JP7328615B2 - In-vehicle display device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an in-vehicle display device equipped with a camera.

2. Description of the Related Art Display devices such as liquid crystal display devices are widely used in instrument panels and dashboards of vehicles in order to provide various types of vehicle information to drivers.
Further, in recent years, vehicles equipped with a camera for photographing the interior of the vehicle have been developed in order to monitor the condition of the driver. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a transmissive display device provided on a dashboard of a vehicle with an image capturing device behind it.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-2560

When a camera for photographing the interior of the vehicle is provided as described above, the driver and other passengers in the vehicle feel as if they are constantly being photographed and monitored by the camera, causing the passengers to feel uncomfortable. It can be uncomfortable.
When an image capture device such as a camera is provided behind the transmissive display device as in Patent Document 1, the camera lens is not exposed, so that the sense of discomfort and discomfort experienced by the occupants can be reduced. be possible. However, since the display device is of a transmissive type, the lens of the camera may be seen through depending on the drawing state.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an in-vehicle display device in which a camera lens is arranged so as to be difficult to see.

In order to achieve the above object, the in-vehicle display device of the present invention is mounted on a vehicle and includes a transmissive display for displaying information, a camera provided with a lens for receiving image light on the back side of the transmissive display, A vehicle- mounted display device having and a second light control section whose light transmittance changes around the first light control section, and the light transmittance of the first light control section and the light transmittance of the second light control section and a control unit for controlling the first light control unit, wherein the control unit controls the first light control unit so that the light transmittance of the first light control unit is lower than that during non-shooting by the camera. The second light control unit is always controlled to be in a light blocking state, and the light transmittance is controlled to be the same as the light transmittance of the first light control unit when the camera is not photographing. .

As a result, by providing a camera lens on the rear side of the transmissive display, it is possible to install the camera in a location suitable for photographing the line of sight and facial expressions of the passengers viewing the transmissive display. It is possible to reduce the installation space at the installation position of the lens.
Furthermore, since the first light control section with a variable light transmittance is provided between the transmissive display and the lens, and the light transmittance of the first light control section is lower than during non-shooting with the camera, When photographing with a camera, the light transmittance of the first light control unit is relatively increased to secure the amount of light incident on the lens of the camera and photographing becomes possible, while when not photographing with the camera, the first light control unit is used. can be made difficult to see the lens located on the back side of the first light control section.
In addition, since the second light control section is always controlled to be in the light blocking state, it is possible to suppress deterioration of the photographed image due to unnecessary light entering from the periphery of the first light control section during photographing.
In addition, since both the first light control section and the surrounding second light control section are controlled to be in a light blocking state with the same light transmittance during non-shooting, the back side of the transmissive display is the first light control section. Uniform reflectance and light absorbance are obtained in the light section and the surrounding second light control section, so that drawing in a transmissive display can be made more natural.

Preferably , the transmissive display is formed by sandwiching an electrode and a light-emitting element between a pair of glass substrates, and the inorganic electrochromic material is applied to the glass substrate positioned on the lens side of the pair of glass substrates. is vapor-deposited, and the vapor-deposited portions of the glass substrate are used as the first light control section and the second light control section .

Accordingly, by imparting the functions of the first light control section and the second light control section to the glass substrate, it is necessary to newly provide the first light control section and the second light control section between the glass substrate and the lens. is eliminated and the lens can be placed closer to the glass substrate. Accordingly, the thickness of the entire display device can be reduced.
Preferably, the size of the first light control section is set according to the angle of view of the camera.

Accordingly, by setting the first light control unit to correspond to the angle of view of the camera, for example, substantially the same so as to include the angle of view of the camera, the first light control unit can be made to have a necessary and minimum size. can be set to
Preferably, the control unit restricts drawing at a portion of the transmissive display corresponding to the angle of view of the camera when photographing with the camera.

This makes it possible to prevent the drawing on the transmissive display from appearing in the image captured by the camera when the image is captured by the camera.

The in-vehicle display device of the present invention ensures the amount of light incident on the lens of the camera when photographing with the camera and enables photographing. It is possible to make it difficult to visually recognize the lens located behind the first light control unit. This makes it difficult for a vehicle occupant viewing the transmissive display to notice the lens of the camera when the camera is not photographing, thereby reducing the discomfort of being monitored. In addition, when shooting, it is possible to suppress deterioration of the shot image due to unnecessary light entering from the periphery of the first light control unit, and when not shooting, the back side of the transmissive display has uniform reflectance and light absorption. As a result, rendering on a transmissive display can be made more natural.

1 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of an in-vehicle display device according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing display light at the time of drawing in the in-vehicle display device of the first reference embodiment; FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing incident light at the time of photographing with the in-vehicle display device of the first reference embodiment; FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a control unit of the in-vehicle display device of the first reference embodiment; 4 is a flow chart showing a control procedure of the in-vehicle display device executed by the control unit in the first reference embodiment; 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of an in-vehicle display device according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of a vehicle-mounted display device according to a second embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of an in-vehicle display device according to a second embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of an in-vehicle display device according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

An embodiment of an in-vehicle display device embodying the present invention will be described below.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of an in-vehicle display device 1 according to a first embodiment of the invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the display light DL at the time of drawing in the in-vehicle display device 1 of the first reference embodiment. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing incident light IL at the time of photographing by the in-vehicle display device 1 of the first reference embodiment. FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of the control unit of the in-vehicle display device 1 of the first reference embodiment. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a control procedure of the in-vehicle display device 1 executed by the control unit 30. As shown in FIG.

An in-vehicle display device 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention is employed, for example, in an instrument panel of a vehicle. The in-vehicle display device 1 provides various types of information, such as vehicle speed, engine rotation speed, charging status of an in-vehicle battery, operation information of in-vehicle devices such as safety devices, to passengers such as a driver. Therefore, the passenger, especially the driver, relatively frequently views the in-vehicle display device 1 while driving the vehicle.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the vehicle-mounted display device 1 of the first embodiment includes a transmissive display panel 2 (transmissive display) that transmits images in an image non-display state. The transmissive display panel 2 is, for example, an OLED (organic EL display) panel, and comprises a light emitting element 3 sandwiched between a pair of electrodes 4 and 5 and further sandwiched between a pair of glass substrates 6 and 7 .

The in-vehicle display device 1 of this reference embodiment includes a camera device 10 (camera) on the rear side (inside) of the transmissive display panel 2 .
The camera device 10 includes a lens 11 and an image sensor 12 for capturing image light.
The lens 11 has a circular shape with a diameter of several millimeters to several centimeters, for example, and is arranged so as to face a part of the glass substrate 7 on the rear side of the transmissive display panel 2 . The image sensor 12 is arranged adjacent to the rear side of the lens 11 .

Further, the in-vehicle display device 1 includes a light transmission adjusting plate 20 between the glass substrate 7 on the rear side of the transmissive display panel 2 and the lens 11 . The light transmission adjustment plate 20 includes a light control plate 21 (first light control portion) and a light shielding plate 22 .
The light control plate 21 is a circular plate that can adjust the light transmittance, which is the transmittance of light, from a transmission state (transparent state) to a light blocking state by controlling an applied voltage. are placed.

The light shielding plate 22 is a plate that blocks light, and has a light transmittance that at least blocks light to such an extent that the rear side of the light shielding plate 22 cannot be seen by the driver.
The light-shielding plate 22 has a hole in the front surface of the lens 11, and the circular light-adjusting plate 21 is fitted into the hole to form an integral plate, thereby forming the light transmission adjusting plate 20. there is
The light transmittance of the light control plate 21 in the light blocking state can be approximately the same as that of the light blocking plate 22 .

As shown in FIG. 3, the size and position of the hole in the light blocking plate 22, that is, the size and position of the light control plate 21, include the angle of view θd of the camera device 10, that is, the range of the incident light IL to the image sensor 12. , and are set to substantially the same range.
Further, the transmissive display panel 2 has a function of turning on/off drawing (image display) in a range (hereinafter referred to as incident light portion 25) corresponding to the angle of view (θd in FIG. 3) of the camera device 10. FIG. The incident light section 25 includes the angle of view θd of the camera device 10, that is, the range of the incident light IL to the image sensor 12, and is preferably set to substantially the same range. By turning off the drawing of the incident light portion 25, the incident light portion 25 of the transmissive display panel 2 is transmitted. Drawing based on an image signal is always possible at a portion other than the incident light portion 25 of the transmissive display panel 2 .

As shown in FIG. 4 , the in-vehicle display device 1 includes a camera device 10 , an incident light section 25 of the transmissive display panel 2 , a light control plate 21 and a control unit 30 .
The control unit 30 includes an input/output device (not shown), a storage device (ROM, RAM, etc.) for storing control programs, control maps, etc., a central processing unit (CPU), and the like. The control unit 30 receives photographing information (use instruction signal, photographing end signal) from the camera device 10, permits photographing by the camera device 10, turns on/off drawing in the incident light section 25 of the transmissive display panel 2, controls the light control plate 21 operation control.

The camera device 10 performs, for example, a video call, a selfie, and personal authentication intended by a person (passenger) to be photographed, and an unintentional photograph of a person to be photographed, such as monitoring a fellow passenger in a shared ride of a vehicle. . In these shooting operations, the camera device 10 outputs a use instruction signal (shooting instruction signal) and a shooting end signal to the control unit 30, and inputs a shooting permission signal for permitting shooting by the camera device 10 to enable shooting. Become.

The control unit 30 starts controlling the in-vehicle display device 1 shown in FIG. 5 when the use instruction signal is input from the camera device 10 .
First, in step S10, the light control plate 21 is controlled to be in a transmission state. Then, the process proceeds to step S20.
In step S<b>20 , the transmissive display panel 2 is controlled to stop drawing in the incident light section 25 . That is, the incident light portion 25 becomes a transmissive state. Then, the process proceeds to step S30.

In step S30, a photographing permission signal is output to the camera device 10 to start photographing. That is, image light is captured by the image sensor 12 and photographed. Then, the process proceeds to step S40.
In step S40, it is determined whether or not photography by the camera device 10 has been completed, that is, whether or not a photography completion signal has been input from the camera device 10. FIG. When the photographing by the camera device 10 is completed, the process proceeds to step S50. If the photographing by the camera device 10 has not been completed, step S40 is repeated.

In step S50, the transmissive display panel 2 is controlled so that drawing in the incident light section 25 is enabled. Then, the process proceeds to step S60.
In step S60, the light control plate 21 is controlled to a non-transmissive state (light blocking state). When the light control plate 21 is set to the non-transmissive state, the light transmittance and reflection characteristics of the light control plate 21 are substantially the same as those of the light shielding plate 22 . Then, the routine ends.

In the above-described reference embodiment, the camera device 10 takes a picture in response to a picture-taking instruction signal. Alternatively, the imaging by the camera device 10 may be performed periodically, and in synchronization with the periodic imaging by the camera device 10, the drawing of the incident light part 25 may be turned off and the light control plate 21 may be controlled to pass through.

As shown in FIG. 2, when the camera device 10 is not photographing, and when the transmissive display panel 2 including the incident light portion 25 is used for drawing, display light DL of three primary colors from the light emitting elements of the transmissive display panel 2 is driven. It emits light toward the driver and provides the drawn information to the driver. At this time, the light control plate 21 is controlled to be in a light blocking state. Therefore, the light transmittance of the position of the light control plate 21 and the position of the light shielding plate 22 are substantially the same, so that the light shielding plate is uniformly arranged on the back side over the entire surface of the transmissive display panel 2. , and the drawing displayed over the entire surface of the transmissive display panel 2 becomes natural.

As shown in FIG. 3, when photographing by the camera device 10, the drawing in the incident light section 25 is stopped and the light control plate 21 is controlled to be in a transparent state. Image light is taken into the lens 11 of the camera device 10 from the camera device 10, and the facial expression of the driver facing the transmissive display panel 2 can be photographed. It should be noted that any image can be displayed by the transmissive display panel 2 at a portion other than the incident light portion 25 on the front surface of the lens 11 even during this photographing.

In the in-vehicle display device 1 of the first reference embodiment configured as described above, since the lens 11 of the camera device 10 is arranged on the back side of the transmissive display panel 2 that displays vehicle information, the transmissive display panel 2 is placed on the back side. The camera device 10 can be installed at a place suitable for capturing an image of an occupant viewing the vehicle, particularly capturing the line of sight and expression of the occupant viewing the transmissive display panel 2 . Further, since the lens 11 of the camera device 10 is arranged on the rear side of the transmissive display panel 2, the installation space of the installation position of the lens 11 of the camera device 10 can be reduced.

Furthermore, in this reference embodiment, a light control plate 21 capable of changing and controlling the light transmittance is provided between the lens 11 of the camera device 10 and the transmissive display panel 2 . Then, the light control plate 21 is controlled to be in the transmission state when the camera device 10 is shooting, and is controlled to be in the light blocking state when the camera device 10 is not shooting.
Therefore, by increasing the light transmittance of the light control plate 21 when photographing with the camera device 10 , it is possible to photograph with a sufficient amount of light incident on the lens 11 of the camera device 10 . In addition, when the image is captured by the camera device 10, by turning off the drawing in the incident light portion 25 of the transmissive display panel 2, it is possible to prevent the drawing in the incident light portion 25 from being reflected in the captured image by the camera device 10. .

On the other hand, by reducing the light transmittance of the light control plate 21 when the camera device 10 is not photographing, it is difficult for passengers and the like to visually recognize the transmissive display panel 2 and the lens 11 positioned behind the light control plate 21. can be done. As a result, it is possible to reduce the unpleasant feeling of the occupant being photographed and monitored by the camera device 10 .
In addition, when not photographing, the lens 11 of the camera device 10 becomes difficult to see. In the transmissive display panel 2, the appearance of the display is suppressed from changing between the portion facing the display panel 11 and the surrounding portion, thereby enabling display with little sense of incongruity.

In addition, the light control plate 21 is provided only in the front portion of the lens 11, more specifically, only in a range corresponding to the angle of view of the camera device 10. It is possible to prevent light from entering from outside the angle θd, being reflected by, for example, surrounding substances, and entering the lens 11 . As a result, it is possible to prevent unnecessary reflected light from entering the lens 11 and deteriorating the photographed image, such as overexposure, when photographing with the camera device 10 .

Next, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the in-vehicle display device 31 according to the first embodiment of the invention.
As shown in FIG. 6, in the vehicle-mounted display device 31 of the first embodiment, the light-shielding plate 22 has the same dimming function as the light-controlling plate 21 in contrast to the vehicle-mounted display device 1 of the first reference embodiment. It differs in that it is a light control plate 35 (second light control section). The outer light control plate 35 has the same specifications as the light control plate 21 on the front surface of the lens 11, such as reflectance and light absorption, but as indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. It is possible to control the light transmittance independently of the

The control unit 30 controls the light transmittance of the outer light control plate 35 so that it is always in a light shielding state. Specifically, the light transmittance of the outer light control plate 35 may be made the same as the light transmittance of the light control plate 21 during non-shooting.
Thus, in the first embodiment, the light transmittance of the outer light control plate 35 is controlled so as to always block light, so that the same effect as that of the light shielding plate 22 of the first embodiment can be obtained. Therefore, the vehicle-mounted display device 31 of this embodiment has the same function as the vehicle-mounted display device 1 of the first embodiment .

Furthermore, since the outer light control plate 35 and the light control plate 21 have the same specifications and are set to have the same light transmittance when not photographing, the entire surface of the transmissive display panel 2 is illuminated when not photographing. , the light transmission adjusting plate 20 has a more uniform reflectance and absorbance, and the drawing displayed over the entire surface of the transmissive display panel 2 becomes more natural.
Next, a second reference embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG .

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of an in-vehicle display device 41 according to a second embodiment of the invention.
As shown in FIG. 7, in the vehicle-mounted display device 41 of the second embodiment, a transmissive light-emitting device is provided at a position corresponding to the light control plate 21 facing the lens 11 in the vehicle-mounted display device 1 of the first reference embodiment. An inorganic electrochromic material IE is deposited on the lens 11 side surface of the glass substrate 7 on the lens 11 side of the display panel 2 to form a light control portion 36 (first light control portion) having the same light control function as the light control plate 21. part). The control unit 30 controls the transmittance of the dimming portion 36 in the same manner as in the first embodiment .

Thus, the in-vehicle display device 41 of the second reference form has the same function as the in-vehicle display device 1 of the first reference form.
Furthermore, since the glass substrate 7 is provided with a light control function, the lens 11 of the camera device 10 can be arranged closer to the glass substrate 7 by the thickness of the light control plate 21 of the first embodiment . Therefore, the thickness of the entire in-vehicle display device 41 including the camera device 10 can be reduced.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of an in-vehicle display device 51 according to a second embodiment of the invention.
As shown in FIG. 8, in the in-vehicle display device 51 of the second embodiment, the lens 11 side of the glass substrate of the transmissive display panel 2 on the lens 11 side is different from the in-vehicle display device 1 of the first reference embodiment. The surface is blanket-deposited with an inorganic electrochromic material. Therefore, the light transmission adjusting plate 20 becomes unnecessary. It should be noted that the light control portion 36 (first light control portion) corresponding to the light control plate 21 in the first embodiment and the outer light control portion 37 (second light control portion) surrounding it are the control unit. 30 makes it possible to control the transmittance independently.

The light transmittance of the light control portion 36 is controlled in the same manner as the light control plate 21 of the first embodiment , and the outer light control portion 37 is the same as the outer light control plate 35 of the first embodiment. to control the light transmittance.
As a result, in the second embodiment , the entire surface of the glass substrate 7 is provided with a light control function. The overall thickness of the in-vehicle display device 51 including the device 10 can be reduced. In addition, by setting the light control portion 36 and the outer light control portion 37 to have the same light transmittance so as to block light when not photographing, the glass substrate 7 in the transmissive display panel 2 is uniform when not photographing. The reflectance and absorbance are similar, and the drawing displayed by the transmissive display panel 2 becomes more natural.

A third embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of an in-vehicle display device 61 according to a third embodiment of the invention.
As shown in FIG. 9, the in-vehicle display device 61 of the third embodiment is different from the in-vehicle display device 51 of the second embodiment in that the glass substrate 7 on the lens 11 side of the transmissive display panel 2 is located on the lens 11 side. The difference is that the inorganic electrochromic material is vapor-deposited on the surface opposite to the second embodiment, but the same effects as in the second embodiment can be obtained.

Although the description of the embodiments is finished above, aspects of the present invention are not limited to the above embodiments. For example, in the control of the in-vehicle display device 1 shown in FIG. 5 (the same applies to the control of the in-vehicle display devices 31, 41, 51, and 61), the order of steps S10 and S20 may be changed or performed at the same time. good too. Further, the order of steps S50 and S60 may be exchanged, or they may be performed at the same time.

In addition, the present invention can be applied to display devices other than OLED as long as they have a transmissive display panel.
Further, the present invention can be applied to a display device mounted on a vehicle other than the dashboard, and the imaging target of the camera device 10 may be an occupant other than the driver.

1, 31, 41, 51, 61 In-vehicle display device 2 Transmissive display panel (transmissive display)
7 glass substrate (glass substrate located on the lens side)
11 lens 10 camera device 21 light control plate (first light control unit)
30 control unit (control part)
22 light shielding plate 35 outer light control plate (second light control unit)
36 dimming part (first dimming part)
37 outer dimming portion (second dimming portion)

Claims (4)

a transmissive display that is mounted on a vehicle and displays information;
a camera provided with a lens for receiving image light on the back side of the transmissive display;
An in-vehicle display device having
a first light control unit arranged between the transmissive display and the lens and having a variable light transmittance;
a second light control section between the transmissive display and the lens and having a light transmittance change around the first light control section;
a control unit that controls the light transmittance of the first light control unit and the light transmittance of the second light control unit ;
with
The control unit
controlling the first light control unit so that the light transmittance of the first light control unit is lower than that during non-shooting by the camera , and
The second light control unit is always controlled to be in a light blocking state, and the light transmittance is controlled to be the same as the light transmittance of the first light control unit when the camera is not photographing.
An in-vehicle display device characterized by: The transmissive display is formed by sandwiching an electrode and a light emitting element between a pair of glass substrates,
An inorganic electrochromic material is vapor-deposited on the glass substrate positioned on the lens side of the pair of glass substrates, and the vapor-deposited portion of the glass substrate is used as the first light control unit and the second light control unit. 2. The in-vehicle display device according to claim 1, wherein the display device is an optical part . 3. The in-vehicle display device according to claim 1 , wherein the size of said first light control unit is set according to the angle of view of said camera. 4. The in-vehicle vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the control unit restricts drawing at a portion of the transmissive display corresponding to an angle of view of the camera when photographing with the camera. display device.

Images