JP2010179839A - Vehicle display device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make display by non-certified outside application cooperative to the state of a vehicle. <P>SOLUTION: An application execution function part 11 provides a dynamic image, i.e., information from the non-certified outside application 18 by the three display form. When any abnormal state is generated on the vehicle, display of the dynamic image is completely forbidden and the image is deleted. When the vehicle is in the usual state and in the traveling state, display of the dynamic image is restricted and allowed and a stationary image is displayed. When the vehicle is in the usual state and in the stopping state, display of the dynamic image is completed allowed and the dynamic image is displayed. Thereby, the information from the outside application 18 not adapted to obtaining of a vehicle signal can be provided in the display form cooperated to the state of the vehicle. Further, compatibility of requirement of a user and accomplishment of a purpose inherent to a display device for a vehicle, i.e., promotion of proper operation of the vehicle can be attained. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle display device that is mounted on a vehicle and displays information.

  Conventionally, a display device for a vehicle such as a meter or a head-up display can have only a small display area in consideration of other instruments. It is required to use such a small display area effectively to provide information necessary for vehicle operation and to provide an image by an application program (hereinafter referred to as an application) according to the user's request. It has been.

  For example, in addition to an internal application for realizing an original display function for a vehicle on a display device, a user is required to introduce an external application and display an image by the external application on the display device. . For example, images such as characters, moving images, and still images from an external application are displayed on the display device.

  As such a display device, a vehicle-mounted display device described in Patent Document 1 is known. In this display device, the application itself obtains a vehicle signal to provide a display in cooperation with the vehicle state. For example, the application automatically selects the service to be provided according to the speed and controls the display state of the service according to the speed. As a result, safety is improved.

JP-T-2006-516012

  However, in the prior art, it is necessary to add a function of acquiring a vehicle signal and a function of controlling display according to the vehicle signal from the stage of creating an application. For example, an interface for acquiring a vehicle signal, a function for recognizing a port, and the like had to be installed. Such an application exclusively for in-vehicle use or on the premise of in-vehicle use has limitations such as development cost and market scale. For this reason, most applications supplied to the market have been difficult to adapt to use in vehicles. For example, many applications have been developed and supplied to the market on the premise of use in personal computers and portable information terminals. However, they cannot obtain a vehicle signal and therefore cannot provide a display that is linked to the state of the vehicle.

  In view of the above problems, the present invention provides a display device for a vehicle that can provide an image display in cooperation with the state of a vehicle even when an external application that is not suitable for acquisition of a vehicle signal is introduced. Objective.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above problems, the present invention provides a user's request to view an image by an external application that is not suitable for acquisition of a vehicle signal, and the original display device for a vehicle that provides information useful for vehicle operation. The other purpose is to achieve the goal at the same time.

  In order to achieve the above object, the following technical means can be employed.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle display device (1) capable of displaying vehicle information and displaying information from the external application when the external application (17, 18) is introduced, In addition to the external application, a technical means is adopted that includes display control means (103-108) for controlling the display form of information from the external application to a display form corresponding to the driving state of the vehicle. According to the present invention, the display form of information from the external application can be changed to the display form corresponding to the operation state of the vehicle without adding a special vehicle cooperation function to the external application.

  The invention described in claim 2 further includes identification means (102) for identifying whether the external application is an authenticated external application or a non-authenticated external application, and the display control means includes: In this case, a technical means for controlling the display form of the information from the non-authenticated external application to a display form corresponding to the operation state of the vehicle is adopted. According to the present invention, even if a non-authenticated external application that does not have a function suitable for use in a vehicle display device is introduced, the display form of information from the non-authenticated external application is displayed according to the operation state of the vehicle. can do.

  Invention of Claim 3 employ | adopts the technical means that an authenticated external application is equipped with the vehicle cooperation means which controls the display form of the information from the authenticated external application to the display form according to the driving | running state of a vehicle. To do. According to this invention, the vehicle cooperation means previously incorporated in the authenticated external application can be used.

  The invention according to claim 4 employs technical means in which the display control means increases the degree of restriction on the display form of information from the non-authenticated external application as the degree of speciality of the driving state of the vehicle increases. According to the present invention, as the special degree of the driving state of the vehicle increases from the normal state to the special state, the display form of information from the non-authenticated external application is changed from the display state with a low restriction degree to the display state with a high restriction degree. And can be changed. As a result, it is possible to provide a vehicular display device that easily guides the user's attention to the operating state of the vehicle.

  According to the invention described in claim 5, the display control means stops the update of the image for displaying the information from the external application and the update of the image for displaying the information from the external application. An image maintaining means (107), an image deleting means (108) for deleting an image for displaying information from an external application, an image updating means, an image maintaining means, an image deleting means, depending on the operation state of the vehicle, A technical means is provided that includes selection means (104, 105, 106) for selecting any of the above. According to the present invention, an image displaying information from an external application can be provided in a stepwise display form corresponding to the driving state of the vehicle.

  The invention described in claim 6 employs technical means in which the display control means includes means for controlling the brightness of an image displaying information from an external application in accordance with the operation state of the vehicle. According to the present invention, an image displaying information from an external application can be provided with luminance according to the driving state of the vehicle.

  In addition, the code | symbol in the parenthesis as described in a claim and said each means shows the correspondence with the specific means as described in embodiment mentioned later as one aspect.

It is a block diagram which shows the display apparatus for vehicles of one Embodiment to which this invention is applied. It is a flowchart which shows the display update process of embodiment.

(First embodiment)
Hereinafter, an embodiment of a vehicle display device to which the present invention is applied will be described. The vehicle display device according to the present invention is applied to a meter device installed in front of a driver's seat. The meter device includes a plurality of analog meters and a display device using a liquid crystal display element. Software for executing the basic functions has been introduced into the vehicle display device from the beginning. These include a part as an OS and a part as an application. Software that has been introduced into the vehicle display device from the beginning and that realizes its basic functions is referred to as an internal application, as opposed to an external application that is retrofitted by the user. On the display device, vehicle information indicating the operation state of the vehicle provided by the internal application is displayed. The vehicle information includes, for example, normal information such as the shift position of the transmission, the traveling speed, and the brake air pressure. Further, the vehicle information includes warning information such as overspeed, abnormal decrease in brake air pressure, and overheating. The warning information is displayed as priority information in place of the normal information or by a conspicuous image emphasized from the normal information.

  Furthermore, an external application may be introduced into the vehicle display device by a user. An image indicating information from an external application can be displayed on the display device instead of or in addition to the vehicle information. The information provided by the external application is, for example, a moving image that is not related to vehicle operation. In this embodiment, the moving image includes a so-called animation display in which a character string is displayed in order of several characters, in addition to a so-called animation display that represents a motion by continuously updating the image.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the vehicle display device 1. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing image update processing executed by the vehicle display device 1.

  In FIG. 1, the vehicle display device 1 includes a processing device 10. The processing device 10 is provided by an electronic control device including a microcomputer. The vehicle display device 1 includes a display device 12, a key input device 13, and a sensor 14. Further, the vehicle display device 1 has a function of transmitting / receiving data to / from another on-vehicle control device 15. The display device 12 is provided by a liquid crystal display device incorporated in the meter device.

  The key input device 13 can include a plurality of switches provided so as to be operable by the driver of the vehicle. For example, an IG switch that switches between a running state and a resting state of the vehicle, and a steering switch provided in the vicinity of the steering wheel of the vehicle are included. The sensor 14 includes a plurality of sensors for acquiring a plurality of information to be displayed on the meter device. For example, a sensor that generates a vehicle speed signal that indicates the traveling speed of the vehicle, an engine speed sensor that generates a signal that indicates the engine speed, and a shift sensor that generates a shift position signal that indicates the shift position of the transmission are included. Other control devices 15 may include a vehicle air conditioner control device, a headlamp control device, and a brake control device. From these other control devices 15, for example, an outside air temperature signal indicating the outside air temperature, a signal indicating lighting of the headlamp, a signal indicating non-lighting, and a signal indicating the brake air pressure are input to the processing device 10. Information obtained from these other control devices 15 is displayed on the display device 12.

  The processing device 10 includes an application execution function unit 11. The application execution function unit 11 executes a plurality of applications introduced into the processing device 10 and executes an image update process for controlling an image displayed on the screen of the display device 12. The plurality of applications include an identifier indicating whether or not the application is authenticated as being suitable for use in the vehicle display device 1. The processing device 10 can recognize whether the application is an authenticated application or an unauthenticated application based on an identifier added to the application. The application execution function part 11 gives a vehicle signal required in order to implement | achieve a vehicle cooperation function to the authenticated application.

  An internal application 16 for realizing a basic display function as the vehicular display device 1 is introduced into the processing device 10. The internal application 16 indicates a normal information display function for displaying an image such as characters indicating normal information such as a traveling speed of the vehicle on the display device 12 and priority information such as a warning of an abnormally lowered state of the brake air pressure. A priority information display function for displaying an image on the display device 12. Since the internal application 16 is created on the premise that the internal application 16 is used in the vehicle display device 1, the internal application 16 has an authenticated identifier. Therefore, the processing apparatus 10 recognizes that it has been authenticated.

  In addition to the internal application 16, external applications 17 and 18 can be introduced into the processing apparatus 10. The external applications 17 and 18 are programs that are obtained by the user and introduced into the processing apparatus 10. An identifier is also added to the external applications 17 and 18. The processing apparatus 10 can recognize whether the external applications 17 and 18 are the authenticated external application 17 or the non-authenticated external application 18 based on the identifier.

  The authenticated external application 17 is created on the premise of use in the vehicle display device 1 and includes vehicle cooperation means for providing a display state corresponding to the state of the vehicle. The authenticated external application 17 inputs a vehicle signal from the application execution function unit 11 and controls its own image in accordance with the operation state of the vehicle. The vehicle cooperation means mounted on the authenticated external application 17 controls the image by the external application so that the vehicle can be properly operated. For example, control is performed such that the provision of information related to the operation of the vehicle is displayed with priority over the information provided by the external application, or the image displayed by the external application is displayed in a manner that does not interfere with the operation of the vehicle.

  As a specific example of the vehicle cooperation means, it is possible to mount a means for stopping the update of the moving image and displaying only the still image when the vehicle speed reaches a predetermined vehicle speed or higher. This promotes concentration on driving operations. Further, as a specific example of the vehicle cooperation means, in place of or in addition to the above, when priority information such as some warning is generated, the external application 17 is stopped or an image showing the priority information from the image by the external application It is possible to mount a means for switching to. Further, as a specific example of the vehicle cooperation means, in place of or in addition to the above, a switching means for providing a night image when the headlamp is lit and providing a day image when the headlight is not lit may be mounted. it can.

  The non-authenticated external application 18 is created without assuming use in the vehicle display device 1 and tries to provide an image by the external application regardless of the state of the vehicle. The unauthenticated external application 18 tries to display an image on the display device via the application execution function unit 11 regardless of the operation state of the vehicle. Therefore, the application execution function unit 11 controls the image by the non-authenticated external application 18 according to the operation state of the vehicle by executing an image update process described below.

  In FIG. 2, the image update process executed by the application execution function unit 11 is executed when an image update request is issued from any application. The image update processing can be included in a part of the OS or included in one of the internal applications. First, in step 101, it is determined whether or not the display device 12 is in a displayable state. For example, when the IG switch permits the operation of the vehicle, it is determined that the display is possible, and the process branches to YES, and when the IG switch prohibits the operation of the vehicle, the process branches to NO. If branched to NO, the process ends without displaying an image on the display device 12. Step 101 provides means for determining whether or not display by the display device 12 is possible.

  Next, in step 102, it is determined whether or not the application that issued the image update request has been authenticated. Here, it is determined whether the external application is the authenticated external application 17 or the non-authenticated external application 18. If it is the internal application 16 or the authenticated external application 17, the process branches to YES. If it is the non-authenticated external application 18, the process branches to NO. Step 102 provides an identification means for identifying whether the application is authenticated, that is, whether it is an authenticated external application or an unauthenticated external application.

  In step 103, it is allowed to update the image on the display device 12 in response to the image update request. For this reason, display of an image by the internal application 16 or display of a moving image by the authenticated external application 17 is allowed without limitation.

  If it is determined in step 102 that the application is unauthenticated external application 18, the process proceeds to step 104. By the processing after step 104, when the external application is the non-authenticated external application 18, the display control means for controlling the display form of the information from the non-authenticated external application 18 to the display form corresponding to the driving state of the vehicle is provided. Is done. The step of providing the display control means is provided separately from the non-authenticated external application 18. The display control means can be included in the OS or the internal application introduced in advance in the vehicle display device, and may be introduced when the non-authenticated external application 18 is introduced.

  In step 104, it is determined whether or not display of an image provided by the non-authenticated external application 18 is permitted on the display device 12 in light of a predetermined condition. For example, whether or not display is permitted can be determined by whether or not some priority information is generated. If any priority information has occurred, for example, if the vehicle is in a state to display a warning, step 104 branches to NO. If priority information has not occurred, step 104 branches to YES. Step 104 provides a means for determining whether the operating state of the vehicle is in a state where display by the non-authenticated external application 18 is to be stopped.

  In step 105, it is determined whether image updating is permitted. For example, it is determined whether or not display of a moving image is permitted. More specifically, based on the vehicle speed signal and the shift position, it is determined whether the vehicle is running or stopped. It can be determined that updating is permitted when the vehicle is in a stopped state, and updating is prohibited when the vehicle is in a traveling state. If it is determined in step 105 that the update is permitted, step 105 branches to YES, and the process proceeds to step 103. Accordingly, provision of information from the unauthenticated external application 18 is allowed without limitation.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step 105 that the update is prohibited, step 105 branches to NO, and the process proceeds to step 106. In step 106, it is determined whether the user is requesting an image update. Here, the determination is made based on whether or not the steering switch included in the key input device 13 is operated. When the steering switch is being operated, it is determined that the user is requesting an update of the image and the update is permitted, and when the steering switch is not being operated, it is determined that there is no request to strongly request an update. If it is determined in step 106 that it is in the operating state, step 106 branches to YES, and the process proceeds to step 103. Accordingly, provision of information from the unauthenticated external application 18 is allowed without limitation. Step 103 provides an image updating means for permitting image updating.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step 106 that there is a non-operation state, step 106 branches to NO and the process proceeds to step 107. In step 107, the current display is maintained. That is, even if the non-authenticated external application 18 generates an image update request for displaying a moving image, the image on the display device 12 is maintained without being updated. For this reason, a still image is displayed. Accordingly, provision of information from the unauthenticated external application 18 is allowed under certain restricted conditions. This restricted state indicates that the unauthenticated external application 18 is functioning, and is a still image in order to meet a user's request to a certain extent. Step 107 provides an image maintaining means for stopping the image update.

  If the process branches from step 104 to NO, the process proceeds to step 108. In step 108, the image by the non-authenticated external application 18 on the display device 12 is deleted. As a result, only the display by the internal application 16 remains on the display device 12. Accordingly, provision of information from the unauthenticated external application 18 is completely prohibited. Step 108 provides image deletion means for deleting an image.

  Thus, Step 104 and Step 105 provide means for determining the operation state of the vehicle. This means determines the special degree of the operation state of the vehicle from the normal state to the special state corresponding to the warning state. Further, step 106 provides means for directly reflecting the user's intention on the display control of the image, superior to the determination result of the operation state of the vehicle. Step 104, step 105, and step 106 are also selection means for selecting a display form.

  On the other hand, in step 103, step 107, and step 108, the display form of the information from the non-authenticated external application 18 is set in advance according to the operation state of the vehicle in favor of the request from the non-authenticated external application 18. Means for controlling the display mode is provided. At this time, a plurality of display forms with different degrees of restriction on the display are provided as display forms. In the embodiment, there are provided at least three stages of a completely permitted state having a minimum restriction degree, a restricted permission state having an intermediate restriction degree, and a completely prohibited state having the highest restriction degree. That is, the display restriction degree is gradually increased in the above order.

  Therefore, the degree of restriction on the display form of information from the non-authenticated external application 18 is increased as the special degree of the driving state of the vehicle is increased by the series of processes in Step 104, Step 105, Step 103, Step 107, and Step 108. Display control means are provided.

  According to this embodiment, an image by the internal application 16 and an image by the external application 17 are displayed on the display device 12. At this time, even a moving image by the non-authenticated external application 18 can be displayed on the display device 12. For this reason, the environment which can utilize the function of the external application which is not suitable for vehicles for a user can be provided.

  In addition, the image update process installed in the application execution function 11 of the vehicle display device 1 controls the display mode of the image by the non-authenticated external application 18 according to the operation state of the vehicle. Specifically, when any abnormal state occurs in the vehicle, the display of the moving image is completely prohibited and the image is deleted. Further, when the vehicle is in a normal state and is in a running state, a still image is displayed while allowing display of moving images while being limited. For this reason, the display aspect according to the driving | running state of a vehicle can be provided, without mounting a vehicle cooperation means in the non-authentication external application 18. FIG. For example, a vehicular display device that easily guides the user's attention to the operating state of the vehicle is provided. For this reason, the malfunction resulting from having permitted the display of the image by the unauthenticated external application 18 can be suppressed.

  Further, in this embodiment, it is possible to control the display form for each application as well as display form control such as image update restriction and luminance control applied to the entire screen of the display device 12. For this reason, it is possible to provide different display form control for each application, and it is possible to apply display form control according to the characteristics of the application.

  Further, the information by the non-authenticated external application 18 is provided by switching to a three-stage display mode of moving image, still image, and non-display according to the operation state of the vehicle. By setting the degree of restriction of such a plurality of display forms, it is possible to provide an appropriate display according to the operation state of the vehicle while responding to the user's request.

(Other embodiments)
The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above. The above-described embodiments can be accompanied by various modifications, improvements, or extensions within the technical scope of the present invention. The present invention includes embodiments including at least the following modifications, improvements, and extensions.

  In the above embodiment, authenticated and unauthenticated are identified by the identifier of the application. Instead, an authenticated program is registered in the processing apparatus 10 in advance, and authenticated and unauthenticated based on the registration information. May be identified. Further, whether or not authentication has been performed may be input when an external application is introduced.

  The image by the internal application 16 and the image by the external applications 17 and 18 may be displayed at the same time or may be displayed by switching. Further, the image by the internal application 16 may be displayed in the area where the image by the unauthenticated external application 18 has been deleted.

  In the above embodiment, the display form of information from the non-authenticated external application 18 is limited to display only a still image and a complete permission to permit a moving image, a complete prohibition to delete an image, and a still image according to the driving state of the vehicle. Switched to three stages of permission. Instead of this, the display form of the information from the non-authenticated external application 18 is completely permitted to permit the image by the non-authenticated external application 18 without restriction according to the driving state of the vehicle, and the complete display to hide the image. It may be switched to three stages of prohibition and restricted permission for displaying only an icon indicating the existence or execution state of the unauthenticated external application 18. Further, instead of switching the display form including complete prohibition, the restricted state may be switched to low level, high level, and intermediate level therebetween. For example, an image by the non-authenticated external application 18 is displayed with normal brightness when in the low-level restricted state, and an image by the non-authenticated external application 18 is displayed with low brightness and inconspicuous when in the high-level restricted state. In such a case, a display mode may be provided in which an image by the non-authenticated external application 18 is displayed with intermediate luminance.

  Further, the application execution function unit 11 replaces or in addition to the means for setting the display mode restriction degree according to the operation state of the vehicle, or in addition to the brightness of the image by the non-authenticated external application 18 according to the operation state of the vehicle. Means may be provided for setting the desired brightness. For example, a vehicle linkage function may be provided in which the headlamp is set to dark low brightness for night and the bright high brightness for day when not lit. Moreover, you may provide the vehicle cooperation function which sets the brightness | luminance of the image by the unauthenticated external application 18 according to the adjustment amount of the adjuster for setting the brightness | luminance of a display apparatus.

  Further, in the above embodiment, in order to control only the display form of the image by the non-authenticated external application 18 to a display form different from the other images, means for providing a display form for each application is provided. 1 uniformly controls the display form of the entire screen of the display device 12 such as a means for restricting the update of the image of the entire screen of the display device 12 and a means for controlling the luminance of the entire screen without depending on the application. Means may be additionally provided.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Display apparatus for vehicles 10 Processing apparatus 11 Application execution function part 12 Display apparatus 13 Key input apparatus 14 Sensor 15 Other control apparatus 16 Authenticated internal application 17 Authenticated external application 18 Unauthenticated external application

Claims (6)

In the vehicle display device (1) capable of displaying vehicle information and displaying information from the external application when the external application (17, 18) is introduced,
In addition to the external application, the vehicle display device includes display control means (103-108) for controlling a display form of information from the external application to a display form corresponding to a driving state of the vehicle. And further comprising an identification means (102) for identifying whether the external application is an authenticated external application or a non-authenticated external application,
The display control means includes
2. The display mode according to claim 1, wherein when the external application is the non-authenticated external application, a display form of information from the non-authenticated external application is controlled to a display form according to a driving state of the vehicle. Vehicle display device.   The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the authenticated external application includes a vehicle cooperation unit that controls a display form of information from the authenticated external application to a display form corresponding to a driving state of the vehicle. Display device. The display control means includes
The vehicle display device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a degree of restriction on a display form of information from the non-authenticated external application is increased as a degree of speciality of an operation state of the vehicle increases. The display control means includes
Image update means (103) for permitting update of an image for displaying information from the external application;
Image maintenance means (107) for stopping updating of an image displaying information from the external application;
Image deletion means (108) for deleting an image displaying information from the external application;
A selection means (104, 105, 106) for selecting any one of the image update means, the image maintenance means, and the image deletion means according to a driving state of a vehicle. 5. The vehicle display device according to 4. The display control means includes
The vehicle display device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising means for controlling luminance of an image for displaying information from the external application in accordance with an operation state of the vehicle.

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