Vehicle display device

Abstract

To allow predetermined display to be performed not only in a case where multicolor display is allowed and caution is required but also in a safe case and thereby contribute to improved safety.SOLUTION: A vehicle display device includes: a light source 20 including a red light-emitting element 20a, a blue light-emitting element 20b, and a green light-emitting element 20c; a display unit disposed in a partial area of a rearview mirror located on a vehicle rear side of the light source 20 and being configured to transmit light emitted from the light source 20 to the rear side of the vehicle to display a predetermined display; and a control unit 90 configured to control the red light-emitting element 20a, the blue light-emitting element 20b, and the green light-emitting element 20c.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle display device mounted on, for example, an automobile or the like. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, one of the driving assistance functions for automobiles is the blind spot monitoring (hereinafter referred to as BSM). BSM warns the driver that another vehicle traveling in a lane adjacent to the lane in which the vehicle is traveling is approaching the vehicle, and the number of vehicles equipped with this function is increasing.

[0003] The BSM is configured to include a vehicle detection sensor mounted on, for example, the rear bumper, a determination unit that determines whether a vehicle is approaching the vehicle based on an output signal from the sensor, and a display device that turns on or flashes a warning light when the determination unit determines that a vehicle is approaching the vehicle. The display devices are typically incorporated into the left and right door mirrors. The display devices are configured to project light from the rear surface of the mirror and transmit it through a portion of the mirror, thereby illuminating a warning mark on the front surface of the mirror and making the mark visible to the driver. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-121575 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-107518 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Many BSM display devices only display amber or red, but some have LEDs that can emit two colors as light sources. In the latter case, an amber LED and a red LED are used, and the display switches between amber and red depending on the distance to the following vehicle.

[0006] However, since amber and red are colors used to alert the driver to following vehicles, they are generally turned off when there are no following vehicles or when there are following vehicles far enough away that caution is not required. In other words, conventional BSMs have not considered actively informing the driver that the situation is safe.

[0007] However, while driving, drivers need to pay attention not only to the following vehicle, but also to the front and sides of the vehicle, as well as the vehicle's speed and the road surface on which it is traveling. If a driver is notified when the following vehicle is in a safe situation, driving assistance can be enhanced, and ultimately the contribution to improved safety can be increased.

[0008] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of such points, and its purpose is to make it possible to display the display shown to the driver in multiple colors, so that the specified display can be made not only when it is necessary to warn the driver, but also when it is safe, thereby increasing the contribution to improving safety. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the present disclosure can be a vehicle display device that is incorporated into a mirror unit that has a rearview mirror and is attached to a vehicle. The vehicle display device includes: a light source having a red light-emitting portion that emits red light when supplied with power, a blue light-emitting portion that emits blue light when supplied with power, and a green light-emitting portion that emits green light when supplied with power; a display portion that is provided in a partial area of ​​the rearview mirror located on the vehicle rear side of the light source and transmits light emitted from the light source to the rear of the vehicle to perform a predetermined display; and a control portion that controls the red light-emitting portion, the blue light-emitting portion, and the green light-emitting portion to change the amount of light emitted, thereby changing the emitted color.

[0010] With this configuration, when the driver needs to be careful, only the red light emitting section can be made to emit light to generate a red indication light, or both the red and green light emitting sections can be made to emit light to generate an amber indication light, thereby enabling the indication section of the rearview mirror to display a message indicating that caution is required.

[0011] On the other hand, when the driver does not need to be careful, for example, only the blue light emitting section can be made to emit light to generate blue display light, or only the green light emitting section can be made to emit light to generate green display light, thereby making it possible to display on the display section of the rearview mirror that the driver does not need to be careful.

[0012] The light source can be a full-color LED having the red light-emitting portion made up of an LED chip that emits red light, the blue light-emitting portion made up of an LED chip that emits blue light, and the green light-emitting portion made up of an LED chip that emits green light. This makes it possible to miniaturize the light source having the red, blue, and green light-emitting portions, and to generate a variety of colors, enabling a diverse display.

[0013] The control unit can cause the light source to emit light in red when a distance detected by a detection unit that detects the distance between the following vehicle and the host vehicle is a first distance, cause the light source to emit light in amber when the distance detected by the detection unit is a second distance that is longer than the first distance, and cause the light source to emit light in a color different from red and amber when the distance detected by the detection unit is a third distance that is longer than the second distance, thereby making it possible to change the display color depending on the distance to the following vehicle.

[0014] The vehicle display device may further include a housing that houses the light source. In this case, the housing may be attached to a portion of the rearview mirror on the front side of the vehicle closer to the edge of the rearview mirror than the tilt center of the rearview mirror, and may be disposed between the rearview mirror and a visor of the mirror unit. In other words, using a full-color LED as the light source allows the light source to be made smaller, making it easier to ensure a gap between the housing and the visor when attaching the housing to the tiltable rearview mirror.

[0015] The vehicle display device may further include a circuit board on which the full-color LED is mounted. The circuit board may be disposed along the front surface of the rearview mirror. The circuit board may be disposed so that the light source is located in the center of the display unit when the rearview mirror is viewed from the rear of the vehicle.

[0016] The circuit board may be mounted with a diode provided between a power source and the light source, and a capacitor and a resistor provided between the light source and the control unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] As explained above, multi-color display is possible by individually controlling the red, blue, and green light-emitting elements, so that specified displays can be made not only when caution is required but also when it is safe, thereby increasing the contribution to improved safety. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a view of a vehicle door mirror unit equipped with a vehicle display device according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the rear of the vehicle. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the vehicle door mirror unit. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a view of a rearview mirror to which a vehicle display device is attached, as viewed from the front side of the vehicle. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a circuit board and a connector of the vehicle display device. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the light source as viewed from the light emission surface side. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a display device for a vehicle. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a detailed diagram showing the circuit configuration of the vehicle display device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the following description of the preferred embodiments is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present invention, its applications, or its uses.

[0020] FIG. 1 is a view of a vehicle door mirror unit 100 equipped with a vehicle display device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle door mirror unit 100 is a so-called side mirror unit (not shown), which is attached to the front end of a door disposed on the side of an automobile and is used primarily for rearward confirmation. In this embodiment, the vehicle door mirror unit 100 installed on the right side of the vehicle will be described. However, the vehicle door mirror unit installed on the left side (not shown) will not be described because it has a symmetrical structure with the right side. In the description of this embodiment, the front side of the vehicle will be simply referred to as the "front," the rear side of the vehicle will be simply referred to as the "rear," the left side in the vehicle width direction will be simply referred to as the "left," and the right side in the vehicle width direction will be simply referred to as the "right." The mirror unit may also be attached to a portion of the vehicle other than the door.

[0021] 2, in addition to the vehicle display device 1, the vehicle door mirror unit 100 includes a rearview mirror 102, a visor 103 that holds the rearview mirror 102, a mirror base 104 for attaching the visor 103 to the door, and a storage device 105. The rearview mirror 102 is elongated in the left-right direction. A mirror holder 102a is fixed to the back surface of the rearview mirror 102.

[0022] The visor 103 has a recess 103a that is open to the rear. An angle adjustment unit 103b is provided inside the recess 103a of the visor 103. This angle adjustment unit 103b is fixed to the visor 103. The structure of the angle adjustment unit 103b is conventionally well known and will not be described in detail, but it has a built-in motor, reduction gears, etc., and is configured so that the angle of the rearview mirror 102 can be adjusted by tilting the mirror holder 102a, i.e., the rearview mirror 102. The rearview mirror 102 can be tilted about an axis extending in the left-right direction and about an axis extending in the up-down direction.

[0023] An upper panel 103c and a lower panel 103d are provided on the front side of the visor 103. The upper panel 103c and the lower panel 103d are cover members that cover the visor 103 from the front side.

[0024] The storage device 105 is used to switch the visor 103 between an in-use state (shown in FIG. 1) and a storage state (not shown), and this storage device 105 is also conventionally well known. That is, the storage device 105 includes a shaft 105a extending in the vertical direction and a casing 105b that houses the shaft 105a. The casing 105b is provided with a fixing portion 105c that protrudes to the right and is fixed to the visor 103. When this fixing portion 105c is fixed to the visor 103, the casing 105b is integrated with the visor 103, and the visor 103 can be rotated together with the casing 105b around the shaft 105a around the shaft 105a. The storage state is when the visor 103 has been rotated around the shaft 105a until its longitudinal direction is aligned with the front-to-rear direction. The storage device 105 may be an electric storage device incorporating a motor, reduction gears, etc., or may be a manual storage device.

[0025] The mirror base 104 is covered with a cover 106. The mirror base 104 is an integrally molded product made of, for example, a resin material. A shaft fixing portion 141 to which the shaft 105a of the storage device 105 is fixed is provided on the upper part of the mirror base 104. The lower end of the shaft 105a of the storage device 105 is arranged and fixed above the shaft fixing portion 141.

[0026] A display unit 102b is provided in a partial area of ​​the rearview mirror 102. The display unit 102b transmits light emitted from a light source 20 (shown in FIG. 4, etc.) described below from the front to the rear of the rearview mirror 102 to display a predetermined information to the driver, and is one of the components of the vehicle display device 1. The display unit 102b can be formed, for example, by forming a film forming a half mirror in a partial area of ​​the rearview mirror 102, and can be used as a mirror when no information is displayed. When light from the light source 20 is emitted from the front toward the display unit 102b, the light transmits through the display unit 102b, and the display unit 102b appears to the driver to glow.

[0027] The display unit 102b is provided on the outer side of the rearview mirror 102 in the vehicle width direction, and in this embodiment, is located near the right end of the rearview mirror 102. The display unit 102b may be provided in the upper part or the lower part of the rearview mirror 102. An example of the shape of the display unit 102b is a triangle, but is not limited to this and may be, for example, a stylized car design, a symbol, various marks, letters, or a combination thereof. In this embodiment, the display by the display unit 102b includes warning displays, caution displays, etc. Therefore, the vehicular display device 1 can also be referred to as a vehicular display device 1.

[0028] The vehicle display device 1 is incorporated into a vehicle door mirror unit 100. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 2, the vehicle display device 1 is disposed in front of the rearview mirror 102 and is housed inside the right side of the visor 103 (the part closer to the outer side in the vehicle width direction). Therefore, the vehicle display device 1 does not interfere with rearward visibility.

[0029] In this embodiment, the vehicle display device 1 is a device for blind spot monitoring (hereinafter referred to as BSM). BSM is used to warn or alert the driver that a following vehicle (car, motorcycle, etc.) traveling in a lane adjacent to the lane in which the vehicle is traveling is approaching the vehicle. An example of the configuration of a blind spot monitoring system, although not shown, includes a sensor (detection unit) for detecting other vehicles provided, for example, on the rear bumper, and the vehicle display device 1. The sensor is configured to be able to detect the distance between the following vehicle and the vehicle, and such sensors are conventionally well known.

[0030] The vehicle display device 1 lights or flashes the display unit 102b in a given color when a following vehicle is approaching the vehicle. The configuration of the sensor is conventionally well known, so a detailed description will be omitted. The vehicle display device 1 is provided in the left and right door mirror units 100, and is configured to activate the vehicle display unit 1 on the right side when there is a following vehicle approaching from the right, and to activate the vehicle display unit 1 on the left side when there is a following vehicle approaching from the left. It can also be configured to emit a warning sound simultaneously with the lighting or flashing of the display unit 102b.

[0031] 4, the vehicle display device 1 includes a light source 20, a diode 30, first to third resistors 41 to 43, first to third capacitors 51 to 53, a female connector 60, and a circuit board 61. The light source 20, the diode 30, the first to third resistors 41 to 43, the first to third capacitors 51 to 53, and the female connector 60 are mounted on the common circuit board 61.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 5, the vehicle display device 1 also includes a housing 70 that houses the light source 20, the diode 30, the first to third resistors 41 to 43, the first to third capacitors 51 to 53, and the circuit board 61. The housing 70 is made of, for example, a resin material and has a shape that is elongated in the vertical direction. The housing 70 is attached to the front surface of the rearview mirror 102 (the surface corresponding to the rear surface of the mirror) at a position closer to the upper edge than the tilt center A of the rearview mirror 102. The tilt center A of the rearview mirror 102 is the position of an axis extending in the left-right direction. The housing 70 is attached to the rearview mirror 102 with, for example, adhesive tape or glue. Note that the housing 70 only needs to be positioned to correspond to the position of the display unit 102b, and may also be attached to the front surface of the rearview mirror 102 at a position closer to the lower edge than the tilt center A.

[0033] The circuit board 61 housed in the housing 70 is attached to the front surface of the rearview mirror 102 via the housing 70. When attached to the front surface of the rearview mirror 102, the circuit board 61 is disposed so as to follow the front surface of the rearview mirror 102. In other words, the circuit board 61 extends in the up-down and left-right directions, and the extending direction of the circuit board 61 coincides with the extending direction of the rearview mirror 102.

[0034] The triangle shown by the imaginary lines in Fig. 4 is the outer shape of the display unit 102b, and Fig. 4 is a view of the circuit board 61 as viewed from the rear. As shown in Fig. 4, the position of the circuit board 61 is set so that the light source 20 is located in the center of the display unit 102b when the rearview mirror 102 is viewed from the rear. As a result, light emitted rearward from the light source 20 is made incident on the display unit 102b and transmitted rearward from the display unit 102b, thereby enabling a predetermined display to be performed on the display unit 102b.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 5 , the housing 70 is attached to the front of the rearview mirror 102 and accommodated in the recess 103a of the visor 103. The housing 70 is positioned between the rearview mirror 102 and the inner surface of the recess 103a of the visor 103. Because the housing 70 is located above the tilting center A, it moves forward and backward as the rearview mirror 102 is tilted about an axis extending in the left-right direction. When the rearview mirror 102 is tilted so that the upper portion of the rearview mirror 102 moves forward, the housing 70 approaches the inner surface of the recess 103a of the visor 103. In this embodiment, the light source 20 is configured with a single-chip full-color LED, as described below. This allows the light source 20 to be miniaturized, thereby enabling the housing 70 to be made smaller and thinner. This facilitates ensuring a gap between the housing 70 and the inner surface of the recess 103a of the visor 103.

[0036] As shown in Fig. 6, the light source 20 has a red light-emitting section 20a that emits red light when supplied with power, a blue light-emitting section 20b that emits blue light when supplied with power, and a green light-emitting section 20c that emits green light when supplied with power. The red light-emitting section 20a is composed of an LED chip that emits red light. The blue light-emitting section 20b is composed of an LED chip that emits blue light. The green light-emitting section 20c is composed of an LED chip that emits green light. Each LED chip includes a semiconductor.

[0037] The light source 20 has a common LED substrate 21 on which an LED chip constituting the red light-emitting section 20a, an LED chip constituting the blue light-emitting section 20b, and an LED chip constituting the green light-emitting section 20c are mounted. By mounting the three chips constituting the three primary colors of light on a common LED substrate 21, the light source 20 can be made smaller. The light source 20 configured in this way is a full-color LED, and the color of the emitted light can be changed as desired by individually controlling the light emission amounts of the red light-emitting section 20a, the blue light-emitting section 20b, and the green light-emitting section 20c. The brightness of the full-color LED is 10,000 cd / m 2 That is said to be the case.

[0038] 7 is a block diagram of the vehicle display device 1. A power supply 80 is connected to the vehicle display device 1. The power supply 80 is for supplying power to the red light-emitting section 20a, the blue light-emitting section 20b, and the green light-emitting section 20c of the light source 20, and is formed, for example, by an on-board battery.

[0039] The vehicle display device 1 includes a control unit 90 that controls the red light-emitting unit 20a, the blue light-emitting unit 20b, and the green light-emitting unit 20c. The control unit 90 is electrically connected to the circuit board 61 via a male connector 91 that is coupled to the female connector 60. A diode 30 is provided between the light source 20 and the first to third resistors 41 to 43. First to third capacitors 51 to 53 are provided between the light source 20 and the female connector 60. The provision of the diode 30 makes it possible to make the current constant and rectify it. The provision of the first to third capacitors 51 to 53 stabilizes the voltage and prevents flickering of the LEDs. The provision of the first to third resistors 41 to 43 makes it possible to perform current control in accordance with the rating of the LEDs.

[0040] The control unit 90 is configured, for example, by an on-board computer or the like, and receives an output signal from a sensor that detects the distance between the host vehicle and a following vehicle. The control unit 90 controls the light source 20 so that when the distance detected by the sensor is a first distance, the light source 20 emits light in red; when the distance detected by the sensor is a second distance that is longer than the first distance, the light source 20 emits light in amber (orange); and when the distance detected by the sensor is a third distance that is longer than the second distance, the light source 20 emits light in a color different from red and amber. More specifically, when the distance between the host vehicle and the following vehicle is short and there is a high possibility of contact with the following vehicle if the host vehicle changes lanes, the light source 20 emits light in red. When the distance between the host vehicle and the following vehicle is relatively long but there is a high possibility of approaching the following vehicle if the host vehicle changes lanes, the light source 20 emits light in amber. When the distance between the vehicle and the following vehicle is long or the following vehicle cannot be detected, the light source 20 emits light in a color different from red and amber. Examples of colors different from red and amber include blue, green, and white, but other colors may also be used.

[0041] FIG. 8 is a detailed diagram showing the circuit configuration of the vehicle display device 1. The red light-emitting unit 20a and the blue light-emitting unit 20b are connected in parallel. To display red, the control unit 90 outputs a signal to the R terminal of the female connector 60. As a result, only the red light-emitting unit 20a of the light source 20 emits light, and the blue light-emitting unit 20b and the green light-emitting unit 20c do not emit light, so red display light is emitted. To display amber, the control unit 90 outputs a signal to the A terminal of the female connector 60. As a result, the red light-emitting unit 20a and the green light-emitting unit 20c of the light source 20 emit light, and the blue light-emitting unit 20b does not emit light, so amber display light is emitted. To display blue, the control unit 90 outputs a signal to the B terminal of the female connector 60. As a result, only the blue light-emitting unit 20b of the light source 20 emits light, and the red light-emitting unit 20a and the green light-emitting unit 20c do not emit light, so blue display light is emitted.

[0042] (Effects of the embodiment) As described above, since the vehicle display device 1 has the light source 20 configured with a full-color LED, when the driver needs to pay attention to a following vehicle, only the red light-emitting unit 20a can be made to emit light to generate red display light, or the red light-emitting unit 20a and the green light-emitting unit 20c can be made to emit light to generate amber display light. This makes it possible to display on the display unit 102b of the rearview mirror 102 that a situation requiring caution is in progress.

[0043] On the other hand, when the driver does not need to pay attention to the following vehicle, for example, only the blue light emitting section 20b can be made to emit light to generate blue display light, or only the green light emitting section 20c can be made to emit light to generate green display light, thereby making it possible to display on the display section 102b of the rearview mirror 102 that no attention is required.

[0044] In this way, multi-color display is possible by individually controlling the red light-emitting section 20a, the blue light-emitting section 20b, and the green light-emitting section 20c of the light source 20, so that a specified display can be made not only when caution is required, but also when it is safe, thereby increasing the contribution to improving safety.

[0045] The above-described embodiments are merely examples in all respects and should not be construed as limiting. Furthermore, all modifications and variations within the scope of the claims are within the scope of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0046] As described above, the vehicle display device according to the present disclosure can be used as, for example, a display device for a blind spot monitoring system. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 1. Vehicle display device 20 light source 20a Red light emitting part 20b Blue light emitting part 20c Green light emitting part 30 Diode 41~43 1st~3rd resistor 51-53 1st to 3rd capacitors 61 Circuit Board 70 Case 100 Door mirror unit for vehicle 102 Rearview mirror 102b Display section 103 Visor

Claims

1. A vehicle display device that is incorporated into a mirror unit that has a rearview mirror and is attached to a vehicle, a light source having a red light emitting section that emits red light when supplied with power, a blue light emitting section that emits blue light when supplied with power, and a green light emitting section that emits green light when supplied with power; a display unit provided in a partial area of ​​the rearview mirror disposed on the vehicle rear side of the light source, the display unit transmitting light emitted from the light source to the vehicle rear side to display a predetermined image; a control unit that controls the red light emitting unit, the blue light emitting unit, and the green light emitting unit;

2. The vehicle display device according to claim 1, The vehicle display device, wherein the light source is a full-color LED having the red light-emitting portion composed of an LED chip that emits red light, the blue light-emitting portion composed of an LED chip that emits blue light, and the green light-emitting portion composed of an LED chip that emits green light.

3. 3. The vehicle display device according to claim 2, The control unit causes the light source to emit light in red when the distance detected by a detection unit that detects the distance between a following vehicle and the vehicle is a first distance, causes the light source to emit light in amber when the distance detected by the detection unit is a second distance that is longer than the first distance, and causes the light source to emit light in a color different from red and amber when the distance detected by the detection unit is a third distance that is longer than the second distance.

4. 3. The vehicle display device according to claim 2, Further comprising a housing that houses the light source; The housing is attached to a portion of the rearview mirror on the front side of the vehicle closer to the edge than the tilt center of the rearview mirror, and is positioned between the rearview mirror and a visor of the mirror unit.

5. 3. The vehicle display device according to claim 2, Further, a circuit board on which the full-color LED is mounted is provided, The circuit board is disposed along the front surface of the rearview mirror.

6. The vehicle display device according to claim 5, The vehicle display device is configured such that the light source is located in the center of the display unit when the rearview mirror is viewed from the rear of the vehicle.

7. The vehicle display device according to claim 5, The vehicle display device, wherein a diode, a capacitor, and a resistor are mounted on the circuit board.

Images