JP4900824B2 - Input display device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an input display device, and more particularly, to an input display device that displays information about a device mounted on a vehicle and receives an input for performing an operation on the device.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, general automobiles include an input display device that includes a display unit for displaying various information related to an in-vehicle device such as an air conditioner and an audio, and an input unit for a user to input to operate the in-vehicle device. Is attached to the center cluster panel.

  As such an input display device, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a multi-function switch device including a multi-display switch. The multi-function switch device includes a request key, a switch function display unit, and a clear key. A plurality of clear keys are arranged on the upper surface side of the switch function display unit, and the user can see information displayed on the switch function display unit through the clear key.

In the multi-function switch device, when the user operates the request key to select a device to be operated such as an air conditioner or audio, switch information indicating the switch function of the selected device is displayed under the clear key. The user can confirm the switch function assigned to each clear key from the switch information displayed through each clear key. When the user presses the clear key, the switch function assigned to the pressed clear key operates. In this way, using the multi-function switch device, the user can select a device with the request key and operate the device with the clear key to which the switch function is assigned. In addition, each clear key is assigned to a function with a high priority (usage frequency) of each device when no device is selected by the request key.
JP 2001-14088 A

  In a general input display device, it is desirable that information is displayed large in order to improve the visibility of the user. However, the multifunction switch device disclosed in Patent Document 1 cannot display device information in the area where the clear key is arranged. Therefore, the multifunction switch device disclosed in Patent Document 1 cannot effectively use an area that can be used to display various information.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object of the present invention is to provide an input display device that can obtain high visibility by displaying large information on connected devices.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present application employs the following configuration. That is, the first invention is an input display device including a display device that displays information on a plurality of devices mounted on a vehicle on a screen, and an input device for performing operations on the devices. The input display device includes first display control means, detection means, identification means, second display control means, and operation instruction means. The first display control means displays the device state image representing the state of the device by dividing the screen region of the display device into device regions for a plurality of devices. The detecting means detects that the user's hand has approached or touched any of the device areas. The specifying unit specifies, as an operation target device, a device corresponding to the device region in which it is detected that the detection unit has approached or contacted. The second display control unit displays a device state image by reducing a region for displaying the device state image when an approach or contact is detected by the detection unit, and a screen generated by reducing the region An instruction image representing an instruction for the operation target device is displayed in the area. The operation instruction means performs an operation represented by the instruction image on the device when an input designating the instruction image is performed on the input device.

  In the second invention, the detection means may repeatedly detect that the user's hand has approached any of the device areas. At this time, the first display control means erases the instruction image on the condition that the detection means shifts from the state where the user's hand has approached one of the device areas to the state where the user's hand is no longer detected. Only the device status image is displayed in the predetermined area.

  In the third invention, the detection means may repeatedly detect that the user's hand has approached any of the device areas. At this time, when the instruction image of the operation target device is displayed, the specifying unit sets the region in which the instruction image and the device state image are displayed for the operation target device, and the device state for the other devices. A new operation target device is specified using the region where the image is displayed as the device region.

  In the fourth invention, the specifying unit may further specify a device state image detected by the detecting unit as approaching or contacting among the device state images. At this time, the second display control unit displays the device state image by reducing the area for displaying the device state image, and changes the state represented by the device state image specified by the specifying unit. Only the instruction image representing the instruction is displayed as the instruction image.

  In 5th invention, a detection means may detect using a touch panel provided on a screen that a user's hand contacted either of the apparatus area | regions.

  In a sixth aspect, the input device may be a touch panel provided on the screen. At this time, when an input to the touch panel is performed within the display area of the instruction image, the operation instruction unit performs an instruction represented by the instruction image to the device.

  In the seventh invention, the input device may be one or more switches provided in the vicinity of the screen. At this time, the second display control means displays an instruction image representing an instruction associated with the switch. When the switch is pressed, the operation instruction means gives an instruction associated with the switch to the device.

  According to the first aspect, since the device state image is displayed when the user's hand is not approaching or touching the screen (device region), the state of each device can be displayed in an easy-to-see manner. On the other hand, when the user's hand approaches or touches the screen (device area), the area for displaying the device state image is reduced, and the instruction image is displayed in the screen area generated by reducing the area. Therefore, the user can perform an operation on a desired device. According to the above, when the user does not perform an operation, that is, when the user's hand is not approaching or touching the screen, the information regarding the state of the device can be displayed largely, and input with high visibility can be obtained. A display device can be provided.

  According to the second aspect, when the user's hand leaves the screen, the instruction image is automatically deleted. Therefore, in a situation where it is determined that the user does not give an instruction, it is possible to automatically return to a state in which information regarding the state of the device is displayed largely without requiring the user to perform a special operation.

  According to the third aspect, the device area is changed according to the arrangement of the device state image and the instruction image. Since the specifying unit specifies the operation target device based on the changed device region, it is possible to prevent an instruction image not intended by the user from being displayed as a result of specifying the operation target device not intended by the user. be able to.

  According to the fourth invention, the device state image to be operated by the user is specified, and only the instruction image corresponding to the device state image is displayed. According to this, the user can easily find a desired instruction image and can prevent an erroneous input by the user.

  According to the fifth aspect, by using the touch panel, it is possible to easily detect that the user's hand has touched the device area.

  According to the sixth aspect, the user can easily perform an input for designating the instruction image displayed on the screen using the touch panel.

  According to the seventh aspect, the user can easily perform an input for designating the instruction image displayed on the screen using the switch.

  Hereinafter, an input display device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an appearance of a vehicle in which an input display device 1 according to the present embodiment is mounted in a vehicle interior. In the present embodiment, a case will be described in which the input display device 1 is mounted on a vehicle as shown in FIG. 1 and is used as a device for operating in-vehicle devices such as an air conditioner and an audio.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the input display device 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the input display device 1 includes a control unit 11, a touch panel 12, a display device 13, and a camera 14. The control unit 11 is connected to the touch panel 12, the display device 13, and the camera 14. Moreover, the control part 11 is connected with the timepiece 9a which is vehicle equipment, the audio 9b, and the air conditioner 9c. Hereinafter, the clock 9a, the audio 9b, and the air conditioner 9c may be collectively referred to as the in-vehicle device 9. Hereinafter, each component will be described with reference to FIG.

  The control unit 11 is typically a control device having storage means such as a memory and information processing means such as a CPU. The control unit 11 is connected to the in-vehicle device 9 and displays a device state image of the in-vehicle device 9 on the display device 13. The device state image is an image representing the state of the in-vehicle device. The state of the in-vehicle device is, for example, a set temperature, an air volume, a wind direction, and the like if the in-vehicle device is an air conditioner, and a volume and a radio music selection channel if the in-vehicle device is audio. In addition, the control unit 11 instructs the operations of the in-vehicle device 9 and the display device 13 in accordance with inputs from the camera 14 and the touch panel 12. The detailed operation of the control unit 11 will be described later.

  The display device 13 is typically a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display. As shown in FIG. 1, the display device 13 is disposed on a center cluster panel in the vehicle interior. The display device 13 displays the device state image of the in-vehicle device 9 based on an instruction from the control unit 11. The content displayed on the display device 13 changes in accordance with an instruction from the control unit 11, and details will be described later.

  The touch panel 12 is an example of the input device described in the claims, and the user performs an input operation on the input display device 1 by touching the input surface of the touch panel 12 with a fingertip. The touch panel 12 detects position information touched by the user and inputs the position information to the control unit 11. As the touch panel 12, various types of touch panels such as an electrostatic type, a pressure-sensitive type, and an infrared sensing type can be used. As shown in FIG. 1, the touch panel 12 is disposed on the display screen of the display device 13. Thus, in this embodiment, since the touch panel 12 and the display apparatus 13 are arrange | positioned in the center cluster panel in a vehicle interior, both the user boarding a driver's seat and the user boarding a passenger seat operate the input display apparatus 1. FIG. easy. In other embodiments, the arrangement location of the touch panel 12 and the display device 13 is not limited to this, and may be arranged anywhere in the vehicle interior.

  The camera 14 is an example of the detection means described in the claims, and is typically an imaging device such as a small CCD camera or a CMOS camera. As shown in FIG. 1, the camera 14 is arranged at a position where the screen of the display device 13 can be photographed. Specifically, the camera 14 is disposed on the ceiling of a vehicle on which the input display device 1 is mounted. The camera 14 captures the entire display screen of the display device 13 and the surrounding image, and inputs the captured image to the control unit 11. Hereinafter, an image photographed by the camera 14 is referred to as a camera image.

  In the present embodiment, an example will be described in which three types of in-vehicle devices 9 including a clock 9a, an audio 9b, and an air conditioner 9c are connected to the input display device 1 to enable information display and operation of each device. Any type of in-vehicle device connected to the input display device 1 may be used. The number of in-vehicle devices connected to the input display device 1 may be any number as long as it is 1 or more.

  Next, the operation of the input display device 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing details of processing executed by the control unit 11 of the input display device 1. Hereinafter, the operation of the control unit 11 will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. It is assumed that the input display device 1 is turned on when the ignition switch of the vehicle equipped with the input display device 1 is turned on, and the processing shown in FIG. 3 is started when the input display device 1 is turned on.

  In step S100, the control unit 11 operates the in-vehicle device 9 with the operation setting stored in advance. For example, when the ignition switch is turned off for parking and the ignition switch is turned on again, if the operation setting of the in-vehicle device 9 is initialized, the user must set the operation of the in-vehicle device 9 again. It is inconvenient. Therefore, the control unit 11 saves the setting information of the in-vehicle device 9 when the ignition switch is turned off (step S120 described later), and when the ignition switch is turned on, the processing of this step is performed in advance. The stored setting is read and the in-vehicle device 9 is operated. With this process, the user does not have to input the operation setting of the in-vehicle device 9 every time the ignition switch is turned on. When the process of step S100 is completed, the control unit 11 advances the process to step S102.

  In step S102, the control unit 11 instructs the display device 13 to display a standard screen. The standard screen is a screen in a state in which an instruction image described later is not displayed and only a device state image is displayed. Hereinafter, the standard screen displayed on the display device 13 by the process of step S102 will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a standard screen displayed on the display device 13. As shown in FIG. 4, on the standard screen, the device state image is displayed for each device in each display area (device region) divided for each on-vehicle device. In FIG. 4, the display area of the display device 13 is divided into a first equipment area Aw corresponding to the clock 9a, a second equipment area Ar corresponding to the audio 9b, and a third equipment area Aa corresponding to the air conditioner 9c. . The device status image of the clock 9a is displayed in the first device area Aw, the device status image of the audio 9b is displayed in the second device area Ar, and the device status image of the air conditioner 9c is displayed in the third device area Aa. In the first device area Aw, an image indicating the time is displayed as the device state image of the clock 9a. In the second device area Ar, an image indicating the function (FM radio, AM radio, CD, etc.) in operation, channel selection channel, and frequency is displayed as the device status image of the audio 9b. FIG. 4 shows a device state image displayed when the FM radio reception function, which is one function of the audio 9b, is operating. For example, when the CD playback function is operating as a function of the audio 9b, an image showing information such as a song title and a song number is displayed instead of an image showing a channel selection channel and frequency. In the third device area Aa, an image indicating the air volume, the wind direction, the set temperature, and the inside / outside air control state is displayed as the device state image of the air conditioner 9c. The device status image displayed on the display device 13 is not limited to the above. For example, an image indicating information such as date and day of the week may be displayed in the first device area Aw, or in the second device area Ar. May display an image showing the volume. In the present embodiment, the device state image is displayed on the entire screen area of the display device 13.

  Returning to the description of FIG. 3, when the process of step S <b> 102 is completed, the control unit 11 advances the process to step S <b> 104. In step S104, the control unit 11 determines whether or not the ignition switch is turned on. This process is a process for ending the operation of the input display device 1 when the ignition switch is turned off. When the control unit 11 determines that the ignition switch is on, the control unit 11 advances the process to step S106. On the other hand, when the control unit 11 determines that the ignition switch is not turned on, the process proceeds to step S120.

  In step S <b> 106, the control unit 11 determines whether the user's hand is reflected in the camera image input from the camera 14. This determination is performed by performing image recognition processing on the camera image and recognizing the user's hand from the camera image. Specifically, the control unit 11 searches the camera image for a portion that matches the image of the user's hand registered in advance. As a result of the search, if a portion matching the pre-registered image is found, it is determined that the user's hand is reflected in the camera image. In this case, the control unit 11 advances the process to step S108. In this case, the control unit 11 calculates the position of the user's predetermined finger (for example, index finger) in the camera image. This position can be obtained by determining a position of a predetermined finger as a reference position in a previously registered image and calculating a position corresponding to the reference position in the matching portion. Hereinafter, the position of the predetermined finger of the user in the camera image calculated as described above is referred to as “instructed position”. On the other hand, as a result of the search, if a portion matching the image registered in advance is not found, it is determined that the user's hand is not shown in the camera image. In this case, the control unit 11 determines that the user's hand is not approaching the display screen, and advances the process to step S122.

  It should be noted that images of a plurality of patterns (for example, a hand-shaped pattern in which only the index finger is extended or a hand-shaped pattern in which all fingers are extended) are registered in the control unit 11 in advance. You may make it leave. And if said search process is performed about each image in said step S106, even if the shape of the hand at the time of a user performing input operation is various, the control part 11 can recognize a user's hand. .

  In step S108, the control unit 11 determines whether the user's hand is approaching the display screen. Specifically, the control unit 11 determines whether or not the indicated position is included in the range of the display screen in the camera image. Note that the range of the display screen in the camera image can be obtained in advance when the camera 14 is fixed. In addition, the range can be obtained by processing such as pattern matching when the control unit 11 stores an image of the display screen in advance. If the indicated position is included in the display screen in the camera image, the control unit 11 determines that the user's hand is approaching the display screen, and advances the process to step S110. On the other hand, when the designated position is not included in the range of the display screen in the camera image, the control unit 11 determines that the user's hand is not approaching the display screen, and advances the process to step S122. When the entire display screen is displayed on the entire surface of the camera image, if the user's hand is reflected in the camera image in step S106, the indicated position is always included in the range of the display screen. This processing is not necessary.

  The control unit 11 can determine whether or not the user's fingertip is approaching the display screen through the processing of Steps S106 to S108. In other embodiments, for the purpose of more accurately recognizing the user's hand, the input display device 1 includes a plurality of cameras 14 and approaches the user's hand using a plurality of camera images at different viewpoints. May be determined. In another embodiment, the approach of the user's hand may be detected using, for example, an infrared sensor device instead of the camera 14. Specifically, an infrared sensor device is provided so as to receive and receive infrared rays in a direction substantially parallel to the display screen at a certain distance from the display screen. According to this, since the infrared ray is blocked when the user's hand approaches, the infrared sensor device can detect that the user's hand is approaching the display screen. Furthermore, if a plurality of infrared sensor devices are arranged so that infrared rays are emitted in a matrix form above the display screen, it is possible to obtain a position (corresponding to the indicated position) where the user's hand approaches on the display screen. It is. Various devices such as an optical position sensor, an ultrasonic distance meter, and a capacitance displacement meter may be used instead of the camera and the infrared sensor device.

  In step S <b> 110, the control unit 11 identifies a device (operation target device) to be operated by the user among the in-vehicle devices 9. Here, it is determined that the in-vehicle device corresponding to the device region where the user's hand is approaching is the device that the user is trying to operate. That is, in step S110, it is specified which in-vehicle device device area the user's hand is approaching among the device state images included in the standard screen. More specifically, the control unit 11 specifies in each of the device areas Aw, Ar, and Aa in the display area of the display device 13 in the camera image. The range of each region in the camera image can be obtained in advance when the camera 14 is fixed. Further, since the position and range of each area in the display area are known, the range of each area in the camera image can also be obtained from the range of the display screen (display area) in the camera image. Specifically, when the designated position is included in, for example, the third device area Aa in the camera image, the control unit 11 determines that the user's hand is approaching the device state image of the air conditioner, and the operation by the user Determine the target equipment to be an air conditioner. When the process of step S110 is completed, the control unit 11 advances the process to step S112.

  In step S112, the control unit 11 instructs the display device 13 to display the operation screen. The operation screen is a screen in a state where an instruction image representing an operation instruction for the device is displayed in addition to the device state image included in the standard screen. Hereinafter, the operation screen displayed on the display device 13 by the process of step S112 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  5 and 6 are diagrams illustrating an example of a screen on which an operation screen is displayed. FIG. 5 shows an operation screen displayed when the operation target device is an air conditioner, and FIG. 6 shows an operation screen displayed when the operation target device is audio. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, all the device state images displayed on the standard screen are displayed on the operation screen. However, the area for displaying each device state image is reduced. In addition, the instruction image is displayed in an area 131 generated by reducing the area in which each device state image is displayed. Here, the displayed instruction image is an instruction image representing an instruction for the operation target device specified in step S110.

  Specifically, when the operation target device is determined to be, for example, the air conditioner 9c in step S110, an instruction image of the air conditioner 9c is displayed in the region 131 as shown in FIG. In FIG. 5, as an instruction image of the air conditioner 9 c, an image (button) for performing an operation for changing the air volume, the wind direction, the set temperature, and the inside / outside air control state is displayed in the area 131. In step S110, when the operation target device is determined to be, for example, the audio 9b, an instruction image of the audio 9b is displayed in the area 131 as illustrated in FIG. In FIG. 6, an image (button) for performing an operation of changing the function in operation, the channel selection channel, and the frequency state is displayed in the area 131 as the instruction image of the audio 9 b.

  In the present embodiment, device status images are displayed for three types of in-vehicle devices, and the device regions Aw, Ar, and Aa are set for each in-vehicle device on the standard screen. On the operation screen displayed in step S112, for the in-vehicle device determined as the operation target device in step S110, the device area is enlarged, and the device state image and the instruction image are displayed in the device region. On the other hand, for other in-vehicle devices (in-vehicle devices that are not operation target devices), the device area is reduced. For example, in FIG. 5, the first device area Aw for the clock 9a and the second device area Ar for the audio 9b are each reduced. Accordingly, the device state images displayed in the device regions Aw and Ar are also reduced and displayed. On the other hand, the third device area Aa for the air conditioner 9c is enlarged, and a device state image and an instruction image are displayed. Further, for example, in FIG. 6, the first device area Aw for the clock 9a and the third device area Aa for the air conditioner 9c are reduced. Accordingly, the device state images displayed in the device regions Aw and Aa are also displayed in a reduced size. On the other hand, the second device area Ar for the audio 9b is enlarged, and a device state image and an instruction image are displayed.

In the state where the operation screen is displayed, the determination in step S108 is made based on the device areas Aw, Ar, and Aa on the operation screen. That is, in the state where the operation screen is displayed, in step S108 described above, the region where the instruction image and the device state image are displayed is set as the device region for the operation target device, and the device state image is displayed for the other in-vehicle devices. A new operation target device is determined with the area being used as the device region. As described above, in the present embodiment, the device area is set according to the area in which the device state image and the instruction image are displayed on the operation screen. Here, if the same device area as that of the standard screen remains set on the operation screen, there is a problem that the operation screen is switched against the user's intention. For example, if the device areas Aw, Ar, and Aa shown in FIG. 4 are set on the operation screen shown in FIG. 6, the screen is switched when the user tries to touch the instruction image. Specifically, if the user tries to touch the instruction image indicated as “Ch3”, the user's fingertip (instruction position) enters the third device area Aa, and the air conditioner is contrary to the user's intention. The screen is switched to the operation screen 9c (FIG. 5). On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the above problem can be prevented by setting the area where the instruction image is displayed on the operation screen to the apparatus area of the apparatus corresponding to the instruction image.

  It is assumed that the device area corresponding to the operation target device that is enlarged in step S112 is enlarged so that the area before enlargement is included in the area after enlargement. According to this, for example, when the screen display is switched from the standard screen to the operation screen of the air conditioner (or the operation screen for a device other than the air conditioner is switched to the operation screen for the air conditioner), The position (instructed position) does not go out of the third device area Aa. That is, the operation screen of the air conditioner does not switch to another screen. Therefore, at the moment when the operation screen is switched, the display image is further switched to the operation screen for another device, so that it is possible to prevent the operation screen intended by the user from being displayed.

  Further, when the screen is switched, the position of each device area may be moved. For example, in FIG. 5, the positions of the first device area Aw and the second device area Ar are both moved upward in the screen, and the area vacated by the movement is the area of the third device area Aa. On the other hand, in FIG. 6, the first device area Aw is moved upward in the screen, the position of the third device area Aa is moved downward in the screen, and the area vacated by the movement is the area of the second device area Ar. As described above, a region vacated by moving the position of each device region can be used as the device region of the in-vehicle device that is the operation target.

  In step S112, the device state image and / or the instruction image of the operation target device may be enlarged and displayed on the screen of the display device 13. Furthermore, the display method of the device status image and / or the instruction image of the operation target device may be changed. With these processes, the user can easily identify the information about the operation target device and the information about the device that is not the operation target.

  As described above, the device state image and the instruction image of the in-vehicle device 9 that is the user's operation target are displayed largely on the display device 13 by the process of step S112. By displaying the instruction image in a large size, not only does the user easily see the instruction image, but the user is less likely to make an erroneous input such as pressing another adjacent instruction image by mistake.

  Through the processing in steps S106 to S112, the user can switch the screen displayed on the display device 13 from the standard screen to the operation screen of the desired in-vehicle device 9 by bringing his hand close to the display device 13.

  Returning to the description of FIG. 3, in step S <b> 114, the control unit 11 determines whether or not there is an input from the user for any of the instruction images displayed on the display device 13. If the control unit 11 determines that any of the instruction images has been input, the control unit 11 advances the processing to step S116. On the other hand, if it is determined that there is no input in any of the instruction images, the process returns to step S104.

  In step S116, the control unit 11 instructs the operation target device to perform an operation corresponding to the operation represented by the input instruction image. When the process of step S116 is completed, the control unit 11 advances the process to step S118.

  In step S118, the control unit 11 instructs the display device 13 to update the contents of the device state image in response to a user input to the instruction image. For example, when the user changes the temperature setting of the air conditioner 9c, the instruction image indicating the temperature is updated. When the process of step S118 is completed, the control unit 11 returns the process to step S104.

  Through the processes in steps S114 to S118 described above, the user can cause the operation target device to perform a desired operation by performing touch input on the instruction image displayed on the operation screen.

  In step S120, the control unit 11 stores the setting information of the in-vehicle device 9. The stored setting information is read out in the process of step S100 described above. Since the ignition switch of the vehicle is turned off while the control unit 11 performs this process, the input display device 1 is preferably driven by a reserve power source of the mounted vehicle. Note that when each in-vehicle device 9 includes a storage device and each in-vehicle device 9 stores the setting, the control unit 11 does not need to store the setting information, and thus the process of step S120 is not necessary. The control part 11 will complete | finish the process shown in FIG. 3, if step S120 is completed.

  In step S <b> 122, the control unit 11 determines whether an operation screen is displayed on the display device 13. When the operation screen is displayed on the display device 13, the control unit 11 advances the process to step S124. On the other hand, when the operation screen is not displayed on the display device 13, the control unit 11 returns the process to step S102.

  In step S124, the control unit 11 instructs the display device 13 to display the standard screen. When the process of step S124 is completed, the control unit 11 returns the process to step S102.

  According to the processing in steps S106, S108, S122 and step S124 described above, when the user's hand leaves the display screen, the screen displayed on the display device 13 is changed from the operation screen to the standard screen. That is, the user can switch to the standard screen where the information on the state of the in-vehicle device is easy to see by simply releasing the hand from the display screen, and the operation is simple.

  As described above, according to the input display device 1 according to the present embodiment, since the instruction image is not displayed on the standard screen, the information indicating the state of the in-vehicle device is displayed correspondingly, and the user can easily check the information. Further, on the operation screen, the instruction image is displayed only for the in-vehicle device operated by the user, and the instruction image of the other in-vehicle device is not displayed. Therefore, the instruction image can be displayed in a large size, and the user can easily input the instruction image.

  Moreover, since the input display device 1 displays the reduced device state image of the in-vehicle device that is not the operation target device on the operation screen without erasing it, the user can always check the state of each in-vehicle device.

  Further, in the input display device 1, the user can change the operation target device by easily moving the fingertip along the display screen (with the hand approaching the display screen), and can easily switch the operation screen. Is possible. For example, when the operation screen of the air conditioner shown in FIG. 5 is displayed on the display device 13, if the user moves the fingertip from the third device area Aa to the second device area Ar while keeping the fingertip close to the display device 13, The screen displayed on the display device 13 is switched to the audio operation screen shown in FIG. Similarly, when the audio operation screen shown in FIG. 6 is displayed on the display device 13, when the user moves the fingertip from the second device area Ar to the third device area Aa while keeping the fingertip close to the display device 13. The screen displayed on the display device 13 is switched to the air conditioner operation screen shown in FIG. Therefore, the user does not need to perform a touch input or a button pressing operation for switching the operation screen as in the conventional case, and can easily select a device to be operated.

  In the above embodiment, the images displayed on the display device 13 shown in FIGS. 4, 5, and 6 are examples, and the user can understand the status of each device and the contents of operation instructions for each device. If present, the expression method is not limited to that shown in the figure.

(First modification)
In the above-described embodiment, on the operation screen, all instruction images corresponding to each piece of information on the in-vehicle device 9 that is the operation target of the user are displayed. However, even if not all the instruction images corresponding to each information are displayed, the user can perform a desired operation as long as only the instruction images corresponding to the information that the user wants to operate is displayed. For example, when it is desired to change the temperature setting of the air conditioner, the operation buttons such as the air volume and the wind direction need not be displayed, and only the instruction image for operating the temperature setting may be displayed. Therefore, as a first modification of the embodiment, processing in steps S <b> 110 to S <b> 112 of the control unit 11 when displaying only an instruction image of information that the user wants to operate will be described below.

  In step S <b> 110, the control unit 11 not only determines which in-vehicle device 9 the user is operating based on the image input from the camera 14, but also the user tries to change which state of the in-vehicle device. Judgment is made. This determination can be made using the indicated position. In other words, the control unit 11 specifies which device state image display area the indicated position is located among the displayed device state images. That is, the control unit 11 determines that the device state image including the designated position in the display area is the operation target of the user. For example, in the state where the standard screen shown in FIG. 4 is displayed, if the user's fingertip is approaching the region At of the device status image indicating the temperature setting of the air conditioner, the control unit 11 sets the temperature setting of the air conditioner. Is determined as the operation target. When the process of step S110 is completed, the control unit 11 advances the process to step S112.

  In step S112, the control unit 11 instructs the display device 13 to display the operation screen. In the operation screen displayed in the first modification, in addition to the device state image, only the instruction image corresponding to the device state image determined to be the operation target is displayed. The instruction image corresponding to the device state image is an instruction image representing an instruction for changing the state of the device represented by the device state image. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of an air conditioner operation screen according to the first modification. The operation screen illustrated in FIG. 7 is an operation screen that is displayed when it is determined that the device state image representing the temperature setting of the air conditioner is the operation target. As shown in FIG. 7, in the first modification, only the instruction image corresponding to the device state image determined to be the operation target, that is, the instruction image representing the instruction for changing the temperature setting is displayed. The other instruction images are not displayed (even if they are air conditioner instruction images). In the first modified example, when switching from the standard screen to the operation screen, the area where the device status image is displayed is reduced, and the device area of the operation target device is expanded, and other device areas are The point of reduction is the same as in the above embodiment. When the process of step S112 is completed, the control unit 11 advances the process to step S114.

  As described above, according to the first modification, the device state image to be operated by the user is specified, and only the instruction image corresponding to the specified device state image is displayed. According to this, the user can operate the operated button without hesitation, and can prevent the user's erroneous input. In the first modification, only the instruction image corresponding to the device state image to be operated is displayed. However, in another modification, the instruction image corresponding to the device state image to be operated is displayed as a relative image. The other instruction image of the operation target device may be displayed relatively small.

(Second modification)
In the above embodiment, an example in which a touch panel is used as an input device included in the input display device has been described. However, the input display device may include a physical electrical contact type hard switch as the input device instead of the touch panel 12. The user can operate the in-vehicle device 9 by pressing a hard switch instead of inputting to the instruction image. When a hard switch is used as the input device of the input display device, the input display device can be manufactured at a lower cost than when the touch panel 12 is used. Hereinafter, an input display device including a hard switch will be described as a second modification of the embodiment.

  With reference to FIG. 8, the arrangement of the display screen of the display device 13 and the hard switch 231 in the second modification will be described. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the display device 13 and the hard switch 231 of the input display device according to the second modification. As shown in FIG. 8, the hard switch 231 is embedded in the display area (display screen) of the display device 13 or is disposed adjacent to the display device 13. By arranging in this way, the image of the display device 13 can be displayed in the vicinity of the hard switch 231. In FIG. 8, the hard switches 231 each have a rectangular shape and are arranged so as to be embedded in the display area of the display device 13 in four stages at the top and bottom, but the shape and number thereof are limited to this. is not. However, as shown in FIG. 8, by arranging the hard switch 231 side by side between the second device region Ar and the third device region Aa, each device region is clearly divided, and the effect of improving the visibility of the user is obtained. Obtainable.

  Next, the operation of the input display device in the second modification will be described. The process of the control unit 11 in the second modified example is the same as the flowchart shown in FIG. 3 described in the above embodiment except for the process of step S112. Hereinafter, the process of step S112 of the control unit 11 in the second modification will be described. Note that the processing in steps other than step S112 is the same as in the above embodiment.

  In step S112, the control unit 11 instructs the display device 13 to display an operation screen that displays an instruction image of the operation target device. Also in the second modified example, when switching from the standard screen to the operation screen, the area where the device state image is displayed is reduced, and the instruction image is displayed in the area generated by the reduction, as in the above embodiment. It is. In the second modification, the instruction image is displayed in the vicinity of the hard switch 231 in the screen area. Specifically, the control unit 11 associates an instruction for the operation target device with each hard switch 231. Then, an instruction image representing an instruction associated with the hard switch is displayed in the vicinity of the hard switch. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of an operation screen in the second modification. FIG. 9 shows an operation screen when the operation target device is an air conditioner. As shown in FIG. 9, the area 232 where the instruction image is displayed is secured near (around) the hard switch 231. For the upper hard switch 231, the corresponding instruction image is displayed above it, and for the lower hard switch 231, the corresponding instruction image is displayed below it. By displaying each instruction image in the vicinity of the hard switch 231 in this way, for example, in order to change the temperature setting of the air conditioner, the user can select the hard switch 231a and the upper and lower hard switches 231a and It can be understood that the hard switch 231b may be operated. Further, since an image showing an upward arrow is displayed immediately above the hard switch 231a and an image showing a downward arrow is displayed immediately below the hard switch 231b, the user presses the hard switch 231a and the hard switch 231b. Thus, it can be seen that the set temperature can be increased or decreased. When the process of step S112 is completed, the control unit 11 advances the process to step S114.

(Third Modification)
In the above embodiment, the display screen is switched from the standard screen to the operation screen and from the operation screen to the standard screen by detecting that the user's fingertip approaches the display device 13 using the camera 14. However, the display screen may be switched by touching the touch panel 12. Since the display screen can be switched by touching the touch panel 12, the input display device does not need to include the camera 14 and a processing program for proximity detection, and the input display device can be manufactured at low cost. . Hereinafter, a third modification will be described.

  In the input display device according to the third modification, the user performs the touch input on the device state image of the in-vehicle device 9 that the user wants to operate while the standard screen is displayed, thereby displaying the operation screen of the in-vehicle device 9. Can be called. When a predetermined time elapses after the user finishes the operation, the screen displayed on the display device 13 returns from the operation screen to the standard screen.

  FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing of the control unit 11 according to the third modification. Hereinafter, the processing of the control unit 11 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. Of the steps shown in FIG. 10, steps showing the same processing as in FIG.

  After the process of step S104 is completed, the control unit 11 advances the process to step S302. In step S <b> 302, the control unit 11 determines whether the user has performed touch input on the touch panel 12. In order to make this determination, the touch panel 12 transmits input position information indicating a position where the user performs a touch input to the control unit 11. If it is determined that the user has input on the touch panel 12, the control unit 11 advances the process to step S304. On the other hand, if the control unit 11 determines that the user has not input to the touch panel 12, the process proceeds to step S122.

  In step S304, the control unit 11 determines whether or not the user has performed a touch input on the device state image. In order to make this determination, the touch panel 12 transmits input position information to the control unit 11. And the control part 11 judges that the user performed the touch input to the device state image when the user input position (the position where the touch input is performed) is an area where any device state image is displayed, The process proceeds to S306. On the other hand, when the input position of the user is not an area where any device state image is displayed, the control unit 11 determines that the user has not performed touch input on the device state image, and advances the process to S114.

  In step S306, the control unit 11 determines which in-vehicle device 9 the user is operating. The control unit 11 determines that the in-vehicle device 9 on which the device state image is displayed at the user input position in step S304 is the user's operation target. When the control section 11 completes the process step of step S306, the control section 11 advances the process to step S112.

  In the present modification, the control unit 11 advances the process to step S308 after completing the process of step S112. In step S308, the control unit 11 starts a timer and measures time. By this process, the control unit 11 measures the time during which the instruction image displayed in step S112 is displayed. When the process of step S308 is completed, the control unit 11 returns the process to step S104.

  Moreover, in this modification, the control part 11 advances a process to step S310 after completing the process of step S118. In step S310, the control unit 11 resets the timer and measures the time from zero again. By this process, the control unit 11 measures the time during which the instruction image is displayed from the time when the user completes the input. When the process of step S310 is completed, the control unit 11 advances the process to step S114.

  In this modification, when an instruction image is displayed on the display device 13 in step S122, the control unit 11 advances the process to step S312. In step S312, the control unit 11 determines whether the time measured by the timer has reached a predetermined time. The predetermined time may be set to a desired time by the user. When the control unit 11 determines that the measurement time of the timer has reached the predetermined time, the process proceeds to step S314. On the other hand, when determining that the measurement time of the timer has not reached the predetermined time, the control unit 11 continues to measure time with the timer and returns the process to step S102.

  In step S314, the control unit 11 stops measuring the timer and initializes the measurement time. When the control unit 11 completes the process of step S314, the process proceeds to step S124.

  As described above, according to the third modification, the user can call the operation screen of the corresponding in-vehicle device 9 by performing touch input on the device state image displayed on the display device 13. Further, when the user finishes the operation on the operation screen and a predetermined time elapses, the screen displayed on the display device 13 returns from the operation screen to the standard screen. Therefore, the user does not perform an operation to switch the screen from the operation screen to the standard screen. It will end. Therefore, the user is safe without being concerned about the operation of switching the screen during driving or the like.

  In this modification, an example is shown in which the operation screen returns to the standard screen when a predetermined time has elapsed after the user's operation, but the screen of the display device 13 is switched from the operation screen to the standard screen by other means. Also good. For example, in the operation screen as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a “return” function button (not shown) having a function of returning from the operation screen to the standard screen is displayed, and the user inputs to the “return” button. It is also possible to return from the operation screen to the standard screen. In this case, in step S122 of the flowchart shown in FIG. 10, the control unit 11 instructs the display device 13 to display the “return” function button on the screen together with the instruction image. When the user inputs to the “return” function button, the control unit 11 detects the input to the “return” function button in step S114 as in the case of input to other instruction images. In step S116, the display device 13 is instructed to return the display from the operation screen to the standard screen. By making it possible to switch between the operation screen and the standard screen using the “return” button, the user can view information on the standard screen without waiting for a predetermined time.

  As described above, the present invention can be used as an input display device mounted on a vehicle for the purpose of providing an input display device with high visibility.

The figure which shows the external appearance of the vehicle carrying the input display apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. Block diagram showing the functional configuration of the input display device The flowchart which shows the detail of the process performed by the control part of the input display apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. The figure which shows an example of the screen of the display apparatus which concerns on this embodiment The figure which shows an example of the operation screen of the air conditioner The figure which shows an example of the operation screen of audio The figure which shows an example of the operation screen of the air-conditioner which concerns on the 1st modification of this embodiment. The figure which shows an example of the screen of the display apparatus which concerns on the 2nd modification of this embodiment. The figure which shows an example of the operation screen of the air-conditioner in the 2nd modification of this embodiment. The flowchart which shows the flow of the process performed by the control part which concerns on the 3rd modification of this embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Input display device 9 In-vehicle apparatus 11 Control part 12 Touch panel 13 Display device 14 Camera 131,232 Area | region 231 Hard switch

Claims (7)

An input display device comprising: a display device that displays information on a plurality of devices mounted on a vehicle on a screen; and an input device for performing an operation on the device,
A first display control means for displaying a device state image representing a state of the device by dividing a screen region of the display device into a device region for each of the plurality of devices;
Detecting means for detecting that a user's hand approaches or contacts any of the device areas;
A specifying unit that specifies, as an operation target device, a device corresponding to a device region in which it is detected that the detection unit has approached or contacted;
When approach or contact is detected by the detection means, the area for displaying the apparatus state image is reduced to display the apparatus state image, and the screen area generated by reducing the area A second display control means for newly displaying an instruction image representing an instruction for the operation target device;
An input display device, comprising: an operation instruction unit that performs an operation represented by the instruction image on the device when an input designating the instruction image is performed on the input device. The detection means repeatedly detects that a user's hand approaches one of the device areas,
The first display control means displays the instruction image on the condition that the detection means shifts from a state where it is detected that a user's hand has approached one of the device areas to a state where it is no longer detected. The input display device according to claim 1, wherein the input display device erases and displays only the device state image in the predetermined area. The detection means repeatedly detects that a user's hand approaches one of the device areas,
When the instruction image of the operation target device is displayed, the specifying unit sets the region where the instruction image and the device state image are displayed for the operation target device, and the device state image for the other devices. The input display device according to any one of claims 1 and 2, wherein a new operation target device is specified by using a region in which is displayed as a device region. The specifying unit further specifies a device state image detected by the detecting unit as approaching or contacting among the device state images,
The second display control unit displays the device state image by reducing an area for displaying the device state image, and changes the state represented by the device state image specified by the specifying unit. The input display device according to claim 1, wherein only the instruction image representing the instruction is displayed as the instruction image.   The input display device according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit detects that a user's hand has touched any of the device areas using a touch panel provided on the screen. The input device is a touch panel provided on the screen,
The said operation instruction | indication means performs the instruction | indication represented with the said instruction image with respect to the said apparatus, when the input with respect to the said touch panel is performed in the display area of the said instruction | indication image. The input display device according to Item 1. The input device is one or more switches provided in the vicinity of the screen,
The second display control means displays the instruction image representing an instruction associated with the switch;
The input display device according to claim 1, wherein when the switch is pressed, the operation instruction unit issues an instruction associated with the switch to the device.

Images