Display control device, display control method, and program product

Abstract

This invention provides a display control device, a display control method, and a program product. The functions of the shortcut buttons (35, 36) assigned to the display on the basic screen of the display device (21) are either forced setting functions or setting maintenance functions. When the power of the vehicle (1) is turned on, the shortcut buttons (35, 36) assigned to the forced setting functions are displayed on the basic screen of the display device (21). When the on / off setting of the forced setting functions is changed after the power of the vehicle (1) is turned on and before the power of the vehicle (1) is turned off, the shortcut buttons (35, 36) assigned to the forced setting functions are not displayed until the power of the vehicle (1) is set to be off.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a display control device, a display control method, and a program product. Background Technology

[0002] Information devices that display function buttons, or shortcut buttons, for calling up specific functions related to driving on the menu screen of a display device mounted on a vehicle are known (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2024-49711). In such an information device, the frequency of use of each function related to driving is obtained by distinguishing whether the vehicle is moving or stationary. When the vehicle is moving, function buttons, or shortcut buttons, for calling up functions identified as frequently used while the vehicle is moving are displayed; when the vehicle is stationary, function buttons, or shortcut buttons, for calling up functions identified as frequently used while the vehicle is stationary are displayed. Summary of the Invention

[0003] However, in vehicles, although users frequently press shortcut buttons to enable or disable functions when the vehicle is powered on, there are instances where the settings remain unchanged once pressed until the vehicle is powered off. On the other hand, vehicle functions include forced-setting functions and setting-maintaining functions. Forced-setting functions are those that are forcibly enabled or disabled regardless of the previous power-off settings when the vehicle is powered on. Setting-maintaining functions maintain the previous power-off settings when the vehicle is powered on. Specifically, in forced-setting functions, if a shortcut button is pressed when the vehicle is powered on to enable or disable the function, the settings tend not to change until the vehicle is powered off. In this case, for forced-setting functions where the settings are frequently enabled or disabled when the vehicle is powered on, it is preferable to display the shortcut button from the beginning. However, as with the aforementioned known information devices, when shortcut buttons are displayed based on usage history, they are not displayed until the usage history is accumulated. Therefore, there is a problem that users have to repeatedly perform the time-consuming operation of displaying shortcut buttons.

[0004] In this invention, when the power is turned on, the shortcut button assigned to the forced setting function is displayed. Subsequently, when the on / off setting of the forced setting function is changed, the shortcut button assigned to the forced setting function is not displayed.

[0005] According to the present invention, a display control device is provided, which controls the display of an image on a display device mounted on a vehicle, wherein... The device includes a shortcut button display control unit, which displays shortcut buttons on the basic screen of the display device. The functions assigned to the shortcut buttons consist of either a forced setting function or a setting retention function. The forced setting function is a function that is forcibly set to on or off when the vehicle's power is turned on, regardless of the function's on / off setting during the previous power outage. The setting retention function is a function that maintains the function's on / off setting from the previous power outage when the vehicle's power is turned on. When the vehicle's power is turned on, the shortcut button display control unit displays the shortcut buttons assigned to forced setting functions on the basic screen of the display device. If the setting for the forced setting function is changed after the vehicle's power is turned on and before the vehicle's power is turned off, the shortcut button assigned to the forced setting function will not be displayed on the basic screen of the display device until the vehicle's power is turned off.

[0006] Furthermore, according to the present invention, a display control method is provided, which controls the screen display of a display device mounted on a vehicle, wherein... The functions assigned to the shortcut buttons displayed on the basic screen of the display device consist of either a forced setting function or a setting retention function. The forced setting function is a function that is forcibly set to on or off when the vehicle's power is turned on, regardless of the function's on / off setting during the previous power-off period. The setting retention function is a function that maintains the function's on / off setting from the previous power-off period when the vehicle's power is turned on. The computer performs the following operations: When the vehicle's power is turned on, the shortcut buttons assigned to the forced setting function are displayed on the basic screen of the display device, and... If the setting for the forced setting function is changed after the vehicle's power is turned on and before the vehicle's power is turned off, the shortcut button assigned to the forced setting function will not be displayed on the basic screen of the display device until the vehicle's power is turned off.

[0007] Furthermore, according to the present invention, a program product is provided, comprising a program used to control the display of an image on a display device mounted in a vehicle, wherein... The functions assigned to the shortcut buttons displayed on the basic screen of the display device consist of either a forced setting function or a setting retention function. The forced setting function is a function that is forcibly set to on or off when the vehicle's power is turned on, regardless of the function's on / off setting during the previous power-off period. The setting retention function is a function that maintains the function's on / off setting from the previous power-off period when the vehicle's power is turned on. The program enables the computer to function in the following way: When the vehicle's power is turned on, the shortcut buttons assigned to the forced setting function are displayed on the basic screen of the display device, and... If the setting for the forced setting function is changed after the vehicle's power is turned on and before the vehicle's power is turned off, the shortcut button assigned to the forced setting function will not be displayed on the basic screen of the display device until the vehicle's power is turned off.

[0008] By displaying shortcut buttons that are not touched again once touched, users can easily find other buttons they need. Attached Figure Description

[0009] Figure 1 A top view illustrating the vehicle.

[0010] Figure 2 A diagram illustrating the functional structure of a vehicle.

[0011] Figure 3A as well as Figure 3B A diagram illustrating the basic screen of a display device.

[0012] Figure 4A as well as Figure 4B A diagram illustrating the screen of a display device.

[0013] Figure 5A as well as Figure 5B A diagram illustrating the screen of a display device.

[0014] Figure 6 This is a flowchart for the on / off setting process of a forced setting function when the power is turned on.

[0015] Figure 7 This is a flowchart for the process of displaying shortcut buttons.

[0016] Figure 8 This is a flowchart for the on / off setting process of functions that are not implemented by shortcut buttons.

[0017] Figure 9This is a flowchart for the on / off setting process used to execute the functions implemented by the shortcut buttons.

[0018] Figure 10 This is a flowchart for the on / off setting process used to execute the functions implemented by the shortcut buttons.

[0019] Figure 11 A flowchart for calculating the frequency of use for performing functions.

[0020] Figure 12 A diagram illustrating the basic screen of a display device.

[0021] Figure 13 A diagram illustrating the screen of a display device. Detailed Implementation

[0022] Figure 1 The diagram illustrates vehicle 1 as viewed from above. Figure 2 It shows Figure 1 The functional structure of vehicle 1 is shown. Furthermore, vehicle 1 is capable of being driven either manually or automatically. (Referring to...) Figure 2 Then 10 represents the vehicle drive unit for providing driving force to the drive wheels of vehicle 1, 11 represents the braking device for braking vehicle 1, 12 represents the steering device for steering vehicle 1, and 13 represents the electronic control unit mounted in vehicle 1. Figure 2 As shown, the electronic control unit 13 is composed of a digital computer and includes a CPU (processor) 15 interconnected by a bidirectional bus 14, a memory 16 composed of ROM and RAM, and an input / output port 17.

[0023] On the other hand, such as Figure 2 As shown, a detection device 18 is installed on vehicle 1, including various sensors required for manual or automatic driving of vehicle 1. This detection device 18 includes sensors for detecting the state of vehicle 1 and sensors for detecting the surroundings of vehicle 1. In this case, sensors for detecting the state of vehicle 1 may include accelerometers, speed sensors, azimuth sensors, and geomagnetic sensors; sensors for detecting the surroundings of vehicle 1 may include cameras that capture images of the front, sides, and rear of vehicle 1, and optical radar (LIDAR), radar, gap sonar, etc., that detect the front, sides, and rear of vehicle 1.

[0024] exist Figure 1 The image shows an example of a sensor installed on vehicle 1. Figure 1In the example shown, vehicle 1 is equipped with visible light cameras 3a and 3b for capturing images of the front of vehicle 1, a rear camera 4 for capturing images of the rear of vehicle 1, a long-range millimeter-wave radar 5 emitting millimeter waves towards the front of vehicle 1, medium-range millimeter-wave radars 6a, 6b, 6c, and 6d emitting millimeter waves towards the sides of vehicle 1, optical radars 7a, 7b, 7c, and 7d emitting lasers towards the sides of vehicle 1, and a gap sonar 8 emitting ultrasonic waves towards the rear of vehicle 1. Additionally, Figure 1 The camera and sensor setup method shown is just one example; there are various methods for setting up these cameras and sensors.

[0025] Return to Figure 2 The vehicle 1 is equipped with a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 19, a map data storage device 20, and a display device 21. The GNSS receiver 19 can detect the current position of the vehicle 1 (e.g., the latitude and longitude of the vehicle 1) based on information obtained from multiple artificial satellites. Therefore, the current position of the vehicle 1 can be obtained through this GNSS receiver 19. For example, a GPS receiver can be used as the GNSS receiver 19. Furthermore, the map data storage device 20 stores map data and other information required for the vehicle 1's operation. These various sensors 18, the GNSS receiver 19, and the map data storage device 20 are connected to the electronic control unit 13.

[0026] Display device 21 is installed inside the vehicle compartment and has a screen visible to users of vehicle 1, such as the driver of vehicle 1. A pressure-sensitive, electrostatic induction, or electrostatic capacitive thin-film touch panel 22 is integrally formed on the screen of display device 21. These display devices 21 and touch panels 22 are connected to electronic control unit 13. Furthermore, vehicle 1 is equipped with various devices 23 such as headlights, turn signals, interior lights, and air conditioners, which are also connected to electronic control unit 13. Vehicle 1 is equipped with a communication device 24 for receiving television broadcasts, radio broadcasts, traffic information, etc., or for communicating with an information center and other vehicles; this communication device 24 is connected to electronic control unit 13.

[0027] exist Figure 2In the example shown, the vehicle drive unit 10 of vehicle 1 is composed of an electric motor driven by a secondary battery or an electric motor driven by a fuel cell, and the drive wheels are driven and controlled by these electric motors according to the output signal of the electronic control unit 13. In addition, the braking control of vehicle 1 is implemented by the braking device 11 according to the output signal of the electronic control unit 13, and the steering control of vehicle 1 is implemented by the steering device 12 according to the output signal of the electronic control unit 13.

[0028] First, a brief explanation of the meanings of the terms used in this application specification will be given.

[0029] In this application specification, "power on" means "a state in which the drive control of vehicle 1 can be performed", and "power off" means "a state in which the drive control of vehicle 1 cannot be performed".

[0030] Furthermore, in this application specification, "function enabled" means "the function is in operation or the function is functional", and "function disabled" means "the function has been stopped".

[0031] Furthermore, in this application specification, "setting the function to be enabled" means "setting the function in a way that makes the function work," and "setting the function to be disabled" means "setting the function in a way that makes the function stop working."

[0032] Next, in reference Figure 3A Simultaneously, the screen 30 of the display device 21 used in the embodiments implemented by the present invention will be described. When the display device 21 is activated, as... Figure 3A As shown, on the periphery of the screen 30 of the display device 21, there are buttons 31 for navigation (one of the basic functions), 32 for audio (one of the basic functions), and 33 for settings (one of the basic functions). At this time, on the screen 30 of the display device 21, for example... Figure 3A As shown, a road map is displayed. In this application specification, the screen 30, which displays a navigation function button 31 (one of the basic functions), an audio function button 32 (one of the basic functions), and a setting function button 33 (one of the basic functions), as when the display device 21 is activated, is referred to as the basic screen.

[0033] In addition, Figure 3A In the illustrated embodiment, a thin-film layer of touch panel 22 is formed on the screen 30 of the display device 21. Figure 3AIn this application, when a button displayed on screen 30, such as the navigation function button 31, the audio function button 32, and the setting function button 33, is touched, the touch panel 22 and the electronic control unit 13 recognize the touch. In this specification, displaying the button on screen 30 in this way, by recognizing the touch via the electronic control unit 13, is simply referred to as "displaying the button on screen 30." Furthermore, in Figure 3A In the middle, the icons marked A, B, C and the text diagram show the navigation function, audio function and settings function respectively.

[0034] Next, we will briefly explain an example of button operations for these basic functions. Figure 3A This illustrates a situation where the navigation function button 31 is touched, causing a road map to be displayed on the basic screen of the display device 21. When the display change button 40 on the road map is touched, the view is switched from the road map to... Figure 4A The display change screen is located at the next level, as shown. Then, when you touch, for example, the peripheral device button 41 displayed on this display change screen, the display change screen switches to... Figure 4B The screen for selecting nearby facilities is located one level below, as shown. Then, when you touch, for example, the parking button 42 displayed on this screen, you are switched to... Figure 3A The image shows a road map, and the location of the parking lot is displayed on the road map.

[0035] Thus, in this example, by touching the parking lot button 42 located at a deeper level, the parking lot location display function, which displays the parking lot's location on the road map, is activated, thereby enabling the parking lot location display function to work and display the parking lot's location on the road map. In this case, for example, when the parking lot's location is displayed on the road map, if the navigation function button 31 is touched, the parking lot location display function is deactivated, and the parking lot's location is removed from the road map. Furthermore, although in Figure 3A , Figure 4A , Figure 4B The respective road map screens, change display screens, and surrounding facility selection screens usually display several other buttons, but... Figure 3A , Figure 4A , Figure 4B In this context, the display of these other buttons is omitted.

[0036] On the other hand, for example, like Figure 3A As shown, when a road map is displayed on the basic screen of display device 21, touching the setting button 33 will switch the display from the road map to the main screen. Figure 5A The settings screen is located at the next level, as shown. Then, when you touch, for example, the user-defined function button 43 displayed on this settings screen, the settings screen will switch to... Figure 5B The user-defined function selection screen is located one level below, as shown. Figure 5B In the example shown, on the user-defined function selection screen, the current status of each function is displayed as either on or off (44).

[0037] Here, if we briefly explain the functions displayed on the user-defined function selection screen, the collision damage mitigation function is a function that applies braking force to vehicle 1 via braking device 11 when the detection device 18 detects that vehicle 1 is approaching another vehicle from behind; the constant speed driving function is a function that allows vehicle 1 to drive at a constant speed set by the device; the automatic headlight illumination function is a function that automatically illuminates the headlights when the ambient brightness falls below a threshold; and the start-delay warning function, for example, is a function that issues a warning if vehicle 1 remains stationary even though another vehicle in front of it has started moving. Additionally, in Figure 5A as well as Figure 5B In this context, "…" means that although the record exists, the description of the recorded content has been omitted. This situation will be defined in the following text.

[0038] Right now, Figure 5B The functions listed are only a small subset of those displayed on the user-defined function selection screen; in reality, many more functions are available. Figure 5B For example, when focusing on the automatic headlight activation function, the function is currently disabled as indicated by the on / off display 44. That is, it is set to be off. In this case, touching the ON button for the automatic headlight activation function will switch the function from off to on, causing the on / off display 44 to change to indicate on. Thus, in this example, by touching the corresponding button on the deeper user-defined function selection screen, it is possible to switch each function from off to on, or from on to off.

[0039] Thus, buttons for enabling or disabling functions are typically located in a deeper hierarchy. However, placing buttons in this way makes operation time-consuming, especially when frequently used functions are located in a deeper hierarchy, making button operation very tedious for the user. Therefore, to alleviate user frustration, in embodiments implemented by the present invention, such as... Figure 3AAs shown, two shortcut buttons 35 and 36, each assigned a different function, are displayed on the basic screen of the display device 21. While it is possible to display more than three such shortcut buttons, the following description uses the case of displaying two shortcut buttons 35 and 36 as an example to illustrate the embodiment implemented by the present invention. Furthermore, in Figure 3A In the diagram, the symbols b, c, and the letters ABC and XYZ are used to represent the icons in a graphical way.

[0040] In the embodiment implemented by the present invention, when the shortcut button 35 is touched, the function assigned to the shortcut button 35, if currently disabled, is switched to enabled, thereby activating the function assigned to the shortcut button 35. Then, when the shortcut button 35 is touched again, the function assigned to the shortcut button 35 is switched from enabled to disabled, thereby stopping the function from operating. That is, each time the shortcut button 35 is touched, the enabled and disabled settings of the function are switched, thereby switching between the function being active and inactive.

[0041] Similarly, when shortcut button 36 is touched, the function assigned to shortcut button 36, if currently disabled, is switched to enabled, thus activating the function. Then, when shortcut button 36 is touched again, the function assigned to shortcut button 36 is switched from enabled to disabled, thus stopping the function. In other words, each time shortcut button 36 is touched, the enabled and disabled settings of the function are switched, thereby toggling the function's operation and deactivation.

[0042] Furthermore, in the embodiments implemented by the present invention, when the function assigned to shortcut button 35 is set to be off, shortcut button 35 will be displayed off; when the function assigned to shortcut button 35 is set to be on, shortcut button 35 will be displayed on. Similarly, when the function assigned to shortcut button 36 is set to be off, shortcut button 36 will be displayed off; when the function assigned to shortcut button 36 is set to be on, shortcut button 36 will be displayed on.

[0043] exist Figure 3A as well as Figure 3B The image shows an example of shortcut button 35 being displayed when it is turned off and when it is displayed when it is turned on. In this example, shortcut button 35 is shown as... Figure 3A When the brightness is the same as other buttons 31, 32, and 33, as shown, the shortcut button 35 is set to be off. This is reflected in the overall brightness of shortcut button 35 or its icon. Figure 3B When the shortcut button 35 is brightly illuminated as shown, it is set to be on display. Similarly, when the shortcut button 36 has the same brightness as the other buttons 31, 32, and 33, it is set to be off display, and when the entire shortcut button 36 or the icon portion of the shortcut button 36 is brightly illuminated, it is set to be on display.

[0044] Thus, in the embodiment implemented by the present invention, the functions assigned to each shortcut button 35 and 36 can be turned on or off simply by touching the shortcut buttons 35 and 36, and the shortcut buttons 35 and 36 are displayed on the basic screen of the display device 21. Here, a problem arises: which function, when assigned to the shortcut buttons 35 and 36, will most effectively reduce the user's annoyance? Therefore, the following will examine the functions preferably assigned to the shortcut buttons 35 and 36.

[0045] There are two types of functions. The first type is a function that is either enabled or disabled when the power to vehicle 1 was previously disconnected, and is forcibly enabled or disabled when the power to vehicle 1 is turned on, regardless of whether the function was enabled or disabled during the previous power outage. In other words, it is a function that is forcibly enabled or disabled when the power to vehicle 1 is turned on, regardless of whether the function was enabled or disabled during the previous power outage. The second type is a function that is enabled when the power to vehicle 1 was previously disconnected and enabled, and disabled when the power to vehicle 1 was previously disconnected and disabled, and maintains the same enable / disable setting as when the power to vehicle 1 was turned on.

[0046] Furthermore, in this application specification, the first type of function, namely, a function that is forcibly set to on or off regardless of its on / off setting when the power to the vehicle 1 is turned on, is referred to as a forced setting function. The second type of function, namely, a function whose on / off setting from the previous power-off state is maintained when the power to the vehicle 1 is turned on, is referred to as a setting maintenance function. For all functions, the electronic control unit 13 stores whether a function is a forced setting function or a setting maintenance function in its memory 16. In the case of a forced setting function, the electronic control unit 13 stores in its memory 16 whether the function is set to be on or off when the power to the vehicle 1 is turned on.

[0047] Figure 6 A routine for performing on / off setting processing of a forced setting function when the power is turned on is shown, which is repeatedly executed within the electronic control unit 13.

[0048] If reference Figure 6 First, in step 90, it is determined whether the power has been switched from off to on. When it is determined that the power has been switched from off to on, proceed to step 91, and retrieve all forced setting functions from the functions stored in memory 16. Then, in step 92, based on the information stored in memory 16, enable or disable all forced setting functions respectively.

[0049] Furthermore, most functions are typically set to maintain their settings, while a portion are set to force settings. In such cases, users may sometimes find the force-setting functions annoying. For example, the start-delay warning function might be set to be forcibly activated when the vehicle's power is turned on, regardless of its on / off settings during the previous power outage. In this case, the start-delay warning function will automatically activate when the vehicle's power is turned on.

[0050] Therefore, if the user of vehicle 1 wants to turn off the start-delay warning function, they must switch the start-delay warning function from on to off every time the power of vehicle 1 is turned on. This is inconvenient for the user. In this case, for example, if the start-delay warning function is pre-assigned to the shortcut button 35, the user can switch the start-delay warning function from on to off simply by touching the shortcut button 35, thus reducing the annoyance felt by the user. Therefore, in the embodiment implemented by the present invention, when the power of vehicle 1 is turned on, a mandatory setting function, such as the start-delay warning function, is assigned to the shortcut button 35. In other words, when the power of vehicle 1 is turned on, the shortcut button 35, which is assigned a mandatory setting function, such as the start-delay warning function, is automatically displayed on the basic screen of the display device 21. In addition, in the embodiment implemented by the present invention, the function to be assigned to the shortcut button 53 is pre-selected and pre-stored as a specific mandatory setting function in the memory 16 of the electronic control unit 13.

[0051] Figure 7 The display processing routine for the shortcut buttons is shown. This routine is executed within the electronic control unit 13.

[0052] If reference Figure 7First, in step 100, it is determined whether the power supply of vehicle 1 has been switched from off to on, i.e., when the power supply of vehicle 1 is on. If it is determined that the power supply of vehicle 1 is on, proceed to step 101, and a specific mandatory setting function stored in memory 16, such as a start-delay warning function, is invoked as a function to be assigned to shortcut button 53. Next, in step 102, this specific mandatory setting function is assigned to shortcut button 53. That is, shortcut button 53 assigned with this specific mandatory setting function is displayed on the basic screen of display device 21. In addition, another specific mandatory setting function is assigned to shortcut button 54, and shortcut button 54 assigned with this other specific mandatory setting function is displayed on the basic screen of display device 21.

[0053] Thus, in the embodiment implemented by the present invention, since the shortcut button 35, which is assigned a mandatory setting function such as a start-delay warning function, is automatically displayed on the basic screen of the display device 21 when the power is turned on, the on / off setting of the mandatory setting function, such as the start-delay warning function, assigned to the shortcut button 35 can be changed simply by touching the shortcut button 35. For example, when the power of the vehicle 1 is turned on, if the start-delay warning function, which is a mandatory setting function, is set to be turned on, the start-delay warning function can be turned off simply by touching the shortcut button 35 assigned to the start-delay warning function.

[0054] On the other hand, when the start-delay warning function is set to be enabled when the power of vehicle 1 is turned on and then disabled in this manner, the likelihood of touching the shortcut button 35 for the start-delay warning function is extremely low. Therefore, even if the display of the shortcut button 35 assigned to the start-delay warning function is stopped, there will be almost no problem. In contrast, since the number of shortcut buttons 35 displayed is reduced when the display of the shortcut button 35 assigned to the start-delay warning function is stopped, it has the advantage of making it easier to recognize the display of buttons assigned to other functions. Therefore, in the embodiment implemented by the present invention, when the start-delay warning function, i.e., the forced setting function, is changed after the power of vehicle 1 is turned on and before the power of vehicle 1 is turned off, the shortcut button 35 assigned to the forced setting function is not displayed on the basic screen of the display device 21 until the power of vehicle 1 is turned off.

[0055] Next, in reference Figure 8 as well as Figure 9 The instructions also explain how to enable or disable the function. Figure 8This demonstrates a routine for handling the on / off settings of functions that are not implemented by shortcut buttons 35 and 36. Figure 9 A routine is shown for performing the on / off setting process of the functions implemented by shortcut buttons 35 and 36. Figure 8 as well as Figure 9 The routines shown are set up for each function, and these routines are repeatedly executed within the electronic control unit 13. In addition, the programs for performing each function are pre-stored in the memory 16 of the electronic control unit 13.

[0056] If the reference indicates a routine used to handle the on / off settings of functions not implemented by shortcut buttons 35 and 36. Figure 8 First, in step 110, it is determined whether the user initiated the work request operation for function M, i.e., the activation setting operation for function M. For example, when the user... Figure 4B When the user touches the parking lot button 42, it is recognized as a work request operation to display the parking lot location on the road map, i.e., an activation setting operation for the parking lot location display function. In this case, function M refers to the parking lot location display function. Furthermore, when the user... Figure 5B When the ON button for the automatic headlight activation function is touched, it is recognized as an operation requesting the automatic headlight activation function to automatically turn on the headlights when the ambient brightness falls below a threshold, i.e., an activation setting operation for the automatic headlight activation function. In this case, function M refers to the automatic headlight activation function.

[0057] In step 110, when it is determined that a user has performed a work request operation for function M, i.e., an activation setting operation for function M, the process proceeds to step 111, and function M is activated. At this time, if function M is a parking lot location display function, the function of displaying the parking lot location on the road map is executed; if function M is an automatic headlight activation function, the function of automatically activating the headlights is executed. When function M is activated, as shown in step 112, the activation display is performed for function M. At this time, for… Figure 5B The on / off display of function M shown 44 is switched from off display to on display.

[0058] In contrast, in step 110, if it is determined that the user has not performed a work request operation for function M, i.e., an activation setting operation for function M, the process proceeds to step 113, where it is determined whether the user has performed a work stop operation for function M, i.e., a deactivation setting operation for function M. For example, if the user touches the navigation function button 31 while parking lot locations are displayed on a road map, it is determined that a work stop operation for the parking lot location display function has been performed, i.e., a deactivation setting operation for the parking lot location display function. In this case, function M refers to the parking lot location display function. Furthermore, when the user... Figure 5B When the OFF button for the automatic headlight function is touched, it is recognized as an operation to stop the automatic headlight function from operating, i.e., a setting operation to turn off the automatic headlight function. In this case, function M refers to the automatic headlight function.

[0059] In step 113, when it is determined that the user has performed a stop operation on function M, i.e., a shutdown setting operation on function M, the process proceeds to step 114, where function M is shut down, thus stopping its operation. At this time, if function M is a parking lot location display function, the display of parking lot locations on the road map is stopped; if function M is an automatic headlight activation function, the automatic headlight activation function is stopped. When function M is shut down, as shown in step 115, the display is turned off for function M. At this time, for... Figure 5B The on / off display 44 for function M is switched from on to off. On the other hand, in step 113, when it is determined that the user has not performed the off setting operation for function M, the processing loop ends.

[0060] If the routine is used to handle the on / off settings of the functions implemented by shortcut buttons 35 and 36. Figure 9 To explain, in step 120, it is first determined whether the power supply to vehicle 1 is on. When it is determined that the power supply to vehicle 1 is off, the processing loop ends. Conversely, when it is determined that the power supply to vehicle 1 is on, the process proceeds to step 121, for example, to determine whether the shortcut button 35, which is assigned to a forced setting function M such as a start-delay warning function, has been touched. When it is determined that the shortcut button 35 has been touched, the process proceeds to step 122, to determine whether the forced setting function M is currently enabled, i.e., whether the forced setting function M is currently operating. When it is determined that the forced setting function M is disabled, i.e., when it is determined that the operation of the forced setting function M is being stopped, the process proceeds to step 123.

[0061] In step 123, the forced setting function M is enabled to activate it. At this time, if the forced setting function M is a start-delay warning function, the start-delay warning function will be executed. When the forced setting function M is enabled, as shown in step 124, the display is activated for the forced setting function M. At this time, if the forced setting function M is a start-delay warning function, the display is activated for the start-delay warning function. Figure 5B The start-up delay warning function on / off display 44 is switched from off to on, and the shortcut button 35 is switched from off to on. Next, proceed to step 127, and stop displaying the shortcut button 35, which is assigned a forced setting function, on the basic screen of the display device 21.

[0062] On the other hand, in step 122, when it is determined that the current forced setting function M is enabled, i.e., the forced setting function M is working, the process proceeds to step 125 and the forced setting function M is disabled, thereby stopping its operation. At this time, if the forced setting function M is a start-delay warning function, the start-delay warning function is stopped. When the forced setting function M is disabled, as shown in step 126, the display is turned off for the forced setting function M. At this time, if the forced setting function M is a start-delay warning function, the display is turned off for... Figure 5B The on / off display 44 for the start-up delay warning function has been switched from on to off. Similarly, the shortcut button 35 has also been switched from on to off.

[0063] Next, proceed to step 127, where the display of the shortcut button 35, which is assigned a forced setting function, on the basic screen of the display device 21 is stopped. On the other hand, in step 121, when it is determined that the shortcut button 35 has not been touched, the processing loop ends. Thus, in this embodiment, when the shortcut button 35 is touched, the display of the shortcut button 35 on the basic screen of the display device 21 is stopped.

[0064] Figure 10 It shows the method for execution Figure 9 The example shown is a routine for another embodiment of the on / off setting process of the function implemented by shortcut buttons 35 and 36, which is also repeatedly executed in the electronic control unit 13.

[0065] exist Figure 10 In the example shown, steps 120 to 126 are... Figure 9 Steps 120 to 126 in the example shown are the same. Figure 10 The routines shown are Figure 9 The only difference in the example shown is that Figure 10 Step 127a in the text. Therefore, in Figure 10 In the example shown, steps 120 to 126 are omitted from the description, and only the description is given. Figure 10 The following will be explained using step 127a.

[0066] exist Figure 10 In the illustrated embodiment, in step 127a, the function assigned to shortcut button 35 is changed from a pre-selected specific forced setting function to another function, thereby replacing the shortcut button 35 assigned the pre-selected specific forced setting function, and displaying the shortcut button 35 assigned the other function. This other function can be another forced setting function or a setting maintenance function. Furthermore, this other function can also be, for example, a frequently used function. Therefore, when this other function is set to a frequently used function, the frequency of function usage needs to be calculated. Figure 11 A computational processing routine for calculating the frequency of use of a function is shown, and this routine is repeatedly executed within the electronic control unit 13.

[0067] If reference Figure 11 First, in step 130, it is determined whether the power supply to vehicle 1 is on. When it is determined that the power supply to vehicle 1 is on, proceed to step 131, and for each function, calculate the total number of times the function has been switched from an on setting to an off setting and the total number of times the function has been switched from an off setting to an on setting after the power supply to vehicle 1 is on, i.e., the number of times the function has been switched on and off. On the other hand, in step 130, when it is determined that the power supply to vehicle 1 is off, proceed to step 132, and determine whether the power supply to vehicle 1 has been switched from on to off, i.e., whether the power supply to vehicle 1 is off. When it is determined that the power supply to vehicle 1 is off, proceed to step 133, and determine the function with the highest number of times the function has been switched on and off among the functions calculated in step 131, and store it in memory 16. The function with the highest number of times the function has been switched on and off is set as a frequently used function.

[0068] Thus, in the embodiment implemented by the present invention, the display control device that controls the screen display of the display device 21 mounted on the vehicle 1 includes a shortcut button display control unit that displays shortcut buttons 35 and 36 on the basic screen of the display device 21. The functions assigned to the shortcut buttons 35 and 36 are either a forced setting type function that is forcibly set to on or off regardless of the function's on / off setting when the vehicle 1 is powered on, or a setting maintenance type function that maintains the function's on / off setting from the previous power-off time when the vehicle 1 is powered on. When the vehicle 1 is powered on, the shortcut button display control unit displays the shortcut buttons 35 and 36 assigned with the forced setting type function on the basic screen of the display device 21. However, if the on / off setting of the forced setting type function is changed after the vehicle 1 is powered on but before the vehicle 1 is powered off, the shortcut buttons assigned with the forced setting type function are not displayed on the basic screen of the display device 21 until the vehicle 1 is powered off.

[0069] Furthermore, in the embodiment implemented by the present invention, in the display control method for controlling the screen display of the display device 21 mounted on the vehicle 1, the functions of the shortcut buttons 35 and 36 assigned to the basic screen of the display device 21 are either a forced setting type function that is forcibly set to on or off regardless of the function's on / off setting when the vehicle 1 is powered on, or a setting maintenance type function that maintains the function's on / off setting when the vehicle 1 is powered on. The computer performs the following operation: when the vehicle 1 is powered on, the shortcut buttons 35 and 36 assigned with the forced setting type function are displayed on the basic screen of the display device 21; and when the on / off setting of the forced setting type function is changed after the vehicle 1 is powered on but before the vehicle 1 is powered off, the shortcut buttons assigned with the forced setting type function are not displayed on the basic screen of the display device 21 until the vehicle 1 is powered off.

[0070] Furthermore, in an embodiment implemented by the present invention, a program or program product is provided. In a program or program device used to control the screen display of a display device 21 mounted on a vehicle 1, the functions assigned to the shortcut buttons 35 and 36 displayed on the basic screen of the display device 21 are either a forced setting type function that is forcibly set to on or off regardless of the on / off setting of the function when the power of the vehicle 1 is turned on, or a setting maintenance type function that maintains the on / off setting of the function when the power of the vehicle 1 is turned on. The computer is configured to function in such a way that when the power of the vehicle 1 is turned on, the shortcut buttons 35 and 36 assigned with the forced setting type function are displayed on the basic screen of the display device 21, and when the on / off setting of the forced setting type function is changed after the power of the vehicle 1 is turned on and before the power of the vehicle 1 is turned off, the shortcut buttons 35 and 36 assigned with the forced setting type function are not displayed on the basic screen of the display device 21 until the power of the vehicle 1 is turned off.

[0071] Furthermore, in the embodiment implemented by the present invention, the forced setting function is a function that is automatically activated when the power to vehicle 1 is turned on after the previous power outage of vehicle 1. Furthermore, in the embodiment implemented by the present invention, when the user changes the on / off setting of the forced setting function after the power to vehicle 1 is turned on and before the power to vehicle 1 is turned off, shortcut buttons 35 and 36 assigned to other functions are displayed on the basic screen of the display device 21 instead of the shortcut buttons 35 and 36 assigned to the forced setting function. In this case, the function that is used more frequently during the period from when the power to vehicle 1 is turned on until when the power is turned off is set to the other function. Moreover, in the embodiment implemented by the present invention, the shortcut buttons 35 and 36 are configured such that each time the shortcut buttons 35 and 36 are touched, the function assigned to the shortcut buttons 35 and 36 switches between an on / off setting.

[0072] Next, another embodiment implemented by the present invention will be described. In this other embodiment, on the basic screen of the display device 21, in addition to shortcut buttons 35 that are assigned specific forced setting functions that have been pre-selected, shortcut buttons 36 that are assigned functions selected by the user are also displayed. In this case, an additional unit is needed to allow the user to select the function that should be assigned to the shortcut button 36 and to assign the selected function to the shortcut button 36.

[0073] In this additional embodiment, in order to display, on the basic screen of the display device 21, functions such as shortcut buttons 36 assigned by the user-selected functions are shown, thereby... Figure 12 As shown, on the basic screen of the display device 21, besides Figure 3A In addition to the various buttons 31, 32, and 33 shown, a quick setting button 34 is also displayed. In this case, for example, like... Figure 12 As shown, when a road map is displayed on the basic screen of display device 21, touching the shortcut setting button 34 will switch the display from the road map to the default setting. Figure 13 The quick settings screen is located at the next level, as shown. Figure 13 In the example shown, the quick settings screen displays candidate functions that can be assigned to quick settings button 36, and quick settings buttons 50, 51, 52, 53, and 54 are displayed for each candidate function. At each quick settings button 50, 51, 52, 53, and 54, an icon consisting of a mark and text is displayed.

[0074] in addition, Figure 13 The candidate functions shown, namely the start-delay warning function and the automatic headlight activation function, are only a small part of the candidates listed on the quick settings screen. In fact, the quick settings screen displays many more candidate functions. In this case, Figure 13 In the example shown, a large number of function candidates are displayed across multiple pages. Furthermore, in Figure 13 In the example shown, the shortcut buttons 50, 51, 52, 53, and 54 for the candidate functions that have been enabled, i.e., the functions that are currently in operation, are displayed as enabled. For example, the shortcut buttons 50, 51, 52, 53, and 54, either in their entirety or as icons, are brightly illuminated. The functions of the shortcut buttons 36 displayed on the basic screen of the display device 21 are selected by the user of the vehicle 1 from the candidate functions listed on that shortcut setting screen.

[0075] In addition, Figure 13 In the example shown, the quick settings screen displays the same icon 56 as the shortcut button 36 currently displayed on the basic screen of display device 21. For example, when the user of vehicle 1 wants to enable the parking location display function (in... Figure 13When the parking location display function is assigned to shortcut button 36 (details omitted), if the shortcut setting button 54 for the parking location display function is touched, and then the setting button 57 is touched, the parking location display function will be assigned to shortcut button 36. That is, the shortcut button 36 assigned to the user-selected parking location display function will be displayed on the basic screen of display device 21. When the parking location display function is assigned to shortcut button 36, the display and icon of the function previously assigned to shortcut button 36 will be restored on the shortcut setting screen, and the icon representing the parking location display function will be displayed at shortcut button 36. Once the assignment of the parking location display function to shortcut button 36 is complete, thereafter, simply touching shortcut button 36 displayed on the basic screen of display device 21 will allow switching between the on and off settings of the parking location display function.

[0076] Thus, in another embodiment implemented by the present invention, in addition to the pre-selected shortcut buttons 35 that are assigned forced setting functions, shortcut buttons 36 that are assigned functions selected by the user are also displayed on the basic screen of the display device 21. In this way, by displaying not only the pre-selected shortcut buttons 35 that are assigned forced setting functions, but also the shortcut buttons 36 that are assigned functions selected by the user on the basic screen of the display device 21, shortcut buttons that meet the user's needs can be displayed, thereby improving user convenience.

Claims

1. A display control device for controlling the display of an image on a display device mounted on a vehicle, wherein, The device includes a shortcut button display control unit, which displays shortcut buttons on the basic screen of the display device. The functions assigned to the shortcut buttons consist of either a forced setting function or a setting retention function. The forced setting function is a function that is forcibly set to on or off when the vehicle's power is turned on, regardless of the function's on / off setting during the previous power-off period. The setting retention function is a function that maintains the function's on / off setting from the previous power-off period when the vehicle's power is turned on. When the vehicle's power is turned on, the shortcut button display control unit displays the shortcut button assigned to the forced setting function on the basic screen of the display device. When the on / off setting of the forced setting function is changed after the vehicle's power is turned on and before the vehicle's power is turned off, the shortcut button assigned to the forced setting function is not displayed on the basic screen of the display device until the vehicle's power is turned off.

2. The display control device as described in claim 1, wherein, The forced setting function is a function that is automatically activated when the power to the vehicle is turned on after the previous power outage.

3. The display control device as described in claim 1, wherein, When the user changes the on / off setting of the forced setting function after the vehicle's power is turned on and before the vehicle's power is turned off, a shortcut button assigned to another function is displayed on the basic screen of the display device, instead of the shortcut button assigned to the forced setting function.

4. The display control device as described in claim 3, wherein, Functions that are used more frequently during the period from when the power to the vehicle is turned on until when the power is turned off are designated as the additional functions.

5. The display control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The shortcut button is configured such that whenever the shortcut button is touched, the function assigned to the shortcut button is toggled between an on and off setting.

6. The display control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The shortcut button display control unit displays, on the basic screen of the display device, shortcut buttons assigned to functions selected by the user, in addition to those assigned to the forced setting function.

7. A display control method for controlling the display of an image on a display device mounted on a vehicle, wherein, The functions assigned to the shortcut buttons displayed on the basic screen of the display device consist of either a forced setting function or a setting retention function. The forced setting function is a function that is forcibly set to on or off when the vehicle's power is turned on, regardless of the function's on / off setting during the previous power-off period. The setting retention function is a function that maintains the function's on / off setting from the previous power-off period when the vehicle's power is turned on. The computer performs the following operations: When the vehicle's power is turned on, the shortcut button assigned to the forced setting function is displayed on the basic screen of the display device, and When the setting for the forced setting function is changed after the vehicle's power is turned on and before the vehicle's power is turned off, the shortcut button assigned to the forced setting function will not be displayed on the basic screen of the display device until the vehicle's power is turned off.

8. A software product comprising a program used to control the display of an image on a display device mounted in a vehicle, wherein, The functions assigned to the shortcut buttons displayed on the basic screen of the display device consist of either a forced setting function or a setting retention function. The forced setting function is a function that is forcibly set to on or off when the vehicle's power is turned on, regardless of the function's on / off setting during the previous power-off period. The setting retention function is a function that maintains the function's on / off setting from the previous power-off period when the vehicle's power is turned on. The program enables the computer to function in the following way: When the vehicle's power is turned on, the shortcut button assigned to the forced setting function is displayed on the basic screen of the display device, and When the setting for the forced setting function is changed after the vehicle's power is turned on and before the vehicle's power is turned off, the shortcut button assigned to the forced setting function will not be displayed on the basic screen of the display device until the vehicle's power is turned off.

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