JP2006003787A - Display control device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce electric power consumption without spoiling an appreciator's convenience. <P>SOLUTION: A navigation system 10 is equipped with an image recognition processing section 14b for detecting a line-of-sight direction of the appreciator (a crew who is an appreciation candidate of a display element 12) by performing image recognition processing to an image photographed by an indoor camera 17, and a display mode switching section 14d for switching "an ordinary display mode" and/or "power saving display mode" according to the result of the detection in the line-of-sight direction of the appreciator by the image recognition processing section 14b. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a display control device that performs display control of a display unit by switching between a power saving display mode in which power supply to the display unit is suppressed and a normal display mode in which power supply to the display unit is not suppressed. In particular, the present invention relates to a display control device that can reduce power consumption without impairing the convenience of a viewer (an occupant who is a viewer of a display unit).

  Conventionally, in an AVN system (audio integrated car navigation system), a display that displays navigation, audio, air conditioner, and the like is linked to the accessory power supply of the vehicle. Therefore, if the accessory power supply is “ON”, There has been a problem that the backlight of the display is always turned on, and the power consumption is increased. In particular, in a navigation system for in-vehicle use or portable use, since there is a limit to the power supply battery, reduction of power consumption is a big issue.

  Against this background, in Patent Document 1, the necessity of navigation is determined based on the data obtained from the current position calculating means and the map information reading means, and the determined necessity of navigation is determined. A navigation system that automatically changes the display level of the display unit has been proposed.

  In other words, this navigation system determines whether or not the road currently being driven is a main road, and also determines the continuity of the road on which the road is running from the data up to the destination. Determine if navigation is required. When it is determined that navigation is not necessary, control is performed to automatically lower the display level of the display unit.

  As described above, according to such a navigation system, the display level of the display unit can be automatically lowered in a section that does not require navigation, so that power consumption can be reduced.

JP 08-54249 A

  However, in the above-described prior art (Patent Document 1), even if a viewer (an occupant who is a viewing target of the display unit) is going to appreciate the display unit, if it is determined that navigation is not necessary, the display unit Since the display level is automatically lowered, there is a problem that the convenience of the viewer is impaired.

  That is, the navigation system is not necessarily used only for route guidance to the destination, and refers to facilities around the current location or facilities around the destination (for example, restaurants, convenience stores, etc.) while traveling. It is also assumed that it will be used for Similarly, an audio operation (for example, a desired music playback operation or a stop operation) or an air conditioner operation (for example, an air conditioner activation or deactivation or temperature adjustment) is a touch panel (that is, the input / output unit is configured integrally). It is also assumed that it is performed on a touch panel).

  For this reason, when it is determined that navigation is not necessary for route guidance as in the above prior art, the display level of the display unit is reduced uniformly, which is convenient for the viewer. There was a problem that it was damaged.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems (problems) of the conventional technology, and without damaging the convenience of the viewer (occupant who is a viewing target of the display unit). An object of the present invention is to provide a display control device capable of reducing the above.

  In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, the display control device according to the invention of claim 1 includes a power saving display mode in which power supply to the display unit is suppressed, and power supply to the display unit is suppressed. A display control device that performs display control of a display unit by switching between normal display modes that are not performed, an appreciation state detection unit that detects an appreciation state of a viewer who views the display unit, and the appreciation state detection And display mode switching means for switching between the normal display mode and / or the power saving display mode according to the viewing state of the viewer with respect to the display unit detected by the means.

  The display control apparatus according to a second aspect of the present invention is the display control device according to the above invention, wherein the viewing state detection unit further includes a line-of-sight direction detection unit that detects a line-of-sight direction of a viewer viewing the display unit. The mode switching means switches between the normal display mode and / or the power saving display mode according to a result of detection of the viewer's gaze direction by the gaze direction detection means.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the display control device according to the above invention, wherein the display mode switching means does not detect the gaze of the viewer with respect to the display unit for a predetermined monitoring time by the gaze direction detecting means. In this case, the normal display mode is switched to the power saving display mode.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the display control device according to the above invention, wherein the gaze direction detection means detects the viewer's line of sight to the display unit a predetermined number of times within a predetermined monitoring time. It further comprises monitoring time resetting means for resetting a monitoring time longer than the predetermined monitoring time as the monitoring time.

  The display control device according to the invention of claim 5 is the power saving display according to the above invention, wherein the display mode switching means detects the viewer's line of sight with respect to the display unit by the line of sight detection means. The mode is switched from the mode to the normal display mode.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a display control device according to the above invention, wherein the display control device is mounted on a vehicle, and the viewing state detecting means is a viewer who views the display unit. As the viewing state, the viewer's seat state, the viewer's seat reclining state, the steering operation state, the window operation state, the viewer's approach state to the display unit, and / or the operation of the display control device are accepted. The contact state of the viewer with respect to the remote control device is detected.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a display control device according to the above invention, further comprising a navigation device for performing route guidance, wherein the display mode switching means is configured to display the display when route guidance is performed by the navigation device. The normal display mode is preferentially applied as the display mode of the part.

  In the display control device according to the invention of claim 8, in the above invention, there are a plurality of the display units, and the viewing state detection means is a viewing state of a viewer who views each display unit. The display mode switching unit detects the normal display mode and / or the power saving display mode for each display unit according to the viewing state of the viewer with respect to each display unit detected by the viewing state detection unit. It is characterized by switching.

  In the display control device according to the invention of claim 9, in the above invention, the display unit is a liquid crystal display, and the display mode switching means controls the normal display by controlling power supply to the liquid crystal. The mode and / or the power saving display mode is switched.

  The display control device according to a tenth aspect of the present invention is the display control device according to the above aspect, wherein the display mode switching means controls the power supply to the backlight that irradiates liquid crystal, thereby controlling the normal display mode and / or the power saving. The display mode is switched.

  The display control device according to the invention of claim 11 is the display control device according to the above invention, wherein the display mode switching means turns on and / or turns off a backlight for illuminating the liquid crystal. The display mode is switched.

  According to the present invention, the viewing state of the viewer who views the display unit is detected, and the normal display mode and / or the power saving display mode is switched according to the viewing state of the viewer with respect to the detected display unit. The normal display mode and / or power-saving display mode can be switched depending on whether or not the viewer (the passenger who is the viewer of the display) is willing to watch, reducing power consumption without sacrificing viewer convenience. There is an effect that a display control device that can do this is obtained. Further, in this regard, by reducing the power consumption, it becomes possible to improve the fuel consumption of the vehicle and prevent the battery from running out.

  Further, according to the present invention, the gaze direction of the viewer viewing the display unit is detected, and the normal display mode and / or the power saving display mode is switched according to the detection result of the viewer's gaze direction. It is possible to obtain a display control device capable of reducing power consumption without impairing the convenience of the user.

  Further, according to the present invention, when the viewer's line of sight with respect to the display unit is not detected for a predetermined monitoring time, the normal display mode is switched to the power saving display mode. Only, there is an effect that a display control device that can be switched to the power saving display mode is obtained.

  According to the present invention, when the viewer's line of sight with respect to the display unit is detected a predetermined number of times or more within a predetermined monitoring time, a monitoring time longer than the predetermined monitoring time is reset as the monitoring time. Therefore, when the viewer's intention to view is conspicuously present, the conditions for switching to the power saving display mode can be tightened, and the power saving display mode and / or the normal display mode can be consumed frequently. There is an effect that a display control device capable of preventing power from being wasted can be obtained.

  Further, according to the present invention, when the viewer's line of sight with respect to the display unit is detected, the power saving display mode is switched to the normal display mode. Therefore, when the viewer's appreciation intention is detected, the power saving display is performed. There is an effect that a display control device capable of quickly switching from the mode to the normal display mode can be obtained.

  Further, according to the present invention, the viewing state of the viewer who views the display unit is the viewer's seat state, the viewer's seat reclining state, the steering operation state, the window operation state, and the viewer's seating state. Since the approaching state and / or the contact state of the viewer with respect to the remote control device that receives the operation of the display control device is detected, the viewer's appreciation intention can be detected more accurately, and the viewer's convenience It is possible to obtain a display control device capable of reducing power consumption while improving the performance.

  Further, according to the present invention, when route guidance is performed by the navigation device, the normal display mode is preferentially applied as the display mode of the display unit. There is an effect that a display control device capable of preventing switching to the above can be obtained.

  In addition, according to the present invention, the viewing state of a viewer who views each display unit is detected, and the normal display mode and / or the power saving display mode is set according to the viewing state of the viewer with respect to each detected display unit. Since switching is performed for each display unit, power can be saved in a plurality of display units, and an effect is obtained that a display control device capable of further reducing power consumption is obtained. In particular, since it is possible to prevent the display unit from forgetting to turn off after the passenger in the rear seat of the vehicle gets off, it is possible to reduce power consumption, reduce glare while driving, and improve driving safety. .

  In addition, according to the present invention, the normal display mode and / or the power saving display mode is switched by controlling the power supply to the liquid crystal, so that the power supply to the liquid crystal can be suppressed as much as possible. And a display control device capable of effectively reducing power consumption can be obtained.

  Further, according to the present invention, the normal display mode and / or the power saving display mode is switched by controlling the power supply to the backlight that irradiates the liquid crystal, so that the backlight consumes a large amount of power. It is possible to suppress the power supply as much as possible and to obtain a display control device capable of effectively reducing power consumption.

  In addition, according to the present invention, the normal display mode and / or the power saving display mode is switched by turning on and / or turning off the backlight that illuminates the liquid crystal. It is possible to obtain a display control device that can suppress lighting as much as possible and can more effectively reduce power consumption.

  Exemplary embodiments of a display control apparatus according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following, the case where the present invention is applied to a navigation device will be listed as an example, and after explaining the main terms used in the present embodiment, the outline and features of the navigation device according to the present invention will be described. The navigation apparatus according to the first embodiment will be described, and finally, various modified examples (second embodiment) will be described as other embodiments.

(Explanation of terms)
First, main terms used in this embodiment will be described. The “viewer” used in this embodiment refers to an occupant who is an object of viewing on the display unit. Specifically, a driver, a passenger in the passenger seat, other occupants, or all of these occupants Refers to a combination of

  In addition, the “normal display mode” used in the present embodiment refers to display control in which power supply to the display unit is not suppressed, and the “power-saving display mode” refers to a display in which power supply to the display unit is suppressed. Refers to control. The “power saving display mode” is implemented by reducing the power supply to the liquid crystal, reducing the power supply to the backlight that irradiates the liquid crystal, or turning off the backlight that irradiates the liquid crystal.

(Overview and features)
Next, an outline and features of the navigation device according to the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the navigation device according to the first embodiment. As shown in the figure, the navigation apparatus 10 performs a “power saving display mode” in which power supply to the display unit is suppressed and a “normal display mode” in which power supply to the display unit is not suppressed. The display is controlled by switching.

  Here, the navigation device 10 according to the present invention detects the viewing state of the viewer who is viewing the display unit, and “normal display mode” and / or “power saving display mode” depending on the viewing state of the viewer with respect to the display unit. The main feature of the “display mode switching process” is to reduce power consumption without losing the convenience of viewers (occupants who are viewing subjects of the display unit). To be able to.

  The main feature will be specifically described. The navigation device 10 detects the appreciation state of the appreciator who views the display unit. Specifically, the viewing state of the viewer viewing the display unit is the viewing direction of the viewer, the seat state of the viewer, the reclining state of the viewer's seat, the steering operation state, the window operation state, and the display unit. An approaching state of the viewer and / or a touching state of the viewer with respect to a remote operation device (that is, a remote controller) that receives an operation of the navigation device is detected.

  The navigation device 10 switches between the “normal display mode” and / or the “power saving display mode” according to the viewing state of the viewer with respect to the display unit. Specifically, when the viewer's line of sight to the display unit is not detected for a predetermined monitoring time (that is, when the viewer's appreciation intention is not detected), the “normal display mode” to the “power saving display mode” , Or when the viewer's line of sight with respect to the display unit is detected (that is, when the viewer's intention to appreciate is detected), the “power saving display mode” is switched to the “normal display mode”.

  The navigation device 10 detects the absence of the viewer by the seat state (seat load sensor), and detects that the reclining state of the seat is a predetermined angle (for example, 160 degrees) or more (ie, When the seat is almost full flat and the passenger can be regarded as sleeping) When the steering angle of the steering is detected to be equal to or greater than a predetermined angle (for example, 10 degrees) (that is, the driver) From the “normal display mode” when the vehicle is operating on a curved road of a predetermined degree or more) and when the operation of the window switch is detected (that is, when the viewer opens / closes the window) Switch to “Power-saving display mode”.

  In addition, the navigation device 10 detects the approaching state of the viewer to the display unit by the infrared sensor (that is, when a part of the viewer's body approaches the display unit), and the contact built in the remote controller. When the touch state of the viewer with respect to the remote controller is detected by the sensor (that is, when a part of the viewer's body touches the remote controller), the mode is switched from the “power saving display mode” to the “normal display mode”.

  As described above, the “normal display mode” and / or the “power saving display mode” is switched according to the viewing state of the viewer with respect to the display unit when the viewer's viewing intention is not detected. Apply “power saving display mode” in which the power supply to the display is suppressed, and apply the “normal display mode” in which the power supply to the display is not suppressed when a viewer's appreciation intention is detected It is to do.

  Therefore, in the above prior art example, when it is determined that navigation is not necessary for route guidance, instead of switching from “normal display mode” to “power saving display mode” uniformly, Since the “normal display mode” and / or “power saving display mode” is switched according to the viewing state of the viewer with respect to the display unit, whether or not the viewer (occupant who is the viewing target of the display unit) intends to view is determined. Accordingly, the “normal display mode” and / or “power saving display mode” can be switched, and the power consumption can be reduced without impairing the convenience of the viewer. Further, in this regard, by reducing the power consumption, it becomes possible to improve the fuel consumption of the vehicle and prevent the battery from running out.

  Next, in the first embodiment, navigation is performed to detect the line-of-sight direction of the viewer viewing the display unit and switch between the “normal display mode” and / or “power-saving display mode” according to the detection result of the line-of-sight direction of the viewer. The apparatus will be described. Here, after describing the configuration of the navigation device according to the first embodiment, the procedure of various processes of the navigation device will be described.

(Configuration of navigation device)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the navigation device according to the first embodiment. The navigation device 10 includes a GPS receiver 15 that acquires position information transmitted from an artificial satellite, a VICS receiver 16 that receives road traffic information transmitted from radio wave beacons, optical beacons, and FM broadcast stations, and an indoor camera. 17, an input unit 11, a display unit 12, a storage unit 13, and a control unit 14.

  Of these, the indoor camera 17 is originally used for detecting the entry of a suspicious person into the vehicle and detecting the driver's side effects and snoring, but the navigation device 10 according to the first embodiment. Then, the indoor camera 17 is used to detect the appreciation intention of the viewer (the occupant who is the viewer of the display unit). The indoor camera 17 is disposed in the vicinity of the driver so that the head of the viewer (for example, the driver) can be photographed, and the photographed driver's image is transmitted to the image recognition processing unit 14b. To do.

  In this way, the detection of the viewer's appreciation is detected by using the indoor camera that is originally provided to detect the entry of a suspicious person into the vehicle and to detect the driver's side effects and snoring (the direction of the viewer's line of sight). In addition, the present invention can be implemented without providing new equipment.

  The input unit 11 is an input unit (such as a keyboard, a mouse, and a microphone) that receives input of various types of information. The display unit 12 is an output unit (such as a monitor and a display) that outputs various types of information. In Example 1, both are configured as a touch panel.

  The storage unit 13 is a storage unit (storage unit) that stores data and programs necessary for various processes by the control unit 14, and includes a map data storage unit 13a, a power saving display mode switching condition storage unit 13b, and a normal display mode switching condition storage. A portion 13c is provided. Among these, the map data storage unit 13a is a storage unit that stores map data used for route guidance in the navigation processing unit (car navigation application) 14a.

  The power saving display mode switching condition storage unit 13b is a storage unit that stores conditions for switching from the “normal display mode” to the “power saving display mode”. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2A, the condition for switching to the power saving display mode is “when the viewer (occupant) has not viewed the display unit for a predetermined monitoring time (for example,“ 2 sec ”)”. The operation content “switch to power saving display mode” is stored in association with each other.

  The normal display mode switching condition storage unit 13c is a storage unit that stores conditions for switching from the “power saving display mode” to the “normal display mode”. Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 2B, the operation content “switch to the normal display mode” is associated with the switching condition “position outside the navigation route” to the normal display mode and stored.

  The control unit 14 is a processing unit that has a control program such as an OS (Operating System), a program that defines various processing procedures, and an internal memory for storing necessary data, and executes various processes using these. Particularly, those closely related to the present invention include a navigation processing unit 14a, an image recognition processing unit 14b, a monitoring time setting unit 14c, and a display mode switching unit 14d.

  Among them, the navigation processing unit 14a is a processing unit that performs route guidance based on the position of the host vehicle (that is, the current location) obtained from the GPS receiver 15 and the map data stored in the map data storage unit 13a. It is. Specifically, when the vehicle approaches a point that requires guidance such as an intersection (route branch point), a route set in advance to guide to the destination (for example, the shortest route or traffic cost is low). Route) or when the vehicle deviates from the guidance route (when the vehicle is located outside the navigation route), the route to the reset destination is guided.

  The image recognition processing unit 14b is a processing unit that performs image recognition processing on an image captured by the indoor camera 17 and recognizes the viewing direction of the viewer (for example, a driver). Compare the image of the head of the hand) with the reference image (see FIG. 3), and recognize where the line of sight of the viewer (driver) is facing.

  More specifically, when the driver's head image matches the line-of-sight direction “1” shown in FIG. 3, it is recognized that he / she is looking forward through the windshield and matches the line-of-sight direction “3”. In this case, it is recognized that the user is looking in the right direction (for example, a side mirror). When the driver's head image coincides with the line-of-sight direction “2”, it is recognized that the driver is looking at the display unit 12 and the viewer's line of sight with respect to the display unit 12 is detected.

  The monitoring time resetting unit 14 c is a processing unit that resets the monitoring time for monitoring the viewer's line of sight with respect to the display unit 12. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4B, the viewer's line of sight with respect to the display unit 12 is displayed a predetermined number of times (for example, “3” within a predetermined monitoring time (for example, T = 2 sec) by the image recognition processing unit 14 b. Times ”), a longer monitoring time (for example, 2T = 4 sec) than the predetermined monitoring time (T = 2 sec) is reset as the monitoring time. The reset monitoring time (2T = 4 sec) is reset to the initial value (T = 2 sec) once switched to the “power saving display mode”.

  As described above, when the viewer's line of sight to the display unit is detected a predetermined number of times or more within a predetermined monitoring time, a longer monitoring time than the predetermined monitoring time is reset as the monitoring time. Therefore, it is possible to tighten the conditions for switching to the power saving display mode when there is a significant appreciation of the viewer, and it is consumed by frequently switching between the “power saving display mode” and / or the “normal display mode”. It is possible to prevent power from being wasted.

  The display mode switching unit 14d switches between the “power saving display mode” in which power supply to the display unit 12 is suppressed and the “normal display mode” in which power supply to the display unit 12 is not suppressed. 12 is a processing unit that performs 12 display controls. Specifically, when the power saving display mode switching condition is satisfied (see FIG. 2-1), the “normal display mode” is switched to the “power saving display mode” and the normal display mode switching condition is satisfied (FIG. 2- 2), switch from “power saving display mode” to “normal display mode”.

  More specifically, if the viewer's line of sight with respect to the display unit 12 is not detected for a predetermined monitoring time (for example, T = 2 sec) by the image recognition processing unit 14b (see FIG. 4A), the “normal display mode” ”To“ Power-saving display mode ”. When the “display mode” is the “power-saving display mode”, when the viewer's line of sight with respect to the display unit 12 is detected by the image recognition processing unit 14b, and the route guidance is performed by the navigation processing unit (car navigation application) 14a. Is switched (ie, when the vehicle is located outside the navigation route or at the navigation route branch point), the “power saving display mode” is switched to the “normal display mode”.

  As described above, when the viewer's line of sight with respect to the display unit is not detected for a predetermined monitoring time, the viewer is not willing to appreciate because the normal display mode is switched to the power saving display mode. Only it becomes possible to switch to the “power saving display mode”.

  In addition, when the viewer's line of sight is detected on the display unit, the mode is switched from the “power saving display mode” to the “normal display mode”. ”To“ normal display mode ”can be quickly switched.

  In addition, when the route guidance is performed by the navigation device, the “normal display mode” is preferentially applied as the “display mode” of the display unit. Therefore, when navigation is necessary, the “power saving display mode” is selected. Can be prevented from being switched to.

  The display mode switching unit 14d switches between the “normal display mode” and / or the “power saving display mode” by turning on and / or turning off the backlight that irradiates the liquid crystal. For this reason, lighting of the backlight which consumes a large amount of power can be suppressed as much as possible, and the power consumption can be more effectively reduced.

(Processing procedures)
Next, procedures of various processes performed by the navigation device according to the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the procedure of the display mode switching process according to the first embodiment. As shown in the figure, this “display mode switching process” is started when the power supply of the navigation apparatus 10 is turned “ON”.

  That is, when the navigation device 10 is activated (Yes in step S501), the display mode switching unit 14d first displays an image (for example, a navigation screen, an audio operation screen, or an air conditioner operation screen) on the display unit 12 in the “normal display mode”. Etc.) are displayed (step S502).

  When the route guidance is performed by the navigation processing unit (car navigation application) 14a (Yes at Step S503), the display mode switching unit 14d maintains the “normal display mode” (Step S504). The case where route guidance is performed refers to a “case” in which the vehicle is located outside the navigation route or a “case” located at the navigation route branch point.

  In addition, when the route guidance is not performed by the navigation processing unit (car navigation application) 14a (No in step S503), the image recognition processing unit 14b performs image recognition processing on the image photographed by the indoor camera 17 for viewing. The direction of the line of sight of the driver (for example, the driver) is recognized (step S505). Specifically, the image of the head of the viewer (driver) is compared with the reference image (see FIG. 3) to recognize where the line of sight of the viewer (driver) is facing.

  More specifically, when the driver's head image matches the line-of-sight direction “1” shown in FIG. 3, it is recognized that he / she is looking forward through the windshield and matches the line-of-sight direction “3”. In this case, it is recognized that the user is looking in the right direction (for example, a side mirror). When the driver's head image coincides with the line-of-sight direction “2”, it is recognized that the driver is looking at the display unit 12 and the viewer's line of sight with respect to the display unit 12 is detected.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 4B, the viewer's line of sight with respect to the display unit 12 is displayed a predetermined number of times (for example, “3 times”) within a predetermined monitoring time (for example, T = 2 sec) by the image recognition processing unit 14b. ) When detected above (Yes at Step S506 and Yes at Step S507), the monitoring time resetting unit 14c sets the monitoring time longer than the predetermined monitoring time (T = 2 sec) (for example, 2T = 4 sec) The monitoring time is reset (step S508).

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4A, when the viewer's line of sight to the display unit 12 is not detected for a predetermined monitoring time (for example, T = 2 sec) by the image recognition processing unit 14b (No in step S506). The display mode switching unit 14d switches from the “normal display mode” to the “power saving display mode” (step S509).

  Thereafter, when the viewer's line of sight with respect to the display unit 12 is detected by the image recognition processing unit 14b, or when the route guidance is performed by the navigation processing unit (car navigation application) 14a (Yes in step 510), the display mode is switched. The unit 14d switches from the “power saving display mode” to the “normal display mode” (step S511).

  In the navigation device 10, the “display mode switching process” from step S 503 to step S 511 is performed recursively until the power of the navigation device 10 is turned off.

  As described above, according to the navigation device 10 according to the first embodiment, the gaze direction of the viewer who appreciates the display unit is detected, and the “normal display mode” and the gaze direction detection result of the viewer are detected. / Or “power saving display mode” is switched, so “normal display mode” and / or “power saving display mode” is switched depending on whether or not the viewer (the passenger who is the viewer of the display portion) is willing to watch. Therefore, power consumption can be reduced without impairing the convenience of the viewer. Further, in this regard, by reducing the power consumption, it becomes possible to improve the fuel consumption of the vehicle and prevent the battery from running out.

  Although the first embodiment of the present invention has been described so far, the present invention can be implemented in various different embodiments within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims other than the above-described embodiments. It may be.

  For example, in the first embodiment, the navigation device that detects the viewing direction of the viewer who views the display unit and switches between the “normal display mode” and / or the “power saving display mode” according to the detection result of the viewing direction of the viewer. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and as shown in FIG. 6, the viewer's seat state and appreciation are configured as the appreciation state of the viewer who configures the navigation device 10 and appreciates the display unit. Detecting the reclining state of the person's seat, the steering operation state, the window operation state, the viewer's approach state to the display unit, and / or the viewer's contact state with respect to the remote control device that accepts the operation of the navigation device, Depending on the detection result, “normal display mode” and / or “power saving display mode” may be switched.

  That is, when the absence of the viewer is detected by the seat state (seat load sensor) according to the power saving display mode switching condition illustrated in FIG. 7A, the display mode switching unit 14d determines that the reclining state of the seat 21 is a predetermined angle (for example, 160 degrees) (that is, when the seat 21 is almost full flat and the passenger can be considered to be sleeping), the steering angle of the steering wheel 22 is a predetermined angle (for example, 10 degrees) (that is, when the driver is driving a curved road with a predetermined degree or more) and when the operation of the window switch 23 is detected (that is, the viewer is Switch from “normal display mode” to “power saving display mode”. In addition, about said "seat load sensor", it is possible to implement this invention, without providing new equipment by using also the seat load sensor used for an airbag operating system.

  In addition, the display mode switching unit 14d detects the approaching state of the viewer to the display unit 12 by the infrared sensor 24 in accordance with the normal display mode switching condition shown in FIG. And when the viewer's contact state with respect to the remote control 26 is detected by the contact sensor 26a built in the remote control 26 (that is, when a part of the viewer's body touches the remote control). In addition, the “power saving display mode” is switched to the “normal display mode”.

  Thus, as the viewing state of the viewer viewing the display unit, the viewer's seat state, the viewer's seat reclining state, the steering operation state, the window operation state, the viewer's approaching state to the display unit, and By detecting the viewer's contact state with respect to the remote control device that accepts the operation of the display control device, the viewer's appreciation intention can be detected more accurately, improving the convenience of the viewer, It becomes possible to reduce power consumption.

  Further, in the first embodiment, the present invention described with respect to the embodiment in which the viewer who detects the gaze direction is a driver is not limited to this, and each passenger who is a viewing target of the display unit is not limited thereto. You may make it detect a gaze direction.

  Further, in the first embodiment, the embodiment has been described in which the viewing direction of the viewer is detected as the viewing state of the viewer viewing the display unit. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the indoor camera 17 It is also possible to detect the orientation of the viewer's head by performing image recognition processing on the image of the viewer's head taken by the above.

  More specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, the image of the viewer's head is compared with the reference image (see FIG. 3) to recognize where the viewer's head is facing. That is, when the image of the viewer's head matches the head orientation (1), it is recognized that the viewer is looking at the display unit 12 and the viewer's line of sight with respect to the display unit 12 has been detected. To do.

  Further, in the first embodiment, when the viewer's line of sight with respect to the display unit 12 is detected by the image recognition processing unit 14b, and when the route guidance is performed by the navigation processing unit (car navigation application) 14a (the vehicle is navigating). Switch from the “power saving display mode” to the “normal display mode” when the vehicle is located outside the route or the route branch point of the navigation. Further, the communication connected to the navigation device 10 When there is communication from the outside on the medium and when the VICS traffic information is received by the VICS receiver 16, the “power saving display mode” may be switched to the “normal display mode”.

  Further, in the first embodiment, the embodiment in which the “normal display mode” and / or the “power saving display mode” is switched by turning on and / or turning off the backlight that irradiates the liquid crystal has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and power consumption may be reduced by controlling power supply to the liquid crystal or controlling power supply to the backlight that irradiates the liquid crystal.

  In the first embodiment, the case where the display unit is single has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention can be similarly applied even when there are a plurality of display units. it can. That is, the viewing state of the viewer who views each display unit is detected, and each of the “normal display mode” and / or “power saving display mode” is displayed according to the viewing state of the viewer with respect to each detected display unit. By switching each unit, it is possible to save power in a plurality of display units, and it is possible to further reduce power consumption. In particular, since it is possible to prevent the display unit from forgetting to turn off after the passenger in the rear seat of the vehicle gets off, it is possible to reduce power consumption, reduce glare while driving, and improve driving safety. .

  In addition, among the processes described in this embodiment, all or part of the processes described as being performed automatically can be performed manually, or the processes described as being performed manually can be performed. All or a part can be automatically performed by a known method. In addition, the processing procedure, control procedure, specific name, and information including various data and parameters shown in the above-mentioned document and drawings can be arbitrarily changed unless otherwise specified.

  Further, each component of each illustrated apparatus is functionally conceptual, and does not necessarily need to be physically configured as illustrated. In other words, the specific form of distribution / integration of each device is not limited to that shown in the figure, and all or a part thereof may be functionally or physically distributed or arbitrarily distributed in arbitrary units according to various loads or usage conditions. Can be integrated and configured. Further, all or any part of each processing function performed in each device may be realized by a CPU and a program analyzed and executed by the CPU, or may be realized as hardware by wired logic.

  As described above, the display control device according to the present invention switches between the power saving display mode in which the power supply to the display unit is suppressed and the normal display mode in which the power supply to the display unit is not suppressed. This is useful for display control devices that control the display of the display, and is particularly suitable for display control devices that can reduce power consumption without impairing the convenience of viewers (occupants who are viewers of the display) ing.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a navigation device according to a first embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the information memorize | stored in a power saving display mode switching condition memory | storage part. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the information memorize | stored in a normal display mode switching condition memory | storage part. It is a figure which shows an example of the reference | standard image used in an image recognition process part. It is a figure which shows an example of the detection result of a viewer's gaze direction. It is a figure which shows an example of the detection result of a viewer's gaze direction. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of display mode switching processing according to the first embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the navigation apparatus concerning the present Example 2. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the information memorize | stored in a power saving display mode switching condition memory | storage part. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the information memorize | stored in a normal display mode switching condition memory | storage part. It is a figure which shows an example of the reference | standard image used in an image recognition process part.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Navigation apparatus 11 Input part 12 Display part 13 Storage part 13a Map data storage part 13b Power saving display mode switching condition storage part 13c Normal display mode switching condition storage part 14 Control part 14a Navigation processing part 14b Image recognition processing part 14c Resetting of monitoring time 14d Display mode switching unit 15 GPS receiver 16 VICS receiver 17 Indoor camera

Claims (11)

A display control device that performs display control of the display unit by switching between a power saving display mode in which power supply to the display unit is suppressed and a normal display mode in which power supply to the display unit is not suppressed,
Viewing state detection means for detecting a viewing state of a viewer who views the display unit;
Display mode switching means for switching between the normal display mode and / or the power saving display mode according to the viewing state of the viewer with respect to the display unit detected by the viewing state detection unit;
A display control apparatus comprising: The appreciation state detection means further includes gaze direction detection means for detecting the gaze direction of a viewer who appreciates the display unit,
2. The display according to claim 1, wherein the display mode switching unit switches the normal display mode and / or the power saving display mode in accordance with a result of detection of the gaze direction of the viewer by the gaze direction detection unit. Control device.   The display mode switching means switches from the normal display mode to the power saving display mode when the gaze direction of the viewer with respect to the display unit is not detected for a predetermined monitoring time by the gaze direction detecting means. The display control apparatus according to claim 2.   When the viewer's line of sight with respect to the display unit is detected a predetermined number of times or more within a predetermined monitoring time by the line-of-sight direction detecting means, a monitoring time longer than the predetermined monitoring time is reset as the monitoring time The display control apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a monitoring time resetting unit.   The display mode switching unit switches from the power saving display mode to the normal display mode when the viewer's line of sight with respect to the display unit is detected by the line of sight detection unit. 5. The display control device according to 4. The display control device is mounted on a vehicle,
The appreciation state detection means includes an appreciation state of a viewer who views the display unit, such as a viewer's seat state, a viewer's seat reclining state, a steering operation state, a window operation state, and a viewer for the display unit. 6. The display control device according to claim 1, wherein the display control device detects an approaching state of the viewer and / or a viewer's contact state with a remote control device that receives an operation of the display control device. A navigation device that provides route guidance;
The display mode switching means preferentially applies a normal display mode as a display mode of the display unit when route guidance is performed by the navigation device. The display control apparatus according to 1. There are a plurality of the display units,
The appreciation state detection means detects the appreciation state of the viewer who views each display unit,
The display mode switching unit switches the normal display mode and / or the power saving display mode for each display unit according to the viewing state of the viewer for each display unit detected by the viewing state detection unit. The display control apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7. The display unit is a liquid crystal display,
The said display mode switching means switches the said normal display mode and / or the said power-saving display mode by controlling the electric power supply to a liquid crystal, It is any one of Claims 1-8 characterized by the above-mentioned. Display control device.   The display control according to claim 9, wherein the display mode switching unit performs switching between the normal display mode and / or the power saving display mode by controlling power supply to a backlight that irradiates liquid crystal. apparatus.   The said display mode switching means switches the said normal display mode and / or the said power saving display mode by turning on and / or turning off the backlight which irradiates a liquid crystal, It is characterized by the above-mentioned. Display control device.

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