US 11,440,483 B2 · Rotating vehicle display unit

Abstract

A system and method that pertain to a rotating vehicle display unit that can automatically or manually rotate between landscape and portrait orientations, depending on the particular display format or media being shown to the vehicle occupants. The rotating vehicle display unit uses an electro-mechanical rotating and locking mechanism with smart fluid, such as magnetorheological fluid (MR), to facilitate easy and precise rotational movement between different display orientations. The rotating vehicle display unit may be coupled to a corresponding human-machine interface (HMI) that responds to the different display orientations and helps facilitate easy transition from one orientation to another in order to optimize the particular display format or media being shown at that time.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A rotating vehicle display unit, comprising:

a housing;
an electric coil;
a rotating disk that is located in the housing;
a smart fluid that is located in the housing and at least partially surrounds the rotating disk, the smart fluid includes a plurality of magnetic particles suspended in a carrier fluid so that a viscosity of the smart fluid is affected by a presence of magnetic field;
and
a rotating shaft that is connected to the rotating disk and is configured to carry an electronic display, wherein when the electric coil is energized, the electric coil creates a magnetic field that permeates the smart fluid and increases the viscosity of the smart fluid so that the smart fluid resists rotation of the rotating disk within the housing.

3 more elements

A method for use with a rotating vehicle display unit mounted in a vehicle, the rotating vehicle display unit includes a housing, an electric coil, a rotating disk that is located in the housing, a smart fluid that is located in the housing and at least partially surrounds the rotating disk, where smart fluid includes a plurality of magnetic particles suspended in a carrier fluid so that a viscosity of the smart fluid is affected by a presence of magnetic field, and a rotating shaft that is connected to the rotating disk and is configured to carry an electronic display, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting a change in system input information intended for the rotating vehicle display unit;
selecting an optimal display orientation for the system input information;
determining if the rotating vehicle display unit is currently in the optimal display orientation;
when the rotating vehicle display unit is currently in the optimal display orientation, then maintaining the rotating vehicle display unit in its current orientation;
and
when the rotating vehicle display unit is not currently in the optimal display orientation, then rotating the rotating vehicle display unit from its current orientation to an optimal orientation.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Rotating vehicle display unit

Life of this patent

Rotating vehicle display unit

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20