Vehicle display device

Abstract

It can be adjusted easily and quickly, and you can verify that the image is clearly visible. [Solution] The in-vehicle display device of the embodiment includes a display panel, a heat sink arranged to cover the back and circumferential surfaces of the display panel, a backlight LED unit arranged along the upper edge of the display panel along the upper end surface of the heat sink, a support bracket that holds the display panel integrally with the heat sink, a pivot plate that changes the relative position of the support bracket, and a lever for changing the orientation of the pivot plate. The system includes a controller that switches the display panel between an on state and an off state in accordance with a change in the relative position of the support bracket.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an in-vehicle display device.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002] In recent years, instead of conventional rearview mirrors, an electronic mirror system that uses an imaging device to capture an image of the rear of a vehicle and displays the captured image, and an in-vehicle display device related thereto have been known. Patent Document 1 discloses a display device mounted on a vehicle, which switches between a mode for displaying image data of the rear of the vehicle and a mode for displaying a mirror image of the rear of the vehicle.

PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS

PATENT DOCUMENTS

[0003]

PATENT DOCUMENT 1

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0004] Further improvements are desired in electronic mirror systems.

MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEMS

[0005] An in-vehicle display device according to an embodiment includes a display panel, a heat sink arranged to cover a back surface and a peripheral surface of the display panel, a backlight LED unit arranged at an upper edge of the display panel along an upper end surface of the heat sink, a support bracket that holds the display panel integrally with the heat sink, a pivot plate that changes a relative position of the support bracket, a lever for changing a posture of the pivot plate, and a controller that switches an on state and an off state of the display panel in accordance with a change in the relative position of the support bracket.

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION

[0006] According to the present invention, an improved electronic mirror system can be provided. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle equipped with a display system including a display device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of the display device 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a front view showing the external configuration of the display device 1. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of an in-vehicle display device. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a block diagram illustrating the overall configuration of the main board. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a flowchart of the operation process when the vehicle starts up. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] Preferred embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle equipped with a display system including a display device according to an embodiment. The display system 3, including the display device 1 according to this embodiment, is mounted on a vehicle 5, for example, as shown in Figure 1. Here, the display device 1 is configured as, for example, an electronic mirror, and the display system 3 is configured as an electronic mirror system. In other words, Figure 1 shows a vehicle 5 on which the display system 3 is installed, and the display system 3 includes a display device 1 and an imaging device 2.

[0009] The imaging device 2 is an on-board camera mounted on the vehicle 5, and is installed either outside or inside the vehicle body 6. In this embodiment, the display system 3 is configured as an electronic mirror system, so the imaging device 2 is installed at the rear end of the vehicle body 6 and is configured to image the rear. However, it may also be installed at the end near the door of the vehicle body 6 to image the side, or it may be installed at the front end of the vehicle body 6 to image the front.

[0010] The display device 1 is located inside the vehicle compartment 7. The display device 1 functions as an electronic mirror and can display images acquired by the imaging device 2 on its surface 1a. The display device 1 is configured to allow switching between display mode and mirror mode. In display mode, the display panel on the display device 1 displays images acquired by the imaging device 2, and the display device 1 functions as a display. In mirror mode, the display panel on the display device 1 is turned off, and the display device 1 functions as a mirror.

[0011] If the display device 1 is an electronic mirror for rearward visibility, it may be implemented in the form of a rearview mirror, with surface 1a facing the vehicle interior 7 and the shape of surface 1a being the shape of the mirror surface of a rearview mirror. If the display device 1 is an electronic mirror for side visibility, it may be implemented in the form of a door mirror (e.g., door mirror 61), with surface 1a facing the rear of the vehicle body 6 and the shape of surface 2a being the shape of the mirror surface of a door mirror. If the display device 1 is an electronic mirror for forward visibility, it may be implemented in the form of an in-vehicle display device (e.g., display device 71), with surface 1a facing the vehicle interior 7 and the shape of surface 2a being the shape of the display section of a display panel that is a display device.

[0012] Figure 1 illustrates a configuration in which the imaging device 2 is installed on the rear end 6a of the vehicle body 6, and the display device 1 is applied to an electronic mirror system for rearward visibility. The electronic mirror system for rearward visibility is also called an electronic rearview mirror. The imaging device 2 acquires an image of the rear of the vehicle body. The display device 1 can display the image of the rear of the vehicle body captured by the imaging device 2.

[0013] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of the display device 1. Further, FIG. 3 is a front view showing the external configuration of the display device 1.

[0014] The display device 1 has a back surface 1b on the side opposite to the front surface 1a, and may be fixed to the vehicle body of the vehicle 5 via a fixing member 20 on the back surface 1b side. The display device 1 includes a housing 10, a transflective portion 11, and a display panel 12.

[0015] The housing 10 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped outer shape. In the following, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the direction perpendicular to the front surface 1a of the display device 1 is defined as the X direction, the longitudinal direction of the housing 10 is defined as the Y direction, and the direction perpendicular to both the X direction and the Y direction is defined as the Z direction.

[0016] The housing 10 has an opening 10a on the -X side, an opening 10b on the +X side, and an opening 10c on the -Z side.

[0017] One end of the arm 21 in the fixing member 20 is rotatably inserted into the opening 10b. The other end of the arm 21 is connected to the mounting member 22 in the fixing member 20. The mounting member 22 can be mounted on the inner side of the vehicle body 6. Thereby, the housing 10 can be fixed to the vehicle body 6.

[0018] The transflective portion 11 is disposed on the -X side of the display panel 12, and is fixed to the housing 10 from the -X side. The transflective portion 11 extends in a plate shape in the YZ direction, and has a substantially rectangular shape or a substantially inverted isosceles trapezoidal shape in a YZ plan view. The corners of the substantially rectangular or substantially inverted isosceles trapezoidal shape of the transflective portion 11 may be rounded. The transflective portion 11 has YZ dimensions corresponding to the opening 10a. The Y width of the transflective portion 11 is slightly larger than the Y width of the opening 10a. The Z width of the transflective portion 11 is slightly larger than the Z width of the opening 10a. Thereby, the transflective portion 11 can close the opening 10a from the -X side.

[0019] The display panel 12 is positioned on the +X side of the transmissive reflective section 11 and is housed within the housing 10. The display panel 12 extends in a plate-like shape in the YZ direction and has a substantially rectangular shape in a YZ plan view. The display panel 12 has YZ dimensions corresponding to the opening 10a. The Y width of the display panel 12 is slightly larger than the Y width of the opening 10a. The Z width of the display panel 12 is slightly larger than the Z width of the opening 10a. As a result, the display panel 12 can close the opening 10a from the +X side.

[0020] Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of an in-vehicle display device. The transmissive reflective section 11 is fixed to the front side of the front frame 10F that constitutes the housing 10 by adhesive members 31 (four members in Figure 4) such as double-sided tape on its peripheral edge. Multiple engaging protrusions 10FA are provided on the +X side of the front frame 10F.

[0021] Furthermore, a display panel 12, configured as an LCD module, is fixed to the +X side of the front frame 10F using adhesive members 32 (four members in Figure 3) such as double-sided tape around the periphery of its -X side.

[0022] On the -Z side (downward) of the display panel 12, button switches 33A and 33B are mounted on a button circuit board 34 and supported by a button holder 35, so that they can be operated from the surface side of the in-vehicle display device.

[0023] On the +X side of the display panel 12, a main board 36 is provided on which a button board 34 is mounted. This configuration reduces the space required for the button board 34 and allows for easy placement of LEDs for button illumination on the button board 34.

[0024] The +X side of the main board 36 is provided with a first connector 36A for connecting a control cable and a second connector 36B for connecting a power cable. Furthermore, a heat sink 37, for example, made of metal, is attached to this main circuit board 36 in a thermally bonded state. More specifically, the heat sink 37 is made of iron-based sheet metal or aluminum-based sheet metal.

[0025] Because the heatsink 37 has an asymmetrical shape, it can easily avoid the button circuit board 34, thus saving space. The heatsink 37 is positioned so that it is in contact with most of the surrounding surface of the display panel 12 when the main board 36 is attached.

[0026] A backlight LED unit (not shown) with multiple backlight LEDs is positioned on the back surface (-Z side) of the upper end surface 37T (+Z side end surface) of the heatsink 37. The backlight LED unit is illuminated from the back side (-Z side) by a light guide panel (not shown) located on the display panel 12, which is on the -Z side (downward) of the backlight LED unit. In this case, the heat sink 37 and the backlight LED unit are in direct contact or thermally coupled through a heat conductive member, thereby efficiently dissipating the heat generated in the backlight LED unit. Therefore, it becomes possible to reliably cool the multiple LEDs that make up the backlight LED unit.

[0027] Furthermore, the heat sink 37 is provided with an opening 37A for inserting the first connector 36A, an opening 37B for inserting the second connector 36B, and a notch 37C for arranging the button switches 33A, 33B, and the button board 34. In this embodiment, the notch 37C is located in the lower right of the heat sink 37. In other words, the button board 34 is erected from the lower right of the main board 36. As a result, when the display device 1 is viewed from the front, the button switches 33A and 33B are positioned to the right of the center of the lower side of the display device 1. This prevents interference with the lever operator 40C (described later) located in the center of the lower side of the display device 1, making it easier for the driver to operate the button switches 33A and 33B.

[0028] Furthermore, the heatsink 37 also functions as a shield, preventing electromagnetic noise generated on the main board 36, or electromagnetic noise from the surroundings reaching the main board 36, from affecting each other.

[0029] On the +X side of the heatsink 37, a pivot plate 38, a support bracket 39, and a lever 40 are positioned. In the above configuration, the heatsink 37 is fixed to the support bracket 39 by screwing in screws (not shown). This allows for proper fixing of components that move in conjunction with the support bracket 39 (for example, the display panel 12).

[0030] The lever 40 is housed in the housing section 39A of the support bracket 39, on the -Z side, so as to be rotatable with the pivot projection 40A as the pivot axis. In this configuration, the lever operator 40C of the lever 40 is positioned to protrude from the opening 39B of the support bracket 39.

[0031] Furthermore, the pivot plate 38 is housed within the storage section 39A of the support bracket 39 so as to be rotatable with the pivot projection 38A as the pivot axis. At this time, the -Z end of the pivot plate 38 is in contact with the contact portion 40B of the +Z end of the lever 40.

[0032] Furthermore, on the +X side of the support bracket 39, a ball member 39C, which forms a universal ball joint mechanism in cooperation with the fixing member 20, is supported by a shaft member 39D that protrudes from the +X side surface of the support bracket 39. In this configuration, the arm 21 of the fixing member 20 has a sheet metal stay on its circumferential surface, and inside it is provided a holder that is configured to press toward the center of the ball member 39C when the ball member 39C is considered to be a sphere, and holds the ball member 39C in a rotatable manner.

[0033] Furthermore, the rear frame 10R, which constitutes the housing 10, is provided on the +X side of the support bracket 39. The rear frame 10R is provided with an opening 10RA through which the lever 14 is inserted, and an opening 10RB through which the button switches 33A and 33B are inserted. Multiple engaging protrusions 10FA provided on the front frame 10F will engage with the rear frame 10R.

[0034] Furthermore, the +X side of the rear frame 10R has a rectangular opening 10RC, and the ball member 39C, which is supported by the shaft member 39D constituting the universal ball joint mechanism, is sandwiched by the fixing member 20, and the shaft member 39D is supported so as to be able to swing. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the entire +X side of the rear frame 10R is a rectangular opening 10RC, but it is not limited to this. The rear frame 10R may have a rear surface on the +X side, and an opening large enough to accommodate the ball member 39C and the fixing member 20 may be provided therein.

[0035] Furthermore, a portion of the -X side of the fixing member 20 is sandwiched from the Y direction by the first cover member 10Rb1 and the second cover member 10Rb2, which constitute part of the housing 10, and the first cover member 10Rb1 and the second cover member 10Rb2 ​​are attached by a plurality of engaging protrusions 10RbA to close the rectangular opening 10RC.

[0036] As a result, the display device 1 will be in the state shown in Figures 2 and 3, and will be installed on the vehicle 5 as shown in Figure 1.

[0037] Here, we will describe the general configuration of the main board 36. Figure 5 is a block diagram illustrating the overall configuration of the main board. The main board 36 is configured as a so-called microcomputer and includes a controller 51 equipped with at least one processor, a memory unit 52 configured as ROM, RAM, etc., a communication interface 53 for communicating with external devices such as an in-vehicle ECU, and a display controller 54 for controlling the display of the display panel 12.

[0038] Next, the operation of the vehicle during startup in this embodiment will be described. Figure 6 is a flowchart of the operation when the vehicle is started up. In the following description, the operating modes of the display device 1 are assumed to be a display mode in which the image captured by the imaging device 2 is displayed on the display panel 12, and a mirror mode in which the display panel 12 is turned off and the display device 1 functions as an optical mirror by optical reflection, and the operating modes can be switched by operating the lever operator 40C.

[0039] Therefore, a switch (for example, a microswitch) for detecting the orientation of the support bracket 39 is provided inside the display device 1 (in the example in Figure 4, inside the rear frame 10R). The switch is set to turn on when the support bracket 39 is facing towards the ceiling of the vehicle (approximately the +Z direction) and to turn off when the support bracket 39 is facing towards the rear of the vehicle (approximately the -X direction). Note that even if the on / off state is reversed, it is not a problem as long as the orientation of the support bracket 39 can be identified. Also, the position of the switch does not matter as long as it is in a position where the orientation of the support bracket 39 can be identified.

[0040] In the initial state, it is assumed that power is not supplied to the display device 1. In this state, when vehicle 5 is started (step S11) and power is supplied, controller 51 starts up (step S12). After completing predetermined initial startup operations such as checking the memory unit 52, checking program operation, and checking the operation of the communication interface 53, the system transitions to the normal operating state. Simultaneously, power is supplied to the display device 1.

[0041] Next, the controller 51 detects the state of the switch SW (step S13) and determines whether or not the operating mode of the display device 1 has been changed (step S14). In the determination in step S14, if the operating mode is changed (step S; Yes), the display panel 12 is turned on or off according to the operating mode (step S15).

[0042] More specifically, in this state, when the user operates the lever operator 40C, the lever 40 rotates in a plane parallel to the ZX plane with the pivot projection 40A as the axis of rotation. As a result, the pivot plate 38, which is in contact with the lever 40, rotates in the opposite direction to the lever 40 in a plane parallel to the ZX plane with the pivot projection 38A as the axis of rotation. Consequently, the support bracket 39, which houses the pivot plate 38, rotates within the housing 10 in the same direction as the lever 40 in a plane parallel to the ZX plane.

[0043] More specifically, when the user sets the operating mode of the display device 1 to display mode, the support bracket 39 rotates so that it faces upward when the user pulls the lever operator 40C towards them, in other words, moves it in the -X direction. As a result, the switch SW for identifying the orientation of the support bracket 39 is turned ON, so the controller 51 sets the operating mode of the display device 1 to display mode (step S15).

[0044] In this case, the support bracket 39 is positioned to face upward to prevent the scenery behind the vehicle from being reflected on the transmissive reflective section 11, which would make the displayed image difficult to see. The vehicle's ceiling is reflected on the transmissive reflective section 11.

[0045] On the other hand, when the user sets the operating mode of the display device 1 to mirror mode, pressing the lever operator 40C, in other words, moving it in the +X direction, causes the support bracket 39 to rotate so that it faces perpendicular to the -X direction. As a result, the switch for identifying the orientation of the support bracket 39 is turned off, so the controller 51 sets the operating mode of the display device 1 to mirror mode (step S15).

[0046] In this case, the support bracket 39 is positioned perpendicular to the -X direction so that the scenery behind the vehicle is reflected in the transmissive reflective section 11 and can be seen by the user.

[0047] As a result, when the support bracket 39 rotates within the housing 10, the display panel 12 also rotates via the heatsink 37 fixed to the support bracket 39, thereby adjusting its orientation to match the operating mode of the display device 1. Subsequently, the controller 51 determines whether or not the vehicle has stopped moving (step S16).

[0048] In the determination in step S16, if the vehicle operation has stopped (step S; Yes), the process is terminated. In the determination in step S16, if the vehicle operation has not stopped (step S; No), the process will proceed back to step S13, and the above-described process will be repeated.

[0049] As described above, according to the embodiment, the rotational operation of the lever 40 changes the relative position of the pivot plate 38 with respect to the support bracket 39, and consequently, the angle of the transmissive reflective section 11 and the display panel 12 changes. Therefore, the orientation of the transmissive reflective section 11 and the display panel 12 can be easily adjusted to the optimal orientation suitable for the operating mode of the display device 1. Furthermore, since the display panel 12 is turned on and an image is displayed simply by rotating the lever 40, even if no image is displayed on the display panel 12, an image can be immediately displayed, reducing the effort required from the user.

[0050] Furthermore, even when the display panel 12 is turned on and the backlight LEDs constituting the backlight LED unit 12A are turned on and generate heat, a portion of the heatsink 37 is positioned on the +Z side of the backlight LED unit 12A, allowing for easy heat dissipation.

[0051] In the above explanation, the pivot plate 38 and the heat sink 37 were constructed as separate components, but it is possible to construct the pivot plate 38 and the heat sink 37 as a single integrated component using metal. This reduces the number of parts and thus the manufacturing cost, while also improving the heat dissipation effect. In the above description, the controller 51 detected the state of the switch that detects the orientation of the support bracket 39, determined whether the operating mode of the display device 1 had changed, and turned the display panel 12 on or off according to the operating mode. However, this is not limited to this. The display panel 12 may have an on / off switch, and the operating mode of the display device 1 may be changed by switching the on / off switch of the display panel 12 as the orientation of the support bracket 39 changes. Specifically, a switch SW1 is provided on the back of the display panel 12, and as the orientation of the support bracket 39 changes, the pivot plate 38 switches between a state in contact with the switch SW1 and a state in which it does not contact the switch SW1. For example, when the user pulls the lever operator 40C towards them, the support bracket 39 rotates so that it faces upward. This causes the pivot plate 38 to contact the switch SW1, and the display panel 12 turns on. In other words, the display device 1 enters display mode. On the other hand, when the user pushes in the lever operator 40C, the support bracket 39 rotates to face perpendicular to the -X direction. This causes the pivot plate 38 to no longer contact the switch SW1, and the display panel 12 turns off. In other words, the display device 1 enters mirror mode. The display panel 12 may turn on when the pivot plate 38 is not in contact with the switch SW1, and turn off when the pivot plate 38 is in contact with the switch SW1.

[0052] In the above description, a portion of the heatsink 37 was positioned on the +Z side of the backlight LED unit 12A which has backlight LEDs. However, it is also possible to make the backlight LED unit 12A a direct-lit type (illuminating from the +X direction of the display panel 12) backlight LED unit.

[0053] This configuration allows for local dimming (which involves partially changing the brightness of LEDs to increase the contrast of the displayed image for better visibility or to create a more immersive image) and to maintain a uniform brightness across the entire display panel.

[0054] In the above explanation, a liquid crystal panel display was used as the display panel 12, but it is also possible to configure it to use an organic EL panel display. With this configuration, the overall thickness of the display device 1 can be reduced, that is, the thickness of the electronic mirror can be reduced, and the flexibility of installation can be improved.

[0055] While several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be carried out in a variety of other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0056] 1 Display device 2. Imaging device 3 Display System 5 vehicles 10 cabinets 10a, 10b, 10c, 37A, 37B, 39B opening 10F Front Frame 10R Rear Frame 10Rb1 First cover member 10Rb2 ​​Second cover member 10RbA engaging protrusion 11 Transmissive / reflective section 12 Display Panel 12A Backlight LED Unit 12T top surface 14, 40 lever 20 Fixing member 21 Arms 22 Mounting components 30 Optical components 31, 32 Adhesive members 33A, 33B button switches 34 Button Circuit Board 35 Button Holder 36 Main board 36A First Connector 36B Second connector 37 Heatsink 37C Notch 38 Pivot Plate 38A, 40A Rotating projection 39 Support Bracket 39A Storage compartment 39C Ball component 39D shaft member 40B Contact part 40C Lever Operator 51 Controllers 52 memory units 53 Communication Interface 54 Display Controller SW Switch

Claims

1. Display panel and A heat sink is arranged to cover the back and circumferential surfaces of the display panel, A backlight LED unit is positioned along the upper end surface of the heat sink and on the upper edge of the display panel, A support bracket that holds the display panel together with the heat sink, A pivot plate that changes the relative position of the support bracket, A lever for changing the orientation of the pivot plate, A controller that switches the display panel between an on state and an off state in accordance with a change in the relative position of the support bracket, An in-vehicle display device equipped with the following features.

2. The system includes a switch that turns on / off in accordance with the change in the relative position of the support bracket, The controller, in accordance with the state of the switch, The display panel is switched between an on state and an off state in accordance with the change in the relative position of the support bracket. The in-vehicle display device according to claim 1.

3. The pivot plate is housed and held within the storage portion of the support bracket so as to be rotatable about a predetermined first pivot axis as the pivot point. The lever is in contact with the pivot plate and rotates about a predetermined second pivot axis, thereby allowing the pivot plate to rotate about the first pivot axis, and is housed within the storage portion of the support bracket. The in-vehicle display device according to claim 1.

4. The backlight LED unit is in contact with the heat sink either directly or via a heat transfer member. The in-vehicle display device according to claim 1.

Images