Patent ID: 12257901

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG.1shows a schematic cross-sectional view through a motor vehicle having a reflection display system1. The reflection display system is arranged on an upper side of a dashboard4and includes a display unit2, which comprises a display surface3for displaying a display image. The display unit2is arranged on the upper side of the dashboard4below a windshield5.

The display surface3is aligned with respect to the windshield5so that a display image displayed on the display surface of the display unit2is reflected at a lower region of the inside of the windshield5and can be perceived by a vehicle occupant in an eye region B. The alignment of the display unit2or its display surface can thus be preferably essentially parallel to the vehicle longitudinal and transverse axis or can deviate therefrom by an angle of not more than 0-20°.

The display unit2can be attached in a depression6of the dashboard, so that it is not possible for the vehicle occupant to view the display surface3of the display unit2directly and blinding of the vehicle occupants by direct light from the display surface3in the eye region B is avoided. Furthermore, the display surface3of the display unit2is aligned so that a displayed display image is reflected on the inside of the windshield5and can be perceived by a vehicle occupant in an eye region B as a reflection image on the windshield5.

The display unit2is preferably designed as a micro-LED display unit, in order to provide a bright display image, so that the generated reflection can be perceived even with a high level of ambient brightness above the corresponding region of the windshield5.

Since the display unit2is arranged in the depression6on the upper side of the dashboard4, a foreign object7can also enter this depression6and thus come to rest on the display surface3of the display unit2. A display image displayed on the display unit2then cannot be perceived or can only be perceived partially as a reflection image by a vehicle occupant.

To detect whether the foreign object7rests on the display surface3or not, a detection sensor system10can be provided, which is first indicated in principle inFIG.1. The detection sensor system10can use various measurement principles and possibly combine them in order to detect a foreign object7resting on the display surface3.

The detection sensor system10has a communication connection to a control unit9, which, upon a detection of the foreign object7with the aid of the detection sensor system10, signals the blocking of the display by the foreign object7in a suitable manner to the vehicle occupant, in particular the driver of the motor vehicle, for example, by an acoustic and/or visual warning signal.

FIG.2ashows a cross-sectional view of the reflection display system1having a light barrier sensor system11as an example of a detection sensor10. The light barrier sensor system11includes one or a plurality of light beams extending over the display surface3, which are output by one or more light sources11aand are directed onto one or more photodetectors11b. If one of the light beams is interrupted by a resting foreign object7, this can be detected on the basis of a signal via the photodetector11bor the photodetectors11b.

The light beams are preferably surface-parallel to the display surface3and are arranged at a small distance of, for example, between 0.1 to 1 cm above the display surface3.

In an alternative embodiment, which is shown in the cross-sectional view of the reflection display system1ofFIG.2b, one or more of the light beams of the light beams extending between the one or the more light sources11aand the one or the more photodetectors11bcan also be reflected on the surface of the display surface3. This can preferably take place via reflection points R arranged distributed in a planar manner on the display surface3, at which total reflection is present. In this way, resting foreign objects7having a thickness less than the distance between the light beams and the surface of the display surface3, as inFIG.2a, can also be detected.

An alternative detection sensor system10is shown inFIG.3, which is formed with the aid of a reflection light measurement sensor system12. The reflection light measurement sensor system12includes a light source12a, which is directed toward the display surface3and preferably directs light distributed over the entire display surface3. The light source12acan preferably include an infrared light source. The light source12acan be arranged in the direction of a transverse extension of the motor vehicle laterally to the reflection display system1, so that the beam path between display unit2, the windshield5, and the eye region B of the vehicle occupant is not interrupted.

With the aid of a photodetector12b, the strength of the light reflected from the display surface3is detected and its strength is measured. The photodetector12bcan be arranged in the direction of a transverse extension of the motor vehicle laterally to the reflection display system1, so that the beam path is not interrupted between display unit2, the windshield5, and the eye region B of the vehicle occupant. If the measure of the strength of the reflected light changes, a resting foreign object7can thus be concluded in the control unit9.

An alternative detection sensor system10in the form of a cover pane sensor system13is shown inFIG.4, in which light, in particular nonvisible light, such as, e.g., infrared light, can be coupled laterally by a light source13ainto a transparent cover pane13cof the display surface3. The coupled-in light can be guided by total reflections within the cover pane13cand can be decoupled by a photodetector13bat another point of the edge of the cover pane13cand received. A resting foreign object7changes the reflection properties at the outer surface of the cover pane13cin the region of the resting foreign object7, so that a photodetector13b, which is opposite, for example, to the light source13awith respect to the cover pane13c, receives or can detect a change of the strength of the received light guided through the cover pane. This signal change in the control unit9can be interpreted as the presence of a resting foreign object7.

FIG.5shows an embodiment in which the surface of the display unit2can be provided with a touch sensor system14. The touch sensor system14corresponds to a capacitive sensor system. Foreign objects7which have a capacitive mass can thus be detected by a capacitance change in a manner known per se by the control unit9.

As is shown in the embodiment ofFIG.6, furthermore an image acquisition sensor system15, for example, having one or more cameras, can be directed onto the display surface3of the display unit2, so that a resting foreign object7on the display surface3can immediately be detected by a suitable image recognition method executed in the control unit9.

Alternatively, the image acquisition sensor system15can also comprise a depth camera (lidar, radar), which is capable of detecting the three-dimensional topology of a foreign object7in the depression6on the upper side of the dashboard4. If a foreign object7is located on the display surface3of the display unit2within the depression6, the three-dimensional topology thus changes, which can be detected by the corresponding depth camera. Alternatively, instead of the image acquisition sensor system15, an ultrasonic sensor can also be provided, the reflection signal of which can change accordingly upon the presence of a foreign object7on the display surface3.

FIG.7shows a flow chart to illustrate a method for detecting a foreign object7, which can be executed in the control unit.

In step S1, a signal of the detection sensor system10is acquired.

In step S2, it is checked whether a signal change of the detection sensor system is present. If a signal change is present (alternative: yes), the method is continued with step S3, otherwise (alternative: no), the sequence returns to step S1.

If it is detected in step S2that a foreign object7is present on the display surface, the presence of a foreign object7on the display surface3is thus signaled. The signaling can take place with the aid of an optical or acoustic signal or in another manner which makes the vehicle occupants aware that the display is at least partially concealed.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

1reflection display system2display unit3display surface4dashboard5windshield6depression7foreign object9control unit10detection sensor system11light barrier sensor system11alight source11bphotodetectors12reflection light measurement sensor system12alight source12bphotodetector13cover pane sensor system13alight source13bphotodetector13ctransparent cover pane14touch sensor system15image acquisition sensor systemB eye region