System and methods for exterior vehicle display
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsStuart C. Salter, Kristopher Karl Brown, Annette Lynn Huebner, David Brian Glickman, Cornel Lewis Gardner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An exterior display apparatus for a vehicle comprises a first display panel in connection with a first door trim portion and a second display panel in connection with a second door trim portion. The first and second door trim portions are adjacent to each other. Each of the display panels comprises a touch sensor and a heater layer distributed over a corresponding display surface.
Claims14
An exterior display apparatus for a vehicle comprising:
- a first display panel in connection with a first door trim portion;
- and
- a second display panel in connection with a second door trim portion adjacent to the first trim portion;
- wherein each of the display panels comprises a touch sensor and a heater layer distributed over a display surface;
- and
- a controller in communication with a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature proximate to the vehicle, wherein the controller is configured to:
- detect a material on the display surface in response to a signal communicated from the touch sensor;
- infer that the material is a frozen material based on the temperature;
- and
- activate the heater layer in response to the frozen material.
A method for displaying visual data on a panel of a vehicle, the method comprising:
- displaying first data on a first display panel;
- displaying second data on a second display panel;
- detecting a closed configuration of a plurality of vehicle doors;
- in response to the closed configuration, displaying a continuous representation of a third image data contiguously over the first display panel and the second display panel;
- detecting a foreign substance on at least one of a first display surface of the first display panel and a second display surface of the second display panel;
- inferring that the foreign substance is frozen based on a temperature proximate the vehicle in combination with the detection of the foreign substance;
- and
- activating a heater apparatus of at least one of the first display panel and the second display panel in response to the inference that the foreign substance is frozen.
An exterior display apparatus for a vehicle comprising:
- a first display panel connected to a first door trim portion;
- a second display panel connected to a second door trim portion adjacent to the first trim portion, wherein each of the display panels comprises a touch sensor and a heater distributed over a display surface;
- and
- a controller in communication with a temperature sensor configured to identify a temperature of an environment proximate the vehicle configured to:
- identify a foreign object on one of the display panels via the touch sensor;
- infer that the foreign object is frozen material in response to the temperature identified below a threshold temperature;
- and
- activate the heater in response to the detection of the foreign object.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.