Apparatus for Providing A Heads Up Display Using A Display Output of A Mobile Device

Abstract

An apparatus includes a device including a screen; a ledge against which the device lays; a connecting arm; and a partially transparent mirror coupled to the ledge via the connecting arm, where the mirror includes a center and two outer lateral edges and is structured and arranged relative to the ledge such that the screen faces the mirror and a center of the mirror is further from the screen than each of the two outer lateral edges, a part of the mirror that is adjacent the first of the two outer lateral edges thereby reflecting a part of the screen that is opposite the second of the two outer lateral edges, and a part of the mirror that is opposite the second of the two outer lateral edges thereby reflecting a part of the screen that is opposite the first of the two outer lateral edges.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a ledge;   a connecting arm; and   a partial mirror coupled to the ledge via the connecting arm, wherein:
 the partial mirror includes a center and two outer lateral edges and is structured and arranged relative to the ledge such that, if a component having a flat surface is laid against the ledge with the flat surface facing away from the ledge and spanning laterally from across a first one of the two outer lateral edges to across a second one of the two lateral edges, the flat surface faces the partial mirror and a center of the partial mirror is further from the flat surface than each of the two outer lateral edges, a part of the partial mirror that is adjacent the first of the two outer lateral edges thereby reflecting a part of the flat surface that is opposite the second of the two outer lateral edges, and a part of the partial mirror that is opposite the second of the two outer lateral edges thereby reflecting a part of the flat surface that is opposite the first of the two outer lateral edges; and 
 the partial mirror is partially transparent. 
   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the partial mirror curves from each of the two outer lateral edges away from the ledge and towards the center of the partial mirror. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the partial mirror includes a first flat mirror section that includes the first of the two outer lateral edges and a second flat mirror section that includes the second of the two outer lateral edges, the two flat mirror sections meeting approximately at the center of the partial mirror. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the first and second flat mirrors are arranged at angle relative to each other, the angle being in a range of approximately 45°-90°. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the angle is 45°. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the ledge is configured such that, if the component includes a flat bottom face and a flat back face that includes a lower edge and an upper edge and extends perpendicularly upward away from the flat bottom face from its lower edge towards its upper edge and the component is laid with its flat back face (a) against the ledge and (b) extending upwards from its bottom face at a lower region of the ledge to its upper edge at an upper region of the ledge, then the upper edge of the flat back face is positioned further from the partial mirror than the lower edge of the flat back surface. 
     
     
         7 . An apparatus comprising:
 a device including a screen;   a ledge against which the device lays;   a connecting arm; and   a partial mirror coupled to the ledge via the connecting arm, wherein:
 the partial mirror includes a center and two outer lateral edges and is structured and arranged relative to the ledge such that the screen faces the partial mirror and a center of the partial mirror is further from the screen than each of the two outer lateral edges, a part of the partial mirror that is adjacent the first of the two outer lateral edges thereby reflecting a part of the screen that is opposite the second of the two outer lateral edges, and a part of the partial mirror that is opposite the second of the two outer lateral edges thereby reflecting a part of the screen that is opposite the first of the two outer lateral edges; and 
 the partial mirror is partially transparent. 
   
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the apparatus is structured such that, when the apparatus is laid on a flat surface, a top edge of the partial mirror is higher than a top edge of the device. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the flat surface is a vehicle dashboard.