JP2015078880A - Graphic meter - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a graphic meter that can achieve display close to the feel and stereoscopic effect of an instrument using real meters.SOLUTION: A control unit identifies a change of the route of a vehicle on the basis of route information acquired by an acquisition unit, and causes a display unit to change the display positions of highlights 51, 52, 53 in an instrument according to a result of the identification.

Description

  The present invention relates to a graphic meter.

  Conventionally, as a meter unit for a vehicle, there are an analog meter that displays information indicating a vehicle state such as a vehicle speed and an engine rotation speed by moving an actual pointer, and a digital meter that displays information by digital display of numerical values and characters. Are known.

  In recent years, there has also been provided a graphic meter that displays an image of a virtual meter (instrument) by three-dimensional computer graphics using a liquid crystal display panel or the like capable of displaying an arbitrary image graphically (for example, Patent Documents). 1 and 2).

JP 2011-121544 A JP 2007-99014 A

  The graphic meter disclosed in Patent Document 1 is provided for the purpose of reproducing the texture and stereoscopic effect of a real instrument (that is, an analog meter instrument). In the graphic meter of Patent Document 1, a virtual instrument is arranged in a virtual space, and the instrument is irradiated with virtual light from a virtual light source to form reflected light and shadow on the frame of the instrument, and the virtual meter is used as a virtual instrument. An image viewed from the viewpoint is displayed on the display device of the vehicle. At that time, the position of the virtual light source is moved according to the vehicle speed of the vehicle and the engine speed (or moved according to the passage of time, or moved randomly), so that the reflected light or shadow on the surface of the instrument. To improve the realism and stereoscopic effect of the image.

  Further, the graphic meter of Patent Document 2 is provided for the purpose of reducing the uncomfortable feeling between the glossiness expression in the displayed image of the object and the actual glossiness of the object caused by extraneous light. In the graphic meter of Patent Document 2, in order to achieve the object, a virtual light source is set based on the detected external light, and an image of the equipment of the vehicle is displayed reflecting the influence of the light from the virtual light source. .

  In recent years, there has been a demand for a graphic meter that further improves the reproducibility of the texture and stereoscopic effect of a real instrument using a real instrument for higher quality.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a graphic meter capable of realizing display close to the texture and stereoscopic effect of a real instrument.

In order to achieve the above-described object, the graphic meter according to the present invention is characterized by the following points.
(1) A graphic meter mounted on a vehicle,
An image display type display unit for displaying the instrument of the vehicle;
An acquisition unit for acquiring route information representing a route of the vehicle;
A control unit connected to the display unit and the acquisition unit;
With
The control unit identifies a change in the course of the vehicle based on the course information acquired by the acquisition unit, and causes the display unit to change the display position of the highlight in the instrument according to the identification result.
(2) The graphic meter of (1) above,
The course information is information including a steering angle of the vehicle.
(3) The graphic meter of (2) above,
The route information is information further including a traveling speed of the vehicle.
(4) The graphic meter of (3) above,
The control unit calculates a course change angle at which the vehicle has changed the course based on the steering angle and travel speed of the vehicle, and only the highlight rotation angle corresponding to the course change angle is displayed on the display unit. Rotate the display position relative to the highlight reference position.

In the graphic meter of the above (1), when the course of the vehicle changes, the display position of the highlight on the instrument changes. A highlight is a display element that is drawn imitating a mirror image of a light source that is visually recognized when light from the light source is incident on the real object and reflected from the surface. For example, the highlighted part is more than the other part. It is drawn by displaying it brightly.
In the case of an instrument using a real object, when the course of the vehicle changes, the angle at which sunlight enters the instrument changes, so that the reflection position of sunlight in the instrument also changes. For this reason, in order to realize a display close to the texture and stereoscopic effect of the instrument using the actual object, it is preferable that the position of the highlight also changes in the graphic meter when the course of the vehicle changes.
In this regard, in the graphic meter of (1), the display position of the highlight changes when the vehicle path changes, so that it is possible to realize a display close to the texture and stereoscopic effect of the actual instrument.
According to the graphic meter of (2) above, since the control unit identifies changes in the course of the vehicle based on the steering angle, it can be reliably identified that the course of the vehicle has changed.
According to the graphic meter of the above (3), the control unit identifies the change in the course of the vehicle based on the steering angle and the traveling speed, so that the change in the course of the vehicle can be reliably identified and the change in the course. The amount can be identified.
According to the graphic meter of (4) above, since the highlight display position rotates by the highlight rotation angle corresponding to the course change angle, the amount of change of the course of the vehicle can be associated with the highlight rotation angle. it can.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the graphic meter which further improved reproducibility, such as the texture of a meter using the real thing and a three-dimensional effect, can be provided.

  The present invention has been briefly described above. Further, the details of the present invention will be further clarified by reading through a mode for carrying out the invention described below (hereinafter referred to as “embodiment”) with reference to the accompanying drawings. .

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration example of the graphic meter. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a graphic display screen of the display unit. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a vehicle whose course is being changed. 4 (a) and 4 (b) are diagrams for explaining the transition of the display content on the display unit due to the course change, and FIG. 4 (a) shows the display content on the display unit before the course change. FIG. 4B is a diagram showing the display contents of the display unit after the course is changed. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the texture for displaying the highlight on the speed scale is rotated in accordance with the change in the course of the vehicle. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a display processing procedure by the control unit.

  A specific embodiment of the graphic meter according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

  The graphic meter 100 according to the present embodiment is a meter unit that is used by being mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile, and is installed on an instrument panel in a vehicle cabin so that a driver can visually recognize the graphic meter.

  First, the configuration of each part of the graphic meter 100 will be described. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration example of the graphic meter 100. As shown in FIG. 1, the graphic meter 100 includes a control unit (microcomputer, CPU: Central Processing Unit) 101, a read-only memory (EEPROM) 102, an interface 103, and an interface 104 (acquisition unit). , CPU power supply unit 105, graphic controller 106, frame memory 107, X driver 108, Y driver 109, LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) power supply unit 110, and display unit (liquid crystal display, TFT-LCD: Thin Film Transistor Liquid Crystal Display) ) 111 and the like.

  The control unit 101 is, for example, a microcomputer, executes an operation program prepared in advance and held in a read-only memory, and performs various processes necessary for realizing the function of the graphic meter 100. For example, the control unit 101 performs processing shown in the flowchart of FIG. The control unit 101 has a built-in RAM (Random Access Memory) a for temporarily storing various data.

  The read-only memory 102 is, for example, an EEPROM, and holds various fixed data such as the contents of an operation program executed by the control unit 101 and texture display data for displaying highlights 51, 52, and 53 described later. ing.

  The interface 103 inputs a signal (IGN +) indicating the state of the ignition switch on the vehicle side to the control unit 101.

  The interface 104 (acquisition unit) is used for communication according to a CAN (Controller Area Network) standard between the control unit 101 and various control devices (ECU: Electric Control Unit) on the vehicle side. Specifically, data representing the current values of various state quantities of the vehicle such as the traveling speed, the supercharging pressure value, the fuel remaining amount, the steering angle of the steering wheel, etc. is transmitted from the vehicle side via the interface 104 as almost real-time data. 101.

  For example, the interface 104 receives a vehicle speed signal output from a speed sensor mounted on the vehicle side every time the vehicle moves by a predetermined amount, and sends it to the control unit 101 as travel speed information indicating the current travel speed value of the vehicle. Output. Further, the interface 104 receives information on the fuel amount detected by the fuel sensor and outputs the information to the control unit 101. The interface 104 also receives a signal representing the current value of the supercharging pressure value output from a pressure sensor that detects the pressure of compressed air that is forcibly sent to the internal combustion engine by the supercharger. It outputs to the control part 101 as supercharging pressure information showing a pressure value. Further, the interface 104 receives a signal indicating a steering angle detected by a steering angle sensor provided in the vicinity of the steering wheel (steering), and outputs the signal to the control unit 101 as steering angle information indicating the current steering angle. The control unit 101 can grasp the course of the vehicle based on the steering wheel angle information. That is, the interface 104 functions as an acquisition unit for the control unit 101 to acquire route information representing the vehicle's route.

  The CPU power supply unit 105 receives the DC power supplied from the positive power supply line (+ B) on the vehicle side and generates a DC voltage (Vcc) necessary for the operation of the control unit 101. Further, a reset signal is generated as necessary, or an operation for suppressing power supply is performed according to a sleep signal output from the control unit 101.

  The display unit 111 is configured by a liquid crystal display such as a TFT-LCD, for example, and has a color two-dimensional display screen in which a large number of minute display cells configured by a liquid crystal device are arranged in the X direction and the Y direction. doing. The display unit 111 can display desired information such as graphics, characters, and images on a two-dimensional display screen by controlling the display state of a large number of micro display cells individually for each cell. It is an indicator. As the display unit 111, a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) display, an organic EL (Electroluminescence) display, a PDP (Plasma Display Panel) display, or the like may be used.

  The scanning position in the Y direction on the graphic display screen 111 a of the display unit 111 is sequentially switched by the output of the Y driver 109. The Y driver 109 sequentially switches the scanning position in the Y direction in synchronization with the vertical synchronization signal output from the graphic controller 106. The X driver 108 sequentially switches the scanning position in the X direction on the display screen of the display unit 111 in synchronization with the horizontal synchronization signal output from the graphic controller 106. The X driver 108 controls the display contents on the screen by giving the RGB color image data output from the graphic controller 106 to the display cell at the scanning position.

  The graphic controller 106 displays various graphic elements on the screen of the display unit 111 in accordance with various commands input from the control unit 101. Actually, the control unit 101 or the graphic controller 106 writes the display data to the frame memory 107 that holds the display content for each pixel and draws the graphic. Further, the graphic controller 106 generates a vertical synchronization signal and a horizontal synchronization signal for two-dimensional scanning of the screen of the display unit 111, and is stored at a corresponding address on the frame memory 107 at a timing synchronized with these synchronization signals. Display data is given to the display unit 111.

  The LCD power supply unit 110 receives DC power supplied from the positive power supply line (+ B) on the vehicle side, and generates predetermined DC power required for display on the display unit 111.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a graphic display screen 111 a of the display unit 111. The graphic display screen 111 a includes a first display area 31, a second display area 32, and a third display area 33 that are displayed in different areas.

  The first display area 31 is an area for displaying the current traveling speed of the vehicle. In the first display area 31, an annular frame 35 and a pointer 36 are displayed as the speedometer 25. The frame body 35 has a scale arranged inside thereof, and a part of the frame body 35 also functions as a speed scale. The pointer 36 indicates the current traveling speed of the vehicle by pointing a portion functioning as a speed scale on the frame body 35 by the tip thereof. Further, in the graphic meter 100 according to the present embodiment, a highlight 51 is provided on a part of the frame body 35. The highlight 51 is a display element that imitates a mirror image of a light source that is visually recognized when light from the light source enters the real object and is reflected by the surface, and displays a portion to which the highlight 51 is applied brighter than other portions. (See also FIG. 4 (a) and FIG. 4 (b)). The highlight 51 is displayed at an arbitrary position on the frame body 35. As will be described later, in the graphic meter 100 according to the present embodiment, the highlight 51 is used to realize display of an instrument that is close to a texture or a three-dimensional effect using a real object by changing the display position. In the example illustrated in FIG. 2, the display position of the highlight 51 is directly above and below the center C <b> 1 (reference position) of the frame body 35.

  The second display area 32 is an area for displaying the present amount of the supercharging pressure value. In the second display area 32, a frame body 37 and a pointer 38 are displayed as the boost meter 29. The frame body 37 has a scale arranged inside thereof, and a part of the frame body 37 also functions as a pressure value scale. The pointer 38 indicates a current supercharging pressure value by indicating a portion functioning as a pressure value scale on the frame body 37 by the tip thereof. A highlight 52 is applied to a part of the frame 37. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the display position of the highlight 52 is directly above and below the center C <b> 2 (reference position) of the frame body 37. In other words, the position of the highlight 52 with respect to the center C2 of the frame 37 corresponds to the position of the highlight 51 with respect to the center C1 of the frame 35. The highlight 52 is moved and displayed on the frame 37 so as to correspond to the change in the display position of the highlight 51 on the frame 35.

  The third display area 33 is an area for displaying the current fuel remaining amount. In the third display area 33, a frame 42, a fuel scale 41, and a pointer 40 are displayed as the fuel gauge 27. The fuel scale 41 and the pointer 40 are disposed inside the frame body 42, and the pointer 40 indicates a part of the fuel scale 41 to indicate the current fuel remaining amount. A highlight 53 is provided on a part of the frame body 42. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the display position of the highlight 53 is directly above and below the center C3 (reference position) of the frame body 42. In other words, the position of the highlight 53 with respect to the center C3 of the frame 42 corresponds to the position of the highlight 51 with respect to the center C1 of the frame 35. The highlight 53 is moved and displayed on the frame 42 so as to correspond to the change in the display position of the highlight 51 on the frame 35.

  Next, a display transition example in the graphic meter 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a vehicle whose course is being changed. 4 (a) and 4 (b) are diagrams for explaining the transition of the display content on the display unit due to the course change, and FIG. 4 (a) shows the display content on the display unit before the course change. FIG. 4B is a diagram showing the display contents of the display unit after the course is changed.

  FIGS. 3-4 (b) has shown the example in case the vehicle which was going straight in the same direction as the direction where sunlight progresses changed the course by about 45 degree | times. In FIG. 3, the vehicle before the course is changed is indicated by a symbol A, and the vehicle after the change is indicated by a symbol B. In the example shown in FIGS. 3 to 4B, before the course is changed, the highlights 51, 52, and 53 are set directly above and below the centers C1, C2, and C3 as shown in FIG. 4A. After the course is changed and the direction of travel has changed by about 45 degrees clockwise, as shown in FIG. 4B, highlights 51, 52 and 53 are rotated clockwise with respect to the centers C1, C2 and C3. It is displayed at a position rotated by about 45 degrees.

  In the above display example, the display contents before and after the course is changed by about 45 degrees have been described. However, the display contents are continuously changed as the course change angle θ changes (increases). That is, when the course change angle is defined as the course change angle θ, before the course change, as shown in FIG. When the direction of travel changes clockwise by θ degrees, the highlights 51, 52, and 53 may be displayed at positions rotated by θ degrees clockwise with respect to the centers C1, C2, and C3. . In the above example, the case where the course change angle θ is equal to the rotation angle (highlight rotation angle) of the highlights 51, 52, 53 with respect to the centers C1, C2, C3 has been described. For example, the highlight rotation angle may be set to be ½ times the course change angle θ or may be set to be twice.

  Such a display transition has, for example, a uniform shape in the circumferential direction with respect to the frame 35, and therefore a texture for displaying the frame 35 prepared in advance (that is, an object in graphic processing) An image to be pasted to express the texture of the surface.) This can be realized by rotating 61. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the texture for displaying the highlight on the frame is rotated in accordance with the change in the course of the vehicle. For example, the display position of the highlight 51 can be changed by rotating the texture 61 by the highlight rotation angle as shown in FIG. Since the frames 37 and 42 do not have a uniform shape in the circumferential direction, a plurality of types of textures having different display positions of the highlights 52 and 53 with respect to the centers C2 and C3 are prepared (read-only). From the textures stored in the memory 102, a texture for displaying the highlights 52 and 53 at a position corresponding to the highlight rotation angle may be selected and displayed.

  A specific operation of the graphic meter 100 having the above configuration will be described. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a display processing procedure by the control unit. This operation program is stored in the ROM 102 b and is executed by the control unit 101. In the processing procedure described below, the control unit 101 controls the display unit 111 to explain the content of the processing that causes the display unit 111 to change the display content. However, the description is simplified for easy understanding. In order to do so, the control unit 101 may briefly describe that the display content is changed.

  First, the user turns on the ignition switch. The control unit 101 to which the DC voltage (Vcc) is supplied starts displaying various information including the speed information, the supercharging pressure value, and the fuel value in the first display area 31 to the third display area 33. Although the description is omitted below, the various types of information display processing are sequentially performed, and the information is updated in real time.

  In step S11, the control unit 101 receives travel speed information via the interface 104, and grasps the current travel speed of the vehicle.

  In step S12, the control unit 101 receives steering wheel angle information via the interface 104 and grasps the current steering wheel angle.

  In step S <b> 13, the control unit 101 determines a reference between a certain past time point (first time point, for example, 5 seconds before) and the current time point (second time point) based on the steering angle of the vehicle and the traveling speed. A course change angle θ, which is an angle at which the vehicle has changed the course, is calculated. The course change angle θ varies depending on the steering angle and the traveling speed. Even if the traveling speed is constant, the angle θ increases if the steering angle is large. On the other hand, if the steering speed is constant and the traveling speed is high, the course change angle θ increases. In the present embodiment, the control unit 101 calculates the course change angle θ based on the steering angle of the vehicle and the traveling speed, assuming that the vehicle uses the Ackerman steering mechanism. That is, the control unit 101 calculates the course change angle θ using the steering angle of the vehicle and the traveling speed as course information representing the course of the vehicle.

  In step S <b> 14, the control unit 101 calculates a texture rotation angle (highlight rotation angle) for displaying the highlights 51, 52, 53 based on the course change angle θ. In this embodiment, since the course change angle θ is equal to the highlight rotation angle, the control unit 101 sets the course change angle θ calculated in step S13 as the highlight rotation angle.

  In step S15, the control unit 101 executes a drawing process on the graphic display screen 111a. More specifically, the control unit 101 displays the highlight 51 so that the highlight 51 is displayed at a position rotated by θ degrees clockwise with respect to the center C1 for the frame 35 of the speedometer 25. The texture 61 to be rotated is displayed by rotating by θ degrees. Further, the control unit 101 displays the highlights 52 and 53 on the frame body 37 of the boost gauge 29 and the frame body 42 of the fuel gauge 27 at positions where the highlights 52 and 53 are rotated clockwise by θ degrees with respect to the centers C2 and C3. As shown, select the texture and display it.

  In step S16, the control unit 101 identifies whether or not to end the display process. For example, the control unit 101 ends the display process when the ignition switch is turned off. If the display process is not terminated, the control unit 101 executes the process of step S11 again.

  By executing the processing described above, in the graphic meter 100, when the course of the vehicle changes, the highlights 51, 52, and 53 rotate by the highlight rotation angle corresponding to the amount of change in the course to display the display position. Changes.

The operation and effect of the graphic meter 100 described above will be described.
In an actual instrument, the frame of each instrument may be made of metal. The metal frame may be subjected to hairline processing for the purpose of matting and enhancing the metallic texture. Hairline processing is a processing method in which a metal surface is scratched as finely as hair along a single direction. The metal member subjected to the hairline processing causes anisotropic reflection instead of specular reflection. In the case of specular reflection, the shape of the light source is reflected on the metal. In the case of anisotropic reflection, the shape of the light source is reflected on the metal. For this reason, when hairline processing is performed, it becomes difficult for the viewer to identify the position of the light source from the reflected light.

  Therefore, if this anisotropic reflection characteristic is taken into consideration, when it is desired to give a metallic texture to a certain display element in a graphic meter, it is possible to display a highlight that accurately reflects the position of the sun as a light source. It is not always necessary, and if the display position of the highlight is changed when the angle at which sunlight is incident on the graphic meter changes, it is possible to realize a display close to the texture and stereoscopic effect of the actual instrument. Conceivable.

  With respect to the above points, in the graphic meter 100 according to the embodiment, when the course of the vehicle changes, the highlights 51, 52, and 53 on the frames 35, 37, and 42 correspond to the highlight rotation angle corresponding to the change amount of the course. The display position of is rotated. For this reason, according to the graphic meter 100, the frame bodies 35, 37, and 42 can be given a metal-like texture that has been subjected to hairline processing. realizable.

Below, the characteristics of the graphic meter 100 according to the embodiment are briefly summarized and listed.
(1) The graphic meter 100 is mounted on a vehicle. The graphic meter 100 includes an image display type display unit 111 for displaying the vehicle's instruments (speedometer 25, fuel meter 27, boost meter 29), and an acquisition unit for acquiring route information indicating the route of the vehicle. Interface 104), the display unit 111, and a control unit 101 connected to the acquisition unit. And the said control part 101 identifies the change of the course of the said vehicle based on the said course information which the said acquisition part acquired, According to the said identification result, the highlight 51,52,53 in the said meter is displayed on the said display part 111. Change the display position.
(2) In the graphic meter 100, the route information is information including a steering angle of the vehicle.
(3) In the graphic meter 100, the route information is information further including the traveling speed of the vehicle.
(4) In the graphic meter, the control unit 101 calculates a course change angle θ at which the vehicle has changed the course based on the steering angle and the traveling speed of the vehicle, and highlights corresponding to the course change angle θ. The display position of the highlights 51, 52, 53 relative to the reference positions C1, C2, C3 is rotated on the display unit 111 by the rotation angle.

  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 and improvements within the technical scope of the present invention.

  For example, in the above embodiment, the display positions of the highlights 51, 52, and 53 are changed for the frames 35, 37, and 42 that may be formed of metal in the conventional analog meter, thereby realizing a metallic texture. However, the display position of the highlight is not limited to this. For example, the display position may be changed by displaying the highlight on the dial portion located inside the frame. It is also possible to change the display position by displaying a highlight on the pointer.

  Moreover, although the said embodiment demonstrated as identifying the change of the course of a vehicle based on a steering wheel steering angle and a running speed, for example, it identifies based on the positional information on the vehicle specified based on the GPS (Global Positioning System) signal, for example. It does not matter as a structure to do.

  In the above-described embodiment, the highlights 51, 52, and 53 are displayed at the two locations of the frames 35, 37, and 42. However, the number of highlight display locations may be at least one, and the number is not limited.

25 Speedometer (instrument)
27 Fuel gauge (instrument)
29 Boost meter (instrument)
35, 37, 42 Frame 51, 52, 53 Highlight 61 Texture 100 Graphic meter 101 Control unit 102 Read-only memory 103 Interface 104 Interface (acquisition unit)
105 CPU power supply unit 106 Graphic controller 107 Frame memory 108 X driver 109 Y driver 110 LCD power supply unit 111 Display unit

Claims (4)

A graphic meter mounted on a vehicle,
An image display type display unit for displaying the instrument of the vehicle;
An acquisition unit for acquiring route information representing a route of the vehicle;
A control unit connected to the display unit and the acquisition unit;
With
The control unit identifies a change in the course of the vehicle based on the course information acquired by the acquisition unit, and causes the display unit to change a display position of highlight in the instrument according to the identification result.
A graphic meter characterized by that. The route information is information including a steering angle of the vehicle.
The graphic meter according to claim 1. The route information is information further including a traveling speed of the vehicle.
The graphic meter according to claim 2. The control unit calculates a course change angle at which the vehicle has changed the course based on the steering angle and travel speed of the vehicle, and only the highlight rotation angle corresponding to the course change angle is displayed on the display unit. Rotate the display position relative to the highlight reference position,
The graphic meter according to claim 3.