FR3101579A1 - Interactive combination of instruments and associated interaction process - Google Patents

Abstract

An interactive dashboard instrument cluster includes: a screen (2) producing a light beam (L); a partially transparent plate (3) oriented so as to reflect at least part of the light beam in the direction of an observation zone (Z) thus forming a virtual image (I); an opaque surface (4) exposed in the direction of the observation zone (Z), located behind the slide (3) relative to the observation zone (Z); at least one proximity sensor (6) for determining the position of a finger placed on the blade (3). This interactive handset allows the user to interact, according to the indications transmitted to him by the virtual image (I), with the vehicle by making the blade (3) tactile. Figure for the abstract: Fig 1.

Description

Interactive instrument cluster and associated interaction method

The present invention relates to the technical field of the display of information on dashboards, in particular within vehicles (in particular motor vehicles).

The present invention relates in particular to an interactive instrument cluster, for example for vehicle dashboards, and an associated interaction method.

The dashboards of vehicles (in particular motor vehicles) are very often equipped with a combined instrument panel comprising a screen allowing the driver of the vehicle to view information relating to the operation of the vehicle or to a route taken. Generally, they include a control panel (which can be the screen itself if the latter is touch-sensitive) allowing interaction with the vehicle's computer.

An elegant way to make the screen of this instrument cluster disappear is to make a virtual, ghost-like image of Pepper, using a partially transparent blade. Unfortunately, the possible push buttons conventionally used would greatly reduce the aesthetics brought to the dashboard by the use of a partially transparent blade. In addition, the fact of using a virtual image naturally leads to having a significant parallax, so it is difficult to dissociate the poster from the area with which the user can interact.

In this context, the invention relates to an interactive dashboard instrument cluster comprising a screen producing a light beam; a partially transparent plate oriented so as to reflect at least a part of the light beam towards an observation zone thus forming a virtual image; an opaque surface exposed toward the viewing area, located behind the blade relative to the viewing area; and at least one touch sensor for detecting the presence of a finger placed on the blade.

Thus, the blade of the handset, usually used only for the formation of the virtual image, is made tactile by the addition of a sensor. The user can therefore interact with the handset, although the information is transmitted to him through a virtual image. In addition, the interaction zone and the display zone overlap, thus avoiding the user to quickly accommodate objects located at different distances.

Other optional features include:

- an illumination system is arranged to illuminate at least one of the edges of the blade;

- the blade has at least one frosted edge so as to diffuse the light produced by said lighting system towards at least one illuminated zone and in the direction (in particular) of the observation zone;

- said illuminated area (i.e. diffusing said light from the illumination system) corresponds to an interaction area where the presence of a finger is detectable by the sensor;

- the light beam is polarized in a direction of polarization;

- the plate has a reflection coefficient greater than 15% for light polarized in said direction of polarization and/or a reflection coefficient of less than 15% for light polarized in a direction perpendicular to said direction of polarization;

- the plate has a reflection coefficient of less than 45% for light polarized in said direction of polarization.

According to a particular embodiment, provision can be made, for example, for the sensor to comprise at least one detection assembly comprising an infrared transmitter and an infrared receiver.

According to another particular embodiment, provision can be made, for example, for the sensor to comprise at least one capacitive sensor.

The invention also proposes a method of interaction, between the user and the vehicle, from a handset as proposed above, comprising the following steps:

- display of an indication visible to the user on the virtual image,

- illumination of the interaction zones,

- detection of a finger by the sensor.

In some embodiments, the aforementioned interaction method may be completed by the following steps:

- display of a detection confirmation visible to the user on the virtual image,

- end of the illumination of the interaction zones,

- transmission of user input to the vehicle, for example to an electronic control unit.

Of course, the different characteristics, variants and embodiments of the invention can be associated with each other in various combinations insofar as they are not incompatible or exclusive of each other.

In addition, various other characteristics of the invention emerge from the appended description made with reference to the drawings which illustrate non-limiting forms of embodiment of the invention and where:

represents a dashboard comprising an interactive instrument cluster allowing the production of a virtual image,

represents the slat equipped with a lighting system arranged so as to illuminate one of the edges of the slat,

represents the interactive instrument cluster comprising sensors according to a first embodiment,

represents the interactive instrument cluster comprising sensors according to a second embodiment,

represents a sequence of steps allowing the interaction between the user and the vehicle.

Two embodiments of an interactive dashboard instrument panel are described below. The elements common to several embodiments will be designated in the following by the same reference numeral, regardless of the embodiment concerned.

In these two embodiments, a screen 2 is integrated into a dashboard 1 and produces a light beam L in the direction of a blade 3 that is partially transparent. One or more sensors 6 make it possible to detect the presence of the finger of the user, here the driver of the vehicle, on the blade 3. A processor (for example a microprocessor), not shown in the figures, is programmed to control the sensors. In practice, this processor can equip an electronic control unit possibly having other functionalities than those described below.

As represented in FIG. 1, the blade 3 is interposed between an opaque surface 4 and an observation zone Z where the eye O of the user is placed in the driving position.

The blade 3 is moreover oriented so that the light beam L is reflected (in part and by the blade 3), in a direction D, in the direction of the observation zone Z so as to form a virtual image I for the O eye of the driver. The virtual image I contains information intended for the driver of the vehicle, for example in the form of regulatory symbols and/or a speedometer and/or an engine speed indicator and/or a fault indicator and/or direction diagrams.

The screen 2 is for example a liquid crystal screen (commonly designated “ LCD screen ” for “ Liquid Crystal Display ”).

Advantageously, the screen 2 comprises at least one polarizer, so that the light beam L produced at the output of the screen 2 is polarized in a given direction of polarization.

The light beam L is for example polarized P, that is to say that the direction of polarization of the light beam L is parallel to its plane of incidence on the blade 3 (namely here located in a vertical plane containing the direction vehicle progress). As a variant, the light beam L could be polarized S, that is to say that the direction of polarization of the light beam L is orthogonal to its plane of incidence on the blade 3 (namely here orthogonal to a vertical plane containing the direction of travel of the vehicle).

The blade 3 comprises a generally transparent body (made for example of glass, transparent ceramic or transparent plastic material such as polycarbonate or polymethyl methacrylate) and, on its face facing the display 2 and the observation zone Z, a partial reflection film. This film is for example a variation of multilayer structures such as that used in reflective polarizing mirrors (or RPM for " Reflective Pol ari za tion Mirror ") or films for combiner windshields (or WCF for " Windshield Combiner Film ") , produced for example by the company 3M®.

Preferably, the aforementioned film is chosen so that the plate 3 has (at the level of the film) a reflection coefficient greater than 15% for the light polarized according to the direction of polarization of the polarized light beam and a reflection coefficient less than 15 % for the polarized light perpendicular to the direction of polarization of the polarized light beam L so that the blade 3 lets through ( ie transmits), at least at the level of its interface located on the side of the screen 2 and of the zone of observation Z, almost all of the light polarized perpendicular to the direction of polarization of the L-polarized light beam.

Preferably, the reflection coefficient is less than 45% for light polarized in the direction of polarization of the polarized beam L so that the average reflection coefficient (all polarizations combined) is low (less than 30% and included in practice between 10% and 30%). In this way, the strip 3 will be barely visible to the driver.

In the example described here, the light beam L forms a right angle with the direction D of its subsequent propagation in the direction of the observation zone Z. The blade 3 therefore forms an angle of 45° with the light beam L and with the direction D to obtain the reflection of the light beam L in the direction D.

As shown in Figure 2, the blade 3 has a generally parallelepipedal shape and has four edges (namely the four sides of the smallest surface of the blade 3). The blade 3 is held by at least one of these sections which is fixed to the dashboard 1, here by a single section. A lighting system 5 is arranged to illuminate one of the slices; this lighting system 5 is here located in the dashboard 1 and illuminates the blade 3 by one of the four aforementioned edges, here the aforementioned edge fixed to the dashboard 1. Certain parts of the edges of the blade 3 are frosted. These parts are called frosted edges 31 in the following and ensure the diffusion of the light coming from the illumination system 5, as explained below.

The light from the lighting system 5 enters the strip 3 through a slice, here as already indicated the aforementioned slice attached to the dashboard 1, and propagates in the strip 3. Said light is therefore not directly visible by the user because it is not oriented towards the observation zone Z. Said light propagates in the blade 3 (possibly undergoing reflections inside the blade 3) in particular up to at least one of the frosted edges 31. The blade 3 is therefore used here as a light guide for the light emitted by the lighting system 5. The frosted edges 31 diffuse said light in all directions of space, including the direction D, which causes the illumination, for the user, of illuminated areas 32 on the surface of the blade 3. These illuminated areas 32 identify (as explained below) areas of possible interaction between the user and the blade 3. In the example described here, the two corners of the blade 3 which are not fixed to the dashboard 1, have frosted edges 31, which makes it possible to identify two zones of interaction.

Advantageously, the illuminated areas 32 identifying the interaction areas correspond to areas where the presence of a finger can be detected by the sensor(s) 6.

In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the sensor(s) 6 comprises (comprise) a detection assembly 61 consisting of at least one infrared transmitter and at least one infrared receiver. Said emitter emits an infrared signal traversing the blade 3 and being reflected on at least one surface defined as an interaction zone. The reflected infrared signal is measured by the aforementioned infrared receiver.

The contact of the user's finger on blade 3 modifies the nature of the reflection of the infrared signal. This results in a modification of the infrared signal picked up (measured) by said receiver. The analysis of said signal, picked up by the receiver, by the processor makes it possible to determine the presence or absence of a finger in contact with the surface of the blade 3 defined as an interaction zone. In the example described here, two detection assemblies 61, each consisting of at least one infrared emitter and at least one infrared receiver, are positioned against the same edge of the strip 3 as the illumination system 5. Each detection assembly 61 is positioned in such a way as to detect the contact of a finger on the illuminated area 32 facing it.

In the embodiment of FIG. 4, the sensor or sensors 6 are of the capacitive type. Here, the sensor(s) 6 comprise at least one antenna 62. The antenna(s) 62 can be glued or screen-printed on the edges of the blade 3. The presence of a conductive body, here the finger of the user, in the close vicinity of the antenna 62 (a few centimeters, for example from 0 to 2 cm) modifies the capacity of the antenna 62. This modification, measured by the processor – by example, such as a change in the resonance frequency of the circuit comprising the antenna 62, makes it possible to determine the proximity of a finger with respect to the antenna 62. The antenna or antennas 62 can be single or multiple. In the example described here, two simple antennas 62 are positioned along the edges of the blade 3 perpendicular to that illuminated by the illumination system 5. Each of the antennas 62 makes it possible to detect the presence of a finger on the illuminated zone 32 which is adjacent to it.

It is therefore proposed here to combine an indication, carried by the luminous flux L generated by the screen 2 and displayed by reflection on the blade 3, for example in the form of an icon, with lighting, carried out by the edge, d at least one interaction zone accessible by the user.

A description is now given with reference to FIG. 5 of a possible method of interaction between the vehicle and the user by means of the interactive instrument panel for the dashboard as described above.

This method begins with a step E2 during which the processor controls the screen 2 so that the screen 2 generates a light beam L producing (by reflection on the blade 3) a virtual image I for the user, this image virtual I including an indication.

The processor can then command in step E4 the operation of the lighting system 5 so that the lighting system 5 illuminates the edge of the blade 3 mentioned above; the diffusion of light by the frosted edges 31 thus defines at least one interaction zone accessible to the user.

When the user (here the driver of the vehicle) wishes to interact with the interactive instrument cluster, for example in response to the aforementioned indication, he approaches his finger to the illuminated zone 32 of his choice (which corresponds to a zone of 'interaction). The contact of the finger on the blade 3 is detected, in step E6, by the sensor 6 positioned so as to cover the relevant interaction zone.

It can be provided that upon detection of the finger by this sensor 6, a confirmation of the detection of the finger is transmitted to the user by another indication visible on the virtual image I (step E8). The processor can then command the shutdown of the lighting system 5 (step E10).

The user input (i.e. the choice indicated by the interaction zone in which the finger was detected) can then for example be transmitted by the processor to (another) electronic unit (or computer) of the vehicle (step E12).

Claims (10)

Interactive dashboard instrument cluster including:

• a screen (2) producing a light beam (L);
• a partially transparent blade (3) oriented so as to reflect at least part of the light beam (L) towards an observation zone (Z) thus forming a virtual image (I);
• an opaque surface (4) exposed in the direction of the observation zone (Z) and located behind the blade (3) with respect to the observation zone (Z);
• at least one touch sensor (6; 61; 62) designed to detect the presence of a finger placed on the blade (3).

Interactive instrument panel according to Claim 1, in which an illumination system (5) is arranged so as to illuminate at least one of the edges of the blade (3). Interactive instrument panel according to Claim 2, in which the blade (3) has at least one frosted edge (31) so as to diffuse the light produced by the lighting system (5) towards at least one illuminated zone (32 ) and in the direction of the observation zone (Z). Interactive instrument cluster according to Claim 3, in which the illuminated zone (32) corresponds to an interaction zone where the presence of a finger is detectable by the sensor (6; 61; 62). Interactive instrument cluster according to one of Claims 1 to 4, in which the sensor (6) comprises at least one detection assembly (61) comprising an infrared transmitter and an infrared receiver. Interactive instrument cluster according to one of Claims 1 to 4, in which the sensor (6) comprises at least one capacitive sensor (62). Interactive instrument cluster according to one of Claims 1 to 6, in which the light beam (L) is polarized in a direction of polarization and in which the plate (3) has a reflection coefficient greater than 15% for light polarized in said direction of polarization and a reflection coefficient of less than 15% for light polarized in a direction perpendicular to said direction of polarization. Interactive instrument panel according to Claim 7, in which the plate (3) has a reflection coefficient of less than 45% for light polarized in said direction of polarization. Method of interaction with a vehicle from a handset according to one of claims 4 to 8 comprising the following steps:
e2) display of an indication visible to the user on the virtual image (I),
e4) illumination of the interaction zones,
e6) detection of a finger by the sensor (6; 61; 62). Interaction method according to claim 9 comprising, after the detection of a finger by the sensor (6; 61; 62), the following steps:
e8) display of a detection confirmation visible to the user on the virtual image (I),
e10) end of interaction zone illumination,
e12) transmitting user input to an electronic unit.