System, program and the like

Abstract

To provide a technique for displaying a standby screen and the like.SOLUTION: A system is provided in a vehicle to conduct notification when a notifying condition has been satisfied. If the notifying condition has been satisfied during display of a standby screen 40 where a large meter M1 and a plurality of small meters M2 shown in (a) are arranged at a first position, a control unit performs the displaying with a message area 402 overlapped at a lower end of the display screen, and upward moves ((b→c) the small meters at a lower stage and the large meter M1. The small meters at the lower stage located at a second position have character sections which are not overlapped by the message area, thus have excellent visibility. Since the large meter is moved at the same time, the arrangement balance of the meters is excellent regardless of whether the display of the message area is present or absent.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 15

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to, for example, a system and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an in-vehicle electronic device that displays a predetermined event occurrence screen when a predetermined event occurs, and displays a standby screen when the event occurrence screen is not being displayed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-76740 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] One object of the present invention is to provide a display technique, such as a display screen, that provides a system superior to conventional systems.

[0005] The above-mentioned problems are stated as independent, and the present invention does not necessarily solve all of the problems stated. The purpose of the present invention is not limited to these, and the applicant intends to obtain rights for configurations that aim to achieve the effects achieved by parts of the configuration disclosed in the specification and drawings, etc., through divisional applications, amendments, etc. For example, this specification discloses a problem in which the phrase "can be" is read as "the problem is...". The problems are stated as independent, and the applicant intends to obtain rights for configurations that solve these problems separately through divisional applications, amendments, etc. Even if the problem is implicitly understood from the description in the specification, the applicant intends to claim part of the configuration described in this specification through amendments or divisional applications. Problems that combine these independent problems are also disclosed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] (1) A system is provided for a vehicle that provides a notification when a notification condition is met, the system including a control unit that controls, when a notification condition for predetermined information is met while a predetermined display element is displayed at a first position on a predetermined display screen, to move the display element from the first position to a second position and display a notification area for the predetermined information so that at least a portion of the display element overlaps the first position. In this way, even if the notification condition for predetermined information is met while the predetermined display element is being displayed on the display screen, the display element can be moved to another location and continue to be displayed while additional new information is displayed, thereby providing a variety of information to the user simultaneously. Furthermore, the user can visually observe the display element moving, which is visually interesting and makes it easier to attract the user's attention to the additional information displayed.

[0007] (2) The predetermined display element may be an element that displays information about the vehicle's driving state, and the predetermined information may be information about a warning to be given to the user while the vehicle is driving. In this way, when the vehicle's driving state is displayed on the display screen and a notification condition for a warning to the user is met, the display element related to the vehicle's driving state can be moved to another location and continued to be displayed, while additional information about the warning can be displayed, thereby providing the user with a variety of information at the same time. Furthermore, the user can visually confirm the movement of the display element related to the vehicle's driving state, which is visually interesting and makes it easier to attract the user's attention to the additionally displayed information about the warning.

[0008] (3) The predetermined display element may be an image that resembles a circular meter. This makes it possible to present information about the vehicle's running status as if it were being displayed on a vehicle meter, for example, and to provide the information in a form that is easy for the user to recognize.

[0009] (4) When the notification conditions are met while a predetermined display screen is being displayed, the control unit issues the notification by superimposing the notification area on a portion of the display screen, and the display screen may include the predetermined display element that moves to the second position when the notification conditions for the predetermined information are met, and another display element that does not move to the second position but is displayed at the first position.

[0010] In this way, the notification area displayed when the notification condition is met is displayed superimposed on a predetermined display screen, so the display screen can be displayed, for example, over the entire display area of ​​the display unit, regardless of the display area of ​​the notification area, making it easier to see. Furthermore, the degree of freedom in the layout of display elements displayed on the display screen is increased. When displaying the notification area, a predetermined display element is moved to the second position and displayed, while other display elements continue to be displayed in the first position, thereby improving the visibility of the display unit and improving the appearance, such as the balance of the visible display elements. When there are multiple predetermined display elements that move to the second position, the movement distances of each predetermined display element from the first position to the second position may be the same or different.

[0011] (5) When the control unit displays the specified display element at the first position, if at least a portion of the specified display element overlaps the display area of ​​the notification area, the control unit may move the specified display element to the second position so that the overlapping area is reduced.

[0012] In this way, when the display element overlaps with the display area of ​​the notification area in the first position, the visibility of the overlapping portion is reduced, but by moving it to the second position, the overlapping area is reduced and the visibility is improved.

[0013] (6) The control unit may display the notification area on the periphery of the display screen, and move the display element located on the periphery to the second position.

[0014] In this way, when the notification area is not displayed, the display elements are arranged near the periphery of the display screen, making use of the entire display screen and providing a display form that is easy to see and has variety.Even when the notification area is displayed, the display elements can be moved to the second position to make it easy to see.

[0015] (7) The display element that moves to the second position may have text information, and the text may be hidden by the notification area at the first position and visible at the second position.

[0016] In this way, text information that would be difficult to read even if part of it is hidden can be provided in a visible manner regardless of whether the notification area is displayed or not.

[0017] (8) The background of the notification area may be a transparent type that allows the display elements on the display screen to be visible.

[0018] In this way, even if the display element displayed at the first position overlaps with the display region of the notification area, the overlapping portion with the region of only the background, where there are no characters, pictures, or other messages displayed in the notification area, will have good visibility of the display element on the display screen, and will not need to be moved to the second position. The transparent type may be, for example, transparent or semi-transparent.

[0019] (9) The display element that the control unit moves to the second position may include a first display element that is partially hidden by the notification area at the first position, and a second display element that changes its display position based on the movement of the first display element to the second position.

[0020] In this way, for example, when the first display element is moved to the second position, the first display element does not overlap with another display element in the first position, or come close to each other, causing the overall balance of the multiple display elements to be shifted, resulting in a poor appearance. This improves the visibility of each display element displayed on the display screen, regardless of whether the notification area is displayed or not.

[0021] (10) The control unit may cause the movement distance of the first display element to be longer than the movement distance of the second display element.

[0022] In this way, the first display element that overlaps at least a portion with the notification area in the first position moves significantly to eliminate or reduce the portion that overlaps with the notification area, thereby improving the visibility of the first display element even while the notification area is displayed. By shortening the movement distance of the second display element that does not overlap with the notification area even when it remains in the first position, it is possible to achieve a neat balance in the arrangement of multiple display elements when the notification area is displayed.

[0023] (11) The display element has text information, and the control unit may display the display element, the text information of which is visible even when part of the display element at the first position is hidden by the notification area, at the first position even while the notification area is being displayed.

[0024] In this way, even if the display element is located in the first position while the notification area is displayed and is partially hidden, the information can be properly conveyed to the user as long as the text information is visible. By not moving from the first position, the text information also remains stationary and easy to see.

[0025] (12) The display screen may have a plurality of layout patterns for the display elements, and the control unit may determine the layout pattern based on operations on a hierarchical menu screen, and the layout pattern may be selected from the menu screen located at a higher level in the hierarchical structure.

[0026] In this way, the user can reach the menu screen for changing the layout pattern with a small number of operations, and can easily change the layout pattern. The menu screen provided at the higher level may be, for example, a top screen.

[0027] (13) The items to be displayed as the plurality of display elements can be changed by settings, and the control unit determines the items based on operations on a hierarchical menu screen, and the items can be selected from the menu screen located at a higher level in the hierarchical structure.

[0028] In this way, the user can reach the menu screen for changing the item with a small number of operations, and can easily change the item. The menu screen provided at the higher level may be, for example, a top screen.

[0029] (14) The control unit may change the brightness of the background of the display screen through settings.

[0030] In this way, when a display screen is configured by arranging display elements overlaid on a background, for example, the background may be difficult to see, or the display elements may be difficult to see due to the background. By changing the brightness of the background, for example, the visibility of the background or the visibility of the display elements can be improved, so that a display mode of a display screen with a background that suits the user's preferences can be set. The brightness can be changed, for example, by changing the luminance.

[0031] (15) The control unit may have a function of accepting registration of reminder conditions and a function of notifying the user when the registered reminder conditions are met.

[0032] In this way, for example, if the timing of performing work such as vehicle maintenance is registered as a reminder condition, the user will be notified when the time for maintenance arrives, so that the user will not forget to perform the work and can perform it at the appropriate time.

[0033] (16) The location information of the object to be notified is stored, and the notification conditions are based on the current location and the location information of the object to be notified. The control unit may have a cancellation function that registers a first cancellation area in which normal notification will not be made even if the notification conditions based on the location information are met.

[0034] In this way, for example, by registering an area where the user does not want to receive regular notifications based on location information, regular notifications can be suppressed. There are various ways to suppress regular notifications, such as not sending notifications at all, sending notifications but lowering the volume of the audio, or changing the content of the message when sending notifications.

[0035] (17) The notification conditions are based on information other than the location information, and the cancellation function may be configured to prioritize the registration of a second cancellation area in which normal notification is not made even if the notification conditions based on information other than the location information are met, over the registration of the first cancellation area.

[0036] In this way, for example, when a notification condition based on location information and a notification condition based on information other than location information are simultaneously satisfied, it is possible to register a second cancellation area based on information other than location information. For example, if a notification based on information other than location information is more likely to be a false alarm than a notification based on location information, it can be registered preferentially to efficiently prevent false alarms. Information other than location information includes, for example, microwave radar.

[0037] (18) The control unit may distinguish between the first cancellation area and the second cancellation area and register them, and the control unit may issue a regular notification if the position that satisfies the notification condition based on the position information is within the second cancellation area but outside the first cancellation area, and the control unit may issue a regular notification if the position that satisfies the notification condition based on information other than the position information is within the first cancellation area but outside the second cancellation area.

[0038] In this way, even if the vehicle is within the cancellation area, if a notification condition of a type different from that registered is met, notification can be made based on the satisfied notification condition.

[0039] (19) It is preferable to provide a program for causing a computer to realize the functions of any one of the systems (1) to (18).

[0040] The above-described system may be configured from one device or multiple devices.

[0041] The inventions (1) to (19) above can be combined in any way. For example, it is possible to combine all or part of the configuration of the invention shown in (1) with at least part of the configuration of at least one invention from (2) onwards. In particular, it is preferable to combine the invention shown in (1) with at least part of the configuration of at least one invention from (2) onwards. The applicant intends to obtain patent rights, design rights, etc. for those including these configurations by filing amendments, divisional applications, or applications for conversion to design registration applications, etc. [Effects of the Invention]

[0042] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a system that is superior to conventional systems, for example, by providing a display technology for a display screen or the like, for example, it is possible to improve the visibility of display elements regardless of whether or not a notification area is displayed.

[0043] The effects of the present invention are not limited to these, and effects achieved by the components disclosed in the present specification and drawings, etc., are also disclosed, and the applicant intends to obtain rights to the components that achieve these effects through divisional applications, amendments, etc. For example, in this specification, statements such as "can..." clearly state the effects that are achieved, and there are also parts that demonstrate the effects even without the statement "can...". Furthermore, there are effects that can be understood from the components even without such statements. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0044] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an electronic device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3]FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a standby screen. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a standby screen. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a standby screen. [Figure 6A] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a standby screen. [Figure 6B] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a standby screen. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a function for changing the standby screen to be displayed. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing display examples in which a notification is given while the standby screen is displayed; [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a meter screen based on vehicle information and the like displayed as a standby screen. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a meter screen based on vehicle information and the like displayed as a standby screen. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a meter screen based on vehicle information and the like displayed as a standby screen. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a meter screen based on vehicle information and the like displayed as a standby screen. [Figure 13A] 4 is a diagram illustrating a function of moving a small meter M2, which is a display element, in conjunction with the display of a message area 402. FIG. [Figure 13B] 4 is a diagram illustrating a function of moving a small meter M2, which is a display element, in conjunction with the display of a message area 402. FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a function of moving a small meter M2, which is a display element, when the message area 402 is hidden. [Figure 15] 4 is a diagram illustrating a function of moving a large meter M1 and a small meter M2, which are display elements, in conjunction with the display of a message area 402. FIG. [Figure 16] 10 is a diagram illustrating a function of moving large meter M1 and small meter M2, which are display elements, when message area 402 is hidden. [Figure 17]4 is a diagram illustrating a function of moving a small meter M2, which is a display element, in conjunction with the display of a message area 402. FIG. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a function of moving a small meter M2, which is a display element, when the message area 402 is hidden. [Figure 19] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a standby screen when message area 402 is not displayed. [Figure 20] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a standby screen when the display elements maintain the first position even in a state where message area 402 is displayed. [Figure 21] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a display item change function for changing display items set in each meter constituting the standby screen. [Figure 22] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a layout change function for changing the layout pattern used on the standby screen. [Figure 23] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of an alarm function performed while a standby screen is displayed. [Figure 24] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a radar scope function. [Figure 25] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a setting change function. [Figure 26] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a map zoom function. [Figure 27] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a function for changing the background of the standby screen. [Figure 28] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a function for changing the brightness of the background of the standby screen. [Figure 29] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating color variations of the standby screen. [Figure 30] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a reminder function. [Figure 31] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a reminder function. [Figure 32] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a function for changing the display conditions of the standby screen. [Figure 33] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a function for changing a sound. [Figure 34] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a function for changing a sound. [Figure 35] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an alarm function. [Figure 36] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the timing of notification using a warning screen 73 of a GPS target. [Figure 37] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a cancellation area registration function. [Figure 38] FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a cancellation area registration function. [Figure 39] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a cancellation area release function. [Figure 40] FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram showing an example of the electrical configuration of a light receiving unit 12. [Figure 41] 10 is a graph showing detection distance and detection range performance. [Figure 42] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a first device 80 that constitutes a separate-type electronic device. [Figure 43] FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing an electronic device 900 according to another embodiment. [Figure 44] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a first mounting portion for mounting an electronic device 900 of another embodiment on a vehicle. [Figure 45] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a state in which an electronic device 900 according to another embodiment is installed on a dashboard or the like. [Figure 46] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a second mounting portion for mounting an electronic device 900 of another embodiment on a vehicle. [Figure 47] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a second mounting portion for mounting an electronic device 900 of another embodiment on a vehicle. [Figure 48] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a state in which an electronic device 900 according to another embodiment is mounted on a ceiling or the like. [Figure 49] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a third mounting portion for mounting a first device 80 of another embodiment on a vehicle. [Figure 50] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a state in which a first device 80 according to another embodiment is attached to a third attachment portion. [Figure 51] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a state in which an electronic device 900 according to another embodiment is installed on a ceiling or the like. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0045] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. These drawings are used to explain technical features that may be adopted by the present invention. The configurations and shapes of the described devices are merely illustrative examples, and the present invention should not be construed as being limited thereto. Various changes, modifications, and improvements may be made based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention. In the following description, labeling using numbers such as "1," "2," etc., is intended to identify each element and does not define the number of elements. Furthermore, in the drawings referred to in the following description, the scale may be different from the actual scale in order to make each component, region, etc., recognizable.

[0046] For example, if a notification area is displayed over a display screen such as a standby screen, some of the display elements constituting the standby screen may be hidden by the notification area, reducing visibility. This creates a problem of wanting to improve the visibility of the display elements even while the notification area is displayed. Furthermore, if the display area of ​​the standby screen is set so that the notification area does not overlap the standby screen, the display area of ​​the standby screen becomes narrower, resulting in a problem such as the layout of multiple display elements being difficult to use, making the entire screen difficult to see. For example, if the notification area is displayed over a portion of the standby screen, and the entire notification area obscures the standby screen, the number of display elements that reduce visibility increases. Furthermore, when a predetermined notification is issued when a predetermined alarm condition is met, there are some locations where the notification is not desired. Each embodiment of the present invention described below proposes a technology that can solve at least one of the various problems described above.

[0047] [1. Configuration of electronic devices] The electronic device 10 is an example of a system that is installed in, for example, a vehicle and issues a notification when a notification condition is met, and is called, for example, a radar detector. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the electronic device 10. A control unit 11 controls each unit of the electronic device 10. The control unit 11 is, for example, a computer including an arithmetic processing circuit and a memory. The arithmetic processing circuit includes, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other arithmetic processing circuit. The memory includes, for example, a random access memory (RAM) or other volatile memory. The arithmetic processing circuit performs various controls by temporarily reading data into the memory and performing arithmetic processing.

[0048] The light receiving unit 12 receives light of a predetermined specific wavelength and outputs a digital signal corresponding to the amount of received light to the control unit 11. The predetermined specific wavelength may be, for example, the wavelength of pulsed light output from an optical speed measurement device. The speed measurement device is installed on a sidewalk adjacent to a roadway and measures the speed of vehicles traveling on the roadway. The speed measurement device measures the vehicle speed, for example, using a laser scanning method. In one specific example, the speed measurement device receives the reflected light when the pulsed light reaches the vehicle and is reflected. The speed measurement device measures the distance to the vehicle based on the time required from emitting the pulsed light to receiving the reflected light. The speed measurement device then repeatedly measures the distance to the vehicle and measures the vehicle speed based on the distance traveled by the vehicle per unit time. The pulsed light output from the speed measurement device has energy concentrated at a specific wavelength. Therefore, as described above, the specific wavelength may be the wavelength at which the energy of the output light peaks. It is desirable that the pulsed light have energy at a specific wavelength outside the visible light range, for example. The specific wavelength is preferably a wavelength that is not perceptible to humans, and may have energy at a specific wavelength outside the visible light range. The specific wavelength may be, for example, 905 nm, which belongs to the infrared light range. However, the specific wavelength is not limited to this and may be 850 nm, 950 nm, 1900 nm, or other wavelengths. Furthermore, the light receiving unit 12 may be capable of receiving one or more specific wavelengths.

[0049] The display unit 13 displays images. The display unit 13 is, for example, a 3.2-inch color TFT liquid crystal display. However, the display unit 13 may also be an organic EL display or other display device. The speaker 14 outputs sound. The control unit 11 outputs a predetermined sound from the speaker 14, for example, when an alarm is sounded or an operation is performed. The control unit 11 uses the speaker 14 to notify, for example, the operation sound of the operation unit 19 and various messages (guides, alarms, etc.).

[0050] The microwave receiving unit 15 includes an antenna and a receiving circuit and receives microwaves. The GPS (Global Positioning System) receiving unit 16 includes an antenna and a receiving circuit and receives signals from GPS satellites. The GPS receiving unit 16 processes the received signals and outputs position information. The position information includes, for example, latitude information and longitude information, and may also include altitude information. The communication unit 17 communicates with an external device. The communication unit 17 performs wireless communication using, for example, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), or other methods.

[0051] The storage unit 18 stores data. For example, the storage unit 18 stores programs that the control unit 11 uses to perform various controls. The control unit 11 reads the programs from the storage unit 18 into a memory and executes them. The storage unit 18 also stores map data showing maps, data showing the types and locations of various facilities, data for notifying the presence of notification targets, data for implementing a route guidance function, data for displaying a standby screen, and the like. The targets of notification include, for example, locations of drowsy driving accidents, speed measurement devices (radar type, loop coil type, H system, LH system, photocell type, mobile type, etc.), speed limit change points, enforcement areas, checkpoint areas, no parking monitoring areas, N system, traffic monitoring systems, intersection monitoring points, red light ignorance prevention systems, police stations, accident-prone areas, areas with high rates of vehicle theft, sharp / continuous curves (expressways), branching / merging points (expressways), ETC lane advance guidance (expressways), service areas (expressways), parking areas (expressways), highway oases (expressways), smart interchanges (expressways), gas stations inside PAs / SAs (expressways), tunnels (expressways), highway radio reception areas (expressways), prefectural border announcements, roadside stations, and view point parking areas. The storage unit 18 stores the type information of the notification target, the position information indicating the position, the image data (for example, a schematic diagram or a photograph) to be displayed on the display unit 13, and the audio data in association with each other.

[0052] The storage unit 18 may include a storage medium that permanently stores data, such as an optical recording medium, a magnetic recording medium, a semiconductor recording medium, or other recording media.

[0053] The operation unit 19 accepts user operations. The operation unit 19 includes, for example, a touch sensor, a volume adjustment button, and operation buttons. The touch sensor is provided on the surface of the display unit 13 and detects the position touched by the user. The volume operation button is operated to adjust the volume of the sound output from the speaker 14. The operation buttons are buttons for performing various operations.

[0054] The sensor unit 20 includes various sensors. The sensor unit 20 is equipped with, for example, a geomagnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, and an illuminance sensor 201 (see FIG. 2, etc.). The geomagnetic sensor is a sensor that detects geomagnetism to determine which direction north is relative to the direction of travel. The acceleration sensor is a sensor that detects the acceleration of the vehicle in the front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions. The illuminance sensor 201 is a sensor that detects illuminance, which indicates the brightness inside the vehicle cabin.

[0055] The mounting unit 21 is for detachably mounting an external storage medium. The external storage medium is, for example, a memory card. In this case, the mounting unit 21 is a memory card slot. Data stored in the storage unit 18 may be imported via the external storage medium. This data includes update information on information about new targets (location information such as longitude and latitude, type information, etc.) to be notified.

[0056] The power supply unit 22 supplies power from a power source to each unit within the electronic device 10. The power supply unit 22 includes, for example, a power switch 221 and a DC jack 222. The DC jack 222 is used to connect a cigarette lighter plug cord, and is connected to a cigarette lighter socket of a vehicle via the cigarette plug cord to receive power. The power switch 221 is a switch for turning the power of the electronic device 10 on and off. The light-emitting unit 23 emits light in various colors. The light-emitting unit 23 includes, for example, a light-emitting diode.

[0057] The cable terminal unit 24 is a terminal to which an external connection cable is connected. For example, the connection cable is a cable that connects the electronic device 10 to an OBD-II connector mounted on a vehicle. The OBD-II connector is also called a fault diagnosis connector, and is connected to the vehicle's ECU (Engine Control Unit) to output various types of vehicle information. As will be described later, the control unit 11 creates various standby screens based on the acquired vehicle information and outputs them to the display unit 13.

[0058] In addition to the above, the electronic device 10 may also have functions that are provided in well-known radar detectors.

[0059] FIG. 2 is a perspective view and a rear view showing an example of the external configuration of electronic device 10. In this example, housing 100 of electronic device 10 is divided into first housing 1001 located on the front side and second housing 1002 located on the rear side. Display unit 13, light-emitting unit 23, and illuminance sensor 201 of sensor unit 20 are provided on the front side of first housing 1001. The display area of ​​display unit 13 is located in an opening on the front side of first housing 1001. A speaker 14 is provided on the top end surface of second housing 1002 to output audio. An attachment unit 21 (i.e., an SD card slot) for attaching an SD card is provided on the right end surface of housing 100. A condenser lens 121 constituting part of light-receiving unit 12 is provided in the upper right portion of the rear surface of housing 100. A power switch 221 and a DC jack 222 of power supply unit 22 are provided in the lower left portion of the rear surface of housing 100.

[0060] A lens holder 1006 is provided on the rear surface of second housing 1002. Lens holder 1006 constitutes a window, which is an opening that allows communication between the inside and outside of housing 100. When viewed from the rear surface side of housing 100, lens holder 1006 has an elliptical shape with a major axis in the horizontal direction and a minor axis in the vertical direction. When electronic device 10 is installed in a vehicle, the horizontal direction corresponds to the width direction of the vehicle, and the vertical direction corresponds to the height direction of the vehicle.

[0061] The condensing lens 121 is fitted into the lens holder 1006. When viewed from the back of the second housing 1002, the lens holder 1006 and the condensing lens 121 are located toward the upper right of the second housing 1002. For example, the condensing lens 121 is positioned at least above the center in the vertical direction on the back of the housing 100 and at least on the left side of the vehicle's traveling direction when viewed from the driver's seat of the vehicle. This is because the condensing lens 121 may be more easily received when it is positioned relatively high on the back of the second housing 1002 and on the shoulder side where a speed measurement device is likely to be located. Pulsed light from the speed measurement device is introduced into the housing 100 via the lens holder 1006 and the condensing lens 121. The condensing lens 121 is entirely formed using a light-transmitting material. The condensing lens 121 is transparent or translucent. The condenser lens 121 has an aspherical light incidence surface, preferably a surface having a parabolic shape or a smooth curve, for example. Because the condenser lens 121 is an aspherical lens, spherical aberration can be suppressed when forming an image on the light receiving element, compared to when a spherical lens is used. The spot size obtained with an aspherical lens can be several orders of magnitude smaller than that of a spherical lens. Based on this concept, the condenser lens 121 may be realized by combining multiple lenses that have smaller spherical aberration than a spherical lens. The condenser lens 121 is a lens that transmits at least the pulsed light and is a translucent or transparent member.

[0062] The condenser lens 121 guides pulsed light from the speed measurement device to the position of a light receiving element (not shown) that is placed at a predetermined position behind the condenser lens 121. The position of the condenser lens 121 is set according to the characteristics of the condenser lens 121 so that light is focused at the position of the light receiving element.

[0063] When a speed measurement device is located on the shoulder of the road, if the distance between the speed measurement device and the vehicle is large, the pulsed light is incident from almost the front, but as the speed measurement device approaches, the pulsed light is incident from the left. For this reason, the horizontal length of the condenser lens 121 is made longer than the vertical length so that the condenser lens 121 can receive light at a wider acceptance angle in the width direction of the vehicle than in the height direction of the vehicle. For example, it is preferable that the condenser lens 121 be able to condense light incident at an incident angle of 40 degrees on both sides in the width direction and 20 degrees on both sides in the height direction. By making the vertical length relatively short, the concentration of light other than the pulsed light is reduced.

[0064] The condenser lens 121 has a characteristic that allows it to detect even weak pulsed light from the speed measurement device. This allows the electronic device 10 to detect the presence of the speed measurement device over an extremely wide range and long distances, and to quickly report its presence. Furthermore, a visible light cut filter may be provided on the incident surface side of the condenser lens 121, or the condenser lens 121 may be made of a material that has a visible light cut function. This reduces the influence of visible light. The condenser lens 121 may be what is called an aspheric lens.

[0065] The condenser lens 121 may be disposed so that its optical axis is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, or may be tilted. In this case, if the optical axis of the condenser lens 121 is tilted to the left front side with respect to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, it may be easier to receive pulsed light from the speed measurement device.

[0066] With the above configuration, the control unit 11 outputs various types of warning information to encourage the driver to drive safely. For example, the control unit 11 calculates the distance between the location (latitude and longitude) of the object to be notified stored as map information in the memory unit 18 and the current location (latitude and longitude) of the vehicle detected by the GPS receiver unit 16, and outputs warning information from the output device when the calculated distance is equal to or less than a predetermined distance (GPS warning function). For example, the control unit 11 outputs warning information from the output device when the microwave receiver unit 15 detects a signal corresponding to microwaves in a frequency band emitted from a speed measurement device (radar wave warning function). For example, the control unit 11 outputs warning information from the output device when the light receiver unit 12 receives a predetermined light pulse (laser light warning function). By outputting warning information, the electronic device 10 makes the driver aware of dangerous areas where traffic accidents are likely to occur. This allows the electronic device 10 to encourage the driver to drive safely. Note that the warning information described above is merely an example, and various other types of warning information are actually output to the driver. The alarm information may be, for example, visual information consisting of predetermined images, videos, characters, etc. output to the display unit 13, or sound or voice information output to the speaker 14. Specific alarm contents will be described later.

[0067] [2. Standby screen display function] The control unit 11 has an alarm function that outputs various types of alarm information to prompt the driver to ensure safety when a predetermined event occurs. On the other hand, when no such event occurs, the control unit 11 displays a predetermined standby screen 40 on the display unit 13 (standby screen display function). This standby screen display function displays various information useful for driving, such as GPS information based on the GPS acquired by the GPS receiver 16, such as the vehicle's speed, latitude, longitude, and altitude, in numerical, graph, animation, or other formats; the presence of GPS satellites acquired by the GPS receiver 16 in numerical, animation, or other formats; and vehicle information acquired by the OBDII adapter in numerical, graph, animation, or other formats. To cite a specific example of the standby screen display function, for example, there is a meter display function that displays one or more pieces of information based on the GPS information or vehicle information in one or more meter formats. The standby screen display function may include, for example, a map display function that accesses the memory unit 18 based on the current position acquired by the GPS receiver unit 16, reads out and displays map data stored therein about the surrounding area of ​​the current position, a radar scope function that displays the relative positions of objects to be notified that exist around the current position, and a time display function that displays time information and the like based on the current time and the like acquired by the GPS receiver unit 16. Some or all of these functions may be implemented, or a combination of multiple functions may be executed, and it is also preferable that other display functions be provided.

[0068] <2-1. Example of standby screen 40> 3 to 5, 6A, and 6B show examples of the standby screen 40 displayed on the display unit 13 by various functions of the standby screen display function of the control unit 11. FIG. 3(a) is an example of a map screen in which a vehicle icon 401 is displayed as moving on a national map displayed by the map display function. The control unit 11 displays the vehicle icon 401 at its current position on the national map. FIG. 3(b) is an example of a digital clock screen displayed by the time information display function. The control unit 11 displays, for example, a calendar (year / month / date / day of the week) based on date and time information acquired by the GPS receiver 16 and a speed based on vehicle information. FIG. 3(c), FIG. 4, FIG. 5, and FIG. 6A(a) are examples of meter screens (presets A to H) displayed by the meter display function. The meter is an example of a display element that displays the vehicle's driving status, and includes, for example, a circular area and driving status displayed within or outside the area. The driving status may be displayed as a value indicating the driving status or as the position of a needle. The circle may be a shape that resembles a vehicle meter. When displayed near a circular area, the circle may be positioned close to the circle, or may be aligned with another graphic element (e.g., a straight line in this embodiment) that is adjacent to or connected to the circle. Detailed configurations of the meter screen and the like will be described later. FIG. 6A(b) shows an example of a photo frame that displays a photo. FIG. 6B(a) shows an example of a satellite information screen. The control unit 11 displays the satellite position and number with the vehicle's direction of travel facing upward, based on, for example, GPS satellite position information acquired by the GPS receiver 16. FIG. 6B(b) shows an example of a hybrid screen that is displayed when the electronic device 10 is installed in a hybrid vehicle with multiple power sources and acquires predetermined hybrid information. When the control unit 11 acquires hybrid information, such as the operating status of each of multiple power sources (e.g., an engine and a motor), the control unit 11 displays the information and the like in a predetermined layout. If hybrid information cannot be acquired, the control unit 11 may control the display of the hybrid screen.

[0069] In this example, 13 types of standby screens 40 are prepared, and the control unit 11 normally displays one standby screen 40 selected from these 13 types, or displays all 13 types of standby screens 40 or a plurality of standby screens 40 selected from among them in sequence. The control unit 11 may also have an OFF mode in which the standby screen 40 is not displayed. The operating conditions for displaying these standby screens 40 may be set, for example, as shown below.

[0070] As shown in FIG. 7(a), for example, when the screen of the display unit 13 is touched while the standby screen 40 is displayed, the control unit 11 displays the top menu screen 50 shown in FIG. 7(b). Note that a diagram of a hand is shown in the figure, but this indicates that the drawing has been touched and is not actually displayed on the screen. This also applies to the following figures. This top menu screen 50 has, from the upper left, an item change button section 501, a layout change button section 502, and a registration button section 503; from the upper center, a standby change button section 504 and a setting button section 505; and from the upper right, an EXIT button section 506, a volume (+) button section 507, and a volume (-) button section 508. The functions of these buttons will be explained as appropriate.

[0071] The standby change button section 504 is a button for changing the standby screen 40 to be displayed. When the control unit 11 detects that the standby change button section 504 has been touched, it displays the standby selection screen 51 shown in FIG. 7(c). The standby selection screen 51 has a layout that displays a list of the 13 types of standby screens 40 shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, an AUTO button section 511, and an OFF button section 512. The control unit 11 displays the currently displayed standby screen 40 in a selected state. The selected state is displayed by masking the entire corresponding standby screen display area in the list with a predetermined semi-transparent color. In the illustrated example, the map screen displayed in FIG. 7(a) is selected. The selected state is not limited to being displayed entirely in a predetermined color as described above, and may be displayed in a different manner, for example, by changing the square frame to a different color.

[0072] The user touches either the standby screen they want to display, the AUTO button section 511, or the OFF button section 512. If any of the standby screens 40 is touched, the control unit 11 changes the standby screen 40 to be displayed to the touched type and ends the display of the standby selection screen 51. As a result, the selected and changed standby screen 40 is displayed on the display unit 13. Furthermore, if the AUTO button section 511 is touched, the control unit 11 changes the display mode of the standby screen 40 to AUTO and ends the display of the standby selection screen 51. The control unit 11 then displays each standby screen 40 in turn for the set time. Furthermore, if the OFF button section 512 is touched, the control unit 11 changes the display mode of the standby screen 40 to OFF and ends the display of the standby selection screen 51. Because the display mode is OFF, the standby screen 40 is not displayed on the display unit 13, and the display unit 13 remains blank during normal operation when no specific event occurs. Furthermore, if no touch is made within a certain period of time after the standby selection screen 51 is displayed, the control unit 11 times out and terminates the display of the standby selection screen 51. Since the standby screen 40 is not changed, the display unit 13 displays the standby screen that has been set up until now, which is the map screen in the example of FIG.

[0073] 7(b) is touched, the control unit 11 ends the display of the top menu screen 50. Since the standby screen 40 is not changed, the standby screen that has been set up until now, the map screen in the example of FIG. 7, is displayed on the display unit 13. Also, even if the EXIT button 506 is not touched in this way, for example, if no touch is made even after a certain period of time has elapsed, the control unit 11 may time out and end the display of the top menu screen 50.

[0074] The setting button section 505 is a button for making various settings for the operation of the electronic device 10. The control section 11 sequentially displays various hierarchical menu screens for making various settings and makes the settings. This function will be described later. Furthermore, when the volume (+) button section 507 or the volume (-) button section 508 is touched, the control section 11 increases or decreases the volume set in the electronic device 10.

[0075] <2-2. Message area 402 displayed on the standby screen> The alarm function of the control unit 11 may, for example, display a screen for issuing an alarm from the standby screen 40 when a predetermined event occurs while the standby screen is displayed. Furthermore, if the standby screen 40 is set to be fixed, the control unit 11 may continue displaying the standby screen 40 regardless of the distance to the target of notification, and may issue an alarm using a message area 402 superimposed on the standby screen 40. For example, FIG. 8(a) shows the standby screen 40 corresponding to the meter screen shown in FIG. 3(c), and FIGS. 8(b) and 8(c) show the standby screens 40 corresponding to the meter screen shown in FIG. 6(a). As shown in FIG. 8, the message area 402 is located at the bottom of the standby screen 40. The message area 402 may include information regarding a warning to the user. The warning may be a warning to be issued to the user while the vehicle is traveling, particularly a warning of approaching a speed control point.

[0076] Control unit 11 hides message area 402 when there is no information to alert, and displays message area 402 with a predetermined message when a predetermined event occurs. Furthermore, when the predetermined event ends, control unit 11 ends the display of message area 402. Since message area 402 is not displayed when no event has occurred, it is possible to use, for example, the entire display area of ​​display unit 13 for standby screen 40, which makes it possible to arrange large display elements, for example, and to configure standby screen 40 that is easy to view and has a wide variety of options.

[0077] The message area 402 may be, for example, a long, narrow rectangular area, with a length approximately equal to the long side of the standby screen 40 displayed on the display unit 13. By making the area long, the number of messages to be displayed can be increased, and even if increased, the messages can be easily viewed. The background color of the message area 402 may be transparent or semi-transparent. Even when the message area 402 is displayed, the display elements of the standby screen 40 displayed below the message area 402 can be seen at least in the portion where there is no message.

[0078] The message displayed in this message area 402 may be information related to a warning given to the user while the vehicle is traveling, such as information informing the user of the presence of an object to be notified. For example, in the case of a GPS warning based on the location information of an object to be notified, as shown in Fig. 8(a), an icon 4021 indicating the type of object to be notified, speed limit information 4022 for the current location, and text 4023 indicating the type of object to be notified may be displayed on the left side, and direction information 4024 indicating the location of the object to be notified (the direction of an arrow in the illustrated example), distance information 4025 to the object to be notified, etc. may be arranged on the right side. This makes it possible to notify the user of the type of object to be notified, its location, etc.

[0079] Furthermore, in the case of notifications that are not based on the location information of the notification target or notifications for areas where no specific location exists, it is advisable not to display direction information 4024 or distance information 4025. When there is no information, for example, [-] or the like may be displayed to indicate that there is no information or that the information cannot be obtained, but by not displaying it, the display elements of standby screen 40 below message area 402 can be seen without being hidden. Similarly, when traveling in an area where there is no information on the speed limit for the current location, it is advisable to hide speed limit information 4022.

[0080] Examples of such non-display are shown in Figures 8(b) and 8(c). Figure 8(b) is an example of a message displayed when microwave radar is received by microwave receiving unit 15, and has a layout in which an icon 4021 indicating the type of object to be notified and text 4023 indicating the type of object to be notified are displayed on the left side, and microwave reception intensity 4026 (here, "LEVEL1") is placed next to them. Figure 8(c) is an example of a message displayed when a predetermined laser is received by light receiving unit 12, and has a layout in which an icon 4021 indicating the type of object to be notified and text 4023 indicating the type of object to be notified are placed on the left side.

[0081] Furthermore, an underline 4027 of a predetermined color is displayed on the bottom border of the message area 402. This makes the message area 402 stand out even if the background color of the message area 402 is transparent. Since the message area 402 is arranged across the entire width of the standby screen 40, the underline 4027 is also displayed along the bottom long side of the standby screen 40, making it stand out. Furthermore, the underline 4027 may be on the bottom side only, or on the bottom side and one or both of the left and right sides, and it is preferable not to provide it on the top side at least. In this way, the risk of the underline 4027 obscuring the display elements of the standby screen 40 and making them difficult to see can be minimized.

[0082] The color of underline 4027 may be changed according to the type of notification target, for example, and may be similar to, or more preferably the same color as, the color of icon 4021. By showing a target color representing the type of notification target with underline 4027, an easy-to-read and natural expression is achieved. The user can understand the type of notification target from the display color of underline 4027, and can check icon 4021 and text 4023 in the case of a notification target with high urgency, such as red, for example.

[0083] Since messages are displayed in the area to the left of message area 402, it is preferable that text information among the display elements constituting standby screen 40 is not placed in this area to the left and is laid out so as not to overlap with the message. In this way, text and the like displayed on standby screen 40 can be seen and recognized even while message area 402 is displayed. It is also preferable that text information is not placed in the area where messages are displayed, not just on the left side.

[0084] <2-3. Meter display function> 9 to 12 show examples of meter screens based on vehicle information, etc., displayed on the display unit 13 by the standby screen display function of the control unit 11. This meter screen is an example of the meter screens shown in FIGS. 3, 4, 5, and 6(a) among the 13 types of standby screens 40 described above.

[0085] The meters that make up the meter screen may include, for example, a circular meter that displays predetermined information within a circular frame and a character meter M4 that displays text information, and one or both of these may be arranged as appropriate. Three types of circular meters with different diameters are provided, and for convenience, they will be referred to as large meter M1, small meter M2, and mini meter M3. Mini meter M3 has auxiliary text information added to the outside of its circular frame. The auxiliary information may be, for example, a title that identifies the type of information displayed on mini meter M3 (e.g., "calendar," "time," etc.), the value indicated by the needle of the meter displayed within the circular frame, or information that cannot be displayed within the frame.

[0086] For example, Figure 9(a) shows a layout of arrangement pattern [1] in which one large meter M1 is placed on the left side of standby screen 40 and two small meters M2 are placed one above the other on the right side, while Figure 9(b) shows a layout of arrangement pattern [2] in which the arrangement of large meter M1 and small meters M2 is reversed left to right. Figure 9(c) shows a layout of arrangement pattern [3] in which one large meter M1 is placed on the left side of standby screen 40 and three small meters M2 are placed one above the other on the right side, while Figure 9(d) shows a layout of arrangement pattern [4] in which the arrangement of large meter M1 and small meters M2 is reversed left to right. Figure 10(a) shows a layout of arrangement pattern [5] in which one large meter M1 is placed in the center of standby screen 40 and two small meters M2 are placed one above the other on each side. Figure 10(b) shows a layout of arrangement pattern [6] in which one large meter M1 is placed on the left side of the standby screen 40 and three mini meters M3 are placed vertically on the right side, and Figure 10(c) shows a layout of arrangement pattern [7] in which the arrangement of the large meter M1 and mini meters M3 is reversed left to right.

[0087] Fig. 11(a) shows a layout of an arrangement pattern [8] in which one large meter M1 is placed on the left side of the standby screen 40 and five character meters M4 are placed vertically on the right side, Fig. 11(b) shows a layout of an arrangement pattern [9] in which the arrangement of the large meter M1 and the mini meters M3 is reversed, Fig. 11(c) shows a layout of an arrangement pattern

[10] in which six small meters M2 are placed on the standby screen in two rows, one above the other, so as not to overlap each other, Fig. 11(d) shows a layout of an arrangement pattern

[11] in which seven small meters M2 are placed on the standby screen in a horizontal row of two, three, and two, with partial overlaps, from top to bottom, in three rows, one above the other, and Fig. 12(a) shows a layout of an arrangement pattern

[12] in which eight small meters M2 are placed on the standby screen in a horizontal row of three, two, and three, with partial overlaps, from top to bottom, in three rows, one above the other, and Figure 12(b) is a layout of arrangement pattern

[13] in which three mini meters M3 are arranged vertically on the left and right sides of the standby screen 40, and Figure 12(c) is a layout of arrangement pattern

[14] in which five character meters M4 are arranged vertically on the left and right sides of the standby screen 40.

[0088] In this embodiment, 14 types of layout patterns are prepared, but this number is just an example, and it may be less or more. If more than 15 types are prepared, the variations will be even greater.

[0089] <2-3-1. Dynamic movement of display elements> 9 to 12, in accordance with the display status of the message area 402. When the message area 402 is not displayed, the control unit 11 displays the display elements that make up the standby screen 40 in a first position that is arranged using the entire display area of ​​the display unit 13, and while the message area 402 is displayed, the control unit 11 moves the display elements that were moved to the second position a predetermined distance above the first position. When the display of the message area 402 is finished, the control unit 11 moves the display elements that were moved to the second position back to the first position.

[0090] The predetermined display element whose display position is changed may be one displayed in the lower region of standby screen 40, and one displayed in the upper region of standby screen 40 may have its display position fixed regardless of the display status of message area 402. The display element whose display position is changed up and down may be one in which, when message area 402 is displayed, if the display element remains displayed in the first position, the characters in the display element are overlapped by the message in message area 402. In particular, the message may overlap the characters, partially or completely obscuring the characters, making them invisible or difficult to see. The display element at least partially obscured by message area 402 may be moved to the second position to move it out of message area 402.

[0091] The distance by which the display element is moved upward, i.e., the distance between the first position and the second position, may be set, for example, to be equal to or greater than the distance at which the characters in the display element are positioned above the display area of ​​message area 402. In this way, the characters in the display element can be seen without being hidden even while message area 402 is displayed. By dynamically moving some of the display elements of standby screen 40 according to the display state of message area 402, the visibility of the characters on standby screen 40 can be improved regardless of whether message area 402 is displayed or not.

[0092] For example, when multiple display elements are arranged in a balanced manner across the entire display area of ​​display unit 13 while message area 402 is not displayed, characters among the display elements may be present in the display area of ​​message area 402. In such a case, the visibility of the characters can be improved by moving the display position of a specific display element up or down.

[0093] When a display element displayed at the first position is moved to the second position, for example, a predetermined display element may be suddenly moved to the second position by switching the display screen, but it is preferable to configure the display element to move upward so that the display position is gradually shifted from the first position to the second position, and also to move gradually downward when the display element that has moved to the second position as the display of message area 402 ends is changed to the first position. In this way, the movement of the display element makes it possible to recognize that some kind of message will be announced and that the announcement has ended, and the movement adds to the sense of luxury.

[0094] <2-3-1-1. Move only the small meter M2 on the bottom row up and down> 13A and 13B show display examples of the layout pattern

[11] shown in FIG. 11(d). The wavy arrows in FIG. 13 and other drawings are intended to indicate the movement and direction of the large meter M1 and small meter M2, which are display elements; they are not actually displayed on the standby screen 40. The length of the arrows does not represent the distance traveled. As shown in FIG. 13A(a), the control unit 11 displays the standby screen 40 in a normal state in which no specific event occurs. In the figure, the small meters M2 are arranged in three rows, one above the other. In the illustrated example, some information is hidden because no vehicle speed information is provided. For example, the values ​​displayed in each meter may be 0, the hands may not be displayed (for example, the hands of the clock are not displayed at the left end of the second row), or the contents of the meter may not be displayed at all (for example, the calendar is not displayed at the left end of the bottom row). In reality, information about each meter is displayed, as shown in FIG. 11(d), for example. This also applies to the meter displays described below.

[0095] If a predetermined event occurs while this standby screen 40 is being displayed, the control unit 11 displays a message area 402 containing a message corresponding to the event, superimposed on the bottom of the standby screen 40 (FIG. 13A(b)). In this state, the lower portion of the sub-meter M2 in the bottom row overlaps the message area 402. Since the characters in the sub-meter M2 are located at the bottom, the characters are positioned below the message area 402 and are likely to overlap with the message. For example, if the sub-meter M2 on the left side of the bottom row is the calendar shown in FIG. 11(d), the day of the week, "Thu," will overlap with the message in the message area 402, making it difficult to see.

[0096] Therefore, the control unit 11 raises only the small meter M2 in the bottom row of the three rows. At this time, the control unit 11 gradually moves the small meter M2 in the bottom row upward as shown by the wavy arrow (see FIG. 13B(a)), and finally positions it in the second position (see FIG. 13B(b)). Also, in FIG. 13B(a), an arrow indicating the movement is drawn associated with the small meter M2 on the left side of the bottom row as a representative, and is not drawn on the small meter M2 on the right side, but the two small meters M2 in this bottom row move. In this way, arrows are drawn on each meter to represent the meters in the row that are being moved, and this is the same in each of the figures described below.

[0097] 13B(b), the bottom side of the meter frame of small meter M2 that has been moved to the second position overlaps the display area of ​​message area 402, but it is preferable that the text be positioned above the area. For example, even if the meter frame, scale, or other components overlap and are hidden by message area 402, the displayed information can still be conveyed to the user as long as the visibility of the text is ensured. In this way, the second position does not necessarily need to be a position where the entire small meter M2, which is a display element, is not hidden by message area 402, and it is preferable that the content conveyed by small meter M2 be positioned so that the text does not overlap, for example, so that the content conveyed by small meter M2 can be understood.

[0098] By raising small meter M2 in this manner, the text in message area 402 does not overlap or barely overlaps with the text in small meter M2, and the meter frame and the like overlap message area 402, ensuring that the text is easy to read. For example, if a predetermined event occurs while small meter M2 is displayed on standby screen 40, rather than erasing the small meter M2 that overlaps message area 402, the small meter M2 can be moved to another location on standby screen 40 and continued to be displayed, while new information can be additionally displayed in message area 402, thereby providing the user with a variety of information at the same time. Furthermore, because the user can visually confirm the movement of small meter M2, this is visually interesting and makes it easier to draw the user's attention to the additional information that is displayed.

[0099] In this way, for example, the small meter M2 indicating the vehicle's running state is displayed on the standby screen 40, and when the conditions for notifying the user of a warning are met, the small meter M2 relating to the vehicle's running state is moved to another location and continues to be displayed, while information relating to the warning is additionally displayed in the message area 402, thereby making it possible to simultaneously provide the user with a variety of information. Furthermore, the user can visually confirm how the display elements relating to the vehicle's running state move, which is visually interesting and makes it easier to draw the user's attention to the additionally displayed information relating to the warning.

[0100] In addition, when a predetermined event that displays the message area 402 shown in Figure 14(a) has ended, the control unit 11 ends the display of the message area 402 and gradually moves the small meter M2 on the bottom row that was in the second position downward (see Figure 14(b)) and positions it in the first position (see Figure 14(c)).

[0101] As described above, in this embodiment, the small meter M2 starts moving upward after the message area 402 is displayed at a predetermined position, and the small meter M2 at the second position starts moving downward after the message area 402 is erased. The timing at which the small meter M2 starts moving is not limited to this, and for example, it may start moving simultaneously with the start of display of the message area 402, or may start moving before the message area 402 is displayed. However, by first displaying or erasing the message area 402, as in this embodiment, the occurrence or end of an event and the content of an alarm can be quickly communicated via a message in the message area 402. Furthermore, by moving the small meter M2 after displaying the message area 402, the user can be drawn to the message area 402. Furthermore, when the small meter M2 at the bottom row is moved, it is preferable that it does not overlap with the small meter M2 at the top row located above it.

[0102] Furthermore, compared to when the position of the small meter M2 in the bottom row is originally placed at the top, for example in the second position, or when the layout is such that the characters are placed at the top within the meter so that they are not hidden even when the message area 402 is displayed, by moving the small meter M2 in the bottom row up or down as in this embodiment, the appearance when the message area 402 is not displayed is better, and the visibility of the characters in the small meter M2 is good regardless of whether the message area 402 is displayed or not.

[0103] <2-3-1-2. Move the small meter M2 and large meter M1 on the bottom row up and down> 15 and 16 show display examples of the arrangement pattern [5] shown in Fig. 10(a). In this example, the control unit 11 raises the large meter M1 in the center and the two small meters M2 arranged on the left and right below it, and further raises the two small meters M2 on the left and right below the large meter M1 by a larger amount. In this example, too, it is preferable that the small meters M2 arranged above and below each other do not overlap each other.

[0104] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 15(a), when a predetermined event occurs while standby screen 40 is displayed, control unit 11 first displays message area 402, and then moves large meter M1 and the two lower small meters M2 up. Fig. 15(b) is a diagram showing a state in which large meter M1 and small meters M2 have moved up slightly after message area 402 has been displayed, and Fig. 15(c) is a diagram showing a state in which large meter M1 and small meters M2 are in their second positions.

[0105] On the other hand, when a predetermined event that displays the message area 402 shown in Figure 16(a) has ended, the control unit 11 ends the display of the message area 402, and then gradually moves the large meter M1 and the small meter M2 below that were in the second position downward (see Figure 16(b)), and positions them in the first position (see Figure 16(c)).

[0106] When the message area 402 is displayed, the lower small meter M2 is positioned in the second position, so that even characters positioned at the bottom within the small meter M2 do not overlap the area of ​​the message area 402, resulting in good visibility.

[0107] In this layout pattern [5], the diameter of the large meter M1 located in the center is approximately equal to the vertical length of the standby screen 40, and the large meter M1 is displayed so as to cover almost the entire vertical screen. Therefore, compared to a case where, for example, only the two lower small meters M2 are raised so that the characters in the small meters M2 do not overlap the message area 402 when the message area 402 is displayed, in this embodiment, regardless of whether the message area 402 is displayed or not, the large meter M1 and the small meters M2 are arranged in a balanced manner within the standby screen 40, and the visibility of the characters is also improved.

[0108] In this embodiment, the small meter M2 moves more than the large meter M1, and in particular, the distance traveled by the small meter M2 is preferably twice that of the large meter M1. This allows the large meter M1 to transition between the first and second positions while maintaining its relative balance with the upper and lower small meters M2. For example, as shown in FIG. 15(a), the vertical center line of the large meter M1, such as the line connecting the "60" and "180" marks on a speedometer scale, is located at the midpoint between the upper and lower small meters M2. This state is maintained during the movement of the large meter M1 and the small meters M2 (FIG. 15(b)) and at the second position (FIG. 15(c)). Therefore, the vertical balance of the five meters is always maintained. The same applies when returning from the second position to the first position.

[0109] For example, compared to when only the lower small meter M2 moves up, by also moving the large meter M1 appropriately, the vertical center line of the large meter M1 is positioned in the middle between the upper and lower small meters M2, resulting in a well-balanced and stylish display. Furthermore, in this example, the two lower small meters M2 that have moved up do not overlap with the upper small meter M2 even when they reach the second position.

[0110] <2-3-1-3. Move the small meters M2 on the bottom row and the second row up and down> 17 and 18 show display examples of the arrangement pattern

[12] shown in Fig. 12(a). In this example, the control unit 11 raises the small meters M2 in the bottom and middle rows of the three rows, and further raises the row below the middle row more than the middle row.

[0111] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 17(a), when a predetermined event occurs while the standby screen 40 is displayed, the control unit 11 first displays the message area 402, and then moves the small meters M2 in the bottom and middle rows upward. Fig. 17(b) is a diagram showing a state in which the small meters M2 in the bottom and middle rows have moved upward slightly after the message area 402 is displayed, and Fig. 17(c) is a diagram showing a state in which the small meters M2 in the bottom and middle rows are in the second position.

[0112] On the other hand, when a predetermined event that displays the message area 402 shown in Fig. 18(a) has ended, the control unit 11 ends the display of the message area 402, and then gradually moves the small meters M2 in the bottom row and the middle row that were in the second position downward (see Fig. 18(b)), and positions them in the first position (see Fig. 18(c)). In this arrangement pattern

[12] , as in the above-mentioned arrangement patterns [5] and

[11] , the small meters M2 are arranged in a balanced manner, ensuring the visibility of the characters.

[0113] In the case of standby screen 40 having a layout in which small meters M2 are arranged in three vertical rows or mixed with large meters M1 as in arrangement pattern [5] and therefore arranged near the bottom edge of standby screen 40, at least the small meters M2 arranged at the bottom should be positioned in the second position in conjunction with the display of message area 402. Also, as in each of the above-described embodiments, moving the display positions of small meters M2 and large meters M1 increases visual interest.

[0114] <2-3-1-4. Example of not moving the display element (meter)> For example, the text of mini-meter M3 is positioned toward the center of the meter frame in the vertical direction, and is not positioned at the bottom like small meter M2. Therefore, even if mini-meters M3 are arranged in three rows, one above the other, as shown in FIG. 19, when message area 402 is displayed as shown in FIG. 20, the text of mini-meter M3 in the bottom row will not be hidden by message area 402, so it is recommended to position them in a fixed position. Also, since the display area of ​​message area 402 is empty on standby screen 40 consisting of text meter M4, the information displayed there is easy to see even when message area 402 is displayed without lifting it. Since the meter itself is easier to see when it is positioned in a fixed position and does not move, it is recommended not to lift it unless necessary.

[0115] <2-3-2. Change display items> The display items displayed on each meter constituting the standby screen 40 in the 14 different layout patterns shown in Figures 9 to 12 are examples and are changeable. For example, the large meter M1 in Figure 9(a) shows an example in which an analog clock is displayed. However, other display items, such as a digital clock, a speedometer, speed information, and travel time information, may be stored in the storage unit 18, and the displayed content may be changed by changing the settings. This allows the user to change the display items displayed on each standby screen 40 to suit their preferences by changing the settings. To change the settings, the user touches a selection button provided on a number of hierarchical menu screens to display the desired menu screen and perform various settings. The display items may be changed, for example, as follows.

[0116] As shown in FIG. 21(a), when it is detected that the standby screen 40 being displayed has been touched, the control unit 11 displays the top menu screen 50 shown in FIG. 21(b) on the display unit 13. When the item change button section 501 on this top menu screen 50 is touched, the control unit 11 displays the target selection screen 52 shown in FIG. 21(c). The target selection screen 52 displays, in text, the display items of each meter constituting the currently displayed standby screen 40. In the illustrated example, the large meter M1 displays "analog clock," the upper small meter M2 displays "calendar 2," and the lower small meter M2 displays "0-180 km / h speed."

[0117] The user touches the display element they wish to change (large meter M1 in the illustrated example). The control unit 11 displays a display item selection screen 53 for setting the display items provided for the touched display element (see FIG. 21(d)). Large meter M1 has many display items prepared, and since they cannot all be accommodated on a single display item selection screen 53, multiple display item selection screens 53 are also prepared, and the screen transition shows the state in which the "Other" display item selection screen 53 is displayed.

[0118] The user touches the selection button portion of the display item they want to display (in the illustrated example, "Eco-Driving"). The control unit 11 creates and displays the target selection screen 52, which switches to the display item of the touched selection button portion (see FIG. 21(e)). Then, when it detects that the EXIT button portion provided in the upper right corner of the screen is touched in this state, the control unit 11 confirms the display item displayed on the target selection screen 52 at that time as the display item of each display element of the standby screen 40, and displays the standby screen 40 with the confirmed display item arranged (see FIG. 21(f)). In the illustrated example, the large meter M1, which displayed an analog clock in FIG. 21(a), has been changed to display eco-driving points in FIG. 21(f). In the above example, a case where the display item of the large meter M1 is changed has been described. However, for example, while the target selection screen 52 is displayed, the display item of the touched small meter M2 can be changed by touching the upper or lower small meter M2. In this way, the display items of the standby screen 40 currently being displayed are changed, and therefore, when changing the display items of another standby screen 40, the change can be made by the above-described process after changing the standby screen 40 to be displayed by, for example, operating the standby selection screen 51. Furthermore, when the standby screen 40 is set to AUTO display, the standby screens 40 are switched in sequence, so that the display items of the desired standby screen 40 can be changed by touching the screen at the timing when the standby screen 40 whose display items you want to change is displayed.

[0119] For example, if the user has performed an operation halfway but does not wish to change the display items, the user can touch the BACK button provided at the top left of each screen, which will take the user to the next higher hierarchical screen in order, and reach the top menu screen 50. Then, the user can touch the EXIT button 506 on the top menu screen 50 to display the standby screen 40 with the current display item settings. Furthermore, when the EXIT button provided on each screen is touched, the control unit 11 ends the setting process and displays the standby screen 40.

[0120] In this way, since the item change button section 501 is provided on the top menu screen 50, by touching the item change button section 501, it is possible to jump directly to a specific menu screen prepared deeper in the hierarchy for changing the display items of the standby screen 40, for example, the target selection screen 52, and the display items of the standby screen 40 can be easily changed.

[0121] Although the item change button section 501 is provided on the top menu screen 50 here, it is not limited to the top menu screen 50, and may be provided on a menu screen in a higher layer close to the top menu screen 50.

[0122] <2-3-3.Layout change function> The standby screens 40 shown in Figures 3(c), 4, 5, and 6(a) are examples of the standby screens 40 assigned as initial settings to each of the presets A / B / C / D / E / F / G / H. The standby screen displayed in each preset can be set to one of the 14 standby screen layout patterns shown in Figures 11 and 14 by changing the mode setting. This mode setting involves touching selection buttons provided on a number of hierarchical menu screens to display the desired menu screen and perform various settings. This display change can be configured to be performed, for example, as follows.

[0123] As shown in FIG. 22(a), when it is detected that the standby screen 40 being displayed has been touched, the control unit 11 displays the top menu screen 50 shown in FIG. 22(b) on the display unit 13. When the layout change button section 502 on this top menu screen 50 is touched, the control unit 11 displays the layout selection screen 54 shown in FIG. 22(c). The layout selection screen 54 has 14 layout selection buttons 541 for selecting each layout pattern. The layout selection button section 541 displays a diagram that schematically shows the layout pattern, and the layout selection button section 541 of the currently selected layout pattern displays a line 542 of a predetermined color. In the figure, the line 542 is displayed in the layout selection button section 541 of layout pattern [1] that is located on the left end of the first row from the top.

[0124] The user touches the layout pattern they wish to change (in the example shown in the figure, the layout pattern

[10] , third row from the top, second from the left). The control unit 11 displays the touched layout pattern (see FIG. 22(d)). Then, when it detects that the EXIT button provided in the upper right corner of the screen has been touched in this state, the control unit 11 fixes the currently displayed layout pattern as a new preset layout pattern that was set as the layout pattern displayed in FIG. 22(a), and displays the fixed layout pattern as the standby screen 40 (see FIG. 22(e)).

[0125] By performing the above-described operations while the standby screen 40 of a predetermined preset is displayed, the allocation of the layout pattern for the predetermined preset can be changed. For each preset, the display layout can be selected from 14 different patterns.

[0126] Incidentally, even when changing this layout pattern, if, for example, operation has been performed halfway but the layout pattern is not changed, touching the BACK button provided in the upper left of each screen will sequentially navigate through the screens in the next higher hierarchy until reaching the top menu screen 50. Then, touching the EXIT button section 506 on the top menu screen 50 will display the standby screen 40 according to the settings for the current preset. Also, touching the EXIT button provided on each screen will cause the control unit 11 to end the setting process and display the standby screen 40.

[0127] In this way, the top menu screen 50 is provided with the layout change button section 502, so that by touching the layout change button section 502, it is possible to jump directly to a specific menu screen prepared deeper in the hierarchy for changing the layout pattern of the standby screen 40, such as the layout selection screen 54, and the standby screen 40 set to the preset A / B / C / D / E / F / G / H can be easily changed.

[0128] Here, the layout change button section 502 is provided on the top menu screen 50, but it is not limited to the top menu screen 50, and may be provided on a menu screen in a higher layer closer to the top menu screen 50. The layout change button section 502 and the item change button section 501 may be provided on the same menu screen.

[0129] In this embodiment, for each preset A to H, the selected value of the current arrangement pattern and the contents of each item set in each of the arrangement patterns [1] to

[14] are all stored. As a result, even when the selection of the arrangement pattern is switched to another one within the same preset and then returned to the original arrangement pattern, the previous item contents remain as they are, and the item contents of the previous arrangement pattern are displayed. Furthermore, the setting values ​​of presets A to H are completely independent of each other.

[0130] [3. Other warnings while the standby screen 40 is displayed] For example, the electronic device 10 may be provided with a device for detecting the driver's state, such as whether the driver is dozing or looking away, and a device for detecting the distance from a vehicle ahead, and the electronic device 10 may be provided with a function for issuing a predetermined alarm based on the detection results of the device. The alarm may be an information display area 403 displayed on the display unit 13 along with a predetermined warning sound such as a voice or buzzer. This information display area 403 may be smaller than the standby screen 40 and may be displayed, for example, in the center of the standby screen 40, overlapping the meter. The information displayed in the information display area 403 may be information indicating cautions using text, pictures, animations, or the like. In the illustrated examples, FIG. 23(a) shows an example of a drowsy driving alarm, FIG. 23(b) shows an example of a warning to pay attention to the road ahead due to inattentive driving, and FIG. 23(c) shows an example of a following distance alarm. Warnings regarding the driver's condition, such as whether or not the driver is dozing or looking away, are displayed near the center of the standby screen 40, using a layer in front of the meter, making warnings that the user should be particularly aware of in order to ensure safe driving more noticeable.

[0131] 6(b), when the digital photo frame is displayed as the standby screen 40, it is preferable to only issue a warning using a voice, buzzer, or other sound, without issuing a warning using the information display area 403. The information display area 403 may be displayed in the same way as a meter screen, but not displaying it makes it easier to see the displayed photos.

[0132] [4. Radarscope] FIG. 24 shows an example of an image displaying the relative positions of the notification targets around the current location on the large meter M1 of the standby screen 40 of the meter screen. This display mode is called, for example, a radarscope. This relative positional relationship is indicated by placing a host vehicle icon 401 indicating the host vehicle's position at a lower position within a circular frame on the large meter M1, displaying multiple concentric scales 404 centered on the host vehicle icon 401, bearing lines 405 extending in eight directions based on the host vehicle icon 401, and displaying target icons 406 positioned at the locations of the notification targets within the area defined by the scales 404 and bearing lines 405. The target icons 406 may be similar to the icons indicating the notification targets displayed at their locations on the map screen. The center of the radarscope configured in this manner is offset from the center of the large meter M1, and the control unit 11 draws the radarscope centered on the host vehicle icon 401, cut out by the circular frame of the offset meter, within the large meter M1.

[0133] In this way, the relative positional relationship between the vehicle icon 401 indicating the vehicle position and the target icon 406 indicating the position of the target to be warned about can be intuitively understood by displaying them together with the scale 404 and the bearing line 405. Furthermore, the control unit 11 automatically selects and displays the target icon 406 that satisfies a predetermined criterion, such as the closest target to the vehicle position, so that the target to be warned about can be automatically focused on.

[0134] The concentric scale 404 is drawn at 250 m intervals. This radarscope smoothly and optimally switches between four ranges depending on the target focused ahead: a 1000 m range that displays up to 1000 m ahead (see FIG. 24(a)), a 500 m range that displays up to 500 m ahead (see FIG. 24(b)), a 1500 m range that displays up to 1500 m ahead (not shown), and a 2000 m range that displays up to 2000 m ahead (not shown). When the host vehicle position approaches the target to be notified, the control unit 11 may switch the range at an appropriate timing according to the distance to the target to be notified.

[0135] In addition, the radarscope is limited to heading up, and by placing the vehicle icon 401 at the bottom, the area displayed in front is expanded, resulting in a display that places more emphasis on the front. For example, if the vehicle icon 401 is placed in the center, the display area for irrelevant targets behind the vehicle becomes wider, making it difficult to obtain useful information.

[0136] If there is no target to be focused on, a 1000m range is displayed. Furthermore, while an invisible target is being notified, the current range is maintained. Furthermore, targets are displayed starting with those closest to the vehicle, and in the case of the large meter M1, the maximum number of targets may be set to, for example, 50. Such a radarscope may also be displayed on the small meter M2. Because the display area is small, the maximum number of targets may be set to, for example, 25, less than that of the large meter M1.

[0137] Furthermore, the range can be switched by sequentially switching between a number of prepared ranges, and when switching between ranges, it is advisable to adopt a display method in which the range changes in an animated manner via intermediate scales.

[0138] [5. Change Settings] When the standby screen 40 being displayed is touched, the control unit 11 displays the top menu screen 50 shown in FIG. 25(a). When the setting button section 505 in this top menu screen 50 is touched, the control unit 11 displays the setting menu screen 60 shown in FIG. 25(b). The control unit 11 performs various settings using menu screens hierarchically organized in a tree structure for each type of setting, and the various settings are divided into six groups for setting. In accordance with the six groups, the layout is as follows: an alarm button section 601, a map / standby button section 602, and an image / LED button section 603 are arranged from left to right on the upper row; an audio button section 604, a system button section 605, and an external device button section 606 are arranged from left to right on the lower row; and an EXIT button section 607 is arranged on the top right side of the screen.

[0139] The alarm button section 601 is a button for configuring settings related to alarm functions. The map / standby button section 602 is a button for configuring settings related to the map and standby screen. The image / LED button section 603 is a button for configuring screen brightness and LED settings. The audio button section 604 is a button for configuring audio announcements and alarm sounds. The system button section 605 is a button for configuring settings related to this unit, such as initializing settings. The external device button section 606 is a button for configuring optional items such as an OBDII adapter. When these buttons are touched, the control unit 11 displays the top menu screen of the tree associated with each button. Thereafter, the desired menu screen is displayed by touching a selection button provided on that menu screen, and various settings are configured. Furthermore, when the EXIT button section 607 is touched, the control unit 11 terminates the display of the setting menu screen 60 and displays the standby screen 40.

[0140] For example, if the number of groups is reduced to "System," "Alarm," "Options (External Devices)," etc., many setting items, such as settings for items other than alarms, will be allocated to the System group, making it difficult to understand and cumbersome for the user to reach the menu screen for the item they want to set. Therefore, by dividing into six groups as described above, the items are not divided into unnecessary subdivisions, and the user can intuitively understand which button section the item they want to set belongs to. In addition, each button section can be arranged on a single setting menu screen 60.

[0141] 25(c) to (e) are examples of menu screens arranged below the alarm button section 601. As shown in each figure, a BACK button section 608 for returning to the menu screen one level above is arranged at the top left of the screen, an EXIT button section 607 for terminating the display and displaying standby screen 40 is arranged at the top right, a title indicating the contents of the menu screen (in the example shown, "Alert," "GPS Details," and "Alert Speed") is displayed at the top center, and a selection button section and a scroll button section 609 for switching pages are arranged in the large area below them. Furthermore, when there are no pages to scroll, as shown in FIG. 25(e), the scroll button section 609 is not displayed, and the selection button section is arranged using the entire large area below.

[0142] Such menu screens are standardized throughout. Furthermore, by arranging the BACK button section 608 and EXIT button section 607 at the top of the screen, the area for displaying the selection button section is widened, increasing the number of selection button sections displayed on one page, and making the up and down scroll button section 609 larger. This makes the scroll button section 609 easier to press, making screen scrolling easier. It is advisable for the scroll button section 609 to have the same width as the EXIT button section 607, for example.

[0143] In addition, the layout allows many options to be displayed on the screen, making it easy to see how many options there are. For example, if all options can be displayed on one screen, you can see at a glance how many options there are. Even if all options cannot be displayed on one screen, the number of page turns can be reduced, so you can reach the desired menu screen with fewer touches, and touch the desired selection button to make the setting.

[0144] [6. Map zoom function] It is preferable to provide a plurality of map scales for the map screen displayed on the standby screen 40 etc., so that the display can be switched between them. In this embodiment, four different map scales are provided, and the control unit 11 displays the map screen of the map scale selected by the setting.

[0145] 26(a) to (d) show examples of four map screens with different map scales while the vehicle's position is the same. FIG. 26(a) is ZOOM1, which has the smallest scale and displays a wide area. FIG. 26(b) is ZOOM2, which has the second smallest scale. FIG. 26(c) is ZOOM3, which has the third smallest scale. FIG. 26(d) is a display example of ZOOM4, which has the largest scale and displays detailed information. For example, the ZOOM4 display makes it easy to see the situation around the vehicle's position, while the ZOOM1 display makes it possible to recognize the presence of a distant target ahead in the direction of travel from, for example, target icon 406. As map screens with four different map scales are thus provided, the user can switch the display depending on the situation and check the information required for that situation.

[0146] In this embodiment, icons corresponding to the types of buildings, etc. displayed on all four maps are displayed in the same way. For example, in the case of a wide-area display such as ZOOM1, it is conceivable to reduce the number of icons displayed compared to ZOOM4, but in this embodiment, icons displayed at the map scale of ZOOM4 are also displayed at ZOOM4. This prevents the icons from being displayed in the wide-area display, making it seem as if they do not exist, and thus making the display look lonely. Changing the map scale and enlarging the map does not cause different information to appear.

[0147] On the other hand, character information such as place names is thinned out appropriately when displaying a wide area to prevent characters from overlapping and becoming difficult to read. For example, a table of characters to be thinned out depending on the zoom ratio of the map scale may be stored in the memory unit 18, and the control unit 11 may read out character information corresponding to the map scale of the currently displayed map screen and display it at a predetermined position on the map on the map screen. In addition, a target icon indicating the target to be notified is stored for each map.

[0148] Selection of these four map scales may be performed using, for example, a map zoom selection screen 55 shown in Fig. 26(e). This map zoom selection screen 55 is provided in a lower layer of the hierarchical menu screen that is displayed by touching the map / standby button section 602 on the setting menu screen 60 shown in Fig. 25(b). As shown in the figure, this map zoom selection screen 55 has four zoom selection buttons 551 for selecting ZOOM1, ZOOM2, ZOOM3, and ZOOM4, respectively, and also has a BACK button section 552 and an EXIT button section 553 at the top of the screen, similar to the other menu screens.

[0149] Each zoom selection button 551 displays a schematic map image corresponding to the map scale with a name (ZOOM1, ZOOM2, ZOOM3, ZOOM4) superimposed on the image. By displaying a pattern of specific image pictures and allowing the user to select one of the images, the user can easily visualize the map scale of the map screen displayed after selection, reducing the likelihood of incorrect selection or a situation where the map scale is not what they intended. For example, + / - buttons could be provided so that pressing them would increase or decrease the zoom, but it would be difficult to visualize how much the map scale would increase or decrease with each step. Furthermore, while words such as "wide area" and "slightly wide" could be displayed, the map scales imagined by users when they see these words vary. Furthermore, with only words such as ZOOM1, ZOOM2, ZOOM3, and ZOOM4, it is unclear which direction the zoom is being used. In contrast, by displaying a map image corresponding to the actual map scale, as in this embodiment, the user can intuitively understand the size.

[0150] Furthermore, a selection line 554 is displayed on the bottom side of the zoom selection button section 551 of the currently selected map scale. In the example shown in the figure, ZOOM4 is selected, so the selection line 554 is displayed on the zoom selection button section 551 at the bottom right. When any zoom selection button section 551 is touched, the control unit 11 switches the display of the selection line 554 to the bottom side of the touched area. Then, as with other menu screens, the map scale is set to the zoom selection button section 551 that was selected when the BACK button section 552 or EXIT button section 553 was touched.

[0151] Also, in the case of wide-area displays such as ZOOM1 and ZOOM2, the amount of map information displayed increases and the update speed of the displayed map slows down, but the amount of movement of the vehicle's position on the displayed map is also small, so the display can be displayed without any discomfort.

[0152] [7. Custom wallpaper] <7-1. Basic Functions> In the initial setting, the background of the standby screen 40 is entirely black. In this embodiment, any image, such as a photograph, can be placed on the background of the standby screen 40. Specifically, for example, one desired JPEG file is recorded in a predetermined folder (user / back / ) on the SD card. This SD card is then inserted into the insertion portion 21. The user then displays the standby background custom setting screen 65 shown in FIG. 27(a). This standby background custom setting screen 65 is provided in a lower layer of the hierarchical menu screen that is displayed by touching the map / standby button section 602 on the setting menu screen 60 shown in FIG. 25(b). The above-described standby background custom setting screen 65 is displayed by operating the appropriate menu screen.

[0153] This standby background custom setting screen 65 has a standby background custom setting button section 651, a brightness setting button section 652, and a zoom setting button section 653 arranged above and below. The standby background custom setting button section 651 indicates the current setting state on the right side of its area ("ON" in the example shown), and each time the button area is touched, it switches between ON and OFF. When the BACK button section 654 or EXIT button section 655 is touched, the selected state is confirmed.

[0154] When ON is set as shown in the figure, the control unit 11 reads the above-mentioned JPEG file recorded on the SD card and sets it as the background when displaying the standby screen 40. As a result, even when switching to a different standby screen, the same photo or the like will be displayed as the background, for example, as shown in Figures 27(b) to (d).

[0155] Depending on the preset screen, if there are many items displayed on top, it may be difficult to see the background photos, etc., making it less effective, but it is effective especially for items that are expressed only in text. Also, when displaying a custom background, it is best not to place text-based color background components on the text part of the preset Mini-Meter M3 or the text display part.

[0156] The zoom setting button section 653 is a button for setting the display ratio etc. when displaying a JPEG file registered on the SD card as a background, and the menu screen at a lower level provides setting items such as the default full, normal, normal without enlargement, and forced screen size.

[0157] <7-2. Setting the brightness of the standby background> The electronic device 10 has a function for changing the brightness of the standby background. Changing the brightness of the background, for example, brightness, improves the visibility of the photograph placed in the background and the visibility of the meters that make up the standby screen 40. The user can freely change the brightness to their liking. The quality of the photograph may make the meters difficult to see, so the brightness can be adjusted to make them visible. In particular, when the background can be replaced, the meters may be difficult to see due to variations in the shading of the photograph prepared by the user, but this brightness setting function can make them easier to see.

[0158] To change the brightness setting, the user touches, for example, a brightness setting button section 652 on a standby background custom setting screen 65 shown in Fig. 27(a). Based on the touch on this brightness setting button section 652, the control unit 11 displays a background brightness setting screen 66 shown in Fig. 28(a). In this embodiment, brightness selection buttons 661 corresponding to the respective numerical values ​​are provided so that the background brightness can be set in 10% increments within a range of 10% to 100%.

[0159] The control unit 11 displays a selection line 662 on the bottom side of the brightness selection button section 661 that corresponds to the currently selected brightness. In the example shown in the figure, 80% is selected, so the selection line 662 is displayed on the brightness selection button section 661 in the center of the third row from the top. When the user touches any of the brightness selection button sections 661, the control unit 11 switches the display of the selection line 662 to the bottom side of the touched area. Then, as with other menu screens, the brightness is set to the brightness of the brightness selection button section 661 that was selected when the BACK button section 663 or the EXIT button section 664 was touched. The brightness setting button section 652 is only enabled when the standby background custom setting is ON.

[0160] Figure 28(b) is an example of the standby screen 40 when the background brightness is set to 80%, Figure 28(c) is an example of the standby screen 40 when the background brightness is set to 50%, and Figure 28(d) is an example of the standby screen 40 when the background brightness is set to 30%.

[0161] As shown in the figure, the car in the background is easier to see at 80%, but the overall image becomes brighter, making the white text harder to see. Therefore, a setting of 30% is recommended for users who want to see the text. On the other hand, for users who only need to be able to roughly understand the text information and want to see the car, 80% is recommended. In particular, when using a photo or other image they have prepared as the background, there may be users who want to make the photo more visible, and this can be accommodated. Furthermore, for users who want to see both images moderately, a setting of 50%, for example, is recommended.

[0162] Also, depending on the screen to be placed in the background, such as a photo, high brightness tends to make the photo easier to see but the text on standby screen 40 harder to see, while low brightness tends to make the photo darker and harder to see but the text on standby screen 40 easier to see. Therefore, the user can set a specific brightness taking into account the brightness of the photo or other item registered in the background, and in this embodiment, a wide setting range is set from 10% to 100%, in increments of 10%, so that the display mode of standby screen 40 with a custom background that suits the user's preferences can be achieved.

[0163] [8. Base color of standby screen 40] In this embodiment, a plurality of basic colors for the standby screen 40 may be prepared, and the standby screen 40 may be displayed based on the base color selected by setting. In this embodiment, five colors are prepared: White (see FIG. 29(a)), Red (see FIG. 29(b)), Blue (see FIG. 29(c)), Gray (see FIG. 29(d)), and Black (see FIG. 29(e)). However, this number is arbitrary and may be at least six or more. Furthermore, it is preferable to prepare special colors that are effective when the device is installed in a special vehicle.

[0164] This base color can be set, for example, by touching the map / standby button section 602 on the setting menu screen 60 and operating an appropriate menu screen (not shown) provided in a lower layer of the hierarchical menu screen that is displayed.

[0165] Figures 9(a) and (b) are examples in which black is selected as the base color, Figures 9(c) and (d) are examples in which gray is selected as the base color, Figures 10 and 11(a) are examples in which red is selected as the base color, Figures 11(b) to (d) and 12(a) are examples in which blue is selected as the base color, and Figures 12(b) and (c) are examples in which white is selected as the base color. In this way, by preparing and changing a large number of base colors, it is possible to display standby screen 40 that suits the user's preferences.

[0166] [9. Reminder function] The electronic device 10 has a reminder function that sets reminders for oil, oil filter, tire, and battery changes, which are often forgotten, by number of days or distance, and notifies the user at a set timing. This notification can be made, for example, when the engine is started or when the electronic device 10 is turned on after a specified number of days have passed. Furthermore, if an OBDII adapter is connected to enable vehicle information acquisition, the notification can be made, for example, when the engine is started or when the electronic device 10 is turned on after the cumulative mileage reaches a set distance. The notification can be made, for example, for a fixed period of time (e.g., approximately 5 seconds) and a predetermined number of times (e.g., up to 3 times) using voice or a screen. The conditions for the reminder notification (e.g., number of days, distance, notification recipient) can be left unset by default, and notifications can be made only when the user sets them using the setting function described below. Because notification conditions vary depending on the vehicle's implementation and the user's usage, setting certain conditions as defaults may result in notifications being made at inappropriate times. Therefore, by allowing the user to set notification conditions taking various situations into consideration, notifications can be made at the appropriate times for the user, providing useful reminders.

[0167] When setting a reminder, similar to the various settings described above, when the user touches the currently displayed standby screen 40 and touches the setting button section 505 in the top menu screen 50 shown in FIG. 25(a), the control unit 11 displays the setting menu screen 60 shown in FIG. 30(a). When the system button section 605 on this setting menu screen 60 is touched, the control unit 11 displays the system setting screen 61 shown in FIG. 30(b). When the reminder setting button section 611 on this system setting screen 61 is touched, the control unit 11 displays the reminder target selection screen 62 shown in FIG. 30(c). This reminder target selection screen 62 is used to select items for which to receive reminder notifications. In the illustrated example, four target selection buttons 621 are provided: oil, oil element, tire, and battery. In this example, because there are four selectable items, all are displayed on one screen, and the scroll button section is disabled for selection.

[0168] For example, when the target selection button section 621 for oil is touched on this screen, the control unit 11 displays a notification condition registration screen 63 for oil (see FIG. 30(d)). The user touches the "input days" or "input distance" selection button section 631 to select the type of notification to receive. For example, when the "input days" selection button section 631 is touched, the control unit 11 displays the notification days input screen 64 shown in FIG. 31(a). Also, when the "input distance" selection button section 631 is touched on the notification condition registration screen 63 of FIG. 30(d), a notification distance input screen (not shown) is displayed. Also, as described above, notifications based on distance are performed when an OBDII adapter is connected, and therefore, it is preferable to make them invalid and unselectable when an OBDII adapter is not connected.

[0169] The user then operates the displayed notification days input screen 64 to input the period for which notifications are to be received. In this embodiment, the period is set in units of one month, and up to 99 months can be input using a 10-key pad. The input month is not based on a calendar, but is, for example, 30 days per month. This ensures that the same period is set regardless of the input month. If 0 months is input, the control unit 11 invalidates the setting and turns off notifications.

[0170] When the OK button on the notification days input screen 64 is touched, the control unit 11 confirms the number of notification days based on the input value as the reminder setting value and displays the notification condition registration screen 63 for oil (see FIG. 31(b)). As shown in the figure, the number of days corresponding to the input and confirmed month (number of months x 30) is displayed to the right of the button area of ​​the oil selection button section 631. The user checks this display to confirm whether the input is correct. If correct, the user can touch, for example, the BACK button section 632 to return to the reminder target selection screen 62 at the next higher level and set the number of notification days for another item, or touch the EXIT button section 633 to end the setting process. This sets the reminder. Furthermore, if the notification conditions displayed in the selection button section 631 are incorrect, the user can touch the selection button section 631 and reset the settings.

[0171] Although specific illustrations are omitted, the layout of the notification distance input screen for inputting distance should be the same as that of the number of days, and should be input using a 10-key pad. Distance should be input in 100-km increments up to a maximum of 99,900 km, and inputting 0 km should invalidate the setting. In other words, inputting "1" should be treated as inputting 100 km. Furthermore, if the number of days or distance is reset, the remaining number of days and remaining distance before and during notification should be reset at the time of resetting, and notifications should be sent based on the number of days and remaining distance after the reset. This makes it easy to set notifications.

[0172] The control unit 11 stores and retains the set remaining days, remaining distance, etc., and subtracts the remaining value by one set unit each time one day passes or 100 km is driven. When the electronic device 10 is started, the control unit 11 checks the reminder setting value and issues a notification if it is "0." This notification may be, for example, by displaying a dialog notification screen 67 shown in FIG. 31(c) for a certain period of time (e.g., approximately 5 seconds) and issuing a voice message such as "It's time to change your oil." While the illustrated example shows a reminder based on oil, it may be possible to display the notification screen 67 corresponding to the set item and hear a voice message such as "It's time to change XX." The "XX" in the voice message may be, for example, a set item such as oil, oil filter, battery, or tires.

[0173] In the above example, a notification is made when the remaining number of days or remaining distance reaches 0, but conversely, the number of days that have passed or the distance traveled since the reminder was set can be accumulated and stored, and the reminder setting value can be checked when the electronic device 10 is started up.When a specified number of days have passed or a specified distance has been traveled, the notification screen 67 of the relevant dialogue can be displayed and a specified notification can be spoken.

[0174] In addition, multiple items can be registered as reminder targets, and multiple targets may be met at the same time. In this case, it is recommended to display all of them on a single notification screen (maximum of 4 lines in this example) and speak all the voices in order. Then, after 5 seconds from the last voice utterance, It is advisable to keep the dialog notification screen 67.

[0175] The control unit 11 also records the number of times this notification has been made, and increments the number of notifications by one each time, for example, when the electronic device 10 is started up. As described above, the control unit 11 checks the remaining value when the electronic device 10 is started up, and if it is "0," checks the number of notifications made, and if that value reaches the maximum number, for example, three times, it is preferable to stop making notifications. This eliminates the annoyance of being repeatedly notified. In the example described above, the number of notifications is incremented by one, but it is also possible to set the maximum number, for example, three, and subtract one by one, and stop making notifications when the remaining number of notifications reaches zero, thereby enabling various controls.

[0176] Furthermore, when the confirmation button 671 on the notification screen 67 is touched while the notification screen 67 is displayed, the control unit 11 may record this and prevent the notification from being sent the next time the device is started, or may erase the reminder notification so that the notification will not be sent the next time the device is started. In this way, after receiving a reminder and performing maintenance such as a specified replacement work, or confirming that the time has come even if no maintenance is actually performed, the annoyance of receiving another reminder notification can be eliminated.

[0177] It is also possible to set two conditions for the same item, namely, the number of days and the distance. In this case, the notification will be sent based on whichever condition is met first, and both the number of days and the distance settings can be deleted by pressing the confirmation button 671 or by activating the button three times.

[0178] In this embodiment, the items to be notified by the reminder are pre-defined as oil, oil filter, tires, and battery. However, the items are not limited to these, and more items may be added, such as wiper blade replacement. It is also possible to allow the user to enter text, allowing them to register any desired content. By allowing the input of any character string, it is possible to register, for example, information about the vehicle, such as vehicle inspections and 24-month inspections, or the number of months based on the license renewal deadline. In this case, the text input may be substituted for "XX" in the spoken notification.

[0179] [10. AUTO Standby Settings] 7(c) is touched to set the display of the standby screen 40 to AUTO mode, the control unit 11 displays each standby screen 40 in turn for the set time. In this embodiment, the control unit 11 has a function to select the switching time for displaying each standby screen 40 and the standby screen 40 to be displayed.

[0180] The switching time may be set using, for example, a switching time selection screen 68 shown in FIG. 32(a). This switching time selection screen 68 is provided in a lower layer of the hierarchical menu screen displayed by touching the map / standby button section 602 of the setting menu screen 60 shown in FIG. 25(b). As shown in the figure, the screen is provided with switching time selection button sections 681 for selecting 15 seconds, 30 seconds, 1 minute, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, and 15 minutes, respectively, and is laid out so that all switching time selection button sections 681 are displayed on one screen. The control unit 11 displays a selection line 682 on the bottom side of the switching time selection button section 681 corresponding to the currently selected switching time. In the example shown in the figure, the default value of 1 minute is selected, so the selection line 682 is displayed on the second switching time selection button section 681 from the top on the left side. When the user touches any of the switching time selection button sections 681, the control unit 11 switches the display of the selection line 682 to the bottom side of the touched area. Then, as with the other menu screens, the switching time is set to the time in the switching time selection button section 681 that was selected when the BACK button section 683 or the EXIT button section 684 was touched.

[0181] The standby screen 40 to be displayed may be set using, for example, an item selection screen 69 shown in FIG. 32(b). This item selection screen 69 is provided in a lower layer of the hierarchical menu screen displayed by touching the map / standby button section 602 of the setting menu screen 60 shown in FIG. 25(b). As shown in the figure, the item selection button section 691 is provided for selecting each of the 12 standby screens 40, and the layout is such that all item selection button sections 691 are displayed on one screen. The control unit 11 displays a selection line 692 on the bottom side of the item selection button section 691 corresponding to the currently selected standby screen 40. In the example shown in the figure, the selection line 692 is displayed on all item selection button sections 691, which are the default. Each time the item selection button section 691 is touched, it switches between ON and OFF. The user appropriately touches the item selection button section 691 so that the standby screens 40 that the user does not want to display are turned OFF. As with other menu screens, the switching time is set to the time of the item selection button section 691 that was selected when the BACK button section 693 or EXIT button section 694 was touched. At least one item must be checked, and it is preferable that none of the items can be turned OFF.

[0182] [11. Change voice customization] The electronic device 10 may have a function for changing voices and sounds, such as the alarm sounds output when notifying the presence of an object to be notified, such as various alarms, and the startup sounds output when the device is started up. For example, several types of sounds may be stored in the storage unit 18 in advance, and the user may change the sound used for notification by simply selecting one of the sounds registered through a setting operation. In this way, a user who does not like the default sound, for example, can easily select a preferred sound from separately prepared sounds.

[0183] The voices and sounds output by the electronic device 10 may be those previously registered in the electronic device 10. For example, when a user changes the model, the sounds registered in the electronic device 10 may need to be changed. Even if the user prefers the sounds of the previous model, the sounds of the previous model are not registered in the electronic device 10, and the user's preference cannot be met. Furthermore, even if a function is provided to customize the sounds by recording an mp3 file (e.g., 1.mp3 or 2.mp3) of the desired voice in a user folder on an SD card, inserting the SD card into the electronic device 10, and performing a predetermined operation, the customization operation is cumbersome. By providing a voice customization function as in this embodiment, the user can select and use the desired sound from multiple sounds when making a predetermined notification. Furthermore, a function for allowing the user to use a preferred sound source may be provided. The preferred sound source may be stored in a predetermined folder on the SD card, similar to the standby background customization setting.

[0184] The sound customization change process can be performed using, for example, the sound customization change screen 70 shown in FIG. 33(a). This sound customization change screen 70 is provided in a lower layer of the hierarchical menu screen displayed by touching the sound button section 604 of the setting menu screen 60 shown in FIG. 23(b). As shown in the figure, this sound customization change screen 70 has four selection buttons 701 arranged vertically on the first page to select the item to be changed for the sound source: startup sound, speed camera jingle, GPS alert jingle, and GPS notification jingle. As with other menu screens, the top edge of the screen has a BACK button section 702 and an EXIT button section 703, and the right edge of the screen has a scroll button section 705. The button area of ​​each selection button section 701 displays the item to be changed on the left, and the currently selected type of sound source on the right. In the example shown, the default value, Sound 1, is set for all of these. Although not shown, the second page, which is switched by touching the scroll button section 705, has four selection buttons for radio alarm jingle, positioning announcement, radar melody, and laser melody.

[0185] The user touches a predetermined selection button 701 provided on the sound customization change screen 70 to select a sound item to be changed. In the example shown in FIG. 33(a), the startup sound selection button 701 is touched. In response, the control unit 11 displays the sound selection screen 71 for the startup sound shown in FIG. 33(b). The sound selection screen 71 includes five sound selection buttons 711 for the startup sound. Among the sound selection buttons 711, "OFF" disables the startup sound, "SOUND 1" through "SOUND 3" allow users to select three sound sources pre-registered in the storage unit 18 of the electronic device 10, and "CUSTOM" allows users to select a sound source prepared by the user and recorded on an SD card. A selection line 712 is displayed on the bottom of the sound selection button 711 corresponding to the sound currently set as the startup sound. In the example shown in the figure, the selection line 712 is displayed on the sound selection button 711 for SOUND 1, which is the default setting. When any of the sound selection button sections 711 is touched, the control unit 11 switches the display of the selection line 712 to the bottom edge of the touched area. Then, as with other menu screens, the sound selection button section 711 that was selected when the BACK button section 713 or the EXIT button section 714 was touched is set as the sound source. In this way, the user can switch to a desired sound source by performing the same operations as performing various setting processes.

[0186] For the startup sound shown in the figure, three types of sound sources are registered and selectable, but the number of sound sources is not limited to three and may be registered in greater numbers. It is also advisable to provide more sound sources for various alarms (e.g., speed camera jingles, GPS alert jingles, GPS notification jingles, radio alert jingles, etc.) associated with the detection of an object to be notified than for the startup sound. It is also advisable to provide an "OFF" setting for the startup sound, so that alarm-related sounds, such as speed camera jingles, GPS alert jingles, GPS notification jingles, radio alert jingles, radar melodies, and laser melodies, should always be selected without providing an "OFF" setting. This minimizes the occurrence of situations where an alarm is turned off and no notification is made due to a setting error. It is also advisable to provide an "OFF" setting for the positioning announcement that is given when GPS positioning is completed.

[0187] [12. Changes to enforcement and inspection level notifications] For example, it is advisable to set levels for enforcement points and checkpoints and make announcements according to the levels. For example, the level of points that have become less frequent can be lowered and new points can be raised. The control unit 11 can then have a function to notify the level at the time of an alarm or to issue an alarm according to the level. If such a function is provided, it is advisable to enable the level announcement to be switched on and off by setting. For users who find level announcements annoying, setting it to OFF will prevent announcements, for example. This change can be made, for example, by providing a setting item in a hierarchical predetermined menu screen (e.g., "alarm sound"), which is an audio setting tree that is displayed when the audio button section 604 on the setting menu screen 60 shown in FIG. 25(b) is touched.

[0188] [13. Individual alarm sound settings] For example, various alarm sounds may be grouped and a function for turning the alarm sounds ON / OFF collectively for each group according to the mode appropriate for the situation may be provided. However, in this embodiment, such a centralized setting is not provided, and instead, the alarms are individually set. For example, various alarms, such as an "orbis countdown" that notifies the driver of the remaining distance as the vehicle approaches an orbis, or a "speed alarm" that notifies the driver when the vehicle's speed exceeds a predetermined speed, may be provided as setting items on a hierarchical menu screen, which is a sound setting tree displayed by touching the audio button section 604, such as the "alarm sound setting screen" shown in FIGS. 34(a) and 34(b) or the "other sound setting screen" shown in FIGS. 34(c) and 34(d), and can be individually set. When grouped, users may have different preferences regarding which group each sound belongs to, and a collective setting may not satisfy the user. Therefore, individual settings are provided, allowing the user to set the alarms to their preferences.

[0189] For example, the "Orbis Countdown" can be set to "OFF" to disable notification and the start point of the count (e.g., "from 400m" or "from 900m"). The "Speed ​​Alarm" can be set to "OFF" to disable notification and the speed at which the alarm should be triggered (e.g., 30km / h or more, 40km / h or more, 50km / h or more, 60km / h or more, 70km / h or more, 80km / h or more, 90km / h or more, 100km / h or more, 110km / h or more, 120km / h or more, 130km / h or more, etc.).

[0190] The present invention can be implemented in forms different from the above-described embodiment. For example, the present invention can be implemented in the following forms. The forms described below may be combined as appropriate.

[0191] [14. Alarm Cancellation Function] The electronic device 10 has an alarm cancellation function that registers a cancellation area where an alarm will not be issued. If a set type of alarm condition is met within the area set by this alarm cancellation function, the alarm will not be issued.

[0192] <14-1. Alarm function> The following describes the warning function that is the premise for warning cancellation. For example, the control unit 11 recognizes the target of notification around the current location based on GPS information, and designates the target of notification that meets a predetermined warning condition, such as being closest to the vehicle's location, as the GPS target. The control unit 11 displays a warning screen 73 on the display unit 13, such as that shown in FIG. 35(a), and issues a warning using a predetermined sound or other sound. The warning screen 73 has a layout in which a message window 732 is superimposed on the lower area of ​​a warning map screen 731. The message window 732 displays various warnings related to the target of notification. In the figure, the left message window 732 displays a photo of the actual target of notification, and if a predetermined condition is met, the speed limit is displayed in the lower left corner. The predetermined condition may be, for example, when the GPS target is an Orbis (e.g., a loop coil, LH system, new H system, radar Orbis, laser Orbis, etc.) and a warning is issued in a certain enforcement area. The message window 732 on the right side displays the type of GPS target (in the illustrated example, it says "LH System"), the direction of the GPS target (indicated by an arrow in the illustrated example), and the distance to the GPS target. A vehicle icon 733 is displayed at the vehicle's position on the map of the alarm map screen 731, and a target icon 734 is displayed at the position of the GPS target. The image displayed in the message window 732 on the left side is not limited to an actual photograph, but may be a variety of drawings such as CG or illustrations, or may be various images that indicate the type of the target rather than the actual target. However, using an actual photograph allows the user to immediately understand when they arrive at the actual location.

[0193] Furthermore, for example, when microwave radar is received by the microwave receiving unit 15, the control unit 11 displays an alarm screen 73 as shown in FIG. 35(b). A left message window 732 displayed superimposed on the lower region of the alarm map screen 731 displays a photo of the same type as the object to be notified. The right message window 732 displays the type of object to be notified ("radar" in the illustrated example) and the microwave reception strength ("LEVEL 5" in the illustrated example). A host vehicle icon 733 is displayed at the host vehicle's position on the map of the alarm map screen 731.

[0194] Furthermore, for example, when the light receiving unit 12 receives a predetermined laser, the control unit 11 displays an alarm screen 73 as shown in FIG. 35(c). A message window 732 may be displayed superimposed on the lower area of ​​the alarm map screen 731. The message window 732 on the left displays a photo of the same type as the object to be notified. The message window 732 on the right displays the type of object to be notified ("laser" in the illustrated example). A host vehicle icon 733 is displayed at the host vehicle's position on the map of the alarm map screen 731.

[0195] 36 shows the timing of notification using a GPS target alarm screen 73. As shown in the figure, when the standby screen 40 is displayed and the vehicle approaches a predetermined distance from the GPS target, the standby screen 40 is switched to the alarm screen 73, and after the alarm screen 73 is displayed for a certain period of time, the display returns to the standby screen 40. Furthermore, when the distance to the GPS target reaches a set distance (for example, 500 m or 1000 m), the alarm screen 73 continues to be displayed. Then, when the vehicle passes the position of the GPS target, the display of the alarm screen 73 ends and the standby screen 40 is displayed.

[0196] It is also advisable to use the alarm map screen 731 in common with the map screen of the standby screen 40. By sharing the same screen, the amount of data to be stored can be reduced. In the example shown in Fig. 36, the standby screen 40 displays a meter format, but if a map screen is displayed as the standby screen 40, for example, if the alarm map screen 731 is shared with the map screen of the standby screen 40 as described above, it is advisable to display a predetermined message window 732 below the map screen of the standby screen 40.

[0197] Furthermore, although not shown, the timing of the notification of the alarm screen 73 when microwave radar is received may be, for example, to continuously display the alarm screen 73 while reception is in progress and to switch to the standby screen 40 when reception ceases. Furthermore, microwave reception may not always be possible due to factors such as the radio wave environment, and may be temporarily unavailable. Therefore, it may be determined that reception has ceased when a predetermined condition is met, such as when reception ceases for a certain period of time. The timing of the notification of the alarm screen 73 when a predetermined laser is received may also be the same as that for microwave reception.

[0198] <14-2. Alarm Cancellation Registration> In this embodiment, the alarms based on GPS targets and microwave radar reception are cancelled, but the alarm based on laser reception is not cancelled.

[0199] For example, as shown in Figure 37(a), a cancellation point or the like can be registered by touching the alarm screen 73 or the standby screen 40, touching the registration button section 503 on the top menu screen 50 that is displayed based on that touch (see Figure 37(b)), and then touching the cancellation area registration button section 754 on the various registration screens 75 that are displayed based on that touch (see Figure 37(c)).

[0200] The cancellation points are registered in the following order of priority depending on the situation when the cancellation area registration button section 754 is touched. (Priority 1) If touched and registered while receiving radar, it will become a radar cancellation point. (Priority 2) If Priority 1 is not met and there is a GPS target in focus, this is the point at which the warning for that GPS target is canceled. (Priority 3) If neither Priority 1 nor Priority 2 is met, the location is registered, and the next time the radar is received, it is registered as a cancellation point.

[0201] The specific function of the control unit 11 that performs this registration process is as follows. Fig. 38 is a flowchart showing the alarm cancellation registration function of the control unit 11. The control unit 11 waits for the alarm screen 73 or the standby screen 40 shown in Fig. 37(a) to be touched (S11), and when this screen is touched, displays the top menu screen 50 (S12). After displaying the top menu screen 50, the control unit 11 waits for a button section to be touched (S13). When the touched button section is the registration button section 503 (see Fig. 37(b)), the control unit 11 displays the various registration screens 75. On the other hand, when another button section is touched, the control unit 11 performs processing corresponding to that button section (S15).

[0202] 37(c), the various registration screen 75 has a layout in which, from left to right on the top row, a pin posting button section 751, a pin registration button section 752, and an EXIT button section 753 are arranged, and, from left to right on the bottom row, a cancel area registration button section 754, a cancel area release button section 755, and a my area registration button section 756. Alarm cancellation is registered by touching the cancel area registration button section 754.

[0203] Therefore, the control unit 11 displays the various registration screen 75 and then waits for a button to be touched (S16). If the touched button is a button other than the cancel area registration button 754, the control unit 11 performs processing corresponding to that button (S22). If no button is touched for a certain period of time, the time is up (Yes in S23), the various registration screen 75 is cleared, and the display returns to the alarm screen 73 or the standby screen 40 (S23). If the touched button is the cancel area registration button 754, the control unit 11 determines whether radar reception is currently in progress (S17).

[0204] If radar reception is in progress (Yes in S17), the above-mentioned priority 1 is established, and the current position (latitude and longitude) is registered as a cancellation point for warnings based on radar reception (S19). An area within a specified radius (for example, 200 m) centered on this registered cancellation point becomes a cancellation area, and no warning will be issued even if radar reception is received within this cancellation area.

[0205] When a cancellation point is registered, it is preferable that the fact that a cancellation point has been registered be indicated when driving through the registered location or area. For example, as shown in FIG. 37(d), a predetermined icon 735 is displayed at the registered location of the cancellation point on the map on the alarm map screen 731. This makes it possible to distinguish whether an object to be notified is not present in the vicinity when an alarm is not issued, or whether an object to be notified exists but is not notified due to the setting of a cancellation area. Furthermore, various notification methods are not limited to icon display, and it is preferable to use a predetermined message area 736 or the like to indicate that "cancellation is in progress," or to output a voice message such as "cancellation is in progress."

[0206] On the other hand, if radar signals are not being received (No in S17), the control unit 11 determines whether the GPS target is being focused (S18). For example, when the warning screen 73 is being displayed, the control unit 11 determines that the GPS target is being focused (Yes in S18), and registers the POI (Point of Interest) information of the top-priority target focused within the warning range for which the above-mentioned Priority 2 is established, i.e., the target displayed in the message window 732 and as a target icon 734 on the warning screen 73, as a cancellation point (S20). The POI information registered as the cancellation point may include, for example, location information (e.g., latitude and longitude) and direction information. Based on this registered cancellation point, when subsequently driving around the area, it may be possible to disable audio and LED warnings (both audio-linked and area-linked) for the top-priority target focused within the warning range (e.g., the conditions for displaying the message window 732, the 1,100-meter fan-on area for the Speed ​​Camera, the 300-meter fan-on area for the N System, etc.).

[0207] Furthermore, the GPS target warning uses both a voice announcement and the warning screen 73, and as described above, the warning screen 73 continues to be displayed even after the announcement has ended until the GPS target to be notified has been passed. Because the focus is on the screen at least while the warning screen 73 is displayed, the focus period, i.e., the period during which cancellation can be registered, can be extended. This allows the user to appropriately determine whether or not to cancel and correctly register a cancellation point as necessary. In contrast, if the warning screen 73 were displayed only while an announcement is being made, the user would have to register a cancellation point within that short period, which could lead to an incorrect judgment or the inability to cancel if the user is driving and cannot immediately touch the screen. However, this embodiment solves such problems.

[0208] In addition, since a hash generated from the latitude, longitude, and direction information of the POI is generated and stored as the cancellation point, even if the data is updated and the POI that was registered as the cancellation point is deleted, the cancellation point will remain valid, and alerts based on the new POI will continue to be issued and become a cancellation area.

[0209] Furthermore, the targets that can be canceled should be those that issue an audio warning and are visible as icons, and should not include invisible targets such as no parking areas or wrong-way driving areas.

[0210] On the other hand, if the branch decision in S18 shows that there is no GPS warning and the GPS target is not in focus, priority 3 is established and the current position (latitude and longitude) is registered as a point (S21). This registered position is registered as a cancellation point the next time a radar signal is received. Note that once priority 3 is established, it may also be registered as a cancellation point based on radar reception.

[0211] Furthermore, when registering a cancellation point, if another cancellation point has already been registered within a predetermined distance (for example, 200 m) around it, it is preferable to make it possible to register the current cancellation point as well, and to make it possible to register multiple cancellation points in an area within the predetermined distance. By allowing multiple registrations in this way, for example, a cancellation point for a GPS target warning based on a POI registered based on priority 2 and a cancellation point for a radar warning registered based on priority 1 can each be registered within a predetermined area.

[0212] <14-2-1. Registering alarm cancellation when multiple alarm conditions occur simultaneously> For example, if both warning requirements occur simultaneously, such as receiving radar within a warning range based on a GPS target, in the above-described embodiment, radar cancellation is registered based on priority 1 in order of priority. When this radar-based cancellation point is registered, radar warnings will no longer be issued, and instead, a warning based on the POI will be output. If cancellation is then registered again, cancellation information for the POI will be registered. In this way, if the cancellation operation is performed twice during one trip, two cancellation information items can be registered.

[0213] In this method, for example, a user who wants to cancel a radar-based warning without registering it as canceled and a POI-based warning must wait for the radar-based warning to end before registering the cancellation, which is cumbersome. Therefore, for example, a function that allows the user to select in cases where multiple warnings are issued may be provided. Such a selection function may include, for example, a function that simultaneously displays, on the display unit 13, a message window 732 for a warning based on radar reception and a screen for a warning about a different notification target, such as a message window 732 based on a GPS target, and may be configured to specify the desired notification target by, for example, touching the message window 732 that displays the desired notification target.

[0214] In addition, the present invention is not limited to simultaneously displaying two types of message windows 732, and it is also possible to alternately display and select two types of message windows 732. In addition, when the cancel area registration button section 754 is pressed, for example, the screen may be divided into multiple sections, and cancellation candidates within the alarm range may be displayed on each section, allowing one or more notification target candidates to be registered for cancellation to be selected.

[0215] <14-2-2. Alarm processing when multiple alarm conditions occur simultaneously> As described above, if an alarm condition based on a GPS target and a radar signal occur at the same time, it is preferable to issue an alarm for one of them first, followed by the remaining alarm. Furthermore, alarms using the display unit 13 may be issued simultaneously, or in a predetermined order. The order in which alarms are issued may be based on, for example, the priority order for determining the cancellation point. That is, it is preferable to issue an alarm based on radar signal first, followed by an alarm based on a GPS target.

[0216] <14-2-3.Selecting the item to be cancelled> When registering a cancellation point, it is advisable to record not only the cancellation information such as location information, but also which priority condition (priority 1, 2, 3) was met to register the point. In this way, if there is a cancellation point recorded based on priority 2, for example, no warning based on the POI will be issued even if the same point is subsequently driven. On the other hand, if radar is received during subsequent driving, a warning based on the radar can be issued without cancellation.

[0217] Also, for example, if the registration condition for a registered cancellation point is Priority 2, if newly registered POI information is found within a cancellation area based on that cancellation point, the alert based on that POI information can also be canceled. For example, for a user who does not want alerts based on GPS targets in a certain area, even if new POI information is registered within that area, there is no need to perform the cancellation registration operation again. For example, this setting is preferable for users who do not want alerts to be sounded in familiar areas such as their home or office.

[0218] Furthermore, it is advisable to associate a specific POI with the POI information when registering a cancellation point for a GPS target. In this way, GPS alerts based on that POI will be canceled thereafter, but alerts based on GPS targets based on other POIs nearby will still be issued. This is a desirable setting for users who want to cancel only alerts based on the POI registered as a cancellation point. Furthermore, with this setting, for example, when a new POI is registered, an alert will be issued once. If an alert based on the new POI is not required, it is advisable to register the cancellation again.

[0219] In this way, for example, for a user who wants to cancel warnings based on GPS targets in a certain area, it is preferable to record information that identifies the location information or area as the POI information to be registered as a cancellation point, and associate the registration condition (priority 2) without specifying a specific POI. Also, for a user who wants to cancel warnings based on a specific POI in the same area, but still requires warnings based on a different POI, it is preferable to record information that identifies a specific POI in the POI information to be registered as a cancellation point.

[0220] The appropriate targets for the above-mentioned alarm cancellation will vary depending on the user's preferences, the ventilation method used, etc. Therefore, it is advisable to prepare multiple types of items with different settings to be registered as cancellation points, as shown in (1) to (3) below, so that the user can select one.

[0221] (1) For example, in a location where there is no need to sound an alarm, as a setting to correspond to the case where you want to cancel the entire area regardless of whether the priority conditions are met, when the cancel area registration button section 754 is touched, that location is registered as a cancellation point, and thereafter, no alarm will be sounded within a specified range around that cancellation point. (2) For example, as in the above-described embodiment, cancellation points are registered according to predetermined priority conditions, and alarms of a predetermined type, for example, alarms based on radar and alarms based on GPS targets, are not issued in groups. (3) When a GPS target is alerted, the POI that is alerted is also linked and registered so that an alert will not be issued for that POI.

[0222] <14-3. Cancellation of Cancellation Area> The electronic device 10 may have a function to cancel the cancellation area registered by the above-described process. This function can be used, for example, for a cancellation area that was registered but is no longer needed, or for a cancellation area that was once set but for which an alarm should be issued again.

[0223] Specifically, for example, as shown in FIG. 39(a), by touching the registration button section 503 on the top menu screen 50 displayed by touching the standby screen 40 or the alarm map screen 731, the various registration screens 75 shown in FIG. 39(b) are displayed. For example, when the control unit 11 approaches within a predetermined distance (e.g., approximately 200 m) before a cancellation area or cancellation point, the control unit 11 activates the cancellation area release button section 755 and makes it selectable. When the cancellation area release button section 755 is touched in this state, the control unit 11 deletes the target cancellation area. With the deletion of this cancellation area, a message "Cancel Cancel Area" is displayed at the bottom of the screen as shown in FIG. 39(c), and the cancel icon 407 of the cancellation point that was displayed in FIG. 39(a) is no longer displayed as shown in FIG. 39(c). Thereafter, when the vehicle travels through the same area, a predetermined alarm should be output.

[0224] Furthermore, if multiple cancellation points are registered in a predetermined area (for example, within a radius of 200 m from the reference position), it is advisable to delete all cancellation points within that area.

[0225] Furthermore, it is preferable to touch the system button section 605 on the setting menu screen 60 shown in Fig. 25(b) and set it as one of the setting items on a predetermined hierarchical menu screen (for example, "Delete"), which is the system setting tree. When the button section of this set setting item is touched, a dialog box stating, for example, "Do you want to delete the cancel area?" is displayed superimposed on the display unit 13, and when confirmation is given, all items existing within a predetermined radius of 200 m from the reference position are deleted.

[0226] [15. Other display modes] Message area 402 is displayed on the bottom side of the standby screen, but it may be displayed on the periphery, such as the left side, right side, or top side, or in the center or any other desired location. In this case, the meter of the display element may be moved in a direction away from message area 402 that appears.

[0227] [16. Configuration of light receiving unit 12] 40 is a circuit diagram showing an example of the electrical configuration of the light receiving unit 12. In this example, the light receiving element that converts light into an electrical signal is a photodiode 122. The cathode of the photodiode 122 is connected to a high-potential power supply line, and the anode of the photodiode 122 is connected to one end of a resistor R1. The other end of the resistor R1 is grounded. The photodiode 122 is disposed behind the condenser lens 121, receives light condensed by the condenser lens 121, and outputs an output current according to the intensity of the incident light.

[0228] An integrated circuit (IC) 123, which performs current-to-voltage conversion and amplification, is located downstream of the photodiode 122. The input terminal of this IC 123 is commonly connected to the anode of the photodiode 122 and one end of resistor R1 via capacitor C1. This integrated circuit 123 may be, for example, a light-receiving IC for purposes other than radar detectors, such as an optical distance measurement receiver. In this embodiment, for example, a MAXIM MAX3806 may be used. The optical distance measurement receiver is a high-gain linear preamplifier for distance measurement applications using laser beams. Furthermore, a transimpedance amplifier IC may be used as the integrated circuit 123. The transimpedance amplifier linearly amplifies the signal from the photodiode 122. The MAX3806 is a high-gain linear preamplifier for distance measurement applications using laser beams, and is specialized for speed. Therefore, even input signals with a narrow pulse width of 20 ns and high-frequency pulse signals can be processed accurately. Furthermore, a single integrated circuit 123 can achieve a sufficiently large gain. When the input side of the integrated circuit 123 of this embodiment has the photodiode 122 arranged on the high potential side, the integrated circuit 123 outputs a negative pulse from the output terminal.

[0229] The output terminal of this integrated circuit 123 is connected to a grounded-emitter amplifier circuit 124 that uses a transistor 1241. The amplifier circuit 124 inverts and further amplifies the output signal of the integrated circuit 123. As a result, a positive pulse is output from the amplifier circuit 124. It is desirable that the amplifier circuit 124 be designed to amplify a signal in a wavelength region specific to the wavelength of the laser emitted from the speed measurement device.

[0230] The output terminal of the amplifier circuit 124 is connected to an emitter follower circuit 125 via a capacitor C3. The output terminal of the emitter follower circuit 125 is connected to a comparator 126. The comparator 126 turns ON when the received signal level exceeds a threshold value. Since the pulse width of the laser emitted from the speed measuring device and received by the photodiode 122 is short, for example, 20 ns, the comparator 126 also outputs a pulse having a narrow pulse width corresponding to the received pulse width.

[0231] The output terminal of comparator 126 is connected to waveform shaping circuit 127. Waveform shaping circuit 127 converts the narrow pulse width input into a pulse with a predetermined pulse width that can be processed by control unit 11 and outputs it. As described above, the pulse width of the pulse output from comparator 126 is very narrow, for example, 20 ns, corresponding to the pulse width of the input laser. If this pulse width is input directly to a microcomputer or the like that constitutes control unit 11, processing by control unit 11 will be difficult. Therefore, it is preferable to generate and output a pulse that is widened to, for example, about 50 μs. This waveform shaping circuit 127 is preferably configured, for example, with an AND element and a monostable multivibrator, and is configured to output a pulse with a predetermined width determined by the time constant of the monostable multivibrator.

[0232] The output terminal of the waveform shaping circuit 127 is connected to the control unit 11. The control unit 11 may perform control to notify the presence of a speed measurement device when, for example, pulsed light having a laser pulse interval of 80 ms (or a range of less than 80 ms and / or more than 80 ms within a certain range from a reference pulse interval) emitted from the speed measurement device is received. Alternatively, the control unit 11 may perform control to notify the presence of a speed measurement device when the pulse width (emission time) of the input pulse is 20 ns (or / or a range of less than 20 ns and / or more than 20 ns within a certain range from a reference pulse width) and the pulse width output from the waveform shaping circuit 127 is (for example, approximately 50 μs) when the photodiode 122 receives pulsed light. The control unit 11 may notify the presence of a speed measurement device when pulsed light of a specific wavelength is received at least once. In this way, if there is a possibility that a speed measurement device is present, its presence can be quickly notified to the user.

[0233] In this embodiment, the first stage amplifier that provides the current signal output from the light receiving element is an IC for distance measurement rather than a radar detector, so high gain is obtained in one stage, increasing the sensitivity of the electronic device 10 to receiving laser light.

[0234] For example, a transimpedance configuration may be adopted using an operational amplifier, but the performance in the high frequency band in particular is lower than that of the integrated circuit 123, and there is a risk that it will not be able to pick up pulsed light that appears for a short period of time. In this embodiment, accurate detection is possible by using the integrated circuit 123.

[0235] <16-1. Thermistor 1252 is arranged on the input side of the emitter follower circuit 125> In this embodiment, the emitter follower circuit 125 includes a thermistor 1252 connected to ground via a resistor R3 between a capacitor C3 connected to the output terminal of the amplifier circuit 124 and the base of a transistor 1251, which serves as the input terminal of the emitter follower circuit 125. The DC voltage on the input side of the emitter follower circuit 125 is determined by voltage division by resistors T4, R5, etc. around the base side of the transistor 1251, because the DC component is cut by the capacitor C3 and only the AC component is input. Since the electronic device 10 is mounted on a vehicle, the temperature of its installation environment changes significantly. The voltage drop between the base and emitter of the transistor 1251 depends on temperature, but providing the thermistor 1252 reduces fluctuations in the voltage drop due to temperature changes.

[0236] If the threshold value of the comparator 126 is set high enough to provide a margin, false alarms caused by receiving pulse light not emitted from the speed measurement device can be prevented, but sensitivity will decrease. If the threshold value is set low, sensitivity will increase, but there is a possibility of false alarms caused by picking up noise. In this embodiment, by reducing temperature changes, noise will not be picked up even if the threshold value is set low, so sensitivity can be increased.

[0237] As described above, as an amplifying means for amplifying the signal received by the light receiving element, an integrated circuit 123 of a high-gain linear preamplifier which is an optical distance measurement receiver is used in the first stage, an amplifier circuit 124 made up of a common-emitter transistor circuit is used in the second stage, and by placing a thermistor 1252 on the input side of the emitter follower circuit 125 and appropriately setting the threshold value of the comparator 126, it is possible to increase the detection distance and detection range, for example, as shown in Figure 41. In Figure 41, comparative example 2 has amplifier circuits made up of transistors connected in multiple stages, and has a longer detection distance than comparative example 1.

[0238] <16-2. Configuration based on using MAX3806 for integrated circuit 123> In the MAX3806 reference circuit that constitutes integrated circuit 123, the connection between the photodiode and coil is usually connected to the input terminal, but in this embodiment, a resistor R1 is used. The laser emitted from the target speed measurement device has a very narrow pulse width and high frequency, but the use of resistor R1 suppresses ringing. While a coil could be used as in the reference circuit, the use of resistor R1 is preferable due to the risk of ringing occurring depending on the element. In addition, the MAX3806 is a transformer impedance amplifier, so its input impedance is low. Resistor R1 has a sufficiently large resistance value compared to the input impedance, so the input signal flows to resistor R1, minimizing the impact of loss.

[0239] In addition, although the MAX3806 can accept single pulses or burst pulses with a pulse width of 30ns or more, we tried to input and detect signals with a narrower pulse width (for example, 20ns), and confirmed that 20ns signals could also be detected.

[0240] The transimpedance of integrated circuit 123 may be in the range of 44 to 77 kΩ, preferably 60 kΩ. In the embodiment, pin 7 (GAIN) of integrated circuit 123 was forced high to 60 kΩ.

[0241] <16-3. Place the photodiode on the low potential side> The position of the photodiode 122, which is the light receiving element, may be reversed from that of the embodiment described above. For example, the photodiode 122 may be placed below the input terminal of the integrated circuit 123, and the resistor R1 may be placed above the input terminal. This reverses the positive and negative polarities. As a result, a positive pulse is output from the integrated circuit 123. As described above, the common-emitter amplifier circuit 124 amplifies and inverts the signal, outputting a negative pulse. Therefore, in such a case, an inverting circuit may be provided between the amplifier circuit 124 and the emitter-follower circuit 125.

[0242] Furthermore, if the gain of the integrated circuit 123 satisfies the specifications, it is preferable to configure the integrated circuit 123 so that the output terminal is connected to the emitter follower circuit 125 without providing the amplifier circuit 124 as in the above-described embodiment. In this way, the amplifier circuit 124 becomes unnecessary, and the configuration can be simplified. In this case, the output of the integrated circuit 123 has low drive capability. It is preferable to adjust (for example, increase) the input impedance of the emitter follower circuit 125.

[0243] 17. Different forms of electronic devices <17-1. Separate type> In the above-described embodiments, the electronic device 10 is an integrated monitor type in which various devices, equipment, etc. are mounted in a single housing. However, for example, the electronic device 10 may be a separate type divided into multiple housings. FIG. 42 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of a first device 80 constituting a separate type electronic device, as viewed from the right front side with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle. The first device 80 is a box-shaped device having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The first device 80 does not have a display unit 13 and outputs various signals to an external device via a wired cable 81. The first device 80 may also communicate with an external device via a wireless communication path. The first device 80 is divided into a first housing 801 located above and a second housing 802 located below. A second device, such as a monitor (not shown), is connected to the end of this cable 81.

[0244] <17-2. Mounting position variations> The installation position may also be a suspended type, attached to the dashboard, windshield, rearview mirror, ceiling, etc. of a vehicle using a predetermined attachment member, and the device can be applied to a variety of locations.

[0245] <17-2-1. Configuration in which one electronic device 900 can be installed in different locations (part 1)> FIG. 43 is a diagram illustrating the external configuration of an electronic device 900 according to another embodiment. FIG. 43(a) is a diagram illustrating the electronic device 900 as viewed from the upper right on the front side of the electronic device 900. FIG. 43(b) is a diagram illustrating the electronic device 900 as viewed from the upper right on the rear side of the electronic device 900. The electronic device 900 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape that is longer in the width direction than in the vertical direction. The electronic device 900 has dimensions and weight that allow it to be easily carried by a user. A housing 900A of the electronic device 900 is divided into a first housing 901 located on the front side and a second housing 902 located on the rear side. A light-emitting unit 911, an operation unit 912, and a sound-emitting unit 913A are provided on the front side of the first housing 901. The electronic device 900 does not include a display unit 13, and alarms are issued using sound and light.

[0246] The light-emitting unit 911 emits a predetermined light. The light-emitting unit 911 includes, for example, a light-emitting diode. The light-emitting unit 911 emits light according to the operating state of the electronic device 900. The light-emitting unit 911 is provided in a position toward the lower right of the first housing 901 when viewed from the front side. The light-emitting unit 911 emits white light when the electronic device 900 is in a standby state. The light-emitting unit 911 emits blue light when the electronic device 900 is being operated. The light-emitting unit 911 emits red flashing light when the electronic device 900 is receiving pulsed light. Note that the relationship between the operating state and the light-emitting state is not limited to this, and various modifications are possible for the light-emitting aspects such as the light-emitting color and light-emitting timing (for example, the frequency and number of flashes).

[0247] The operation unit 912 accepts user operations. The operation unit 912 is provided in a position toward the lower right of the first housing 901 when viewed from the front side, and is located immediately to the right of the light-emitting unit 911. Here, the operation unit 912 functions as a volume button. The operation unit 912 is operated by the user, for example, to adjust the volume of an alarm sound or other sounds, or to mute the alarm sound emitted when pulsed light is received. Here, the operation unit 912 accepts a press operation, but may be an operation unit that accepts a slide, touch, or other operation.

[0248] Sound emitting unit 913A emits a predetermined sound. Sound emitting unit 913A has a plurality of holes provided in a position near the upper right of first housing 901 when viewed from the front. Sound emitting unit 913A outputs sound through these plurality of holes. Sound emitting unit 913A outputs an alarm sound or other audio.

[0249] A DC jack that receives power input from a power source is provided on the left side surface of the housing 900A. A cigarette lighter plug cord or a power cable, for example, is connected to the DC jack. A mounting portion 917 for mounting a first mounting member 940 and a second mounting member 950 (described later) is provided on the rear surface of the second housing 902. Thus, the mounting portion 917 is a mounting portion shared by the first mounting member 940 and the second mounting member 950. The mounting portion 917 is provided near the center of the second housing 902 in the width direction when viewed from the rear surface, near the bottom end of the second housing 902. The mounting portion 917 has a pair of grooves 9171 and 9172. The pair of grooves 9171 and 9172 are provided at a predetermined interval in the width direction of the electronic device 900 and extend vertically. The first mounting member 940 and the second mounting member 950 (described later) can be attached to and detached from the pair of grooves 9171 and 9172. The first mounting member 940 and the second mounting member 950 may be further fixed to the second housing 902 using fasteners such as screws.

[0250] A lens holder 915 is provided on the rear surface of the second housing 902. The lens holder 915 constitutes a window, which is an opening that allows communication between the inside and outside of the housing 900A. The lens holder 915 may have the same shape as the lens holder 1006 described above, and is an elliptical shape with a major axis in the width direction and a minor axis in the up-down direction when viewed from the rear surface of the housing 900A. When the electronic device 900 is installed in a vehicle, the width direction corresponds to the width direction of the vehicle, and the up-down direction corresponds to the height direction of the vehicle. The second housing 902 is fastened to the first housing 901 using screws at both ends in the width direction when viewed from the rear surface.

[0251] The condensing lens 920 is fitted into the lens holder 915. The condensing lens 920 is part of the light receiving unit 920A of the electronic device 900, and is provided at a position corresponding to the light entrance portion. The condensing lens 920 may have the same configuration as the condensing lens 121. The lens holder 915 and the condensing lens 920 are provided at a position closer to the upper right of the second housing 902 when viewed from the rear side of the second housing 902. For example, the condensing lens 920 is arranged so as to be at least above the center in the vertical direction on the rear side of the housing 900A and at least on the left side of the vehicle's traveling direction when viewed from the driver's seat side of the vehicle. This is because the condensing lens 920 may be more likely to receive light from a speed measurement device if it is positioned relatively higher on the rear side of the second housing 902 and on the side of the road where a speed measurement device is likely to be located. The pulsed light from the speed measurement device is introduced into the housing 900A via a lens holder 915 and a condenser lens 920.

[0252] The housing 900a houses various devices, such as an electric circuit constituting the light receiving unit 12 of the above-described embodiment, a control unit, and other devices. The pulsed light collected by the collecting lens 920 is converted into a pulse signal of a predetermined pulse width by a circuit in the highly sensitive light receiving unit 920A including the above-described integrated circuit 123, and the converted pulsed light is sent to the control unit. The control unit may then issue a notification in response to reception of the pulsed light from the speed measurement device in the same manner as the above-described control unit 11. Furthermore, when the control unit 11 receives the pulsed light, it may cause the light emitting unit 911 to emit red light or use the sound emitting unit 913A to emit an alarm. In the illustrated example, the display unit 13 is not provided, but it may be provided with a display unit 13 and perform display control of the standby screen, etc., as in the above-described embodiment.

[0253] Electronic device 900 configured as described above is attached to a vehicle by selectively using first attachment member 940 and second attachment member 950. First attachment member 940 is a member for attaching electronic device 900 to the dashboard, and is also called a dashboard attachment bracket. Second attachment member 950 is also called a suspended attachment stay.

[0254] As shown in FIG. 44 , the first mounting member 940 includes a base portion 941, a socket portion 942, a ball stud 943, and an attachment portion 944. The base portion 941 is attached to the dashboard of a vehicle. The bottom surface of the base portion 941 is attached to the dashboard using a fixing member such as an adhesive sheet or double-sided tape as disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 5958927. The base portion 941 includes a socket portion 942 having a space opening to the front side. A ball portion of a ball stud 943 is attached to the socket portion 942. The socket portion 942 and the ball stud 943 attached to the socket portion 942 form a ball joint mechanism. When the ball stud 943 receives an external force, its position changes up, down, left, and right while attached to the socket portion 942. The attachment portion 944 is provided at a position on the front side of the ball stud 943. The attachment portion 944 is attached to the attachment portion 917 of the electronic device 900. The mounting portion 944 has a pair of protrusions 9441, 9442 protruding on both the left and right sides when viewed from the front. The protrusion 9441 protrudes further toward the front than other portions of the mounting portion 944 and protrudes to the right when viewed from the front. The protrusion 9442 protrudes further toward the front than other portions of the mounting portion 944 and protrudes to the left when viewed from the front. The protrusion 9441 is inserted into the groove 9171, and the protrusion 9442 is inserted into the groove 9172. When the mounting portion 944 is attached to the mounting portion 917, it is located between the pair of grooves 9171, 9172 of the electronic device 900. In this manner, the electronic device 900 is attached to the mounting portion 944 of the first mounting member 940 (see FIG. 45). The electronic device 900 is installed on the dashboard by attaching the bottom surface of the base portion 941 of the first mounting member 940 to the dashboard using a fixing member as described above.

[0255] 46, the second mounting member 950 is a plate-like member made of metal such as aluminum. The second mounting member 950 has a first portion 951, a second portion 952, and a third portion 953. The first portion 951 is a plate-like portion. The first portion 951 supports the electronic device 900 by having its top surface contact the bottom surface of the electronic device 900.

[0256] The second part 952 is a plate-shaped part connected to the first part 951 and is approximately perpendicular to the first part 951. The second part 952 supports the electronic device 900 by having one surface contact the rear surface of the electronic device 900. The second part 952 is attached to the attachment part 917 of the electronic device 900 and has a pair of protrusions 9521, 9522 protruding on both the left and right sides when viewed from the front. The protrusion 9521 protrudes further toward the front than the other parts of the second part 952 and protrudes to the right when viewed from the front. The protrusion 9522 protrudes further toward the front than the other parts of the second part 952 and protrudes to the left when viewed from the front. The protrusion 9521 is inserted into the groove 9171, and the protrusion 9522 is inserted into the groove 9172, thereby being attached to the second part 952. As a result, the electronic device 900 is attached to the second attachment member 950, as shown in FIG.

[0257] The second portion 952 further has a notch 9523. The notch 9523 is cut out so as not to overlap with the condenser lens 920 when the second mounting member 950 is attached to the electronic device 900 (see FIG. 47(b)).

[0258] The third part 953 is a plate-like part connected to the second part 952. The third part 953 is attached (e.g., pasted) to an attachment part using a fixing member such as double-sided tape, with its upper surface serving as an attachment surface. When the user attaches the third part 953, the orientation of the third part 953 relative to the second part 952 may be adjusted according to the shape of the attachment part in the vehicle, in this embodiment, the inclination of the windshield. For example, as shown in FIGS. 48(a) and 48(d), the third part 953 is attached to an attachment part X1, which is a gap area between the ceiling X2 and the windshield X3 (which may be an area near the upper end of the windshield X3), using double-sided tape. The gap area may be recognizable by the user as a black border. For example, it is desirable that the attachment part X1 be a part behind the rearview mirror, since the electronic device 900 is hidden behind the rearview mirror for people inside the vehicle.

[0259] <17-2-2. Configuration in which one electronic device 900 can be installed in different locations (part 2)> The above-described separate-type first device 800 can be installed on a dashboard, for example, by attaching a fixing member such as double-sided tape to the bottom surface of the second housing 802. Alternatively, for example, a third mounting member 960 shown in Fig. 49 can be used, and the first device 800 can be attached to a predetermined position on the third mounting member 960 as shown in Fig. 50. Then, as shown in Fig. 51, the third mounting member 960 can be attached to the windshield using a fixing member such as double-sided tape, thereby allowing the first device 800 to be installed in a suspended state.

[0260] The scope of the present invention is not limited to the structures explicitly described in the specification, but also includes combinations of various aspects of the present invention disclosed herein. The structures of the present invention that are sought to be patented are specified in the appended claims, but it is the intention of the present inventors to claim structures disclosed in this specification in the future, even if they are not currently specified in the claims.

[0261] The present invention is not limited to the configurations described in the above-described embodiments. The components of each of the above-described embodiments and variations may be arbitrarily selected and combined. Furthermore, any component of each embodiment or variation may be arbitrarily combined with any component described in the Summary of the Invention or any component embodying any component described in the Summary of the Invention. The present invention also intends to obtain rights to these configurations through amendments or divisional applications of the present application. Even if a description is made of "in the case of..." or "when...," it is not intended to describe a configuration limited to that case or time. Configurations that are not limited to those cases or times are also disclosed, and the present invention intends to obtain rights to them. Furthermore, any descriptions that specify an order are not limited to this order. Configurations in which some parts are deleted or the order is changed are also disclosed, and the present invention intends to obtain rights to them.

[0262] Furthermore, we intend to obtain rights to the overall design or partial design by converting the application to a design registration. The drawings depict the entire device in solid lines, but they also include partial designs claimed for parts of the device. For example, a partial design can be a partial design for a part of the device, or a part of that part. A partial design can be a part of the device, or a part of that part. We intend to obtain rights not only for the overall design, but also for partial designs in which any part of the solid line portion of the drawing is drawn as a broken line. Furthermore, the modules, components, and parts inside the device's casing, all of which are shown in the drawings, are subject to independent commerce, and we intend to similarly obtain rights by converting the application to a design registration. [Explanation of symbols]

[0263] 10:Electronic equipment 11: Control section 12: Light receiving part 13: Display section 14: Speaker 15: Microwave receiving unit 16: GPS receiver 17: Communications Department 18: Storage section 19:Operation section 20: Sensor section 21: Mounting part 22: Power supply section 23: Light-emitting part 24: Cable terminal 40: Standby screen 50: Top menu screen 51: Standby selection screen 52: Target selection screen 53: Display item selection screen 54: Placement selection screen 55: Map zoom selection screen 60: Settings menu screen 61: System settings screen 62: Reminder target selection screen 63: Notification condition registration screen 64: Notification days input screen 65: Custom background setting screen 66: Brightness setting screen 67: Notification screen 68: Switching time selection screen 69: Item selection screen 70: Sound customization screen 71: Sound selection screen 73: Alarm screen 75: Registration screen

Claims

1. A system that is installed in a vehicle and issues a notification when a notification condition is met, A system having a control unit that, when a condition for notifying predetermined information is met while a predetermined display element is displayed at a first position on a predetermined display screen, controls the display element to move from the first position to a second position and display a notification area for the predetermined information so that at least a portion of the display element overlaps the first position.

2. A program for causing a computer to realize the functions of the system according to claim 1.

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