JP2009101861A - Display device for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a display device for a vehicle that can improve the visibility of a graphic image without increasing the display area of the graphic image. <P>SOLUTION: The display device 1 for the vehicle includes a display panel 2 that can display the graphic image 7 having a graphic portion 71 and a background portion 72 that is a background of the graphic portion 71, and control means 3 and 4 for controlling a display state of the display panel 2 to enable display of the graphic image 7. The graphic portion 71 represents a graphic of either an indicator for reporting either an operating condition of an instrument installed on the vehicle or a driving mode of the vehicle, or a warning for reporting a malfunction of the instrument. The control means 3 and 4 cause the liquid crystal display 2 to display the background portion 72 brighter than the graphic portion 71, and thereby improving visibility of the graphic image without being increased in its display area. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle display device that displays a mark image representing either an indicator or a warning.

  In recent years, the number of information displayed on the vehicle display device has increased, and the display areas of indicators and warnings have been reduced. The indicator is a display for notifying the operation status of the equipment provided in the host vehicle and the traveling mode of the host vehicle, and the warning is a display for notifying the operation abnormality of the equipment provided for the host vehicle. There is also disclosed a vehicle display device that includes a display panel such as a liquid crystal panel in which a plurality of pixels are formed in a matrix, and displays a mark image representing either an indicator or a warning on the display panel (Patent Literature). 1).

The vehicle display device selects a desired information image from among a plurality of information images including a mark image according to a traveling situation, and displays the information image on a display panel with a predetermined display area. For example, when the vehicle gets into the host vehicle and the ignition switch is turned on, a mark image representing a desired indicator and a mark image representing a desired warning are each displayed in a predetermined display area. At this time, since the information image or the like indicating the speed of the vehicle requiring a large display area or the engine speed of the vehicle is not displayed, the display area of each mark image indicating a desired indicator or warning can be increased. Thereby, the visibility of each mark image is improved.
JP-A-9-123848

  However, in the above-described prior art, there is a case where a mark image that is not selected depending on the driving situation has to be displayed, and thus there is a certain limit in that each mark image is displayed reliably. On the other hand, if the desired mark image is not selected and displayed with a large display area, the display area of the mark image is reduced, and the visibility of the mark image is reduced.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle display device that can improve the visibility of a mark image without increasing the display area of the mark image.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention employs the following technical means.

  The vehicle display device according to claim 1 represents any one of an indicator for notifying one of an operation state of the device provided in the host vehicle and a traveling mode of the host vehicle, and a warning for notifying an operation abnormality of the device. A display panel capable of displaying a mark image having a mark portion and a background portion representing the background of the mark portion, and a control means for controlling the display state of the display panel so that the mark image can be displayed. The background portion is displayed on the display panel with a lightness higher than the lightness of the mark portion.

  In this configuration, the mark image has a mark portion and a background portion, and the background portion is displayed with a lightness higher than the lightness of the mark portion. As a result, the background area, which has a larger display area than the mark area, is displayed with a brightness level higher than the brightness level of the mark area. Therefore, the average brightness of the mark image is ensured while ensuring the visibility of the mark area due to the brightness difference between the mark area and the background area. Can be increased. For this reason, the visibility of the mark image can be improved without increasing the display area of the mark image.

  The vehicle display device according to claim 2 is characterized in that the control means displays the background portion on the display panel by three-dimensional computer graphics. Since the mark image can be displayed with the background portion emphasized by three-dimensional computer graphics, the visibility of the mark image can be further improved without increasing the display area of the mark image.

  The vehicle display device according to claim 3 is characterized in that the mark image is displayed on the display panel after displaying the mark image on the display panel as a moving image of a predetermined time, thereby notifying information represented by the mark. To do. Since the mark image can be emphasized and displayed by a moving image for a predetermined time, the visibility of the mark image can be further improved without increasing the display area of the mark image.

  Hereinafter, a display device for a vehicle according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  A vehicle display device 1 shown in FIG. 1 is mounted on a hybrid electric vehicle (hybrid vehicle) that travels using both an electric motor that generates driving force by electric power and an engine that generates driving force by an internal combustion engine. The vehicle display device 1 includes a liquid crystal panel 2 that is a display panel, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 3 that is a control means, a drawing IC (Integrated Circuit) 4, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 31, A RAM (Random Access Memory) 34 and an image memory 41 are provided.

  The liquid crystal panel 2 in which a plurality of pixels are formed in a matrix is an active matrix type liquid crystal panel of a type driven by a thin film transistor (TFT) (not shown). Each pixel contains a red pixel, a green pixel, and a blue pixel, and controls the voltage applied to the red pixel, the green pixel, and the blue pixel in each pixel by applying a voltage to the gate of the TFT. In each pixel, each light transmittance of the red pixel, the green pixel, and the blue pixel is controlled. A light emitting diode that emits white light (not shown) is disposed behind the liquid crystal panel 2 to transmit and illuminate the liquid crystal panel 2. The light emitting diodes transmit and illuminate each pixel in which the light transmittance of each of the red pixel, the green pixel, and the blue pixel is controlled, thereby causing the liquid crystal panel 2 to perform full color display.

  The CPU 3 takes in a power signal, a speed signal, and an indicator / warning (I / W) signal from the hybrid control device (Hybrid ECU) 10 of the hybrid vehicle, and inputs them into the drawing IC 4. The CPU 3 operates by being supplied with power from the battery 12 via the ignition switch 11 of the automobile.

  The power signal is a signal that represents the electric power of the electric motor of the hybrid vehicle. The electric power is output from the electric motor (when driving the driving wheels of the hybrid vehicle) and to the electric motor. There are cases where electric power is absorbed (in the case of regenerative power generation). The speed signal is a signal representing the vehicle speed of the hybrid vehicle.

  The I / W signal is a signal that represents indicator information that informs the operation status of the equipment provided in the hybrid vehicle and the travel mode of the hybrid vehicle, and warning information that informs the operation abnormality of the equipment provided in the hybrid vehicle. For example, the I / W signal includes a signal indicating a traveling mode of the hybrid vehicle, a signal indicating a gear shift position of a transmission of the hybrid vehicle, a signal indicating a voltage abnormality of a high voltage battery for driving the electric motor, and the like.

  The ROM 31 includes a polygon data storage unit 32 and an image data storage unit 33. The polygon data of the images 5, 6, and 7-9 shown in FIG. 2 are stored in the polygon data storage unit 32, and the images 5, 6, and 7- Nine pieces of image data are stored in the image data storage unit 33. The polygon data is composed of a plurality of polygons (generally triangular planes) obtained by dividing the display space of the images 5, 6, and 7-9, and the image data is composed of textures attached to the respective polygons. That is, the images 5, 6, and 7-9 are drawn on the liquid crystal panel 2 by pasting each texture of the image data to each polygon of the polygon data.

  In response to an instruction from the CPU 3, polygon data is transferred from the polygon data storage unit 32 to the RAM 34, image data is transferred from the image data storage unit 33 to the image memory 41, and the drawing IC 4 is connected to the polygon data in the RAM 34 and the image memory 41. Based on the image data, the input power signal, speed signal, and I / W signal, the voltage applied to the red pixel, the green pixel, and the blue pixel in each pixel is controlled, and each display state of the plurality of pixels is controlled. . This display state is controlled by continuously switching images of a plurality of frames. Specifically, the display state is controlled by continuously switching images of 30 frames per second. The movement of is displayed.

  Note that the drawing IC 4 does not transfer the polygon data to the RAM 34 and does not transfer the image data to the image memory 41, based on the polygon data in the polygon data storage unit 32 and the image data in the image data storage unit 33. A configuration in which each display state of a plurality of pixels is controlled is also possible. With the above configuration, the images 5, 6, and 7-9 are displayed on the liquid crystal panel 2 as shown in FIG.

  The power meter image 5 represents the electric power of the electric motor, and includes a pointer image 51 representing a pointer that rotates according to a power signal, a scale image 52 representing a scale, and a character image 53 representing a character. The speed meter image 6 represents the vehicle speed of the hybrid vehicle, and includes a pointer image 61 representing a pointer that rotates in response to a speed signal, a scale image 62 representing a scale, and a character image 63 representing a character. For example, the pointer images 51 and 61 are displayed in yellow green, the scale images 52 and 62 and the character images 53 and 63 are displayed in white, and the background thereof is displayed in black.

  In FIG. 3, the mark image 7 includes a mark portion 71 and a background portion 72 representing the background of the mark portion 71. The mark portion 71 represents characters “P, R, D, S3” that are marks of an indicator that informs a gear shift position that is an operation state of a transmission that is a device provided in the hybrid vehicle. FIG. 3 shows a mark image 7 that displays the mark “D” at the driving position, and does not display the characters “P, R, N, S3” in FIG. 2.

  In FIG. 3, the background portion 72 is displayed with a lightness higher than that of the mark portion 71. For example, the mark portion 71 is displayed in black, and the background portion 72 is displayed in yellowish green whose brightness is higher than black. As a result, the background portion 72 having a display area larger than that of the mark portion 71 is displayed with a lightness higher than the lightness of the mark portion 71. The average brightness of the mark image 7 can be increased. For this reason, the visibility of the mark image 7 can be improved without increasing the display area of the mark image 7.

  In FIG. 4B, the mark image 8 has a mark portion 81a and background portions 82a, 82b, and 82c representing the background of the mark portion 81a. The mark portion 81a represents a warning mark that informs of a voltage abnormality that is an operation abnormality of the high-voltage battery that is a device provided in the hybrid vehicle. The background portions 82a, 82b, and 82c are displayed in a three-dimensional virtual space on the liquid crystal panel 2 by three-dimensional computer graphics.

  Specifically, a plurality of polygons obtained by dividing the display space of the mark image 8 are stored in the polygon data storage unit, and the mark unit 81a is stored in the image data storage unit 33 as a texture. By pasting the texture representing the mark portion 81a to each polygon, the mark image 8 displayed in the three-dimensional virtual space on the liquid crystal panel 2 can be displayed by the three-dimensional computer graphic as shown in FIG. 4B. . Since the background portions 82a, 82b, and 82c are displayed by a three-dimensional computer graphic, the mark image 8 can be displayed with the background portions 82a, 82b, and 82c emphasized. For this reason, the visibility of the mark image 8 can be improved without increasing the display area of the mark image 8.

  Here, when displaying the mark image 8 to notify the voltage abnormality of the high voltage battery, the mark image 80 having the mark portion 81b and the background portion 82d is displayed as shown in FIG. 4 (b), the background portion 82a on which the mark portion 81a is formed is moved according to the arrow G1, and the background portions 82b and 82c are expanded to display the mark image 8. That is, the mark image 8 is displayed as a moving image of a predetermined time that changes from the mark image 80 shown in FIG. 4A to the mark image 8 shown in FIG. 4B, and thereafter displayed as a still image of the mark image 8. To do.

  Specifically, images of 30 frames are continuously switched per second, whereby the mark image 8 is displayed as, for example, a one-second moving image that changes from the mark image 80 to the mark image 8, and then the mark image 8 still images are displayed. Since the mark image 8 can be emphasized and displayed by this moving image, the visibility of the mark image 8 can be improved without increasing the display area of the mark image 8.

  In FIG. 4, the background portions 82a to 82d are displayed with brightness higher than the brightness of the mark portions 81a and 81b. For example, the mark portions 81a and 81b are displayed in black, and the background portions 82a to 82d are displayed in yellow green whose brightness is higher than black. As a result, the background portions 82a-82d having a larger display area than the mark portions 81a, 81b are displayed at a lightness higher than the lightness of the mark portions 81a, 81b, and therefore, due to the lightness difference between the mark portions 81a, 81b and the background portions 82a-82d. The average brightness of the mark image 8 can be increased while ensuring the visibility of 81a and 81b. For this reason, the visibility of the mark image 8 can be improved without increasing the display area of the mark image 8.

  In FIG. 4B, the background portions 82a, 82b, and 82c are displayed so that the brightness decreases in the order of the background portions 82a, 82b, and 82c in order to increase the stereoscopic effect of the background portions 82a to 82c.

  In FIG. 5A, the mark image 9 includes mark portions 91a and 91b and background portions 92a, 92b, and 92c representing the background of the mark portions 91a and 91b. The mark portions 91a and 91b represent characters “NORMAL, ECO” which are marks of an indicator that informs the traveling mode of the hybrid vehicle. The character “ECO” represents an economy / ecology (eco) driving mode with high instantaneous fuel consumption, and the character “NORMAL” represents a normal driving mode. A mark image 9 shown in FIG. 5A indicates the eco travel mode, and a mark image 90 shown in FIG. 5B indicates the normal travel mode. The background portions 92a, 92b, and 92c are displayed in a three-dimensional virtual space on the liquid crystal panel 2 by three-dimensional computer graphics.

  Specifically, a plurality of polygons obtained by dividing the display space of the mark images 9 and 90 are stored in the polygon data storage unit, and the mark units 91a and 91b are stored in the image data storage unit 33 as textures. A texture representing the mark portions 91a and 91b is pasted on each polygon, and is displayed in a three-dimensional virtual space on the liquid crystal panel 2 by three-dimensional computer graphics as shown in FIGS. 5 (a) and 5 (b). The marked image 9, 90 can be displayed. Since the background portions 92a, 92b, and 92c are displayed by three-dimensional computer graphics, the mark images 9 and 90 can be displayed with the background portions 92a, 92b, and 92c emphasized. Therefore, the visibility of the mark images 9, 90 can be improved without increasing the display area of the mark images 9, 90.

  Here, in order to notify the mode change from the eco travel mode indicated by the mark image 9 to the normal travel mode indicated by the mark image 90, the background portion 92b in which the mark portion 91b is formed according to the arrow G2 in FIG. Is rotated 90 degrees to the position of the background portion 92a, and the mark image 90 shown in FIG. 5B is displayed. That is, the mark images 9 and 90 are displayed as a moving image of a predetermined time changing from the mark image 9 shown in FIG. 5A to the mark image 90 shown in FIG. 5B, and thereafter, the still image of the mark image 90 is displayed. Display as.

  Specifically, images of 30 frames are continuously switched per second, whereby the mark images 9 and 90 are displayed as a moving image of, for example, 1 second changing from the mark image 9 to the mark image 90, and then A still image of the mark image 90 is displayed. Since the mark images 9 and 90 can be emphasized and displayed by this moving image, the visibility of the mark images 9 and 90 can be further improved without increasing the display area of the mark images 9 and 90.

  On the other hand, in order to notify the mode change from the normal travel mode indicated by the mark image 90 to the eco travel mode indicated by the mark image 9, the mark images 9 and 90 are changed from the mark image 90 shown in FIG. 5B to FIG. Is displayed as a moving image that changes, and then displayed as a still image of the mark image 9.

  In FIG. 5, the background portions 92a-92c are displayed with a lightness higher than the lightness of the mark portions 91a, 91b. For example, the mark portions 91a and 91b are displayed in black, and the background portions 92a to 92c are displayed in yellow green whose brightness is higher than black. Accordingly, the background portions 92a to 92c having a display area larger than that of the mark portions 91a and 91b are displayed with a lightness higher than the brightness of the mark portions 91a and 91b. Therefore, due to the lightness difference between the mark portions 91a and 91b and the background portions 92a to 92c. The average brightness of the mark images 9 and 90 can be increased while ensuring the visibility of the mark portions 91a and 91b.

  In FIG. 5, the background portions 92a, 92b, and 92c are displayed so that the brightness decreases in the order of the background portions 92a, 92b, and 92c in order to enhance the stereoscopic effect of the background portions 92a to 92c.

  Next, the control flow executed by the CPU 3 in the display of the mark images 7-9, 90 is based on FIG. 6, taking as an example the display of the mark images 9, 90 when the mode is changed from the eco travel mode to the normal travel mode. I will explain.

  The ignition switch 11 is turned on to start the control flow. In step S10, the CPU 3 inputs an I / W signal from the hybrid control device 10. In step S20, based on the I / W signal input in step S10, it is determined whether or not the mode has been changed from the eco travel mode to the normal travel mode.

  If step S20 is NO, that is, if the mode has not been changed from the eco travel mode to the normal travel mode, this control flow is terminated and the mark image 9 is continuously displayed. On the other hand, if step S20 is YES, that is, if the mode is changed from the eco travel mode to the normal travel mode, in step S30, a moving image that changes from the mark image 9 to the mark image 90, a still image of the mark image 90, The polygon data and image data necessary for displaying are set.

  In step S40, in accordance with an instruction from the CPU 3, the drawing IC 4 pastes each texture of the image data to each polygon of the polygon data set in step S30, and changes from the mark image 9 to the mark image 90 for each frame. An image is drawn on the liquid crystal panel 2. Thereby, the moving image which changes from the mark image 9 to the mark image 90 is displayed, and then the still image of the mark image 90 is displayed.

  As described above, the vehicle display device 1 according to the present embodiment has either an indicator that notifies one of the operation status of the device provided in the host vehicle and the travel mode of the host vehicle, and a warning that notifies an operation error of the device. Mark images 7, 8, 80, having mark portions 71, 81a, 81b, 91a, 91b to be represented and background portions 72, 82a-82d, 92a-92c representing the background of the mark portions 71, 81a, 81b, 91a, 91b. The liquid crystal panel 2 that is a display panel capable of displaying 9, 90, the CPU 3 and the drawing IC 4 that are control means for controlling the display state of the liquid crystal panel 2 so that the mark images 7, 8, 80, 9, 90 can be displayed. And the CPU 3 and the drawing IC 4 have background portions 72, 82a-82d, 92 having brightness higher than the brightness of the mark portions 71, 81a, 81b, 91a, 91b. The -92c to be displayed on the liquid crystal panel 2. Thereby, the visibility of the mark image can be improved without increasing the display area of the mark image.

(Modification)
In the above-described example, when the mark image 8 is displayed in order to notify the voltage abnormality of the high voltage battery, the mark image 8 is displayed as a moving image of one second changing from the mark image 80 to the mark image 8 in FIG. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, it is possible to make a moving image of 2 seconds, and it is also possible to display only the still image of the mark image 8 without the mark image 80 and the moving image.

  In the above-described example, the mark images 9 and 90 are changed from the mark image 9 shown in FIG. 5A to the mark image 90 shown in FIG. 5B in order to notify the mode change from the eco driving mode to the normal driving mode. However, this is not limited to this, but is displayed as a still image of the mark image 90. For example, a mark image 9 can be displayed as a two-second moving image from the mark image 9 to the mark image 90, and then displayed as a still image of the mark image 90. The mark image 9 to the mark image 90 can be displayed in one frame. That is, it is also possible to switch at 1/30 seconds.

  In the above example, the drawing IC 4 pastes each texture of the image data to each polygon of the polygon data set in step S30 in step S40 of FIG. Although the still image of the mark image 90 is displayed, the present invention is not limited to this. In step S40 of FIG. 6, the drawing IC 4 can also display the moving image of the mark image 90 to the still image of the mark image 90 from the mark image 9 using the image data set in step S30.

  In this case, in FIG. 1, the polygon data storage unit 32 is not used, and image data necessary for displaying the moving image of the mark image 90 to the still image of the mark image 90 from the mark image 9 is displayed as the image data storage unit 33. In step S30, the image data is set. In step S40, the drawing IC 4 displays the moving image of the mark image 90 and the still image of the mark image 90 from the mark image 9 using the image data set in step S30. Also by this, the same effect as described above can be obtained.

  In the above-described example, the vehicle display device 1 is used for a hybrid vehicle. However, the vehicle display device 1 may be used for an automobile that runs only by an engine.

  The liquid crystal panel 2 can be a monochrome liquid crystal panel that does not perform full color display.

  Further, instead of the liquid crystal panel 2 which is a light receiving type (non-light emitting type) display panel, an EL (electroluminescence) display panel which is a light emitting type display panel may be used.

  Further, the present invention is not limited to the above-described examples, and combinations thereof and other various modifications are conceivable.

FIG. 1 is a circuit configuration diagram of a vehicle display device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view of the liquid crystal panel 2 shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view for explaining the display of the mark image 7 shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view for explaining the display of the mark image 8 shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view for explaining the display of the mark image 9 shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a control flow executed by the CPU 3 in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Display apparatus for vehicles, 2 Liquid crystal panel (display panel), 3 CPU (control means)
31 ROM, 32 Polygon data storage unit, 33 Image data storage unit, 34 RAM
4 drawing IC (control means), 41 image memory, 5 power meter image, 51 pointer image 52 scale image, 53 character image, 6 speed meter image, 61 pointer image 62 scale image, 63 character image, 7-9 mark image, 71-91 Mark part 72-92 Background part, 10 Hybrid ECU, 11 Ignition switch 12 Battery

Claims (3)

A mark portion representing either a mark indicating one of an operation state of the device provided in the own vehicle and a traveling mode of the own vehicle, and a warning notifying operation abnormality of the device, and a background of the mark portion A display panel capable of displaying a mark image having a background portion;
Control means for controlling the display state of the display panel so that the mark image can be displayed,
The display device for a vehicle, wherein the control means displays the background portion on the display panel with a lightness higher than the lightness of the mark portion.   The vehicle display device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit displays the background portion on the display panel by three-dimensional computer graphics.   The said control means notifies the information which the said mark displays by displaying the said mark image on the said display panel with the still image after displaying the said mark image on the said display panel with the moving image of predetermined time. The vehicle display device according to claim 1 or 2.

Images