Display device

By projecting different types of light in the ceramic forming area and adjacent areas of the vehicle, the problem of the expansion of the ceramic forming area reducing the driver's forward view is solved, and the double guarantee of the visibility of the display area of ​​the display device and the scenery ahead is achieved.

JP2025044136APending Publication Date: 2025-04-01NIPPON SEIKI CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2024133862
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2023-09-19
Filing Date
2024-08-09
Publication Date
2025-04-01

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

In the display device, if the ceramic formation area is expanded and no measures are taken to protect the image display area, it may lead to a decrease in the visibility of the front view of the driver.

Method used

By providing a ceramic forming area and an adjacent area under the windshield of the vehicle, and emitting different types of light in the display unit, image content is projected to the ceramic forming area and an adjacent area, respectively. The light transmission mittance in adjacent areas is lower than the main area, but higher than the ceramic forming area to ensure that the driver can see the scenery ahead.

Benefits of technology

It ensures the display area of ​​the display device while ensuring the visibility of the scenery ahead, and avoids the reduction of the driver's field of vision.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

Smart Images

  • Figure 2025044136000001_ABST
    Figure 2025044136000001_ABST
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Abstract

To provide a display device capable of ensuring a display area while suppressing a deterioration in visibility of a scene ahead.SOLUTION: A display device 100 includes: a ceramic-formed part 11 provided in a lower end area of a windshield 1a of a vehicle 1; an adjacent part 12 provided in the windshield 1a so as to be adjacent to the ceramic-formed part 11; and a display unit 20 located inside a dashboard 1b of the vehicle 1. The adjacent part 12 is located between: a main part 1m, of the windshield 1a, for allowing a driver 2 to visually recognize a scene ahead of the vehicle 1; and the ceramic-formed part 11. The display unit 20 emits, toward the ceramic-formed part 11, first light L1 showing a first display content, and emits, toward the adjacent part 12, second light L2 showing a second display content of a classification different from that of the first display content. The adjacent part 12 has a light transmittance which is lower than that of the main part 1m and higher than that of the ceramic-formed part 11.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1
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Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a display device. [Background technology]

[0002] As a display device, for example, Patent Document 1 describes a device that emits light representing an image toward a ceramic formation portion (a portion where black ceramic is formed) provided in the lower end region of a vehicle's windshield, thereby allowing the driver to view the image. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 3-62085 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In this type of display device, if the ceramic forming portion is expanded without taking any measures to ensure a display area for an image, there is a risk that the driver's visibility of the scenery ahead through the windshield will be reduced.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-described circumstances, and has an object to provide a display device that can ensure a display area while suppressing a decrease in visibility of the scenery ahead. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the display device according to the present disclosure comprises: a ceramic formation provided in a lower end region of a vehicle windshield; a main portion of the windshield for allowing a driver of the vehicle to view a view ahead of the vehicle and an adjacent portion located between the main portion and the ceramic forming portion and provided on the windshield adjacent to the ceramic forming portion; a display unit that is located in a dashboard of the vehicle and emits a first light representing a first display content toward the ceramic forming portion and emits a second light representing a second display content of a type different from the first display content toward the adjacent portion; The adjacent portion has a lower light transmittance than the main portion and a higher light transmittance than the ceramic forming portion. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to ensure a display area while suppressing a decrease in visibility of the scenery ahead. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing application of a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure to a vehicle. [Diagram 2] FIG. 13 is a front view of a windshield for explaining an example of a formation range of an adjacent portion with respect to the ceramic formation portion according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is a front view of a windshield for explaining an adjacent portion according to a modified example. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a front view of a windshield for explaining a first display content and a second display content according to the embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a display unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the backlight unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the backlight unit according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] An embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0010] 1, the display device 100 according to this embodiment includes a ceramic-formed portion 11 and an adjacent portion 12 provided on a windshield 1a of a vehicle 1 (automobile), a display unit 20 that emits light (hereinafter, display light L) that displays an image toward the ceramic-formed portion 11 and the adjacent portion 12, and a cylindrical body 30. The display light L includes a first light L1 reflected by the ceramic-formed portion 11 and a second light L2 reflected by the adjacent portion 12.

[0011] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the windshield 1a has a main portion 1m for allowing the driver 2 of the vehicle 1 to view the scenery ahead of the vehicle 1, a shading portion 1s provided along the outer edge of the windshield 1a, and an adjacent portion 12.

[0012] The light-shielding portion 1s is a portion of the windshield 1a that has light-shielding properties. The light-shielding portion 1s is a portion formed of black ceramic by baking paint, and is commonly called a black ceramic portion. For example, the light-shielding portion 1s is a portion formed of the ceramic in a solid coating.

[0013] The above-mentioned ceramic-formed portion 11 is a portion of the light-shielding portion 1s that is provided in the lower end region of the windshield 1a. In other words, the ceramic-formed portion 11 is located below the main portion 1m. The inner surface of the ceramic-formed portion 11 in the windshield 1a constitutes a reflective surface that reflects the display light L (first light L1) toward the driver 2. The light-shielding portion 1s may be provided on the inner surface of the windshield 1a (the surface facing the driver 2) or on the outer surface of the windshield 1a. In addition, when the windshield 1a is composed of a laminated glass of multiple pieces of glass, the light-shielding portion 1s may be provided inside the windshield 1a.

[0014] The adjacent portion 12 is located between the main portion 1m and the ceramic-formed portion 11, and is a portion provided on the windshield 1a adjacent to the ceramic-formed portion 11. The adjacent portion 12 is formed to have a lower light transmittance than the main portion 1m, but a higher light transmittance than the ceramic-formed portion 11. The adjacent portion 12 is configured to have a transmittance that is not as high as the main portion 1m, but is sufficient to allow the driver 2 to slightly see the scenery ahead of the vehicle 1. The transmittance of the adjacent portion 12 may be considered to be the average transmittance of the area in which the adjacent portion 12 is formed.

[0015] The adjacent portion 12 is formed by a portion of the windshield 1a on which a coating or film is formed so as to have a lower light transmittance than the main portion 1m. For example, the adjacent portion 12 is formed by applying a half-mirror coat or a half-mirror film to the windshield 1a. The adjacent portion 12 may also be formed by applying HR coating (High Reflection Coating) to the windshield 1a.

[0016] Fig. 3 shows adjacent portion 12 according to a modified example. The adjacent portion 12 in Fig. 3 shows an example in which the same material as ceramic-formed portion 11 is formed in slits (i.e., black ceramic is formed in slits by baking). Although not shown, as another modified example, adjacent portion 12 may be formed in which the same material as ceramic-formed portion 11 is formed in dots. Even with these modified examples, the average transmittance of the region in which adjacent portion 12 is formed can be made lower than the transmittance of main portion 1m and higher than the transmittance of ceramic-formed portion 11.

[0017] The inner surface of the adjacent portion 12 in the windshield 1a constitutes a reflective surface that reflects the display light L (second light L2) toward the driver 2. The adjacent portion 12 may be provided on the inner surface (surface facing the driver 2) of the windshield 1a, or on the outer surface of the windshield 1a. In addition, when the windshield 1a is composed of a laminated glass of multiple pieces of glass, the adjacent portion 12 may be provided inside the windshield 1a.

[0018] The display light L reflected by the ceramic forming portion 11 and the adjacent portion 12 proceeds toward the driver 2. By placing his / her viewpoint within the eye box 2a, the driver 2 can visually recognize a virtual image of the image represented by the display light L. To the driver 2, the image appears to be displayed on the ceramic forming portion 11 and the adjacent portion 12 (specifically, behind the ceramic forming portion 11 and the adjacent portion 12). The image shows, for example, various information related to the vehicle 1 (hereinafter referred to as vehicle information). The vehicle information may include not only information about the vehicle 1 itself, but also external information about the vehicle 1, such as information about the surroundings of the vehicle 1. Details of the ceramic forming portion 11 and the adjacent portion 12 will be described later.

[0019] The display unit 20 is composed of an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display, or the like, and is provided in the dashboard 1b (including the instrument panel) of the vehicle 1. The display unit 20 is capable of displaying an image showing vehicle information in an image display area 21. That is, the image display area 21 is a pixel formation area in the display unit 20, and is an area in which an image can be displayed. Display light L representing the image is emitted from the image display area 21 toward the windshield 1a (the ceramic formation portion 11 and the adjacent portion 12). The eye box 2a is optically determined by the relative positional relationship between the image display area 21 and the windshield 1a, and the shape of the portion (reflective surface) of the windshield 1a that receives the display light L.

[0020] Here, the first light L1 irradiated to the ceramic forming portion 11 and the second light L2 irradiated to the adjacent portion 12 may cooperate to display the same image or the same type of content. Furthermore, the first light L1 irradiated to the ceramic forming portion 11 and the second light L2 irradiated to the adjacent portion 12 may display different types of display content. An example in which the first light L1 and the second light L2 display different types of display content will be described later.

[0021] The cylindrical body 30 is formed, for example, by a part of the dashboard 1b, and passes the display light L emitted from the display unit 20 and directed toward the windshield 1a. That is, the cylindrical body 30 is located between the display unit 20 and the windshield 1a. The cylindrical body 30 may be a member that is combined with the dashboard 1b. The display unit 20 is located below the cylindrical body 30, and emits the display light L into the cylindrical body 30. The upper end of the cylindrical body 30 forms an opening 31, which is a portion from which the display light L is emitted from the dashboard 1b. The cylindrical body 30 is made of a light-absorbing material such as black, or is made by applying a surface treatment to reduce reflection. This makes it possible to suppress stray light, such as sunlight reflected after entering the cylindrical body 30 and the display light L reflected at a portion other than the ceramic forming portion 11, from reaching the eye box 2a.

[0022] The display device 100 also includes a control unit (not shown) that controls the display operation of the display unit 20. The control unit is composed of, for example, a microcontroller, and communicates with various electronic components such as an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) of the vehicle 1 to monitor various states of the vehicle 1. The control unit also generates an image to be displayed on the display unit 20 based on various states of the vehicle 1 and image data for drawing stored in a memory. The control unit is mounted on, for example, a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) disposed in the dashboard 1b.

[0023] (Ceramic forming portion 11 and adjacent portion 12) Fig. 2 is a front view of the windshield 1a as seen from inside the vehicle. As shown in Fig. 2, the ceramic forming portion 11 is formed from the left end to the right end of the windshield 1a. For example, the display unit 20 can emit the display light L not only in a portion corresponding to the front of the driver's seat of the vehicle 1 (hereinafter referred to as the driver's seat corresponding portion), but also in a portion corresponding to the front of the passenger seat of the vehicle 1 (hereinafter referred to as the passenger seat corresponding portion), and can display an image represented by the display light L. The display unit 20 that realizes this may be composed of a single display, or may be composed of multiple displays arranged in the left-right direction.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 2, the upper end of the ceramic forming portion 11 is formed so as to become lower as it moves away from an arbitrary highest position M (highest point) in the left-right direction of the vehicle 1. This prevents the main portion 1m of the windshield 1a from being narrowed more than necessary, so that even if the driver 2 moves his / her line of sight left or right, the visibility of the scenery ahead can be prevented from decreasing. Here, in FIG. 2, an example in which the ceramic forming portion 11 is symmetrical is shown, but the ceramic forming portion 11 may be configured to be asymmetrical left-right by setting the highest position M of the ceramic forming portion 11 at a portion of the ceramic forming portion 11 corresponding to the driver's seat. In order to ensure the driver 2's field of vision on the passenger's seat side, it is preferable to set the highest position M of the ceramic forming portion 11 not at the portion corresponding to the passenger's seat but on the driver's seat side rather than the center of the vehicle 1.

[0025] Here, a reference point previously determined in the vehicle 1 as a position corresponding to the viewpoint or head of the driver 2, a horizontal axis that is a horizontal axis passing through the reference point, and a virtual axis that is inclined downward by a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal axis with the reference point as the center are considered. In this case, the upper end of the ceramic forming portion 11 is set with a position corresponding to the intersection of the virtual axis and the windshield 1a as the upper limit. This reference point is, for example, the "V2 point" indicating the "reference coordinate for the design seat back angle" described in Annex JA of the Automotive Safety Glass Test Method (JIS R3212:2015) in the Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS). For example, the predetermined angle, which is the angle of the virtual axis with respect to the horizontal axis, is 5°.

[0026] Depending on the transmittance of the adjacent portion 12 (for example, when the adjacent portion 12 is formed of the same material as the ceramic-formed portion 11 as in the modified example described above), the upper end of the adjacent portion 12 is also set with the position corresponding to the intersection of the virtual axis and the windshield 1a as the upper limit. Also, the reference point is not limited to "point V2" as defined in the JIS, and may be appropriately determined according to the laws and regulations of the country and region in which the vehicle 1 and the display device 100 are used.

[0027] In this embodiment, as described above, the adjacent portion 12 has a lower light transmittance than the main portion 1m and a higher light transmittance than the ceramic forming portion 11. This allows the driver 2 to see the scenery ahead of the vehicle 1 to some extent through not only the main portion 1m of the windshield 1a but also the adjacent portion 12 that can display an image by being irradiated with the second light L2. Therefore, the display device 100 can ensure a display area while suppressing a decrease in visibility of the scenery ahead.

[0028] Furthermore, when viewed from a position (hereinafter referred to as the ideal viewpoint position) that is predetermined as the ideal viewpoint of the driver 2, the adjacent portion 12 may be larger than the ceramic forming portion 11. This allows the driver 2 to more easily view the scenery ahead, and reduces the sense of oppression that may be felt by the driver 2. The ideal viewpoint position may be the aforementioned "point V2," or an arbitrary position determined based on point V2 (for example, coordinates shifted a predetermined amount from point V2), or an arbitrary position in the eye box 2a that is optically determined (for example, the center of the eye box 2a).

[0029] (An example in which the first light L1 and the second light L2 represent different types of display content) From here on, an example will be described in which the first light L1 and the second light L2 represent different types of display content. The first display content C1 shown in Fig. 4 is an example of an image represented by the first light L1, and the second display content C2 is an example of an image represented by the second light L2. In Fig. 4, the upper end of the adjacent portion 12 is indicated by a dashed line. Figs. 2 to 4 show the windshield 1a when the vehicle 1 is a left-hand drive vehicle (LHD: Left-Hand Drive).

[0030] The first display content C1 is, for example, a content that meets the requirements of the Automotive Safety Integrity Level (ASIL) and is required to be displayed in the vehicle 1. The first display content C1 in FIG. 4 is an example that represents a vehicle speed. The second display content C2 is, for example, a content that does not meet the requirements of the ASIL. The second display content C2 in FIG. 4 is an example that represents an ambient display. That is, the first display content C1 has a predetermined display priority higher than the second display content C2. This display priority is predetermined in the above-mentioned control unit that controls the display operation of the display unit 20. The first light L1 representing the first display content C1 and the second light L2 representing the second display content C2 may be emitted from an integrated display or may be emitted from separate displays. In any case, these displays are included in the display unit 20.

[0031] As described above, the adjacent portion 12 has a lower light transmittance than the main portion 1m, and a higher light transmittance than the ceramic-formed portion 11. This means that an image displayed in the adjacent portion 12 has a lower contrast and is less visible than an image displayed in the ceramic-formed portion 11. By utilizing this characteristic, the display device 100 may display a first display content C1 having a higher display priority in the ceramic-formed portion 11, and a second display content C2 having a lower display priority than the first display content C1 in the adjacent portion 12.

[0032] Here, the second display content C2 includes at least one of an ambient display, a predetermined dark place exclusive content, and a TBT (Turn-By-Turn) display. The ambient display is a display for notifying the driver 2 of predetermined information by at least one of an emitting color and an emitting manner such as a shape or a pattern. The dark place exclusive content is any content that is displayed under the control of the control unit when the control unit specifies that the vehicle 1 is in a dark place (nighttime, inside a tunnel, etc.) based on an output from an illuminance sensor (not shown) mounted on the vehicle 1. As the dark place exclusive content, for example, a display content by a night vision (nighttime night vision device) that visualizes an object by irradiating an object with infrared rays can be adopted. Note that the dark place exclusive content may be any content that is difficult to see or does not need to be displayed during the day, but is sufficiently visible to the driver 2 in a dark place. The TBT display is a type of user interface for a route guidance (navigation) system, and is an icon such as an arrow that indicates the direction of travel at an intersection, etc.

[0033] (Example of display unit 20 configuration) From here, an example in which the display unit 20 is configured as an LCD will be described. As shown in FIG. 5, the display unit 20 includes a liquid crystal panel 4, a backlight unit 5 that illuminates the liquid crystal panel 4 from behind, an optical sheet 6 located between the liquid crystal panel 4 and the backlight unit 5, and a metal housing 7. The optical sheet 6 is, for example, a light diffusion sheet that diffuses and radiates light from the backlight unit 5 toward the liquid crystal panel 4. The metal housing 7 is formed of a metal material such as aluminum, and supports a circuit board 50 (described later) from behind while dissipating heat from the circuit board 50 to the outside. A thermal paste or thermal tape (not shown) is interposed between the metal housing 7 and the circuit board 50.

[0034] The liquid crystal panel 4 has the image display area 21. The display unit 20 displays the first display content C1 and the second display content C2 in the image display area 21 of the liquid crystal panel 4 illuminated with light from the backlight unit 5. That is, display light L including a first light L1 and a second light L2 is emitted from the image display area 21.

[0035] As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the backlight unit 5 includes a circuit board 50, a plurality of light sources 51, and a reflector 52.

[0036] As shown in Fig. 6, the circuit board 50 is a rectangular PCB (Printed Circuit Board) that is long in the horizontal direction. The vertical and horizontal directions in Fig. 6 correspond to the vertical and horizontal directions of the liquid crystal panel 4. The liquid crystal panel 4 and the image display area 21 also form a rectangular shape that is long in the horizontal direction. Note that in Fig. 6, an example of the position and shape of the image display area 21 relative to the circuit board 50 is shown by a dashed line.

[0037] The circuit board 50 has a first region 50a located behind the image display region 21 of the liquid crystal panel 4, and a second region 50b adjacent to the first region 50a in the short-side direction (vertical direction) of the circuit board 50.

[0038] The light sources 51 are mounted in a first region 50a of the circuit board 50, and each of the light sources 51 is composed of an LED (Light-Emitting Diode). Although not shown, a driver IC (Integrated Circuit) for driving the light sources 51 is mounted on the back surface of the circuit board 50. Note that the light sources 51 for illuminating the image display region 21 of the liquid crystal panel 4 are not mounted in a second region 50b of the circuit board 50.

[0039] The multiple light sources 51 are arranged in a matrix with regular intervals in both the vertical and horizontal directions. Although Fig. 6 shows an example in which a total of 14 light sources 51 are arranged in 2 rows and 7 columns, the number of the multiple light sources 51 is arbitrary as long as the multiple light sources 51 include a first light source group 511 and a second light source group 512 described below.

[0040] The multiple light sources 51 include a first light source group 511 aligned in the longitudinal direction (horizontal direction) of the circuit board 50, and a second light source group 512 aligned in the longitudinal direction of the circuit board 50 and disposed at an interval from the first light source group 511 in the lateral direction (vertical direction) of the circuit board 50. If likened to a matrix, the first light source group 511 is a group of light sources 51 that constitute the first row, and the second light source group 512 is a group of light sources 51 that constitute the second row.

[0041] The reflector 52 is formed in white color from, for example, resin, and is located between the liquid crystal panel 4 and the circuit board 50. The reflector 52 guides light emitted from the multiple light sources 51 to the liquid crystal panel 4. The reflector 52 has a surrounding wall 520 and a partition wall 521.

[0042] The outer shape of the surrounding wall 520 has a size that is approximately the same as (including exactly the same as) the circuit board 50 in plan view as shown in Fig. 6. The surrounding wall 520 stands from the circuit board 50 as shown in Fig. 7, and surrounds the first region 50a and the second region 50b of the circuit board 50.

[0043] The partition wall 521 is located between the first region 50a and the second region 50b of the circuit board 50, and stands from the circuit board 50 toward the liquid crystal panel 4. That is, the partition wall 521 partitions the first region 50a and the second region 50b, and is located at the boundary between them. The partition wall 521 prevents light emitted from the multiple light sources 51 mounted in the first region 50a of the circuit board 50 from leaking to the second region 50b. That is, the partition wall 521 functions as a light-shielding wall. The reason for providing the partition wall 521 in this manner will be described later. As shown in FIG. 7, a cushion tape 8 may be provided on the top surface of the partition wall 521 to prevent the optical sheet 6 from being scratched.

[0044] Here, the surrounding wall 520 has an adjacent wall 520a adjacent to the first light source group 511 in the short-side direction of the circuit board 50. The partition wall 521 is adjacent to the second light source group 512 in the short-side direction of the circuit board 50. As shown in FIG. 6, in the short-side direction of the circuit board 50, a distance d1 between the first light source group 511 and the adjacent wall 520a is equal to a distance d2 between the second light source group 512 and the partition wall 521. By setting in this manner, it is possible to make the behavior of (i) the light emitted from the first light source group 511, which is reflected by the adjacent wall 520a and then illuminates the image display area 21 of the liquid crystal panel 4, and (ii) the light emitted from the second light source group 512, which is reflected by the partition wall 521 and then illuminates the image display area 21 of the liquid crystal panel 4, the same, so that the image display area 21 can be uniformly illuminated by the multiple light sources 51.

[0045] Here, the liquid crystal panel 4 is often configured with an aspect ratio of the image display area 21 of 8:3 (hereinafter, this configuration will be referred to as a comparative example). On the other hand, the aspect ratio of the image display area 21 of this embodiment is, for example, 6:1, and is a shape that is longer and thinner laterally than the comparative example. If it is considered to use the liquid crystal panel 4 of the same size and shape as the comparative example as it is, the image display area 21 in the liquid crystal panel 4 may be set narrower as in this embodiment. In this case, a structure in which the light source 51 is not mounted on the second region 50b of the circuit board 50 directly above which the image display area 21 does not exist may be adopted, but simply adopting this structure makes it impossible to uniformly illuminate the image display area 21. In consideration of this problem, in this embodiment, the partition wall 521 is provided on the reflector 52, and the distances d1 and d2 are set as described above, so that the image display area 21 can be uniformly illuminated while allowing the existing liquid crystal panel 4 and circuit board 50 to be reused.

[0046] 1, since the display unit 20 is provided facing the lower end portion of the windshield 1a, it is preferable that the second region 50b is located further rearward than the first region 50a of the vehicle 1. If the second region 50b is located further forward than the first region 50a of the vehicle 1 and the second region 50b of the circuit board 50 protrudes forward of the vehicle 1, it may not be easy to secure a space for arranging the display unit 20 within the dashboard 1b of the vehicle 1.

[0047] In addition, in terms of a matrix, the multiple light sources 51 may be configured in three or more rows. In this case, among the multiple light sources 51 and the light source groups arranged in the longitudinal direction, the light source groups closest to the adjacent wall 520a may be regarded as the first light source group 511, and the light source groups closest to the partition wall 521 may be regarded as the second light source group 512.

[0048] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and drawings, and can be modified (including the deletion of components) as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0049] The display device 100 described above can be described from the following viewpoints A and B.

[0050] (A1) A display device according to aspect A of the present disclosure, a ceramic formation provided in a lower end region of a vehicle windshield; a main portion of the windshield for allowing a driver of the vehicle to view a view ahead of the vehicle and an adjacent portion located between the main portion and the ceramic forming portion and provided on the windshield adjacent to the ceramic forming portion; a display unit located in a dashboard of the vehicle and emitting light representing an image toward the ceramic formation portion and the adjacent portion; The adjacent portion has a lower light transmittance than the main portion and a higher light transmittance than the ceramic forming portion.

[0051] (A2) In the display device according to A1, When viewed from a position predetermined as an ideal viewpoint of the driver, the adjacent portion is larger than the ceramic forming portion.

[0052] (A3) In the display device according to A1 or A2, The adjacent portion is a portion of the windshield on which a coating or film is formed so as to have a lower light transmittance than the main portion.

[0053] (A4) In the display device according to A1 or A2, The adjacent portion is a portion of the windshield in which the same material as the ceramic forming portion is formed in the form of dots or slits.

[0054] (B1) A display device according to aspect B of the present disclosure, a ceramic formation provided in a lower end region of a vehicle windshield; a main portion of the windshield for allowing a driver of the vehicle to view a view ahead of the vehicle and an adjacent portion located between the main portion and the ceramic forming portion and provided on the windshield adjacent to the ceramic forming portion; a display unit that is located in a dashboard of the vehicle and emits a first light representing a first display content toward the ceramic forming portion and emits a second light representing a second display content of a type different from the first display content toward the adjacent portion; The adjacent portion has a lower light transmittance than the main portion and a higher light transmittance than the ceramic forming portion.

[0055] (B2) In the display device according to B1, The first display content has a predetermined display priority higher than that of the second display content.

[0056] (B3) In the display device according to B1 or B2, The second display content includes at least one of an ambient display, a predetermined content exclusively for dark places, and a TBT (Turn-By-Turn) display.

[0057] (B4) In the display device according to any one of B1 to B3, The adjacent portion is a portion of the windshield on which a coating or film is formed so as to have a lower light transmittance than the main portion.

[0058] (B5) In the display device according to any one of B1 to B3, The adjacent portion is a portion of the windshield in which the same material as the ceramic forming portion is formed in the form of dots or slits.

[0059] (B6) In the display device according to any one of B1 to B5, The display unit includes: a liquid crystal panel having an image display area and a backlight unit that illuminates the liquid crystal panel from behind, and displays the first display content and the second display content in the image display area; The backlight unit comprises: a rectangular circuit board having a first region located behind the image display region and a second region adjacent to the first region in a short-side direction of the circuit board; a plurality of light sources mounted in the first region of the circuit board; a reflector located between the liquid crystal panel and the circuit board, the reflector directing light emitted from the plurality of light sources to the liquid crystal panel; The plurality of light sources include A first light source group arranged in a longitudinal direction of the circuit board; a second light source group arranged in the longitudinal direction and spaced apart from the first light source group in the lateral direction; The reflector is a surrounding wall surrounding the first region and the second region; a partition wall located between the first area and the second area and standing from the circuit board toward the liquid crystal panel, the surrounding wall has an adjacent wall adjacent to the first light source group in the short-side direction, The partition wall is adjacent to the second light source group in the short side direction, The distance between the first light source group and the adjacent wall in the short side direction is equal to the distance between the second light source group and the partition wall in the short side direction.

[0060] (B7) In the display device according to B6, The second area is located rearward of the vehicle relative to the first area.

[0061] In the above description, descriptions of well-known technical matters have been omitted as appropriate in order to facilitate understanding of the present disclosure.

[0062] Various embodiments and modifications of the present invention are possible without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the present invention. The above-described embodiments are for the purpose of explaining the present invention and do not limit the scope of the present invention. That is, the scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, not the embodiments. Various modifications made within the scope of the claims and the scope of the invention equivalent thereto are considered to be within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 100…Display device 1. Vehicle 1a…windshield, 1b…dashboard 1m: main part, 1s: light shielding part, 11: ceramic forming part, 12: adjacent part 2...Driver, 2a...Eye box 20: display unit; 21: image display area 30: Cylindrical body; 31: Opening L…Display light L1: first light, C1: first display content L2: Second light, C2: Second display content M…Highest position 4. Liquid crystal panel 5…Backlight unit 50...Circuit board, 50a...1st area, 50b...2nd area 51...Light source, 511...First light source group, 512...Second light source group 52: reflector; 520: surrounding wall; 520a: adjacent wall; 521: partition wall 6...Optical sheet 7…Metal case 8…Cushion tape

Claims

1. a ceramic formation provided in a lower end region of a vehicle windshield; a main portion of the windshield for allowing a driver of the vehicle to view a view ahead of the vehicle and an adjacent portion located between the main portion and the ceramic forming portion and provided on the windshield adjacent to the ceramic forming portion; a display unit that is located in a dashboard of the vehicle and that emits a first light representing a first display content toward the ceramic forming portion and emits a second light representing a second display content of a type different from the first display content toward the adjacent portion; The adjacent portion has a lower light transmittance than the main portion and a higher light transmittance than the ceramic forming portion. Display device.

2. The first display content has a higher predetermined display priority than the second display content. The display device according to claim 1 .

3. The second display content includes at least one of an ambient display, a predetermined dark place-only content, and a turn-by-turn (TBT) display. The display device according to claim 1 .

4. The adjacent portion is a portion of the windshield on which a coating or film is formed so as to have a lower light transmittance than the main portion. The display device according to claim 1 .

5. The adjacent portion is a portion of the windshield in which the same material as the ceramic forming portion is formed in a dot or slit shape. The display device according to claim 1 .

6. The display unit includes: a liquid crystal panel having an image display area and a backlight unit that illuminates the liquid crystal panel from behind, and displays the first display content and the second display content in the image display area; The backlight unit comprises: a rectangular circuit board having a first region located behind the image display region and a second region adjacent to the first region in a short-side direction of the circuit board; a plurality of light sources mounted in the first region of the circuit board; a reflector located between the liquid crystal panel and the circuit board, the reflector directing light emitted from the plurality of light sources to the liquid crystal panel; The plurality of light sources include A first light source group arranged in a longitudinal direction of the circuit board; a second light source group arranged in the longitudinal direction and spaced apart from the first light source group in the lateral direction; The reflector is a surrounding wall surrounding the first region and the second region; a partition wall located between the first area and the second area and standing from the circuit board toward the liquid crystal panel, the surrounding wall has an adjacent wall adjacent to the first light source group in the short-side direction, The partition wall is adjacent to the second light source group in the short side direction, a distance between the first light source group and the adjacent wall in the short side direction and a distance between the second light source group and the partition wall in the short side direction are equal; The display device according to claim 1 .

7. The second area is located rearward of the vehicle relative to the first area. The display device according to claim 6.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • Display device for vehicle

    JP1991062085A