VEHICULAR SPARSE LED ARRAY APPLICATIONS

1 . A vehicular display system, comprising:

at least one tile configured to be disposed in a vehicle to provide a display of information, each of the at least one tile including:

a substantially transparent flexible substrate;

a sparse array of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) disposed on the substantially transparent flexible substrate;

a rigid substantially transparent substrate adhered to the substantially transparent flexible substrate via an adhesive layer in which the sparse array of LEDs is encapsulated; and

at least one driver disposed on an edge of the tile and configured to drive the LEDs of the sparse array of LEDs; and

at least one processor configured to control the sparse array of LEDs of the at least one tile via substantially transparent electrical connections coupled to the at least one driver.

2 . The vehicular display system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one tile is configured to be disposed on or within at least one location selected from locations including a front, rear, and side window of the vehicle to display information external to the vehicle.

3 . The vehicular display system of claim 1 , wherein:

the at least one tile is configured to be disposed on or within at least one location selected from locations including a front, rear, and side window of the vehicle, and

the at least one tile includes:

a first tile configured to display first information external to the vehicle; and

a second tile having a second emission surface configured to display second information to an internal compartment of the vehicle.

4 . The vehicular display system of claim 3 , wherein:

the first tile has a first emission surface configured to display the first information external to the vehicle;

the first tile has an opposing surface opposite the first emission surface; and

the second tile is coupled to the opposing surface of the first tile and has a second emission surface configured to display the second information to the internal compartment of the vehicle.

5 . The vehicular display system of claim 1 , wherein:

the at least one tile is configured to be disposed within a side window of the vehicle in a location corresponding to a view of a side mirror through the side window by an operator of the vehicle, and

the at least one tile is configured to provide side window information to replace visual information provided by the side mirror, the side window information being based on images provided by sensors in the vehicle.

6 . The vehicular display system of claim 5 , wherein the sensors include a camera disposed in a location of the side mirror.

7 . The vehicular display system of claim 5 , wherein the sensors include a camera disposed at or near a rear of the vehicle.

8 . The vehicular display system of claim 1 , wherein:

the at least one tile is configured to be disposed adjacent to a side window of the vehicle, and

the at least one tile is configured to provide side window information to replace visual information provided by a side mirror, the side window information being based on images provided by sensors in the vehicle.

9 . The vehicular display system of claim 1 , wherein:

the at least one tile is configured to be disposed on or within multiple discrete locations of a front window of the vehicle, and

the at least one tile is configured to display vehicle information to an internal compartment of the vehicle.

10 . The vehicular display system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one tile is configured to be disposed on at least one panel of the vehicle.

11 . The vehicular display system of claim 1 , wherein light from the LEDs is configured to be emitted substantially parallel to a surface on which the vehicle is disposed.

12 . The vehicular display system of claim 1 , wherein the LEDs include one or more optical elements that adjust an angle of emission of the LEDs from a substantially normal angle to an angle such that light from the LEDs is configured to be emitted substantially parallel to a surface on which the vehicle is disposed.

13 . The vehicular display system of claim 1 , further comprising a sensor that, with the processor, is configured to detect presence of a viewer and an angle of peak intensity to increase a display of information projected by the at least one tile to the viewer, and at least one of mechanically and optically adjust the angle accordingly,

wherein the display of information is configured to be projected at least one direction selected from directions including:

external to the vehicle and the viewer outside the vehicle, and

internal to the vehicle and the viewer inside the vehicle.

14 . The vehicular display system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the at least one tile includes a user input configured to adjust information provided by the at least one of the at least one tile and configured to be displayed to at least one of an interior of the vehicle and an exterior of the vehicle.

15 . The vehicular display system of claim 1 , wherein information provided by the at least one tile is configured to be adjusted by a remote user input on a mobile device and configured to be displayed to at least one of an interior of the vehicle and an exterior of the vehicle.

16 . The vehicular display system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one tile further includes a blocking layer disposed between the sparse array of LEDs and an outer surface of the at least one tile, the blocking layer configured to convey information by controlling different portions of the blocking layer to substantially block light from specific LEDs from being emitted from the outer surface.

17 . The vehicular display system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one tile further includes a blocking layer disposed between the sparse array of LEDs and an outer surface of the at least one tile, the blocking layer configured to increase contrast of information conveyed by the at least one tile by outlining alphanumeric information projected from the sparse array of LEDs in a dark penumbra.

18 . A vehicular display system, comprising:

a plurality of tiles configured to be disposed in a vehicle to provide a display of information external to the vehicle, each tile of the plurality of tiles including:

a substantially transparent flexible substrate;

a sparse array of individually-controllable micro light-emitting diodes (microLEDs) disposed on the substantially transparent flexible substrate;

a rigid substrate coupled to the substantially transparent flexible substrate, the sparse array of microLEDs being disposed between the substantially transparent flexible substrate and the rigid substrate; and

at least one driver configured to drive the microLEDs of the sparse array of microLEDs; and

at least one processor configured to receive input from vehicle sensors and control display by the plurality of tiles via electrical connections coupled to the drivers of the tiles.

19 . The vehicular display system of claim 18 , wherein:

the plurality of tiles includes a first tile and a second tile adjacent to the first tile,

the microLEDs within each of the first tile and the second tile are separated by a substantially uniform distance in substantially orthogonal directions,

the microLEDs at a common edge of the first tile and the second tile are separated by the uniform distance, and

the at least one driver includes:

a first driver disposed along an edge of the first tile substantially perpendicular to the common edge and configured to drive the first tile, and

a second driver configured to drive the second tile, the second driver adjacent to the first driver and disposed along an edge of the second tile substantially perpendicular to the common edge.

20 . A vehicular display system, comprising:

a plurality of tiles configured to be disposed in a vehicle to provide a display of information external to the vehicle, each tile of the plurality of tiles including:

a substantially transparent flexible substrate;

a sparse array of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) disposed on the substantially transparent flexible substrate;

a rigid substrate adhered to the substantially transparent flexible substrate via an adhesive layer in which the sparse array of LEDs is encapsulated; and

at least one driver disposed on an edge of the tile configured to drive the LEDs of the sparse array of LEDs; and

at least one processor configured to control the sparse arrays of LEDs of the plurality of tiles via electrical connections coupled to the drivers.

21 . The vehicular display system of claim 20 , wherein the plurality of tiles is disposed on or within at least one window of the vehicle or on at least one panel of the vehicle.

22 . The vehicular display system of claim 20 , wherein the plurality of tiles includes:

a first tile configured to display first information external to the vehicle; and

a second tile having a second emission surface configured to display second information to an internal compartment of the vehicle.

23 . The vehicular display system of claim 22 , wherein:

the first tile has a first emission surface configured to display the first information external to the vehicle;

the first tile has an opposing surface opposite the first emission surface; and

the second tile is coupled to the opposing surface of the first tile and has a second emission surface configured to display the second information to the internal compartment of the vehicle.

24 . The vehicular display system of claim 20 , wherein:

at least one tile of the plurality of tiles is configured to be disposed within a side window of the vehicle in a location corresponding to a view of a side mirror through the side window by an operator of the vehicle, and

the at least one tile is configured to provide side window information to replace visual information provided by the side mirror, the side window information being based on images provided by sensors in the vehicle, the sensors including at least one of a first camera disposed in a location of the side mirror and a second camera disposed at or near a rear of the vehicle.

25 . The vehicular display system of claim 20 , wherein:

at least one tile of the plurality of tiles is configured to be disposed adjacent to a side window of the vehicle, and

the at least one tile is configured to provide side window information to replace visual information provided by a side mirror, the side window information being based on images provided by sensors in the vehicle, the sensors including at least one of a first camera disposed in a location of the side mirror and a second camera disposed at or near a rear of the vehicle.