JP7128699B2 - In-vehicle device and control method for in-vehicle device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an in-vehicle device and a control method for the in-vehicle device.

As a background art, there is Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-155738 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 1). In Patent Document 1, "a display panel that is mounted on a vehicle and displays image information, and disturbance light reflection on the surface of the display panel is reflected in a predetermined anti-glare angle range that is incident on the field of view of the driver of the vehicle. A target reflected light specifying means for specifying whether or not the target reflected light, which is light, exists, and suppresses the target reflected light from entering the driver's field of view when the presence of the target reflected light is specified. and reflected light suppressing means.”.

JP 2008-155738 A

In Patent Document 1, the tilt angle of the display panel, which is the display unit, is changed depending on whether or not the target reflected light exists. The angle may be changed, and the user may find it troublesome to change the tilt angle of the display panel.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an in-vehicle device and a control method for the in-vehicle device that reduce the user's annoyance caused by changing the tilt angle of the display unit.

In order to achieve the above object, an in-vehicle device mounted on a vehicle includes: a display unit; an angle changing unit for changing an inclination angle of the display unit; a control unit that sets a change execution range, which is a range of incident angles of light incident on the display unit, to the rear of the vehicle with respect to a traveling direction of the vehicle , wherein the control unit controls the vehicle determines whether or not the area in which the vehicle travels is a suppression area for suppressing a change in the tilt angle of the display unit, and when it is determined that the area in which the vehicle travels is the suppression area, the change execution range is determined. When the first range is set and it is determined that the area in which the vehicle travels is not the suppression area, the change execution range is set to a second range wider than the first range, and the incident angle of the incident light is set. It is characterized in that, if it is within the change execution range, the angle changing unit changes the tilt angle of the display unit.

According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the user's annoyance in changing the tilt angle of the display unit.

It is a figure which shows roughly the external appearance structure of an in-vehicle apparatus. It is a figure which shows the structure of the vehicle which mounts an in-vehicle apparatus. It is a figure for demonstrating a sun position. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a change execution range; FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the operation of the in-vehicle device; It is a figure for demonstrating the range for suppression, and the range for non-suppression. It is a figure which shows an example of a change of the inclination-angle of a display apparatus.

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the external configuration of an in-vehicle device 10. As shown in FIG. The in-vehicle device 10 is a device mounted in the vehicle 1 and displays various information on a touch panel 103 provided in a display device 101 (display unit) under the control of the control device 100 . The in-vehicle device 10 is configured as a device that executes functions such as display of a map, display of the current position of the vehicle 1 on the map, search for a route to a destination, route guidance, etc. may be The in-vehicle device 10 is fixed to, for example, the dashboard of the vehicle 1 . Note that the in-vehicle device 10 may be a detachable device with respect to the vehicle 1 .

The vehicle 1 equipped with the in-vehicle device 10 may be a vehicle capable of manual operation in which the driver performs an operation related to driving, or an automatic operation in which the driver automatically runs without performing an operation related to driving. Any vehicle that can. The vehicle 1 is, for example, an engine-driven four-wheeled vehicle, a motor-driven electric vehicle, or a hybrid vehicle equipped with a motor and an engine. The vehicle 1 may be a vehicle other than a four-wheeled vehicle.

The in-vehicle device 10 includes a control device 100 and a display device 101 . The control device 100 is arranged inside the dashboard of the vehicle 1 . The display device 101 is arranged on the front side of the dashboard. The display device 101 is provided with a touch panel 103 so as to cover the entire front surface of the dashboard. The display device 101 is supported by the control device 100 so that the tilt angle can be changed by a slide mechanism 102 (angle changing portion). In FIG. 1, the display device 101 is supported so as to be tilted at a tilt angle of θk.

The slide mechanism 102 includes a slide bar 102A provided at the lower end of the control device 100, and a rotating section 102B provided at one end of the slide bar 102A and supporting the lower end of the display device 101. FIG.

Slide bar 102A expands and contracts in the direction indicated by arrow FR under the control of control device 100 . Control device 100 moves touch panel 103 in the direction indicated by arrow F by extending slide bar 102A in the direction indicated by arrow F. FIG. On the other hand, control device 100 moves touch panel 103 in the direction indicated by arrow R by contracting slide bar 102A in the direction indicated by arrow R. FIG.

Rotation unit 102B changes the tilt angle of display device 101 by rotating around rotation shaft 10B2 while supporting display device 101 under the control of control device 100 . When the slide bar 102A extends in the direction indicated by the arrow F, the rotating portion 102B rotates the display device 101 so as to narrow the tilt angle. As a result, the display device 101 moves in the direction indicated by arrow F at its lower end and in the direction indicated by arrow D at its upper end. Therefore, the display device 101 is tilted so that the display surface 103C of the touch panel 103 faces in the direction indicated by the arrow U. FIG. On the other hand, when the slide bar 102A contracts in the direction indicated by the arrow R, the rotating section 102B rotates the display device 101 so as to widen the tilt angle. As a result, the display device 101 moves in the direction indicated by arrow R at its lower end and in the direction indicated by arrow U at its upper end. Therefore, the display device 101 tilts so that the display surface 103C of the touch panel 103 faces in the direction indicated by the arrow D. FIG.

Thus, the control device 100 can tilt the display device 101 at a desired angle by controlling the slide mechanism 102 .

Next, the vehicle 1 on which the in-vehicle device 10 is mounted will be described.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle 1 on which the in-vehicle device 10 is mounted.

The in-vehicle device 10 includes a control device 100 . The control device 100 is a computer including a processor such as a CPU and MPU, memory devices such as ROM and RAM, storage devices such as HDD and SSD, and interface devices for connecting various peripheral devices and in-vehicle networks.

The control device 100 includes a control device control section 110 and a control device storage section 111 as functional blocks.
The controller control unit 110 includes a processor, a memory device, a storage device, etc., and controls each unit of the controller 100 . The control device control unit 110 includes, as functional blocks, a clock unit 110A, a current position specifying unit 110B, a solar position acquisition unit 110D, a height information acquisition unit 110E, a gradient information acquisition unit 110F, and a change control unit 110G (control unit). Prepare. Each functional block of the control device control unit 110 is a block that conveniently indicates a function realized by the processor executing arithmetic processing according to the control program 111A, and indicates specific application software or hardware. is not. Each functional block will be described later.

The control device storage unit 111 is configured by a memory device, a storage device, or the like, and stores data in a rewritable manner. The control device storage unit 111 may include a volatile memory such as RAM. The control device storage unit 111 stores the control program 111A.

The in-vehicle device 10 includes the slide mechanism 102 described above and a display device 101 provided with a touch panel 103 .
The touch panel 103 includes a display panel 103A and a touch sensor 103B. The display panel 103A is composed of a liquid crystal display, an EL (Electro Luminescent) display, or the like, and displays various information under the control of the control device 100 . The touch sensor 103</b>B is provided over the display panel 103</b>A or integrated therewith, detects a user's touch operation, and outputs the detection result to the control device 100 . Control device 100 executes a process corresponding to the detection result of touch sensor 103B.

A network communication unit 3 , a GPS receiving unit 4 , a relative direction detecting unit 5 , a vehicle speed sensor 6 , and a storage device 7 are connected to the in-vehicle device 10 .

The network communication unit 3 includes hardware required for communication according to a predetermined communication standard, and communicates with devices connected to a global network GN composed of a telephone network, the Internet, and the like.

The GPS receiver 4 includes hardware for periodically receiving GPS signals transmitted from GPS satellites via the GPS antenna 4A. Based on the received GPS signals, the GPS receiver 4 measures the distance between the vehicle 1 and the GPS satellites and the rate of change in the distance for a predetermined number or more of satellites, thereby obtaining the absolute position of the vehicle 1 (for example, the vehicle 1 latitude and longitude). The GPS receiver 4 outputs absolute position information indicating the absolute position of the vehicle 1 to the in-vehicle device 10 . The GPS receiver 4 also calculates the direction of travel of the vehicle 1 and outputs direction information indicating the direction of travel of the vehicle 1 to the in-vehicle device 10 .

The relative orientation detection unit 5 includes an acceleration sensor 51 and a gyro sensor 52 . The acceleration sensor 51 detects acceleration acting on the vehicle 1 . The gyro sensor 52 is configured by, for example, a vibrating gyro, and detects the relative orientation of the vehicle 1 (for example, the amount of turning in the yaw axis direction). The relative azimuth detection unit 5 outputs relative azimuth information indicating the detected relative azimuth to the in-vehicle device 10 .

The vehicle speed sensor 6 detects the number of revolutions per unit time of the axle, and periodically acquires the vehicle speed of the vehicle 1 based on the detected number of revolutions. The vehicle speed sensor 6 outputs vehicle speed information indicating the detected vehicle speed of the vehicle 1 to the in-vehicle device 10 .

The storage device 7 includes a hard disk, non-volatile memory such as EEPROM and SSD, and stores data in a rewritable manner. The storage device 7 stores map data 7A.

The map data 7A is data for storing road map information, facility information such as various facilities, data for map matching, and the like. The road map information consists of a road network in which roads on the map are represented by lines, is divided into a plurality of parts using intersections, branch points, etc. as nodes, and includes link information defining the parts between each node as links. The link information includes information such as a link ID unique to the link, link length, positions of the start point and end point of the link (eg, longitude and latitude), direction of the link, type of road corresponding to the link, and the like.

Next, functional blocks of the controller control unit 110 will be described.
The clock unit 110A clocks the current date and time indicating the current year, month, day, and time. For example, the clock unit 110A acquires the current date and time from an RTC (Real Time Clock) (not shown) when the in-vehicle device 10 is started, and measures the time from the start using the acquired current date and time using the timer function. The current date and time is clocked by incrementing.

The current position specifying unit 110B detects the absolute position information and direction information input from the GPS receiving unit 4, the relative direction information of the vehicle 1 input from the relative direction detection unit 5, and the map data 7A stored in the storage device 7. The current position (for example, the latitude and longitude) of the vehicle 1 is specified based on the various information received and the vehicle speed information input from the vehicle speed sensor 6 . For example, the current position specifying unit 110B can determine the speed of the vehicle 1 and the progress of the vehicle 1 at any time based on information input from the relative direction detection unit 5, the vehicle speed sensor 6, etc., and various information included in the map data 7A. The current position of the vehicle 1 is specified by estimating the azimuth and the like of the direction and correcting the position of the vehicle 1 calculated based on the input from the GPS receiver 4 based on the estimated running speed, the azimuth and the like. Note that the current position identifying unit 110B may be configured to identify the current position of the vehicle 1 using GPS signals and signals from positioning satellite systems such as GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou, and QZSS (Michibiki). Further, the current position specifying unit 110</b>B may specify the absolute position indicated by the absolute position information input from the GPS receiving unit 4 as the current position of the vehicle 1 .

The traveling direction specifying unit 110C is the traveling direction of the vehicle 1 estimated based on information input from the relative direction detecting unit 5, the vehicle speed sensor 6, etc., and determines the traveling direction of the vehicle 1 indicated by the direction information acquired from the GPS receiving unit 4. By correcting , the traveling direction of the vehicle 1 is specified. Note that the traveling direction identification unit 110</b>C may identify the direction indicated by the direction information input from the GPS receiving unit 4 as the traveling direction of the vehicle 1 .

The solar position acquisition unit 110D identifies the position of the sun T (hereinafter referred to as "sun position").
Here, the sun position will be explained.
FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the sun position.

In this embodiment, the sun position is the sun altitude angle h and the sun azimuth angle A based on horizontal coordinates.
The sun altitude angle h is the angle along the great circle from the horizon to the sun T on the celestial sphere, which is a virtual sphere centered at the observation point ST of the observer S, and how high the sun T is above the horizon. indicates whether
The solar azimuth angle A is an angle formed by a point where a great circle including a point corresponding to the sun T and the zenith on the celestial sphere intersects the horizon with respect to the direction due south from the observation point ST. The sun azimuth angle A is 0° at due south, has a positive value in the west direction, and has a negative value in the east direction.

For example, the solar position acquisition unit 110D acquires the solar altitude angle h by performing calculation based on the following Equation 1 with the observation point ST of the observer S as the current position of the vehicle 1.

sin(h)=sin(φ) sin(δ)/cos(φ) cos(δ) cos(t) (Formula 1)

In Equation 1, h indicates the solar altitude angle. Also, φ indicates the latitude of the observation point ST of the observer S, and δ indicates the apparent declination of the sun T. The apparent declination of the sun T is the latitude of the sun T on the celestial sphere. Moreover, in Formula 1, t indicates the hour angle of the sun T. The hour angle of the sun T is an angle formed by a great circle including the sun T and the celestial poles and a great circle including the celestial poles and the zenith on the celestial sphere, and is expressed in units of time.

The solar position acquisition unit 110D substitutes the latitude indicating the current position of the vehicle 1 for φ, the visual declination of the sun T for δ, and the hour angle of the sun T for t, so that the sine Determine the solar altitude angle h from the relationship between both sides based on the function. Note that the sun position acquisition unit 110D acquires the visual declination of the sun T by calculating it using a predetermined formula based on the current position of the vehicle 1 . Further, the sun position acquisition unit 110D acquires the hour angle of the sun T by calculating it using a predetermined formula based on the current position of the vehicle 1 .

Further, for example, the solar position acquisition unit 110D acquires the solar azimuth angle A by taking the observation point ST of the observer S as the current position of the vehicle 1 and performing calculation based on Equation 2 below.

sin(A)=cos(δ) sin(t)/cos(h) (Formula 2)

In Equation 2, A denotes the sun azimuth angle. δ, t, and h are the same parameters as in Equation 1.

The sun position acquisition unit 110D substitutes the visual declination of the sun T for δ, the hour angle of the sun T for t, and the sun altitude angle obtained by Equation 1 for h, so that the sine Obtain the sun azimuth angle A from the relationship between both sides based on the function.

It should be noted that the method of obtaining the solar altitude angle h and the solar azimuth angle A by the solar position obtaining unit 110D described above is merely an example, and may be obtained by calculation using other formulas. Also, the solar position acquisition unit 110D may communicate with a predetermined server via the network communication unit 3 and acquire the solar altitude angle h and the solar azimuth angle A from this predetermined server. In this case, the solar position acquisition unit 110D transmits to the server information indicating the current date and time measured by the clock unit 110A and information indicating the current position of the vehicle 1 specified by the current position specifying unit 110B. With this configuration, the sun position specifying unit does not need to calculate the sun altitude angle h and the sun azimuth angle A, so the processing load related to acquisition of the sun position can be reduced. Also, the solar position acquisition unit 110D may refer to a predetermined database and acquire the solar position from the referenced predetermined database. This predetermined database is a database in which date and time, latitude and longitude, and solar position are associated as information. there is In this configuration, the solar position acquiring unit 110D acquires the solar position from the predetermined database using the current date and time measured by the clock unit 110A and the current position specified by the current position specifying unit 110B as keys. Even in this configuration, the solar position acquiring unit 110D does not need to calculate the solar altitude angle h and the solar azimuth angle A, so the processing load related to acquiring the solar position can be reduced.

Referring to FIG. 2, height information acquisition unit 110E acquires height information indicating the height of objects existing around vehicle 1 based on the current position of vehicle 1 identified by current position identification unit 110B. . For example, the height information acquisition unit 110E can obtain information about the height of buildings located within a predetermined range centered on the current position of the vehicle 1, buildings such as condominiums and amusement facilities, and structures such as bridges and tunnels. The height information is acquired from the map data 7A. Also, for example, the height information acquisition unit 110E communicates with a predetermined server via the network communication unit 3 and acquires height information of objects such as buildings and structures existing around the vehicle 1 . In this configuration, the height information acquisition unit 110E transmits information indicating the current position of the vehicle 1 identified by the current position identification unit 110B to the server.

The slope information acquisition unit 110</b>F acquires slope information indicating the slope of the vehicle 1 . For example, the slope information acquisition unit 110F acquires slope information indicating the slope of the road on which the vehicle 1 travels from the map data 7A based on the current position of the vehicle 1 specified by the current position specifying unit 110B. The link information of the map data 7A includes slope information indicating the slope of the road corresponding to the link. The slope information acquisition unit 110</b>F acquires road slope information as slope information of the vehicle 1 . Further, for example, the slope information acquisition unit 110F communicates with a predetermined server via the network communication unit 3, and acquires the slope information of the road on which the vehicle 1 travels as the slope information of the vehicle 1 from this server. In this configuration, the gradient information acquisition unit 110F transmits information indicating the current position of the vehicle 1 identified by the current position identification unit 110B to the server. Further, for example, the gradient information acquisition unit 110</b>F acquires gradient information indicating the gradient of the vehicle 1 by calculating the gradient of the vehicle 1 based on the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor 51 .

The change control unit 110G determines whether the area in which the vehicle 1 travels is a restrained area where change in the tilt angle of the display device 101 is restrained or a non-restricted area where change in the tilt angle of the display device 101 is not restrained. The suppression area is an area where there is a high probability that an object existing around the vehicle 1 blocks sunlight from entering the vehicle 1, and examples thereof include urban areas and forest areas. A suppression area is an area in which the average value of the heights of objects present in the area is greater than that of a non-suppression area, which will be described later. On the other hand, the non-restricted area is an area in which there is a low probability that the sunlight incident on the vehicle 1 is blocked by objects existing around the vehicle 1, and examples thereof include residential areas and beach areas. A non-suppressed area is an area in which the average height of objects present in the area is smaller than the suppressed area.

For example, the change control unit 110G determines whether the area in which the vehicle 1 travels is a restricted area or a non-restrained area, based on the map data 7A. The map indicated by the map data 7A is divided into a plurality of areas according to a predetermined standard, and the map data 7A associates each area with suppression area information indicating a suppression area or non-suppression area information indicating a non-suppression area. It is This correspondence is appropriately performed by prior tests, simulations, or the like. Based on the current position of the vehicle 1 specified by the current position specifying unit 110B, the change control unit 110G specifies an area in which the vehicle 1 travels by referring to the map data 7A, and suppresses area information or Get unsuppressed area information. The change control unit 110G determines that the area in which the vehicle 1 travels is the restricted area when the suppression area information is acquired, and determines that the area in which the vehicle 1 travels is the non-suppression area when the non-suppression area information is acquired. and discriminate.

Further, for example, the change control unit 110G determines whether the area in which the vehicle 1 travels is a restricted area or a non-restricted area, based on the height information acquired by the height information acquisition unit 110E. The change control unit 110G acquires height information of one or more objects existing around the vehicle 1 from the height information acquisition unit 110E, and determines that the average value of the heights of the objects existing around the vehicle 1 is a predetermined value. If it is equal to or greater than the threshold, it is determined that the area in which the vehicle 1 travels is a restricted area. On the other hand, when the average value of the heights of objects existing around the vehicle 1 is below a predetermined threshold value, the change control unit 110G determines that the area in which the vehicle 1 travels is the non-restricted area.

Further, for example, based on the height information acquired by the height information acquisition unit 110E, the change control unit 110G determines that the area in which the vehicle 1 travels is the suppression area according to the density of objects having a predetermined height or higher. or non-suppressed area. The change control unit 110G determines that the area in which the vehicle 1 travels is a restricted area when the density is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, and determines that the area in which the vehicle 1 travels is a non-restrained area when the density is less than the threshold. It is determined that

The change control unit 110G sets a change execution range HH (range).
Here, the change execution range HH will be described in detail. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the change execution range HH.

The change execution range HH is a range for causing the slide mechanism 102 to change the tilt angle of the display device 101, and is a range of incident angles of sunlight with respect to the display surface 103C. The change execution range HH is an angular range centered on the current position of the vehicle 1, with the due south direction being 0°, and having a positive value in the westward direction and a negative value in the eastward direction.

The change execution range HH is set behind the vehicle 1 with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle 1 . FIG. 4 illustrates the case where the vehicle 1 is traveling north. Therefore, in FIG. 4 , the change execution range HH is set in the south direction corresponding to the rear of the vehicle 1 with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle 1 . The change execution range HH shown in FIG. 4 is a range from -α° to +α°.

The change control unit 110G determines whether the incident angle of sunlight is within the set change execution range HH. The incident angle of sunlight is determined by the solar azimuth angle A of the sun T. Therefore, the change control unit 110G determines whether the incident angle of sunlight is within the change execution range HH by determining whether the angle of the sun azimuth A is within the change execution range HH. do.
For convenience of explanation, FIG. 4 shows the sun T1 positioned at a solar azimuth A of -β° and the sun T2 positioned at a solar azimuth A of +γ°. β is a value greater than α, while γ is a value less than α. In FIG. 4, the change execution range HH is in the range from -α° to +α°. discriminate. On the other hand, regarding the sun T2, the change control unit 110G determines that the sun azimuth angle A of the sun T2 is within the change execution range HH.

The change control unit 110G causes the slide mechanism 102 to change the tilt angle of the display device 101 when the sun azimuth A of the sun T is within the change execution range HH. On the other hand, the change control unit 110G does not change the tilt angle of the display device 101 by the slide mechanism 102 when the sun azimuth A of the sun T is not within the change execution range HH.

With the above configuration, the in-vehicle device 10 reduces the user's annoyance of changing the tilt angle of the display device 101 by executing the following operations.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the in-vehicle device 10. As shown in FIG.
The flowchart shown in FIG. 5 assumes that the ignition of the vehicle 1 is on.

The change control unit 110G of the in-vehicle device 10 determines whether or not a trigger for executing the processes after step S2 has occurred (step S1). For example, the change control unit 110G determines whether or not a predetermined period has passed since the ignition of the vehicle 1 was turned on or after the process of step S2 was executed last time. Then, when a predetermined period of time has passed, the change control unit 110G determines that a trigger for executing the processes after step S2 has occurred.

When the change control unit 110G determines that a trigger has not occurred (step S1: NO), it executes the process of step S1 again.

On the other hand, if the change control unit 110G determines that a trigger has occurred (step S1: YES), the change control unit 110G determines whether the current time is the time when the altitude of the sun T is low based on the current date and time measured by the clock unit 110A. (step S2).

The time when the altitude of the sun T is low indicates the time when the altitude of the sun T is such that sunlight is reflected on the display surface 103C of the touch panel 103 and the display surface 103C becomes difficult for the user to visually recognize. It is

For example, the change control unit 110G creates a database in which a plurality of records each associated with an area (for example, country or region), month, day, and time range where the altitude of the sun T is low is stored as information. With reference to this, the determination of step S2 is executed. This database is stored in advance in the control device storage unit 111, the storage device 7, or the like. The change control unit 110G identifies one record from the database based on the current position of the vehicle 1 identified by the current position identification unit 110B and the current date and time clocked by the clock unit 110A. Then, the change control unit 110G determines whether or not the current time measured by the timekeeping unit 110A is within the time range in which the altitude of the sun T is low, which is stored as information in the identified one record. . If the change control unit 110G determines that the current time is within the time range where the altitude of the sun T is low, the change control unit 110G makes an affirmative determination in step S2, and determines that the current time is the time when the altitude of the sun T is low. If it is determined that the time is not within the range, a negative determination is made in step S2.

When the change control unit 110G determines that the current time is not the time when the altitude of the sun T is low (step S2: NO), the process returns to step S1.

On the other hand, if the change control unit 110G determines that the current time is the time when the altitude of the sun T is low (step SA2: YES), the solar position acquisition unit 110D acquires the solar position at the current time ( step S3).

Next, the traveling direction identification unit 110C identifies the traveling direction of the vehicle 1 (step S4).

Next, the change control unit 110G determines whether the sun T is aligned with the traveling direction of the vehicle 1 based on the sun position acquired by the solar position acquiring unit 110D and the traveling direction of the vehicle 1 specified by the traveling direction specifying unit 110C. 1 (step S5).

For example, the change control unit 110G identifies the azimuth of the sun T based on the sun azimuth angle A included in the sun position acquired by the sun position acquisition unit 110D. Then, if the identified direction of the sun T is the direction corresponding to the rear of the vehicle 1 with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle 1, the change control unit 110G makes an affirmative determination in step S5.

When the change control unit 110G determines that the sun T is not positioned behind the vehicle 1 with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle 1 (step S5: NO), the process returns to step S1.

On the other hand, when the change control unit 110G determines that the sun T is positioned behind the vehicle 1 with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle 1 (step S5: YES), the change control unit 110G determines whether the area in which the vehicle 1 travels is the restraint area. (step S6).

When the change control unit 110G determines that the area in which the vehicle 1 travels is the suppression area (step S6: YES), the change control unit 110G sets the change execution range HH to the suppression range HH1 (first range) (step S7). On the other hand, when the change control unit 110G determines that the area in which the vehicle 1 travels is not the restricted area (step S6: NO), in other words, when it determines that the area in which the vehicle 1 travels is the non-restricted area, the change control unit 110G The execution range HH is set to the non-suppression range HH2 (second range) (step S8).

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the suppression range HH1 and the non-suppression range HH2.
In FIG. 6, the vehicle 1 is traveling due north on the straight road DR. In FIG. 6, buildings KB1, KB2, KB3, and KB4 exist as objects existing around the vehicle 1 on the east side of the straight road DR. In FIG. 6, buildings KB5, KB6, KB7, and KB8 exist as objects existing around the vehicle 1 on the west side of the straight road.

As shown in FIG. 6, the suppression range HH1 is a change execution range HH narrower than the non-suppression range HH2. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6, the non-suppression range HH2 is a change execution range HH wider than the suppression range HH1. The suppression range HH1 and the non-suppression range HH2 are determined by preliminary tests, simulations, or the like.

Referring to FIG. 5, change control unit 110G determines change execution range HH set in step S7 or step S8 based on the height information of objects existing around vehicle 1 acquired by height information acquisition unit 110E. It is determined whether or not to correct (step S9).

For example, assume that the height information acquisition unit 110E acquires height information for each of the buildings KB1 to KB8 shown in FIG. In this case, the change control unit 110G calculates the average value of the heights of the buildings KB1 to KB8. Then, when the process of step S7 is executed, the change control unit 110G determines that the suppression range HH1 set so that the calculated average value is equal to or greater than the threshold value corresponding to the suppression range HH1 is corrected, and the calculated average value determines not to correct the suppression range HH1 set below this threshold. Further, when the process of step S8 is executed, the change control unit 110G determines that the set non-suppression range HH2 is corrected when the calculated average value is equal to or greater than the threshold value corresponding to the non-suppression range HH2, and calculates If the calculated average value is below this threshold, it is determined that the set non-suppression range HH2 is not to be corrected. These thresholds are determined in advance by prior tests, simulations, or the like.

When the change control unit 110G determines not to correct the set change execution range HH (step S9: NO), the process proceeds to step S11. On the other hand, when the change control unit 110G determines that the set change execution range HH is to be corrected (step S9: YES), the change control unit 110G corrects so as to narrow the change execution range HH set in step S7 or step S8 (step S10). . The correction range is determined by preliminary tests, simulations, or the like, and may be a range corresponding to the average height of objects existing around the vehicle 1, or may be a unique range.

Next, the change control unit 110G determines whether the incident angle of sunlight is within the corrected change execution range HH or the uncorrected change execution range HH (step S11). When the change control unit 110G makes a negative determination in step S11, the process returns to step S1 without causing the slide mechanism 102 to change the tilt angle of the display device 101. FIG. On the other hand, when the change control unit 110G makes an affirmative determination in step S11, it causes the slide mechanism 102 to change the tilt angle of the display device 101 (step SC12).

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of changing the tilt angle of the display device 101. As shown in FIG.
FIG. 7 shows a state where the tilt angle of the display device 101 is changed from θk1 to θk2. By changing the tilt angle of the display device 101 from θk1 to θk2, it is possible to prevent the reflected light of sunlight incident on the display surface 103C of the touch panel 103 from entering the eyes of the user viewing the touch panel 103. Improves visibility.

The change control unit 110G causes the slide mechanism 102 to change the tilt angle of the display device 101 according to the sun altitude angle h included in the sun position. For example, the change control unit 110G narrows the tilt angle of the display device 101 as the sun altitude angle h increases. Conversely, the change control unit 110G widens the tilt angle of the display device 101 as the sun altitude angle h decreases. The tilt angle of the display device 101 according to the solar altitude angle h is determined in advance through tests, simulations, or the like, from the viewpoint of avoiding the reflected light of the sunlight from entering the eyes of the user who visually recognizes the touch panel 103. ing. FIG. 7 shows a case where the tilt angle of the display device 101 is changed to narrow it, but depending on the solar altitude angle h, the tilt angle of the display device 101 may be changed to widen from θk1.

Note that the change control unit 110G may be configured to cause the slide mechanism 102 to change the tilt angle of the display device 101 to a preset tilt angle.
For example, assume that the user can preset one of three different tilt angles between the maximum tilt angle of the display device 101 and the minimum tilt angle of the display device 101 . The maximum tilt angle of the display device 101 is, for example, the tilt angle when the display surface 103C of the touch panel 103 is substantially perpendicular to the expansion/contraction direction of the slide bar 102A. Also, the minimum tilt angle of the display device 101 is, for example, the tilt angle when the display surface 103C of the touch panel 103 is substantially parallel to the expansion/contraction direction of the slide bar 102A. In this configuration, the change control unit 110G causes the slide mechanism 102 to change the tilt angle of the display device 101 set by the user in step S7. Accordingly, the change control unit 110G can change the tilt angle of the display device 101 desired by the user, thereby improving the visibility of the touch panel 103 and improving user convenience.

As described above, the change control unit 110G sets the change execution range HH according to the area in which the vehicle 1 travels. 102 changes the tilt angle of the display device 101 . Thereby, the change control unit 110G can cause the slide mechanism 102 to change the tilt angle of the display device 101 according to the area in which the vehicle 1 travels. Therefore, the in-vehicle device 10 can prevent the inclination angle of the display device 101 from being changed in an area where the angle change is low, for example, and can appropriately change the inclination angle of the display device 101 according to the area in which the vehicle 1 travels. . Therefore, the in-vehicle device 10 does not change the tilt angle of the display device 10 unnecessarily, thereby reducing the user's annoyance when changing the tilt angle of the display device 101 .

Further, the change control unit 110G determines whether the incident angle of sunlight is within the change execution range HH based on whether the sun azimuth angle A is within the change execution range HH. Therefore, in order to perform this determination, the in-vehicle device 10 does not need to be equipped with a detection device such as a sensor for detecting the incident angle of the sunlight actually incident on the display surface 103C of the touch panel 103 . Therefore, when the change control unit 110G executes this determination, it is possible to avoid complication of the configuration of the in-vehicle device 10 and increase in size, and it is also advantageous in terms of cost.

In particular, when the area in which the vehicle 1 travels is the suppression area, the change control unit 110G sets the change execution range HH to the suppression range HH1. If it is the suppression area, the change execution range HH is set to the non-suppression range HH2. As a result, the change control unit 110G can set the change execution range HH narrower in the suppression area than in the non-suppression area, thereby reducing the frequency of changing the tilt angle of the display device 101 in the suppression area. Further, since the change control unit 110G can set the change execution range HH wider in the non-suppression area than in the suppression area, it is possible to increase the frequency of changing the tilt angle of the display device 101 in the non-suppression area than in the suppression area. Therefore, the change control unit 110G can appropriately change the tilt angle of the display device 10 according to the necessity of changing the tilt angle of the display device 10 in the area where the vehicle 1 travels. Therefore, the in-vehicle device 10 does not change the tilt angle of the display device 101 unnecessarily, and the user's annoyance of changing the tilt angle can be reduced.

For example, in FIG. 6, if the area where the vehicle 1 travels is an urban area, there is a high possibility that the building KB4 will block the sunlight. In this case, if the change execution range HH is the non-suppression range HH2, the change control unit 110G causes the slide mechanism 102 to display The tilt angle of the device 101 is changed. On the other hand, if the area in which the vehicle 1 travels is a residential area in FIG. 6, there is a low possibility that the building KB4 will block the sunlight. In this case, when the change execution range HH is the suppression range HH1, the change control unit 110G causes the slide mechanism 102 to move the touch panel 103 even though the visibility of the touch panel 103 due to reflected sunlight is reduced. The inclination angle is not changed. Therefore, when the area in which the vehicle 1 travels is an urban area, the change control unit 110G sets the change execution range HH to the suppression range HH1, and when the area in which the vehicle 1 travels is a residential area, the change execution range HH is set as the non-suppression range HH2. Accordingly, the in-vehicle device 10 can appropriately change the tilt angle of the display device 101 according to the necessity of changing the angle based on the height of objects existing around the vehicle 1 .

Further, in step S10, the change control unit 110G corrects so as to narrow the change execution range HH set in step S7 or step S8. The higher the height of the objects present around the vehicle 1 , the lower the probability that the sunlight will be blocked by the objects present around the vehicle 1 and that the sunlight will enter the vehicle 1 . Therefore, the higher the height of the object existing around the vehicle 1, the less the need to change the tilt angle of the display device 101. FIG. Therefore, the change control unit 110G corrects the change execution range HH based on the height of the object present around the vehicle 1, so that the height of the object present around the vehicle 1 is increased. The frequency of changing the tilt angle of 101 can be varied. Therefore, the in-vehicle device 10 can further reduce the user's annoyance when changing the tilt angle of the display device 101 .

Further, when the sun T is positioned behind the vehicle 1 with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle 1, the change control unit 110G determines whether or not the area in which the vehicle 1 travels is the suppression area. That is, the change control unit 110G executes processing related to changing the tilt angle of the display device 101 when the sun T is positioned behind the vehicle 1 with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle 1 . In general, the display surface 103</b>C of the touch panel 103 faces the rear of the vehicle 1 because it faces the user boarding the vehicle 1 . Therefore, sunlight is often incident from behind the vehicle 1 when sunlight is reflected on the display surface 103</b>C of the touch panel 103 . Therefore, when the sun T is positioned behind the vehicle 1 with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle 1, there is little need to change the tilt angle of the display device 101. FIG. Therefore, the change control unit 110G causes the slide mechanism 102 to change the inclination angle of the display device 101 when the sun T is positioned behind the vehicle 1 with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle 1, so that the display device 101 is unnecessarily tilted. The processing related to the change of the tilt angle is not executed.

As described above, the change control unit 110G executes a process related to changing the tilt angle of the display device 101 when a trigger for executing the process after step S2 is generated. In the above example, the trigger is when a predetermined period of time has passed. In this way, the change control unit 110G has the following effects by using the elapse of a predetermined period as a trigger. When the vehicle 1 travels on a winding road in the suppression area, the incident angle of sunlight may be within the suppression range HH1 or outside the suppression range HH1. While traveling in the suppression area, the solar altitude angle h of the sun T changes with the passage of time. Therefore, when the vehicle 1 travels on a winding road, the change control unit 110G frequently changes the tilt angle of the display device 101 even though the vehicle 1 travels in the restricted area. Therefore, by using the elapse of a predetermined period as a trigger, the in-vehicle device 10 can reduce the frequency of changing the tilt angle of the display device 101 even when the vehicle 1 travels on a winding road in the suppression area. It is possible to further reduce the user's annoyance in changing the tilt angle of the display device 101 .

In step S10, the configuration for correcting the change execution range HH set in step S7 or step S8 based on the height of objects existing around the vehicle 1 has been described. may be used to correct the change execution range HH. For example, the change control unit 110G corrects the change execution range HH set in step S7 or step S8 so that the wider the road width, the wider the change execution range HH. In general, the wider the road width, the farther objects present around the vehicle 1 are to the vehicle 1 traveling on the road. Therefore, the amount of sunlight incident on the vehicle 1 varies depending not only on the area but also on the width of the road on which the vehicle 1 travels. Therefore, the change control unit 110G can change the frequency of changing the tilt angle of the display device 101 according to the width of the road on which the vehicle 1 travels by correcting the change execution range HH according to the road width. . Therefore, the in-vehicle device 10 can further reduce the user's annoyance when changing the tilt angle of the display device 101 .

In step S<b>12 , the change control unit 110</b>G may change the tilt angle of the display device 101 based on the gradient information indicating the gradient of the vehicle 1 . For example, assume that the vehicle 1 is traveling on a road that slopes +15° from the horizontal plane. In this case, the change control unit 110G acquires the gradient information of the vehicle 1 from the gradient information acquisition unit 110F when changing the tilt angle of the display device 101 from θk1 to θk2 as shown in FIG. Then, the change control unit 110G changes the tilt angle of the display device 101 by the gradient indicated by the gradient information so that the tilt angle of the display device 101 becomes narrower than θk2. As a result, even when the vehicle 1 travels on a sloped road, the in-vehicle device 10 can avoid deterioration in the visibility of the touch panel 103 .

As described above, the in-vehicle device 10 includes the display device 101 (display unit), the slide mechanism 102 (angle change unit) for changing the tilt angle of the display device 101, and the slide mechanism 102 for changing the tilt angle. and a change control unit 110G that sets a change execution range of the incident angle of the incident light of the sun with respect to the display device 101. The change control unit 110G sets the change execution range HH according to the area in which the vehicle 1 travels. Change the tilt angle.

According to this configuration, the in-vehicle device 10 can prevent the tilt angle of the display device 101 from being changed in an area where it is less necessary to change the angle, for example. You can change the angle. Therefore, the in-vehicle device 10 does not change the tilt angle of the display device 10 unnecessarily, thereby reducing the user's annoyance when changing the tilt angle of the display device 101 .

Further, the change control unit 110G determines whether or not the area in which the vehicle 1 travels is a suppression area for suppressing a change in the tilt angle of the display device 101 . When the change control unit 110G determines that the area in which the vehicle 1 travels is the suppression area, the change control unit 110G sets the change execution range HH to the suppression range HH1 (first range). When the change control unit 110G determines that the area in which the vehicle 1 travels is not the suppression area, it sets the change execution range HH to a non-suppression range HH2 (second range) wider than the suppression range HH1.

According to this configuration, the change control unit 110G can set the change execution range HH narrower in the suppression area than in the non-suppression area, so it is possible to reduce the frequency of changing the tilt angle of the display device 101 in the suppression area. Further, since the change control unit 110G can set the change execution range HH wider in the non-suppression area than in the suppression area, it is possible to increase the frequency of changing the tilt angle of the display device 101 in the non-suppression area than in the suppression area. Therefore, the change control unit 110G can appropriately change the tilt angle of the display device 10 according to the necessity of changing the tilt angle of the display device 10 in the area where the vehicle 1 travels. Therefore, the in-vehicle device 10 does not change the tilt angle of the display device 101 unnecessarily, and the user's annoyance of changing the tilt angle can be reduced.

The in-vehicle device 10 also includes a height information acquisition unit 110</b>E that acquires height information indicating the height of an object existing around the vehicle 1 . The change control unit 110G corrects the set change execution range HH based on the height information acquired by the height information acquisition unit 110E.

According to this configuration, the change control unit 110</b>G can change the frequency of changing the tilt angle of the display device 101 according to the height of the object existing around the vehicle 1 . Therefore, the in-vehicle device 10 can further reduce the user's annoyance when changing the tilt angle of the display device 101 .

The in-vehicle device 10 also includes a traveling direction identification unit 110C that identifies the traveling direction of the vehicle 1 . When the incident light of the sun T is incident on the display device 101 from behind the vehicle 1 with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle 1 specified by the traveling direction specifying unit 110C, the change control unit 110G changes the area where the vehicle 1 travels to the above-mentioned suppression area. Determine whether it is an area or not.

In general, the display surface 103</b>C of the touch panel 103 faces the rear of the vehicle 1 because it faces the user boarding the vehicle 1 . Therefore, sunlight is often incident from behind the vehicle 1 when sunlight is reflected on the display surface 103</b>C of the touch panel 103 . Therefore, when the sun T is positioned other than behind the vehicle 1 with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle 1 , there is little need to change the tilt angle of the display device 101 . Therefore, the change control unit 110G causes the slide mechanism 102 to change the inclination angle of the display device 101 when the sun T is positioned behind the vehicle 1 with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle 1, so that the display device 101 is unnecessarily tilted. The processing related to the change of the tilt angle is not executed. Therefore, the change control unit 110G can efficiently execute processing related to changing the tilt angle of the display device 101 .

The in-vehicle device 10 also includes a slope information acquisition unit 110</b>F that acquires slope information indicating the slope of the vehicle 1 . The change control unit 110G causes the slide mechanism 102 to change the tilt angle based on the gradient information acquired by the gradient information acquisition unit 110F.

According to this configuration, even when the vehicle 1 travels on a sloped road, the in-vehicle device 10 can avoid deterioration of the visibility of the touch panel 103 .

The above-described embodiment is merely an example of one aspect of the present invention, and can be arbitrarily modified and applied without departing from the gist of the present invention.

For example, in the above-described embodiments, the slide mechanism 102 is used as an example of the angle changing unit that changes the tilt angle of the display device 101. is not limited to

Further, for example, in the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the network communication unit 3, the GPS receiving unit 4, the relative direction detection unit 5, the vehicle speed sensor 6, and the storage device 7 are connected to the in-vehicle device 10 was illustrated. may have any one or more of these to connect.

Further, for example, in the above-described embodiment, the change execution range HH is symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 1, but the change execution range HH may not be symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 1. .

Further, for example, in the present embodiment, the control device control unit 110 includes one processor, and this processor implements the functions of the control device control unit 110 by executing processing according to the control program 111A. The functions of the control device control section 110 may be realized by a processor or a semiconductor chip.

Further, for example, when the control method of the in-vehicle device 10 described above is realized by using a computer provided in the in-vehicle device 10, the present invention may be a program executed by a computer to realize the above communication method. It can also be configured in the form of a computer-readable recording medium or a transmission medium for transmitting the program.

Further, for example, FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configurations of the in-vehicle device 10 and the vehicle 1 classified according to the main processing contents for easy understanding of the present invention. The configuration of the vehicle 1 can also be classified into more components depending on the content of processing. Also, one component can be grouped to perform more processing.

Further, for example, the processing unit of the flowchart of FIG. The invention is not limited. The processing of the in-vehicle device 10 may be divided into more processing units according to the content of the processing. Also, one processing unit may be divided to include more processing.

1 vehicle 10 in-vehicle device 101 display device (display unit)
102 slide mechanism (angle changing unit)
110C Traveling direction identification unit 110E Height information acquisition unit 110F Gradient information acquisition unit 110G Change control unit (control unit)
HH Change execution range HH1 Suppression range (first range)
HH2 non-suppression range (second range)
KB1 to KB8 Buildings (objects)

Claims (5)

In the in-vehicle device mounted on the vehicle,
a display unit;
an angle changing unit that changes the tilt angle of the display unit;
A change execution range, which is a range for causing the angle changing unit to change the tilt angle and is a range of incident angles of incident light with respect to the display unit, is set to the rear of the vehicle with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle. and a control unit for
The control unit
Determining whether the area in which the vehicle travels is a suppression area that suppresses a change in the tilt angle of the display unit,
when it is determined that the area in which the vehicle travels is the suppression area, setting the change execution range to a first range;
when it is determined that the area in which the vehicle travels is not the suppression area, setting the change execution range to a second range wider than the first range;
causing the angle changing unit to change the tilt angle of the display unit when the incident angle of the incident light is within the set change execution range;
An in-vehicle device characterized by: A height information acquisition unit that acquires height information indicating the height of an object existing around the vehicle,
The control unit
correcting the set change execution range based on the height information acquired by the height information acquisition unit;
The in-vehicle device according to claim 1 , characterized in that: A traveling direction specifying unit that specifies the traveling direction of the vehicle,
The control unit
determining whether the area in which the vehicle travels is the suppression area when the incident light enters the display unit from behind the vehicle in the traveling direction of the vehicle identified by the traveling direction identification unit;
The in-vehicle device according to claim 1 or 2 , characterized in that: A slope information acquisition unit that acquires slope information indicating the slope of the vehicle,
The control unit
causing the angle changing unit to change the tilt angle based on the gradient information acquired by the gradient information acquiring unit;
The in-vehicle device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , characterized in that: A control method for an in-vehicle device mounted on a vehicle and comprising a display unit, an angle changing unit for changing an inclination angle of the display unit, and a control unit for causing the angle changing unit to change the angle,
The control unit
A change execution range, which is a range for causing the angle changing unit to change the tilt angle and is a range of incident angles of light incident on the display unit, is set behind the vehicle with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle. death,
Determining whether the area in which the vehicle travels is a suppression area that suppresses a change in the tilt angle of the display unit,
when it is determined that the area in which the vehicle travels is the suppression area, setting the change execution range to a first range;
when it is determined that the area in which the vehicle travels is not the suppression area, setting the change execution range to a second range wider than the first range;
causing the angle changing unit to change the tilt angle of the display unit when the incident angle of the incident light is within the set change execution range;
A control method for an in-vehicle device, characterized by:

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