JP2021026093A - Video display apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

To allow an occupant sitting on a rear seat to comfortably enjoy a video without inducing car sickness or the like.SOLUTION: A video display device 2 displays a video such that the video can be visually recognized by an occupant sitting on a rear seat of a vehicle. The video display device 2 includes an aerial image formation unit 21 which displays the video in the air. The aerial image formation unit 21 comprises: a display part 211 which emits and outputs information about the video to be displayed; and an aerial image formation part 212 which forms an image in a prescribed in-vehicle space by reflecting the light emitted by the display part 211. The prescribed in-vehicle space where the video is displayed with the image formation with the light by the aerial image formation part 212 is the space above a front seat 10 in front of the rear seat on which the occupant sits.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to an image display device that visually displays an image by an occupant seated in the rear seat of a vehicle.

Recently, vehicles that can be used by a large number of people, such as SUVs (sport utility vehicles), station wagons, and minivans, are gaining popularity. It is known that these vehicles are equipped with a display for the rear seats in the vehicle so that the occupants seated in the rear seats can enjoy TV programs, video software, and the like (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2010-125945

However, when the display for the rear seat is attached to the ceiling portion in the vehicle as in the vehicle described in Patent Document 1, the front view of other occupants seated in the rear seat is obstructed, and motion sickness is likely to be induced. Further, for example, when the display for the rear seat is attached to the back surface of the driver's seat or the passenger seat on the rear seat side, the distance between the occupant seated in the rear seat and the display is short, and there is a feeling of oppression.

One aspect of the present invention is an image display device that visually displays an image by an occupant seated in the rear seat of a vehicle. The image display device includes an aerial imaging unit that displays an image in the air. The aerial imaging unit includes a display unit that emits and outputs information of an image to be displayed, and an aerial imaging unit that reflects the light emitted by the display unit to form an image in a predetermined vehicle interior space. The predetermined interior space in which the aerial imaging unit forms an image of light and displays an image is a space above the seat in front of the rear seat in which the occupant sits.

According to the present invention, the occupant seated in the rear seat can comfortably enjoy the image without inducing motion sickness or the like.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing a state in which a occupant seated in the rear seat of a vehicle equipped with the image display device according to the embodiment of the present invention visually recognizes an image formed in the air by cutting out a part of the vehicle. FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing a state in which an image is displayed from an image display device provided on a headrest of the front seat of the vehicle shown in FIG. The perspective view which shows typically the main part structure of the image display device which concerns on this embodiment. A side view of the image display device shown in FIG. 3A. The block diagram which shows the main part structure of the image display device shown in FIG. 3A. An explanatory diagram illustrating a state in which an aerial imaging unit of the image display device shown in FIG. 3A displays an image in the air. FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing a state in which a occupant seated in a rear seat of a vehicle equipped with an image display device according to another embodiment of the present invention visually recognizes an image formed in the air by cutting out a part of the vehicle.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. The image display device according to the embodiment of the present invention is configured to display an image in the vehicle interior space above the seat in front of the rear seat in which the occupant sits in a manner that can be visually recognized by the occupant seated in the rear seat. ..

For example, in the case of a vehicle with two rows of seats, the image display device is configured to display images in the seat in front of the rear seat in which the occupant sits, that is, in the vehicle interior space above the driver's seat or the passenger seat. In the case of a vehicle with three rows of seats, the same applies to the occupants seated in the second row seats, and for the occupants seated in the third row seats, the seat in front of the third row seats, that is, It is configured to display an image in the interior space above the second row seats. As described above, the seat in front of the rear seat in which the occupant sits includes the rear seat.

The vehicle on which the video display device according to the present embodiment is mounted is applicable to a two-wheeled vehicle having a tandem seat and a four-wheeled vehicle having a multi-row seat (for example, a second row seat or a third row seat). A four-wheeled vehicle with multiple rows of seats is suitable. As a four-wheeled vehicle having multiple rows of seats, it can be applied to sedans, SUVs (sport utility vehicles), minivans, one-boxes, station wagons, minibuses, etc., but SUVs, minivans, one-boxes, station wagons, etc. Are suitable. Hereinafter, an example in which the video display device according to the present embodiment is mounted on a minivan type vehicle will be described.

FIG. 1 is a state in which a part of the vehicle 1 is cut out so that a occupant seated in the rear seat 11 of the vehicle 1 equipped with the image display device 2 according to the embodiment of the present invention visually recognizes an image formed in the air. It is a schematic diagram which shows. FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing a state in which an image is displayed from an image display device 2 provided on a headrest 103 of the front seat 10 of the vehicle 1 shown in FIG. In the following, for convenience, the front-back direction, the up-down direction, and the left-right direction as shown in the figure are defined, and the configuration of each part will be described according to this definition.

As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 1 according to the present embodiment is a vehicle having two rows of seats having a front seat 10 located in front of the vehicle and a rear seat 11 located behind the front seat 10. The front seat 10 is composed of a driver's seat and a passenger's seat. Note that FIG. 1 shows one front seat 10 (driver's seat or passenger seat) for convenience.

The front seat 10 has a seat surface portion 101, a backrest portion 102 provided at the rear end portion of the seat surface portion 101, and a headrest 103 provided at the upper end portion of the backrest portion 102. The seat surface portion 101 has a front-rear position adjusting function that can slide and move in the front-rear direction and can be fixed at an arbitrary position. The backrest portion 102 has a reclining function capable of fixing the inclination angle with respect to the seat surface portion 101 at an arbitrary angle. The headrest 103 has a vertical position adjusting function that can be moved upward from the upper end portion of the backrest portion 102 and can be fixed at a predetermined position.

As shown in FIG. 2, the headrest 103 includes an image display device 2 that visually displays an image of an occupant seated in the rear seat 11, and a detection sensor that can detect the position of the face of the occupant seated in the rear seat 11. 3 and are provided. The image display device 2 is arranged inside the headrest 103, and the detection sensor 3 is arranged on the surface facing the rear seat 11 of the headrest 103. By disposing the image display device 2 inside the headrest 103, for example, it is possible to prevent the image display device 2 from unnecessarily obstructing the field of view of another occupant seated in the rear seat 11. Further, since the image display device 2 is not exposed in front of the occupant seated in the rear seat 11, the image display device 2 can prevent the occupant from being injured even when a vehicle collides, for example. it can.

An opening 104 is formed at the upper end of the headrest 103 in the direction in which the image display device 2 displays an image. The opening 104 is formed so as to communicate with the image display device 2 arranged inside the headrest 103, and the image display device 2 displays an image in the vehicle interior space above the headrest 103 through the opening 104. The video display device 2 and the detection sensor 3 will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 1, the rear seat 11 is provided at a position separated from the front seat 10 by a predetermined distance. In the present embodiment, the rear seat 11 is formed in a bench seat type so that two occupants can sit side by side in the left-right direction. Specifically, the rear seat 11 is provided on a seat surface portion 111 on which two occupants can sit side by side in the left-right direction, a backrest portion 112 provided at the rear end portion of the seat surface portion 111, and an upper end portion of the backrest portion 112. It has two headrests 113 and 113 provided.

The seat surface portion 111 has a front-rear position adjusting function that can slide and move in the front-rear direction and can be fixed at an arbitrary position. The backrest portion 112 preferably has a reclining function capable of adjusting the inclination angle with respect to the seat surface portion 111. Each headrest 113 is provided at a position corresponding to an occupant seated in the rear seat 11, that is, behind the driver's seat and behind the passenger seat, respectively.

Next, the image display device 2 and the detection sensor 3 arranged on the headrest 103 of the front seat 10 configured as described above will be described with reference to FIGS. 3A to 5 in addition to FIG. FIG. 3A is a perspective view schematically showing a configuration of a main part of the image display device 2 according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 3B is a side view of the image display device 2 shown in FIG. 3A. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a main configuration of the video display device 2 shown in FIG. 3A. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state in which the aerial imaging unit 21 of the image display device 2 shown in FIG. 3A displays an image in the air.

As described above, the image display device 2 is arranged inside the headrest 103 of the front seat 10 (see FIG. 2). As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the image display device 2 includes an aerial imaging unit 21, an actuator 22, and a controller 23. The aerial imaging unit 21 and the actuator 22 are communicably connected to the controller 23 by wire or wirelessly, and the controller 23 is communicably connected to the vehicle-mounted terminal 4 mounted on the vehicle 1 by wire or wirelessly. Note that the controller 23 is not shown in FIGS. 2 to 3B.

As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the aerial imaging unit 21 has a display unit 211 and an aerial imaging unit 212. The display unit 211 emits and outputs an image for display in the vehicle interior space above the headrest 103. For example, the display unit 211 emits and outputs a video of a television program or a video stored in video software. The display unit 211 can be configured by using a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, or the like.

The aerial imaging unit 212 is an aerial imaging means including a so-called optical system that reflects light emitted from the display unit 211 to form a real image A at a predetermined aerial position. The aerial imaging unit 212 according to the present embodiment has a plate shape formed in a rectangular shape, the surface located on the display unit 211 side is the light incident surface 212a, and the surface opposite to the light incident surface 212a. Is the light emitting surface 212b.

As shown in FIG. 5, the aerial imaging unit 212 reflects the light of the image B emitted by the display unit 211 to form an image as a real image A in the air opposite to the display unit 211. In the present embodiment, the aerial imaging unit 212 reflects the light of the image B emitted by the display unit 211 to form an image as a real image A in the vehicle interior space above the headrest 103 (see FIG. 1). For example, the aerial imaging unit 212 forms an image of a still image or moving image output by the display unit 211 as a two-dimensional image in the above-mentioned vehicle interior space. Specifically, the aerial imaging unit 212 images the moving image of the TV program output to the display unit 211 or the moving image stored in the video software as a two-dimensional image in space on the vehicle above the headrest 103. To do.

As the aerial imaging unit 212, a well-known member capable of generating a real image A in the air can be used. As the aerial imaging unit 212, for example, an optical system disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 473465, an optical control panel disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 4865088, and the like can be used.

As shown in FIG. 3B, the display unit 211 and the aerial imaging unit 212 are connected so that the relative angle θ formed by the display unit 211 and the aerial imaging unit 212 can be changed. In the present embodiment, the display unit 211 and the aerial imaging unit 212 are connected by a connecting member 213 having an angle adjusting mechanism (not shown) capable of changing the relative angle of the aerial imaging unit 212 with respect to the display unit 211. .. The connecting member 213 connects the display unit 211 and the aerial imaging unit 212 on both sides in the left-right direction.

In the aerial imaging unit 21, the real image A is imaged in the air opposite to the display unit 211, with the central surface located at the center in the thickness direction of the aerial imaging unit 212 as plane symmetry. Therefore, the position where the real image A is formed can be changed by changing the relative angle θ formed by the display unit 211 and the aerial imaging unit 212 by using the angle adjusting mechanism of the connecting member 213. It is composed.

The actuator 22 constitutes a position adjusting mechanism capable of adjusting the fixed position of the aerial imaging unit 21 in the headrest 103. The actuator 22 moves the first actuator 221 that can move the aerial imaging unit 21 in the vertical direction, the second actuator 222 that can move the aerial imaging unit 21 in the horizontal direction, and the aerial imaging unit 21 in the front-rear direction. It has a possible third actuator 223. Each actuator 221 to 223 can be configured by using, for example, a ball screw, a rack and pinion, various cylinders, and the like.

By providing the first actuator 221, the aerial imaging unit 21 can be adjusted to an appropriate position in the vertical direction. For example, the real image A is formed at an appropriate position with respect to the occupant regardless of the sitting height of the occupant seated in the rear seat 11. It can be imaged. Further, for example, the same applies when the occupant seated in the front seat 10 adjusts the height of the headrest 103.

By providing the second actuator 222, the aerial imaging unit 21 can be adjusted to an arbitrary position in the left-right direction, and for example, the field of view in front of other occupants sitting side by side in the rear seat 11 may be obstructed by the image. Can be prevented. By providing the third actuator 223, the aerial imaging unit 21 can be adjusted to an appropriate position in the front-rear direction. For example, even when the occupant seated in the front seat 10 adjusts the seat surface portion 101 in the front-rear direction. The real image A can be formed at an appropriate position for the occupant seated in the rear seat 11.

Further, the actuator 22 is configured so that the position of the aerial imaging unit 21 can be changed based on the position of the face of the occupant seated on the rear seat 11 detected by the detection sensor 3. For example, when the detection sensor 3 detects that the face of the occupant seated on the rear seat 11 is on the right side of the reference position, the actuator 22 moves the aerial imaging unit 21 to the right according to the detected position of the occupant's face. Let me. Further, for example, when the detection sensor 3 detects that the face of the occupant seated on the rear seat 11 is above the reference position, the aerial imaging unit 21 is moved upward so as to correspond to the detected position of the occupant's face. Let me.

Further, the actuator 22 so that when the occupant is seated on the front seat 10, the real image A is formed in the upper space of the occupant's crown or the top of the front seat 10, whichever is higher. The position of the aerial imaging unit 21 is moved upward. With this configuration, for example, it is possible to prevent the real image A seen by the occupant seated in the rear seat 11 from overlapping the head of the occupant seated in the front seat 10 or the headrest 103 of the front seat 10. The occupant seated in the rear seat 11 can comfortably see the imaged real image A.

For example, when viewed from the occupant seated in the rear seat 11, the head of the occupant seated in the front seat 10 or the headrest 103 of the front seat 10 overlaps a part or all of the real image A, that is, behind the real image A ( When the head or headrest 103 is located in front of the vehicle 1), it becomes difficult to see the real image A due to the influence of the head or headrest 103. By avoiding this, for example, the real image A can be seen relatively clearly. ..

As shown in FIG. 4, the controller 23 includes a computer having a CPU, ROM, RAM, and other peripheral circuits. The controller 23 has a communication unit 231, an input / output unit 232, a storage unit 233, and a calculation unit 234 as a functional configuration.

The communication unit 231 is configured to be able to communicate with the aerial imaging unit 21, the actuator 22, and the in-vehicle terminal 4. The in-vehicle terminal 4 has, for example, a navigation function, a reception function capable of receiving TV broadcasts and radio broadcasts, a playback function for reproducing video software, and the like, and the video display device 2 can receive these via the communication unit 231. It is composed.

The input / output unit 232 includes various switches, buttons, microphones, speakers, an operation monitor, and the like that can be operated by an occupant seated in the rear seat 11. When operating the aerial imaging unit 21, it can be operated via the input / output unit 232.

Various programs and various data executed by the calculation unit 234 are stored in the storage unit 233. For example, the storage unit 233 stores a video signal corresponding to the video of the display unit 211 of the aerial imaging unit 21. For example, a video signal of a television broadcast or video software received via the communication unit 231 is temporarily stored.

The calculation unit 234 is a signal input via the input / output unit 232, a signal detected by the detection sensor 3, a signal received from the outside of the video display device 2 (for example, an in-vehicle terminal 4) via the communication unit 231 and a storage unit. A predetermined process is executed based on the program and data stored in the 233, and a control signal is output to each of the communication unit 231, the input / output unit 232, the storage unit 233, and the aerial imaging unit 21. By this processing in the calculation unit 234, the real image A can be formed in the vehicle interior space above the front seat 10. Further, based on the position of the occupant's face seated on the rear seat 11 detected by the detection sensor 3, the presence or absence of the occupant seated on the front seat 10 detected by the in-vehicle camera 41 connected to the in-vehicle terminal 4, and the like. The actuator 22 can be driven.

The detection sensor 3 is connected to the controller 23 by wire or wirelessly so as to be able to communicate with each other, and detects the position of the occupant's face by photographing the occupant seated in the rear seat 11. The detection sensor 3 is composed of a camera having an image pickup element such as a CCD or CMOS. The calculation unit 234 drives and controls the actuator 22 based on the position of the occupant's face detected by the detection sensor 3 to set the imaging position of the real image A to an appropriate position.

An in-vehicle camera 41 is connected to the in-vehicle terminal 4 connected to the controller 23, and the in-vehicle camera 41 is arranged so as to be able to image an occupant seated in the front seat 10. For example, the vehicle-mounted camera 41 is attached to the front window located in front of the front seat 10 so as to face the occupant. The calculation unit 234 drives and controls the actuator 22 based on the captured image captured by the vehicle-mounted camera 41 to set the imaging position of the real image A to an appropriate position. For example, in the arithmetic unit 234, when the occupant is seated in the front seat 10, the real image A is imaged above the crown of the occupant seated in the front seat 10 or the top of the headrest, whichever is higher. The actuator 22 is driven and controlled so as to be so.

According to the image display device 2 according to the present embodiment configured as described above, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) An image display device 2 that visually displays an image by an occupant seated in the rear seat 11 of the vehicle 1. The image display device 2 includes an aerial imaging unit 21 for displaying an image in the air. The aerial imaging unit 21 includes a display unit 211 that emits and outputs information of an image to be displayed, and an aerial imaging unit 212 that reflects the light emitted by the display unit 211 to form an image in a predetermined vehicle interior space. Have. The predetermined interior space in which the aerial imaging unit 212 forms an image of light and displays an image is a space above the seat in front of the rear seat 11 in which the occupant sits.

For example, if a display for the rear seats is attached to the ceiling in the vehicle, the front view of other occupants seated in the rear seats is obstructed, which tends to induce motion sickness. If the display for the rear seats is attached to the back of the driver's seat or the passenger seat on the rear seat side, the distance between the occupant seated in the rear seats and the display is short, and there is a feeling of oppression. However, by using this configuration, the occupant seated in the rear seat can comfortably enjoy the image without inducing motion sickness or the like.

Further, since the image is displayed in the space inside the vehicle and visually recognized, for example, an image display device can be embedded. Therefore, for example, even when a vehicle collides with the vehicle, the image display device can prevent the occupant from being injured.

(2) When another occupant is seated in the seat in front of the rear seat 11, for example, the front seat 10, the predetermined interior space is the crown of the other occupant seated in the seat and the top of the seat. It is the space above whichever is higher. As a result, the occupant seated in the rear seat 11 can comfortably see the imaged real image A. For example, when the head of the occupant seated in the front seat 10 or the headrest 103 of the front seat 10 and a part or all of the real image A overlap with each other when viewed from the occupant seated in the rear seat 11, the head or headrest 103 The real image A becomes difficult to see due to the influence of the above, but by avoiding this, the real image A can be seen relatively clearly.

(3) An actuator 22 capable of adjusting a fixed position in which the aerial imaging unit 21 is fixed in the vehicle is further provided. The actuator 22 adjusts the fixed position of the aerial imaging unit 21 based on the position of the face detected by the detection sensor 3 that can detect the position of the face of the occupant seated in the rear seat 11. As a result, the occupant seated in the rear seat 11 can see the real image A formed at an appropriate position. As a result, the occupant can comfortably watch the image.

(4) The aerial imaging unit 21 is arranged inside the seat so that an image can be displayed in the space above the seat in front of the rear seat 11. Thereby, for example, it is possible to prevent the field of view of another occupant seated in the rear seat 11 from being unnecessarily obstructed by the image display device. Further, for example, since the image display device 2 is not exposed in front of the occupant seated in the rear seat 11, the image display device 2 prevents the occupant from being injured even when the vehicle collides, for example. be able to.

In the above embodiment, the image display device 2 is provided on the headrest 103 of the front seat 10 of the vehicle 1, but an image display device may be provided in addition to the headrest 103. For example, the image display device 2 may be provided on the ceiling portion 12 of the vehicle 1.

FIG. 6 shows a part of the vehicle 1A in which a occupant seated in the rear seat 11 of the vehicle 1A equipped with the image display device 2A according to another embodiment of the present invention visually recognizes an image formed in the air. It is a schematic diagram which shows by notching. Note that FIG. 6 is a modification of FIG. 1, and the same parts as those in FIG. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals. Further, the image display device 2 shown in FIG. 1 and the image display device 2A shown in FIG. 6 have the same configuration except that they are attached in different places.

As shown in FIG. 6, the image display device 2A may be provided on the ceiling portion 12 of the vehicle 1A, and the real image A may be formed from the ceiling portion 12 in the vehicle interior space above the front seat 10. By providing the image display device 2A on the ceiling portion 12, for example, it is not necessary to provide the image display device in the headrest 103 of the front seat 10, and sufficient flexibility of the headrest 103 can be ensured. Further, unlike the front seat 10, the ceiling portion 12 does not move relative to the vehicle 1, so that it can be expected to be advantageous for mounting.

In the above embodiment, the image display device 2 is configured to include the aerial imaging unit 21, the actuator 22, and the controller 23, but the image display device 2 may be configured to include the aerial imaging unit 21 and the controller 23. Further, the controller may be mounted on the vehicle-mounted terminal 4, that is, the aerial imaging unit may be operated by the vehicle-mounted terminal. Further, the image display device may be configured to include a detection sensor.

In the above embodiment, the front seat 10 having the seat surface portion 101, the backrest portion 102, and the headrest 103 has been described, but the front seat may have a configuration in which the backrest portion and the headrest are integrated. In that case, a video display device or a detection sensor may be provided in a portion corresponding to the headrest of the backrest portion.

The above description is merely an example, and the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modifications as long as the features of the present invention are not impaired. For example, the above embodiment and the modified example can be arbitrarily combined.

1 Vehicle, 2 Video display device, 3 Detection sensor, 10 Front seat, 11 Rear seat, 21 Aerial imaging unit, 22 Actuator, 23 Controller, 103 Headrest, 211 Display unit, 212 Aerial imaging unit

Claims (5)

An image display device that displays images so that the occupants sitting in the back seats of the vehicle can see them.
It is equipped with an aerial imaging unit that displays the image in the air.
The aerial imaging unit includes a display unit that emits and outputs information of an image to be displayed, and an aerial imaging unit that reflects the light emitted by the display unit to form an image in a predetermined vehicle interior space. ,
An image display device characterized in that the predetermined vehicle interior space in which the aerial imaging unit forms an image of light to display an image is a space above a seat in front of the rear seat in which an occupant sits. In the video display device according to claim 1,
When another occupant is seated in the seat in front of the rear seat, the predetermined interior space is above the crown of the other occupant seated in the seat or the top of the seat, whichever is higher. An image display device characterized by being a space of. In the video display device according to claim 1 or 2.
Further provided with a position adjusting mechanism capable of adjusting a fixed position in which the aerial imaging unit is fixed in the vehicle,
The position adjusting mechanism is characterized in that the fixed position of the aerial imaging unit is adjusted based on the position of the face detected by the detection sensor capable of detecting the position of the face of the occupant seated in the rear seat. Video display device. In the video display device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The aerial imaging unit is an image display device provided in the seat so as to be able to display an image in a space above the seat in front of the rear seat. In the video display device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The aerial imaging unit is an image display device provided on the ceiling so that an image can be displayed from the ceiling in the vehicle to the space above the seat in front of the rear seat.

Images