JP7456968B2 - In-vehicle display device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an in-vehicle display device that can be installed, for example, in an instrument panel of a vehicle.

2. Description of the Related Art In a vehicle such as an automobile, instruments such as a speedometer, tachometer, and fuel gauge are generally installed as meter devices in the instrument panel in front of the driver, that is, in the instrument panel section. Furthermore, in recent years, instruments are often displayed using display devices such as liquid crystal display panels. Furthermore, a display device such as a car navigation device is often installed.

From the standpoint of safety and other factors, high visibility is required for meter devices such as those described above. However, when external light such as direct sunlight enters the device, the visibility of the display on the meter device is significantly reduced. Conversely, light reflected from the surface of the meter device may be reflected on the windshield ahead and impede driving visibility. For this reason, a hood is usually installed above the meter device to block external light, etc., and is configured to prevent high-intensity external light from entering the front of the meter device as direct light.

However, if a hood is installed, there will be significant design restrictions in the vicinity of the meter device, so attempts have been made to eliminate the hood for the meter device. However, even if the hood is abolished, it is necessary to sufficiently prevent a decrease in visibility and reflection on the windshield. Therefore, it has been considered to move the installation position of the meter device closer to the driver to prevent external light such as direct sunlight from entering the display surface of the meter device.

However, when the meter device is brought close to the driver, it becomes difficult to adjust the focal length of the driver's eyes in order to visually recognize the display on the meter device. In other words, drivers normally drive a vehicle with their eyes focused on the far side of their front field of view, but in order to see the meter display at a short distance, they must move their line of sight, and at the same time The displayed contents cannot be seen unless the focal length of the camera is quickly adjusted to a short distance.

The vehicle meter device disclosed in Patent Document 1 is designed to display a meter display with a high degree of freedom in visual expression in a large size over the entire meter panel, and to reduce the depth of the device to improve layout efficiency. Specifically, in a vehicle meter device 1 that displays the vehicle status using an image, there are a central display 2 that displays a real image of a liquid crystal image, an upper display 3 that displays a virtual image divided around the real image, It is equipped with a left side display 4, a right side display 5, mirrors 6, 7, 8, and a real image 2a from the center display 2, an upper display 3, a left side display 4, a right side display 5, and mirrors 6, 7, 8. virtual images 3b, 4b, and 5b are displayed in an overlapping manner. Furthermore, in reality, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the virtual images 3b, 4b, and 5b are displayed at positions adjacent to the outside of the real image 2a without overlapping the real image 2a.

The liquid crystal meter device disclosed in Patent Document 2 is capable of displaying a meter display with a high degree of freedom in visual expression in a large size over the entire meter panel, and the depth of the device is made thin to improve layout efficiency. Specifically, in a vehicle meter device 1 that displays the vehicle status using an image, there are a front display 2 that displays the display 2a using a real image of a liquid crystal image, and a back display that displays a liquid crystal image on the back of the front display 2. 3, and an upper mirror 5 that reflects the display on the rear display 3 toward the front to display a virtual image. Further, it is shown that the virtual image display on the rear display 3 is divided and performed around the real image display, and a portion of the real image display and the virtual image display are overlapped.

In addition, "A vehicular display module" of Patent Document 3 is a head-up display (
This shows a display system that combines a head-down display (HDD) and a head-down display (HDD).

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-51919 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-57350 European Patent Application No. 3012680

As mentioned above, when a vehicle's meter device is placed close to the driver's position to avoid the influence of extraneous light, the burden on the driver's eyes to adjust the focus increases, reducing visibility. There are concerns. In order to solve this focal length problem, it is conceivable to use a head-up display to increase the distance from the driver's viewpoint to the displayed virtual image. Furthermore, in order to enable the simultaneous display of various information, it is also possible to combine a display that displays a real image and a display that displays a virtual image, as shown in Patent Documents 1 to 3. .

However, it is necessary to prepare separate displays for real images and virtual images, which inevitably increases the cost of the components that make up the display system. Furthermore, a relatively large space must be secured inside the vehicle's instrument panel or dashboard in order to accommodate the multiple displays.

Further, in the case of a combination meter, for example, it is necessary to display a plurality of meters simultaneously on one display screen, and the screen requires a relatively large display area. However, in-vehicle structures such as a circular steering wheel that exist between the driver and the meter device may obstruct the driver's view, making it impossible to see the displayed content on part of the meter screen. there is a possibility. Therefore, even when adopting a display with a large screen area, in order to make the entire screen visible to the driver at the same time, it is necessary to have a display with a special shape that is devised to match the shape of the steering wheel, etc. become. However, it is inevitable that the parts of a display with a special shape will be expensive. Furthermore, if a portion of the screen area that is difficult for the driver to see, that is, a portion that becomes a blind spot due to the influence of the steering wheel, etc., is not used for display, the display area will be wasted.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to provide an in-vehicle display device that realizes a display with good visibility and easy focus adjustment for the driver's eyes, while avoiding complex shapes and structures and enabling effective use of the entire display area.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the in-vehicle display device according to the present invention is characterized by the following (1) to ( 3 ).
(1) An in-vehicle display device that can be disposed in a position visible from a driver's viewpoint,
a display having a display surface capable of displaying desired visible information as a real image;
a first display area formed on a portion of the display surface of the display;
a second display area formed in a portion of the display surface of the display and at a position different from the first display area;
a virtual image superimposing mechanism that has a reflecting surface that reflects an optical image displayed as a real image in the second display region, and projects the optical image reflected by the reflecting surface as a virtual image whose position is adjacent to that of the real image displayed in the first display region when viewed from the viewpoint position;
Equipped with
the second display area is allocated to a blind spot position behind a steering wheel of the host vehicle when the display surface is viewed from the viewpoint position,
the first display area is allocated to a position that is visible without being affected by the steering wheel when the display surface is viewed from the viewpoint position,
The virtual image superimposing mechanism has a movable mechanism for adjusting the projection position of the virtual image by adjusting the orientation of the reflecting surface.
In-vehicle display device.

( 2 ) The display surface has a light reflecting member made of a transparent material.
The in-vehicle display device according to (1) above.

( 3 ) The display has a backlight that illuminates the entire first display area and the second display area from the back side.
The in-vehicle display device according to (1) or (2) above.

According to the in-vehicle display device having the configuration (1) above, it becomes possible to simultaneously display a real image and a virtual image in an overlapping state using the first display area. Since the virtual image is reflected and projected, the optical path length is longer than that of the real image. In other words, the virtual image has a longer focal length than the real image, so even if the in-vehicle display device is installed close to the driver, the driver can see the virtual image with just a slight focus adjustment, improving visibility. be done. Furthermore, since the virtual image is formed based on the real image in the second display area, the entire display surface of the display can be effectively utilized. Furthermore, since both a real image and a virtual image can be formed using only a single display, it becomes easy to reduce component costs and the space required for installation.

Furthermore, according to the in-vehicle display device configured as described in ( 1 ) above, the blind spot created by the presence of the steering wheel placed between the driver and the in-vehicle display device can be effectively utilized as a display space. can. That is, instead of the real image displayed in the second display area, the driver can see the virtual image in the first display area, so there is no need to see the real image in the second display area, but the driver can see the virtual image displayed in the second display area. The real image that is generated can also be effectively used to form a virtual image.

Furthermore, according to the in-vehicle display device configured as described in ( 1 ) above, even if the display position of the virtual image shifts due to differences in the position and posture of the seat where the driver sits, or differences in the driver's own body shape and posture, , it becomes easy to match the display position to the first display area.

According to the in-vehicle display device having the configuration described in ( 2 ) above, even if the light reflection characteristics of the display surface are not sufficient, it is possible to easily form a virtual image having sufficient brightness for visual recognition due to the optical characteristics of the light reflection member. Become.

According to the in-vehicle display device having the configuration described in ( 3 ) above, it is possible to form a real image in the first display area and the second display area, and a virtual image in the first display area, respectively, with only one backlight illumination. . Therefore, the number of required parts can be reduced, and the cost of parts and the space required for installation can be easily reduced.

According to the in-vehicle display device of the present invention, since a virtual image with a long focal length can be used, focus adjustment in the driver's eyes is easy and a display with good visibility can be realized. Moreover, it is possible to avoid complicating the shape and structure and make effective use of the entire display area.

The present invention has been briefly described above. The details of the present invention will become clearer by reading the following description of the embodiment of the invention (hereinafter referred to as "embodiment") with reference to the attached drawings.

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an in-vehicle display device according to an embodiment mounted on a vehicle, as viewed from the side of the vehicle. FIG. 2 is a front view showing an example of a state in which the in-vehicle display device is viewed from the driver's viewpoint. FIG. 3 is a front view showing an example of the in-vehicle display device of Modification Example 1 viewed from the driver's viewpoint side. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the display device taken along line A-A' in FIG. FIG. 5 is a front view showing an example of a screen display layout in the in-vehicle display device of FIG. 2. FIG. FIG. 6 is a front view showing an example of a screen display layout in the in-vehicle display device of FIG. 3. FIG. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an example of a system configuration of an in-vehicle display device. FIG. 8 is a front view showing an example of the in-vehicle display device of Modification Example 2 viewed from the driver's viewpoint side. FIG. 9 is a front view showing a range that is visible to the driver and a range that becomes a blind spot on the display surface of the in-vehicle display device. FIG. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a modification of the in-vehicle display device as viewed from the side of the vehicle. FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a modified in-vehicle display device as viewed from the side of the vehicle. FIG. 12 is a front view showing an example of the in-vehicle display device of FIG. 11 viewed from the driver's viewpoint. FIG. 13 is a front view showing an example of a screen display layout in the in-vehicle display device of FIG. 11. FIG. 14 is a top view of a modified in-vehicle display device and its surroundings viewed from above the vehicle. FIG. 15 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a modification of the in-vehicle display device as viewed from the side of the vehicle. FIG. 16(a) is a front view of the display device with the mask installed, viewed from the driver's viewpoint, and FIG. 16(b) is a front view of the display device with the combiner installed, viewed from the driver's viewpoint. It is a front view seen from the viewpoint side. FIG. 17 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of a combiner. FIG. 18 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of a glare trap lens. FIG. 19 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the in-vehicle display device of the third modification example as viewed from the side of the vehicle.

Specific embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to each figure.

<Configuration example-1>
FIG. 1 shows an in-vehicle display device 10 according to this embodiment mounted on a vehicle, viewed from the left side of the vehicle. Further, FIG. 2 shows an example of a state in which the in-vehicle display device 10 is viewed from the driver's viewpoint EP side.

<Physical configuration viewed from the side>
The in-vehicle display device 10 shown in FIG. 1 is a combination meter device that can display various instruments. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1, this in-vehicle display device 10 is installed in the instrument panel section on the front side of the dashboard 22. That is, the in-vehicle display device 10 is arranged in an instrument panel section in front of a driver seated in the driver's seat of this vehicle.

Furthermore, a steering wheel 23 exists between the driver's viewpoint EP and the in-vehicle display device 10. However, since the optical path 15c shown in FIG. 1 passes above the steering wheel 23, when the driver is directing his/her line of sight in the direction corresponding to the optical path 15c, the display on the in-vehicle display device 10 cannot be visually recognized. Can be done.

Further, the in-vehicle display device 10 shown in FIG. 1 does not have a hood for blocking external light from above. Therefore, the display of the in-vehicle display device 10 is easily affected by external light such as direct sunlight that has passed through the windshield (window glass) 21 located above, and the visibility of the display is likely to deteriorate. Furthermore, in order to reduce nighttime reflections on the windshield that are visible to the driver, it is necessary to arrange the in-vehicle display device 10 at a position close to the driver.

However, when the in-vehicle display device 10 is installed closer to the driver, the driver must view a display that is closer to him or herself, making it difficult to adjust the focus of his eyes. In other words, in normal driving conditions, the driver visually recognizes the foreground that is relatively far away in the forward field of view, but when the driver moves his/her line of sight in the direction of the in-vehicle display device 10 that is located at a short distance from that condition, the driver's eyes The display on the vehicle-mounted display device 10 cannot be visually recognized unless the focus is adjusted significantly. Therefore, the in-vehicle display device 10 is equipped with a function to prevent a decrease in visibility due to the focal length.

Specifically, the in-vehicle display device 10 can display instrument information as a virtual image 17, similar to a general head-up display (HUD). Furthermore, the in-vehicle display device 10 can display the virtual image 17 and the real image in a state where they are overlapped in the same area. The virtual image 17 is located on the extension line of the optical path 15c as shown in FIG. 1, and is formed so as to be located further away than the in-vehicle display device 10 when viewed from the viewpoint EP, so the driver does not look at the virtual image 17 while driving. It is easier to focus and more visible than the real image on the vehicle-mounted display device 10.

As shown in FIG. 1, a display device 12, a reflective member 13, and a stepping motor 14 are housed in a device housing 11 of an on-vehicle display device 10. The display device 12 is a flat full-color TFT liquid crystal display, and is equipped with a backlight for illumination. Further, the display device 12 can display various visible information as a real image on the entire screen on the viewpoint EP side. However, as will be described later, the screen of the display device 12 is divided into two areas, upper and lower, for control purposes, and each area is managed individually.

The reflective member 13 is supported within the device housing 11 by a support mechanism including a stepping motor 14, and rotates clockwise around a rotation axis that is perpendicular to the plane of the paper in FIG. It has a movable structure that allows the tilt angle to be adjusted in the counterclockwise direction. By driving the stepping motor 14, the inclination angle of the reflecting member 13 can be changed as necessary.

Since the reflective member 13 is arranged in front of the lower area separated from the display screen of the display device 12, the light of the real image displayed in this lower area passes through the optical path 15a and enters the surface of the reflective member 13. do. The light incident on the surface of the reflecting member 13 is reflected in the direction of the optical path 15b. The light traveling from the reflective member 13 to the display device 12 through the optical path 15b is reflected by the reflective surface 16 on the front surface of the display device 12, and travels through the optical path 15c toward the viewpoint EP.

In other words, the light emitted by the real image displayed in the lower area of the display device 12 is reflected by the reflecting member 13 and the reflecting surface 16 and goes toward the viewpoint EP, so this light image is reflected when viewed from the viewpoint EP. It is visually recognized as if it were present at the position of the virtual image 17 which is in front of the plane 16. Therefore, the driver can easily visually recognize the virtual image 17 without having to focus his or her eyes at a close position.
Note that the reflecting member 13 may be a flat mirror or a magnifying glass. When the reflecting member 13 is a magnifying glass, it is possible to project a virtual image with a larger size than the lower display area 12b.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, a light-shielding front cover 25 is installed on the front side of the lower region of the display device 12 (the side closer to the viewpoint EP). Therefore, even if the driver moves the viewpoint EP a little higher than usual and tries to look from above the steering wheel 23, the real image displayed in the lower area of the display device 12 is hidden inside the front cover 25. It is designed to be invisible.

<Configuration viewed from the front>
As shown in FIG. 2, the display screen of the display device 12 is arranged approximately at the center of the in-vehicle display device 10, which has a horizontally long shape. Further, the display screen of the display device 12 has a shape close to a square, and is composed of an upper display area 12a and a lower display area 12b that are divided in the vertical direction.

Although the display device 12 is housed inside the device casing 11, the upper display area 12a can be viewed from the viewpoint EP shown in FIG. 1 through the opening of the device casing 11. Furthermore, since the steering wheel 23 is located on the front side (closer to the driver) of the lower display area 12b, the lower display area 12b is located in a blind spot and cannot be seen from the normal viewpoint EP. .

The in-vehicle display device 10 can display desired visible information as a real image 18 in the upper display area 12a of the display device 12, and can also display other visible information as a real image 19 in the lower display area 12b. However, since the real image 19 is displayed in a blind spot of the steering wheel 23, it cannot be seen from the position of the viewpoint EP.

In the example of FIG. 2, the visible information displayed as the real image 18 includes operating states of ADAS functions such as LKA and ACC, a background image, and the like. In addition, the visible information displayed as the real image 19 includes a pattern indicating that the current vehicle speed is 50 km/h, an arrow pattern such as a turn-by-turn indicating that the vehicle is planning to turn left at the intersection ahead, and other devices. Contains information such as the operating status of the The visible information of the real images 18 and 19 can be generated inside the vehicle-mounted display device 10 as information representing the current situation based on signals obtained from outputs of various sensors mounted on the own vehicle.

Also, as shown in FIG. 2, the same content as the real image 19 displayed in the lower display area 12b is displayed as a virtual image 17 in the upper display area 12a. In other words, the real image 18 and the virtual image 17 are displayed in an overlapping state in the same upper display area 12a.

The virtual image 17 displayed in the upper display area 12a is created by reflecting the light of the real image 19 displayed in the lower display area 12b by the reflecting member 13 and the reflecting surface 16 shown in FIG. This is a light image that passes through 15a, 15b, and 15c and reaches the viewpoint EP. Therefore, the virtual image 17 is visually recognized by the driver as if it were located further away than the reflective surface 16. Further, although the real image 19 in the lower display area 12b is located in a blind spot and cannot be seen by the driver, the virtual image 17 is placed in the upper display area 12a and can be seen by the driver at the viewpoint EP along with the real image 18. . Therefore, the lower display area 12b of the display device 12 located in the blind spot can be effectively utilized.

Note that in areas other than the display device 12 on the in-vehicle display device 10, for example, a plurality of indicators for outputting various alarms may be individually arranged, and instruments that cannot be displayed within the display device may be arranged as necessary. It is assumed that

<Screen Configuration Modification 1>
FIG. 3 shows an example of a state in which the modified in-vehicle display device 10A is viewed from the driver's viewpoint EP.
As shown in Fig. 3, the display device 12A mounted on the in-vehicle display device 10A is larger in external shape and has a horizontally elongated screen shape than the display device 12 in Fig. 2. The lower display area 12b shown in Fig. 3 is disposed below the screen of the display device 12, is narrower in width than the upper display area 12a, and has a horizontally elongated shape.

In other words, the lower display area 12b is allocated so as to substantially coincide with the area that is in the blind spot of the steering wheel 23 when viewed from the viewpoint EP of a normal driver. The upper display area 12a of the display device 12A is allocated to the area of the entire screen other than the lower display area 12b, that is, the area that is not in the blind spot of the steering wheel 23 and where the real image can be directly viewed by the driver from the viewpoint EP. In addition, when the meter exterior structure is simplified, the entire lower side of the display device may be used as the area represented by the symbol 12b.

<Display device configuration>
Fig. 4 shows a cross-sectional structure of the display device 12 when viewed along the line AA' in Fig. 2. A front viewing direction 35 shown in Fig. 4 represents the direction in which the driver views the screen of the display device 12 from the viewpoint EP side.

The display device 12 shown in FIG. 4 includes a liquid crystal display panel 31, a backlight 32, a cover glass 33, and an optically transparent adhesive 34. The optically transparent adhesive 34 is OCR (Optical Clear Resin) or OCA (Optical Clear Adhesive).

In FIG. 4, the right end side of the liquid crystal display panel 31 is a display screen. A backlight 32 is attached to the back side of the liquid crystal display panel 31. Further, in order to realize the light reflection characteristics necessary to form a clear virtual image 17, a cover glass 33 is arranged on the right end side of the liquid crystal display panel 31. The surface of this cover glass 33 becomes the reflective surface 16. The outer dimensions of the cover glass 33 are slightly larger than the liquid crystal display panel 31. Further, the cover glass 33 is bonded using an optically transparent adhesive 34 so as to cover the entire surface of the liquid crystal display panel 31.

Since this display device 12 is equipped with a backlight 32, the light image of the real image 19 displayed on the lower display area 12b of the display device 12 can be emitted to the reflective member 13 side by using the illumination light. This makes it possible to form a virtual image 17. Furthermore, the real image 18 in the upper display area 12a can be displayed more clearly.

Note that if the display device 12 does not have the cover glass 33, it is assumed that a half mirror or glass that can be used as a substitute is placed on the front side of the screen of the display device 12 to form the reflective surface 16. be done. In addition, when there is no hood above the in-vehicle display device 10 that blocks light, as in the case of the in-vehicle display device 10 shown in FIG.
l Film) to prevent unnecessary light images from being reflected on the windshield 21.

<Screen display layout-1>
FIG. 5 shows an example of a screen display layout in the in-vehicle display device 10 of FIG. 2.
A control unit of the in-vehicle display device 10, which will be described later, controls the contents displayed in the upper display area 12a and the lower display area 12b, respectively, as shown in FIG. That is, the control unit displays virtual image content corresponding to the content of the virtual image 17 as the real image 19 on the screen of the lower display area 12b (TFT screen of the liquid crystal display panel 31). Further, the control unit displays real image content corresponding to the content of the real image 18 on the screen of the upper display area 12a (TFT screen of the liquid crystal display panel 31) as the real image 18.

The virtual image content displayed in an overlapping manner in the upper display area 12a has the same content as the real image 19 in the lower display area 12b, and is projected onto the surface of the cover glass 33 by reflection from the reflective member 13. In addition, in the configuration of FIG. 1, since the virtual image 17 is formed by two reflections on the surface of the reflective member 13 and the surface of the cover glass 33, the orientation of the real image 19 in the lower display area 12b and the upper display area The virtual images 17 in 12a are oriented in the same direction.

In reality, the lower display area 12b of the display device 12 is placed in a blind spot of the steering wheel 23, so the virtual image content in the lower display area 12b cannot be seen from the viewpoint EP, and the virtual image content in the upper display area 12a cannot be seen from the viewpoint EP. The real image content and the virtual image content are visually recognized by the driver at the viewpoint EP.

<Screen display layout-2>
FIG. 6 shows an example of a screen display layout in the in-vehicle display device 10A of FIG. 3.
The control unit of the in-vehicle display device 10A controls the contents displayed in the upper display area 12a and the lower display area 12b of the display device 12A, respectively, as shown in FIG. That is, the control unit displays virtual image content corresponding to the contents of the virtual image 17 as the real image 19 on the screen (TFT screen of the liquid crystal display panel 31) of the lower display area 12b of the display device 12A. Further, the control unit displays real image content corresponding to the content of the real image 18 on the screen of the upper display area 12a (TFT screen of the liquid crystal display panel 31) as the real image 18.

The virtual image content superimposed and displayed in the upper display area 12a has the same content as the real image 19 in the lower display area 12b of the display device 12A, and is projected onto the surface of the cover glass 33 by reflection from the reflective member 13. It is something. In addition, in the configuration of FIG. 1, since the virtual image 17 is formed by two reflections on the surface of the reflection member 13 and the surface of the cover glass 33, the orientation of the real image 19 in the lower display area 12b and the orientation of the real image 19 in the upper display area The virtual images 17 in 12a are oriented in the same direction.

In reality, the lower display area 12b of the display device 12A is placed in a blind spot of the steering wheel 23, so the virtual image content in the lower display area 12b cannot be seen from the viewpoint EP, and the virtual image content in the upper display area 12a cannot be seen from the viewpoint EP. The real image content and the virtual image content are visually recognized by the driver at the viewpoint EP.

<System Configuration>
An example of the system configuration of the in-vehicle display device 10 is shown in FIG.
As shown in Fig. 7, the in-vehicle display device 10 includes a control unit 41. In the example of Fig. 7, the control unit 41 includes a microcomputer 41a and a graphic display controller (GDC) 41b. The microcomputer 41a and the GDC 41b can also be integrated. The in-vehicle display device 10 also includes a memory 42 that can be used to hold data to be displayed on the screen.

The microcomputer 41a of the control unit 41 operates according to a program installed in advance, and can perform various controls to realize the functions required by the in-vehicle display device 10. The microcomputer 41a acquires information representing the current state of the vehicle via an in-vehicle network (not shown), and reflects the acquired information on screen displays in the upper display area 12a and lower display area 12b of the display device 12.

Furthermore, when the microcomputer 41a detects a predetermined switch operation by a driver or the like, it can drive the stepping motor 14 in the forward or reverse rotation direction to change the inclination angle of the reflection member 13. Thereby, it is possible to correct the positional deviation between the display of the real image 18 and the display of the virtual image 17 on the upper display area 12a in accordance with the position of the actual viewpoint EP.

For example, a vehicle speed pulse signal output from a vehicle speed sensor provided in the vehicle (or received via the in-vehicle network) is input to the microcomputer 41a. The microcomputer 41a sequentially calculates the latest vehicle speed (km/h) based on the input vehicle speed data. In addition to this vehicle speed information, display patterns representing contents such as vehicle conditions and messages are written in the memory 42, and the contents are displayed as a real image 19 in the lower display area 12b of the display device 12 via the GDC 41b. Based on the real image 19, a light image is projected onto the reflective surface 16 in front of the upper display area 12a, so that the virtual image 17 is displayed superimposed on the real image 18, as shown in FIG. 2, for example.

<Modified example of screen configuration-2>
FIG. 8 shows an example of a modified vehicle-mounted display device 10B viewed from the driver's viewpoint EP.
In the example of FIG. 8, the display device 12B mounted on the in-vehicle display device 10B is arranged in a vertically long screen shape obtained by rotating the display device 12 in FIG. 2 by 90 degrees. Further, the upper display area 12a shown in FIG. 8 has a rectangular shape close to a square, and the lower display area 12b has a rectangular shape whose vertical dimension is slightly smaller than that of the upper display area 12a.

In the in-vehicle display device 10B shown in FIG. 8, the display device 12B is disposed approximately in the center of the in-vehicle display device 10B. The upper display area 12a of the display device 12B is disposed in a position that can be seen from the viewpoint EP through an opening in the dashboard 22, but the lower display area 12b is disposed inside the dashboard 22 and in a position that is in the blind spot of the steering wheel 23.

In the in-vehicle display device 10B of FIG. 8, the real image 19 displayed in the lower display area 12b cannot be viewed from the viewpoint EP, but the virtual image 17 projected onto the upper display area 12a based on the real image 19, together with the real image 18, is visible from the viewpoint EP. Visible to the driver from this position. Further, since the virtual image 17 is formed so as to be located further away (in front) than the display device 12B, it is easy for the driver to adjust the focus to visually recognize the virtual image 17, and it is easy for the driver to visually recognize the virtual image 17 while driving. .

<Visible range and blind spot on display screen>
FIG. 9 shows a range that is visible to the driver and a range that becomes a blind spot on the display screen of the in-vehicle display device 10 in FIG. 2 and the in-vehicle display device 10A in FIG. 3.

The display area AR1 shown in FIG. 9 represents the entire range of the display screen of the display device 12, and the display area AR2 represents the range of the entire display screen of the display device 12A. In the case of the in-vehicle display device 10, the upper display area 12a of the display area AR1 becomes the visible area ARA, and the lower display area 12b becomes the blind area ARB. In the case of the in-vehicle display device 10A, the upper display area 12a of the display area AR2 becomes the visible area ARA, and the lower display area 12b becomes the blind area ARB.

In other words, in both the in-vehicle display devices 10 and 10A, the visible area ARA exists above the steering wheel 23 and can be seen from the normal viewpoint EP, but the blind spot area ARB cannot be seen because it is in the blind spot of the steering wheel 23. Then, the virtual image 17 projected onto the upper display area 12a based on the real image 19 displayed in the lower display area 12b, which corresponds to the blind spot area ARB, appears in the visible area ARA together with the real image 18. Therefore, the driver can see the virtual image 17 and real image 18 without being affected by the blind spot caused by the presence of the steering wheel 23.

<Configuration example-2>
FIG. 10 shows a modified in-vehicle display device 10 viewed from the left side of the vehicle.
In the vehicle-mounted display device 10 shown in FIG. 10, a meter hood 26 is installed above the device housing 11 and extends horizontally. This meter hood 26 has a function of blocking light in the vertical direction. That is, the meter hood 26 can be used to prevent external light such as direct sunlight that passes through the windshield 21 and enters the vehicle interior from adversely affecting the display on the display device 12. In addition, the meter hood 26 is installed to prevent light reflection from the in-vehicle display device 10 or light generated by the display of the display device 12 from being reflected on the surface of the windshield 21 and reflected in the driver's forward vision. Available.

In the case of the in-vehicle display device 10 having a meter hood 26 as shown in FIG. 10, reflections due to direct sunlight etc. are less likely to occur, so the in-vehicle display device 10 can be installed at a position far away from the viewpoint EP. become. This facilitates focus adjustment when the driver visually recognizes the real image 18 on the display device 12, and the visibility of the real image 18 is improved compared to the configuration of FIG.

In the example shown in FIG. 1, the in-vehicle display device 10 is arranged so that a portion (the upper display area 12a) can be viewed above the steering wheel 23; The in-vehicle display device 10 may be placed at a position where the entire screen can be viewed. Furthermore, the in-vehicle display device 10 can be used for displays other than meter devices.

As described above, according to the above-described in-vehicle display device 10, the real image 18 and the virtual image 17 can be displayed in an overlapping manner in the relatively small size upper display area 12a using only the single display device 12. Can be done. That is, there is no need to prepare a plurality of displays, and only one lighting device is required. Therefore, by reducing the number of parts, it is possible to reduce costs and the space required for installation. Furthermore, in the in-vehicle display device 10, since the light reflecting member for projecting a virtual image is integrated with the screen of the display device 12, the assembly process can be shortened.

Furthermore, since the real image 18 and the virtual image 17 are displayed in the same area in an overlapping manner, the difference in perspective between them allows for a display with a three-dimensional effect and a floating effect.
Furthermore, when configuring a combination meter device that can be viewed above the steering wheel 23 like the in-vehicle display device 10 in FIG. This is possible, and furthermore, by setting the imaging position of the virtual image 17 far away, it becomes easier to adjust the focus of the eyes as the line of sight moves, and visibility is improved.

Furthermore, in the in-vehicle display device 10 of FIG. 2, the virtual image 17 is formed using the real image 19 displayed in the lower display area 12b located in the blind spot of the steering wheel 23, so the space that becomes the blind spot is also It can be effectively used for display purposes.

<Configuration example-3>
FIG. 11 shows a modified in-vehicle display device 10C viewed from the left side of the vehicle.
In the vehicle-mounted display device 10C of FIG. 11, a meter hood 26A extending in the horizontal direction is installed above the device housing 11, similar to the vehicle-mounted display device 10 of FIG. Further, a half mirror 56 is arranged below the meter hood 26A. This half mirror 56 is arranged a little closer to the screen of the display device 12C when viewed from the driver's side, that is, at a position closer to the viewpoint EP. Further, the half mirror 56 is arranged at a slightly higher position than the screen of the display device 12C, and is arranged in a vertically shifted position so that the two partially overlap when viewed from the driver's side. .

Half mirror 56 is supported by meter hood 26A. For example, the half mirror 56 can be attached to the meter hood 26A by fitting or pasting. The half mirror 56 is made of resin and forms a combiner having a light reflection function for displaying a virtual image and a light transmission function for transmitting the light of the real image.

Note that the half mirror 56 is not limited to being transparent, and may be semi-transparent. For example, in order to prevent the assembled state of the display device 12C located behind the half mirror 56 from being seen from the viewpoint EP due to the light transmitted through the half mirror 56, a thin smoke finish or the like may be applied to the entire surface of the half mirror 56. The light transmittance may be lowered.

In the example of FIG. 11, the half mirror 56 is arranged in a slightly inclined manner with respect to the display device 12C, but the half mirror 56 does not necessarily need to be arranged in an inclined manner.
As shown in FIG. 11, the light of the content displayed on the lower display area 12b of the display device 12C is reflected on the surface of the reflection member 13, passes through the glare trap lens 58, and is projected as a virtual image on the surface of the half mirror 56. It is projected onto the area ARC and heads toward the viewpoint EP. Thereby, the driver can visually recognize the optical image projected on the half mirror 56 as the virtual image 17 from the position of the viewpoint EP. Note that when the half mirror 56 (or the combiner 55 described later) is installed so as not to be in the optical path from the lower display area 12b to the reflective member 13, the light of the content displayed in the lower display area 12b is Since the virtual image is visible to the driver without being attenuated by the half mirror 56 (or combiner 55), the driver can see the virtual image more clearly.

Further, the light from the real image content displayed in the real image display area 12c on the upper side of the screen of the display device 12C passes through the half mirror 56 or partially passes below the half mirror 56 as direct light toward the viewpoint EP. . Therefore, the driver can simultaneously view the virtual image content projected on the half mirror 56 and the real image content displayed in the real image display area 12c of the display device 12C at the position of the viewpoint EP.

FIG. 12 shows a state in which the in-vehicle display device 10C in FIG. 11 is viewed from the viewpoint EP, and FIG. 13 shows an example of a screen display layout in the display device 12C of the in-vehicle display device 10C.
As shown in FIG. 13, virtual image content is displayed in the lower display area 12b of the display device 12C, and real image content is displayed in the real image display area 12c. However, when the driver views from the viewpoint EP, the lower display area 12b is behind the steering wheel 23 and is out of sight.

As shown in FIG. 12, the half mirror 56 is located at a slightly higher position than the display device 12C. The virtual image projection area ARC of the half mirror 56 is composed of an overlapping area ARCa located at a position overlapping with the real image display area 12c, and an extended area ARCb above the overlapping area ARCa. Therefore, regarding the overlap area ARCa, the driver can visually recognize the virtual image content projected on the half mirror 56 and the real image content displayed in the real image display area 12c of the display device 12C in an overlapping state. Further, in the extended region ARCb, only the contents of the virtual image projected on the half mirror 56 are visible.

For example, in the case of the layout shown in FIG. 5, the real image content and the virtual image content are displayed in an overlapping manner only within the upper display area 12a, which is subject to the screen size restriction of the display device 12. cannot be displayed. On the other hand, in the case of the in-vehicle display device 10C in FIG. 11, the extended area ARCb above the display device 12C can also be used to display a virtual image as shown in FIG. 12, so the overall display is larger than the screen height of the display device 12C. Area can be secured. Furthermore, a large-sized virtual image can also be displayed using the extended area ARCb. Therefore, even meter content that should be displayed all the time, such as a speedometer, can be displayed in a state that is easy to visually recognize using a large virtual image.

Furthermore, since the real image and the virtual image do not overlap in the extended region ARCb, it is possible to display a virtual image with better visibility. Further, as shown in FIG. 12, there is a real image display area 12c for displaying a real image on the lower side, an extension area ARCb on the upper side, and an overlapping area ARCa where both overlap, so that the real image content can be displayed and the virtual image content can be displayed differently. By using the combination with the display, a display with a greater sense of depth becomes possible.

The inside (back part) of the meter hood 26A where the virtual image is visible from the driver's viewpoint EP can be painted or colored in a single color such as black to improve visibility. In the example of FIG. 12, there are telltale display units 57L, 57R on both the left and right sides of the display device 12C. Each telltale display unit 57L, 57R can be used to display various warning lights, etc. as needed, using an LED display.

In this way, the in-vehicle display device 10C of the modified example shown in FIG. 11 can also use the expanded area ARCb above the display device 12C to display a virtual image, so the display area as a whole is larger than the screen height of the display device 12C. However, further improvements can be made as described below.

Figure 14 is a top view of the in-vehicle display device 10C of the modified example shown in Figure 11 and its surroundings, viewed from above the vehicle. Figure 15 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the in-vehicle display device 10C viewed from the side of the vehicle. Figure 16(a) is a front view of the display device 12C with the mask 60 installed, viewed from the driver's viewpoint, and Figure 16(b) is a front view of the display device 12C with the combiner 55 further installed, viewed from the driver's viewpoint.

The in-vehicle display device 10C is installed in the instrument panel section 65, and is covered together with the combiner 55 by the meter hood 26A. An opening 65a is formed in the instrument panel section 65 for projecting the light reflected by the surface of the reflecting member 13 toward the surface of the half mirror 56. A glare trap lens 58 is installed in this opening 65a. Moreover, since the in-vehicle display device 10C of the modified example has the extended region ARCb, a larger mask 60 than before is used.

As shown in FIG. 14, the glare trap lens 58 has a region that is not covered by the meter hood 26A when viewed from above the vehicle. Therefore, although the external light does not directly enter the display device 12C, as shown in FIG. 15, the external light enters the glare trap lens 58, and a part of the incident light is reflected by the glare trap lens 58. The mask 60 may be irradiated through the combiner 55. Since the mask 60 is formed with a mask opening 60a for the driver to see the real image display area 12c, when the mask 60 is irradiated with external light, the mask opening 60a stands out and the appearance deteriorates. This causes a decrease in the sense of unity between virtual image content and real image content. Furthermore, a portion of the incident light passes through the glare trap lens 58 and enters the inside of the in-vehicle display device 10C, thereby reducing the contrast of the virtual image content. Therefore, in the modified vehicle-mounted display device 10C, the combiner 55 and the glare trap lens 58 may be further configured with a light attenuation member.

Figure 17 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of the combiner 55. The main body of the combiner 55 is made of a light-reducing material, and a half mirror 56 is laminated on one side of the main body. By arranging this combiner 55 as shown in Figure 16 (b), the external light passing through the combiner 55 is attenuated and the external light irradiated onto the entire surface of the mask 60 is reduced, making the mask opening 60a less visible to the driver and improving the unity of the virtual image content and the real image content.

FIG. 18 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of the glare trap lens 58. In the in-vehicle display device 10C, the glare trap lens 58 is constituted by a light attenuation member with reduced light transmittance, and an antireflection coating 58a is applied to the surface above the vehicle. This reduces the amount of light that passes through the glare trap lens 58 and enters the inside of the in-vehicle display device 10C, making it possible to further improve the contrast of the virtual image content. Furthermore, when the glare trap lens 58 coated with the anti-reflection coating 58a is used, the extraneous light reflected by the glare trap lens 58, transmitted through the combiner 55, and irradiated onto the mask 60 can be further suppressed. can.

Note that the reflection member 13 of the in-vehicle display device 10C may be a flat mirror or a magnifying glass. When the reflecting member 13 is a magnifying glass, it is possible to project a virtual image with a larger size than the lower display area 12b, and the expanded area ARCb can be used more effectively.

Further, the glare trap lens 58 may be applied to any of the above-mentioned in-vehicle display devices. FIG. 19 shows, as a third modification, a glare trap lens 58 is installed in the vehicle-mounted display device 10 shown in configuration example-1.
In this way, if the in-vehicle display device is provided with the glare trap lens 58, it is possible to prevent external light from directly entering the reflective member or the display device without being attenuated. It can also prevent dust from entering the body. Further, for example, when external light is reflected by the combiner 55 and glare trap lens 58, by reflecting the reflected light by the glare trap lens 58 to the inside of the meter hood that cannot be seen by the driver, the external light is reflected by the driver. You can also prevent it from entering your field of vision.

Here, the features of the in-vehicle display device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention described above will be briefly summarized and listed below in [1] to [7].
[1] An in-vehicle display device (10) that can be placed in a position that is visible from the driver's viewpoint (EP) position,
a display (display device 12) having a display surface capable of displaying desired visible information as a real image;
a first display area (upper display area 12a) formed in a part of the display surface of the display;
a second display area (lower display area 12b) formed in a part of the display surface of the display and at a position different from the first display area;
It has a reflective surface (reflecting member 13) that reflects the optical image displayed as a real image (19) in the second display area, and the optical image reflected by the reflective surface is displayed in the first display when viewed from the viewpoint position. a virtual image superimposition mechanism (reflection member 13) that projects a virtual image (17) whose position overlaps with the real image (18) displayed in the area;
An in-vehicle display device comprising:

[2] The second display area is assigned to a blind spot position where it is hidden behind the steering wheel (23) of the own vehicle when the display surface is viewed from the viewpoint position,
The first display area is assigned to a position where it can be viewed without being influenced by the steering wheel when the display surface is viewed from the viewpoint position.
The in-vehicle display device according to [1] above.

[3] The virtual image superimposition mechanism includes a movable mechanism (stepping motor 14) that adjusts the direction of the reflective surface to adjust the projection position of the virtual image.
The in-vehicle display device according to [1] above.

[4] The display surface has a light-reflecting member (cover glass 33) made of a transparent material.
The in-vehicle display device according to [1] above.

[5] The display has a backlight (32) that illuminates the entire first display area and the second display area from the back side.
The in-vehicle display device according to any one of [1] to [4] above.

[6] A light reflecting member (half mirror 56) that reflects the light image from the virtual image superimposing mechanism in the direction of the viewpoint position and transmits the real image, at a position separated from the display toward the viewpoint (EP) position. is installed,
The light reflecting member has a projection range of a projected virtual image that has a height including an overlapping area (overlapping area ARCa) overlapping with the first display area and an extended area (extending area ARCb) located above the first display area. having a sense of
The in-vehicle display device according to [1] above.

[7] The light reflecting member (half mirror 56) is arranged at a position that is not on the optical path from the second display area to the virtual image superimposing mechanism.
The in-vehicle display device according to [6] above.

10, 10A, 10B Vehicle-mounted display device 11 Device housing 12, 12A, 12B Display device 12a Upper display area 12b Lower display area 13 Reflective member 14 Stepping motor 15a, 15b, 15c Optical path 16 Reflective surface 17 Virtual image 18, 19 Real image 21 Windshield 22 Dashboard 23 Steering wheel 25 Front cover 26 Meter hood 31 Liquid crystal display panel 32 Backlight 33 Cover glass 34 Optical transparent adhesive 35 Front view direction 41 Control unit 41a Microcomputer 41b GDC
42 Memory AR1, AR2 Display area ARA Visible area ARB Blind spot area EP Viewpoint 10C In-vehicle display device 12C Display device 12c Real image display area 26A Meter hood 55 Combiner 56 Half mirror 57L, 57R Tell tale display section 58 Glare trap lens 60 Mask ARC Virtual image projection Area ARCa Overlapping area ARCb Extended area

Claims (3)

An in-vehicle display device that can be placed in a position that is visible from a driver's viewpoint,
a display having a display surface capable of displaying desired visible information as a real image;
a first display area formed in a portion of the display surface of the display;
a second display area formed in a part of the display surface of the display and at a different position from the first display area;
a reflective surface that reflects a light image displayed as a real image in the second display area, and a position of the light image reflected by the reflective surface as the real image displayed in the first display area when viewed from the viewpoint position. a virtual image superimposition mechanism that projects a virtual image of an adjacent state;
Equipped with
The second display area is assigned to a blind spot position where the second display area is hidden behind the steering wheel of the own vehicle when the display surface is viewed from the viewpoint position,
The first display area is assigned to a position where it can be viewed without being affected by the steering wheel when viewing the display surface from the viewpoint position,
The virtual image superimposition mechanism has a movable mechanism that adjusts the direction of the reflective surface to adjust the projection position of the virtual image.
In-vehicle display device. The display surface has a light reflecting member made of a transparent material.
The in-vehicle display device according to claim 1. The display has a backlight that illuminates the entire first display area and the second display area from the back side.
An in-vehicle display device according to claim 1 or claim 2.

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