JP2023176232A - display device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a display device capable of information transmission to a person external to the location of installation.SOLUTION: A display device 1 includes: an LED unit 11 that causes display light L to be reflected at a windshield 3 and a driver 2 positioned behind the windshield 3 to view the display light L as a virtual image V in front of the windshield 3; a liquid crystal screen 20 arranged between the LED unit 11 and the windshield 3 and transmitting the display light L at a first transmission factor or a second transmission factor which is lower than the first transmission factor and which causes display light L to be transmitted with more dispersion than when the display light L is transmitted at the first transmission factor; and a control unit that controls the liquid crystal screen 20 to the first transmission factor when making the driver 2 view the display light L as the virtual image V, and controls the liquid crystal screen 20 to the second transmission factor when making a pedestrian 7 positioned in front of the windshield 3 view the display light L projected on the liquid crystal screen 20 as a real image.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

The present disclosure relates to a display device for vehicles and the like.

A display device mounted on a vehicle or the like visually communicates necessary information to a viewer such as a driver. Some display devices project display light onto a projection member such as a windshield and display reflected light as a virtual image in front of the projection member.

JP 2018-83593 Publication

While driving, when transmitting some information to the outside world, it is common to use methods such as turning on or flashing a horn, hazard lamps, etc. From the perspective of safe vehicle operation, there is a growing need for a variety of methods for transmitting information, and for example, display devices that allow the virtual images mentioned above to be viewed can also be used to transmit information to people outside the vehicle. Hopefully useful.

The present disclosure has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide a display device that can transmit information to a person outside the mounting location.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a display device of the present disclosure includes a light source that is housed in a mounting location having an opening and emits display light, emits the display light from the opening, and projects the display light from the projection member. a display device that reflects display light and allows a first viewer located behind the projection member to view the display light as a virtual image in front of the projection member; and a display device disposed between the light source and the projection member. , a second transmittance that transmits the display light at a first transmittance, or a transmittance that is lower than the first transmittance and that diffuses and transmits the display light more than when the display light is transmitted at the first transmittance; a screen that transmits the display light at a transmission rate; and a second viewer located in front of the projection member that controls the screen to have a first transmission rate when the first viewer is to view the display light as a virtual image; and a control unit that controls the screen to have the second transmittance when the display light projected onto the screen is visually recognized as a real image.

In the display device of the present disclosure, information can be transmitted to a person outside the mounting location.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a system configuration of a display device in this embodiment. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of mounting a display device on a vehicle. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a first outside notification process executed by a display device. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a situation in which the first outside notification process of FIG. 3 is executed. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the state of display light when the liquid crystal screen is cloudy. 12 is a flowchart illustrating a second outside notification process executed by the display device. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a situation in which the second external notification process of FIG. 6 is executed.

Embodiments of a display device of the present disclosure will be described based on the accompanying drawings. The display device of the present disclosure can be applied to, for example, a display device mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile or a motorcycle, a ship, an agricultural machine, or a construction machine. The present embodiment will be described using an example in which the display device is mounted on a vehicle and displays required information based on various information acquired from the vehicle.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a system configuration of a display device 10 in this embodiment.
FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of mounting the display device 10 on the vehicle 1.

In the following explanation, "front", "rear", "upper", "lower", "right" and "left" are defined as "Fr." in FIGS. 1, 2, 4, 5 and 7. , "Re.", "To.", "Bo.", "R" and "L".

The display device 10 is housed in an instrument panel 5 of a vehicle 1 as a mounting destination. As shown in FIG. 2, the instrument panel 5 has a linear opening 6 formed parallel to the lower side of the windshield 3 in the left-right direction.

The display device 10 includes an LED unit 11 (display), a housing 12, a diffusion plate 13, a liquid crystal screen 20 (screen), and a control section 30.

The LED unit 11 includes a plurality of LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) as light sources and a driver. The light source emits light and emits display light L. The light sources are arranged, for example, in multiple rows in two orthogonal directions, and any shape (design) can be formed by combining the lighting. The driver controls whether or not each LED is lit and the brightness based on instructions from the control unit 30. Note that the control section 30 may also serve as the driver.

The housing 12 houses the LED unit 11. The casing 12 has an opening through which display light L emitted from the light source is emitted to the outside of the casing 12. Diffusion plate 13 covers this opening. The display light L emitted from the opening illuminates the windshield 3 (projection member) on the vehicle 1. A driver 2 (first viewer) of the vehicle 1 visually recognizes the reflected light of the display light L as a virtual image V. That is, the driver 2 visually recognizes the virtual image V in front of the windshield 3 (in front of the vehicle 1).

The liquid crystal screen 20 is arranged between the diffuser plate 13 (light source) and the windshield 3 so as to cover the opening 6 formed in the instrument panel 5. That is, the liquid crystal screen 20 is formed in a line shape (band shape) along the left and right direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 1, as shown in FIG. The liquid crystal screen 20 displays a real image projected on the liquid crystal screen 20 to a person outside the vehicle, as will be explained later in the notification process outside the vehicle. It is preferable that it be tilted slightly forward so as to face.

The liquid crystal screen 20 can change into two states: a transparent state in which the display light L is transmitted at a first transmittance, and a cloudy state in which the display light L is transmitted at a second transmittance. Specifically, the liquid crystal screen 20 can control the orientation of the liquid crystal by turning on and off a voltage, and when the voltage is on, it becomes transparent and transmits the display light L at a first transmittance. When the voltage is OFF, the liquid crystal screen 20 becomes cloudy and transmits the display light L at a second transmittance lower than the first transmittance. In the cloudy state, the liquid crystal screen 20 diffuses and transmits the display light L compared to the transparent state, so the amount of light reaching the driver 2 is smaller than in the transparent state.

Note that the liquid crystal screen 20 may have a rectangular shape corresponding to the shape of the opening 6, for example, or may have a specific designed shape. Furthermore, the entire area of the liquid crystal screen 20 may be switchable between a transparent state and a cloudy state, or only a specific area may be switchable. That is, the liquid crystal screen 20 can determine whether or not to make the transmittance variable for each segment, and there are areas where the transmittance is variable between the first transmittance and the second transmittance, and areas where the transmittance is not variable. It may have. In this case, the region of the liquid crystal screen 20 whose transmittance is variable may have a predetermined design shape (for example, an arrow shape, etc.). Further, only a specific region covering the opening 6 may be the liquid crystal screen 20 with variable transmittance, and the other region may be a cover member other than the liquid crystal screen 20 with high transmittance.

The control unit 30 controls the LED unit 11 and the liquid crystal screen 20 based on, for example, information acquired from a vehicle ECU 40 of the vehicle 1, which will be described later. Details of the control by the control unit 30 will be described later.

In addition to the display device 10, the vehicle 1 includes a vehicle ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 40. Vehicle ECU 40 and control unit 30 are connected via, for example, a CAN (Controller Area Network) bus 41. The vehicle ECU 40 acquires vehicle information necessary for running the vehicle 1, such as vehicle speed and engine rotation speed, from various sensors provided in the vehicle 1, and controls the operation of the vehicle 1.

The display device 10 in this embodiment normally allows the driver 2 (or the passenger of the vehicle 1, the first viewer) to visually recognize the virtual image V related to the display light L emitted from the light source. The necessary information is transmitted to the driver 2. Further, the display device 10 has a liquid crystal screen 20 with variable transmittance, so that a real image related to the display light L projected onto the liquid crystal screen 20 can be displayed to a pedestrian 7 outside the vehicle or a driver of another vehicle 8. By having a second viewer (second viewer) view the information, the necessary information can be transmitted to a person outside the vehicle. Hereinafter, the process of notifying information regarding the display light L to the driver 2 and the person outside the vehicle will be described in detail using two specific examples of the notification process outside the vehicle.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the first external notification process executed by the display device 10. The first external notification process and the second external notification process described below are processes that are started, for example, after the ignition switch of the vehicle 1 is turned on, and are repeatedly executed while the ignition switch is turned on. Further, it is assumed that the liquid crystal screen 20 is controlled to be in a transparent state at the start of the first outside notification process and the second outside notification process.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a situation in which the first outside notification process of FIG. 3 is executed. The example in FIG. 4 is an example of a situation in which the vehicle 1 notifies a pedestrian 7 as a person outside the vehicle.

In step S1, control unit 30 determines whether the brakes have been activated based on information obtained from vehicle ECU 40. Further, the control unit 30 determines whether a pedestrian 7 is detected in front using a predetermined sensor provided in the vehicle 1. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, when the brake is activated and the pedestrian 7 is detected, the control unit 30 determines that it is necessary to notify the pedestrian 7. In addition, in step S1, it may be determined whether the brake is activated or not, or whether the pedestrian 7 is detected.

If the control unit 30 determines that the brakes are not working or that the pedestrian 7 is not detected (NO in step S1), it is determined that the brakes are working and the pedestrian 7 is detected. Wait until On the other hand, when the control unit 30 determines that the brake is activated and the pedestrian 7 is detected (YES in step S1), in step S2, the control unit 30 switches the liquid crystal screen 20 to a cloudy state, and changes the transmittance of the liquid crystal screen 20 to a second level. Make it two transmittances. That is, the control unit 30 (display device 10) controls the liquid crystal screen 20 to have the second transmittance so that the pedestrian 7 can view the display light L projected onto the liquid crystal screen 20 as a real image.

Here, FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the state of the display light L when the liquid crystal screen 20 is in a cloudy state.

As described above, when the liquid crystal screen 20 is switched to a cloudy state, the transmittance decreases. As a result, after the display light L enters the liquid crystal screen 20, it becomes more diffused than when it is in the transparent state, and the display light L passes through the liquid crystal screen 20 in a direction including the direction of the pedestrian 7 who is a person outside the vehicle. become. As a result, the pedestrian 7 can see the notification R using the display light L through the liquid crystal screen 20.

In step S3, the control unit 30 causes the LED unit 11 to emit light in order to perform the necessary notification. For example, when the vehicle 1 intends to stop for the pedestrian 7, the control unit 30 causes the LED unit 11 to emit light in a color (for example, red) or in a lighting state that encourages the pedestrian 7 to walk. As a result, the pedestrian 7 visually recognizes the display light L as a notification R to himself/herself via the liquid crystal screen 20, and recognizes that it is possible to cross safely in front of the vehicle 1. Further, the component of the display light L that has passed straight through the liquid crystal screen 20 is reflected by the windshield 3 and reaches the driver 2, as in normal times. Thereby, the driver 2 also visually recognizes a notification similar to the notification R that is visually recognized by the pedestrian 7 as a virtual image V.

In step S4, the control unit 30 switches the liquid crystal screen 20 to a transparent state, and sets the transmittance of the liquid crystal screen 20 to the first transmittance. That is, the control unit 30 (display device 10) controls the liquid crystal screen 20 to have the first transmittance so that only the driver 2 can view the display light L transmitted through the liquid crystal screen 20 as a virtual image V. The process then returns to step S1 and is repeated.

Next, the second external notification process will be explained.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the second external notification process executed by the display device 10. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a situation in which the second external notification process of FIG. 6 is executed. The example in FIG. 7 is an example of a situation in which the vehicle 1 notifies the driver of the other vehicle 8 as a person outside the vehicle.

In step S11, the control unit 30 determines whether an instruction to notify the outside of the vehicle using the display light L has been received, based on information obtained from the vehicle ECU 40. The control unit 30 receives instructions via an input button provided on the steering wheel 4, for example. If the control unit 30 determines that the instruction has not been received (NO in step S11), it waits until the instruction is received. On the other hand, if the control unit 30 determines that the instruction has been received (YES in step S11), in step S12, similarly to step S2 of the first outside notification process, the control unit 30 switches the liquid crystal screen 20 to a cloudy state, and changes the transmittance of the liquid crystal screen 20. Set to second transmittance. That is, the control unit 30 (display device 10) controls the liquid crystal screen 20 to have the second transmittance so that the driver of the other vehicle 8 can view the display light L projected onto the liquid crystal screen 20 as a real image.

In step S13, the control unit 30 causes the LED unit 11 to emit light in order to perform the necessary notification. For example, the control unit 30 determines that the driver of another vehicle 8 that is temporarily stopped in front of the vehicle 1 and attempting to exit from an intersection without a traffic light or a parking lot has an intention to yield to the other vehicle 8; The LED unit 11 is caused to emit light in a color (for example, green) or in a lighting state that indicates that the vehicle should start moving. For example, the control unit 30 causes the light to emit light so as to form an arrow-shaped design. As a result, the driver of the other vehicle 8 visually recognizes the display light L as the notification R through the liquid crystal screen 20 and recognizes that the vehicle can drive. Furthermore, the component of the display light L that has passed straight through the liquid crystal screen 20 is reflected by the windshield 3 and reaches the driver 2, as in normal times. Thereby, the driver 2 also visually recognizes a notification similar to the notification R that is visually recognized by the driver of the other vehicle 8 as a virtual image V.

Step S14 is the same as step S4 of the first outside notification process, so a description thereof will be omitted here. After that, the process returns to step S11 and is repeated.

The display device 10 in this embodiment can transmit information not only to a viewer inside the vehicle such as the driver 2, but also to a person outside the vehicle by means of a notification R via the display light L. As a result, the display device 10 can be used in addition to the conventional means of transmitting information to people outside the vehicle using horns, hazard lights, etc., and by changing the lighting state, color, etc. Transmission is possible.

In addition, the display device 10 can have the liquid crystal screen 20 in any shape such as a line in the horizontal direction, can have a variable transmittance area in a predetermined design shape, or can have a design formed by a light source that emits light. By doing so, it is possible to notify people outside the vehicle in various forms.

Although several embodiments of the invention have been described, these embodiments are presented by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and gist of the invention, as well as within the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents.

For example, the display device uses a relay optical system consisting of a plane mirror or a concave mirror between the display device and the screen, and is a head-up display capable of displaying more diverse information than the display device in this embodiment consisting of only the LED unit 11. may be applied.

Although the example in which the projection member is the windshield 3 has been described, it may be replaced by a separately provided combiner.

1 Vehicle 2 Driver (first visible person)
3 Windshield (projection member)
4 Steering wheel 5 Instrument panel 6 Opening 7 Pedestrian (secondary viewer)
8 Other vehicles 10 Display device (indicator)
11 LED unit (light source)
12 Housing 13 Diffusion plate 20 Liquid crystal screen (screen)
30 Control unit 40 Vehicle ECU
41 CAN bus L Display light R Notification V Virtual image

Claims (7)

A light source that is housed in a mounting location having an opening and emits display light, emits the display light from the opening, reflects the display light on a projection member, and a light source that is located behind the projection member. a display device that allows a viewer to visually recognize the display light as a virtual image in front of the projection member;
disposed between the light source and the projection member, transmitting the display light at a first transmittance, or a transmittance lower than the first transmittance than when the display light is transmitted at the first transmittance. a screen that transmits the display light at a second transmittance that diffuses and transmits the display light;
When the first viewer is to view the display light as the virtual image, the screen is controlled to the first transmittance, and the display projected on the screen is shown to the second viewer located in front of the projection member. A display device comprising: a control unit that controls the screen to have the second transmittance when the light is viewed as a real image. The mounting location is an instrument panel,
The display device according to claim 1, wherein the screen is arranged in the opening formed in the instrument panel. 2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein when the screen is controlled to have the second transmittance, the display light is also visually recognized by the first viewer as the virtual image. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the screen has a region where the transmittance is variable between the first transmittance and the second transmittance, and a region where the transmittance is not variable. 5. The display device according to claim 4, wherein the region of the screen where the transmittance is variable has a predetermined design shape. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the screen is formed in a line shape along a left-right direction perpendicular to a front-back direction. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the screen has an inclination to face the second viewer.

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