System and program

Abstract

To provide an electronic system and a program which allow an arbitrary selection of plural pieces of driving information of a vehicle and a visual and simultaneous confirmation of the selected driving information.SOLUTION: Three types of meter objects 45, 51, and 55 are selected from plural meter objects prepared according to driving information of a vehicle, on the basis of a selective input operation by a user, and are displayed on a standby display. Each meter object 45, 51, and 55 are an object which varies according to unique changes of the driving information and executes the unique changes.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic system and a program configured to display a variable display unit prepared according to vehicle driving information on a screen.

Background Art

[0002] When driving a vehicle, various meters are arranged at the position in front of the driver's seat as indicators for a user, such as a driver, to judge the state of the vehicle. Examples of these include a speed meter, a tachometer, a water temperature meter, a fuel meter, and the like. As an example for allowing the driver to visually recognize various meters, Patent Document 1 is cited.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, users generally have a demand for obtaining information other than the information available from the meters installed in the vehicle and using it as an indicator for judging the state of the vehicle in more detail. In particular, in general vehicles that are not of a racing specification, in many cases, components other than the above-mentioned minimum necessary meters are not installed, and it has been difficult to easily obtain other driving information of the vehicle. On the one hand, a vehicle may be equipped with vehicle information display devices such as a navigation device or a microwave detector (radar detector), and it is assumed that the driving information of the vehicle is displayed on the standby screen of these vehicle information display devices. However, the driving information of the vehicle is diverse, and the information required by the user is not necessarily constant. In addition, the user often wants to obtain a combination of several pieces of driving information rather than just one piece of driving information. This is because by obtaining more vehicle information, an index for more precisely judging the driving state of the vehicle can be obtained. However, the required driving information varies depending on the driving situation and the user's level, and the driving state to be displayed on the screen must also consider visibility. Therefore, there has been a demand for a device that can arbitrarily select a plurality of driving information of a vehicle and simultaneously provide these multiple pieces of driving information to the user on the screen. The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide an electronic system and a program that can arbitrarily select a plurality of driving information of a vehicle and visually observe the selected driving information simultaneously.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] To achieve the above object, in a first means, based on a selective input operation by a user, a plurality of variable display units prepared according to the driving information of the vehicle are selected, and a plurality of variable display units to be displayed are selected and displayed on the screen. The gist is to include control means for causing the plurality of variable display units displayed on the screen to be variably displayed in accordance with changes in the driving information. With such a configuration, the control means displays on the screen a plurality of variable display units selected by the user from a plurality of variable display units prepared according to the driving information of the vehicle, and variably displays them according to changes in the respective specific driving information. As a result, the user can arbitrarily display a plurality of variable display units on the screen and visually recognize a plurality of desired driving information of the vehicle. Therefore, the user can obtain an index for more precisely judging the driving state of the vehicle.

[0006] Here, the "variable display section" is an image that varies on a screen corresponding to various driving information of a vehicle. More specifically, as will be described later, it is a higher-level concept such as a meter object displayed as an image on the screen, a graph showing the vehicle's driving information, or a schematic representation of a specific part of the vehicle that performs variable display according to changes in the driving information. These variable display sections will each vary according to changes in the specific driving information of the vehicle. Here, examples of the "electronic system" include electronic devices equipped with a housing such as a radar detection device, a navigation device, and a drive recorder as vehicle information display devices. Also, the screen on which the variable display section is displayed may be integrated with the control means on the electronic system side, or may exist as a separate screen that outputs data wirelessly or wired from the control means. Further, the electronic system does not necessarily have to be installed inside the vehicle. For example, it is also possible to install a housing including control means outside the vehicle, receive vehicle information wirelessly, and control the variable display of the current fuel consumption status on a screen arranged inside the vehicle. Also, not all of the control means have to be inside the vehicle, and a part of it may exist outside the vehicle (for example, a server, etc.). In addition, the "selective input operation by the user" refers to inputting by an operation unit that performs an input button or key operation for selection, or when the screen has a touch panel function, touching the screen and selecting an input mode from the GUI screen for input, or inputting from an external personal computer via a server or the like arranged outside the vehicle, inputting selected data from an external personal computer into a storage medium (for example, an SD card), and attaching the storage medium inside the housing including the control means to transfer and input the data, etc. can be assumed. The "screen" can be assumed to be a display means equipped with a display section on which a moving image or a still image is displayed, such as an organic EL display, a liquid crystal display, or a CRT display screen. In particular, it is preferable to use a dot matrix display.

[0007] In the second means, in addition to the first means, the control means is provided inside the vehicle, and the gist is that the screen is arranged at a position visible to the driver inside the vehicle. The screen (display means having a screen) could also be configured separately, but it is advantageous in terms of handling to be mounted on the vehicle together with the control means at least in the main body of the electronic system. When mounted on the vehicle here, it includes both the case where the screen is disposed inside the housing of the main body of the electronic system where the control means is disposed, and the case where the screen is disposed inside the vehicle separately from the main body of the electronic system and connected to the control means by wireless or wired means such as a cable.

[0008] In the third means, in addition to the first or second means, the gist is that the driving information is information obtained from an information output means provided in the vehicle itself. That is, it is driving information that can be obtained from the vehicle by some acquisition means. These information can generally be obtained from the K-line or CAN (Controller Area Network) where terminals are provided in the vehicle diagnostic connector for ODB-II (On-Board Diagnostic System Stage 2) that is required to be installed in the vehicle. However, if there are data acquisition means other than the vehicle diagnostic connector in the vehicle, it is also possible to freely use them. Examples of the driving information that can be obtained from the vehicle include the vehicle speed, injection time, ignition timing, intake air volume, intake air temperature, water temperature, air-fuel ratio correction coefficient, battery voltage, remaining fuel volume, flow pulses from the flow meter, fuel supply volume, engine speed, throttle opening (accelerator opening), throttle sensor voltage, air flow voltage, boost pressure, etc.

[0009] In the fourth means, in addition to any one of the first to third means, the gist is that the driving information is information obtained from an information acquisition means disposed inside the vehicle separately from the vehicle. The information obtained from such an information acquisition means disposed inside the vehicle separately from the vehicle is information that cannot be obtained from the vehicle and is important as an information source. Examples of such information acquisition means include a current position acquisition means, a current time acquisition means, a speed acquisition means, an acceleration acquisition means, and the like. More specific means for the current position acquisition means, the current time acquisition means, and the speed acquisition means include, for example, a GPS receiver installed in a radar detection device, a navigation device, or a drive recorder. Further, more specific means for the acceleration acquisition means include, for example, an acceleration sensor (two-axis type or three-axis type) installed in a radar detection device, a navigation device, or a drive recorder.

[0010] In the fifth means, in addition to any one of the first to fourth means, the variable display unit includes a graphical display unit and a numerical display unit for the driving information, and the control means causes the numerical display unit to display numerical values in a manner associated with the display elements in the graphical display unit. With such a configuration, numerical values are displayed in a manner associated with the changes in the graphical display unit, so that it is possible to visually recognize the changes in the graphical display unit and at the same time obtain accurate numerical information corresponding to the changes. Here, "displaying numerical values in a manner associated with the display elements in the graphical display unit" includes, for example, a case where numerical values are also noted at positions adjacent to the meter object described later, or a case where numerical values corresponding to the current driving state are displayed in relation to the plot positions in the graph described later. In the sixth means, in addition to the fifth means, the scale of the numerical display unit is changed according to the change in the driving information of the vehicle. For example, at the initial stage of vehicle travel, the speed, engine load, and engine speed are not very high. On the other hand, after a while of driving, all of them increase. Therefore, it is possible to display with a small scale initially and then change to a large scale according to the driving, resulting in a more optimal and waste-free display. Especially for in-vehicle device screens, which are small, it is preferable that the scale can be changed in this way. The same applies when the vehicle speed decreases from the normal driving state in the direction of stop. In this case, conversely, a small scale is used.

[0011] In the seventh means, in addition to any one of the first to sixth means, the control means causes the screen to display, simultaneously with the variable display unit, information that is unrelated to the information content displayed in the variable display unit. With such a configuration, while displaying a plurality of variable display units on the screen, for example, when a predetermined event occurs, other information related to the event can be displayed on the screen without any association with the variable elements that change the currently displayed variable display unit. As a result, without deleting the variable display unit from the screen, other information that suddenly issues a warning to the user can be transmitted as temporary information while continuing to display the current variable display unit on the screen.

[0012] In the eighth means, in addition to any one of the first to seventh means, the variable display unit includes a meter object, and the control means causes the pointer object to be displaced in accordance with a change in the operation information in the meter object for variable display. That is, it is varied by an operation such that the needle actually rotates in accordance with a change in the operation information. Since the user visually recognizes the daily operation information in the form of a meter, if it is a variable display commonly seen in such a meter form, it becomes easier to grasp the operation information. Examples of operation information suitable for such variable display by the pointer object include fuel consumption information, cooling water temperature information, engine speed information, vehicle speed information, engine load ratio information, and the like.

[0013] In the ninth means, in addition to any one of the first to eighth means, the variable display unit includes a meter object, and the control means causes the area occupied by the index object corresponding to the amount of change to change with respect to the background in accordance with a change in the operation information in the meter object for variable display. That is, it varies the area displayed within the meter object according to changes in driving information. Since the user visually recognizes it in the meter format as daily driving information as described above, such variable display commonly seen in this meter format makes it easier to grasp the driving information. As the direction of area variation, a rotation direction or up / down / left / right directions can be assumed. In the case of area change, it not only includes the change in the boundary line position of regions partitioned by different colors or brightness on the screen, but also includes the case where it is expressed by the increase or decrease of lines or patterns occupying one region. Examples of driving information suitable for such variable display by changing the area occupied by the index object include throttle opening information, engine load ratio information, and the like.

[0014] The gist of the tenth means is that in addition to either the eighth or ninth means, the outer contours of the meter objects are the same or similar to each other, and when a plurality of the variable display portions are displayed on the screen, the control means causes them to be displayed in the same size. In such a configuration, when a plurality of meter objects are displayed on the screen, even if they display different driving information, they will be displayed in the same size. Since the screen size does not change, if the number of meter objects displayed on the screen increases, the size of the meter objects will be gradually reduced in order to fit them on one screen. It is preferable to arrange them in series horizontally in terms of visibility, but when the number of displayed meter objects increases, they may be arranged in two or more rows in order to secure a relatively large size.

[0015] The gist of the eleventh means is that in addition to any one of the first to seventh means, the variable display portion includes a specific vehicle part object that models a specific part of the vehicle with the driving information and performs variable display according to changes in the driving information. Such a specific vehicle part object has a significantly different appearance from a variable display portion such as a meter standardly installed in a vehicle and will perform an animated variable operation, so it strongly appeals to the user's vision and is excellent as a variable display portion. As a schematic representation of a specific part of a vehicle, it is preferably a part that moves as the vehicle travels, and moreover, a part whose movement changes depending on the driving situation is preferred. For example, as an example, there can be mentioned the partial cross-sectional shape around the engine (internal structure and periphery), which is the most important information of the vehicle, and the rotational movement of the tires, etc. In this case, the variable display can be expressed, for example, by changes in the shape such as changes in the structure around the engine (changes in the speed of the reciprocating motion of the piston, changes in the rotational speed of the crankshaft, changes in the speed of the reciprocating motion of the intake and exhaust valves, and other speed changes regarding cams and camshafts, etc.) and changes in the rotational speed of the tires, etc., or it can be represented by changes in the color of the members constituting these objects. The change in color is a concept that includes not only changes in saturation but also changes in lightness.

[0016] The gist of the twelfth means is that, in addition to any of the first to eleventh means, the control means causes the variable display unit to perform a variable display based on a plurality of the driving information. In such a configuration, parts that perform variable displays corresponding to a plurality of driving information are mixed in a specific vehicle part object, so that changes in a plurality of driving information can be simultaneously given to the user as information, and it is not necessary to prepare a plurality of variable display units separately in order to transmit a plurality of driving information to the user. More specifically, for example, as a meter object, a display like a trip meter, that is, a variable display unit that variably displays corresponding driving information such as the driving distance from the setting until now and the average fuel consumption and average speed during that period can be assumed. Also, in the case of the above-mentioned specific vehicle part object, for example, in the change of the internal structure of the engine, a variable display based on a certain driving information is realized by changing the shape of a piston object, etc., and at the same time, a variable display based on other driving information is realized by changing the color of the piston object, etc., can be assumed.

[0017] In the 13th means, in addition to any one of the 1st to 7th means, the variable display section is a graph object that uses two types of the driving information as the vertical and horizontal axes of a graph, and displays on the graph the positions corresponding to the numerical values of the two types of driving information acquired by the vehicle. This is the gist of it. That is, a graph with any two types of driving information as the vertical and horizontal axes is displayed on the screen as a type of variable display section as a graph object. This is because by displaying the correlation between the two types of driving information in real time, it becomes possible to more precisely judge the state of the vehicle. Also, although such a graphed information display mode is useful as an index for judging the driving state of the vehicle, it is not generally displayed on the vehicle. Therefore, the ability to select such a variable display section is beneficial for the user. As a display mode on the graph, it may be such that the intersection of the current numerical values on the vertical and horizontal axes is always displayed on the graph, or the vertical and horizontal line segments are displayed and the intersection position is set as the point indicating the current state. Also, it may be such that only the current state is always displayed, or the past history may be displayed simultaneously. The two types of driving information are not particularly limited as long as they are correlated information such as, for example, setting the vertical axis as the speed and the horizontal axis as the engine speed, or setting the vertical axis as the fuel flow rate and the horizontal axis as the driving time.

[0018] In the 14th means, in addition to the 13th means, the control means displays the numerical value corresponding to the driving information in association with the current position on the graph. This is the gist of it. With such a configuration, it becomes possible to obtain numerical information on what exact value the current position on the graph is. Here, "associating with the current position on the graph" means that when displaying the numerical value, it is sufficient if the numerical value is displayed in relation to the position on the graph that is being displayed, not necessarily in the vicinity of the position on the graph. In the 15th means, in addition to the 14th means, the position on the graph is indicated by the intersection of a first straight line parallel to the vertical axis on the graph and a second straight line parallel to the horizontal axis, and the gist of the control means is to cause the numerical values of the axes intersecting each straight line to be noted together with each straight line as numerical values corresponding to the operation information. The 15th means is a specific example of the 14th means. Regarding "associating with the position on the graph", when the position on the graph is set as the intersection of the first straight line and the second straight line in this way, instead of near the intersection, it is noted on each straight line, resulting in a margin for the description position. Also, the visibility near the intersection is improved. In this case, the intersection of the first straight line and the second straight line preferably exists in a fixed area of the graph, so it is preferable to appropriately vary the scales of the vertical and horizontal axes or move the positions of the graduations displayed on the axes.

[0019] In the 16th means, in addition to any of the 13th to 15th means, the gist of the control means is to display the history of the position on the graph acquired at a predetermined timing. This means displaying not only the current position on the graph but also the history of the past positions on the graph. With such a configuration, it becomes an important indicator for judging what kind of driving situation it was. Since the history is acquired at a predetermined timing, it is displayed as scattered positions, but it may be displayed as it is in a scattered state or in other expression modes, such as a line graph or a bar graph.

[0020] In the 17th means, in addition to the 16th means, the number of displays of the history of the position displayed on the graph is limited, and the gist of the control means is to cause the older ones of the history to be erased. When the past history positions gradually increase on the graph, the screen actually becomes more difficult to view. Therefore, by deleting the older history, the number of history positions displayed on the screen is restricted to make it easier to view. The maximum number of history positions to be displayed on the screen is not constant depending on the size of the screen to be displayed, that is, the number of pixels, but for a small screen (about 2 to 5 inches), about 500 to 1000 points is appropriate. The gist of the 18th means is that, in addition to the 16th or 17th means, the display time of the history of the position information displayed on the graph is restricted. This is for preventing the past history positions from gradually increasing on the graph and making it more difficult to view, similar to the 17th means. For example, only the history acquired in the past 15 minutes from the current time is always displayed, and the history positions acquired more than 15 minutes ago are deleted. The gist of the 19th means is that, in addition to the 17th or 18th means, the update timing of the display of the position information on the graph is 1 second or less. If the update timing is too long, the data will become rough information and may be meaningless. On the other hand, even if it is too short, for example, when leaving the history by time as in the 14th means, it will become very large even in a short time. Also, even if trying to leave the history for a certain period of time, if there are too many history positions displayed on the screen, it may become more difficult to understand as driving information. Therefore, the update timing is 1 second or less, but preferably 5 ms (milliseconds) or more.

[0021] The gist of the 20th means is that, in addition to any of the 1st to 19th means, the driving information is any one of fuel consumption information, cooling water temperature information, fuel flow rate information, engine speed information, vehicle speed information, engine load factor information, throttle opening information, vehicle position information, current time information, and acceleration information. Fuel consumption means the fuel consumption rate. These are examples of the driving information of the vehicle. Also, examples of the fuel consumption information include instantaneous fuel consumption, current fuel consumption, average fuel consumption for all roads, average fuel consumption for ordinary roads, and average fuel consumption for highways. The gist of the 21st means is a program for causing a computer to realize the functions of the control means in the electronic system described in any of the 1st to 20th means.

Advantages of the Invention

[0022] According to the present invention, since a user can simultaneously and arbitrarily obtain driving information of a plurality of vehicles from sources other than the meters originally mounted on the vehicle, an index for accurately determining the driving state of the vehicle according to the user's desire can be obtained.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0023]

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0024] Hereinafter, embodiments embodying the present invention will be described based on the drawings. FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a radar detection device 10 as an electronic system (electronic device). The radar detection device 10 has a mechanism housed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped-shaped housing 11 serving as a main body, and is fixed in a vehicle, for example, on a dashboard via a mounting bracket 12. A display unit 14 is exposed within a frame-shaped front frame 13 disposed on the front surface of the housing 11 (the surface facing the driver). In the present embodiment, the display unit 14 is composed of a small 4.3-inch liquid crystal display. The display unit 14 also serves as a touch panel as an input means. A slot 15 for inserting an SD card as a storage medium is formed on the side surface of the housing 11. A main cable 17 extends from the back surface of the housing 11 (the surface facing the front window). As shown in FIG. 2, a female connector 18 is fixed to the tip of the main cable 17. Further, a power switch (not shown) is formed on the back surface of the housing 11. As shown in FIG. 2, the radar detection device 10 is connected to a vehicle diagnostic connector 22 having a front shape as shown in FIG. 3 via a connection adapter 21. The vehicle diagnostic connector 22 as information output means is disposed at a predetermined position (not constant depending on the vehicle type) in the vehicle where it does not interfere with driving. The connection adapter 21 has a male connector 24 and a connection connector 25 at both ends of a connection cable 23. The female connector 18 at the tip of the main cable 17 extending from the radar detection device 10 is connected to the male connector 24, and the connection connector 25 is connected to the vehicle diagnostic connector 22 installed on the vehicle side. In the present embodiment, the radar detection device 10 obtains power from an IGN signal terminal in the vehicle diagnostic connector 22, but it is also possible to provide a DC power jack for obtaining power from, for example, a cigarette socket.

[0025] Next, the electrical configuration inside the housing 11 of the radar detection device 10 will be described based on the block diagram of FIG. 4. Note that configurations not directly related to the present invention will be omitted. Connected to the controller MC as the control means are a position detector 31, a microwave detector 32, a wireless receiver 33, a memory card reader 34, an acceleration sensor 35, a database 36, and the display unit 14 respectively. The controller MC is composed of a well-known CPU, a memory such as a ROM and a RAM, a timer, etc. In the ROM within the controller MC, map data is called, and a map display program for displaying on the display unit 14 in association with the obtained target data, detection data of a speed measurement device (such as a mobile radar, hereinafter simply referred to as "radar"), etc., a GPS information processing program for processing GPS information received by the GPS receiver 37, a microwave determination program for determining the microwave received by the microwave detector 32, a radio wave determination program for determining the radio wave received by the wireless receiver 33, various vehicle information output from the vehicle diagnostic connector 22 is arbitrarily acquired, and a fuel consumption calculation program for performing calculations such as fuel flow rate and various fuel consumptions based on these information, a standby screen display program for displaying a predetermined standby image on the display unit 14 as a standby screen by the operation of the user, a variable display program for variably displaying a predetermined object in the predetermined standby image displayed on the display unit 14, and various programs such as an OS (Operation System) are stored. In the RAM, various vehicle information acquired from the vehicle diagnostic connector 22, the calculated values calculated by the fuel consumption calculation program, etc., and the position information detected by the position detector 31 are stored. The controller MC converts, via the interface 28, the vehicle information output to the K line or CAN of the vehicle diagnostic connector 22 on the vehicle side into a communication protocol capable of processing, for example, a UART signal.

[0026] The position detector 31, which serves as the current position acquisition means, speed acquisition means, and current time acquisition means, includes a GPS receiver 37 that acquires GPS information as the core of the configuration, and detects the position of the host vehicle at the current time by the GPS receiver 37 based on an instruction from the controller MC. The detected position information is the speed, latitude, longitude, and altitude of the host vehicle. The microwave detector 32 detects a predetermined microwave from the received microwave. The wireless receiver 33 detects a predetermined radio wave from the received radio wave. The memory card reader 34 reads the data of an SD card as a memory card inserted into the slot 15, or updates the data of the SD card. The acceleration sensor 35, which serves as the acceleration acquisition means, is a three-axis type sensor that detects the acceleration and inclination in each of the three axes (X, Y, Z), and constantly outputs the detection value to the controller MC. The database 36 is a non-volatile memory (for example, EEPROM) built into the controller MC or externally attached to the controller MC. In the present embodiment, object data to be displayed on the display unit 14 in the standby state, master image data, various font data to be displayed on the display unit 14, etc. are stored in the database 36. Incidentally, these data may be stored in the above ROM. In addition, the controller MC detects the contact state with the display unit 14 at a timing of several msec, and performs processing according to an instruction by GUI input.

[0027] In such an electrical configuration, the controller MC outputs commands to the K-line or CAN terminals of the vehicle diagnostic connector 22 according to a predetermined protocol, and acquires predetermined vehicle information via the K-line or CAN. The driving information that can be acquired includes vehicle speed, injection time, ignition timing, intake air volume, intake air temperature, water temperature, air-fuel ratio correction coefficient, battery voltage, remaining fuel volume, flow pulses from the flow meter, fuel supply volume, engine speed, throttle opening (accelerator opening), throttle sensor voltage, air flow voltage, boost pressure, and the like. If it is necessary to calculate fuel flow rate, instantaneous fuel consumption, fuel consumption per driving (current fuel consumption), fuel consumption of past driving (average fuel consumption on all roads), average fuel consumption on highways, average fuel consumption on ordinary roads, driving distance, engine load factor, etc. based on these information as primary information or the information acquired from the vehicle diagnostic connector 22, they are calculated respectively and acquired as secondary information. Also, although the vehicle speed can be acquired by the GPS receiver 37 as described above, in this embodiment, the vehicle speed acquired from the vehicle diagnostic connector 22 is prioritized. There are several means (calculation methods) for acquiring the fuel flow rate. First, when the value of fuel consumption is output from the vehicle side regularly, that value is used as it is. On the other hand, when the value of regular fuel consumption cannot be acquired, it can be calculated by a known method based on either the intake air volume or the injection time at a certain sampling time. In this embodiment, the injection time is used. The sampling time is arbitrary, but here it is set to 1 second. The injection time (valve opening time) can be calculated by applying predetermined correction values to the output of the air flow meter (air flow rate in the intake duct) and the engine speed and performing various predetermined corrections. This corrected fuel flow rate is regarded as the fuel consumption. The fuel flow rate for 1 second corresponding to the sampling time is regarded as the acquired fuel flow rate. The average fuel flow rate within that time can be calculated by dividing the integrated value of the acquired fuel flow rate at a predetermined time by that time. For the instantaneous fuel consumption, if the value is output regularly from the vehicle side, it is used as it is. If it cannot be obtained, the driving distance is calculated from the vehicle speed and driving time at a certain sampling time, divided by the fuel flow rate, and calculated by giving a correction value. The vehicle speed is obtained from the above-mentioned vehicle diagnostic connector 22, and the time is obtained from a known timer attached to the controller MC. Alternatively, it may be calculated by giving predetermined correction values to the output of the air flow meter and the engine speed and performing various predetermined corrections as described above. The average fuel consumption is calculated from the accumulation of the instantaneous fuel consumption and the driving time. The controller MC calculates the average fuel consumption for the time from the start of the engine to the present. The fuel consumption per driving is calculated by integrating the acquired fuel flow rate from the start to the stop of the engine and dividing it by the driving distance calculated during that period. The integrated fuel consumption of past driving is calculated by integrating the past fuel flow rate and dividing it by the total driving distance calculated. The highway average fuel consumption is calculated by recognizing the driving road as a highway based on highway information (toll gate location and rampway), integrating only the fuel flow rate of the acquired highway, calculating the total driving distance of the highway, and dividing by the integrated fuel flow rate. The average fuel consumption on ordinary roads is calculated by integrating the fuel flow rate outside the highway, calculating the total driving distance outside the highway, and dividing by the integrated fuel flow rate. The engine load rate is calculated as the ratio of the current intake air volume to the maximum intake air volume.

[0028] Next, various objects and the like whose display is controlled by the controller MC as part of the standby screen of the display unit 14 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 14. FIGS. 5 to 14 are objects that display variable information based on the driving information of the vehicle acquired from the vehicle diagnostic connector 22, which is an information output means in particular. The controller MC calls various object data stored in the ROM, and combines it with the master image data of the called waiting image to cause variable display according to changes in driving information. The liquid crystal display of the display unit 14 generally displays characters and objects with chroma and brightness on a black background. In the present embodiment, due to limitations in expression in the illustration, some fine points are omitted, the background is shown in white, and characters and objects are expressed in black, hatching lines, etc. The display modes of actual various objects on the display unit 14 are illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 18 to 21. In addition, except for object data specialized for the present invention (a clock object for displaying time, a level object for displaying the inclination of the vehicle, an acceleration display object for displaying the direction and magnitude of the acceleration applied to the vehicle, a globe object for indicating the receiving satellite positions of GPS positioning, etc.) and the master image of the waiting image combined with them, illustration is omitted.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 5(a), a first meter object 40 is provided for causing variable display according to changes in five types of fuel consumption (instantaneous fuel consumption, current fuel consumption, average fuel consumption for all roads, average fuel consumption for highways, average fuel consumption for ordinary roads) and the coolant temperature as a plurality of driving information. That is, the first meter object 40 is an object that can display a plurality of driving information with one object. The display image actually developed on the display unit 14 of the first meter object 40 is shown in FIG. 9(a) (however, it is in black and white display and chroma does not appear. The same applies hereinafter). The first meter object 40 has a circular surrounding ring 41 as its outer contour. The surrounding ring 41 is decorated with a metallic reflection part as if it were made of metal as an actual image. Screw objects 41a are arranged at positions shifted by 30 degrees from the 12 o'clock position in the surrounding ring 41 (12 in total). The circular inner region surrounded by the surrounding ring 41 is divided vertically into two at the central position. The upper region 40a is provided with a fan-shaped display part 42 of a fan-shaped window-like image. Inside the fan-shaped display part 42, a pointer object 43 extending outward from the center of the first meter object 40 is displayed. The controller MC causes the pointer object 43 to perform a variable display that swings left and right with the center as the base position within the fan-shaped display part 42 according to the value of the driving information. As for the position indicated by the pointer object 43, the left side in the figure has a low value (L) and the right side has a higher value (H). At the outer peripheral position of the fan-shaped display part 42, a block object 44 serving as an indicator showing the position of the simple pointer object 43 is displayed. Since the first meter object 40 is common for six different types of driving information including five types of fuel consumption and the cooling water temperature, the numerical value indicated by the scale varies depending on the driving information. The controller MC causes the currently selected driving information and the acquired value in the lower region 40b of the first meter object 40 to be displayed together with its unit. For example, in FIG. 5, the instantaneous fuel consumption is displayed as "60 km / l", and it can be accurately understood numerically that the fuel consumption at this moment is 60 km per liter.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 5(b), the second meter object 45 for performing a variable display according to the change in the fuel flow rate as the driving information has the same outer shape of the surrounding ring 41 as the first meter object 40, and the inner region is divided vertically into two. The display image actually developed on the display part 14 of the second meter object 45 is shown in FIG. 9(b). The controller MC causes a variation region 46 to be displayed in the upper region 45a in a color different from the background such that the interface moves up and down as if the water surface is moving up and down in response to a change in the fuel flow rate. When the fuel flow rate increases, the interface moves in the upward direction. The controller MC causes the acquired value of the current fuel flow rate to be displayed together with its unit in the lower region 45b of the second meter object 45. Since the fuel flow rate is the amount flowing per minute (milliliters), "ml / m" is displayed as the unit.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 5(c), a third meter object 47 for causing a variation display in accordance with a change in the engine speed as operation information has an outer shape of a surrounding ring 41 similar to that of the first meter object 40. The display image actually developed on the display unit 14 of the third meter object 47 is shown in FIG. 9(c). Inside the circular region 47a of the third meter object 47, a pointer object 48 is displayed so as to extend outward from the center of the circular region 47a. The pointer object 48 has a central position as a rotation base, and the controller MC causes the pointer object 48 to perform a variation display such that it rotates left and right around the center in accordance with a change in the engine speed. Rotation in the right direction is the increasing direction. "×1000 rpm", which is the unit of the engine speed as operation information, is displayed at a position slightly below the center inside the circular region 47a. A scale is displayed at an outer peripheral position adjacent to the surrounding ring 41 of the circular region 47a. One scale indicates 0.2, and numerical values corresponding to integer positions such as 0, 1, 2, 3... are arranged clockwise. The 0 position of the scale is arranged corresponding to the position of the screw object 41a at the 7 o'clock position, and the maximum scale of 10 is arranged at the screw object 41a at the 5 o'clock position. The scales at integer positions are long and reach up to the surrounding ring 41, and at the same time, the integer positions correspond to the positions of the screw objects 41a. That is, the decorative screw object 41a also functions to complement the scale, making it easier to determine the position of the pointer object 48 in a small meter object. The scale does not start at the 6 o'clock position in order to prevent the minimum and maximum values from overlapping.

[0032] As shown in Fig. 5(d), the fourth meter object 49 for causing a variable display according to a change in vehicle speed as driving information has substantially the same shape as the third meter object 47. The differences in shape from the third meter object 47 are only the unit and interval of the scale and the position of the screw object 41a. The scale is engraved such that one scale is 5 km / h from 0 to 240. Numerical values corresponding to every 20 km / h are arranged in a clockwise direction. The number of screw objects 41a in the fourth meter object 49 is 14 in total, and they are arranged at positions shifted by approximately 25.7 degrees from the 12 o'clock position. The scale at the numerical position extends up to the surrounding ring 41, and at the same time, the numerical position corresponds to the position of the screw object 41a. As a result, the clear position of the scale of the vehicle speed prepared at 5 km / h per scale from 0 to 240 every 20 km / h corresponds to the position of the screw object 41a. The screw object 41a corresponds to the scale every 20 km / h in a clockwise direction with the screw object 41a (corresponding to 0 m / h) adjacent to the upper left in the drawing at the 6 o'clock position as the starting point of the correspondence, and the screw object 41a (corresponding to 240 km / h) adjacent to the upper right in the drawing at the 6 o'clock position is taken as the end point of the correspondence. This makes it easier to determine the position of the pointer object 48 in the small meter object in the same manner as above. The display image actually developed on the display unit 14 of the fourth meter object 49 is shown in Fig. 9(d).

[0033] As shown in FIG. 5(e), a fifth meter object 51 for causing a variable display according to a change in the engine load factor as operation information has an outer shape of a surrounding ring 41 similar to that of the first meter object 40, and its internal area is divided into two parts vertically. The display image actually developed on the display unit 14 of the fifth meter object 51 is shown in FIG. 9(e). The upper region 51a is a fan-shaped display unit 52 of a fan-shaped window-hole-like image similar to that of the first meter object 40. The controller MC causes a variable display to change the area with a different color with respect to the background by increasing or decreasing a small fan-shaped index object 53 divided into small parts along the circumferential direction of the fan shape according to the change in the engine load factor. The display is such that the index object 53 increases from right to left as the engine load factor increases. In the present embodiment, the index object 53 that appears in the region with a small engine load factor and the index object 53 that appears in the region with a large engine load factor have different colors (although they are expressed in the same tone in the illustration of FIG. 5(e), they are actually different). For example, a blue color system meaning safety is used in the region with a small engine load factor, and as the engine load factor increases, a color on the long-wavelength side is gradually displayed, and when the engine load factor reaches the maximum, it is displayed in red, which is a danger color. The acquired value of the current engine load factor is displayed in the lower region 51b of the fifth meter object 51 together with its unit. Since the engine load factor is expressed as a percentage, % is displayed as the unit.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 5(f), a sixth meter object 55 for causing a variable display according to a change in the throttle opening as operation information has an outer shape of an enclosing ring 41 similar to that of the first meter object 40, and the internal circular area is divided into two parts vertically. The display image actually developed on the display unit 14 of the sixth meter object 55 is shown in FIG. 9(f). The upper area 55a is a fan-shaped display part 56 of a fan-shaped window-like image similar to that of the first meter object 40. The controller MC causes an image display to change an area with a different color with respect to the background by increasing or decreasing the area occupied by the fan-shaped object 57 in the fan-shaped display part 56 along the circumferential direction of the fan according to the change in the throttle opening. The display is such that as the throttle opening increases, the area of the fan-shaped object 57 increases from right to left as if the fan is opening. The fan-shaped object 57 images the opening amount of the throttle valve. Here, the area occupied by the fan-shaped object 57 with respect to the background is made to correspond to the throttle opening, but conversely, the area occupied by the background of the fan-shaped object 57 may be made to correspond to the throttle opening. The controller MC displays the value acquired as the current throttle opening together with its unit in the lower area 55b of the sixth meter object 55. Since the throttle opening is expressed as a percentage, % is displayed as the unit.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 5(g), a seventh meter object 58 for causing a numerical variable display for two pieces of information, i.e., a change in a predetermined distance and a change in the fuel consumption during that period, as operation information has an outer shape of an enclosing ring 41 similar to that of the first meter object 40, and the internal area is divided into two parts vertically. The seventh meter object 55 has a function as a so-called trip meter. The display image actually developed on the display unit 14 of the seventh meter object 58 is shown in FIG. 9(g). The controller MC causes the distance from the time of reset to the present to be displayed in the upper region 58a. The fuel consumption from the time of reset to the present is displayed in the lower region 58b. A reset button object 59 is displayed at the right side position of the upper region 58a and the lower region 58b, and reset is enabled by GUI operation on the display unit 14.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 6, in the graph object 61 in which the correlation between the vehicle speed and the engine speed is graphed as driving information, the vertical axis is set as the vehicle speed and the horizontal axis is set as the engine speed. The display image actually developed on the display unit 14 of the graph object 61 is as shown in FIG. 19. The controller MC acquires the vehicle speed and the engine speed at a predetermined timing (every 1 second in the present embodiment), and plots the positions thereof as light points occupying a certain number of pixels on the graph object 61. The light points indicating the correlation between the vehicle speed and the engine speed at a certain plotted point are left as a history, and the driving information indicating the correlation between the vehicle speed and the engine speed is recorded in a scattered pattern on the graph object 61 over time. The controller MC erases the history (light points) plotted on the graph object 61 from the screen in order from the oldest data when the number of histories reaches a predetermined maximum number (500 in the present embodiment). As a result, it is possible to prevent the screen from being filled with dots and becoming meaningless as driving information, and the correlation between the vehicle speed and the engine speed for the latest several minutes (since 500 pieces = 500 seconds, about 8 minutes and more) is always provided to the user in an easy-to-understand manner as driving information. Here, since there is no indication of when the plotted positions were plotted and they are simply represented as light points on the graph, it is difficult to understand what the correlation between the current vehicle speed and the engine speed is. Therefore, in order to clarify the correlation between the current vehicle speed and the engine speed, the controller MC passes through the positions on the graph of the current vehicle speed and the engine speed in the graph object 61, and displays two current position indication lines 62a and 62b parallel to the vertical and horizontal axes of the graph object 61. The position plotted at the intersection position P of these current position indication lines 62a and 62b will display the current vehicle speed and the engine speed. At the same time, as shown in FIG. 6, the controller MC displays the accurate vehicle speed and the engine speed as numerical values at the end positions of the current position indication lines 62a and 62b outside the column of the graph object 61 so as to follow the movement of the current position indication lines 62a and 62b respectively.

[0037] The units of the vertical axis and the horizontal axis of the graph object 61 are km / h and rpm respectively, but their scales are not constant and vary depending on the driving situation. For example, if it is in a state within a few seconds from the start now, the vehicle speed and the rotation speed are still low. Therefore, in the initial state of the graph object 61 as shown in FIG. 7, the maximum value of the vehicle speed scale is set to 50 km / h, and the maximum value displayed in the display area of the engine speed is also set to 2000 rpm. That is, a too large value is not displayed as the scale. However, when the vehicle speed increases and the engine speed also increases, the controller MC increases the scale according to the acquired vehicle speed and engine speed (scale up). The scaling-up timing is based on the transition to the vehicle speed or engine speed within the range to which the vehicle speed or engine speed of a certain vehicle belongs. That is, when exceeding a certain vehicle speed or engine speed, the maximum vehicle speed and engine speed within the range to which the vehicle speed or engine speed belongs are set as the maximum values to be displayed in the display area, and accordingly, the unit amount represented by the graduations on the graph is varied. For example, when the vehicle speed range of the vehicle is 0 to 49 km / h, the maximum value displayed in the display area is 50 km / h. However, when the vehicle speed exceeds 50 km / h, it is scaled up, for example, to a screen that displays 100 km / h as the maximum value. In that case, as shown in Figure 7, if one graduation was 5 km / h in the initial state, it will be scaled up to 20 km / h all at once as shown in Figure 7. Regarding the engine speed, it is 2000 rpm up to 0 to 1999 rpm. Similarly, the controller MC scales up when exceeding 2000 rpm, for example, to a screen that displays 6000 rpm as the maximum value as shown in Figure 6. Conversely, when the vehicle speed becomes 50 km / h or less, or when the engine speed becomes 2000 rpm or less, the scale is reduced (scaled down).

[0038] When scaling up, the controller MC displays the maximum value on the screen based on the maximum values of the vehicle's past vehicle speed and engine speed. For example, assume that the vehicle has previously traveled at a maximum speed of 95 km / h. The maximum value displayed in the display area is made to correspond to the band to which a certain vehicle speed belongs. For example, if the maximum speed is up to 50 - 99 km / h, the maximum value is set to 100 km / h, and if the maximum speed is up to 100 - 149 km / h, it is set to 150 km / h. Or, for the engine speed, the maximum value is set to 3000 rpm up to 2000 - 2999 rpm, and to 4000 rpm up to 3000 - 3999 rpm, and so on. These driving histories are stored, for example, in the RAM of the controller MC. Then, in the display on the graph object 61 after the next time, the controller MC sets the maximum value of the band to which the current maximum speed and maximum engine speed belong as the maximum value displayed in the display area when scaling up. With such a display mode, it becomes possible to develop the history on the graph object 61 centered on the correlation between the vehicle speed and the engine speed that matches the driving tendency of the vehicle, and the area of the regions of vehicle speed and engine speed that are less likely to be used can be reduced from the graph object 61.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 8, an engine object 65 for variably displaying changes in both the engine speed and the engine load factor as driving information is a variable object that partially shows a cross-section of the interior of the engine. The contents that make up the engine object 65 are the cylinder block 66, the piston 67, the intake and exhaust valves 68, and the impeller 70 of the turbocharger 69. Here, the cylinder block 66 and the housing of the turbocharger 69 are shown in cross-section. The controller MC executes an animation such that as the engine speed increases, the piston 67 moves up and down at high speed and the impeller 70 rotates at high speed. Further, the controller MC controls the color of the entire piston 67 displayed on the screen to correspond to changes in the engine load factor. That is, as the engine load factor increases, the color of the piston 67 is made darker (changed to a more prominent color). In the present embodiment, it is set so that as the engine load factor increases, it changes to a dangerous color, red, such as from a metallic color → light pink → pink → red. The display image actually developed on the display unit 14 of the engine object 67 is as shown in FIG. 20.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 10, in the present embodiment, a first table object 71 for displaying the current numerical values of the engine load factor, throttle opening, fuel flow rate, and instantaneous fuel consumption is prepared. The first table object 71 is used to be displayed on the standby screen simultaneously with the engine object 65. These items are information that is strongly related to the engine object 65 and is preferably displayed simultaneously with the engine object 65. As shown in FIG. 11, a second table object 72 for displaying the current numerical values of the driving information such as instantaneous fuel consumption, average fuel consumption for all roads, current fuel consumption, fuel consumption on ordinary roads, fuel flow rate, fuel consumption on highways, vehicle speed, engine speed, coolant temperature, engine load factor, and throttle opening is prepared. These 11 types of driving information are used to be individually displayed on the standby screen as important vehicle driving information acquired from the vehicle diagnostic connector 22. These 11 types of driving information are the information variably displayed on the above-described first to seventh meter objects 40, 45, 47, 49, 51, 55, 58.

[0041] Next, the configuration of the waiting image for the waiting screen prepared in this embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, four types of waiting images for display on the display unit 14 in combination with the above-described first to seventh meter objects 40, 45, 47, 49, 51, 55, 58, graph object 61, engine object 65, first table object 71, and second table object 72 will be described. FIGS. 12 to 15 are waiting screens created by combining these objects in the waiting image P1. FIG. 12 is combined with the second, fifth, and sixth meter objects 45, 51, 55, FIG. 13 is combined with the graph object 61, FIG. 14 is combined with the engine object 65 and the first table object 71, and FIG. 15 is combined with the second table object 72. In the upper region of the screen of the waiting image P1, a time object 75, various status icons 76, a speed object 77, and a compass icon 78 are arranged in a horizontal row. The time object 75 displays the current time. The various status icons 76 display the status obtained based on the current position of the vehicle. The speed object 77 displays the current vehicle speed of the vehicle. The compass icon 78 serves as an indicator for displaying the azimuth of the traveling direction of the vehicle, and as will be described later, it is a switching input unit for switching the display screen by performing a GUI operation on the compass icon 78 on the display unit 14. A wireless character warning display space 79 is provided in the lower region of the screen (the region surrounded by a two-dot chain line in the figure). The controller MC causes a warning display to be displayed in the wireless character warning display space 79 in a telop format according to target data, radar detection data, etc. Since the warning display appears only in the wireless character warning display space 79, it does not interfere with the variable display of the objects that vary above that position. As the warning display, a predetermined display (here, for example, "LHsystem") corresponding to the information is performed based on a predetermined microwave or radio wave received by the microwave detector 32 or the wireless receiver 33, or position information of devices such as a loop coil acquired in advance.

[0042] When three types of objects are displayed as shown in FIG. 2, the display mode is arranged in a row with the same outer size in the horizontal direction. If the selected objects are the first to seventh meter objects 40, 45, 47, 49, 51, 55, 58, they will all be displayed in a so-called "triple meter style" with exactly the same outer dimensions of the surrounding ring 41. In order to inform the user of what driving information is being selectively displayed on the standby image P1, for each object displayed in the driving information display area 80 (the area surrounded by the two-dot chain line in the figure), the controller MC displays the content of the driving information displayed by that object in Japanese. In FIG. 14(a), as an example, "Fuel Flow Rate", "Engine Load Ratio", and "Throttle Opening" are displayed at the position of the driving information display area 80 corresponding to the second, fifth, and sixth meter objects 45, 51, 55 that are selectively displayed. The display images actually developed on the display unit 14 in FIGS. 12 to 15 are shown in FIGS. 18 to 21.

[0043] Next, a setting operation for setting a standby screen in such a radar detection device 10 will be described. Here, an example of setting the standby screen shown in FIG. 12 will be described. First, a case of selecting any three types of meters from the first to seventh meter objects 40, 45, 47, 49, 51, 55, and 58 for the standby image P1 will be described. When the user calls the main menu screen 81 shown in Fig. 16(a) from the display unit 14 which is the GUI input screen, and touches the "Settings" icon 82 from this main menu screen 81, the settings screen 83 which is the lower hierarchical level is called (Fig. 17(a)). As a calling method, for example, it is assumed that the main menu screen 81 is displayed when continuous finger contact for a predetermined time (e.g., 5 seconds) is detected at an arbitrary position on an arbitrary screen. Here, since three types of meters, that is, a multimeter are to be set, the user touches the icon 84 of "OBD Detailed Settings" on the display unit 14. Then, since the OBD detailed settings screen 85 as shown in Fig. 17(b) is displayed, the "Multimeter Selection" icon 86 is selected and touched from here. The "Multimeter Selection" screen 87 as shown in Fig. 17(c) is displayed. This screen 87 has icons A to C arranged in the order as they are actually arranged on the standby image P1, and it is a specific selection screen where any driving information can be selected by setting the correspondence relationship of the vehicle's driving information at the positions corresponding to the icons A to C. When the user touches any one of the icons A to C, the selection screen 88 of the lower hierarchical level of "Meter Item Selection" which explains the vehicle's driving information as shown in Fig. 17(d) is displayed. When any item is selected here, the screen automatically returns to the "Multimeter Selection" in Fig. 17(b). As shown in Fig. 17(d), in order to let the user understand that the selected icons A to C have already been selected, a selection completion notification such as changing the color is performed. At this time, the character information of the selected meter item may be displayed on the selected icon. By repeating the operations in Figs. 17(c) and (d) and selecting the driving information to be displayed for all the icons A to C, and then touching the "Main Screen" icon, the display unit 14 returns to the main screen where the standby screen etc. are displayed, and the settings are finalized.

[0044] Next, a change setting operation for changing the standby screen will be described. In the present embodiment, two types are prepared: a first standby screen group based on the driving information of the vehicle independently acquired by the radar detection device 10, and a second standby screen group based on the driving information of the vehicle acquired from the vehicle diagnostic connector 22. Also, a map screen group is prepared as a function of the radar detection device 10. Here, the second standby screen group is, namely, four types of standby screens that are combined and displayed by the above-described first to seventh meter objects 40, 45, 47, 49, 51, 55, 58, the graph object 61, the engine object 65, the first table object 71, the second table object 72, and the standby image P. Here, an operation for selecting a desired standby screen from these four types of standby screens will be described. First, the user touches the icon 87 of "Map / Standby / OBD" from the main menu screen 81 shown in FIG. 16(b) to select a predetermined screen and select any one of the map screen group (Map), the first standby screen group (Standby), and the second standby screen group (OBD). The icon 87 is a cyclic icon in which the selection targets of Map / Standby / OBD are switched by touching in order. Here, it is assumed that when a certain group is not touched for a predetermined time (for example, 5 seconds) while being displayed on the screen, the currently displayed group is confirmed. Here, in the present embodiment, OBD is selected. When OBD is selected, FIG. 12 is displayed as the initial screen. At this time, the three objects to be displayed are the meter objects selected by the operations of FIGS. 17(a) to (d) above. The user can touch the compass icon 74 to appropriately switch the displays of FIGS. 12 to 15 (FIGS. 18 to 21) and select a desired standby screen. The compass icon 74 is a cyclic icon in which the selection targets of the four types of the second standby screen group are switched by touching in order.

[0045] By configuring as described above, the following effects are achieved in the present embodiment. (1) Since three types of driving information, which are important information in driving other than the meters installed in the vehicle, are to be displayed as meter objects on the standby screen of the display unit 14, it becomes possible to more precisely judge the state of the vehicle. Also, since the shape is displayed in the meter format, it gives the impression that a new meter has been added to the meters purely installed in the vehicle, and for car enthusiast users, it becomes enjoyable to drive while looking at these meters. (2) The three types of driving information can be selected from 11 types (12 types including the trip meter), and the user can freely combine them according to their desires to arbitrarily vary and display the required driving information, and can obtain the optimal information according to the driving situation. Also, since there are more than 1000 types of combination patterns, there is also enjoyment in the act of selecting and combining them. (3) One type can be selected from a plurality of standby screens (4 types in the embodiment) specialized for driving information, and since it has a double selection pattern in which the three meter objects can be selected from 11 types by "multimeter selection" for that one type, the range of selection of the standby screen for driving information is very large, so even for one model, it never gets boring. (4) In the first to seventh meter objects 40, 45, 47, 49, 51, 55, 58, not only visual variations but also the current state values are displayed together, so that the user can obtain more accurate information. (5) Since the three meter objects displayed on the standby screen are all displayed in the same size, they are designed to be unified and easy to view. (5) At the lower position of each of the three meter objects displayed on the standby screen, the type of information displayed by each meter object is displayed in Japanese, so that it is possible to understand what kind of meter object it is in an instant. When a warning display is shown in the wireless text warning space 79 in a telop format, the warning display appears only in the wireless text warning display space 79 and does not interfere with the display of object fluctuations. Therefore, it is always possible to obtain driving information. (7) When a graph object 61 that graphs the correlation between the vehicle speed and the engine speed is displayed on the standby screen, the user can obtain the correlation, which is generally not available as driving information, in real time as a history, which is very useful as driving information. (8) When the graph object 61 is displayed on the standby screen, the history is appropriately erased from the past, and only a certain past history can be viewed. Therefore, even though the light points of the history do not become too many and the screen is small, it is very easy to view. (9) When the graph object 61 is displayed on the standby screen, the current position of the vehicle can be grasped as the position plotted at the intersection position P of the current position indication lines 62a and 62b. Therefore, the current position is very easy to understand. Also, at the same time, since the numerical values of the vehicle speed and the engine speed move and are displayed together with the indication lines 62a and 62b, it is easy to grasp the accurate numerical values. (10) For the engine object 65 for variably displaying the changes in both the engine speed and the engine load factor, the user can obtain these two pieces of information with only one object without preparing a plurality of objects. Therefore, compared with the case where a plurality of variable objects are separately displayed on the screen, it can be displayed relatively large, and even on a small screen, a plurality of fluctuations can be simultaneously developed with one variable object, which is advantageous. Also, since both the engine speed and the engine load factor can be obtained simultaneously as driving information, it is very useful. In particular, since it is an object that imitates the inside of an impressive engine, it can give a very strong impression to the viewer.

[0046] The present invention may be embodied and implemented as follows. ·In the above-described embodiment, objects corresponding to three types of operation information were selected by "multimeter selection", but for example, two types or four or more types may be used. ·In the above-described embodiment, the outer sizes of the three types of objects displayed on the standby screen by "multimeter selection" were the same for each meter object, but for example, it is also possible to display only the main meter object larger and not the same. ·In the above-described embodiment, objects were selected from objects corresponding to 12 types of operation information by "multimeter selection", but in addition to these, for example, operation information that can be obtained only by GPS positioning may be selected, and operation information obtained from sources other than the vehicle diagnostic connector 22 may be used as the selection target. Conversely, it may be possible to select only from the meter objects. Also, operation information other than that listed in the above-described embodiment may be adopted as the operation information. ·In the above-described embodiment, four types of standby screens were to be created by the standby image P1, but it is also possible to freely create standby screens other than these four types. ·In the above-described embodiment, the graph object 61 and the engine object 65 were not combined with a plurality of meter objects as shown in FIG. 12 and were displayed as a single variable display unit, but these may also be used as a plurality of variable display units that are simultaneously displayed instead of other meter objects as shown in FIG. 12 together with the meter objects. However, it is acceptable to display the graph object 61 alone on the standby screen, but when it is selected as one of the three types by "multimeter selection", it will become quite small. Therefore, when selected by "multimeter selection", it is more preferable to display only a narrow area including the current location instead of the entire graph object 61. · In the above embodiment, the vertical axis of the graph object 61 is the speed and the horizontal axis is the engine speed, but it is not limited to this. The vertical axis can be the fuel flow rate and the horizontal axis can be the operation time, or the vertical axis can be the engine load factor and the horizontal axis can be the engine speed. As long as the information is correlated, it can be freely combined as appropriate. · As a method of expressing the current position on the graph object 61, the intersection position P of the current position indication lines 62a and 62b is used above. However, for example, the current position may be indicated by other methods such as changing the color or increasing the number of pixels of the light points of the past history to make it larger. · In the above embodiment, the vehicle speed and engine speed acquired every second are plotted on the graph object 61, but other timings may also be used. However, a time interval that can accurately visually recognize the change of the driving information is desirable. · In the above embodiment, the history on the graph object 61 has erased more than 500 points from the past, but it can be freely changed as appropriate according to the size of the screen and the number of pixels occupied by each light point. · Regarding the history on the graph object 61, instead of limiting the number of points existing simultaneously as described above, the existence time of one point on the screen can be limited (for example, about 5 to 10 minutes) to erase the past history. · In the above embodiment, the scaling up of the driving situation in the graph object 61 has two steps, but it can also be set to scale up or scale down in more steps. In this way, a step-by-step scaling up or scaling down is more preferable because the scale does not change frequently and is easy to view, but a display that scales up or scales down continuously without steps is also possible. · The history in the above graph object 61 is shown as an example for vehicles with a transmission mechanism, regardless of whether it is a manual or an AT vehicle. However, it is also possible to acquire the history in the same way for vehicles equipped with a transmission that continuously changes the transmission ratio, such as a continuously variable transmission (CVT). · In the above-described embodiment, the engine load factor was expressed by changing the color of the piston object 67 of the engine object 65. However, the color of parts other than the piston object 67 may be changed instead. · In the engine object 65 of the above-described embodiment, the change in the engine speed was expressed by the piston object 67 and the impeller object 70. However, it may be applied to specific parts of other vehicles, for example, the change in the rotational speed of the crankshaft, the change in the reciprocating speed of the intake and exhaust valve objects, and the change in the rotational degree of other cams, camshafts, and tires. · The present invention may be freely implemented in a modified form without departing from the gist thereof.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0047] 10… Fuel consumption display device as an electronic system, 14… Display unit constituting the screen, 40, 45, 47, 49, 51, 55, 58… First to seventh meter objects as variable display units, 61… Graph object as a variable display unit, 65… Engine object as a variable display unit, MC… Controller as control means.

Claims

1. A function of displaying a plurality of types of meter objects each having an outline of the same or similar shape; A function of displaying information acquired in a vehicle on the meter object; Equipped with a plurality of decorative objects for decorating the outer boundary are arranged in the outer boundary, The appearance of the decorative object arranged on the outer periphery of the meter object corresponds to the type of the information displayed on the meter object. A system characterized by:

2. The position of the decorative object arranged on the outer boundary differs between a case where the information displayed on the meter object is the first information and a case where the information displayed on the meter object is the second information.

2. The system of claim 1 .

3. The number of the decorative objects arranged on the outer boundary is different between when the information displayed on the meter object is the first information and when the information displayed on the meter object is the second information.

3. The system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. a pointer object can be displayed on the meter object, the pointer object extending toward the outer periphery of the meter object and indicating a value of the information depending on a degree of rotation; When the pointer object is displayed, the decorative object acts as a scale for the pointer object to indicate the value of the information.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the first and second inputs are connected to the first and second inputs.

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

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