Vehicular display view control system

Claim 2

An automotive informational display system using associated light of the visible spectrum to view informational indicia and having limited angles of viewing the informational indicia from in front of the display system, comprising: a vehicle having at least one passenger seat having a seating surface upon which an occupant sits in while traveling in the vehicle; a light transmitting optical element, located in said vehicle in a position viewable by an occupant sitting on said seating surface, having a transparent body having a first index of refraction and having at least three, spaced, operative faces, including a front, light transmitting surface, an internal refractive surface, and a separate, internal, secondary surface spaced from said refractive surface; an interfacing medium interfacing with said refractive surface and having a second, different index of refraction less than that of said first index of refraction; and an informational indicia element, associated with said interfacing medium and said refractive surface of said optical element, having the informational indicia associated with it to be displayed to a first limited area above the seating surface of said passenger seat and located in front of said front, light transmitting surface of said optical element using light of the visible spectrum, and undisplayed at a second, limited area different than said first area but also located at a vertical level above the seating surface of said passenger seat and in front of said front, light transmitting surface of said optical element, said front, light transmitting surface being viewable from both said first and said second areas; the geometry of said optical element itself and the relative angles and separation distances of said spaced, light transmitting, reflective and secondary surfaces, the relative indices of refraction of said optical element and said interfacing medium, and the wavelength(s) of the light used in association with the informational display, in combination causing light coming from said indicia element to be transmitted to said first area and preventing light from said indicia element from being transmitted to said second area, the informational indicia being viewable in said first area but unseen in said second area.

Claim 3

The automotive informational display system of claim 1, wherein the geometry of said optical element itself and the relative angles and separation distances of said spaced, light transmitting, reflective and secondary surfaces, the relative indices of refraction of said optical element and said interfacing medium, and the wavelength(s) of the light used in association with the informational display, in combination also cause at least some light coming from said separate secondary surface to be transmitted to said second area by being reflected off of said refractive surface.

Claim 4

The automotive informational display system of claim 2, wherein said secondary surface has a reflective, interior side which is devoid of informational content.

Claim 5

The automotive informational display system of claim 3, wherein said secondary, reflective surface is darkly colored.

Claim 6

The automotive informational display system of claim 3, wherein said secondary, reflective surface includes a diffuse surface.

Claim 7

The automotive informational display system of claim 1, wherein said first area is located below said second area.

Claim 8

The automotive informational display system of claim 1, wherein said vehicle body includes a windshield area, with said first area being located at eye level for an occupant seated on said seating surface and said second area being the windshield area of said vehicular body.

Claim 9

The automotive informational display system of claim 1, wherein said vehicle body includes an instrument panel having at least one push button, said optical element being integrated into said push button.

Claim 10

The automotive informational display system of claim 8, wherein said front, light transmitting surface of said optical element forms the front, pushing surface of said push button.

Claim 11

The automotive informational display system of claim 9, wherein said front, light transmitting surface of said optical element is at least generally flat and vertically disposed, said refractive surface is at least generally flat and is located on the backside of said optical element generally opposed to said front surface but diverging back downwardly away from said front surface, and said secondary surface is located on the bottom side of said optical element between said front surface and said refractive surface.

Claim 12

The automotive informational display system of claim 10, wherein said interfacing medium is composed of air and said informational indicia element is an applique applied to the exterior surface of said refractive surface with an air film gap between them.

Claim 13

The automotive informational display system of claim 10, wherein said backside makes an angle of about ten degrees with said front surface.

Claim 14

The automotive informational display system of claim 1, wherein said front, light transmitting surface of said optical element is at least generally flat and vertically disposed, said refractive surface is at least generally flat and is located on the backside of said optical element generally opposed to said front surface but diverging downwardly away from said front surface, and said secondary surface is located on the bottom side of said optical element between said front surface and said refractive surface.

Claim 15

The automotive informational display system of claim 1, wherein said interfacing medium is composed of air and said informational indicia element is an applique applied to the exterior surface of said refractive surface.

Claim 16

The automotive informational display system of claim 1, wherein said first area is within the critical angle of said refractive surface.

Claim 17

The automotive informational display system of claim 15, wherein said optical element is included within an opaque housing having a frontal edge located adjacent to the line normal to the one of said two areas most immediately adjacent to said informational indicia.

Claim 18

An automotive informational display system for an instrument panel in a vehicle, which vehicle has at least one seat having a seating surface upon which an occupant sits in while traveling in the vehicle, the instrument panel having at least one push button, the display system using associated light of the visible spectrum to view informational indicia associated with the push button and having limited angles of viewing the informational indicia from in front of the push button, comprising: a push button; a light transmitting optical element included as part of said push button to be located in the vehicle in a position viewable by an occupant sitting on the seating surface, having a transparent body having a first index of refraction and having at least three, spaced, operative faces, including a front, light transmitting surface, an internal refractive surface, and a separate, internal, secondary surface spaced from said refractive surface, said secondary surface having a reflective, interior side devoid of informational content; an interfacing medium interfacing with said refractive surface and having a second, different index of refraction less than that of said first index of refraction; and an informational indicia element, associated with said interfacing medium and said refractive surface of said optical element, having the informational indicia associated with it to be displayed to a first limited area above the seating surface of said passenger seat and located in front of said front, light transmitting surface of said optical element using light of the visible spectrum, and undisplayed at a second, limited area different than said first area but also located at a vertical level above the seating surface of said passenger seat and in front of said front, light transmitting surface of said optical element, said front, light transmitting surface being viewable from both said first and said second areas; the geometry of said optical element itself and the relative angles and separation distances of said spaced, light transmitting, reflective and secondary surfaces, the relative indices of refraction of said optical element and said interfacing medium, and the wavelength(s) of the light used in association with the informational display, in combination causing light coming from said indicia element to be transmitted to said first area and preventing light from said indicia element from being transmitted to said second area, the informational indicia being viewable in said first area but unseen in said second area, and in combination also causing any light coming from said separate, secondary surface to be transmitted to said second area by being reflected off of said refractive surface.

Claim 19

An automotive informational display system for an instrument panel in a vehicle, which vehicle has at least one seat having a seating surface upon which an occupant sits in while traveling in the vehicle, the instrument panel having at least one push button, the display system using associated light of the visible spectrum to view informational indicia associated with the push button and having limited angles of viewing the informational indicia from in front of the push button, comprising: a push button; a light transmitting optical element included as part of said push button to be located in the vehicle in a position viewable by an occupant sitting on the seating surface, having a transparent body having a first index of refraction and having at least three, spaced, operative faces, including a front, light transmitting surface, an internal refractive surface, and a separate, internal, secondary surface spaced from said refractive surface, said secondary surface having a reflective, interior side devoid of informational content; an interfacing medium interfacing with said refractive surface and having a second, different index of refraction less than that of said first index of refraction; and an informational indicia element, associated with said interfacing medium and said refractive surface of said optical element, having the informational indicia associated with it to be displayed to a first limited area above the seating surface of said passenger seat and located in front of said front, light transmitting surface of said optical element using light of the visible spectrum, and undisplayed at a second, limited area different than said first area but also located at a vertical level above the seating surface of said passenger seat and in front of said front, light transmitting surface of said optical element, said front, light transmitting surface being viewable from both said first and said second areas; the geometry of said optical element itself and the relative angles and separation distances of said spaced, light transmitting, reflective and secondary surfaces, the relative indices of refraction of said optical element and said interfacing medium, and the wavelength(s) of the light used in association with the informational display, in combination causing light coming from said indicia element to be transmitted to said first area and preventing light from said indicia element from being transmitted to said second area, the informational indicia being viewable in said first area but unseen in said second area, and in combination also causing any light coming from said separate, secondary surface to be transmitted to said second area by being reflected off of said refractive surface.

Claim 20

The automotive informational display system of claim 17, wherein said secondary, reflective surface is darkly colored.

Claim 21

The automotive informational display system of claim 17, wherein said secondary, reflective surface includes a diffuse surface.

Claim 22

The automotive informational display system of claim 17, wherein said first area is located below said second area.

Claim 23

The automotive informational display system of claim 17, wherein the vehicle includes a windshield area, with said first area being located at eye level for an occupant seated on said seating surface and said second area being the windshield area of the vehicle.

Claim 24

The automotive informational display system of claim 17, wherein said front, light transmitting surface of said optical element forms the front, pushing surface of said push button.

Claim 25

The automotive informational display system of claim 22, wherein said front, light transmitting surface of said optical element is at least generally flat and vertically disposed, said refractive surface is at least generally flat and is located on the backside of said optical element generally opposed to said front surface but diverging downwardly away from said front surface, and said secondary surface is located on the bottom side of said optical element between said front surface and said refractive surface.

Claim 26

The automotive informational display system of claim 23, wherein said backside makes an angle of about ten degrees with said front surface.

Claim 27

The automotive informational display system of claim 17, wherein said interfacing medium is composed of air and said informational indicia element is an applique applied to the exterior surface of said refractive surface with an air film gap between them.

Claim 28

The automotive informational display system of claim 17, wherein said first area is within the critical angle of said refractive surface.

Claim 29

The automotive informational display system of claim 26, wherein said optical element is included within an opaque housing having a frontal edge located adjacent to the line normal to said areas most immediately adjacent to said informational indicia.

Claim 32

The method of claim 28, wherein there is included the step of: providing said secondary surface with a reflective, interior side which is devoid of informational content.

Claim 33

The method of claim 29, wherein there is included the step of: darkly coloring said secondary, reflective surface.

Claim 34

The method of claim 29, wherein there is included the step of: providing said secondary, reflective surface with a diffuse surface.

Claim 35

The method of claim 28, wherein there is included the steps of: making said front, light transmitting surface of said optical element at least generally flat and vertically disposed, making said refractive surface at least generally flat and locating it on the backside of said optical element generally opposed to said front surface but diverging downwardly away from said front surface, and providing said secondary surface on the bottom side of said optical element between said front surface and said refractive surface.