JPH11227496A - Display unit for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To display character information for indicating a meaning of a display mark in addition to an alarm mark and other various kinds of display marks without being overlapped each other. SOLUTION: This display unit for a vehicle is provided with an alarm display panel 20, an EL panel 30, and a microcomputor. The microcomputor conducts processing for lighting a corresponding lamp in response to an input from a sensor. The microcomputor also conducts processing for displaying character information on a display area 32 in the lower half of the EL panel 30 in response to the input of the sensor.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a display device for a vehicle such as a warning device suitable for mounting on a vehicle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a warning device for a vehicle has various warning marks indicating brake check, engine oil check, seat belt non-wearing, etc. formed on a display panel, and these marks are illuminated by corresponding lamps. A warning is selectively displayed.

[0003]

However, in the above warning device, the meaning of the warning mark may be difficult for the occupant to understand. To deal with this, it is conceivable to display character information indicating the meaning of the warning mark in addition to displaying the warning mark. However, if the warning mark and the character information are displayed in an overlapping manner, it is difficult for the occupant to see the warning mark.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and a vehicle in which character information indicating the meaning of the display mark is displayed so as not to overlap with each other in addition to the warning mark and other various display marks. It is an object of the present invention to provide a display device.

[0005]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, a first display panel (20) mounted on a vehicle and the first display panel (2) are provided.
0) along the second display panel (2)
0) and input means (S1 to S4) in a part of the display area on one of the first and second display panels (20, 30).
The vehicle-related information is displayed as a display mark in response to an input from the user, and character information indicating the meaning of the mark display is displayed in the display area of the other display panel so as not to overlap the display mark. Control means (50a to 50
d, 60, 70).

As described above, the character information is displayed so as not to overlap with the display mark, so that the meaning of the mark display can be clearly understood. In the invention according to claim 2, the first display panel (2
0), a second display panel (30) arranged so as to intersect the first display panel (20) on the surface side thereof,
A half mirror disposed in an inclined manner between the first and second display panels (20, 30);
Half mirror (8) facing the surface of the display panel (20) and facing the surface of the second display panel (30) on the surface.
0) and input means (S1 to S4) in a part of the display area on one of the first and second display panels (20, 30).
The vehicle-related information is displayed as a display mark in response to an input from the user, and character information indicating the meaning of the mark display is displayed in the display area of the other display panel so as not to overlap the display mark. Control means (50a to 50
d, 60, 70).

Thus, the character information is visually recognized on the half mirror without overlapping with the display mark. For this reason, the same effects as those of the first aspect can be obtained. Further, as in the invention according to claim 3, a display mark panel formed by forming a display mark on a surface of a transparent plate is used as the first display panel (20), and an EL is used as the second display panel (30). A panel may be used.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. (First Embodiment) FIGS. 1 to 3 show an example in which a warning device according to the present invention is applied to a vehicle combination meter.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the warning device constitutes a vehicle combination meter together with a vehicle speedometer 10a, an engine tachometer 10b and an indicator 10c. In addition, the code | symbol F has shown the front cover. The warning device includes a warning mark panel 20 and an EL panel 30, as shown in FIG. The warning mark panel 20 is mounted over the entire opening of each of the four cylindrical bodies 41 extending from the bottom wall 40 a of the case 40. The warning mark panel 20 is formed by printing four warning marks on the surface of a transparent plate. As shown in FIG. 5, the warning mark K1 indicates that the engine oil has been checked, and the warning mark K indicates that the seat belt has not been worn.
2. Warning mark K3 indicating brake inspection.

The EL panel 30 includes a warning mark panel 20.
Is attached to the opening M1 of the scale plate M on the surface side of the scale plate M. Thus, the EL panel 30 is provided on the scale plate M on the scale display section 11 of the vehicle speedometer 10a, the scale display section 12 of the engine tachometer 10b, and the display section 13 of the indicator 10c. This EL panel 30
Are driven in a matrix as described later, and perform character display as shown in FIG. 5 (see symbols P1 to P3 shown in FIG. 5).

[0011] As shown in FIG.
The lamps 50a to 50d are provided, and the lamps 50a to 50d are individually housed in the respective cylinders 41. These lamps 50a to 50d are mounted on the bottom wall 40a of the case 40. Lamp 50a
Is located corresponding to the warning mark K1 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5 (a), and the lamp 50b is located corresponding to the warning mark K2 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5 (b). The lamp 50c is located corresponding to the warning mark K3 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5 (c). As a result, each lamp illuminates each corresponding warning mark by being individually lit.

As shown in FIG. 3, the warning device includes a microcomputer 60 and an EL drive circuit 70. The microcomputer 60 is supplied with power from the battery B when the ignition switch IG is turned on, and is activated. The microcomputer 60 is configured as shown in FIG.
The computer program is executed according to the flowchart shown in FIG.

During execution of the computer program, the microcomputer 60 performs lighting processing of each of the lamps 50a to 50d and EL according to the output of each of the sensors S1 to S4.
The drive processing of the drive circuit 70 is performed. The sensors S1 to S4 are normally open switches, the sensor S1 is turned on when the engine oil is insufficient, the sensor S2 is turned off when an occupant seated in a seat in the vehicle compartment does not wear a seat belt, and the sensor S3 is turned on. Turns on when brake oil is insufficient.

The EL drive circuit 70 drives the EL panel 30 in a matrix under the control of the microcomputer 60. Hereinafter, the operation of the first embodiment configured as described above will be described. Microcomputer 60
Is turned on by the ignition switch IG.
, The microcomputer 60 starts executing the computer program according to the flowchart of FIG.

In step 100, the sensors S1 to S
It is determined whether an input is made from one of the four sensors. Here, if there is an input from the sensor S1, it is determined as YES, and in step 101, the lighting process of the lamp 50a corresponding to the sensor S1 is performed. As a result, the lamp 50a is turned on to illuminate the corresponding warning mark K1. Therefore, the corresponding warning mark K1 is shown in FIG.
As shown by, the image is visually recognized through the display area 31 in the upper half of the EL panel 30.

Next, in step 102, it is determined whether or not the display area of the warning mark is the upper half display area 21 of the warning mark panel 20 shown in FIG. Here, since it is input from the sensor S1 in step 101, Y
ES is determined. Then, in step 103, the character information P1 indicating the meaning of the warning mark K1 is input to the EL panel 3
0 is displayed in the lower half display area 32 shown in FIG. Therefore, the EL driving circuit 70
The panel 30 is driven in a matrix to display the character information P1 in the display area 32.

Therefore, the occupant visually recognizes the warning mark K1 through the display area 31 in the upper half of the EL panel 30 and visually recognizes the character information P1 in the display area 32 in the lower half of the EL panel 30. In other words, since the character information P1 is displayed without overlapping with the warning mark K1, the occupant can clearly understand the meaning of the warning mark K1.

In step 100 described above, if there is an input from the sensor S2 instead of the sensor S1, the processes of steps 101 to 103 are performed as described above. Therefore, the occupant visually recognizes the warning mark K2 through the upper half display area 31 of the EL panel 30 and also visually recognizes the character information P2 displayed in the lower half display area 32 of the EL panel 30. (FIG. 5
(B)).

In this case, the same effect as that of the sensor S1 can be obtained. Note that the warning display mark K2
Is visually recognized on the right side of the display area 31 of the EL panel 30 unlike the warning display mark K2. Further, in step 100 described above, the sensor S is used instead of the sensor S1.
3, the corresponding lamp 50c is turned on through step 101 in the same manner as described above, and the corresponding warning mark K3
Will be illuminated. Here, since it is input from the sensor S3 in step 101, the corresponding warning mark K3 is visually recognized through the display area 32 in the lower half of the EL panel 30, as shown in FIG. 5C. .

Next, in step 102, step 10
At 1, the determination is NO because the signal is input from the sensor S3. Then, at step 104, the warning mark K3
Character information P3 indicating the meaning of
A process of displaying in the upper half display area 31 shown in (c) is performed. Therefore, the EL driving circuit 70 is
Are driven in a matrix to display the character information P3 in the display area 31. Also in this case, the character information P3 is displayed as the warning mark K3.
Are displayed without overlapping, the same effect as in the case of the two sensors S1 and S2 can be obtained.

In step 100, each sensor S1
If no input has been made from S4 to S4, it is determined as NO, and in step 104, the lighting of the lamp is stopped and the display of the EL panel 30 is stopped. (Second Embodiment) Hereinafter, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

In the second embodiment, the EL panel 30 described in the first embodiment is disposed between the scale plate M and the warning mark panel 20.
As shown in FIG. 6, the panel 30 is perpendicular to the scale plate M at the lower end of the opening M1 of the scale plate M in the drawing. As shown in FIG. 6, the half mirror 80 is supported in an inclined manner from the illustrated upper end of the opening M1 of the scale plate M to the illustrated lower end of the warning mark panel 20. This half mirror 8
Numeral 0 faces the front surface of the warning mark panel 20 on the back surface, and faces the opening M1 of the scale plate M and the EL panel 30 on the front surface.

Here, the display area 31 in the right half of the EL panel 30 is the display area 31 in the upper half of the EL panel 30.
Is equivalent to The display area 32 in the left half of the EL panel 30 is the display area 32 in the lower half of the EL panel 30.
Is equivalent to Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment. In the second embodiment configured as described above, when there is an input from the sensor S1, the processing of steps 100 to 103 is performed by the microcomputer 60 as in the case of the sensor 1 of the first embodiment. Therefore, the display of the warning mark K1 is visually recognized through the upper half display area 82 of the half mirror 80 shown in FIG. The EL panel 30 is driven in a matrix by the EL driving circuit 70, and the EL panel 30 displays the character information P1 in the lower half display area 81 of the half mirror 80 shown in FIG.

Therefore, the occupant visually recognizes the character information P1 on the half mirror 80 so as not to overlap with the warning mark K1. Therefore, the same effect as that of the sensor S1 of the first embodiment can be obtained. Also, when there is an input from the sensor S2 instead of the sensor S1, the same operation and effect as in the case of the sensor S1 are obtained.

Further, when there is an input from the sensor S3 instead of the sensor S1, the processing of steps 100 to 104 is performed by the microcomputer 60 as in the case of the sensor S3 of the first embodiment. Therefore, the display of the warning mark K3 is visually recognized through the lower half display area 81 of the half mirror 80 shown in FIG.

The EL panel 30 is provided with an EL driving circuit 70.
The EL panel 30 displays the display of the character information P3 in the upper half display area 82 of the half mirror 80 shown in FIG. Therefore, the same effect as in the case of the sensor S3 of the first embodiment can be obtained. In each of the above embodiments, an example is shown in which the display area of the warning mark panel 20 is divided into two upper and lower parts as shown in FIG. 5, but the display area is divided into three or more parts. Often,
The display area may be divided into left and right sides in the drawing.

In each of the above-described embodiments, a liquid crystal panel or an EL panel may be used instead of the warning mark panel 20, or a liquid crystal panel may be used instead of the EL panel 20. Further, in each of the above embodiments, the warning device is described as the display device according to the present invention, but the present invention may be applied to a display device that displays the operating state of a vehicle air conditioner or the like with a display mark.

In practicing the present invention, each step in the flowchart of each of the above embodiments may be executed by a hardware logic configuration as function executing means.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a vehicle combination meter to which a first embodiment of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line 1-1 of the combination meter.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an electric circuit of the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the microcomputer 60 of FIG.

FIG. 5A shows a warning mark K1 and its character information P1.
, (B) is a diagram showing the warning mark K2 and its character information P2, and (c) is a diagram showing the warning mark K3 and the character information P3.

FIG. 6 is a partial sectional view showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

Reference numeral 20: warning mark panel, 30: EL panel, 50a to 50d: lamp, 60: microcomputer, 80
... half mirrors, S1 to S4 ... sensors.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A first display panel (20) mounted on a vehicle.
A second display panel (30) disposed along the first display panel (20) on the front surface thereof; and a part of a display area in one of the first and second display panels (20, 30). The vehicle-related information is displayed with a display mark in response to the input from the input means (S1 to S4).
Control means (50a to 50a) for controlling to display character information indicating the meaning of the mark display in the display area of the other display panel so as not to overlap the display mark.
d, 60, 70). 2. A first display panel (20) mounted on a vehicle.
A second display panel (30) arranged so as to intersect the first display panel (20) on the front surface side thereof; and an inclined shape between the first and second display panels (20, 30). A half mirror (80) that is disposed and faces a surface of the first display panel (20) on a back surface thereof and faces a surface of the second display panel (30) on a front surface thereof; Vehicle-related information is displayed as a display mark in a part of a display area on one of the first and second display panels (20, 30) in accordance with an input from input means (S1 to S4);
Control means (50a to 50a) for controlling to display character information indicating the meaning of the mark display in the display area of the other display panel so as not to overlap the display mark.
d, 60, 70). 3. The first panel (20) is a display mark panel formed by forming a display mark on a surface of a transparent plate, and the second display panel (30) is an EL panel. The vehicle display device according to claim 1.