JPH0471729B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (a) Technical Field The present invention relates to a vehicle display device that is capable of adjusting the imaging position of driving information that is imaged and displayed in front of a windshield.

(b) Conventional technology Conventionally, driving information such as vehicle speed, mileage, remaining fuel level, or time was displayed using a meter or clock installed on the instrument panel, but recently drivers have been required to view this information from the front view. In order to avoid having to look away from the vehicle, this driving information can be projected onto a reflective plate installed inside the windshield (Utility Model Application No. 150034/1983), or displayed on a display device attached to the front of the windshield. It is considered (Utility Model Publication No. 57-57127). To explain this simply, as shown in Figure 1, the windshield 1
Driving information (for example, a warning of exceeding the speed limit) drawn on the display film installed in front of the lamp 3
There is a system in which a virtual image 5 is displayed in front of the windshield 1 through a transparent cover 4 by lighting up a foreground 6, and a liquid crystal panel 7 is attached to the front of the windshield 1 as shown in FIG. This is a system in which driving information (for example, vehicle speed) is displayed on the liquid crystal panel 7 in a manner superimposed on the foreground 6 using a signal from the liquid crystal drive circuit 8.

In such a display device, the distance between the driver's eyes E and the display image of the driving information is only a few tens of centimeters to about 1 cm at most, so when the driver looks at the foreground and the display image alternately, the viewpoint shifts and the eye's accommodation is affected. This becomes necessary and causes fatigue. Furthermore, since the distance to the displayed image is constant, there is a problem that it cannot accommodate the driver's visual acuity such as presbyopia or nearsightedness.

(c) Object and structure of the invention The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and it is an object of the present invention to make it possible to adjust the imaging distance of driving information that is imaged and displayed in front of the windshield to a distance that is easy for the driver to see. For this purpose, there is provided a driving information display source provided in a vehicle interior, a lens system having a convex lens function to image the driving information displayed by this driving information display source at a predetermined distance in front of a windshield, and this lens system. and an imaging distance adjusting means for adjusting the distance to the driving information display source, so that the imaging distance of the driving information as seen from the driver can be adjusted.

(d) Examples The present invention will be explained based on the drawings.

FIG. 3 shows the principle of the display device according to the present invention, in which 10 is a convex lens, 11 is an object, 12 is a virtual image, and E is a driver's eye. Now lens 1
If the focal length of zero is f, the distance from the lens 10 to the object 11 is a, and the distance from the lens 10 to the virtual image 12 is b, then by simple calculation, the approximate expression b=af/fa is established. Here, if f-a=d, then the above equation becomes b=f(1+f/d), and the relationship between b and d is shown in a graph as shown in FIG. As is clear from this figure, the position of the virtual image, that is, the display image, can be changed from f to infinity by changing the size of d.

FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of the display device according to the present invention, in which 20 is a windshield, 21 is a transparent cover, 22 is a worm gear, and 23 is a worm gear 2.
A rotary knob attached to one end of 2, 24 a threaded cylinder, 25 a Fresnel lens, 26 a lamp light source, 27 a reflector that reflects light from the lamp light source 26, and 28 made by a Fresnel lens 25. This is a virtual image reflected and displayed by the windshield 20, and when the rotation knob 23 is rotated, the distance between the Fresnel lens 25 and the liquid crystal panel 29 changes.
A liquid crystal panel 29 displays driving information by a drive circuit (not shown), and is arranged near the focal point of the Fresnel lens 25.

Next, to explain the operation of the display device, the image formation position of the display image 28 changes depending on the distance between the liquid crystal panel 29 and the Fresnel lens 25, as explained in the principle diagram of FIG. The distance from the eye E to the display image 28 changes. When the rotary knob 23 is slightly moved, the Fresnel lens 25 moves and the distance from the liquid crystal panel 29 changes, so it is possible to change the distance between the Fresnel lens 25 and the liquid crystal panel 29. The imaging position can be adjusted depending on the position of the image (e.g. where the image is placed).
By placing the liquid crystal panel 29 near the focal point of the Ffresnel lens 25, the focusing position of the displayed image can be significantly changed with a slight rotation of the rotation knob 23.

In this embodiment, the Fresnel lens 25 is moved to adjust the imaging position of the driving information, but the position of the liquid crystal panel 29 may also be moved. A similar effect can also be obtained by configuring the liquid crystal panel and the light source using a cathode ray tube, an electroluminescent element, or the like.

FIG. 6 shows another mechanism for adjusting the position of the Fresnel lens in the embodiment shown in FIG.
into the holding frame 3 from the outside.
2 and a flange 30 formed on the ring 30.
By manually rotating a in the direction of the arrow, the ring 30 moves up and down within the holding frame 32, and the axial position of the Fresnel lens 31 can be adjusted.
Using such a mechanism improves the operability for adjusting the imaging position.

It is also possible to adopt a method in which two lenses are used to image the driving information and the imaging position is adjusted by changing the distance between the two lenses.

FIG. 7 shows the display device equipped with the lens position adjustment mechanism shown in FIG.
is the windshield, 41 is the instrument pad, 42 is the instrument panel cover, 43
4 is a looper type filter cover, 44 is a lens for correcting image distortion, 45 is a threaded ring as shown in FIG. 6, 46 is a lever for rotating the ring, 47 is a ring holding frame, 48 is a liquid crystal panel, and 49 is a color filter. , 50 is a light source case, 51 is a lamp light source built into the light source case 50, 52 is a display image of operating information displayed on the liquid crystal panel 48, 53 is a lever 46
This is a scale that serves as a guide for the rotational position.

The driver can adjust the imaging position of the display image 52 by sliding the lever 46 according to driving conditions and his/her visual acuity.

Display objects of the display device according to the present invention include vehicle speed, remaining fuel level, and other displays and warnings that are currently provided by meters and warning lamps on instrument panels, such as warnings for exceeding the speed limit and warnings for remaining fuel levels. . Displays such as vehicle speed may be displayed all the time, or may be displayed only when necessary, for example, by pressing a button provided on the steering wheel. It is also possible to automatically move the display image according to the vehicle speed.

(e) Effects of the Invention As explained above, the present invention provides a driving information display source that visually displays driving information in the vehicle interior, and displays the driving information displayed by this driving information display source at a predetermined distance in front of the windshield. A lens system for forming an image has a convex lens function, and the driving information display source is disposed within its focal length, and an imaging distance adjustment means is provided to adjust the distance between the lens system and the driving information display source, Since the distance to the image formed in front of the windshield is adjusted, the driving information image can be displayed far away and can be seen without moving the viewpoint, reducing driver fatigue. can be reduced. Furthermore, the imaging distance of the displayed image can be easily changed to the optimum distance according to individual differences in visual acuity, road conditions, etc. Furthermore, since the imaging distance can be greatly changed with respect to the amount of change in the distance of the lens system of the driving information display source, the apparatus can be made smaller. In other words, even when displaying driving information in a remote location, the device can be made small. Therefore, it is possible to achieve the effect that a display device that can greatly change the imaging distance of driving information can be made smaller.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 and 2 are schematic diagrams of a conventional vehicle display device, FIG. 3 is a principle diagram explaining the operating principle of the vehicle display device according to the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the position of the display source with respect to the lens. A graph showing the relationship with the position of the displayed image, FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the vehicle display device according to the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the lens system moving mechanism according to the present invention. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the display device using the lens system moving mechanism shown in FIG. 6, mounted on a vehicle. 1, 20, 40... Windshield, 2... Display film, 3... Lamp, 4, 21... Transparent cover, 5... Virtual image, 6... Foreground, 7, 29, 4
8...Liquid crystal panel, 8...Liquid crystal drive circuit, E...
Driver's eye, 10... Convex lens, 11... Object, 12... Virtual image, 22... Worm gear, 23
... Rotation knob, 24 ... Cylinder, 25, 31 ... Fresnel lens, 26, 51 ... Lamp light source, 27
... Reflection mirror, 28 ... Reflection display image, 30 ... Ring, 30a ... Flange, 32, 47 ... Holding frame, 41 ... Instrument pad, 42 ...
Instrument panel cover, 43...Filter cover, 44...Image distortion correction lens, 45...
Threaded ring, 46... Lever for ring rotation, 4
9...Color filter, 50...Light source case, 5
2...Display image of driving information.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A driving information display source that is provided in a vehicle interior and that visually displays driving information, and a driving information that is arranged within a focal distance of the driving information display source and that the driving information display source visually displays driving information. a lens system having a convex lens function that forms an image at a predetermined distance in front of the windshield; and an imaging distance adjusting means that adjusts the distance between the lens system and the driving information display source to adjust the imaging distance of the driving information. A vehicle display device comprising: