JP7403184B2 - System and program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an electronic system and a program that display on a screen a variable display section prepared according to driving information of a vehicle.

2. Description of the Related Art Various meters are arranged in front of the driver's seat to serve as indicators for a user, for example, a driver, to judge the state of the vehicle while driving the vehicle. This includes, for example, a speed meter, a rotation speed meter, a water temperature meter, a fuel meter, etc. Patent Document 1 is cited as an example of how to make various meters visible to the driver in this way.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-229776

However, there have been requests from users to obtain information other than the information that is generally available from the meter attached to the vehicle and to use it as an indicator to judge the condition of the vehicle in more detail. In particular, general vehicles that are not designed for racing are often not equipped with anything other than the minimum necessary meters as mentioned above, making it difficult to obtain other driving information about the vehicle.
On the other hand, vehicles are sometimes equipped with vehicle information display devices such as navigation devices and microwave detectors (radar detectors), and vehicle driving information is displayed on the standby screen of these vehicle information display devices. is expected to be displayed. However, vehicle driving information varies, and the information desired by users is not necessarily constant. Furthermore, users often wish to obtain not only one type of driving information but also a combination of several types of driving information. This is because by obtaining more vehicle information, more accurate indicators for determining the driving state of the vehicle can be obtained. However, the required driving information varies depending on the driving situation and the level of the user, and visibility must also be taken into consideration when determining the driving status displayed on the screen.
Therefore, there has been a need for a device that can arbitrarily select a plurality of vehicle driving information and simultaneously provide the user with the plurality of driving information on a screen.
The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and its purpose is to provide an electronic system and program that can arbitrarily select driving information for a plurality of vehicles and simultaneously view the selected driving information. There is a particular thing.

In order to achieve the above object, the first means selects a plurality of variable displays to be displayed from a plurality of variable display sections prepared according to vehicle driving information based on a selective input operation by a user. The gist thereof is to include a control means for selecting and displaying a variable display section on a screen and displaying a variable display section of the plurality of variable display sections displayed on the screen in accordance with a change in the driving information.
With such a configuration, the control means displays on the screen a plurality of variable display parts selected by the user from a plurality of variable display parts prepared according to the driving information of the vehicle, and displays each unique driving information. A variable display is made according to the change. As a result, the user can arbitrarily display multiple variable display sections on the screen and visually check the driving information of multiple desired vehicles, allowing the user to use indicators to more precisely judge the driving status of the vehicle. will be obtained.

Here, the "variable display section" is an image that changes on the screen corresponding to various vehicle driving information, and more specifically, as will be described later, it is an image that changes on the screen corresponding to the driving information of the vehicle. It is considered to be a general concept such as something that shows driving information in a graph, or something that schematizes a specific part of a vehicle and displays it variably in response to changes in the driving information. These variable display sections will change in response to changes in the driving information of each unique vehicle.
Here, examples of the "electronic system" include electronic equipment provided with a housing, such as a radar detection device as a vehicle information display device, a navigation device, and a drive recorder. Further, the screen on which the variable display section is displayed may be integrated with the control means on the electronic system side, or it may be separate and exist as a separate screen on which data is output from the control means wirelessly or by wire. I don't mind. Also, the electronic system does not necessarily have to be installed inside the vehicle. For example, it is also possible to install a housing including a control means outside the vehicle, receive vehicle information wirelessly, and control the current fuel consumption status to be displayed variably on a screen placed inside the vehicle. Furthermore, not all of the control means must be inside the vehicle, and some of them may be located outside the vehicle (for example, in a server, etc.).
In addition, "selective input action by the user" refers to input using an input button for selection or an operation unit that operates keys, or when the screen has a touch panel function, touching the screen and using the GUI screen. Selecting an input mode from the control means, or inputting from an external computer via a server placed outside the vehicle, or inputting selected data from an external computer to a storage medium (for example, an SD card), and controlling the control means. It can be assumed that data can be transferred and input by attaching a storage medium inside the housing that includes the computer.
The "screen" can be assumed to be a display device equipped with a display section on which moving images and still images are displayed, such as an organic EL display, a liquid crystal display, or a CRT display. It is especially good to use a dot matrix display.

The gist of the second means is that, in addition to the first means, the control means is provided inside the vehicle, and the screen is arranged at a position within the vehicle that is visible to the driver.
Although the screen (display means having a screen) could be constructed separately, it is advantageous in handling that it is mounted on the vehicle together with at least the main body of the electronic system along with the control means. When installed in a vehicle, there are cases where the screen is installed inside the housing of the electronic system main body in which the control means is installed, and cases where the screen is installed inside the vehicle separately from the electronic system main body and the control means is installed. This includes both wireless and wired connections such as cables.

In addition to the first or second means, the gist of the third means is that the driving information is information obtained from an information output means attached to the vehicle itself.
In other words, it is driving information that can be obtained from a vehicle by some acquisition means. This information can generally be obtained from the K line or CAN (Controller Area Network), which has a terminal on a vehicle diagnostic connector for ODB-II (On-Board Diagnostic System Stage 2), which is required to be installed in a vehicle. However, if the vehicle has a means of obtaining data from a source other than the vehicle diagnostic connector, it is free to use it.
Examples of driving information that can be obtained from the vehicle include vehicle speed, injection time, ignition timing, intake air amount, intake air temperature, water temperature, air/fuel efficiency correction coefficient, battery voltage, remaining fuel amount, flow rate pulse from a flow meter, Examples include refueling amount, engine speed, throttle opening (accelerator opening), throttle sensor voltage, airflow voltage, boost pressure, etc.

In the fourth means, in addition to any one of the first to third means, the gist is that the driving information is information obtained from an information acquisition means installed in the vehicle separately from the vehicle. shall be.
Information obtained from such an information acquisition means disposed inside the vehicle separately from the vehicle is information that cannot be obtained from the vehicle, and is important as an information source.
Examples of such information acquisition means include current position acquisition means, current time acquisition means, speed acquisition means, acceleration acquisition means, and the like. More specific examples of the current position acquisition means, current time acquisition means, and speed acquisition means include, for example, a radar detection device, a navigation device, a GPS receiver attached to a drive recorder, or the like. Moreover, as a more specific means for acquiring the acceleration, for example, an acceleration sensor (two-axis type or three-axis type) attached to a radar detection device, a navigation device, a drive recorder, or the like can be mentioned.

In a fifth means, in addition to any one of the first to fourth means, the fluctuation display section includes a graphical display section and a numerical display section for the operating information, and the control means is provided in the numerical display section. The gist thereof is to display numerical values in a manner that associates display elements within the graphical display section.
With this configuration, numerical values are displayed in a manner related to the fluctuations in the graphical display area, so it is possible to visually recognize the fluctuations in the graphical display area, and at the same time display accurate numerical values corresponding to the fluctuations. It becomes possible to obtain information.
Here, "displaying numerical values in a manner that associates the display elements in the graphical display section" means, for example, when displaying numerical values in a position adjacent to a meter object, which will be described later, or when displaying the current operating state in a graph, which will be described later. An example of this is to display the numerical value corresponding to the plot position in relation to the plot position.
In addition to the fifth means, the gist of the sixth means is that the scale of the numerical display section is changed in accordance with changes in driving information of the vehicle.
For example, at the beginning of a vehicle's travel, the speed, engine load, and engine rotational speed are not so large. On the other hand, both become larger after a while after driving. Therefore, by initially displaying on a small scale and increasing the scale as the vehicle progresses, more optimal and efficient display can be achieved. In particular, since the screens of in-vehicle devices are small, it is desirable to be able to change the scale in this way. The same is true when the vehicle speed decreases from a normal running state to a stop direction, and in this case, the scale is conversely set to be small.

In a seventh means, in addition to any one of the first to sixth means, the control means causes information unrelated to the information content displayed on the variable display section to be displayed on the screen simultaneously with the variable display section. The gist is:
With such a configuration, even though multiple variable display sections are displayed on the screen, for example, if a predetermined event occurs without correlation with the variable element that changes the variable display section currently displayed on the screen, Other information about the event, such as the event, can be displayed on the screen. This allows the current variable display area to continue to be displayed on the screen without causing the variable display area to disappear from the screen, while other information that may suddenly issue a warning to the user is transmitted as temporary information. can be done.

In an eighth means, in addition to any one of the first to seventh means, a meter object is provided as the fluctuation display section, and the control means displaces a pointer object in the meter object according to a change in the driving information. The gist is to display it in a variable manner.
In other words, the needle is changed by an operation similar to actually rotating the needle in response to changes in driving information. Since the user visually recognizes daily driving information in a meter format, the fluctuating display that is often seen in such meter formats makes it easier to understand the driving information. Examples of driving information suitable for variable display with such a guideline object include fuel consumption information, coolant temperature information, engine speed information, vehicle speed information, engine load factor information, and the like.

In the ninth means, in addition to any one of the first to eighth means, a meter object is provided as the variable display section, and the control means changes the meter object with respect to the background according to the change in the driving information. The gist is to display a variable display in which the area occupied by an index object corresponding to a quantity changes.
In other words, the area displayed within the meter object is changed according to changes in driving information. Similarly to the above, since the user visually recognizes daily driving information in a meter format, the fluctuating display that is often seen in such meter formats makes it easier to understand the driving information. The direction of area variation can be assumed to be a rotational direction or an up/down/left/right direction. Changes in area include not only changes in the border positions of areas divided by different colors and brightnesses on the screen, but also expressions expressed by increases and decreases in lines and patterns occupying one area.
Examples of driving information suitable for variable display due to changes in the area occupied by the index object include throttle opening information, engine load factor information, and the like.

In a tenth means, in addition to either the eighth or ninth means, the contours of the meter objects are the same or similar in shape to each other, and the control means displays a plurality of the variable display parts on the screen. The gist of this is to display the same size in all cases.
In such a configuration, when a plurality of meter objects are displayed on the screen, they will be displayed in the same size even if they display different driving information. Since the screen size does not change, as the number of meter objects displayed on the screen increases, the size of the meter objects will gradually become smaller to fit on one screen. It is preferable to arrange them in series in the horizontal direction for ease of viewing, but if the number of meter objects to be displayed increases, they may be arranged in two or more rows to ensure the largest possible size.

In an eleventh means, in addition to any one of the first to seventh means, a specific vehicle that displays the driving information in a schematized form of a specific part of the vehicle according to changes in the driving information as the variable display section. Its gist is to provide a part object.
Such specific vehicle part objects have a very different appearance from the fluctuating display parts such as meters that are standardly installed in cars, and have animation-like fluctuating movements, so they are highly visually appealing to users. This makes it excellent as a variable display section.
The schematic representation of a specific part of the vehicle is preferably a part that moves as the vehicle travels, and more preferably a part whose movement changes depending on the driving situation.
For example, the most important vehicle information includes the partial cross-sectional shape of the engine (internal structure and surroundings), the rotational movement of the tires, etc.
In this case, the fluctuation display may include, for example, changes in the structure around the engine (changes in the speed of the reciprocating movement of the piston, changes in the rotational speed of the crankshaft, changes in the speed of the reciprocating movement of the intake and exhaust valves, changes in the speed of other cams, camshafts, etc.) ) or changes in the rotational speed of tires, etc., or by changes in the colors of the members that make up these objects. A color change is a concept that includes not only a change in saturation but also a change in lightness.

In addition to any one of the first to eleventh means, the gist of the twelfth means is that the control means causes the variable display section to display a variable display based on a plurality of pieces of the driving information.
In such a configuration, by mixing parts that display changes in response to a number of pieces of driving information in a specific vehicle part object, it is possible to simultaneously provide information on changes in multiple pieces of driving information to the user. There is no need to prepare multiple variable display units separately to convey driving information to the user.
More specifically, for example, a trip meter-like display as a meter object, that is, a variable display of the distance traveled since setting and the corresponding driving information such as average fuel consumption and average speed during that time. It is possible to imagine a variable display section that causes
In addition, in the case of the above-mentioned specific vehicle part object, for example, a change in the internal structure of the engine described above can be realized by changing the shape of a piston object, etc. based on certain driving information, and at the same time displaying changes based on other driving information. It can be assumed that the display is realized by changing the color of a piston object or the like.

In a thirteenth means, in addition to any one of the first to seventh means, the fluctuation display section uses the two types of driving information as vertical and horizontal axes of a graph, and displays the two types of driving information acquired by the vehicle. Its gist is that it is a graph object that displays a position corresponding to a numerical value of information on the graph.
In other words, a graph with two arbitrary types of driving information on the vertical and horizontal axes is displayed on the screen as a graph object as a type of variable display section. This is because by displaying the correlation between two types of driving information in real time in this way, it becomes possible to judge the state of the vehicle more precisely. In addition, although such graphical information display formats are useful as indicators for determining vehicle driving conditions, they are generally not displayed on vehicles, so being able to select such a variable display section is an option for users. It is beneficial for.
As for the display mode on the graph, you can always display the intersection of the current values on the vertical and horizontal axes on the graph, or you can display vertical and horizontal line segments and use the intersection position as the point that indicates the current state. good. Further, only the current state may be displayed at all times, or the past history may be displayed at the same time.
The two types of operating information are especially important if they are correlated, such as the vertical axis being speed and the horizontal axis being engine speed, or the vertical axis being fuel flow rate and the horizontal axis being operating time. It is not limited.

In addition to the thirteenth means, the gist of the fourteenth means is that the control means displays a numerical value corresponding to the driving information in association with the current position on the graph.
With such a configuration, it is possible to obtain numerical information about the exact value of the current (current) position on the graph.
"Relate to the current position on the graph" means that when displaying a value, it does not necessarily have to be in the vicinity of the position on the graph, but as long as the value is displayed in relation to the position on the graph that is being displayed. It means sufficient.
In a fifteenth means, in addition to the fourteenth means, the position on the graph is indicated by the intersection of a first straight line parallel to the vertical axis on the graph and a second straight line parallel to the horizontal axis. The gist of the control means is to cause the numerical values of the axes intersecting each of the straight lines to be written together on each of the straight lines as numerical values corresponding to the driving information.
The 15th means is a specific example of the 14th means, and regarding "relating to a position on the graph", when the intersection of the first straight line and the second straight line is defined as the position on the graph, The lines are written along each straight line instead of near the intersection, which creates flexibility in the writing position. In addition, visibility near the intersection is improved. In this case, the intersection of the first straight line and the second straight line is preferably located in a fixed area of the graph, so the scales of the vertical and horizontal axes may be changed as appropriate, or the positions of the scales displayed on the axes may be moved. It is preferable to

In addition to any one of the thirteenth to fifteenth means, the gist of the sixteenth means is that the control means displays a history of positions on the graph acquired at predetermined timings.
This means that not only the current position on the graph but also the history of past positions on the graph are displayed. This is because such a configuration provides an important index for determining what kind of driving situation the vehicle was in.
Since the history is acquired at a predetermined timing, it is displayed as scattered positions, but it may be displayed in a scattered manner as it is, or in other forms of expression, such as a line graph or a bar graph.

In the seventeenth means, in addition to the sixteenth means, the gist is that the number of displayed history of the position displayed on the graph is limited, and the control means deletes the history starting from the oldest one.
As the number of past history positions gradually increases on the graph, the screen becomes more difficult to read. Therefore, by deleting the oldest history, the number of history displayed on the screen is limited, making it easier to see. The maximum number of history items to be displayed on the screen is not fixed depending on the size of the screen to be displayed, that is, the number of pixels, but for a small screen (2 to 5 inch screen), 500 to 1000 points is appropriate. .
In addition to the sixteenth or seventeenth means, the gist of the eighteenth means is that the display time of the history of the positional information displayed on the graph is limited.
This is to prevent past history positions from gradually increasing on the graph and making it difficult to see, as in the seventeenth means. For example, only the history acquired in the past 15 minutes from the current time is always displayed, and the history positions acquired before 15 minutes are erased.
In addition to the seventeenth or eighteenth means, the nineteenth means has the gist that the update timing of the display of position information on the graph is one second or less.
This is because if the update timing is too long, the data will be coarse information and may be meaningless. On the other hand, even if the time is too short, if the history is recorded in terms of time as in the fourteenth means, even a short time can become very large. Furthermore, even if you want to keep a certain amount of time history, there is a possibility that too much history will be displayed on the screen, making it difficult to understand the driving information. Therefore, although the update timing is 1 second or less, it is preferably 5 ms (milliseconds) or more.

In the 20th means, in addition to any one of the 1st to 19th means, the driving information includes fuel efficiency information, cooling water temperature information, fuel flow rate information, engine speed information, vehicle speed information, engine load factor information, throttle The gist is that the information is any one of opening degree information, vehicle position information, current time information, and acceleration information. Fuel efficiency is the fuel consumption rate.
These are examples of vehicle driving information. Further, fuel efficiency information includes instantaneous fuel consumption, current fuel consumption, all-road average fuel consumption, general road average fuel consumption, and highway average fuel consumption.
The gist of the twenty-first means is a program for causing a computer to realize the functions of the control means in the electronic system described in any one of the first to twentieth means.

According to the present invention, a user can simultaneously and arbitrarily obtain driving information of multiple vehicles from a meter other than the meter originally installed in the vehicle, so that the user can accurately judge the driving state of the vehicle according to the user's wishes. An index will be obtained.

1 is a perspective view from the front side of a radar detection device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a connection structure when the main cable of the radar detection device of the same embodiment is connected to a vehicle diagnostic connector via a connection adapter. FIG. 2 is a front view of a vehicle diagnostic connector installed in a vehicle. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the electrical configuration of the embodiment. (a) to (g) are schematic diagrams of images of meter objects displayed on the standby screen. A schematic diagram of an image of a graph object displayed on the standby screen. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an image of an initial stage of running of an engine object displayed on a standby screen. A schematic diagram of an image of a graph object displayed on the standby screen. (a) to (g) are images of actual meter objects displayed on the standby screen corresponding to (a) to (g) in FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an image of a first table object displayed on a standby screen. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of an image of a second table object displayed on the standby screen. A schematic diagram of a standby screen created by combining a standby image and an image of a meter object. A schematic diagram of a standby screen created by combining a standby image with an image of a graph object. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a standby screen created by combining an image of an engine object and an image of a first table object in a standby image. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a standby screen created by combining the standby image with the image of the second table object. (a) and (b) are schematic diagrams of a screen on which GUI input is possible, which is displayed on the display unit to set a standby screen. (a) to (db) are schematic diagrams of screens on which GUI input is possible that are displayed on the display unit to set a standby screen. An actual standby screen created by combining the standby image corresponding to FIG. 12 with an image of a meter object. A standby screen created by combining a graph object image with a standby image corresponding to FIG. 13. A standby screen created by combining the standby image corresponding to FIG. 14 with the image of the engine object and the image of the first table object. A standby screen created by combining the standby image corresponding to FIG. 15 with the image of the second table object.

Hereinafter, embodiments embodying the present invention will be described based on the drawings.
FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a radar detection device 10 as an electronic system (electronic device). The radar detection device 10 has a mechanism housed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped-shaped housing 11 serving as a main body, and is fixed to, for example, a dashboard of a vehicle via a mounting bracket 12.
A display section 14 is exposed within a frame-shaped front frame 13 arranged on the front surface of the housing 11 (the surface facing the driver). In this embodiment, the display section 14 is comprised of a small 4.3-inch liquid crystal display. The display unit 14 also serves as a touch panel as an input means. A slot 15 is formed on the side surface of the housing 11 to insert an SD card as a storage medium. A main cable 17 extends from the back surface of the housing 11 (the surface facing the front window). As shown in FIG. 2, a female connector 18 is fixed to the tip of the main cable 17. Further, a power switch (not shown) is formed on the back surface of the casing 11.
As shown in FIG. 2, the radar detection device 10 is connected via a connection adapter 21 to a vehicle diagnostic connector 22 having a front shape as shown in FIG. The vehicle diagnostic connector 22, which serves as information output means, is disposed within the vehicle at a predetermined position that does not interfere with driving (this varies depending on the type of vehicle). The connection adapter 21 has a male connector 24 and a connection connector 25 at both ends of a connection cable 23. A female connector 18 and a male connector 24 at the tip of a main cable 17 extending from the radar detection device 10 are connected, and a connecting connector 25 is connected to a vehicle diagnostic connector 22 installed on the vehicle side. In this embodiment, the radar detection device 10 is assumed to obtain power from the IGN signal terminal in the vehicle diagnostic connector 22, but a DC power jack may be provided to obtain power from a cigarette lighter socket, for example. It is also possible.

Next, the electrical configuration inside the casing 11 of the radar detection device 10 will be explained based on the block diagram of FIG. 4. Note that configurations not directly related to the present invention will be omitted.
A position detector 31, a microwave detector 32, a wireless receiver 33, a memory card reader 34, an acceleration sensor 35, a database 36, and the display section 14 are connected to the controller MC as a control means.
The controller MC is composed of a well-known CPU, memories such as ROM and RAM, a timer, and the like. Map data is called into the ROM in the controller MC, and displayed on the display unit 14 in association with the obtained target object data and detection data of a speed measuring device (such as a mobile radar (hereinafter simply referred to as "radar")). a map display program that processes the GPS information received by the GPS receiver 37; a microwave determination program that determines the microwaves received by the microwave detector 32; A radio wave determination program that determines radio waves, a fuel efficiency calculation program that arbitrarily acquires various vehicle information output from the vehicle diagnostic connector 22, and performs calculations of fuel flow rate, various fuel efficiency, etc. based on the information, and the user. A standby screen display program that causes a predetermined standby image to be displayed as a standby screen on the display unit 14 by the operation of the display unit 14; Various programs such as System) are stored in the RAM.Various vehicle information obtained from the vehicle diagnostic connector 22, calculated values calculated by the above-mentioned fuel efficiency calculation program, and position information detected by the position detector 31 are stored in the RAM. is memorized.
The controller MC converts the vehicle information output to the K line or CAN of the vehicle diagnostic connector 22 on the vehicle side via the interface 28 into a processable communication protocol, such as a UART signal.

The position detector 31 as a current position acquisition means, speed acquisition means, and current time acquisition means is equipped with a GPS receiver 37 that acquires GPS information as the core of the configuration. Detect the position of your vehicle at the current time. The detected location information includes the vehicle's speed, latitude, longitude, and altitude. The microwave detector 32 detects predetermined microwaves from the received microwaves. The radio receiver 33 detects a predetermined radio wave from the received radio waves. The memory card reader 34 reads data on an SD card as a memory card inserted into the slot 15, or updates data on the SD card.
The acceleration sensor 35 serving as an acceleration acquisition means is a three-axis type sensor that detects acceleration and inclination in each of the three axes (X, Y, Z), and constantly outputs detected values to the controller MC.
The database 36 is a nonvolatile memory (eg, EEPROM) inside the controller MC or externally attached to the controller MC. In this embodiment, the database 36 stores object data to be displayed on the display unit 14 in a standby state, master image data, various font data to be displayed on the display unit 14, and the like. Note that these data may be stored in the ROM.
Further, the controller MC detects the state of contact with the display unit 14 at a timing of several milliseconds, and performs processing according to commands input through the GUI.

In such an electrical configuration, the controller MC outputs a command to the K line or CAN terminal of the vehicle diagnostic connector 22 according to a predetermined protocol, and acquires predetermined vehicle information via the K line or CAN. The driving information that can be acquired includes vehicle speed (vehicle speed), injection time, ignition timing, intake air amount, intake air temperature, water temperature, air/fuel efficiency correction coefficient, battery voltage, remaining fuel amount, flow rate pulse from the flow meter, and refueling. Examples include engine speed, throttle opening (accelerator opening), throttle sensor voltage, airflow voltage, and boost pressure. Use this information as is or use the information obtained from the vehicle diagnostic connector 22 as primary information such as fuel flow rate, instantaneous fuel consumption, fuel consumption per driving (current fuel consumption), fuel consumption in past driving (average fuel consumption for all roads), expressway If it is necessary to calculate average fuel consumption, general road average fuel consumption, travel distance, engine load factor, etc., each is calculated and acquired as secondary information. Further, as described above, the vehicle speed can also be acquired by the GPS receiver 37, but in this embodiment, priority is given to the vehicle speed acquired from the vehicle diagnostic connector 22.
There are several methods (calculation methods) for obtaining the fuel flow rate. First, if the value of fuel consumption is periodically output from the vehicle side, that value is used as is. On the other hand, if a regular value of fuel consumption cannot be obtained, it can be calculated by a known method based on the value of either the intake air amount or the injection time at a certain sampling time. In this embodiment, the injection time is used. Although the sampling time is arbitrary, it is set to 1 second here.
The injection time (valve opening time) can be calculated by giving a predetermined correction value to the output of the airflow meter (air flow rate in the intake duct) and the engine rotational speed, and performing various predetermined corrections. This corrected fuel flow rate is defined as consumed fuel. The fuel flow rate for 1 second corresponding to the sampling time is defined as the obtained fuel flow rate. The average fuel flow rate within a predetermined time period can be calculated by dividing the accumulated value of the obtained fuel flow rate over a predetermined time period by that time.
First, when instantaneous fuel consumption is periodically output from the vehicle, that value is used as is. If it cannot be obtained, the distance traveled is calculated from the vehicle speed and travel time at a certain sampling time, divided by the fuel flow rate, and a correction value is given. The speed of the vehicle is obtained from the vehicle diagnostic connector 22, and the time is obtained from a known timer attached to the controller MC. Alternatively, it may be calculated by giving predetermined correction values to the output of the airflow meter and the engine rotational speed, and performing various predetermined corrections, as described above.
The average fuel consumption is calculated from the accumulation of instantaneous fuel consumption and driving time. The controller MC calculates the average fuel consumption over the time period from the start of the engine to the present.
The fuel consumption per driving operation is calculated by integrating the obtained fuel flow rate from engine start to stop, calculating and dividing the distance traveled during that time. The cumulative fuel consumption of past driving is calculated by integrating past fuel flow rates, calculating and dividing the total mileage.
Expressway average fuel efficiency recognizes the road you are traveling on as an expressway based on expressway information (toll booth location and ramp way), integrates the obtained fuel flow rate only on the expressway, and calculates the total mileage on the expressway. It is calculated by dividing the cumulative fuel flow rate.
The average fuel consumption on ordinary roads is calculated by integrating the fuel flow on roads other than expressways, calculating the total travel distance on roads other than expressways, and dividing the cumulative fuel flow.
The engine load factor is calculated as the ratio of the current intake air amount to the maximum intake air amount.

Next, various objects etc. whose display is controlled by the controller MC as part of the standby screen of the display unit 14 will be explained based on FIGS. 5 to 14. In particular, FIGS. 5 to 14 show objects that display variables based on vehicle driving information obtained from the vehicle diagnostic connector 22, which is an information output means.
The controller MC calls up various object data stored in the ROM, combines it with the master image data of the standby image that has also been called up, and displays the object data variably in response to changes in driving information. The liquid crystal display of the display unit 14 generally displays characters and objects with a certain saturation and brightness on a black background. In this embodiment, since there are restrictions on representation in illustrations, some minor details are omitted, the background is shown in white, and characters and objects are shown in black, hatched lines, etc. Examples of how various objects are actually displayed on the display unit 14 are shown in FIG. 9 and FIGS. 18 to 21.
In addition, regarding object data other than object data specific to the present invention (a clock object that displays the time, a level object that displays the degree of inclination of the vehicle, an acceleration display object that displays the direction and magnitude of acceleration applied to the vehicle, and a GPS positioning object) (e.g., an earth object indicating the position of a receiving satellite) and a master image of a standby image to be combined with them are omitted from illustration.

As shown in Fig. 5(a), five types of fuel efficiency are used as multiple driving information (instantaneous fuel consumption, current fuel consumption, all-road average fuel consumption, expressway average fuel consumption, general road average fuel consumption) and changes in cooling water temperature. A first meter object 40 is prepared for displaying fluctuations. That is, the first meter object 40 is an object that can display a plurality of pieces of driving information. The display image actually developed on the display unit 14 of the first meter object 40 is shown in FIG. 9A (however, it is a black and white display and no saturation appears. The same applies hereafter).
The first meter object 40 has a circular surrounding ring 41 as an outer shell. The surrounding ring 41 is decorated with a metal reflective part so as to appear as if it were made of metal in the actual image. Screw objects 41a are arranged in the surrounding ring 41 at positions shifted by 30 degrees from the 12 o'clock position (12 screw objects in total). A circular internal area surrounded by the surrounding ring 41 is divided into two parts at the center, into an upper and a lower part. The upper region 40a is provided with a fan-shaped display section 42 having an image of a fan-shaped window hole. A pointer object 43 extending outward from the center of the first meter object 40 is displayed within the fan-shaped display section 42 . The controller MC causes the pointer object 43 to display a variable display that swings from side to side within the fan-shaped display section 42 with the center as the base position, depending on the value of the driving information. As for the position suggested by the pointer object 43, the value is lower on the left side of the figure (L), and the value is higher on the right side (H). A block object 44 serving as an index indicating the position of a simple pointer object 43 is displayed on the outer periphery of the fan-shaped display section 42 . Since the first meter object 40 is common for a total of six different types of driving information, including five types of fuel efficiency and cooling water temperature, the numerical values that the scales mean differ depending on the driving information. The controller MC causes the lower area 40b of the first meter object 40 to display the acquired value of the currently selected driving information together with its unit. For example, in FIG. 5, the instantaneous fuel consumption is displayed as "60km/l", and it can be seen accurately as a numerical value that the instantaneous fuel consumption is 60km per liter.

As shown in FIG. 5(b), the second meter object 45 for displaying fluctuations according to changes in fuel flow rate as driving information has the same outer shape as the surrounding ring 41 as the first meter object 40. However, the internal area is divided into upper and lower halves. The display image actually developed on the display unit 14 of the second meter object 45 is shown in FIG. 9(b).
The controller MC causes the upper region 45a to display, in a color different from the background, a variable region 46 in which the interface moves up and down, as if the water surface goes up and down, in response to changes in the fuel flow rate. As the fuel flow rate increases, the interface moves in the upward direction. The controller MC causes the lower area 45b of the second meter object 45 to display the acquired value of the current fuel flow rate together with its units. Since the fuel flow rate is the amount that flows per minute (milliliter), the unit is ml/m.

As shown in FIG. 5(c), the third meter object 47 for displaying fluctuations according to changes in engine speed as driving information has the same outer shape of the surrounding ring 41 as the first meter object 40. have. The display image actually developed on the display unit 14 of the third meter object 47 is shown in FIG. 9(c). In the circular area 47a of the third meter object 47, the pointer object 48 is displayed extending outward from the center of the circular area 47a. The pointer object 48 uses the center position as a rotation base, and the controller MC causes the pointer object 48 to display a variation in which the pointer object 48 rotates in the left and right directions with the center as the base position in response to changes in engine speed. Rotation to the right is the direction of increase. ×1000 rpm, which is a unit of engine rotation speed, is displayed as driving information at a position slightly lower than the center of the circular area 47a. A scale is displayed on the outer periphery of the circular area 47a adjacent to the surrounding ring 41. One scale indicates 0.2, and numerical values corresponding to integer positions are arranged clockwise like 0, 1, 2, 3, etc. The 0 position of the scale is arranged exactly corresponding to the screw object 41a position at the 7 o'clock position, and the maximum scale 10 is arranged at the screw object 41a at the 5 o'clock position. The scale of integer positions is long and extends to the surrounding ring 41, and at the same time the integer positions correspond to the positions of the screw objects 41a. In other words, the decorative screw object 41a also functions to complement the scale, making it easier to determine the position of the pointer object 48 in the small meter object. The reason why the scale does not start at the 6 o'clock position is to prevent the minimum and maximum values from overlapping.

As shown in FIG. 5D, the fourth meter object 49 for displaying driving information in a variable manner according to changes in vehicle speed has approximately the same shape as the third meter object 47. The only difference in shape from the third meter object 47 is the unit and interval of the scale and the position of the screw object 41a.
The scale is engraved from 0 to 240, with each division equaling 5 km/h. Corresponding numbers are arranged clockwise every 20km/h. The number of screw objects 41a in the fourth meter object 49 is 14 in total, and they are arranged at positions shifted by about 25.7 degrees from the 12 o'clock position. The scale of the number position is long and extends to the surrounding ring 41, and at the same time, the number position corresponds to the position of the screw object 41a. As a result, the position of the screw object 41a is made to correspond to the well-defined position of each 20 km/h of the vehicle speed scale prepared from 0 to 240, where each scale is 5 km/h. The screw object 41a corresponds to a scale every 20 km/h clockwise starting from the screw object 41a (corresponding to 0 m/h) adjacent to the left side of the figure at the 6 o'clock position as the starting point, and the screw object 41a corresponds to the scale of every 20 km/h at the 6 o'clock position on the right side of the figure. The adjacent bis object 41a (corresponding to 240 km/h) is the end point of the correspondence. This makes it easier to determine the position of the pointer object 48 in a small meter object, as described above.
The display image actually developed on the display unit 14 of the fourth meter object 49 is shown in FIG. 9(d).

As shown in FIG. 5(e), the fifth meter object 51 for displaying fluctuations according to changes in the engine load factor as driving information has the same outer shape of the surrounding ring 41 as the first meter object 40. The internal area is divided into upper and lower halves. The display image actually developed on the display unit 14 of the fifth meter object 51 is shown in FIG. 9(e). The upper area 51a is a fan-shaped display section 52 with a fan-shaped window-like image similar to the first meter object 40, and the controller MC is a fan-shaped indicator object that is divided into small fan-shaped indicators along the circumferential direction of the fan-shaped window. By increasing or decreasing 53 in accordance with changes in the engine load factor, a variable display is performed so that areas of different colors are changed against the background. The index object 53 is displayed to increase from right to left as the engine load factor increases. In this embodiment, the index object 53 that appears in an area where the engine load factor is small and the indicator object 53 that appears in an area where the engine load factor is large are different colors (in the illustration in FIG. 5(e), the same gradation is used). (although the reality is different). For example, in areas where the engine load factor is low, the color is blue, which means safety, and as the engine load factor increases, colors with longer wavelengths are gradually displayed, and when the engine load factor is at its maximum, it is dangerous. I am trying to display it in red, which is the color. In the lower area 51b of the fifth meter object 51, the obtained value of the current engine load factor is displayed together with its unit. Since the engine load factor is expressed as a percentage, % is displayed as a unit.

As shown in FIG. 5(f), the sixth meter object 55 for displaying a variable display according to the change in throttle opening as driving information has the same outer shape of the surrounding ring 41 as the first meter object 40. The internal circular area is divided into upper and lower halves. The display image actually developed on the display unit 14 of the sixth meter object 55 is shown in FIG. 9(f). The upper area 55a is a fan-shaped display part 56 of a fan-shaped window-like image similar to the first meter object 40, and the controller MC occupies the fan-shaped display part 56 of the fan-shaped object 57 along the circumferential direction of the fan shape. By increasing or decreasing the area in accordance with changes in throttle opening, an image is displayed so that areas of different colors change against the background. The display is such that the area of the fan-shaped object 57 increases from right to left as the throttle opening increases, like a fan opening. The fan-shaped object 57 represents the opening amount of the throttle valve, and here the area occupied by the fan-shaped object 57 relative to the background corresponds to the throttle opening, but conversely, the area occupied by the background of the fan-shaped object 57 corresponds to the throttle opening. It may be made to correspond to In the controller MC, the value obtained as the current throttle opening degree is displayed in the lower area 55b of the sixth meter object 55 together with its unit. Since the throttle opening is expressed as a percentage, % is displayed as a unit.

As shown in FIG. 5(g), a seventh meter object 58 for displaying two pieces of driving information, a change in a predetermined distance and a change in fuel consumption during that time, as numerical values is a first meter object. The enclosing ring 41 has an outer shape similar to that of 40, and the inner region is divided into upper and lower halves. The seventh meter object 55 has a function as a so-called trip meter. The display image actually developed on the display unit 14 of the seventh meter object 58 is shown in FIG. 9(g).
The controller MC causes the upper area 58a to display the distance from the reset to the present. In the lower area 58b, the fuel consumption up to the present time after being reset is displayed. A reset button object 59 is displayed on the right side of the upper area 58a and lower area 58b, and can be reset by GUI operation on the display unit 14.

As shown in FIG. 6, in a graph object 61 that graphs the correlation between vehicle speed and engine speed as driving information, the vertical axis is set as the vehicle speed and the horizontal axis is set as the engine speed. The display image actually developed on the display unit 14 of the graph object 61 is shown in FIG. The controller MC acquires the vehicle speed and engine rotational speed at a predetermined timing (every second in this embodiment), and plots the position on the graph object 61 as a light spot occupying a fixed number of pixels. The plotted light spots showing the correlation between vehicle speed and engine speed at a certain point in time remain as a history, and driving information showing the correlation between vehicle speed and engine speed is recorded in scattered dots on the graph object 61 over time. This will continue to be the case. The controller MC causes the oldest data to be deleted from the screen when the history (light spots) plotted on the graph object 61 reaches a predetermined maximum number of histories (500 in this embodiment). This prevents the screen from becoming full of dots and meaningless driving information, and always displays the vehicle speed and engine rotation for the latest few minutes (500 dots = 500 seconds, so about 8 minutes or more). The correlation between the numbers will be provided to the user as driving information in an easy-to-understand manner.
Here, there is no indication of when the plotted position was plotted, but it is simply expressed as a light spot on the graph, so what is the current correlation between vehicle speed and engine rotation speed? is difficult to understand. Therefore, in order to clarify the correlation between the current vehicle speed and engine speed, the controller MC passes through the current positions on the graph of the vehicle speed and engine speed in the graph object 61, and Two current position indicating lines 62a and 62b parallel to the axis are displayed. The position plotted at the intersection point P of these current position indication lines 62a and 62b will display the current vehicle speed and engine rotation speed. In addition, as shown in FIG. 6, the controller MC sets accurate vehicle speed and engine rotation so that the end positions of the current position indication lines 62a and 62b outside the margin of the graph object 61 follow the movement of the current position indication lines 62a and 62b, respectively. Display numbers as numbers.

The units of the vertical and horizontal axes of the graph object 61 are km/h and rpm, respectively, but their scales are not constant and vary depending on the driving situation.
For example, if it is now within a few seconds of the start, the vehicle speed and rotational speed are still low. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7, in the initial state of the graph object 61, the maximum value of the vehicle speed scale is 50 km/h, and the maximum value of the engine speed displayed in the display area is 2000 rpm. In other words, avoid displaying too large a value as a scale.
However, as the vehicle speed increases and the engine speed also increases, the controller MC increases the scale according to the acquired vehicle speed and engine speed (scale up).
The timing for scaling up depends on the change in vehicle speed or engine speed of a certain vehicle to a band to which the speed or engine speed belongs. In other words, when a certain vehicle speed or engine rotation speed is exceeded, the maximum vehicle speed and engine rotation speed in the band to which the vehicle speed or engine rotation speed belongs are set as the maximum values displayed in the display area, and the scale on the graph is adjusted accordingly. Vary the meaning unit quantity. For example, when the vehicle speed is in the range of 0 to 49 km/h, the maximum value displayed in the display area is 50 km/h, but when the vehicle speed exceeds 50 km/h, the scale is increased and the maximum value is The screen will display 100km/h. In that case, as shown in FIG. 7, in the initial state, one division is 5 km/h, but as shown in FIG. 7, it is scaled up to 20 km/h all at once.
The engine rotation speed is 2000 rpm from 0 to 1999 rpm, but the controller MC similarly scales up when it exceeds 2000 rpm, and displays a screen that displays 6000 rpm as the maximum value, as shown in FIG. 6, for example. Conversely, the scale is reduced (scale down) when the vehicle speed becomes 50 km/h or less or the engine speed becomes 2000 rpm or less.

The controller MC displays the maximum values on the screen when scaling up based on the past maximum values of the vehicle speed and engine rotation speed of the vehicle. For example, assume that the vehicle has traveled at a maximum speed of 95 km/h in the past. The maximum value displayed in the display area is made to correspond to the band to which a certain vehicle speed belongs. For example, if the maximum speed is between 50 and 99 km/h, the maximum value is set to 100 km/h, and when the maximum speed is between 100 and 149 km/h, it is set to 150 km/h. Alternatively, for the engine speed, the maximum value is set to 3000 rpm from 2000 to 2999 rpm, and the maximum value is set to 4000 rpm from 3000 to 3999 rpm. These driving histories are stored, for example, in the RAM of the controller MC. Then, in the subsequent display on the graph object 61, the controller MC sets the maximum value of the band to which the maximum speed and maximum engine rotational speed to date belong to the maximum value displayed in the display area at the time of scale-up. With such a display mode, it is possible to develop the history on the graph object 61 centering on the correlation between vehicle speed and engine speed that matches the driving tendency of the vehicle in question, and it is possible to develop the history on the graph object 61, focusing on the correlation between vehicle speed and engine speed that matches the driving tendency of the vehicle, and to The area of the engine rotation speed region can be reduced from the graph object 61.

As shown in FIG. 8, an engine object 65 for displaying changes in both engine speed and engine load factor as operating information is a variable object that represents the inside of the engine by partially sectionalizing it. . The contents constituting the engine object 65 include a cylinder block 66, a piston 67, an intake and exhaust valve 68, and an impeller 70 of a turbocharger 69. Here, the cylinder block 66 and the housing of the turbocharger 69 are shown in cross section. The controller MC executes an animation in which the piston 67 moves up and down at high speed and the impeller 70 rotates at high speed as the engine speed increases. Further, the controller MC controls the color of the entire piston 67 displayed on the screen so as to correspond to the change in the engine load factor. That is, as the engine load factor increases, the color of the piston 67 becomes darker (changed to a more conspicuous color). In this embodiment, the setting is such that as the engine load factor increases, the color changes from metallic color to light pink to pink to red, which is a dangerous color. The display image actually developed on the display unit 14 of the engine object 67 is shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 10, in this embodiment, a first table object 71 is prepared for displaying current values of engine load factor, throttle opening, fuel flow rate, and instantaneous fuel consumption. The first table object 71 is used to display on the standby screen at the same time as the engine object 65. This is because these items have a strong relationship with the engine object 65 and are preferably displayed at the same time as the engine object 65.
As shown in Figure 11, the current fuel consumption, instantaneous fuel consumption, all-road average fuel consumption, current fuel consumption, general road fuel consumption, fuel flow rate, highway fuel consumption, vehicle speed, engine speed, cooling water temperature, engine load factor, and throttle opening are shown in Figure 11. A second table object 72 is prepared that displays numerical values of driving information. These 11 types of driving information are used to independently display on the standby screen as important vehicle driving information acquired from the vehicle diagnostic connector 22. These 11 types of driving information are information that is variably displayed in the first to seventh meter objects 40, 45, 47, 49, 51, 55, and 58 described above.

Next, the configuration of the standby image for the standby screen prepared in this embodiment will be explained. In this embodiment, the first to seventh meter objects 40, 45, 47, 49, 51, 55, 58, a graph object 61, an engine object 65, a first table object 71, and a second table object 72 are used. Four types of standby images to be displayed on the display unit 14 in combination with the following will be described.
12 to 15 are standby screens created by combining these objects with the standby image P1. 12 is combined with the second, fifth and sixth meter objects 45, 51, 55, FIG. 13 is combined with the graph object 61, FIG. 14 is combined with the engine object 65 and the first table object 71, 15 is combined with a second table object 72.
In the upper screen area of the standby image P1, a time object 75, various status icons 76, a speed object 77, and a compass icon 78 are arranged in a row in the horizontal direction. Time object 75 displays the current time. Various status icons 76 display states obtained based on the location of the vehicle. A speed object 77 displays the current speed of the vehicle. The compass icon 78 serves as an index for displaying the direction of travel of the vehicle, and also serves as a switching input section for switching the display screen by operating the compass icon 78 on the display section 14 via the GUI, as will be described later. A wireless text warning display space 79 is provided in the lower area of the screen (the area surrounded by the two-dot chain line in the figure). The controller MC causes the wireless text warning display space 79 to display a warning display in the form of a telop in response to target object data, radar detection data, and the like. Since the warning display appears only in the wireless text warning display space 79, it does not prevent the variable display of the object that changes in the position above it. As a warning display, a predetermined microwave or radio wave received by the microwave detector 32 or the radio receiver 33, or a predetermined display corresponding to the information based on the position information of a device such as a loop coil obtained in advance, etc. For example, "LHsystem") is displayed.

Here, when three types of objects are displayed as shown in FIG. 2, the display mode is that they are arranged horizontally in a line with the same external size. If the selected objects are the first to seventh meter objects 40, 45, 47, 49, 51, 55, and 58, the outer dimensions of the surrounding ring 41 are exactly the same in all of them, so that the so-called "triple meter style" is created. will be displayed.
When displaying three types of driving information selectively on the standby image P1, the controller MC displays the driving information display area 80 (encircled by a two-dot chain line in the figure) in order to inform the user what kind of driving information is being displayed. The contents of the driving information displayed by the object are displayed in Japanese for each object displayed for the area). In FIG. 14(a), as an example, "fuel flow rate,""engine load factor," and "throttle opening" are displayed as operating information corresponding to the second, fifth, and sixth meter objects 45, 51, and 55 that are selected and displayed. It will be displayed at the area 80 position.
The display images actually developed on the display unit 14 of FIGS. 12 to 15 are shown in FIGS. 18 to 21.

Next, a setting operation for setting a standby screen in such a radar detection device 10 will be explained. Here, an example of setting the standby screen shown in FIG. 12 will be described.
First, a case will be described in which any three types of meters are selected from the first to seventh meter objects 40, 45, 47, 49, 51, 55, and 58 for the standby image P1. The user calls up the main menu screen 81 shown in FIG. 16(a) from the display unit 14, which is a GUI input screen, and touches the "Settings" icon 82 from the main menu screen 81 to display the lower hierarchical level. A certain setting screen 83 is called up (FIG. 17(a)). As a calling method, it is assumed that, for example, the main menu screen 81 is displayed when continuous finger contact is detected at any position on any screen for a predetermined period of time (for example, 5 seconds). be done. Here, in order to set three types of meters, that is, a multimeter, the user touches the "OBD detailed settings" icon 84 on the display unit 14. Then, a setting screen 85 for OBD detailed settings as shown in FIG. 17(b) is displayed, so select and touch the "Multimeter selection" icon 86 from here.
A "multimeter selection" screen 87 as shown in FIG. 17(c) is displayed. On this screen 87, icons A to C are arranged in the same order as they are actually arranged in the standby image P1, and the correspondence relationship of vehicle driving information is set at the position corresponding to the icons A to C. This is a specific selection screen where you can select any driving information. When the user touches any of the icons A to C, a selection screen 88 in the lower hierarchy of "Meter Item Selection" explaining vehicle driving information as shown in FIG. 17(d) is displayed. If any item is selected here, the screen automatically returns to "Multimeter selection" shown in FIG. 17(b). As shown in FIG. 17(d), in order to make the user understand that the selected icons A to C have already been selected, selection completion notification is performed, such as by changing the color of the icons A to C. At this time, text information of the selected meter item may be displayed on the icon whose selection has been completed. By repeating the operations in FIGS. 17(c) and 17(d) and touching the icon on the "main screen" while selecting the driving information to be displayed for all icons A to C, the display unit 14 is set to the standby state. The screen returns to the main screen where the screen etc. are displayed, and the settings are confirmed.

Next, a change setting operation for changing the standby screen will be explained. In this embodiment, there are two types of standby screens: a first standby screen group based on vehicle driving information acquired independently by the radar detection device 10, and a second standby screen group based on vehicle driving information acquired from the vehicle diagnostic connector 22. is available. Additionally, a group of map screens is provided as a function of the radar detection device 10.
Here, the second standby screen group includes the first to seventh meter objects 40, 45, 47, 49, 51, 55, 58, the graph object 61, the engine object 65, and the first table object. 71, four types of standby screens displayed in combination with the second table object 72 and the standby image P. Here, the operation for selecting the user's desired standby screen from these four types of standby screens will be explained.
The user first selects a predetermined screen by touching the "Map/Standby/OBD" icon 87 from the main menu screen 81 shown in FIG. (standby) or second standby screen group (OBD). The icon 87 is a circular icon in which the map, standby, and OBD selections are changed by touching the icon in sequence. Here, if a certain group is displayed on the screen and is not touched for a predetermined period of time (for example, 5 seconds), the currently displayed group is determined.
Here, in this embodiment, OBD is selected. When OBD is selected, FIG. 12 is displayed as an initial screen. At this time, the three objects displayed are the meter objects selected by the operations shown in FIGS. 17(a) to 17(d). The user can select a desired standby screen by touching the compass icon 74 and changing the displays in FIGS. 12 to 15 (FIGS. 18 to 21) as appropriate. The compass icon 74 is a circular icon that, when touched in sequence, changes the selection of four types in the second standby screen group.

By configuring as described above, the following effects are achieved in this embodiment.
(1) In addition to the meter installed in the vehicle, three types of driving information that are important for driving are displayed as meter objects on the standby screen of the display unit 14, making it possible to more accurately judge the vehicle status. It becomes possible to do so. In addition, since the shape is displayed in meter format, it gives the impression that a new meter has been added to the meter installed in the vehicle, making it fun for car enthusiasts to drive while looking at these meters. .
(2) The three types of driving information can be selected from 11 types (12 types including this and the trip meter), and the user can freely combine them to display the required driving information in any desired manner. This allows you to obtain the most appropriate information depending on the driving situation. Additionally, there are more than 1,000 combination patterns, so selecting and combining them is fun in itself.
(3) You can select one type from multiple standby screens (four types in the embodiment) specialized for driving information, and one type is "Multimeter selection", which allows you to select three types of meter objects from 11 types. Because of this double selection pattern, there is a wide range of choices for driving information on the standby screen, so you will never get bored even with just one model.
(4) In the first to seventh meter objects 40, 45, 47, 49, 51, 55, and 58, not only visual changes but also the current state values are displayed. Users can obtain more accurate information.
(5) Since the three types of meter objects displayed on the standby screen are all displayed in the same size, the design is unified and easy to see.
(5) The type of information displayed by each meter object is displayed in Japanese at the bottom of each of the three types of meter objects displayed on the standby screen, so you can instantly tell what kind of meter object it is. I can understand.
(6) When a warning display is displayed in telop format in the wireless text warning space 79, the warning display appears only in the radio text warning display space 79 and does not interfere with the display of object fluctuations, so driving information is always available. is possible.
(7) When the graph object 61 that graphs the correlation between vehicle speed and engine speed is displayed on the standby screen, the user can obtain the correlation in real time as a history, which is generally not available as driving information. This is extremely useful as driving information.
(8) When the graph object 61 is displayed on the standby screen, the history is erased from the past as appropriate, and only a certain past history is visible, so the light spots of the history do not become too large and are small. Even though it is a screen, it is very easy to see.
(9) When the graph object 61 is displayed on the standby screen, the current position of the vehicle can be understood as the position plotted at the intersection point P of the current position indication lines 62a and 62b, so the current position is very easy to understand. Furthermore, since the numerical values of the vehicle speed and engine speed are displayed moving together with the instruction lines 62a and 62b, it is easy to grasp the accurate numerical values.
(10) The engine object 65 for displaying changes in both the engine speed and the engine load factor allows the user to obtain these two pieces of information with just one object without having to prepare multiple objects. This is advantageous because it can be displayed relatively larger than when each variable object is displayed separately on the screen, and multiple changes can be developed simultaneously with one variable object even on a small screen. . Further, it is very useful because both the engine speed and the engine load factor can be obtained simultaneously as driving information. In particular, since it is an object that imitates the inside of an impressive engine, it can leave a very strong impression on those who see it.

The present invention may be embodied and implemented as follows.
- In the above embodiment, objects corresponding to three types of driving information are selected by "multimeter selection," but it is also possible to select two types or four or more types, for example.
- In the above embodiment, the external size of the three types of objects displayed on the standby screen by "multimeter selection" is the same size for each meter object, but for example, only the main meter object is displayed instead of the same size. It is also possible to display it in a larger size.
- In the above embodiment, an object is selected from objects corresponding to 12 types of driving information using "multimeter selection", but in addition to these, driving information that can only be obtained by GPS positioning, for example, can be selected. , driving information acquired from sources other than the vehicle diagnostic connector 22 may be selected. Conversely, it may be possible to select only from meter objects. Moreover, as the driving information, driving information other than those mentioned in the above embodiment may be adopted.
- In the above embodiment, four types of standby screens are created using the standby image P1, but it is also possible to create other types of standby screens other than these four types.
- In the above embodiment, the graph object 61 and the engine object 65 are not combined with a plurality of meter objects as shown in FIG. 12, but are displayed as independent fluctuation display sections, but these objects are also displayed together with the meter objects in FIG. A plurality of variable display parts may be displayed simultaneously in place of other meter objects.
However, although it is fine if the graph object 61 is displayed alone on the standby screen, it becomes considerably smaller if it is selected as one of three types by "multimeter selection". Therefore, when selected by "multimeter selection", it is more preferable to display only a narrow area including the current point, rather than the entire graph object 61.
- In the above embodiment, the graph object 61 has the vertical axis representing the speed and the horizontal axis representing the engine rotation speed, but the graph object 61 is not limited to this. If the information has a correlation, it may be combined as appropriate, such as by setting the vertical axis as the fuel flow rate and the horizontal axis as the operating time, or setting the vertical axis as the engine load factor and the horizontal axis as the engine rotation speed.
- In the above, the intersection position P of the current position indication lines 62a and 62b was used as a method of expressing the current position on the graph object 61, but for example, it is possible to It may be shown using other methods such as increasing the number of characters and expressing them in a larger size.
- In the above embodiment, the vehicle speed and engine rotation speed obtained every second are plotted on the graph object 61, but other timings may be used. However, it is desirable to use a time interval that allows accurate visual confirmation of changes in operating information.
- In the above embodiment, the history on the graph object 61 is deleted from past 500 points or more, but it can be changed as appropriate depending on the screen size and the number of pixels occupied by one light point. .
- Regarding the history on the graph object 61, instead of limiting the number of points that exist at the same time as described above, it is possible to view the past history by limiting the time that one point exists on the screen (for example, about 5 to 10 minutes). It may also be erased.
- Although the driving situation in the graph object 61 is scaled up in two stages in the above embodiment, it may be set to be scaled up or down in multiple stages. Although it is preferable to scale up or down in stages as described above because the scale does not change frequently and is easier to see, it is also possible to display a display in which the scale is scaled up or down steplessly.
- The history in the graph object 61 above is shown as an example for a vehicle with a transmission mechanism, regardless of whether it is a manual or automatic transmission vehicle, but the transmission ratio is continuously changed like a continuously variable transmission (CVT). It is also possible to obtain the history of vehicles equipped with such transmissions.
- In the above embodiment, the engine load factor is expressed by changing the color of the piston object 67 of the engine object 65, but the color of parts other than the piston object 67 may be changed.
- In the engine object 65 of the above embodiment, changes in the engine speed are expressed by the piston object 67 and the impeller object 70, but other specific parts of the vehicle, such as changes in the rotation speed of the crankshaft, intake and exhaust valves, etc. It may also be applied to changes in the speed of the reciprocating motion of objects, as well as changes in the rotational speed of cams, camshafts, and tires.
- The present invention may be freely implemented in modified forms without departing from its spirit.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Fuel consumption display device as an electronic system, 14... Display section configuring a screen, 40, 45, 47, 49, 51, 55, 58... First to seventh meter objects as a variable display section, 61... Variable display 65... an engine object as a fluctuation display section; MC... a controller as a control means.

Claims (3)

A function that sequentially acquires numerical values of information acquired in a vehicle, displays a line at a position corresponding to the latest acquired numerical value, and displays the numerical value of the latest information so as to follow the movement of the line. have,
The system may include plotting the sequentially acquired numerical values on a graph and displaying the line on the graph so as to pass through a plot position indicating the latest information value. The function changes the scale of the graph to widen or narrow the range of numerical values displayed on the graph based on changes in the numerical values of information acquired in the past, and plots the numerical values of the latest information. 2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the line is moved so as to pass through a location. A program for causing a computer to implement the functions of the system according to claim 1 or 2 .

Images