System and program

Abstract

To provide a system and others, capable of allowing a user to recognize that a boarding date has an individual character different from that of other dates and to feel freshness or surprise for each boarding.SOLUTION: A system that performs control for allowing display means to display information, includes a control unit that performs control for allowing a display that a passenger of a vehicle can visually recognize to display a date 51 of a boarding date of the vehicle and also individuality information 52, 53, 54 of the boarding date.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a system, a program, etc. for displaying individual information on a boarding date of a vehicle on a display means. [Background technology]

[0002] There are various kinds of electronic devices installed in automobiles, such as radar detectors and car navigation devices. These electronic devices have, for example, a control means for controlling the devices, a storage means for storing various information required for control, and a display means for displaying the results of processing by the control means. The display means is composed of a small display or the like, and this display is placed near the driver's seat, and the user operates the electronic device by input from a touch panel, a remote control, or the like.

[0003] Many of these in-vehicle electronic devices do not perform processing all the time, even when the vehicle is moving. For example, a radar detector is in a processing standby state until it detects a radar. Also, for example, a car navigation system is in a processing standby state when it is not performing route guidance.

[0004] In the standby state, the display of the in-vehicle electronic device is often turned off or a standby screen is displayed indicating that the device is in the standby state. The standby screen often simply displays an image such as the manufacturer's logo.

[0005] However, in recent years, attempts have been made to display various information on this standby screen to improve the convenience and added value of in-vehicle electronic devices (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Information to be displayed on the standby screen includes, for example, general information such as the date and clock, and information on the vehicle state such as the vehicle's inclination, tire air pressure, or acceleration applied to the vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2012-194016 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, since general information such as the date and time, and information on the vehicle status do not change significantly for each boarding day, it is possible that users who no longer feel that this information is new may stop paying attention to the standby screen.Therefore, it was necessary to display information that would impress upon the user that the boarding day is a special day different from other days, thereby drawing the user's attention to the standby screen and further increasing the added value of in-vehicle electronic devices.

[0008] The present invention has been proposed to solve the problems of the conventional technology as described above, and its purpose is to provide a system etc. that allows a user to recognize that the day they board a vehicle has a different personality from other days, and that allows them to feel a sense of novelty and surprise every time they board the vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] (1) The system of the present invention is a system that controls the display of information on a display means, and has a display control means that controls the display means to display personality information about the boarding date together with the date of boarding the vehicle.

[0010] Although the date of boarding is merely impersonal information, by displaying the individuality information specific to that day along with the date, the user can recognize that the day has a different individuality from other days. Therefore, instead of boarding the vehicle aimlessly as if every day is similar, the user can feel a sense of novelty and surprise every time they board the vehicle, and can be alert and alert when boarding the vehicle, which can ultimately lead to safer driving.

[0011] The display means may be, for example, a means that can be visually recognized by a vehicle occupant. For example, from the viewpoint of application to various in-vehicle electronic devices, the display unit may be a display screen. The date of boarding the vehicle may be, for example, the current date, and may be configured to be acquired from a current date generating means such as a battery-backed real-time clock. It is even more preferable to acquire the date via GPS, a mobile phone network, the Internet, or the like, and use the accurate current date and time.

[0012] The personality information for the boarding date may, for example, be incorporated into the program, or may be obtained from a storage means provided in a server or the like via a network, but it may also be stored in a storage means built into or connected to equipment within the vehicle and then obtained.

[0013] The personality information of the boarding date may be, for example, information stored in association with information regarding the date on which the personality information should be displayed. The control for displaying the personality information of the boarding date on the display means may be, for example, a control for extracting personality information whose current date obtained from the current date generation means matches the date on which the personality information should be displayed, and displaying the personality information stored in association with the matching date. The information regarding the date on which the personality information should be displayed may be, for example, date information of a specific day, date information of a plurality of different days, or date information indicating a range of days.

[0014] (2) The individuality information of the boarding date may include, for example, information that indicates characteristics that make the boarding date different from other days. This makes it possible to impress upon a user who sees the individuality information that the boarding date is a special day that is different from other days.

[0015] Such distinctive information that can impress upon the user that the boarding day is a special day different from other days can be information that gives the user some impression or emotion about the boarding day when they see it, as opposed to inorganic information such as a calendar or clock, which makes it difficult to sense daily changes.

[0016] The feature that is different from other days on the boarding date does not have to be a feature that is different from all other days on the boarding date, but may be, for example, a feature that is different from at least the days before and after the boarding date.

[0017] The information showing the characteristics of the boarding day that are different from other days may be, for example, composed of a single piece of information whose contents change on a daily basis, or may be composed of a combination of multiple pieces of such information whose contents change on a daily basis.Furthermore, for example, the information showing the characteristics of the boarding day that are different from other days may be composed of a combination of multiple pieces of information whose contents change over a period longer than a day.

[0018] (3) As the personality information for the boarding day, for example, it is preferable to provide a plurality of pieces of information each having different contents. All of these pieces of information do not need to change on a daily basis, but may be, for example, a plurality of pieces of information whose contents change in mutually different units or cycles. In this way, the combination of the plurality of pieces of information as a whole will constitute a personality that is different from other boarding days, and at the same time, each piece of information will allow the user to experience major seasonal changes such as seasonal changes.

[0019] (4) The individual information of the boarding date may include, for example, information on the six days of the week, the twenty-four solar terms, the seventy-two seasons, the phases of the moon, the age of the moon, the high and low tides, or anniversaries related to the boarding date, or a combination of these pieces of information. Unlike inorganic information such as a simple date, this information contains meaning in itself, and therefore allows the user to sense the individuality of the boarding date, which is different from other days.

[0020] For example, the names of the Rokuyo (six days of the week) contain meanings in themselves. The 24 solar terms and 72 seasonal periods are a type of calendar, just like the Gregorian calendar that is currently used to indicate dates, but the names of each day give a sense of seasonal change. The waxing and waning of the moon, its age, and the tides all change daily in a cycle of about 29 days, giving a sense of the passage of time.

[0021] For example, if the boarding date is a "Taian" day in the Rokuyo calendar, the user can feel auspicious on the boarding date. Also, if the boarding date is a "Sakura Hajime-kai" day in the 72 seasons, the user can feel the freshness of the change of seasons.

[0022] Similarly, the anniversary information can make the user feel the special individuality of the boarding date. The anniversary may be, for example, a personal anniversary of the user, such as a birthday or wedding anniversary. It may also be, for example, a national holiday established by a public institution. It may also be, for example, an anniversary created by a company or industry group based on a play on words for the date. For example, if the boarding date is assigned to the anniversary "Bath Day" based on a play on words, the user may feel surprised by the information about the unexpected anniversary.

[0023] These pieces of information are also examples of information whose content changes in different units or cycles. For example, the content of the Rokuyo changes on a daily basis, with the changes repeating every six days. The content of the Shichijuunikō changes on a five-day basis, with the changes repeating in a one-year cycle. Like the age of the moon, the content changes on a daily basis, with the changes repeating in a cycle of about 29 days. As for anniversaries, while there are some days that do not have anniversaries at all, the content basically changes on a daily basis, with the changes repeating in a one-year cycle.

[0024] Information such as anniversaries, whose content changes on a daily basis and whose cycle is long, may be used alone to indicate characteristics that distinguish the boarding day from other days, thereby impressing a simple individuality of the boarding day. Information such as the Rokuyo, the 24 solar terms, the 72 seasons, and the age of the moon are information whose content does not change on a daily basis or has a short cycle, but by combining these, they may be configured as information that indicates characteristics that differ from other days of the boarding day as a whole. The combination of these pieces of information creates a synergistic effect, not only creating a profound individuality of the boarding day, but also giving a sense of the great seasonal changes through the individual pieces of information such as the 24 solar terms and the 72 seasons.

[0025] In addition to this information, for example, comments explaining the contents of the information may be displayed. For example, when displaying information on the 72 seasons, some of which have difficult names, by displaying an explanatory comment such as "Water begins to freeze" for "Water begins to dry up," the user can easily understand the contents and satisfy their intellectual curiosity. It is also a good idea to allow users to customize such comments.

[0026] (5) When multiple pieces of information are used in combination as the individual information of the boarding date, for example, it is advisable to switch and display these multiple pieces of information at predetermined intervals. This allows a lot of information to be displayed, and also makes it easier for the user to recognize each piece of information. In addition, the display of new information every time the user looks at the screen allows the user to feel a sense of freshness. In addition, vehicles are used as a means of transportation, and especially when the travel takes time, the driver tends to become bored and to relax his or her awareness of safe driving. However, for example, when the driver of a vehicle looks at the display means while the vehicle is stopped, such as waiting at a traffic light or in a traffic jam, the driver can get a refreshing effect by seeing new information about the boarding date, and can drive safely with a renewed awareness. In addition, passengers can also get an opportunity to talk with the driver every time the information displayed on the display means is switched, which helps the driver to refresh.

[0027] (6) Although textual information can be used as the individual information of the boarding date, for example, an image showing the characteristics of the boarding date may also be used. By using an image, for example, the user can intuitively sense the individuality of the boarding date.

[0028] (7) By displaying text information and an image corresponding to that text information on the display means, the user can easily and clearly understand, for example, the personality information of the boarding date. The text information may be, for example, information on the day of the flight, the 24 solar terms, the 72 seasonal divisions, the phases of the moon, the age of the moon, the high and low tides, or anniversaries of the day of the flight, as described above.

[0029] As an image corresponding to the text information, for example, an image that is closely related to the content of the text information may be used. Specifically, for example, if the text information is the age of the moon, an image of the moon corresponding to the phases of the moon and the age of the moon on the boarding date may be displayed. Also, for example, if the text information is the 72 seasons and the 72 seasons on the boarding date is "cherry blossoms begin to bloom," an image of cherry blossoms that are about half in bloom may be displayed accordingly. Also, if the personality information is an anniversary and the anniversary of the boarding date is "bath day," an image of an open-air bath may be displayed accordingly.

[0030] In addition, for example, the text information and the image corresponding to that text information may be customized by the user. For example, when displaying information about the user's wedding anniversary as the personality information for the boarding date, the text information may be "Today is the xxth wedding anniversary," and the image may be a photo of the user's wedding.

[0031] (8) When there are multiple images showing the characteristics of the boarding date, for example, it is advisable to switch between these multiple images at a predetermined time interval. For example, when there are multiple pieces of text information as the individual information of the boarding date, multiple images corresponding to each piece of text information may be prepared. In that case, for example, the display control means may switch between these multiple images at a predetermined time interval. This allows many images to be displayed, and also makes it easier for the user to recognize each image.

[0032] In addition, vehicles are used as a means of transportation, and especially when the travel takes time, the driver tends to become bored and to relax his or her awareness of safe driving. However, for example, when the driver of the vehicle looks at the display means while the vehicle is stopped, such as waiting at a traffic light or in a traffic jam, the driver can get a refreshing effect by seeing new information about the boarding date, and can drive safely with a renewed awareness. Furthermore, if the information is an image, it is easy to recognize the information even during a short stop. In addition, passengers can also get an opportunity to talk with the driver every time the information displayed on the display means is switched, which helps the driver to refresh himself or herself. For example, when the information about the boarding date is switched and displayed at a predetermined time, the relevant images may be displayed according to the switching timing.

[0033] (9) The system may further include an input receiving means for receiving input of the date an event occurs from a user, and the display control means may cause the display means to display a message regarding the event as personality information for the boarding date on the boarding date corresponding to the event occurrence date.

[0034] This allows the user to register a personal anniversary as the individual information of the boarding date, and gives the user a stronger impression that the boarding date is a special day. Also, for example, by inputting an important deadline as the event occurrence date, the system can be used as a convenient reminder. Or, for example, by inputting the anniversary of a user's family or significant other as the event occurrence date, the system can be used as a surprise for them.

[0035] The event may be, for example, a personal commemorative event of the user or an important event with a deadline, such as the birthday of the user or a close friend of the user, a wedding anniversary, a driver's license renewal date, a renewal deadline for various qualifications or memberships, the expiration date of a vehicle inspection certificate, or the expiration date of optional insurance.

[0036] The input receiving means may, for example, display an event input screen on the display means, separate from the screen on which the boarding date and personality information are displayed, and receive input of the event occurrence date and event type from the user. The input may be made, for example, by a button provided on the in-vehicle electronic device, a touch panel provided on the display means, or a remote control. In addition to the event occurrence date and event type, the event input screen may also have, for example, an input section for the name of a person related to the event, a selection section for a message related to the event, or an input section for an original message. The message regarding the event may be a message that has been registered in advance in the system, or may be an original message input by the user.

[0037] If the event is a birthday, the message may be, for example, a congratulatory message such as "Happy Birthday." If the event is to have the user input a license renewal date, the message may be, for example, a reminder message such as "Have you renewed your driver's license?"

[0038] (10) The input receiving means may receive, for example, an input of an event type from a user, and the display control means may cause the display means to display a message corresponding to the event type input by the input receiving means as individual information of the boarding date corresponding to the event occurrence date. This allows for a high level of convenience, since it is possible to display an appropriate message according to the nature of each event, even though the content of the message to be displayed may vary greatly depending on the type of event, such as a birthday or license renewal date.

[0039] It is advisable to provide multiple types of events, such as birthdays, wedding anniversaries, driver's license renewal dates, renewal deadlines for various qualifications or memberships, expiration dates of vehicle inspection certificates, or expiration dates of optional insurance, and to register these types of events in the system in advance.

[0040] The type of event may be input, for example, by displaying multiple types of events preregistered in the system on an event input screen and allowing the user to select a desired event from among them. If the desired event is not among the preregistered events, for example, it may be possible for the user to register a new type of event.

[0041] As a message corresponding to the type of event, for example, a message corresponding to each type of event may be preregistered in the system. In response to an input of an event type by a user, for example, a message corresponding to the input type of event may be called from preregistered messages and displayed on the event input screen. If there are multiple messages corresponding to the input event, for example, these messages may be displayed on the event input screen so that the user can select a desired message from among them.

[0042] If the user does not find a desired message among the pre-registered messages, for example, the user may be allowed to input an original message, or if the user wishes to rearrange a pre-registered message, the user may be allowed to edit the pre-registered message.

[0043] Also, depending on the type of event, it may be possible to input the name of a person to whom the message is to be sent and have that name inserted into the selected message. For example, if the event is the birthday of a close friend of the user and the name of the person to whom the message is to be sent is input, the message may read "Happy birthday, Mr. / Ms. XX."

[0044] (11) The display control means may, for example, cause the display means to display a message notifying the user of the date of occurrence of an event as a message related to the event, a predetermined period prior to the date of occurrence of the event. By notifying the user of the date of occurrence of the event not only on the date of occurrence of the event but also a predetermined period prior to the date of occurrence of the event, for example, one month prior, the user can make careful preparations for an event such as a wedding anniversary, for example, by preparing a present or planning a date, thereby providing the user with high convenience and helping to smooth human relationships.

[0045] (12) The predetermined period before the event occurrence date is not limited to once, but may be one month before, 10 days before, 5 days before, the day before, or at shorter intervals as the event occurrence date approaches. The shorter intervals allow the user to intuitively understand that the event occurrence date is approaching, and also to feel excited about the event. The necessity of such advance notification and the interval of advance notification may be set on the event input screen.

[0046] (13) The display control means may, for example, be configured to display a message reflecting the passage of the event date on the next boarding date if the user does not board the vehicle on the event occurrence date. There is a possibility that the user will not board the vehicle on the event occurrence date, and in that case, by displaying a message reflecting the passage of the event date on the next boarding date, the user can, for example, be aware of the passage of the event occurrence date, which is highly convenient.

[0047] The message reflecting the passage of the event occurrence date may be, for example, a message notifying that the event occurrence date has passed. If the type of event is, for example, the expiration date of the vehicle inspection certificate, the message may be, "The expiration date of the vehicle inspection certificate has passed. Have you had your vehicle inspected?"

[0048] Furthermore, the message reflecting the passage of time since the event occurred may be, for example, a message that was supposed to be sent on the event occurrence date, with changes made to reflect the passage of time. For example, if the event type is a birthday, the message may be "A little late, but happy birthday." Such a message has a warmth that differs from a mere standard message, and can arouse the user's attachment to the system.

[0049] (14) The display control means may display a message regarding the event on at least one of the following days: before the start of, during, or after a predetermined period that is set around the date of occurrence of the event as a reference date. In this way, for example, in the case of an event such as a driver's license renewal in which a renewal period is set for one month around the birthday, a message can be displayed not only on the reference date but also inside and outside the renewal period at appropriate times to make the user aware of the driver's license renewal period and reduce the possibility of missing the renewal of the driver's license.

[0050] The predetermined period may be automatically set by registering the period in advance in the system according to the type of event, or may be set arbitrarily by user input.

[0051] The day before the start of the predetermined period on which the message is displayed may be, for example, 10 days before the start date of the license renewal period, so that the user can prepare in advance for license renewal. The day within the predetermined period may be, for example, the start date of license renewal, a day after the start date and before the base date, a day after the base date and before the end date, or the end date, so that the user can recognize the passage of the renewal period. The day after the end of the predetermined period may be, for example, the day after the end of the renewal period, so that the user is prompted to check whether license renewal has been completed.

[0052] The event-related message may be, for example, a standard message simply informing the user of the event or the set predetermined period of time, but the content may also be changed depending on the timing of display, for example. This can, for example, encourage the user to prepare for the event or alert the user that the end of the predetermined period is approaching.

[0053] Specifically, for example, a message to be displayed 10 days before the start date of the license renewal period could be "The license renewal period begins on XX / XX." Also, for example, a message to be displayed on the start date could be "The license renewal period runs from today until XX / XX. Go and renew early." Also, for example, a message to be displayed on the base date or on a day after the base date within the renewal period could be "There are XX days left in the renewal period. Please go and renew as soon as possible." Also, for example, a message to be displayed on the end date could be "The renewal period ends today. Have you renewed?" Also, for example, a message to be displayed on a day after the end date could be "The renewal period ended on XX / XX. Have you renewed?"

[0054] Also, for example, when the license renewal is completed within the license renewal period, the input receiving means may receive the user's input of the end of renewal, and the display control means may not display any subsequent messages. Also, for example, when the input receiving means receives the user's input of the end of renewal, the input receiving means may automatically set the next license renewal deadline, and the display control means may display a similar message in the next license renewal period.

[0055] (15) The message regarding the event may be displayed directly on the display means, but it is also preferable to provide a button for notifying the user of the presence of a message and have the message displayed on the display means by the user pressing the button. This allows the message to be displayed at a time desired by the user, for example, as a means of a surprise gift, making it easy for the user to use. Specifically, for example, if a user who is a driver inputs the birthday of a lover as the event occurrence date, the user can surprise and delight the lover by pressing a button when picking up the lover and having the lover sit in the passenger seat to display a message celebrating the lover's birthday.

[0056] (16) The button for notifying the user of the presence of a message regarding the event may be, for example, an image button operated by a touch panel, and may be displayed on the display means at all times until the user presses the button on the day the event occurs. In this way, although a plurality of pieces of information may be displayed on the display means at predetermined intervals as individual information for the boarding day, by keeping the button for notifying the user of the presence of a message regarding the event always displayed, for example, the user will not miss the timing to give a surprise, making it easy to use. The image button may be displayed, for example, in a corner of the display screen so as not to interfere with the execution of the surprise or the display of other information.

[0057] (17) The button for notifying the user of the presence of a message regarding an event may be provided as a physical button near the display means or on a remote control device used by the user. Also, for example, this physical button may be illuminated on the day the event occurs. This allows the user to be sure that a message exists even if the button is not displayed on the display screen.

[0058] The buttons may be provided near the display means, for example, around the periphery of the display screen of the in-vehicle electronic device, and the remote control device used by the user may be, for example, a remote control for operating the in-vehicle electronic device.

[0059] (18) The boarding date and the individuality information may be displayed, for example, on the initial screen or standby screen of the system. When the system is applied to an in-vehicle electronic device, for example, a user often starts up the in-vehicle electronic device when getting into the vehicle, so by displaying the individuality information of the boarding date and the traffic accident level information on the initial screen, this information is easily noticeable to the user.

[0060] The initial screen of the system is, for example, a screen that is displayed when the system is started up. When the system is applied to, for example, an in-vehicle electronic device, the initial screen may be a screen that is displayed after the in-vehicle electronic device is started up and the manufacturer's logo, safety precautions, and the like of the in-vehicle electronic device are displayed. By displaying the individual information for the boarding date on the standby screen of the system, the display means can be effectively utilized while the system is waiting for processing.

[0061] The standby screen of the system is, for example, a screen displayed when the system is in a waiting state for processing. When the system is applied to, for example, a target detection device, the standby screen is a screen displayed on the display means in a standby state when no target is present in the surroundings.

[0062] The boarding date and the individual information may be displayed on both the initial screen and the standby screen of the system, for example. By displaying them for a long time, the individual information of the boarding date and the traffic accident level information can be more strongly impressed on the user.

[0063] (19) The display control means may, for example, switch between a plurality of images corresponding to changes in the state of a predetermined item at predetermined time intervals and cause the display means to display the images together with the personality information of the boarding date.

[0064] In this way, by displaying a plurality of images according to the state changes of a specific item together with the personality information of the boarding day, it is possible to draw the user's attention to the display means and increase their interest in the personality information of the boarding day. In addition, it is preferable that the images of the state changes of the item are such that the user can anticipate the next change. In this way, it is possible to arouse excitement not only for the current boarding day, but also for the next boarding day.

[0065] The items may be things that are created or developed over a period of time in the real world, for example, through activities such as building, gardening, growing, crafting, sewing, etc. Examples of such items may include construction items such as skyscrapers, towers, or bridges, gardening items such as vegetables or fruits, growing items such as pets, crafting items such as furniture or robots, or sewing items such as dolls or clothes.

[0066] The change in the state of the item may be, for example, from the start of creation of the item to its completion, and the images corresponding to the change in the state of the item may be, for example, a plurality of images showing the stages of creation of the item from the start of creation to its completion. For example, if the item is a building construction item, it would be good to have multiple images showing each stage of construction, such as the ground-breaking ceremony before construction, the foundation work, construction in progress, and completion of construction.

[0067] The item may be of one type, or the user may select from a plurality of items. The item may be selected, for example, by displaying an item selection screen on a display means, separate from the screen on which the date and personality information are displayed, and accepting the selection of an item from the user. The predetermined time for switching the images may be a fixed time such as every day, or may be a variable time depending on the travel time or travel distance of the vehicle.

[0068] (20) The display control means may, for example, switch between a plurality of images according to the change in the state of the item in accordance with the travel time or distance of the vehicle. By switching between images in accordance with the travel time or distance of the vehicle and the progress of the change in the state of the item, for example, the user can feel the joy of riding in the vehicle.

[0069] (21) The display control means may, for example, cause the display means to display the traffic accident level information for the boarding day together with the personality information for the boarding day. By recognizing the traffic accident level information for the boarding day together with the personality information for the boarding day, the user can be made more aware of the traffic accident level information that is likely to be overlooked if it is simply displayed, and the user's awareness of safe driving can be increased.

[0070] (22) As the traffic accident level information for the boarding day, for example, the traffic accident caution level for each item and the overall traffic accident caution level may be displayed. This allows, for example, the user to grasp the caution level for the boarding day at a glance and also to check the detailed level for each item. As the traffic accident caution level for each item, for example, a month rating, a day of the week rating, a time period rating, an area rating, a prefecture rating, and a speed rating may be provided.

[0071] The item-specific and overall traffic accident caution levels may be determined from a traffic accident occurrence level evaluation score obtained by classifying the number of past traffic accidents according to a predetermined condition and converting them into a relative value. The predetermined condition may be, for example, by month, day of the week, time period, area, or speed. This allows for a highly reliable display of caution levels.

[0072] The traffic accident caution level for each item may be determined, for example, by extracting the corresponding score based on the month, day of the week, time, and current location of the boarding date from the evaluation of the past traffic accident occurrence level for the conditions corresponding to each item. The overall traffic accident occurrence level may be determined, for example, by adding up the evaluation scores extracted for each item. Alternatively, such a traffic accident caution level may be calculated in advance for each boarding date and stored in the memory unit.

[0073] (23) The traffic accident caution level for each item on the boarding date and the overall traffic accident occurrence level may be displayed in different colors according to the level. This allows the user to easily determine whether the level is high or low. For example, a high level may be displayed in red, a medium level in yellow, and a low level in green.

[0074] (24) It is also preferable to display the traffic accident level information together with the personality information on the initial screen or the standby screen. This will impress the user with the traffic accident level information before and during the vehicle ride, and make them aware of safe driving.

[0075] When the system is applied to an in-vehicle electronic device, for example, a user often starts the in-vehicle electronic device when getting into the vehicle, so by viewing the traffic accident level information on the initial screen, the user can start driving with an awareness of safe driving. Also, by viewing the traffic accident level information on the initial screen, the user can start driving with a sense of urgency. Also, by viewing the traffic accident level information on the standby screen while the vehicle is stopped due to traffic congestion, for example, if the user becomes careless after a long drive, the user can resume driving with a renewed awareness of safe driving.

[0076] (25) A program of the present invention is a program for causing a computer to realize the functions of the display control means in the system according to any one of (1) to (24) above. Effect of the Invention

[0077] According to the present invention, the user can recognize that the day the vehicle is boarded has a different personality from other days. Therefore, the user does not board the vehicle aimlessly as if every day is similar, but can feel a sense of novelty and surprise every time the vehicle is boarded. This allows the system, for example, when applied to an in-vehicle electronic device, to increase the added value of the in-vehicle electronic device. In addition, the user can feel a sense of novelty and surprise at the personality of the day the vehicle is boarded, and can board the vehicle with a more alert attitude, which ultimately leads to the safety of driving the vehicle. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0078] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a radar detector according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2]FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a radar detector. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a display example of a standby screen of the display device. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a calendar stored in an EEPROM. [Diagram 5] (a) is a table showing the past accident occurrence level evaluations stored in the EEPROM, (b) is a table showing the item-by-item traffic accident caution level evaluations, and (c) is a table showing the overall traffic accident caution level evaluations. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a display example of a standby screen of the display device. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a display example of a standby screen of the display device. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a display example of a standby screen of the display device. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a display example of a standby screen of the display device. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a display example of a standby screen of the display device. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a display example of an event input screen of the display device. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a display example of an event input screen of the display device. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a display example of an event input screen of the display device. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a display example of an event input screen of the display device. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a display example of an event input screen of the display device. [Figure 16] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a message displayed on a display device. [Figure 17] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a message displayed on a display device. [Figure 18] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating another example of the configuration of a radar detector. [Figure 19] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a standby screen. [Figure 20] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a warning screen. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0079] [Electronic device configuration] Figures 1 and 2 show a radar detector 1 which is a suitable embodiment of an electronic device constituting the system of the present invention. Figure 1(a) is a perspective view of the front side (the side facing the rear of the vehicle (the driver's side)) of the radar detector 1, and Figure 1(b) is a perspective view of the rear side. Figure 2 is a block diagram of the radar detector 1.

[0080] The radar detector 1 comprises a thin rectangular case body 2, and is attached and fixed to the dashboard of a vehicle or the like using a bracket 3 attached to the lower rear side of the case body 2.

[0081] A display 5 is provided on the front surface of the case body 2 (the surface facing the rear of the vehicle (the driver's side)). The display 5 is configured as a 3.2-inch color TFT LCD display. A touch panel 6 is provided on this display 5 for detecting which part of the display 5 has been touched. In addition, a volume adjustment button 7 is provided on the right side of the front surface of the case body 2, and various operation buttons 8 are provided on the left side.

[0082] The right side of the case body 2 is provided with a card insertion slot 9 for inserting a memory card 11 as a removable recording medium, and a memory card reader 10 is built into the card insertion slot 9 inside the case body 2. By inserting the memory card 11 into the card insertion slot 9, the memory card 11 is attached to the memory card reader 10. The memory card reader 10 takes in the data stored in the attached memory card 11. More specifically, the data stored in the memory card 11 includes information on a new alarm target (location information such as longitude and latitude, type information, etc.) and update information such as new personality information, and the update information is stored (downloaded) in a database 19 built into the device under the control of the control unit 18, thereby updating the data.

[0083] The database 19 can be realized by a non-volatile memory (such as an EEPROM) inside the microcomputer of the control unit 18 or externally attached to the microcomputer. Note that map data, information on certain alarm targets, and individual information to be displayed on the standby screen are registered in the database 19 at the time of shipment, and data added thereafter is updated as described above.

[0084] A GPS receiver 13 is placed inside the upper center of the back side of the case body 2, and a microwave receiver 14 and a radio receiver 15 are placed next to it. The GPS receiver 13 receives GPS signals from GPS satellites and outputs current position (longitude and latitude) information. The microwave receiver 14 receives microwaves of a predetermined frequency emitted from the speed measurement device. The radio receiver 15 receives incoming radio waves of a predetermined frequency. A speaker 16 is also built into the bottom inside the case body 2. The speaker port is provided on the bottom surface of the case body 2.

[0085] A DC jack 12 is disposed on the lower side of the side surface of the case body 2. This DC jack 12 is for connecting a cigarette plug cord (not shown) and is connected to a cigarette lighter socket of a vehicle via the cigarette plug cord so as to receive power supply.

[0086] In addition to the above-mentioned display 5, a lamp 31, a remote control receiver 32, and an infrared communication device 34 are arranged on the front of the case body 2 (omitted from FIG. 1). The lamp 31 warns by shining in various colors according to the type and urgency of the alarm. The remote control receiver 32 communicates data with a remote control (portable device: child device) 33 via infrared rays, and performs various settings for this device. The infrared communication device 34 transmits and receives data to and from a communication device with a built-in infrared communication device, such as a mobile phone 35.

[0087] Also provided within the case body 2 are a geomagnetic sensor 36, an acceleration sensor 37, an air pressure sensor 38, and a real-time clock 39. The geomagnetic sensor 36 is a sensor that detects geomagnetism to determine which direction north is relative to the direction of travel. The acceleration sensor 37 is a sensor that detects the acceleration of the vehicle in the forward / backward, left / right, and up / down directions. The real-time clock 39 is a means for measuring the current time, which is expressed in years, months, days, hours, minutes, and seconds.

[0088] The radar detector 1 of this embodiment also includes a connection cable 22 that connects to an OBD-II (II is the Roman numeral "2", and hereinafter "OBD-II" will be abbreviated as "OBD2") connector installed in the vehicle. A connector terminal 23 that can be detachably attached to the OBD2 connector of the vehicle is attached to the end of this connection cable 22. The OBD2 connector is also called a fault diagnosis connector, and is connected to the vehicle's ECU to output various vehicle information.

[0089] A connector terminal 25 is provided at the other end of the connection cable 22 for connection to a socket 24 provided on the side of the case body 2 of the radar detector 1, allowing the connection cable 22 to be attached and detached to the radar detector 1. Of course, the connection cable 22 may also be connected directly to the radar detector 1.

[0090] By connecting the connector terminal 23 attached to the connection cable 22 with the OBD2 connector on the vehicle body side, the control unit 18 acquires various vehicle information every 0.5 seconds. Examples of this vehicle information include vehicle speed, engine speed, engine load factor, throttle degree, ignition timing, remaining fuel ratio, intake manifold pressure, intake air flow rate (MAF), injection open time, engine coolant temperature (coolant temperature), air temperature taken into the engine (intake air temperature), outside air temperature (outside air temperature), amount of remaining fuel in the fuel tank (remaining fuel amount), fuel flow rate, instantaneous fuel consumption, accelerator opening, turn signal information (operation of left and right turn signals (ON / OFF)), brake opening, steering wheel rotation angle information, etc.

[0091] The control unit 18 is a computer equipped with a CPU, ROM, RAM, non-volatile memory, I / O, etc., and is connected to each of the above-mentioned units, executes a predetermined process based on information input from various input devices (touch panel 6, GPS receiver 13, microwave receiver 14, wireless receiver 15, etc.), and outputs a predetermined warning message using output devices (display 5, speaker 16, etc.). These basic configurations can basically be the same as those of the past. For example, for audio output, audio PCM data is stored in an EEPROM, which is a non-volatile memory, and the control unit 18 reproduces this PCM data and outputs the audio from the speaker 16.

[0092] The functions of the radar detector 1 of this embodiment are stored in the EEPROM of the control unit 18 as programs executed by the computer that is the control unit 18, and are realized by the computer executing these programs. Functions realized by the computer through the programs stored in the control unit 18 include a GPS log function, a standby screen display function, a map display function, a GPS warning function, a radar wave warning function, and a wireless warning function.

[0093] The GPS log function is a function in which the control unit 18 associates the current position detected by the GPS receiver 13 every second with the detection time and speed (vehicle speed) and stores the result in a non-volatile memory as a position history. This position history is recorded in, for example, the NMEA format.

[0094] The standby screen display function is a function for displaying a predetermined standby screen on the display 5. Fig. 19(a) shows an example of the standby screen, which shows the speed, latitude, longitude, and altitude of the vehicle detected by the GPS receiver 13.

[0095] The map display function, as shown in Fig. 19(b), is a function that accesses the database 19 based on the current position detected by the GPS receiver 13, and reads and displays the map data stored therein. The map display function also has a function that searches for objects to be warned about around the current position based on the position information stored in the database 19, and if an object to be warned about is present in the vicinity, displays information indicating the object to be warned about (such as a target icon 112) superimposed on the corresponding position on the map. Specific display modes are as follows:

[0096] The control unit 18 displays the map so that the vehicle's traveling direction always faces upward in the main display area R1 that occupies almost the entire surface of the display 5. The control unit 18 displays the map so that the current vehicle position is located at the center of the lower side of the main display area R1, and displays the vehicle icon 111 at that position.

[0097] The control unit 18 displays status information in a status area R2 set above the main display area R1. The status information displayed in the status area R2 includes, from the left, a current time 121 (in the figure, "15:10"), a GPS radio wave reception level display icon 122 (in the figure, three straight lines of different lengths standing parallel to each other, indicating the maximum reception level), a no-parking area icon 123 (displayed when the vehicle is in a most important parking area or a most important parking area), a reception sensitivity mode display icon 124 indicating the reception sensitivity of the radar (in the figure, "SE" for the highest sensitivity), a vehicle speed 125 (in the figure, "30 km / h"), and a compass 126. The status area R2 is a transparent area, and is arranged using a layer above the layer of the main display area R1. This allows the map located below to be seen in the status area R2 in places where no status information is displayed.

[0098] The control unit 18 displays the current scale information (reduction scale) in a scale display area R3 set on the left side of the main display area R1. The scale is set to 0 m for the vehicle position, and displays the distance from the vehicle position to the vertical center position of the main area R1 ("500" in the figure) and the distance to the upper position ("1000" in the figure). The unit is "m". When the control unit 18 detects that the main display area R1 is touched twice consecutively, it displays a map scale change button (not shown) at a predetermined position (position along the scale display area R3) in the main display area R1, and changes the map scale in response to the touch on the map scale change button. In other words, the control unit 18 changes the scale of the map displayed in the main display area R1 to match the scale of the changed map scale, and also changes the scale information displayed in the scale display area R3.

[0099] When the control unit 18 detects a single touch on the display unit 5 while the standby screen display function is being executed as shown in Fig. 19(a), the control unit 18 displays a menu screen. When the control unit 18 detects that a screen switching button provided in the menu screen has been touched, the control unit 18 switches to the map display function as shown in Fig. 19(b). Similarly, when the control unit 18 detects a single touch on the display unit 5 while the map display function is being executed, the control unit 18 displays a menu screen. When the control unit 18 detects that a screen switching button provided in the menu screen has been touched, the control unit 18 performs processing to switch to the standby screen display function.

[0100] The control unit 18 executes processing to realize each function such as a GPS warning function, a radar wave warning function, a wireless warning function, etc., in response to an event that occurs while executing the standby screen display function and the map display function (hereinafter, these functions are collectively referred to as the standby function), and returns to processing of the original standby function when the processing of the corresponding function ends. The priority of each function is set in the order of highest priority: radar wave warning function, wireless warning function, and GPS warning function.

[0101] The GPS warning function is a process executed at a predetermined time interval (1 second interval) in response to an event from a timer in the control unit 18. This process calculates the distance between the object to be warned stored in the database 19 and the object to be warned based on the latitude and longitude of the current position detected by the GPS receiver 13, and when the calculated distance reaches a predetermined approach distance, displays a GPS warning display 130 (a schematic diagram of the object to be warned, remaining distance, etc.) as a warning screen as shown in Fig. 20(a) on the display 5, and outputs an approach warning sound from the speaker 16, indicating that the object to be warned is approaching.

[0102] The targets of such warnings include locations of drowsy driving accidents, speed measuring devices (radar type, loop coil type, H system, LH system, photocell type, mobile type, etc.), speed limit change points, enforcement areas, checkpoints, parking ban monitoring areas, N system, traffic monitoring system, intersection monitoring points, signal ignoring prevention systems, police stations, accident-prone areas, areas with high incidence of vehicle thefts, sharp / continuous curves (expressways), branching / merging points (expressways), ETC lane advance guidance (expressways), service areas (expressways), parking areas (expressways), highway oases (expressways), smart interchanges (expressways), gas stations in PAs / SAs (expressways), tunnels (expressways), highway radio receiving areas (expressways), prefectural border announcements, roadside stations, view point parking, etc., and information on the types of these targets, latitude and longitude information indicating their positions, schematic diagram or photograph data to be displayed on the display 5, and audio data are associated with each other and stored in the database 19.

[0103] FIG. 20(a) shows a display example of the radar wave warning function. This radar wave warning function is a warning function that displays a GPS warning display 131 as a warning screen on the display 5 and outputs a warning sound from the speaker 16 when the microwave receiver 14 detects a signal corresponding to microwaves in a frequency band emitted by a speed measurement device (such as a mobile radar (hereinafter simply referred to as "radar")). For example, when microwaves in the frequency band of microwaves emitted by a radar are detected by the microwave receiver 14, as shown in FIG. 20(b), a schematic diagram or photo of a radar stored in the database 19 is displayed as a warning screen on the display 5, and the voice data stored in the database 19 is read out and a voice saying "This is a radar. Watch your speed" is output from the speaker 16. The distance to be displayed may be, for example, a distance estimated from the electric field strength.

[0104] The radio warning function is a function that issues a warning when the radio receiver 15 receives radio waves emitted by an emergency vehicle or the like, so as not to interfere with the vehicle's travel, etc. In the radio warning function, the frequencies of police radio, car location radio, digital radio, special small radio, police station radio, police telephone, police activity radio, tow truck radio, helicopter radio, fire helicopter radio, fire radio, emergency radio, highway radio, security radio, etc. are scanned, and when a radio signal is received at the scanned frequency, a schematic diagram indicating that a radio signal corresponding to the frequency stored in the database 19 for each radio type is received is displayed on the display 5 as a warning screen, and audio data stored in the database 19 for each radio type is read out, and an alarm sound indicating the type of radio signal is output from the speaker 16. For example, when a police radio signal is received, a sound such as "This is a police radio. Watch your speed." is output.

[0105] [Standby screen display function] The control unit 18 also controls the display 5 to display a standby screen when no information is being input from the various input devices or when no input is being made from the user, i.e., when the device is in standby mode. The control unit 18 extracts the individual information for each boarding date stored in the EEPROM, incorporates it into a predetermined standby screen format, and outputs it as a standby screen specific to the boarding date.

[0106] An example of a standby screen displaying such individual information for the boarding date is shown in Fig. 3. The standby screen 50 shown in Fig. 3 is roughly divided into an upper area R1 and a lower area R2, each of which displays individual information.

[0107] The upper section first displays "2011 3 / 26 SAT 17:58" as date information 51 for the boarding date. The date information for the boarding date includes the year, month, date, day of the week, and time. The control unit 18 obtains the current time, which is represented by the year, month, day, hour, minute, and second, as measured by the real-time clock 39, and obtains the day of the week by referring to a calendar 40 (FIG. 4), which is stored in the EEPROM and will be described later, and displays this as date information 51 on the standby screen 50.

[0108] Next, next to the date information 51 of the boarding date, the Rokuyo 52 of the boarding date is displayed as one of the individuality information of the boarding date. The Rokuyo consists of six types, namely, Sensho, Tomobiki, Senbu, Butsumetsu, Taian, and Shakko, and each day has its own specific fortune. Therefore, compared to impersonal information such as the date information 51, it is possible to have some impression or emotion regarding the boarding date. In FIG. 3, the Rokuyo "Taian" is displayed as an example, and Taian is considered to be the most auspicious day among the Rokuyo. Therefore, a user who sees the individuality information of the boarding date, Taian, can sense the characteristics of the boarding date that are different from at least the days before and after it.

[0109] Under the date information 51 and the six days of the week 52 on the standby screen 50, the 72 seasons 53 of the boarding date are displayed as one of the characteristics information of the boarding date. The 72 seasons is a type of calendar invented in China, and each of the 24 solar terms, which divide a year into 24, is further divided into three periods of 5 days each, called the first season, the second season, and the last season. Each season is given a name that indicates changes in weather, temperature, and flora and fauna. For example, the first season of the 24 solar terms "Beginning of Spring" is named "East Wind Thawing (East wind begins to melt thick ice)". Also, for example, the second season of the 24 solar terms "Summer Solstice" is named "Iris Flowers (Iris flowers bloom)". From the names of the 72 seasons, the user can sense the change of seasons on the boarding date.

[0110] In Figure 3, as an example, "Sakura Hajimekai" is displayed as number 53 of the 72 seasons. Many of the names of the 72 seasons are difficult to understand on their own, so it is a good idea to display a simple explanation along with the name to make it easier for users to understand. In Figure 3, next to "Sakura Hajimekai" is displayed the explanation "It is said to be the time when cherry blossoms begin to bloom." To make it easier for users to understand the name of the 72 seasons and the explanation together, this information is displayed in a square frame.

[0111] In Fig. 3, an image 54 corresponding to the 72 seasons is displayed to the right of the 72 seasons 53 displayed as text information. Specifically, an image of cherry blossoms corresponding to the 72 seasons "Sakura Hajimekai" is displayed. The image of cherry blossoms is deeply connected to "Sakura Hajimekai", which means "when cherry blossoms start to bloom", so the user can easily and clearly understand the meaning of "Sakura Hajimekai".

[0112] The information on the six days of the week 52 and the seventy-two seasons 53, which are the individual information on the boarding date, is stored in the form of a calendar 40 on an EEPROM, as shown in Fig. 4. That is, the information on the six days of the week 52 and the seventy-two seasons 53, and an image 54 related to the seventy-two seasons are stored in association with information on the year, month, and day of the day on which the individual information should be displayed.

[0113] The control unit 18 obtains the current date from the real-time clock 39, and by referring to the calendar 40 stored in the EEPROM, extracts the date and day of the week corresponding to the current date, i.e., the information on the day on which the individuality information should be displayed, as well as the six days of the week 52 and the seventy-two seasons 53, and incorporates this information into the format of the standby screen to display it on the display unit 5 as the standby screen 50.

[0114] Returning to Figure 3, the lower area R2 of the standby screen 50 displays traffic accident level information 57 on the boarding day as an example of personality information, to draw attention to the personality of the boarding day and to alert the user to safe driving.

[0115] In the example of FIG. 3, the traffic accident level information 57 is composed of a comprehensive traffic accident caution level 58a on the boarding date, a traffic accident occurrence level by item 59, and an explanatory text 58b. The traffic accident caution level 58a on the boarding date is arranged in the upper part of the lower area R2 so that it is the first thing that catches the user's eye. The explanatory text 58b is arranged next to it. Furthermore, the traffic accident occurrence level by item 59 is arranged in the lower part of the lower area R2. In other words, a user who first looks at the comprehensive traffic accident caution level 58 on the boarding date can easily and accurately grasp the data by further moving their eyes to the explanatory text 58b and the detailed traffic accident occurrence level by item 59.

[0116] The overall traffic accident caution level is displayed in three stages according to the level, so that the user can understand the traffic accident caution level at a glance. More specifically, the rectangle located to the right of the text "accident caution level" displays the traffic accident caution level in green if it is lower than the first judgment level, in yellow if it is medium (between the first judgment level and the second judgment level, which is set higher than the first judgment level), and in red if it is higher than the second judgment level. In Figure 3, a medium green rectangle is displayed.

[0117] The traffic accident occurrence level by item 59, which is located below the lower area R2 of the standby screen 50, in the example of Figure 3, has six items: month rating 59a, day of the week rating 59b, time period rating 59c, area rating 59d, prefecture rating 59e, and speed rating 59f.

[0118] An indicator is placed for each item to show the level of traffic accident occurrence. Specifically, the indicator is a vertically long rectangle, and the area of ​​the colored bar increases from the bottom to the top of the rectangle, showing that the traffic accident caution level is increasing. At the same time, the color of the bar changes according to the traffic accident caution level.

[0119] Specifically, if the traffic accident caution level is low, the bar is displayed in green, if it is medium, in yellow, and if it is high, in red. In the example of Fig. 3, the weekday evaluation 59b and prefecture evaluation 59a with low levels are colored in green, the month evaluation 59a and speed evaluation 59f with medium levels are colored in yellow, and the time period evaluation 59c with high levels is colored in red. The user can grasp the level at a glance by the color, and can further grasp the detailed level by the area of ​​the colored part of the indicator.

[0120] The explanatory text 58b displays a sentence explaining the accident caution level on the boarding date. In FIG. 3, the sentence "The accident caution level is medium, but this month is prone to accidents. Please be careful." In other words, the text explains the overall traffic accident caution level 58a, and then explains noteworthy points in the traffic accident caution level by item 59.

[0121] The traffic accident caution levels 59a to 59f for each item described above are displayed by the control unit 18 by extracting points corresponding to the conditions of the boarding date from an evaluation table of traffic accident occurrence levels as shown in FIG. 5(a). This evaluation table of traffic accident occurrence levels is stored in an EEPROM. The evaluation table of traffic accident occurrence levels is created by classifying the number of past traffic accidents according to the conditions shown in 1. to 6. of the table, converting them into relative values, and calculating the points. The conditions shown in 1. to 6. of the table correspond to the items 59a to 59f, respectively. The conditions of 1. to 6. of the table will be explained below.

[0122] 1. Accident level assessment by moon The number of accidents that occurred in each month from January to December was converted into a relative value to create an evaluation score for each month.

[0123] 2. Accident level assessment by day of the week The number of accidents that occurred on each day of the week, from Sunday to Saturday, was converted into a relative value to create an evaluation score for each day of the week.

[0124] 3. Assessment of accident levels by time period The number of traffic accidents occurring in each two-hour period between 0:00 and 24:00 is converted into a relative value to provide an evaluation score for each time period.

[0125] 4. Accident level assessment in high-accident areas In areas with a high accident rate as published by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and the National Police Agency, an additional 5 points will be added.

[0126] 5. Accident level assessment per 100,000 people The number of accidents per 100,000 people in each prefecture is calculated, and a score of 1 to 5 is assigned to each of the top 10 prefectures in terms of the number of accidents. The higher the number of accidents, the higher the score.

[0127] 6. Accident level assessment based on speed For both ordinary roads and expressways, speed is divided into two levels and an evaluation score is assigned to each. Specifically, on ordinary roads, a speed of 60km / h to 69km / h is rated at 2.5 points, and a speed of 70km / h or more is rated at 5 points. On expressways, a speed of 105km / h to 120km / h is rated at 2.5 points, and a speed of 121km / h or more is rated at 5 points.

[0128] The control unit 18 extracts evaluation scores that meet the conditions of the boarding date from the evaluation table of the above 1. to 6. In the example shown in Fig. 3, evaluation scores are extracted under the following conditions. Table 1. (Monday): March Table 2. (Day of the week): Saturday Table 3. (Time of day): 4:00pm - 6:00pm Table 4. (Area): Outside areas with high accident rates Table 5. (Prefectures): 32nd worst prefectures Table 6. (Speed): Highway 110km / h

[0129] Specifically, for Table 1, the evaluation score corresponding to the current month obtained from real-time clock 39 is extracted. For Table 2, the evaluation score corresponding to the current day of the week obtained from calendar 40 is extracted. For Table 3, the evaluation score for the time period corresponding to the current time obtained from real-time clock 39 is extracted. For Table 4, if the current position obtained from GPS receiver 13 is in an accident-prone area, a score of 5 is extracted. For Table 5, the evaluation score for the prefecture in which the current position obtained from GPS receiver 13 is located is extracted. For Table 6, the type of road (expressway or general road) is determined from the current position obtained from GPS receiver 13, and the evaluation score corresponding to the vehicle speed obtained from acceleration sensor 37 is extracted.

[0130] Next, the control unit 18 judges the level of the extracted evaluation score for each item. Specifically, the level is judged as high, medium, or low according to the individual level evaluation table shown in Fig. 5(b). This individual level evaluation table is stored in the EEPROM. If the evaluation score is 4 to 5, it is judged as high level, if the evaluation score is 2.1 to 3.9, it is judged as medium level, and if the evaluation score is 1 to 2, it is judged as low level.

[0131] The control unit 18 increases or decreases the area of ​​the colored portion of the indicator for each of the items 59a to 59f in accordance with the extracted evaluation score, and further displays the indicator on the standby screen 50 in a color corresponding to the determined level (large, medium, or small).

[0132] The control unit 18 further totalizes the evaluation scores of the extracted items 59a to 59f and judges the level of the total score. Specifically, the level is judged as high, medium, or low according to the overall level evaluation table shown in Fig. 5(c). This overall level evaluation table is also stored in the EEPROM. If the evaluation score is 21 to 30, it is judged as high level, if the evaluation score is 11 to 20, it is judged as medium level, and if the evaluation score is 1 to 10, it is judged as low level.

[0133] The control unit 18 displays a comprehensive accident caution level 58a in a color corresponding to the determined level (high, medium, low) on the standby screen 50. Furthermore, an explanatory text 58b corresponding to the determined level is generated and displayed on the standby screen 50.

[0134] We have explained an example of the standby screen 50 that the control unit 18 causes to be displayed on the display unit 5. However, the control unit 18 switches the personality information to be displayed on the display unit 5 at predetermined time intervals, for example, approximately every 20 seconds, so that a large amount of personality information is brought to the user's eye.

[0135] 6 shows the phases of the moon 55a, age of the moon 55b, tides 55c, and image of the moon 55d on the boarding date as another example of individual information to be displayed on the standby screen 50. The phases of the moon, the age of the moon, and the tides change daily in a cycle of about 29 days, giving a sense of the passage of time.

[0136] The phases of the moon 55a are of four types: new moon, first quarter, full moon, and last quarter, and change in a cycle of about 29 days. In the example of FIG. 6, the last quarter is shown.

[0137] The lunar age 55b represents the time elapsed since the time when the apparent ecliptic longitudes of the moon and the sun are equal, and varies in days from approximately 0 to 29, roughly in conjunction with the phases of the moon. In the example in Figure 6, the lunar age is displayed as 21.3.

[0138] Tides 55c indicate the change in sea level, and there are five types: spring tide, middle tide, neap tide, neap tide, and young tide. They are roughly linked to the phases of the moon 55a, and change in a cycle of about 29 days. In the example in Figure 6, middle tides are displayed.

[0139] Moon image 55d is an image of the moon that corresponds to the displayed lunar age 55b. In the example of Fig. 6, a waning crescent moon that corresponds to a lunar age of 21.3 is displayed.

[0140] Fig. 7 shows anniversary information 56a and anniversary image 56b as another example of personality information displayed on the standby screen 50. Anniversary information 56a displays information on anniversaries such as national holidays established by public institutions and anniversaries created by companies and industry groups based on wordplay on dates. In the example of Fig. 7, text information "Today is Bath Day, according to a wordplay on the Japanese pronunciation of "26 (furo)"" is displayed as information on "Bath Day", which is set to the 26th of every month, based on the wordplay on the Japanese pronunciation of "26 (furo)".

[0141] Anniversary image 56b is an image related to the anniversary displayed in anniversary information 56a. In the example of Fig. 7, a photo of an open-air bath related to the anniversary "Bath Day" is displayed.

[0142] Data on the phases of the moon 55a, age of the moon 55b, tides 55c, image of the moon 55d, anniversary information 56a and anniversary image 56b are stored in the EEPROM in the form of calendar 40, similar to data on the Rokuyo 52 and 72 seasons 53.

[0143] Fig. 8 shows an example of displaying an item image 60 together with personality information on the boarding date on the standby screen 50. The item image 60 is an image that expresses the change in state of a specific item with an illustration or photograph. In the example of Fig. 8, the growth of a daisy, which is a gardening item, is displayed with an illustration.

[0144] The data of the item image 60 is stored in an EEPROM, and a plurality of images showing stepwise changes in the state of one item are prepared, and the changes in the state of the item are expressed by switching between them at predetermined intervals.

[0145] In the case of a daisy shown as an example in Figure 8, images are available showing each stage from sowing the seed, germination, growth, bud formation, and flowering. Figure 8(a) is an illustration of a flower with two leaves. Figure 8(b) is an illustration of a flower with buds. Figure 8(c) is an illustration of a flower in flower. In addition to these, there are several other illustrations available that depict detailed changes in state, such as when the flower has four leaves and when leaves have grown and the stem has grown.

[0146] 9 shows an image of a high-rise building, which is a construction item, as another example of an item image 60 to be displayed on the standby screen 50. In FIG. 9(a), an image showing a ground-breaking ceremony, which is the initial stage of high-rise building construction, is displayed. In FIG. 9(b), an image of a completed high-rise building, which is the final stage of high-rise building construction, is displayed. In addition to this, multiple images showing detailed changes in status, such as images of foundation work being carried out and images of wall painting, are provided.

[0147] The images of the gardening items and construction items described above are switched on a daily or hourly basis. Alternatively, the illustrations are switched every time the driving time exceeds a predetermined time. Also, they are switched according to the time it takes for the actual cultivation or construction. For an item that takes a long time, such as the construction of a high-rise building, it is set so that 10 days pass in one actual hour, and the overall display is shortened to about half a year. For the cultivation of daisies, it is set so that half a day passes in one actual hour, and the display is shortened. Alternatively, the illustrations are switched when the driving distance exceeds a predetermined distance. For the construction of a high-rise building, one day passes every 50 km driven, and for the cultivation of daisies, one day passes every 10 km driven.

[0148] In addition to the above-mentioned daisies and skyscrapers, various item images 60 are stored in the EEPROM. The user can select an item to be displayed on the standby screen from the stored items.

[0149] As shown in FIG. 10(a), when an item to be displayed has not been selected, the item image 60 is not displayed on the standby screen 50, and instead a message 64 is displayed urging the user to set the item, saying "Press the item button to select an item and start."

[0150] An item selection button 61 is displayed below the message 64. When the user selects the item selection button 61 via the touch panel 6, the control unit 18 displays an item list 65 shown in FIG.

[0151] Items stored in the EEPROM are listed in the item list 65. In the example of Fig. 10(b), "skyscraper", "tower", and "bridge" are displayed as construction items, and "daisy", "rose", "tomato", "cucumber", and "eggplant" are displayed as "gardening items".

[0152] When the user selects any one of the items and further selects the item display start button 62 displayed to the right of the item selection button 61, the display of the selected item image 60 on the standby screen 50 begins.

[0153] Specifically, the control unit 18 acquires an image of the selected item stored in the EEPROM and displays it on the standby screen 50. A plurality of images are prepared for each item according to the stage of the state change, and information on the display order and display time for each image is also stored in the EEPROM. Based on the information on the display order, the control means first acquires the first image and displays it on the standby screen 50. Furthermore, the control means acquires the time from the real-time clock 39, and when the display time for the first image has elapsed, acquires the second image from the EEPROM and displays it on the standby screen 50 in place of the first image. The third and subsequent images are also displayed sequentially based on the information on the display order and display time.

[0154] If the user wishes to stop displaying the item image 60, he or she selects the item display reset button 63 displayed to the right of the item display start button 62. The control unit 18 stops displaying the item image 60, and instead displays a message 64 on the standby screen that prompts the user to set the item.

[0155] [Event message display function] In the above, the function of displaying individual information stored in advance in the EEPROM on the standby screen 50 has been described, but the individual information also includes information on the user's personal events that will occur on the boarding date, input by the user. The control unit 18 accepts input of such individual events of the user and stores the information in the EEPROM. Furthermore, on the boarding date on which the event will occur, a message regarding the event is displayed on the display 5 as individual information for the boarding date.

[0156] (Enter event) First, the event input operation will be described. An event input button is provided on the menu screen (not shown) of the radar detector 1, and the user selects the event input button to transition to the event input mode. In the event input mode, the control unit 18 causes the display unit 5 to display various event input screens. In the various event input screens, the control unit 18 accepts input of various information such as the type of event and the date of occurrence from the user. In other words, the control unit 18 acts as an event input accepting unit.

[0157] Specifically, first, a title selection screen 70 for accepting input of an event type is displayed as shown in Fig. 11. In the center of the title selection screen 70, buttons 70a to 70f, each of which describes an event name, are displayed.

[0158] Of the buttons 70a to 70f indicating the event type, driver's license 70a means the expiration date of the driver's license renewal. Vehicle inspection certificate 70b means the expiration date of the vehicle's vehicle inspection certificate. Qualification 70c means the renewal expiration date of various qualifications and memberships. Voluntary insurance certificate 70d means the expiration date of various voluntary insurance certificates such as compulsory automobile liability insurance and non-life insurance. Birthday 70e means the birthday of the user or someone close to the user. Other 70f means the event occurrence date that is arbitrarily input by the user in addition to the above-mentioned event types.

[0159] When the user selects one of the buttons 70a to 70f and then selects the decision button 76 displayed on the lower right side of the title selection screen 70, the event type is decided and the screen transitions to a detailed input screen corresponding to each event. Note that, to cancel the selected button 70a to 70f, the user selects the back button 75 displayed on the lower left side of the screen.

[0160] The buttons 70a to 70f indicating the event types can be renamed to names that are easier for the user to understand, or the user can add new buttons with arbitrary names.

[0161] When the driver's license 70a is selected on the title selection screen 70, the control unit 18 subsequently displays a driver's license expiration date input screen 71 (hereinafter, simply referred to as the expiration date input screen 71) shown in FIG.

[0162] The renewal of a driver's license must be done within a two-month renewal period, which is from one month before the birthday of the driver in the year of expiration of the validity period to one month after the birthday of the driver. Therefore, the central part of the expiration date input screen 71 is provided with input fields 71a to 71c for appropriately displaying the validity period of the driver's license.

[0163] First, an update date input field 71a, which is the start date of the update period, is provided at the top of the expiration date input screen 71. Below the update date input field 71a, an expiration date input field 71b, which is the end date of the update period, is provided.

[0164] Further, below the expiration date input field 71b, there is provided a next validity period input field 71c for inputting the validity period until the next renewal. There are three types of driver's licenses: green, blue, and gold, and each has a different validity period of 3 years or 5 years. By inputting the validity period according to the type of license in the next validity period input field 71c, the control unit 18 calculates the appropriate renewal period from the next validity period and displays a message for the next renewal period, even if the user does not input the renewal date and expiration date.

[0165] The number of pages 71e is displayed on the upper right side of the expiration date input screen 71, and a page forward button 71d is displayed to the left of it. In the example of Fig. 12, the total number of pages is displayed as 2. In this case, the page can be moved by operating the page forward button 71d.

[0166] A specific input operation on the expiration date input screen 71 will be described using the update date input field 71a as an example. First, when the user selects the "Update Date" button displayed on the left side of the field, the control unit 18 displays a character input screen 72 shown in FIG.

[0167] Character keys 72a including the 50 Hiragana characters, voiced consonants, semi-voiced consonants, and Arabic numerals 0 to 9 are arranged in the center of the character input screen 72. A character is input by the user selecting the input key 72a. The characters include numerals.

[0168] At the top of the screen, a character display bar 72b is provided that displays the characters entered by the user, allowing the user to check the characters that he or she has entered.

[0169] When entering the update date, the message "Please enter the year in four digits" is displayed on the character input screen 72, although this is not shown in the figure. The user enters the year of the update date using Arabic numerals 0 to 9 among the character keys 72a. The user checks the character display bar 72b, and if the input is correct, selects the decision button 76. If the user wishes to correct the input, he or she selects the correction button 78 displayed to the left of the decision button 76. In this case, the correction button 78 functions as a so-called "Back Space key." In other words, each time the correction button 78 is pressed, the last character among the characters entered is deleted.

[0170] Once the user has finished entering the year, the message "Please enter the month in two digits" is displayed. As with entering the year, the user uses the character keys 72a to enter the month of the update date. Once the user has finished entering the month, the message "Please enter the day in two digits" is displayed. As with entering the year and month, the user uses the character keys 72a to enter the day of the update date. Note that when entering the date, the character keys 72a are set so that only numbers are accepted.

[0171] When the entry of the date is all completed, the control unit 18 again displays the expiration date entry screen 71 in Fig. 12. The date entered by the user is reflected and displayed in the field to the right of the "Update Date" button in the update date entry field 71a.

[0172] Similarly, input into the expiration date input field 71b and the next validity period input field 71c is done by selecting the "Expiration Date" button displayed on the left side of the field and inputting numbers in the displayed character input screen 72. Similarly, input into the next validity period input field 71c is done by selecting the "Next validity period" button displayed on the left side of the field and inputting numbers in the displayed character input screen 72.

[0173] If the user wishes to delete the content that has already been entered, the user selects the button located to the left of any of the input fields 71a to 71c, and then selects the delete button 77 displayed on the lower left side of the screen, causing the control unit 18 to erase the input content. If the user wishes to correct the input content, the user selects the button located to the left of any of the input fields 71a to 71c, and then selects the correct button 78 displayed on the lower right side of the screen. When the correct button 78 is selected, the control unit causes the character input screen 72 shown in Fig. 13 to be displayed again, and the user is allowed to enter the correct date.

[0174] When the entry of the expiration date is completed, the user selects the decision button 76 displayed on the right side of the lower part of the screen. When the decision button 76 is selected, the control unit 18 stores the entered data in the EEPROM.

[0175] When birthday 70e is selected on the title selection screen 70 of FIG. 11, the control unit 18 subsequently displays a birthday input screen 73 shown in FIG.

[0176] The birthday input screen 73 accepts input of a name and birthday, and selection of a message to be displayed on the birthday. The birthday input screen 73 has 10 input fields so that birthdays of multiple people can be input. Each field has a name display field 73a where the input name is displayed, a birthday display field 73b where the input birthday is displayed, and a selected message display field 73c where the number of the selected message is displayed.

[0177] When no name has been entered, the name display field 73a displays buttons with the numbers 1 to 10 of the input fields.

[0178] First, a specific operation for inputting a name and a birthday will be described. From among the ten input fields, a button displaying the number of the field in which the user wishes to make an input is selected via touch panel 6 from input fields 1 to 10. When the button is selected, control unit 18 displays character input screen 72 shown in Fig. 13 and accepts input of the name of the person for whom the birthday is to be input and the date of the birthday.

[0179] First, the mode for inputting a name is entered, and although not shown, a message "Please enter your name" is displayed on the character input screen 72. The input operation on the character input screen 72 is the same as the input of the expiration date of the driver's license described above, but in the mode for inputting a name, all of the character keys 72a are set to be usable.

[0180] After inputting hiragana, users can convert it to kanji by selecting the conversion button 79 located on the bottom left of the screen. The converted characters are displayed in the character display bar 72b at the top of the screen, so the user can input while checking the conversion of the characters.

[0181] When the user has finished inputting the name, he or she selects the decision button 76 displayed on the lower right side of the screen. If the user does not want to input a name, he or she selects the decision button 76 without inputting anything.

[0182] When the selection of the decision button is detected, the mode then transitions to a birthday input mode. Although not shown, the character input screen 72 displays a message saying "Please enter the month of your birthday in two digits." The user inputs the month of their birthday using the character keys 72a. After the input of the month is detected, the message "Please enter the day of your birthday in two digits" is displayed. Note that when inputting the month and day of your birthday, the character keys 72a are set not to accept input of characters other than numbers.

[0183] As described above, when input of a name and a birthday on the character input screen 72 is detected, the control unit 18 again displays the birthday input screen 73 of Fig. 14. The name display field 73a displays the name input on the character input screen 72 instead of the field number, and the birthday input on the character input screen 72 is also displayed in the birthday input field 73b.

[0184] Next, the operation of selecting a message to be displayed on a birthday will be described. First, on the birthday input screen 73, the user selects the name display field 73a for which the user wishes to select a message from among the input fields 1 to 10 in which the name and birthday have already been input. Then, the user selects the message button 80 displayed on the lower right side of the screen. When the selection of the message button 80 is detected, the control unit 18 displays the message selection screen 74 shown in FIG.

[0185] The message selection screen 74 has a message selection field 74a that displays various birthday-related messages M1 to M4. The messages M1 to M4 are stored in the EEPROM. A message number field 74b is provided to the left of the message selection field 74a, and displays buttons with the respective message numbers M1 to M4. The messages M1 to M3 are general-purpose messages for celebrating birthdays. Message M4 is set so that the name entered on the birthday input screen is inserted into the leading "XX" portion when the message is actually displayed.

[0186] The user selects the button of the message number he / she wishes to display from among messages M1 to M4, and then selects the decision button 76 displayed on the lower right side of the screen. For example, when message M2 is selected, control unit 18 stores message M2 together with the name and birthday information in EEPROM. Furthermore, birthday input screen 73 of FIG. 14 is displayed again.

[0187] A selected message display column 73c is provided next to the birthday input column 73b of each column, and displays the message number selected on the message selection screen 74. The selected message display column of column 3 displays message number M2. Note that in the default state, message number M1 is set and displayed in the selected message display column 73c.

[0188] Returning to the message selection screen 74 in Fig. 15, an original message display field 74c is provided below the existing messages M1 to M4 stored in the EEPROM, in which an original message created by the user is displayed. In the message number field 74b to the right of the original message display field 74c, instead of a message number, a button with "Original" written on it, indicating that the message is an original message, is displayed.

[0189] When the user creates an original message instead of selecting one of the existing messages M1 to M4, the user selects the "Original" button in the message number field 74b. By selecting the "Original" button, the control unit 18 displays the character input screen 72 shown in FIG.

[0190] In the character input screen 72 in Fig. 13, the user can input an original message within a specified number of characters. As with inputting a name, the user writes a message using the character keys 72a, and selects the conversion button 79 to convert hiragana to kanji as necessary. Input and conversion are performed while checking the content displayed in the character display bar 72b.

[0191] When input of the original message is completed, the decision button 76 is selected. The control unit 18 stores the original message in the EEPROM, and again displays the message selection screen 74 of Fig. 15. The content of the original message input on the character input screen 72 is displayed in the original message display field 74c of the message selection screen 74.

[0192] When returning from the character input screen 72 to the message selection screen 74, the "Original" button is selected, so by selecting the decision button 76 in this state, the original message entered is decided as the message to be displayed on the birthday.

[0193] The control unit 18 stores the original message together with the name and birthday information in the EEPROM. Furthermore, the birthday input screen 73 in Fig. 14 is displayed again. If an original message is selected, as shown in input field 1, the selected message display field 73c displays "Ori", indicating that an original message has been selected.

[0194] (Show messages) As described above, an event is input by the user. The control unit 18 stores the input information in the EEPROM, and displays a message according to the content of the event on the display unit 5. The display mode of the message will be described below.

[0195] Fig. 16 is a diagram showing a display mode of a message when a birthday is entered as an event. When the event is a birthday, in order to surprise the user, the message content itself is not displayed, but a message notification button 90 informing the user of the presence of a message is displayed first on the screen, as shown in Fig. 16(a).

[0196] The message notification button 90 is displayed in a conspicuous manner, such as by having the word "Message" surrounded by a frame and flashing light. The message notification button 90 is constantly displayed on the screen, including the standby screen, after the radar detector 1 is started, so that the user is aware of the presence of a message. However, it is displayed in the bottom corner of the screen so as not to interfere with other functions of the radar detector 1.

[0197] When the user presses the message notification button 90, the control unit displays a message 91 saying "Happy Birthday" on the screen, as shown in Fig. 16(b). Like the message notification button 90, the message 91 is displayed at the bottom of the screen so as not to interfere with other functions of the radar detector 1, but in order to create a celebratory birthday mood, the message is displayed in colored letters with decorative letters, illustrations, etc. around the letters. At the same time as the message 91 is displayed, the message is read out aloud.

[0198] Even if the user does not board the vehicle on the day of the birthday, if the user boards the vehicle within about one week thereafter, the message notification button 90 and the message 91 are displayed. In this case, taking into consideration that the birthday has passed, a sentence such as "A little late, but..." is added before the message 91 and displayed.

[0199] When the expiration date of the driver's license is input as an event, the message notification button 90 is not displayed, and the message 91 is directly displayed. Furthermore, the message is not displayed once, but multiple times before and after the two-month renewal period.

[0200] As an example, if the renewal period is from July 19th to September 19th, first, as shown in FIG. 17, on July 10th, which is 10 days before the start date of the license renewal period, a message 91 stating "The license renewal period begins on July 19th. Are you ready?" is displayed.

[0201] The message 91 is displayed at the bottom of the screen so as not to interfere with other functions of the radar detector 1. The timing of the display is such that the message is displayed multiple times at a predetermined interval, such as 30 minutes, so as to catch the user's eye. If the message cannot be displayed on the screen all at once, the text is displayed so that it scrolls from right to left.

[0202] Next, on July 19th, the renewal start date, a message is displayed stating, "The license renewal period runs from today until September 19th. Please go and renew early." On August 19th, the base date for the renewal period, a message is displayed stating, "There is one month left in the renewal period. If you haven't renewed yet, please go and renew early." On September 19th, the end date of the renewal period, a message is displayed stating, "Today is the end of the renewal period. Have you renewed?" If the user does not board a plane on September 19th, a message is displayed the next time the user boards a plane stating, "The renewal period ends on September 19th. Have you renewed?"

[0203] [effect] The above-described embodiment provides the following advantages. (A) By having the control unit 18 display the individuality information of the boarding day on the display 5 together with the date of boarding the vehicle, the user can see not only impersonal information such as the date of boarding, but also individuality information specific to that day, and can recognize that the boarding day has an individuality different from other days. Therefore, instead of boarding the vehicle aimlessly as if every day is similar, the user can feel a sense of novelty and surprise every time they board the vehicle, and can board the vehicle with a more alert mind, which ultimately leads to safer vehicle driving.

[0204] (B) In the above embodiment, as individual information for the boarding day, the six days of the week 52, the seventy-two seasons 53, the phases of the moon 55a, the age of the moon 55b, the high and low tides 55c, and anniversary information 56a related to the boarding day are displayed on the standby screen 50. These are pieces of information that indicate characteristics that distinguish the boarding day from other days, and compared to inorganic information such as a calendar or a clock, which makes it difficult to sense daily changes, the information gives the user who sees it some impression or emotion about the boarding day, and can impress upon the user that the boarding day is a special day that is different from other days.

[0205] Each of these pieces of information does not show characteristics different from all other days of the boarding date, but at least shows characteristics different from the days before and after it. Each is a combination of information whose content changes in different units and at different cycles, and by combining these, a synergistic effect is created, which fosters a profound individuality different from other days of the boarding date, and as a whole allows the user to experience major seasonal changes such as seasonal changes.

[0206] (C) As many of the 53 seasons in the 72 seasons have difficult names, we have also displayed comments explaining their meanings. This makes it easier for users to understand the content and satisfies their intellectual curiosity.

[0207] (D) The control unit 18 switches the above-mentioned multiple pieces of personality information at predetermined time intervals and displays them on the standby screen 50, so that more information can be displayed and the user can easily recognize each piece of information. Also, the user can feel a sense of freshness when new information is displayed every time the user looks at the screen. Also, vehicles are used as a means of transportation, and when the travel takes time, the driver tends to become bored and to relax his or her awareness of safe driving. However, the driver of the vehicle can get a refreshing effect by seeing new information about the boarding date every time the vehicle is stopped, such as when waiting at a traffic light or in a traffic jam, and can drive safely with a renewed sense of awareness. Also, passengers can get an opportunity to talk with the driver every time the information displayed on the standby screen 50 is switched, which helps the driver to refresh.

[0208] (E) In this embodiment, the image 54 of the 72 seasons is displayed on the standby screen 50 together with the information of the 72 seasons 53. Also, the image 55d of the corresponding moon is displayed together with the information of the phases of the moon 55a and the age of the moon 55b. Furthermore, the image 56b of the anniversary is displayed together with the anniversary information 56a. In this way, by using an image showing the characteristics of the boarding day as the personality information of the boarding day, the user can intuitively sense the personality of the boarding day in a short time. Also, by using an image that corresponds to the text information or is deeply connected to the content of the text information, the user can easily and clearly understand the personality information of the boarding day. These images can be displayed in a switched manner at predetermined intervals together with the corresponding text information, so that many images can be displayed, and the user can easily recognize each image.

[0209] (F) The control unit 18 displays the traffic accident level information 57 for the boarding date on the standby screen 50 together with the personality information for the boarding date described above, making the user more aware of the traffic accident level information that is likely to be overlooked if it is displayed alone, and raising the user's awareness of safe driving. Also, by viewing the traffic accident level information on the standby screen while the vehicle is stopped due to traffic congestion, etc., the user can resume driving with a renewed awareness of safe driving when they have become complacent after a long drive.

[0210] (G) By displaying, as traffic accident level information 57, the traffic accident caution level on the day of boarding 58 and the past traffic accident occurrence level 59 used to determine this traffic accident caution level, the user can easily understand the caution level on the day of boarding and at the same time understand the past performance that is the basis of that caution level, thereby ensuring the reliability of the caution level on the day of boarding.

[0211] (H) The traffic accident caution level 58 on the day of boarding and the past traffic accident occurrence level 59 are displayed in red if the level is high, in yellow if the level is medium, and in green if the level is low. By displaying different colors according to the level, the user can easily judge whether the level is high or low.

[0212] (I) The control unit 18 switches between a plurality of images corresponding to the state changes of a predetermined item at predetermined time intervals and displays them on the standby screen 50 together with the personality information of the boarding day, thereby drawing the user's attention to the standby screen 50 and increasing interest in the personality information of the boarding day. By using items that can predict the next change, such as gardening items such as flowers and vegetables, or construction items such as skyscrapers and bridges, it is possible to arouse excitement not only for the current boarding day, but also for the next boarding day.

[0213] (J) The control unit 18 displays various event input screens on the display unit 5 and, as an input receiving means, receives input of the event occurrence date from the user. Then, on the boarding date corresponding to the event occurrence date, a message regarding the event is displayed on the display unit 5 as individual information of the boarding date. This allows the user's personal anniversary such as a birthday to be registered as individual information of the boarding date, and the user is more strongly impressed that the boarding date is a special day. In addition, by inputting an important deadline such as a driver's license renewal deadline as the event occurrence date, the system can be used as a convenient reminder. In addition, by inputting the birthdays of the user's family or significant other as events, the system can also be used as a means of surprise for them.

[0214] (K) The control unit 18 displays the title selection screen 70, accepts input of the type of event from the user, and displays a message corresponding to the input type of event on the display as individual information for the boarding date corresponding to the date on which the event occurs. Although the content of the message to be displayed may vary greatly depending on the type of event, such as a birthday or license renewal date, it is possible to display an appropriate message according to the nature of each event, thereby providing high convenience.

[0215] (L) When the user does not board the vehicle on the day the event occurs, the control unit 18 displays a message reflecting the passage of the event on the next boarding day, so that the user can be aware of the passage of the event, which is highly convenient. Also, when the event is a birthday, a message that is supposed to be sent on the day the event occurs, such as "A little late, but happy birthday," is displayed, which reflects changes due to the passage of time, and the message gives a sense of warmth different from a mere standard message, and can arouse the user's attachment to the system.

[0216] (M) When the event is a driver's license renewal deadline, the control unit can make the user aware of the driver's license renewal period and reduce the possibility of forgetting to renew the driver's license by displaying a message informing the user of the renewal deadline before the start of the renewal period, during the period, and after the period ends. Also, by changing the content of the message depending on the timing of display, it is possible to encourage the user to prepare for the driver's license renewal or to draw attention to the approaching end of the renewal period.

[0217] (N) When the event is a birthday, instead of suddenly displaying a message on the display 5, the message notification button 90 is displayed first, and when the user selects this button, the message 91 is displayed, so that the message can be displayed at the user's desired timing and used as a means of a surprise present, which is convenient for the user. Specifically, if the user, who is the driver, inputs the birthday of his / her lover as the event occurrence date, the user can surprise and delight his / her lover by selecting the button when picking up the lover and having him / her sit in the passenger seat to display a message celebrating the lover's birthday. Also, by keeping the message notification button 90 always displayed until the user selects it, the user does not miss the timing to give a surprise, which is convenient.

[0218] [Other embodiments] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and the following aspects can also be configured. (a) In the above embodiment, the year, month, date and time were obtained using a battery-backed real-time clock 39 built into the radar detector 1. However, it is also possible to use a radio-controlled clock to automatically adjust the time to Japan Standard Time on a regular basis, or to obtain the time via GPS, a mobile phone network or the Internet, etc., so that the accurate current date and time can be used.

[0219] (b) The individual information on the boarding date is stored on an EEPROM built into the radar detector 1, and the control unit 18 acquires and displays it according to a program, but it may also be stored in a storage means such as an external server and acquired via a network.

[0220] (c) The personality information of the boarding day is not limited to the above. It can include information showing characteristics different from other days of the boarding day, and can impress on the user that the boarding day is a special day different from other days. As information showing characteristics that can impress on the user that the boarding day is a special day different from other days, for example, it is preferable to use information that gives the user some impression or emotion about the boarding day when seeing inorganic information such as a calendar or a clock, which is difficult to sense daily changes. As a characteristic different from other days of the boarding day, it is not necessary that the characteristic is different from all other days of the boarding day, but it is preferable to use a characteristic that is different from at least the days before and after the boarding day.

[0221] The information showing the characteristics of the boarding day that are different from other days may be, for example, composed of a single piece of information whose contents change on a daily basis, or may be composed of a combination of multiple pieces of such information whose contents change on a daily basis.Furthermore, for example, the information showing the characteristics of the boarding day that are different from other days may be composed of a combination of multiple pieces of information whose contents change over a period longer than a day.

[0222] The personality information for the boarding date may, for example, include a plurality of pieces of information each having different contents. All of these pieces of information do not need to change on a daily basis, but may, for example, be a plurality of pieces of information whose contents change in mutually different units or cycles. This allows the combination of the plurality of pieces of information to, as a whole, form a personality that is different from other boarding dates, while also allowing the user to experience major seasonal changes such as seasonal changes through each piece of information. As another example of such personality information, for example, the 24 solar terms may be displayed.

[0223] (d) It is also preferable that the individual information displayed on the standby screen 50 is not limited to existing information, but that the user can customize the information to display original individual information. To enable customization, a customization mode can be provided on the menu screen of the radar detector 1. An example of personal anniversary information for a user is wedding anniversary information. In this case, in the customization mode, text information such as "Today is our xxth wedding anniversary" and a photo of the user's wedding ceremony can be registered as related images. It is also preferable to be able to specify the display timing and frequency.

[0224] (e) In the above embodiment, an aspect was described in which the boarding date and individual information are displayed on the standby screen 50, but it is preferable to display this information not only on the standby screen but also on the initial screen that is displayed immediately after starting up the radar detector 1. In this case, the initial screen is the screen that is displayed after the manufacturer's logo and safety precautions, etc., that are displayed immediately after starting up the radar detector 1 are displayed. Since users often start up the radar detector 1 when getting into a vehicle, displaying the individual information on the boarding date and traffic accident level information on the initial screen makes this information more noticeable to the user.

[0225] (f) The traffic accident level information on the boarding day may be displayed not only on the standby screen 50 but also on the initial screen when the radar detector 1 is started. The traffic accident level information can be impressed on the user before boarding the vehicle, making the user aware of safe driving. Also, by displaying the personality information and traffic accident level information on the boarding day on both the initial screen and the standby screen 50, the information is displayed for a longer period of time, making it possible to leave a stronger impression on the user of the personality information and traffic accident level information on the boarding day.

[0226] (g) In the above embodiment, gardening items and construction items have been described as examples of items to be displayed on the standby screen 50, but the present invention is not limited to these. Other items whose state changes over a predetermined period of time through actions such as raising, crafting, or sewing can also be used. Examples of items to be raised include pets such as dogs and cats. Examples of pet crafting items include furniture and robots. Examples of sewing items include dolls and clothes.

[0227] (h) In the above embodiment, items are displayed on the standby screen 50 together with other personality information, but they may also be displayed on the display 5 alone.

[0228] (i) The types of events that the user can select are not limited to those displayed on the title selection screen 70 in Fig. 11. If the desired event is not among the events prepared in advance, it is preferable that the user be able to register a new type of event in the customization mode. Furthermore, it is preferable that the user be able to register a message corresponding to the event and set the timing of message notification.

[0229] (j) In the message selection screen 74 of Fig. 15, if the desired message is not available among the existing messages M1 to M4, the user can input an original message, but it may also be possible to edit the existing messages M1 to M4. In that case, an edit button may be provided so that the user can select the edit button and then select one of the message numbers to switch to edit mode. Editing may be performed on the character input screen 72 of Fig. 13.

[0230] (k) In the above embodiment, when the event is the driver's license renewal deadline, messages are displayed both before and after the renewal period, but for other events, messages regarding the event may be displayed before the event occurs. For example, by notifying the user of the event occurrence date one month before their birthday, the user can make careful preparations, such as preparing a present, providing high convenience to the user and helping to smooth human relationships.

[0231] Furthermore, the message display before an event occurs is not limited to once, but may be displayed at shorter intervals as the event date approaches, such as one month before, 10 days before, 5 days before, and the day before. The shorter intervals allow the user to intuitively understand that the event date is approaching, and also to feel excited about the event. The necessity of such advance notification and the interval of advance notification may be set on the event input screen.

[0232] (l) In the above embodiment, a mode in which a message is displayed multiple times before and after the license renewal period has been described, but when the license renewal is completed, no further messages are required. Therefore, a field for inputting the procedure completion date may be provided in the expiration date input screen 71 in Fig. 12, and when the user inputs the completion date, the control unit 18 may not display any further messages. Also, the next license renewal deadline may be automatically set from the input of the next validity period 71c, and a similar message may be displayed during the next license renewal period.

[0233] (m) In the above embodiment, the message report button 90 is displayed on the display 5 as an image button as shown in Fig. 16, but it may be provided as a physical button. For example, the message report button 90 can be provided on a remote control device used to operate the radar detector 1.

[0234] Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 18, if the display 5 and the work buttons 8 are arranged on the front of the radar detector 1, a message notification button 90 may be arranged as one of the work buttons 8.

[0235] If the message notification button 90 is a physical button, it is advisable to illuminate the physical button on the day the event occurs so that the user can be sure to know of the presence of the message.

[0236] (n) In the above embodiment, the radar detector 1 is used as an example of application of the system of the present invention, but the system can also be applied to other in-vehicle electronic devices such as car navigation devices. Furthermore, the system is not limited to in-vehicle electronic devices, and can also be applied to clocks used indoors, such as digital clocks, and home appliances equipped with displays. In addition, by installing a program to realize the functions of the control unit of the present invention in electronic devices such as PCs and smartphones, the system can also be applied to these electronic devices. [Explanation of symbols]

[0237] 1. Radar detector 2 Case body 3 Bracket 5 Display 6. Touch Panel 7 Volume adjustment buttons 8 Task buttons 9 Card slot 10 Memory Card Reader 11. Memory Card 12 DC jack 13 GPS receiver 14 Microwave Receiver 15 Radio receiver 16 Speakers 18 Control Unit 19 Database 22 Connection cable 23 Connector terminal 24 sockets 25 Connector terminal 31 Lamp 32 Remote control receiver 33 Remote Control 34 Infrared communication device 35 Mobile Phones 36 Geomagnetic Sensor 37 Acceleration Sensor 38 Barometric pressure sensor 39 Real Time Clock 40 Calendar 50 Wallpaper 51 Date Information 52 Rokuyo 53 Seventy-two Lords 54 Images of the 72 Seasons 55a Phases of the Moon 55b Moon Age 55c Tides 55d Moon image 56a Anniversary Information 56b Anniversary images 57 Traffic Accident Level Information 58a Overall traffic accident warning level 58b Explanation 59 Traffic Accident Caution Levels by Item 59a Monthly evaluation 59b Day of the week rating 59c Time Zone Rating 59d Area Evaluation 59e Prefectural Evaluation 59f Speed ​​Rating 60 item images 61 Item selection button 62 Item display start button 63 Reset Button 64 Item setting prompt 65 Item List 70 Title Selection Screen 70a Driver's License 70b Vehicle inspection certificate 70c qualification 70d Voluntary insurance card 70e Birthday 70f Other 71 Driver's license expiration date input screen 71a Update date input field 71b Expiration date input field 71c Next validity period input field 72 Text input screen 72a Character Key 72b Character display bar 73 Birthday input screen 73a Name display field 73b Date of birth entry field 73c Selection message display field 74 Message selection screen 74a Message selection field 74b Message number field 74c Original message display field 75 Back button 76 Confirm button 77 Delete button 78 Correction button 79 Convert button 80 Message button 90 Message notification button 91 Messages M1,M2,M3,M4 Messages

Claims

1. A system for controlling a display means to display information, a display control means for controlling the display means to display individual information on the boarding date together with the date of boarding the vehicle; an input receiving means for receiving an input of an event occurrence date from a user, the input receiving means receives an input relating to editing of a message regarding the event from a user; the display control means causes the display means to display the message as individual information for a boarding date corresponding to the event occurrence date. system.

2. A system for controlling a display means to display information, a display control means for controlling the display means to display individual information on the boarding date together with the date of boarding the vehicle; an input receiving means for receiving registration of a new type of event from a user and an input of an event occurrence date of the event, the input receiving means receives an input relating to editing of a message regarding the event from a user; the display control means causes the display means to display the message as individual information for a boarding date corresponding to the event occurrence date. system.

3. The input receiving means includes: Accepting an input of the type of the event from a user; When there are a plurality of messages corresponding to the event, displaying the messages on the display means; accepting a desired message selected by a user from the plurality of messages displayed on the display means; 3. A system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the input receiving means causes the display means to display an event input screen different from the screen that the display control means causes the display means to display; A system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. A program for causing a computer to realize the functions of the system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

Images