GB2604861A

GB2604861A - Active Display Panel for Car Interior

Info

Publication number: GB2604861A
Application number: GB2103397.2A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Davey Carl; Drouard Nicolas
Original assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
Current assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
Priority date: 2021-03-11
Filing date: 2021-03-11
Publication date: 2022-09-21
Anticipated expiration: 2041-03-11
Also published as: GB202103397D0; GB2604861B

Abstract

A device for providing an interior lighting effect in a motor vehicle, such as on a car headliner, comprises: an input for first data representing a pixelated image to be displayed; a module programmed to scramble the first data to yield second data representing a scrambled, pixelated image; a light source capable of generating the scrambled, pixelated image from the second data; a plurality of light conduits each having a first end and a second end, wherein first ends of the conduits are each individually associated with pixels of the scrambled, pixelated image and second ends of the conduits are positioned in an interior trim of the motor vehicle, wherein the relative positions of the first ends and the second ends reverses the scrambling of the first data by the module so that the light output from the second ends displays the image to be displayed as an unscrambled, pixelated image.

Description

Active Display Panel for Car Interior

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to devices for providing a lighting effect in the interior trim of a motor vehicle, and to motor vehicles fitted with such devices.

Background to the Invention

Various lighting concepts for motor vehicles are known from the prior art, with which pleasant ambient interior lighting and effects may generated for the vehicle occupants. For example, in many cars a plurality of LE Ds are arranged within the headliner, which represent individual light points when activated. As an alternative to generating light with individual LE Ds, it is also known to integrate a large number of optical fibres within the headliner of a motor vehicle. The points of light are formed by the ends of the optical fibres arranged in the headliner. Light from a distant light source (e.g. an LED) directed at the opposite ends of the fibres is transmitted along the fibres almost without loss and causes the ends of the optical fibres within the headliner to be illuminated. However, with known interior lighting systems only limited visually appealing effects for the vehicle occupants can be generated.

Car parts, including headliners, door cards and other visible surfaces in an automobile, are currently illuminated using LED light modules. These are effectively a carrier containing rows and columns of fibres and associated LEDs. The problem with existing lighting systems is that in order to illuminate large areas within the car, many light modules, which are bulky and provide very little functionality other than to turn single-coloured LE Ds on and off, are required. The current effects offered by such light modules typically provide a twinkle (i.e. soft pulse on and off) and/or a 'shooting star_ effect The shooting star effect is generated by a row of LE Ds that illuminate in sequence one after the other. Therefore, these LED modules have very defined and limited functions.

In a known headliner, the illumination of the 'stars' is achieved through thousands of optical fibres being placed through the headliner. These optical fibres are then routed -2 -to light modules hidden in the ceiling (sometimes 5 to 8 modules depending on the model) or elsewhere in the car. The current light modules can only vary the stars in brightness and all the stars are controlled together, there is no individual control of the stars.

Headliners may also have additional features added such as: 1 -reading zones: 4 zones of the headliner (one above each occupant) can be illuminated individually to provide light for reading as an example.

2 -'star bursts A number of fibres can be placed in straight lines across the headliner these are lit by a specific light module in sequence giving the impression of shooting stars across the headliner.

There are a number of disadvantages to the current headliners. They are of fixed design and colour once the headliner is assembled with each fibre placed, the design can no longer be changed and the colour of the stars is fixed, most often white. The current headliners offer very little flexibility to the vehicle owner once the vehicle has been produced. There is also significant assembly time for the mentioned additional features: to achieve the additional features described above (reading zones and 'star burst.), specifically numbered fibres need to be placed in the exact pre-determined sequence meaning that these features increase the manufacturing time and risk of error on a headliner. Overall, there is a slow development process: if a new headliner design needs testing, it can be simulated on a computer but if a prototype is needed this will take a lot of time to produce and test the concept This will translate to high development costs for a single design.

There therefore exists the need for an altemative and preferably a more dynamic system for illuminating the interiors of motor vehicles and/or providing lighting effects.

An aim of the invention is to provides altematives to and preferably to improve and extend the features known from existing car headliners, for example by making them more customisable and bespoke to customers whilst simplifying and speeding up the manufacturing process. An aim of specific embodiments of the invention is to provide an improved and active interior lighting effect especially in the headliner. 3 -

Summary of the Invention

The invention relates to transmission of images onto interior vehicle trim via light conduits, generally using optical fibres, wherein fibre ends are one-by-one attached to or incorporated in the trim, usually on a surface that is fairly flat e.g. the headliner, though this may be contoured in part(s) according to the vehicle interior. The fibre ends are visible as individual pixels or light outputs. Images could not however, hitherto be displayed because the process of arranging the fibres one-by-one to connect the light source somewhere in the vehicle via the many fibres to the display position, e.g. on the headliner, requires running the fibres through interior parts of the vehicle, as a bundle of fibres, and the individual fibres get mixed or scrambled in the process. A discernible image displayed at the front ends of the fibres, also referred to as the first ends, becomes scrambled by the fibres so that the output at the ends that are visible in the car, say in the headliner, is not the original image but a scrambled version.

This problem is apparent to the inventors, though not to third parties. Hence, part of the invention comprises recognition of this problem. The problem is all the greater when multiple images, especially moving images, are to be displayed -in the art the relative positions of light outputs for a twinkling display are not so critical. Hence, another part of the invention comprises providing images and moving images on the headliner and realising that the respective locations of fibre ends where the image is generated do not exactly correspond to the locations of fibre ends on the headliner.

Accordingly, the invention provides a device for providing an interior lighting effect in a motor vehicle, the device comprising an input for first data representing a desired pixelated image to be displayed; a module programmed to scramble the first data to yield second data representing a scrambled, pixelated image; a light source capable of generating the scrambled, pixelated image from the second data; a plurality of light conduits each having a first end and a second end, wherein first ends of the conduits are each individually associated with pixels of the -4 -scrambled, pixelated image and second ends of the conduits are positioned in an interior trim of the motor vehicle, wherein the relative positions of the first ends and the second ends reverses the scrambling of the first data by the module so that the light output from the second ends displays the desired pixelated image.

Running the conduits through the vehicle interior mixes up or scrambles the fibres, so the positions of first ends, row-by-row and column-by-column, do not exactly match those of second ends. The nature of the scrambling can, however, be determined by the invention, and the module of the invention provides a correcting reversal or unscrambling. The image then displayed on, i.e. visible on, the interior trim, e.g. headliner, is the desired, pixelated image, this is otherwise referred to as the original or starting image. The combination of the correcting reversal and the location of light outputs on the trim, allowing for trim geography, may not perfectly reverse the scrambling. Occupants of the vehicle looking at the trim, e.g. headliner, nevertheless can see substantially the image that was intended.

The light conduits are suitably optical fibres, wherein first ends of the optical fibres are individually associated with pixels of the scrambled, pixelated image and the fibres transmit light to second ends positioned in the interior trim of the motor vehicle.

In an embodiment of the invention described below in more detail, there is an image generator located somewhere in the vehicle, away from the display surface / portion of the trim and out of sight This may be in a car roof or floor. Typically, this comprises a light source -a panel of LE Ds is used in the example. First ends of the conduits, e.g. optical fibres, may then be arranged in an array. Each end is preferably juxtaposed to one pixel of the light source. The second ends are positioned in a scrambled array on the interior vim of the motor vehicle.

The first and/or second ends may be arranged in a substantially regular array, such as in a 2-dimensional grid or rectangular array. In an example, the light source comprises a panel of individual lights sources, with one or more first ends adjacent each individual light source. Each light source is preferably individually addressable, whether via an on / off instruction or with more complex control, such as choice of -5 -colour and/or intensity as well. By sequentially providing image data to each individual light source, otherwise referred to as each pixel, moving images are displayed and transmitted via the conduits and in turn displayed on, meaning visible on, the interior trim.

Preferred embodiments of the device comprise an input for moving image data. Suitably, the moving image data comprises a plurality of frames, each frame comprising pixelated image data, and the device and module are together adapted to scramble the moving image data frame-by-frame, in reverse manner to the scrambling of the conduits from first ends to second ends, so that the image displayed on the interior trim is a pixelated, moving image that has been restored substantially into its original, unscrambled form.

The input image data and the image displayed on the interior trim may be of different resolution. Generally, resolution on the trim is reduced, but this depends upon the number of conduits per individually addressable light source.

In implementing the invention a large number of conduits are used, such as 500 or more, preferably 1,000 or more, 3,000 or more, or 10,000 or more. In one embodiment of the invention, described in more detail below, a headliner was made using 2880 optical fibres and 15 panels of 192 LEDs per panel as the light source. In another embodiment of the invention 4096 fibres were used in combination with a single panel of 64 x 64 LE Ds.

The device uses an image generator, and preferably this comprises a plurality of LEDs, preferably arranged in one or more panels, with LE Ds arranged into one or more regular arrays. The first ends are located close to, preferably adjacent to the LEDs so that output from any given LED is transmitted efficiently by one or a small number of conduits. This improves image quality on the display inside the vehicle.

As described in a specific embodiment herein, the device is preferably for displaying an image on a car headliner, and more preferably a moving image. The interior trim may also or alternatively be a gallery/dashboard, door card, floormat or boot of a motor vehicle. 6 -

The invention also provides a car fitted with a device of the invention.

The invention further provides a method of providing an interior lighting effect in a motor vehicle, comprising providing a motor vehicle comprising the device and providing image data to the device input whereby the image is displayed on an interior trim of the vehicle.

The invention further provides a method of programming a module for use in the device, comprising providing a plurality of light conduits each having a first and a second end, wherein first ends of the conduits are positioned, e.g. in an array, spaced from a vehicle interior trim and second ends of the conduits are positioned in an interior trim of the motor vehicle, illuminating the first ends one by one and noting which second end is illuminated as a result recording the correspondence of the respective first and second ends so as to generate a mapping, for each conduit, between a desired second end position in the interior trim and the corresponding first end position; and programming the module according to the mapping to modify input image data so that for each pixel, the pixel to be displayed at a desired second end position is to be displayed at the corresponding first end position, whereby the mapping substantially reverses the scrambling between the location of first ends in the array and the location of the second ends on the interior trim.

Still further provided is a module for display of images on a car headliner, wherein the headliner comprises a plurality of light conduits each having a first and a second end, wherein first ends of the conduits are positioned in the car and spaced from the headliner and second ends of the conduits are positioned in the headliner, and the positions of the first ends of the conduits are scrambled with respect to the positions of the second ends of the conduits in the headliner, and wherein the module is programmed to transform first image data into second image data so as to reverses the scrambling between the location of first ends in the array and the location of the second ends on the interior trim. 7 -

The positions of the first ends of the conduits with respect to each other, e.g. in the array, are scrambled with respect to the positions of the second ends of the conduits with respect to each other in the interior trim. The method of the invention, pixel by pixel, creates a mapping that unscrambles this. Hence, if the conduit second end, i.e. light output, pixel of row 24, column 12 on the headliner corresponds to the pixel of row 17, column 5 of the conduit first end, then the mapping with respect to pixel of row 24, column of the input, desired pixelated image maps that pixel to row 17, column 5 of the scrambled pixelated image. The effect of light passes along the conduit in the bundle of conduits reverses this.

The method suitably comprises generating a mapping one-by-one for the conduits, for example by mapping the scrambling of a first fibre, then a second fibre, and so on. The mapping obtained includes mapping information for all fibres, and hence for all outputs on the vehicle trim; this map be referred to as a mapping master file for that headliner.

The first ends of the conduits are suitably arranged in a substantially regular, planar 2-dimensional array, and the second ends of the conduits are arranged in the interior trim also in a substantially regular, 2-dimensional array but scrambled with respect to positions of the first ends of the conduits. Of course, inside the vehicle surface of the interior trim may not be planar so the second ends may follow non-planar geography to match the vehicle interior, but the second ends will usually be arranged with patches of relatively flat areas and acceptable for displaying discemible images according to the invention.

In examples, the invention in effect uses a projector and projects an image onto an array of fibres, such as a fibre plate which acts as a light coupling surface. A panel of LEDs constitutes a projector in this sense. Each of the first ends of the optical fibres in the optical fibre bundle, proximal to the projector, corresponds to a pixel of the image being illuminated onto the interior trim. The optical fibres on this plate then transmit this effective pixel of light to the other end of the fibre, the second end(s), distal from the projector, which is embedded into an automotive interior trim. While the image is thus preferably substantially conserved, as a result of scrambling by the -8 -fibres and unscrambling by the module, it may be optionally distorted e.g. simply to magnify its size or to allow for the anticipated viewing angle by an occupant or to allow for vehicle interior contours.

Optical fibres, preferred for the invention, are conventional, and typically circular in cross-section and the diameter of each optical fibre within the bundle is typically from 0.1mm to 0.9mm, for example from 0.2mm to 0.8mm. Commercially available fibres are available with diameters of 0.25mm and 0.75mm.

The invention is in general not limited to choices of optical fibres. As glass fibres are typically brittle and less flexible, plastic fibres are nevertheless preferably used in the device of the invention. Examples of suitable plastics from which the optical fibres can be formed include polycarbonate, polystyrene, cyclic olefin copolymer, amorphous fluoropolymer, poly(ethyl methacrylate), poly(butyl acrylate) and poly(methyl methacrylate).

The projector used in the device of the invention may be any projector that is capable of projecting an image onto the light coupling surface with a resolution sufficient for the image to be transmitted via the fibre optics to the interior trim of the motor vehicle -one or more panels of LEDs are use in the examples.

The device typically also comprises an electronic controller for controlling the projector. The electronic controller is capable of transmitting an electronic data file of the image to be projected from an electronic storage location to the projector, typically in response to an input from a user.

The electronic controller preferably comprises or is in communication with a user interface. The user interface may be controlled by the user to turn the projector on and off and to change the image projected by the projector onto the light coupling surface (and hence change the image displayed on the interior trim via the optical fibres). The user interface may be permanently installed within the motor vehicle and may for example be embedded in an interior trim of the vehicle (but not necessarily the same interior trim into which the optical fibres are embedded). Alternatively, the electronic controller may communicate wirelessly with the user interface and the user -9 -interface may be integrated in a mobile device that communicates wirelessly with the wireless controller. As an example, the user interface may form part of a downloadable mobile phone application (i.e. an 'app) that the user can download onto and control from their smart phone.

The invention is now described in the following specific example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-Fig. 1 shows a software logic diagram for programming of a module with a mapping file for use in the invention; Fig.s 2a, 2b and 2c show an input image, that image scrambled by the module programmed as per fig. 1 and then that image unscrambled by the light conduits in a car headliner; Fig. 3 shows a software logic diagram for using the mapping file of fig. 1 to process an input video file to apply the unscrambling mapping of the module; and Fig. 4 shows a schematic diagram of the hardware in a car to process a scrambled input image using the module into light output on a headliner.

Examples

A car headliner was made with 2880 0.25mm diameter standard, polymer optical fibres, their ends attached to and spaced evenly across the headliner interior facing surface in an approximately square arrangement Referring first to fig. 4, the headliner is shown is simplified form as 'Headliner_, which shows many fewer fibres than were actually used, merely for ease of illustration.

The unattached ends were bundled and tied to hold them securely in individual bundles and then attached to fibre carrier plates ('fibre carrier) in a regular array, their ends spaced evenly apart; the 2880 fibres were divided into 15 sets of 192 fibres in an approximately rectangular arrangement. Though one plate is shown for ease of illustration, in the example 15 plates, one for each array of fibre ends, were used, each of 192 LE Ds. Fibre ends protruded through the plate and were cut to present a flat surface juxtaposed to a printed circuit board (PCB) mounted with a grid of 192 individually addressable LEDs on a heatsink ('aluminium heatsink).

-10 -Referring next to fig. 1 a video was prepared in which individual frames was designed for illumination of just one pixel of the LED grid and throughout the video there was one frame included for each pixel. A camera was mounted directed at the fibre outputs on the headliner.

The steps of fig.1 were then followed to create the mapping: the video was input to an image generator driving the LED grid frame by frame, initially illuminating the first LED. The camera recorded which pixel of the fibre outputs on the headliner was brightest and thus corresponded to the first LED, and the pixel position as an X,Y coordinate was mapped to the first LE D position (having its own X, V coordinate).

The process continued to the next frame and the camera recorded which pixel of the fibre outputs was brightest and thus corresponded to the next LE D, again recording the respective coordinates, and so on until all pixels of the light source had been illuminated and the respective mappings recorded. This produced a composite mapping for all fibres of that headliner, which was saved as the headliner master mapping file. It will be appreciated that for a different headliner, made with a different scrambling of fibres a different mapping file will be needed.

Referring next to fig.s 2 and 3, an input video comprising multiple images (frames) the first frame of which is shown in fig. 2a was input to the module, and as shown step by step in fig. 3 was split into frames. Each pixel of a frame, also referred to as a star (as the mapping video used individual white pixels, visible as 'stars_ on the headliner) was processed according to the master mapping file generated as described above and now programmed into the module. Thus, each star was mapped by the module to its scrambled position, until all stars, i.e. all pixels, had been processed and the scrambling completed. The scrambled image data for the frame was then displayed as a scrambled image on the LED grid -see fig. 2b and the input data/image indicated in fig. 4. The process then continued frame-by-frame.

Light is transmitted by the optical fibres almost without loss and, hence, display of the scrambled image on the LED grid resulted in display of an unscrambled image on the headliner -see fig. 2c and the output image of fig. 4. Hence, for the first frame illustrated in the figures, and for subsequent frames of the video, a desired image and thus a moving image was visible in unscrambled form on the headliner.

For the example a 'RR_ logo was animated to flow smoothly across the headliner -see first frame as shown in fig. 2c and the output in fig. 4, both showing the image actually displayed on the headliner after scrambling by the module and unscrambling by the fibre bundle. Of course, this can be regarded the other way round: the image is scrambled by the fibre bundle and unscrambled (pre-emptively) by the module; the result is the same, namely the original image, in substantially original (i.e. not scrambled form) is visible on the headliner.

The invention thus provides an active display panel for car interior, especially a headliner on which images and moving images can be displayed.

Claims

-12 -CLAIMS1. A device for providing an interior lighting effect in a motor vehicle, the device 5 comprising an input for first data representing a desired pixelated image to be displayed; a module programmed to scramble the first data to yield second data representing a scrambled, pixelated image; a light source capable of generating the scrambled, pixelated image from the second data; a plurality of light conduits each having a first end and a second end, wherein first ends of the conduits are each individually associated with pixels of the scrambled, pixelated image and second ends of the conduits are positioned in an interior trim of the motor vehicle, wherein the relative positions of the first ends and the second ends reverses the scrambling of the first data by the module so that the light output from the second ends displays the desired pixelated image.
2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the light conduits are optical fibres, wherein first ends of the optical fibres are individually associated with pixels of the scrambled, pixelated image and the fibres transmit light to second ends positioned in the interior trim of the motor vehicle.
3. A device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein first ends of the conduits, e.g. optical fibres, are arranged in an array juxtaposed to the light source, and the second ends are positioned in a scrambled array on the interior trim of the motor vehicle.
4. A device according to claim 3, wherein the first and/or second ends are arranged in a substantially regular array, such as in a 2-dimensional grid or rectangular array.
5. A device according to any previous claim, comprising an input for moving image data.
-13 - 6. A device according to claim 5, wherein the moving image data comprises a plurality of frames, each frame comprising pixelated image data, and wherein the device and module are together adapted to scramble the moving image data frameby-fra me.
7. A device according to any previous claim, for displaying an image on a car headliner.
8. A car fitted with a headliner and a device according to any of claims 1 to 7. 10
9. A method of providing an interior lighting effect in a motor vehicle, comprising providing a motor vehicle comprising a device according to any of claims 1 to 7, and providing image data to the device input whereby the image is displayed on an interior trim of the vehicle.
10. A method of programming a module for use in the device of any of claims 1 to 7, comprising providing a plurality of light conduits each having a first and a second end, wherein first ends of the conduits are positioned and spaced from a vehicle interior trim and second ends of the conduits are positioned in an interior trim of the motor vehicle, illuminating the first ends one by one and noting which second end is illuminated as a result recording the correspondence of the respective first and second ends so as to generate a mapping, for each conduit, between a desired second end position in the interior trim and the corresponding first end position; programming the module according to the mapping to modify input image data so that for each pixel, the pixel to be displayed at a desired second end position is to be displayed at the corresponding first end position, whereby the mapping substantially reverses the scrambling between the location of first ends in the array and the location of the second ends on the interior trim.-14 -
11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the positions of the first ends of the conduits in the array are scrambled with respect to the positions of the second ends of the conduits in the interior trim.
12. A method according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the first ends of the conduits are arranged in a substantially regular, planar 2-dimensional array, the second ends of the conduits are arranged in the interior trim also in a substantially regular, 2-dimensional array but scrambled with respect to positions of the first ends of the conduits.
13. A module for display of moving images on a car headliner, wherein the headliner comprises a plurality of light conduits each having a first and a second end, wherein first ends of the conduits are positioned in the car and spaced from the headliner and second ends of the conduits are positioned in the headliner, and the positions of the first ends of the conduits are scrambled with respect to the positions of the second ends of the conduits in the headliner, and wherein the module is programmed to transform first image data into second image data so as to reverse the scrambling between the location of first ends in the array and the location of the second ends on the interior trim.