U.S. patent application number 10/356357 was filed with the patent office on 2003-09-11 for automatically deployable and stowable display monitor.
Invention is credited to Paul, Charles A. JR..
Application Number | 20030169158 10/356357 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46203950 |
Filed Date | 2003-09-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030169158 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Paul, Charles A. JR. |
September 11, 2003 |
Automatically deployable and stowable display monitor
Abstract
A display monitor system for mounting in an automobile, the
automobile having an interior and a vehicle status indicator with a
changeable state, is provided. The display monitor system comprises
a monitor, a motor drivingly coupled to the monitor, and a
controller operatively connected to the motor for controlling the
motor. The monitor has a screen with a viewing surface, and is
configured to be movably coupled to the interior of the automobile
such that it is movable between a deployed position, in which the
viewing surface is visible to the viewer, and a stowed position.
The motor is drivingly coupled to the monitor to move the monitor
between the stowed position and the deployed position. The
controller is adapted to detect a change in the state of the
vehicle status indicator and to signal the motor to move the
monitor to a predetermined position corresponding to the detected
change in the state.
Inventors: |
Paul, Charles A. JR.;
(Veneta, OR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
KOLISCH HARTWELL, P.C.
520 S.W. YAMHILL STREET
SUITE 200
PORTLAND
OR
97204
US
|
Family ID: |
46203950 |
Appl. No.: |
10/356357 |
Filed: |
January 31, 2003 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10356357 |
Jan 31, 2003 |
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09705597 |
Nov 2, 2000 |
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6529123 |
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60163099 |
Nov 2, 1999 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
340/425.5 ;
340/691.6; 340/693.5 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60R 2011/0082 20130101;
B60R 2011/0092 20130101; B60R 2011/0028 20130101; B60R 11/0235
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
340/425.5 ;
340/693.5; 340/691.6 |
International
Class: |
B60Q 001/00 |
Claims
I claim:
1. In a vehicle having an interior and a vehicle status indicator
with a changeable state, a display monitor system comprising: a
monitor having a viewing surface, wherein the monitor is movable
between a deployed position and a stowed position; a motor
drivingly coupled to the monitor to move the monitor between the
stowed position and the deployed position; and a controller
operatively connected to the motor for controlling the motor,
wherein the controller is adapted to detect a change in the state
of the vehicle status indicator and to signal the motor to move the
monitor to a predetermined position corresponding to the detected
change in the state.
2. The display monitor system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle
status indicator indicates a status of an ignition switch of the
vehicle, and wherein the status of the ignition switch includes an
open switch status and a closed switch status.
3. The display monitor system of claim 1, wherein the controller
signals the motor to move the monitor to the stowed position when a
change in the ignition switch status from closed switch status to
open switch status is indicated.
4. The display monitor system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle
status indicator indicates a status of a door of the vehicle, and
wherein the status of the door includes an open door status and a
closed door status.
5. The display monitor system of claim 4, wherein the controller
signals the motor to move the monitor to the stowed position when a
change in the door status from closed door status to open door
status is detected.
6. The display monitor system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle
status indicator indicates a status of a vehicle transmission, and
wherein the status of the transmission includes a reverse gear
status and a non-reverse gear status.
7. The display monitor system of claim 1, wherein the controller
signals the motor to move the monitor to the stowed position when a
change in the transmission indicator status from the non-reverse
gear status to the reverse gear status is detected.
8. The display monitor system of claim 1, further comprising an
encoder in communication with the controller for encoding an
encoded position of the monitor and communicating the encoded
position to the controller.
9. The display monitor system of claim 8, the controller including
memory, wherein, upon detecting a first predetermined change in
state of the vehicle status indicator, the controller stores the
encoded position of the monitor in memory and signals the motor to
move the monitor to the stowed position, and wherein, upon
detecting a second change in the state of the vehicle status
indicator, the controller signals the motor to move the monitor
back to the encoded position.
10. The display monitor system of claim 9, wherein the vehicle
status indicator has an indicator-active state and an
indicator-inactive state, wherein the first change in state of the
vehicle status indicator is a change from the indicator-inactive
state to the indicator-active state, and wherein the second change
is a change from the indicator-active state to the
indicator-inactive state.
11. The display monitor system of claim 9, wherein the memory is
non-volatile.
12. The display monitor system of claim 8, wherein the encoder is
an optical encoder.
13. The display monitor system of claim 1, wherein the monitor is
pivotally coupled to the interior.
14. The display monitor system of claim 1, wherein the interior
includes a ceiling, the monitor being mounted to the ceiling.
15. The display monitor system of claim 1, further comprising a
base to couple the monitor to the interior.
16. The display monitor system of claim 15, wherein the base
includes a recess, and wherein the monitor is positioned at least
partially within the recess when in the stowed position.
17. The display monitor system of claim 1, wherein the deployed
position is selectable from a range of possible deployed
positions.
18. The display monitor system of claim 1, wherein the controller
includes an override mechanism adapted to allow an occupant of the
vehicle to selectively bypass the motor from moving the monitor
when a change in the vehicle status indicator state is
detected.
19. A vehicle comprising: a ceiling; an occupant-controllable
component with a changeable status; a monitor pivotally coupled to
the ceiling, the monitor being pivotal between a first position and
a second position; a motor coupled to the monitor configured to
drive movement of the monitor between the first position and the
second position; and a controller for controlling the motor,
wherein the controller is adapted to monitor the status of the
occupant-controllable component and, upon detecting a change in the
status of the occupant-controllable component, to direct the motor
to move the monitor to a position that facilitates use of the
vehicle by the occupant.
20. The display monitor system of claim 19, wherein the controller,
upon detecting a change in status of the occupant-controllable
component from a first status to a second status, stores the
position of the monitor at the time the change in status was
detected as an initial position.
21. The display monitor system of claim 20, wherein the controller
directs the motor to move the monitor to the position that
facilitates use of the vehicle by the occupant after storing the
initial position of the monitor.
22. The display monitor system of claim 20, wherein the controller
is adapted, upon detecting a change in status from the second
status to the first status, to direct the motor to return the
monitor to the initial position.
23. The display monitor system of claim 19, wherein the vehicle
includes a vehicle status indicator with a changeable state for
indicating the status of the occupant-controllable component, and
wherein the controller is adapted to detect a change in the state
of the vehicle status indicator and to direct the motor to move the
monitor to the position that facilitates use of the vehicle by the
occupant upon detecting the change in the state.
24. The display monitor system of claim 23, the vehicle having a
door, wherein the vehicle status indicator includes an open door
state indicating an open status of the vehicle door and a closed
door state indicating a closed status of the vehicle door, and
wherein the change in the state corresponds to a change from the
closed door state to the open door state.
25. The display monitor system of claim 23, the vehicle having an
ignition switch, wherein the vehicle status indicator includes an
open switch state indicating an open status of the vehicle ignition
switch and a closed switch state indicating a closed status of the
vehicle ignition switch, and wherein the change in the state
corresponds to a change from the closed switch state to the open
switch state.
26. The display monitor system of claim 23, the vehicle having a
transmission with a reverse gear, wherein the vehicle status
indicator includes a non-reverse state indicating a non-reverse
status of the vehicle transmission and a reverse state indicating a
reverse status of the vehicle transmission, and wherein the change
in the state corresponds to a change from the non-reverse state to
the reverse state.
27. A method of facilitating use of an vehicle by an occupant of a
passenger compartment of the vehicle, the vehicle including a
vehicle status indicator with a changeable state, the passenger
compartment including a display monitor system having a monitor
that is movable between a plurality of positions, the plurality of
positions including a stowed position, the method comprising:
periodically reviewing the state of the vehicle status indicator;
detecting a first predetermined change in the state; moving the
monitor to a first predetermined position that facilitates use of
the vehicle by the occupant; detecting a second predetermined
change in the state; and moving the monitor to a second
predetermined position.
28. The method of claim 27, further comprising encoding the
position of the monitor with an encoder to form an encoded position
before detecting the first predetermined change in the state.
29. The method of claim 28, further comprising saving the encoded
position to form a saved position after detecting the first
predetermined change in the state and before moving the monitor to
the first predetermined position;
30. The method of claim 29, wherein moving the monitor to the
second predetermined position after detecting a second
predetermined change in the state includes moving the monitor to
the saved position after detecting the second predetermined change
in state.
31. The method of claim 27, wherein moving the monitor to the first
predetermined position to facilitate use of the vehicle by the
occupant includes moving the monitor to the stowed position.
32. The method of claim 27, wherein the vehicle status indicator
indicates a status of a door of the vehicle, the status of the door
including an open door status and a closed door status, and wherein
detecting a first predetermined change in the state includes
detecting a change in the state corresponding to a change from the
closed door status to the open door status.
33. The method of claim 32, wherein detecting a second
predetermined change in the state includes detecting a change in
the state corresponding to a change from the open door status to
the closed door status.
34. The method of claim 27, wherein the vehicle status indicator
indicates a status of an ignition switch of the vehicle, the status
of the ignition switch including an open switch status and a closed
switch status, and wherein detecting a first predetermined change
in the state includes detecting a change in the state corresponding
to a change from the closed switch status to the open switch
status.
35. The method of claim 27, wherein detecting a second
predetermined change in the state includes detecting a change in
the state corresponding to a change from the open switch status to
the closed switch status.
36. The method of claim 27, wherein the vehicle status indicator
indicates a status of a transmission of the vehicle, the status of
the transmission including a reverse gear status and a non-reverse
gear status, and wherein detecting a first predetermined change in
the state includes detecting a change in the state corresponding to
a change from the non-reverse gear status to the reverse gear
status.
37. The method of claim 36, wherein detecting a second
predetermined change in the state includes detecting a change in
the state corresponding to a change from the reverse gear status to
the non-reverse gear status.
38. A method of facilitating use of an vehicle by an occupant of a
passenger compartment of the vehicle, the vehicle including a
vehicle status indicator with a changeable state, the passenger
compartment including a display monitor system having a monitor
that is movable between a plurality of positions, the method
comprising: periodically reviewing the state of the vehicle status
indicator; detecting a predetermined change in the state of the
vehicle status indicator; and moving the monitor to a position that
facilitates use of the vehicle by the occupant upon detecting the
predetermined change in the state of the vehicle status indicator.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 09/705,597, filed Nov. 2, 2000, and entitled
"Automatically Deployable and Stowable Display Monitor", which
claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No.
60/163,099, filed Nov. 2, 1999 for an "Automatically Deployable And
Stowable Display Unit".
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present invention relates generally to display monitors
for passenger vehicles, and more particularly to a display monitor
system with a monitor that is automatically deployed or stowed upon
the occurrence of a predetermined status change within a
vehicle.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Display monitors systems have become popular accessories in
passenger vehicles, and find a wide variety of applications in
various vehicular systems. For example, a display monitor system
may be used in a vehicle as a computer monitor, a navigation
display, a closed-caption display for an external camera, etc. Flat
panel display (FPD) monitor systems have become particularly
popular in vehicular entertainment systems for such uses as a
television, video game monitor or video cassette player
monitor.
[0004] A display monitor system may be mounted in a variety of
locations within a passenger compartment of a vehicle, depending
upon the type of vehicle and the intended use of the system. For
example, in a passenger automobile, a display monitor system for
use as a rear seat passenger entertainment system display may be
mounted to the ceiling of the passenger compartment of the vehicle
at a location between the front and rear seats so that it is
viewable by rear seat passengers.
[0005] Ceiling-mounted display monitor systems typically include a
monitor that extends into the passenger compartment of a vehicle,
often from a central region of the vehicle ceiling. Unfortunately,
ceiling-mounted display monitor systems may potentially interfere
with the ordinary use of the vehicle. For example, the monitor may
partially obscure a driver's rearward view when the driver is
operating the vehicle in reverse. Similarly, the monitor may be a
hindrance for a passenger getting into or out of the rear seat of
the vehicle. For this reason, many display monitor systems include
a monitor that is movable between a deployed position, in which the
monitor is positioned for viewing by a vehicle occupant, and a
stowed position, in which the monitor is positioned to lessen
interference with the ordinary use of the vehicle.
[0006] Although stowable monitors offer safety benefits over
fixed-position monitors, occupants of the vehicle may sometimes
find stowing the monitor to be an inconvenience. For example, a
driver wanting to use the automobile in reverse may need to get
into the passenger compartment of the automobile to stow the
monitor before backing up. Also, vehicle occupants may forget or
neglect to stow the monitor when the automobile is not in use,
which may make the monitor more susceptible to damage while
performing activities such as loading or unloading a vehicle.
Furthermore, it may be inconvenient for passengers getting into the
automobile to first reach in and stow the monitor. In each of these
situations, vehicle users may neglect to stow the monitor and thus
not realize the safety benefits provided by the stowability.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have a display monitor system
with a stowable monitor that provides for the improved safety and
convenience of vehicle occupants.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The present invention provides a display monitor system for
mounting in an automobile, the automobile having an interior and a
vehicle status indicator with a changeable state that. The display
monitor system comprises a monitor, a motor drivingly coupled to
the monitor, and a controller operatively connected to the motor
for controlling the motor. The monitor has a viewing surface, and
is configured to be movably coupled to the interior of the
automobile such that the monitor is movable between a deployed
position, in which the viewing surface is visible to the viewer,
and a stowed position. The motor is drivingly coupled to the
monitor to move the monitor between the stowed position and the
deployed position. The controller is adapted to detect a change in
the state of the vehicle status indicator and to signal the motor
to move the monitor to a predetermined position corresponding to
the detected change in the state. Alternatively, the controller may
be adapted to itself detect a status of a vehicle component, and to
move the monitor accordingly.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 is a partially fragmented side view of a passenger
automobile with an embodiment of a display monitor system according
to the present invention mounted to the ceiling of the passenger
compartment of the automobile.
[0009] FIG. 2 is a partially fragmented isometric view of the
embodiment of FIG. 1 with the monitor in the stowed position.
[0010] FIG. 3 is a partially fragmented isometric view of the
embodiment of FIG. 1 with the monitor in the deployed position.
[0011] FIG. 4 is an isometric view of a source, a detector and a
slotted wheel of an optical encoder of the embodiment of FIG.
1.
[0012] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a control system suitable
for controlling movement of the monitor of the embodiment of FIG.
1.
[0013] FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of an embodiment of a method of
automatically stowing a display monitor according to an embodiment
of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0014] The present invention provides a vehicular display monitor
system for a passenger vehicle in which a monitor is automatically
deployed or stowed upon detecting certain predetermined status
changes in a vehicle. A display monitor system according to the
present invention is indicated generally at 10 in FIGS. 1-3.
[0015] System 10 includes a monitor 12 that is movably coupled to a
base 14. Base 14 is configured to be mountable to a vehicle 16
within the vehicle passenger compartment 18. Monitor 12 is movably
coupled to base 14 such that it may be moved between a deployed
position (FIG. 3), in which the monitor is viewable by vehicle
passengers, and a stowed position (FIG. 2), in which the monitor
interferes less with the use of the vehicle by a vehicle
occupant.
[0016] In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 1, display monitor system
10 is installed in a passenger vehicle 16, which takes the form of
a van. However, it will be appreciated that system 10 may be
installed in any type of passenger vehicle including a car, truck,
motor home, etc. Additionally, while system 10 is shown mounted to
ceiling 20 of passenger compartment 18, between driver's seat 22
and a first row of rear seats 24 for viewing by rear passengers, it
will be understood that system 10 may be installed at any desired
location in the passenger compartment for viewing by any or all of
the occupants. It will also be understood that monitor 12 may be
movably coupled directly to the vehicle ceiling without the use of
base 14.
[0017] FIGS. 2 and 3 depict display monitor system 10 in more
detail. As these figures show, base 14 includes a bottom portion
30, and a mechanical and electronics housing 32 extending upwardly
from bottom portion 30. Bottom portion 30 forms a lower surface of
base 14, and includes a plurality of mounting holes 34 adapted to
receive fasteners for mounting base 14 to ceiling 20. Any suitable
fastening mechanism (e.g. screws) may be used to attach base 14 to
ceiling 20. Furthermore, base 14 may be attached to ceiling 20 with
an adjustable method, such as that disclosed in U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 09/626,210 for a VEHICLE DISPLAY MONITOR
SYSTEM, filed on Jul. 26, 2000, which issued on Jul. 2, 2002 as
U.S. Pat. No. 6,412,848, and which is hereby incorporated by
reference.
[0018] Base 14 is generally designed to have a low profile in a
vehicle so that the base interferes minimally with the actions of
vehicle occupants in passenger compartment 18. Base 14, for
example, may be configured to extend only partially, if at all,
into passenger compartment 18. In the depicted embodiment, base 14
is configured to fit substantially flush with a headliner (not
shown) in the vehicle. In fact, bottom portion 30 of base 14 is
configured to rest against the headliner adjacent a hole in the
headliner through which monitor 12 extends when deployed. A
covering or shroud (not shown) may be provided to cover any portion
of base 14 that extends through the vehicle headliner, but is not
necessary.
[0019] When in the stowed position, monitor 12 may nest partially
or fully in a recess 36 formed in base 14, as shown in FIG. 2.
Positioning monitor 12 in recess 36 when in the stowed position
helps to reduce the intrusion of display monitor system 10 into
passenger compartment 18 while in the stowed position, and also
helps to protect monitor 12 from damage while stowed. In the
depicted embodiment, monitor 12 is configured to retract fully into
recess 36 when stowed, thus positioning monitor 12 flush with, or
even recessed into, the vehicle headliner when stowed. However,
monitor 12 may also retract only partially into base 14 when
stowed, or may simply rest against base 14 (or the vehicle
ceiling).
[0020] Monitor 12 may be any type of monitor known in the art for
use in vehicles, and is typically a flat panel display (FPD)
monitor. Monitor 12 includes a monitor housing 40 with a viewing
surface 42 for displaying an image to a passenger.
[0021] As mentioned above, monitor 12 is movably coupled to base 14
so that it may be moved between a stowed position and a deployed
position. Monitor 12 may be movably coupled to base 14 with any
suitable mechanism. In the depicted embodiment, however, monitor 12
is pivotally coupled to base 14 so that it may be pivoted about an
axis 38 between the stowed and deployed positions. Furthermore,
monitor 12 may have a continuous range of possible deployed
positions so that the angle of the monitor can be adjusted to suit
passengers of different heights. While in the depicted embodiment
monitor 12 is stowed with viewing surface 42 facing down into the
vehicle passenger compartment, monitor 12 may also be stowed with
the screen 40 facing up toward ceiling 20 of vehicle 16, or in any
other desired orientation.
[0022] In accordance with the present invention, monitor 12 is
operatively connected to a driving mechanism for driving monitor 12
between the stowed and deployed positions. FIG. 3 shows one
embodiment of a suitable driving mechanism 60 for driving the
monitor between positions. Driving mechanism 60 includes a motor 62
to power movement of the screen between positions. Any suitable
motor may be used. Typically, motor 62 is an electric step motor,
and is powered by the vehicle battery.
[0023] Motor 62 includes a drive shaft 64, to which a drive shaft
gear 66 is attached. Drive shaft gear 66 is engaged with an axle
gear 68, which is in turn coupled to an axle 70 that is fixed to
monitor 12. Thus, when motor 62 is operated, its motion is
transferred to axle 70 and thus turns monitor 12. Axle 70 is fixed
to monitor 12 via any suitable cooperative mechanism, and can be
fixed to monitor 12 at any suitable location on monitor 12. In the
depicted embodiment, axle 70 is fixed to monitor 12 adjacent the
top edge of monitor 12. Axle 70 is also coupled to base 14 to
support monitor 12 on base 14.
[0024] Motor 62 is in communication with a controller, shown
schematically at 80 in FIG. 3, for controlling the movement of
monitor 12. Controller 80 may be configured to direct motor 62 to
move monitor 12 upon receiving various selected inputs. For
example, controller 80 may be in communication with a
user-controllable external device, such as a control panel or
remote control, to allow a user to deploy, stow or adjust the
position of monitor 12 manually. Furthermore, controller 80 is
adapted to detect changes in the status of the vehicle, or various
vehicle components. Accordingly, when a predetermined change in the
status of the vehicle, or of a particular component of the vehicle,
is detected, the monitor may be moved to a correspondingly desired
position to reduce interference with an occupant's use of the
vehicle.
[0025] One vehicle component that may be monitored for status
changes is a vehicle door. Each door in the vehicle has an open
status and a closed status. Typically, the vehicle will have a
corresponding status indicator that detects the status of the door
and indicates the status with a suitable mechanism, such as a
dashboard light. Depending upon the location of display monitor
system 10 in the vehicle, monitor 12 may interfere with passengers
entering or exiting the vehicle through various doors in the
vehicle when in the deployed position. To compensate for this,
controller 80 may be configured to detect a change in the status of
one or more vehicle doors adjacent display monitor system 10 from
closed to open in any suitable manner, such as by detecting the
status indicator, and when such a status change is detected, to
move screen 12 to a less obstructive position (e.g. the stowed
position).
[0026] Another vehicle component that may be monitored for status
changes is the automobile transmission. While driving in a forward
gear, the driver of a vehicle with a passenger compartment-mounted
display monitor will not ordinarily be distracted by the monitor,
as the display monitor system will typically be mounted at a
location behind the driver, and the monitor will not ordinarily
block much of the view area of the rear view mirror. However, when
a driver is operating the vehicle in reverse, the driver may wish
to stow the monitor so as to further reduce obstruction of the
drivers' rearward view. Thus, controller 80 could monitor the
vehicle transmission for a change in the transmission status to a
reverse gear (or "reverse gear status"). The controller typically
monitors the transmission status by monitoring a suitable
transmission status indicator. The vehicle may have one or more
transmission status indicators. For example, the vehicle may have a
dashboard light that indicates when the reverse gear is engaged, or
may have backing lights that are illuminated only when the vehicle
is in the reverse gear. Upon detecting a change to a reverse gear
status, controller 80 may then direct motor 62 to move monitor 12
to the stowed position so that the driver's view out the rear of
the vehicle is relatively unimpeded by monitor 12 while the car is
in reverse.
[0027] Yet another vehicle component that could be monitored by
controller 80 for a change in status is the vehicle ignition
switch. This is because it is often desirable to stow monitor 12
while the car is not being used. First, monitor 12 is protected
from damage from passengers entering or exiting the car, or from
objects being put into or removed from the car, while in the stowed
position. Second, the presence of monitor 12 in the passenger
compartment may make the vehicle a more attractive target for
thieves. When monitor 12 is stowed, it is less visible from outside
the vehicle, and thus may reduce the susceptibility of the vehicle
or display monitor system 10 to theft.
[0028] Generally the vehicle ignition switch will include an open
switch status and a closed switch status, although many vehicles
have ignition switches with multiple positions, such as an
auxiliary position in which power is supplied to various vehicle
systems while the motor is not running. The open switch status
corresponds to the status wherein the car engine is turned off, and
the closed switch status corresponds to the status wherein the car
engine is powered. Typically, the vehicle will have a status
indicator that indicates whether the ignition switch is in the open
or closed position. Controller 80 may monitor the vehicle ignition
switch, for example by monitoring the status indicator, for a
change in status from the closed switch status to the open switch
status. When this change in status is detected, controller 80 may
move monitor 12 toward, or to, the stowed position so that the
monitor is stowed when the vehicle is turned off.
[0029] In addition to moving monitor 12 to the stowed position upon
detecting a predetermined change in vehicle status, controller 80
may also be configured to move monitor 12 back to its initial
position (the position of monitor 12 immediately before it was
moved to the stowed position), or to a default deployed position,
upon detecting a converse predetermined change in the status of the
component.
[0030] For example, once the door of the vehicle has been closed,
the passenger most likely has finished entering or exiting the
automobile, and thus the condition that gave rise to the need for
stowing monitor 12 has passed. Similarly, once the car has been
turned on or taken out of reverse, the conditions that gave rise to
the need for stowing monitor 12 have also passed. Therefore, the
controller may be configured to detect a change in the door status
from open to closed, the ignition switch status from open to
closed, or the transmission status from reverse gear to non-reverse
gear, and to move monitor 12 back to the initial position upon
detecting the change.
[0031] In order for the controller to be able to return monitor 12
to its initial position after detecting the converse predetermined
change in status of a component, controller 12 must be able to
detect the initial position before moving the monitor to the stowed
position. To provide for this capability, display monitor system 10
includes an encoder 90 operatively coupled to monitor 12 to detect
movement of monitor 12 and to encode the position of monitor 12.
Any suitable encoder for encoding rotational motion may be used. In
the depicted embodiment, an optical encoder 90 is used. Optical
encoder 90 encodes the position of monitor 12 by measuring light
pulses generated by rotating a slotted wheel in front of a light
source.
[0032] FIG. 4 illustrates the operative components of an exemplary
optical encoder suitable for use with display monitor system 10.
Optical encoder 90 includes a light source 92 with a plurality of
leads 94 for connecting light source to a power supply, and a
detector 96 with a plurality of leads 98 for coupling detector 96
to controller 80 and to a power supply. Detector 96 is in optical
alignment with source 92 so that detector 96 can detect light from
source 92. Optical encoder 90 also includes a wheel 100 with a
plurality of light apertures 102 disposed between source 92 and
detector 96.
[0033] Wheel 100 is opaque so that it does not pass light from
source 92 to detector 96 unless a slot is rotated between source 92
and detector 96. Wheel 100 includes a shaft 104 coupled to monitor
12 so that wheel 100 is turned as monitor 12 is pivoted. Thus, as
monitor 12 pivots, wheel 100 turns, causing light apertures 102 to
pass sequentially between source 92 and detector 96 and pulses of
light to reach detector 96. Controller 80 may then count the number
of pulses and detect the direction of motor rotation to determine
the position of monitor 12.
[0034] Controller 80 may be configured to detect the status of a
desired vehicle component or components in any suitable fashion. As
described above, in one embodiment of the invention, controller 80
is coupled to a vehicle status indicator to detect a change in
status of a vehicle component. Many passenger vehicles are equipped
with various vehicle status indicator circuits to indicate the
status of vehicle components to the vehicle operator. For example,
most passenger cars have indicator systems that warns a driver when
a door is opened, when the ignition is turned off, or when the car
is in reverse. These indicators generally operate by illuminating
an indicator light on the vehicle dashboard, indicating a
particular status condition. Furthermore, many cars have other
systems that respond to changes in vehicle status, and thus also
function as status indicators. For example, most automobiles have
circuits that automatically illuminate backing lights when the
automobile is put into reverse.
[0035] Each of these vehicle status indicators generally has at
least two states: an indicator-active state and an
indicator-inactive state. For example, when the vehicular component
has a status such as a closed door status, an ignition switch
closed status or a non-reverse gear status, the vehicle status
indicator generally has an inactive state in which an indicator
light is not illuminated or the backing lights are not illuminated.
Likewise, when the component has the opposite status, such as an
open door status, an ignition switch open status or a reverse gear
status, the vehicle status indicator has an active state, in which
the indicator light is illuminated or the backing lights are
illuminated.
[0036] Controller 80 may take advantage of the presence of these
existing vehicle status indicators by directly monitoring the state
of the vehicle status indicator to detect changes in the status of
the desired components. FIG. 5 shows generally at 110 an electrical
schematic diagram of a suitable monitor movement control system for
detecting changes in the vehicle status indicator and moving
monitor 12 when changes are detected. As shown in the figure,
controller 80 has a power supply line 112, one or more outputs to
motor 62, and a plurality of inputs for various motor control
signals. In the depicted embodiment, controller 80 has two outputs
114, 115 to motor 62. Output 114 allows controller 80 to control
the run/stop status of motor 62, and output 115 allows controller
80 to control the direction in which motor 62 turns.
[0037] As shown in FIG. 5, controller 80 can have connections to a
plurality of vehicle status indicators, if desired. In the depicted
embodiment, controller 80 has a first connection 116 to an ignition
status indicator 118, a second connection 120 to a door status
indicator 122, and a third connection 124 to a transmission status
indicator 126. The status indicators are each depicted as a switch
to reflect the two possible states of each indicator. However, it
will be appreciated that a status indicator may also have more than
two possible states, and the monitor may be moved between more than
two positions without departing from the scope of the present
invention.
[0038] Controller 80 also has an input from one of leads 98 coupled
to encoder 90. Input from lead 98 allows controller 80 to keep
track of the pulses from encoder 90 to determine the magnitude of
the movement of monitor 12. The direction in which monitor 12 moves
can be detected from other signals, such as the motor direction
output 115, or can be from encoder 90 itself, which may require a
second input from encoder 90. By receiving positional input from
encoder 90, controller 80 is able to track the position of monitor
12.
[0039] Controller 80 includes memory 130 for storing the encoded
position as an initial position so that monitor 12 can be moved
back to the initial position when a corresponding change in the
state of vehicle status indicator 118, 122 or 126 is detected.
Memory 130 may be any suitable type of memory. In one embodiment of
the invention, memory 130 is a non-volatile memory, such as EPROM,
EEPROM or flash memory, so that the initial position of monitor 12
will not be lost in case of a vehicular power failure or when the
vehicle is turned off.
[0040] Controller 80 may have other inputs as well. For example, it
may be desirable to include an input 132 from one or more limit
switches 134 in display monitor system 10 to prevent damage to
either monitor 12 or motor 62 caused by motor 62 attempting to
overrotate monitor 12 in either direction. Typically, two limit
switches 134 are provided in display monitor system 10; one to
indicate a maximum deployed position, and the other to indicate the
stowed position of monitor 12. Other limit switches, such as a
switch for a minimum deployed position, may also be provided if
desired.
[0041] Controller 80 may also include an input 136 from an override
control 138. Override control 138 allows a user to disengage
monitor 12 from motor 62 to allow the manual repositioning of
monitor 12. Override control 138 may provide for this capability in
any suitable manner, such as by controlling the engagement or
disengagement of a clutch mechanism (not shown) that couples
monitor 12 to motor 62. Alternatively, override control may be a
manually operated mechanical clutch mechanism, and thus not include
an input into controller 80.
[0042] Controller 80 may also include an input 140 from a disable
switch 142. Disable switch 142 allows a user selectively to turn
off or on the automatic stowing and deployment mechanism of the
present invention. Disable switch 142 may allow a user to turn off
the response of controller 80 to any or all of vehicle status
indicators 118, 122 and 126. Furthermore, more than one disable
switch may be provided to perform these functions without departing
from the scope of the invention.
[0043] FIG. 6 shows generally at 200 an example of a methodology
that provides for the automatic deployment or stowing of monitor 12
upon detecting a change in status of a vehicle component. While
monitor 12 is in the initial position at 202 (typically a deployed
position), controller 80 periodically reviews the status indicators
for the door, the transmission and the ignition switch to detect a
change to door open status, reverse gear status, or open ignition
switch status (respectively) at 204. Once a change in status is
detected, controller 80 may then determine whether the monitor is
within a predetermined positional range at 206. The predetermined
range may extend through the entire range of monitor positions, or
may extend only through a more limited range of positions.
[0044] If the position of monitor 12 is within the positional
range, then the monitor position is encoded by encoder 90 at 208,
the encoded position is stored in memory at 210, and the monitor is
moved to the desired position, such as the stowed position, at 212.
At this point, controller 80 then periodically reviews the status
of the door, ignition switch and transmission to detect a change to
closed door status, non-reverse gear status or closed ignition
switch status at 214. Once one of these status changes is detected,
monitor 12 is then moved back to the encoded position at 216, and
controller 80 again periodically reviews the status of the vehicle
components for the changes in status shown at 204.
[0045] Alternatively, if monitor 12 is in a position outside of the
predetermined positional range at 206, then the position is not
encoded or stored. Instead, the monitor is simply moved to the
stowed position at 218, and controller 80 then periodically reviews
the status of the door, ignition switch and transmission to detect
for changes in status to a closed door, closed switch or
non-reverse status. When a converse change in status is detected,
controller 80 then moves monitor 12 to a default position at 222.
The default position may be any desired position. Examples of
possible default positions include a fully deployed position, a
minimally deployed position, a halfway deployed position, or even
the stowed position, in which case the monitor would remain stowed
when the second change in status is detected.
[0046] It is to be appreciated that controller 80 need not have to
determine whether monitor 12 is in an encodable range at 206.
Instead, the encodable range may extend through the entire movable
range of monitor 12, in which case all monitor positions would be
in range and there may be no default position at all. Furthermore,
the position of monitor 12 may not be encoded at all. In this case,
monitor 12 may simply be left in the stowed position, or may always
be moved to a default position, when a change to a closed door,
closed switch or nonreverse status is detected.
[0047] While the present invention has been particularly shown and
described with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those
skilled in the art will understand that many variations may be made
therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the
invention as defined in the following claims. The description of
the invention should be understood to include all novel and
non-obvious combinations of elements described herein, and claims
may be presented in this or a later application to any novel and
non-obvious combination of these elements. The foregoing
embodiments are illustrative, and no single feature or element is
essential to all possible combinations that may be claimed in this
or a later application. Where the claims recite "a" or "a first"
element or the equivalent thereof, such claims should be understood
to include incorporation of one or more such elements, neither
requiring nor excluding two or more such elements.
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