Vehicle display device

Abstract

A vehicle display apparatus including an image display unit and a control unit is provided. The image includes a binocular region that is a region recognized by binocular vision of the driver, and a monocular region that is a region recognized only by monocular vision of the driver. When a design is displayed in the monocular area, the control unit temporarily displays the design in an insertion display area set in the binocular area, and then moves a display position of the design to the monocular area.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a vehicle display device. Background Art

[0002] In the related art, there is known a vehicle display device such as a head-up display for visually recognizing an image as a virtual image from the position of the driver's eyes (eye point). For example, Patent Document 1 describes a display device that improves the visibility of an image by making the brightness of a monocular area that can be visually recognized only by one eye higher than the brightness of a binocular area that can be visually recognized by both eyes.

[0003] Citation List

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: JP2016-130771A Summary of the invention

[0006] However, even with higher brightness, the display of a design in the monocular area may be difficult to notice compared to the case where the design is displayed in the binocular area.

[0007] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide a vehicle display device by which a driver can easily notice display of a design even in the case where the design is displayed in a monocular area.

[0008] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a vehicle display device according to the present disclosure has the following features.

[0009] The vehicle display device includes: an image display unit that emits display light for an image; an optical system that projects the display light emitted from the image display unit toward a reflective surface in front of a driver; and a control unit that controls the image display unit. The image includes a binocular area that is an area recognized by binocular vision of the driver, and a monocular area that is an area recognized by monocular vision of the driver. When displaying a design in the monocular area, the control unit temporarily displays the design in an insert display area set in the binocular area, and then moves the display position of the design to the monocular area.

[0010] According to the present disclosure, there is provided a vehicle display device by which a driver can easily notice the display of a design even in the case where the design is displayed in a monocular area.

[0011] The present disclosure has been briefly described above. The details of the present disclosure can be clarified by reading the modes for carrying out the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "embodiments") described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Figure 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a vehicle display device according to an embodiment.

[0013] Figure 2 The optical positional relationship among the virtual image, the second reflecting mirror, and the driver's eye is shown when the driver's eye is located at the center of the eye box in the left-right direction.

[0014] Figure 3 The arrangement of the areas of the virtual image visually recognized by the driver is shown.

[0015] Figure 4 The structure according to the first embodiment is shown Figure 1 A flow chart of the operation of the control unit of the vehicle display device is shown.

[0016] Figure 5 The structure according to the second embodiment is shown in FIG. Figure 1 A flow chart of the operation of the control unit of the vehicle display device is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] Specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0018] In the following, for the convenience of description, Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, "front", "rear", "left", "right", "up", and "down" are defined. The "front-rear direction", "left-right direction", and "up-down direction" are orthogonal to each other.

[0019] First embodiment

[0020] First, the first embodiment will be described. Figure 1 As shown, the vehicle display device 1 of this embodiment is installed in a vehicle 100 and constitutes a head-up display. The vehicle display device 1 is set inside an instrument panel 101, for example. The instrument panel 101 has an opening 101a that opens upward. The opening 101a is opposite to a windshield 102 in the vertical direction of the vehicle 100.

[0021] The vehicle display device 1 includes a frame 4, a cover 5, an image display unit 20, a control unit 23, and an optical system 25. The image display unit 20, the control unit 23, and the optical system 25 are accommodated inside the frame 4. The frame 4 includes a main body 2 and a cover member 3 joined to the main body 2. The main body 2 has an opening that opens upward. The cover member 3 closes the opening of the main body 2 from above. The cover member 3 includes a wall portion 30 opposite to the opening 101a. The wall portion 30 has an opening 31 that opens upward. The frame 4 is configured so that the opening 31 is opposite to the opening 101a. The cover 5 is a plate-shaped member that closes the opening 31 of the cover member 3. The cover 5 is formed of a light-transmitting resin such as polycarbonate (PC) and acrylic.

[0022] The image display unit 20 is a device that emits display light 70 for an image. The image display unit 20 shown is a liquid crystal display device, and is, for example, a thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD). However, the image display unit 20 is not limited to a liquid crystal display device. The image display unit 20 can be, for example, a device that generates an image on a light-transmitting screen by scanning the screen with a laser.

[0023] The optical system 25 includes a first reflector 21 and a second reflector 22. The first reflector 21 reflects the display light 70 emitted from the image display unit 20 toward the second reflector 22. The first reflector 21 is, for example, a plane reflector. The second reflector 22 reflects the display light 70 toward the windshield 102. The shape of the reflection surface of the second reflector 22 is, for example, a free-form surface. The second reflector 22 is, for example, a concave mirror that amplifies the display light 70.

[0024] The display light 70 reflected by the second reflector 22 passes through the opening 31 and the opening 101a, and is reflected toward the driver 200 by the reflection surface 102a of the windshield 102. A virtual image is formed by the display light 70 incident on the eye 201 of the driver 200. The instrument panel 101 is provided with a cylindrical wall portion 103. The wall portion 103 surrounds the optical path of the display light 70 from the opening 31 toward the opening 101a.

[0025] like Figure 2 As shown, the image for the driver 200 displayed as a virtual image on the image display unit 20 includes a binocular region CB, i.e., an area visually recognized by the binocular vision of the driver 200, a right eye region CR, i.e., an area visually recognized only by the right eye but not by the left eye, and a left eye region CL, i.e., an area visually recognized only by the left eye but not by the right eye. The right eye region CR and the left eye region CL are regions on the end side in the left-right direction relative to the binocular region CB. Hereinafter, the right eye region CR and the left eye region CL are also collectively referred to as "monocular region CRL".

[0026] Figure 3 The arrangement of the areas of the virtual image visually recognized by the driver 200 is shown. Figure 3 As shown, the left area of ​​the virtual image corresponds to the right eye area CR, the central area of ​​the virtual image corresponds to the binocular area CB, and the right area of ​​the virtual image corresponds to the left eye area CL.

[0027] The control unit 23 includes a control circuit for controlling the image display unit 20. The control unit 23 is mounted on, for example, a control substrate provided inside the housing 4. The control unit 23 controls the image display unit 20 to generate an image according to, for example, a program stored in advance.

[0028] The vehicle 100 includes a driver monitor 104. The driver monitor 104 includes a camera arranged in front of the driver 200. The driver monitor 104 images the driver 200 and generates a driver image. The driver monitor 104 detects the position of the head of the driver 200 and the position (viewpoint position) of the eyes 201 of the driver 200 based on the driver image. The detection result of the driver monitor 104 is sent to the control unit 23.

[0029] The control unit 23 sets the binocular area CB and the monocular area CRL on the display screen of the image display unit 20 (see Figure 2 ), and change the brightness between the binocular area CB and the monocular area CRL. Figure 3 As shown, for example, when the right turn guide design D1 (=design) is displayed in the monocular area CRL, the control unit 23 temporarily displays the right turn guide design D1 in the insertion area A1 set in the binocular area CB, and then moves the display position of the right turn guide design D1 to the monocular area CRL.

[0030] Afterwards, reference will be made to Figure 2 Describe the details of the binocular region CB and the monocular region CRL. Figure 2 The optical positional relationship among the virtual image, the second reflecting mirror, and the eye 201 of the driver 200 is shown. Figure 2 The position of the eye 201 shown in is the center position of the eye box EB in the left-right direction. The eye box EB is a range that is presumed to be the range of movement of the position of the eye 201. The eye box EB has a prescribed width in the left-right direction. The vehicle display device 1 is configured so that the driver 200 can visually recognize the image when the eye 201 is within the eye box EB.

[0031] When the light reflected by the entire surface of the second reflecting mirror 22 is visually recognized, as shown in FIG. Figure 2 As shown, the left end position of the right eye region CR is located on the extension line of the light beam "L1" connecting the right eye of the driver 200 and the left end position of the second reflector 22. The right end position of the left eye region CL is located on the extension line of the light beam "L2" connecting the left eye of the driver 200 and the right end position of the second reflector 22. The driver 200 cannot recognize the left end position of the right eye region CR with the left eye vision, nor can he recognize the right end position of the left eye region CL with the right eye vision.

[0032] The left end position of the binocular region CB is located on the extension line of the structure "L3" connecting the left eye of the driver 200 and the left end position of the second reflector 22. The right end position of the binocular region CB is located on the extension line of the structure "L4" connecting the right eye of the driver 200 and the right end position of the second reflector 22.

[0033] like Figure 2As shown, when the viewpoint position of the driver 200 is located at the center position of the eye box EB in the left-right direction, the binocular area CB, the right eye area CR and the left eye area CL can be set based on the interval between the two eyes of the driver 200 and the configuration position of the optical system 25.

[0034] Next, refer to Figure 4 The operation of the control unit 23 described in the above overview is described with reference to the flowchart in FIG. When the ignition switch is turned on, the control unit 23 starts processing. First, the control unit 23 measures the interval between the eyes of the driver 200 based on the driver image from the driver monitor 104 (S1).

[0035] Then, the control unit 23 sets the binocular area CB and the monocular area CRL (S2) on the display screen of the image display unit 20 when the driver's 200 eye 201 is located at the center position in the left-right direction of the eye box EB based on the measured interval between the two eyes and the known configuration position of the optical system 25.

[0036] Thereafter, when it is determined that it is necessary to display the design in the monocular area CRL ("Yes" in S3), the control unit 23 temporarily displays the design to be displayed in the insertion display area A1 of the binocular area CB (S4). Thereafter, after waiting for a prescribed time to elapse ("Yes" in S5), the control unit 23 moves and displays the design displayed in the insertion area A1 to the monocular area CRL (S6), and then returns to S3.

[0037] The insert display area A1 is an area for temporarily displaying the design of the monocular area CRL, and the control unit 23 does not display the design to be displayed in the binocular area CB in the insert display area A1.

[0038] According to the above embodiment, when the design is displayed in the monocular region CRL, the control unit 23 temporarily displays the design in the insertion display area A1 set in the binocular region CB which is easy to visually recognize, and then moves the display position of the design to the monocular region CRL. Thus, even when the design is displayed in the monocular region CRL which is difficult to visually recognize, the driver 200 can easily notice the display of the design.

[0039] (Second embodiment)

[0040] Hereinafter, the second embodiment will be described. The vehicle display device 1 of the second embodiment has the same configuration as that of the first embodiment, and thus a detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

[0041] The operation of the control unit 23 is different between the first embodiment and the second embodiment. Figure 5 The flowchart in FIG. 1 describes the operation of the control unit 23 in the second embodiment. Figure 5In the first embodiment, Figure 4 Partially equivalent components in the illustrated flowchart are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0042] First, similarly to the first embodiment, the control unit 23 measures the interval between both eyes ( S1 ), and sets a binocular region CB and a monocular region CRL ( S2 ).

[0043] Thereafter, when it is determined that it is necessary to display the design in the monocular region CRL ("Yes" in S3), the control unit 23 determines whether there is a design being displayed in the insertion display region A1 (S7). When there is a design being displayed in the insertion display region A1 ("Yes" in S7), the control unit 23 moves and displays the design to the monocular region CRL (S8). Thereafter, the control unit 23 displays the design determined to be necessary to be displayed in S3 in the insertion display region A1 (S9), and then returns to S3.

[0044] According to the above embodiment, after temporarily displaying the design in the insertion display area A1, the control unit 23 continues to display the design in the insertion display area A1 until another design that needs to be displayed in the monocular area CRL thereafter is temporarily displayed in the insertion display area A1. Thus, even when the design is displayed in the monocular area CRL that is difficult to visually recognize, the driver 200 is more likely to notice the display of the design.

[0045] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and may be appropriately modified, improved, etc. The materials, shapes, sizes, quantities, configuration positions, etc. of the components in the above-described embodiments may be arbitrarily selected without limitation as long as the present disclosure can be implemented.

[0046] According to the above embodiment, when the eye is located at the center of the left-right direction of the eye box EB, the control unit 23 sets the binocular area CB and the monocular area CRL. Alternatively, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. When the eye 201 is located on the right side of the eye box EB, the binocular area CB and the monocular area CRL are located on the left side, and when the eye 201 is on the left side of the eye box EB, the binocular area CB and the monocular area CRL are located on the right side. The control unit 23 can periodically measure the position of the eye 201 (line of sight position) and reset the binocular area CB and the monocular area CRL set according to the position of the eye 201.

[0047] According to the above embodiment, one insertion display area A1 is set in the binocular area CB, but the present invention is not limited thereto. A plurality of insertion display areas A1 may be set in the binocular area CB. Thus, it is possible to cope with the situation where a plurality of designs need to be displayed simultaneously in the monocular area CRL.

[0048] The above embodiment describes the case where the light reflected by the entire surface of the second reflector 22 is visually recognized by the driver 200. Alternatively, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the image may be cut off by the cover member 3. In this case, the binocular area CB and the monocular area CRL are determined by the line connecting the right end position and the left end position of the eye 201 of the driver 200 and the opening 31 of the cover member 3.

[0049] In the above embodiment, the control unit 23 measures the interval between the eyes based on the driver image, and sets the binocular area CB, the monocular area CRL, and the non-display area CN based on the measured interval between the eyes. The control unit 23 may set the binocular area CB, the monocular area CRL, and the non-display area CN based on a preset average interval between the eyes instead of measuring the interval between the eyes.

[0050] Here, the features of the embodiments of the vehicle display device according to the present disclosure described above are briefly summarized and listed in the following [1] to [3].

[0051] [1] A vehicle display device (1), comprising:

[0052] An image display unit (20) configured to emit display light (70) for an image;

[0053] an optical system configured to project the display light (70) emitted from the image display unit (20) toward a reflective surface in front of a driver; and

[0054] A control unit is configured to control the image display unit (20), wherein:

[0055] The image includes a binocular region (CB) which is a region recognized by binocular vision of the driver (200), and a monocular region (CRL) which is a region recognized only by monocular vision of the driver (200), and

[0056] When displaying a design in the monocular region (CRL), the control unit (23) temporarily displays the design in an insert display area (A1) set in the binocular region (CB), and then moves the display position of the design to the monocular region (CRL).

[0057] According to the configuration of [1], when a design is displayed in the monocular region (CRL), the control unit (23) temporarily displays the design in an insertion display area (A1) set in the binocular region (CB) which is easy to visually recognize, and then moves the display position of the design to the monocular region (CRL). Thus, even when the design is displayed in the monocular region (CRL) which is difficult to visually recognize, the driver (200) can easily notice the display of the design.

[0058] [2] In the vehicle display device (1) according to [1],

[0059] The plurality of inserted display areas (A1) are arranged in the binocular area (CB).

[0060] According to the configuration of [2], a plurality of inserted display areas (A1) are provided in the binocular area (CB), thereby being able to cope with the situation where a plurality of designs need to be displayed simultaneously in the monocular area (CRL).

[0061] [3] The vehicle display device according to [1],

[0062] After temporarily displaying the design in the insertion display area (A1), the control unit (23) continues to display the design in the insertion display area (A1) until another design to be displayed in the monocular area (CRL) thereafter is temporarily displayed in the insertion display area (A1).

[0063] According to the configuration of [3], even if the design is displayed in a monocular region (CRL) that is difficult to visually recognize, the driver (200) can more easily notice the display of the design.

Claims

1. A vehicle display device, comprising: An image display unit that emits display light for an image; an optical system for projecting the display light emitted from the image display unit toward a reflective surface in front of the driver; as well as A control unit controls the image display unit, wherein: The image includes a binocular area which is an area recognized by binocular vision of the driver, and a monocular area which is an area recognized only by monocular vision of the driver, and When displaying a design in the monocular area, the control unit temporarily displays the design in an insert display area set in the binocular area, and then moves a display position of the design to the monocular area.

2. The vehicle display device according to claim 1, wherein: A plurality of insertion display areas are provided in the binocular area.

3. The vehicle display device according to claim 1, wherein: After temporarily displaying the design in the insert display area, the control unit continues to display the design in the insert display area until another design to be displayed thereafter in the monocular area is temporarily displayed in the insert display area.

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