Vehicle Information/Control System

Abstract

An instrument panel, for use with a vehicle including a body, wheels, a driver seat, and an engine, is configured to be disposed at least partially in front of the seat and includes a steering wheel disposed in front of the seat, a display configured to provide information to a person seated in the seat, and a modular housing configured to hold the display and the steering wheel, the steering wheel being rotatably connected to the housing, the display connected to the housing, the housing extending substantially an entire width of a passenger area of the vehicle, the modular housing including independent sections that can be removed and replaced independently of any other section of the housing.

1 . For use with a police vehicle including a body, wheels, a driver seat, and an engine, an instrument panel configured to be disposed at least partially in front of the seat and comprising:
 a housing;   a steering wheel assembly including a steering wheel disposed in front of the seat and fixedly coupled to a steering column, the steering wheel being rotatably connected to the housing;   a computer disposed within the housing and configured to receive wireless communications; and   a display configured to provide information to a person seated in the seat, the display being coupled to a computer and configured to display information wirelessly received by the computer, the display being disposed relative to the housing to be directly in front the driver seat;   wherein the computer is configured to cause the display to display summary information, regarding a possible crime, received wirelessly by the computer.   
   
   
       2 . The instrument panel of  claim 1  wherein the display is held by the housing and disposed to be viewed by a person sitting in the seat by looking between the steering wheel and the steering column. 
   
   
       3 . The instrument panel of  claim 1  wherein the steering wheel assembly includes a center portion connected to the steering wheel and wherein the display is connected to the center portion. 
   
   
       4 . The instrument panel of  claim 3  wherein the center portion is rotatably connected to the steering wheel such that the center portion remains stationary relative to the housing while the steering wheel is rotated. 
   
   
       5 . For use with a police vehicle including a body, wheels, a driver seat, a passenger seat, and an engine, an instrument panel configured to be disposed in a passenger compartment of the vehicle and at least partially in front of the driver and passenger seats and comprising:
 a modular housing extending substantially an entire width of the passenger compartment, the modular housing comprising a plurality of independent sections that can be removed and replaced independently of any other section of the housing;   a computer configured to receive wireless communications;   a first display configured to provide information to a person seated in the driver seat, the first display being coupled to the computer and configured to display information wirelessly received by the computer, the first display being disposed relative to the housing to be directly in front the driver seat;   a second display integrated into one of the modular housing sections and configured to be visible to the driver and the passenger seats;   a plurality of selectors disposed below the second display, wherein the selectors are at least 0.75 inches wide, and are spaced at least 0.5 inch apart;   a License Plate Recognition (LPR) system disposed in a section of the modular housing; and   a keyboard mounted to a section of the modular housing and disposed to be accessible from both the driver and passenger seats.   
   
   
       6 . The instrument panel of  claim 5  wherein at least one of the housing sections provides a shelving unit of slots extending downwardly away from a front of the housing section to receive and retain items placed in the shelving unit, and wherein at least one of the housing sections provides a substantially horizontal, substantially flat, supported surface configured to be extended from and retracted into the housing.