others when inputting operations, for example by bumping against a vehicle door or touching a passenger, the display system has a recognition unit configured to recognize a sitting position of the user within the vehicle. Consequently, the recognition unit can determine accurately at which position within the vehicle the user is located. Based on this information, a processing unit of the display system can determine an action space that is available. The available action space in this connection is understood to mean the space around the user, within which the user can move without touching other occupants or parts of the vehicle itself 
     The processing unit adapts the output image content and/or the action radius of the user based on the available action space. That means that the processing unit uses the available action space as an input parameter and adapts, based thereon, either the output image content and/or the action radius of the user such that the user neither injures or disturbs himself or herself nor others. If the image content is a game, it is possible for example to adapt the gaming content displayed for the user such that the user can no longer perform a gaming action, e.g. shooting, in a specific direction. In this way, it can be ensured that the user performs no movements that project outside of the available gaming or action space. 
     According to an embodiment, the recognition unit is configured to recognize further occupants of the motor vehicle. If further occupants are situated in the vehicle, the processing unit can accordingly determine the available action space based on these further occupants. It is possible in this way to ensure that the user moves within an action space in which no passengers are located. 
     The recognition unit can furthermore be configured to determine a vehicle model and/or a vehicle type (e.g. car, train, or aircraft) of the vehicle. Since the spatial conditions of a vehicle change from vehicle model to vehicle model, this information can be used to allow a more accurate determination of the available action space. For example, the length and width of one passenger car differ from the length and width of another passenger car. This information can be used by the processing unit to determine the available gaming space. 
     According to a further embodiment, the recognition unit is configured to recognize a vehicle movement and/or a vehicle position. For this purpose, the recognition unit can receive in particular signals of the vehicle, for example from sensors inside the vehicle. Based on the vehicle movement and/or the vehicle position, the processing unit can determine the available action space and correspondingly adapt the image content. For example, if in the case of a video game the movement of the vehicle is adopted in the videogame in order to make the gaming experience more realistic for the user (e.g. a right-hand bend of the vehicle becomes a right-hand bend in the videogame), the processing unit can hereby ensure that the action radius of the user is still adapted such that neither the user nor others are disturbed or injured. For example, in the case of a videogame, corresponding targets for shooting that would be presented due to a vehicle movement could be omitted if they were to make the user&#39;s action radius extend outside of their action space. 
     According to a further embodiment, the recognition unit is configured to recognize properties of the user, and the processing unit can further adapt the output image content and/or the action radius of the user based on the properties. The properties of the user can be, for example, a height, an age, a hand that is used, and/or a weight. The image content or the action radius of the user may change depending on the property. For example, it is possible in this way to take into account whether a user is taller or shorter and therefore has a larger or smaller action radius. It is also possible to take into account whether the user is right-handed or left-handed and therefore has an action radius extending further to the left or to the right. If the recognition unit recognizes an age of the user, it is possible in particular for the processing unit to adapt an image content of a videogame. This can be used to implement age limits of videogames. 
     The recognition unit can have sensors, in particular a seat occupation sensor, a camera, an ultrasonic sensor, a radar sensor, and/or a sound sensor. Using one or more different sensors makes it possible to determine the exact sitting position of the user. In this case, the seat on which the user is located is recognized for example using a seat occupation sensor. Further information such as height, age etc. can be captured by a camera. 
     In addition to adapting the image content and/or the action radius, the processing unit can be configured for adapting a vehicle function based on the sitting position of the user. Such a vehicle function can be, for example, darkening of the windows, setting of the seat, setting of the air conditioning system (e.g. emitting scents), setting of the lighting system, and/or setting of the loudspeaker system. By adapting the vehicle functions, the gaming experience for the user can be enhanced. In this case, the vehicle functions can be individually adapted to the user. For example, it is possible to use sensors to recognize the user&#39;s mood and to adapt the vehicle functions accordingly: calming illumination if the mood is tense, darkening in the case of fatigue etc. Furthermore, it is likewise possible to adapt the action radius of the user for example by setting the seat (adjusting the height or inclination of the backrest). 
     Depending on the type of output unit, the user&#39;s view may be restricted. If a door of the vehicle opens, it may therefore be possible that the user, as part of an operation, extends a hand or an arm through the opened door to the outside. If the door is then closed, the hand or the arm of the user may become trapped. In order to avoid this, the processing unit is configured to control a closing and/or opening of a door of the vehicle based on the sitting position of the user. Based on the sitting position of the user, the processing unit can thus ensure that closing or opening a door of the vehicle does not result in any injury to the user. For example, it is possible that the door closes only by a small extent and/or complete closure is prevented. Equally it is possible to prevent a door from being opened, for example to prevent the user from falling out of the vehicle through the open door as part of performing the operations. 
     The output unit can output the image contents via data glasses or a data helmet. The image contents can be presented to the user in a virtual reality using such data glasses or such a data helmet. 
     According to a further aspect, a vehicle having a display system as described above is proposed. The vehicle can be any type of vehicle, for example a passenger car, a bus, an aircraft, a watercraft, or a train. 
     According to a further aspect, a method for displaying image contents for a user in a vehicle is proposed. The method here includes the following steps: displaying gaming contents for a user, and inputting operations for the image content. The method furthermore includes the steps of: recognizing a sitting position of the user within the vehicle, determining an available action space based on the sitting position, and adapting the output image content and/or the action radius of the user based on the available action space. 
     The embodiments and features described for the proposed apparatus correspondingly apply to the proposed method. 
     Furthermore, a computer program product having a program code that is configured to initiate the performance of the above-explained method on a computer is proposed. 
     A computer program product, such as for example a computer program means, can be provided or supplied for example in the form of a storage medium, such as a memory card, USB stick, CD-ROM, DVD, or in the form of a downloadable file by a server in a network. This can be realized for example in a wireless communication network by transmitting a corresponding file having the computer program product or the computer program means. 
     Further possible implementations of the invention also comprise combinations, which have not been explicitly mentioned, of features or embodiments that have been or will be described with respect to the exemplary embodiments. In this case, a person skilled in the art will also add individual aspects as improvements or supplementations to the respective basic form of the invention. 
     Further advantages and advantageous embodiments are stated in the description, the drawings, and the claims. Here, in particular the combinations of the features stated in the description and in the drawings are purely exemplary, which means that the features can also be present individually or in different combinations. 
     The invention will be described in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings. Here, the exemplary embodiments and the combinations shown in the exemplary embodiments are purely exemplary and are not intended to define the scope of protection of the invention. The latter is defined solely by the appended claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
         FIG. 1  shows a schematic block diagram of a display system for a vehicle. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     Identical or functionally identical elements will be denoted with the same reference signs below. 
       FIG. 1  shows a display system  1  for a vehicle. The display system  1  has an output unit  2  for displaying image contents for a user. The output unit  2  can be, for example, data glasses or a data helmet, via which image contents can be output in a virtual reality. The image contents can be interactive image contents, such as videogames, telephone conferences, or split screens. Below, for example a videogame with gaming contents will be described, with the description being able to be applied analogously to other interactive image contents. 
     For controlling the gaming contents, the display system  1  has an input unit  4 . The input unit  4  can be, for example, a keyboard or joystick. During the operation of the input unit  4 , the user moves within an action space in the vehicle. The action space here depends on properties of the user, for example the height or the hand that is used. 
     The user&#39;s view is restricted in particular when data glasses or a data helmet is/are used, and the user can no longer perceive their actual surroundings. In order to prevent the user from being injured by elements of the vehicle or disturbing other occupants of the vehicle (because the user does not see them) during gameplay, the display system  1  has a recognition unit  6 , which is configured to recognize a sitting position of the user within the vehicle. For this purpose, the recognition unit  6  can have different sensors, such as a seat occupation sensor or a camera. Using these sensors, the recognition unit can thus accurately determine the sitting position of the user within the vehicle. In order to take into account further occupants of the motor vehicle, the recognition unit  6  is also configured to recognize these further occupants of the vehicle. 
     The display system  1  furthermore has a processing unit  8 . The processing unit  8  is used to determine an available action space based on the sitting position. In addition to the sitting position, the processing unit  8  can also use a vehicle model of the vehicle to determine the available action space. 
     After the seat recognition and the determination of the available action space, the processing unit  8  adapts the output gaming content and/or the action radius of the user. The adaptation takes place by ensuring that the user does not injure himself or herself, for example bumps into a door of the motor vehicle, or disturb other occupants of the motor vehicle by performing operations as part of the gameplay. 
     It is thus possible with the display system proposed here to ensure that a user injures or disturbs neither himself or herself nor others as part of operations intended for the operation or control of image contents. 
     REFERENCE SIGNS 
     
         
           1  Display system 
           2  Output unit 
           4  Input unit 
           6  Recognition unit 
           8  Processing unit