Vehicle display system and vehicle display method

Abstract

To provide a vehicular display system in which a specific content can be seen by a front passenger seat occupant; and to provide a vehicular display method.SOLUTION: A vehicular display system 1 includes multiple indicators 2a-2d for allowing crewmen in a vehicle to see a virtual image or a real image by displaying a content on a screen, and a visual field angle control filter 9 constituted movably so that a content displayed on a specific indicator 2d among the multiple indicators 2a-2d can be seen by a front passenger seat occupant among the seeing crewmen in the vehicle, and that visibility by the driver is hindered.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle display system and a vehicle display method. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, with the increase in content to be displayed on in-vehicle displays, such as vehicle information and entertainment information (hereafter referred to as entertainment), technology has been proposed to provide a large display area by arranging multiple displays in the same housing of the instrument panel.The real image method is generally used, where the display surface of the display is installed facing the vehicle occupants, allowing the occupants to directly check the display.

[0003] However, because the interior of a vehicle is an environment susceptible to the influence of external light such as sunlight, it is desirable to adopt a system in which the display surface of the display is reflected by a mirror and the occupants view a virtual image. By appropriately adjusting the installation relationship between the display and the mirror, the image on the display can be viewed by the occupants while blocking external light, ensuring high visibility. Furthermore, by having the occupants view a virtual image, it is possible to reduce the burden of focusing at a distant viewpoint, and there is also the advantage that it can be installed in locations where a display using the real image method cannot be installed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-221756 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In recent years, in order to meet the needs of passengers in various vehicles, there has been a demand for the display unit located in front of the passenger seat to be able to display entertainment content such as movies, games, and online content.

[0006] However, when a driver checks the electronic mirror installed on the passenger side from the driver's seat or checks the surroundings of the vehicle through the passenger side window, if entertainment content displayed in front of the passenger seat gets in the driver's field of view, the driver may not be able to recognize necessary information or may find it annoying. Therefore, there is a demand for vehicle display control technology that allows the passenger seat occupant to view specific content.

[0007] The present invention provides a vehicle display system and a vehicle display method that allow a passenger in the front passenger seat to view specific content. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The invention described in claim 1 includes a plurality of displays that display content on a display surface to allow vehicle occupants to view virtual or real images, and a viewing angle control unit that is configured to be movable so that the content displayed on a specific display among the plurality of displays is visible to a passenger seat occupant and obstructs visibility to the driver. According to the invention described in claim 1, the viewing angle control unit can be moved so that the content is visible to the passenger seat occupant and obstructs visibility to the driver, allowing the passenger seat occupant to view the specific content. The vehicle also includes a movement control unit that moves the viewing angle control unit between at least the driver and the display surface of a specific display unit, thereby making the display visible to the passenger in the front passenger seat and preventing the driver from seeing the display. Multiple displays are arranged side by side in the left-right direction inside the vehicle. When a first display unit installed in front of the passenger seat is the specific display unit, the movement control unit moves the viewing angle control unit from in front of the display surface of the specific display unit to in front of the display surface of a second display unit installed in the center of the left and right of the vehicle, making the second display unit the specific display unit. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic structure of a front part of a vehicle according to a first embodiment; [Figure 2] 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of an installation form of the virtual image forming unit, and is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing the installation form along line II-II in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an installation form of the virtual image forming unit in front of the passenger seat. [Figure 4] 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of an installation form of the virtual image forming unit, and is a vertical cross-sectional side view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. [Figure 5] Control image diagram of electrical configuration [Figure 6]A diagram showing a movement control method of the viewing angle control unit [Figure 7] 7 is a diagram illustrating a method for controlling movement of the viewing angle control unit, and is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII in FIG. 6. [Figure 8] Viewing angle diagram when viewing angle control unit is stored [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a longitudinal sectional side view taken along line IV-IV of FIG. [Figure 10] Vertical cross-sectional view when the viewing angle control unit is stored [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the second embodiment in which the viewing angle control unit is controlled to move to an intermediate position. [Figure 12] Viewing angle diagram [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a movement control mode of a viewing angle control unit in the third embodiment. [Figure 14] A diagram showing the first method for controlling the movement of the viewing angle control unit [Figure 15] A diagram showing the second method for controlling the movement of the viewing angle control unit [Figure 16] Viewing angle diagram [Figure 17] FIG. 13 is a front view showing an installation state in which the viewing angle control unit is stored in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 18] A vertical cross-sectional view showing the installation state when the viewing angle control unit is stored. [Figure 19] FIG. 10 is a front view showing the installation state when the viewing angle control unit is activated. [Figure 20] FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the installation state when the viewing angle control unit is activated. [Figure 21] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of the field of view when the viewing angle control unit is moved in the fifth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, several embodiments of the vehicular display system 1 will be described with reference to the drawings. Parts having the same configuration in each embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals in the embodiments described below, and descriptions thereof may be omitted.

[0011] (First embodiment) A first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 10. A vehicular display system 1 is mounted on a vehicle. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, a display 2 is installed on an instrument panel 3 with its display surface exposed inside the vehicle cabin. FIG. 2 shows a longitudinal cross section taken along line II-II in FIG. 1, illustrating a display 2b in front of the driver's seat and its surroundings. Hereinafter, the instrument panel 3 will be abbreviated as "instrument panel 3." The instrument panel 3 is provided in front of the front seats of the vehicle, which include the driver's seat and passenger seat. A steering wheel 4 is provided between the front seats of the vehicle and the instrument panel 3, and a front windshield 5 is provided above the instrument panel 3. The upper surface of the instrument panel 3 is formed into a flat surface.

[0012] The display 2 comprises a plurality of displays 2a to 2e arranged side by side in the left and right direction inside the vehicle cabin, and constitutes a virtual image forming unit 6. The virtual image forming unit 6 displays content on the displays 2a to 2e, and reflects the image on a single large mirror 8 to form a virtual image in front of the driver D and passenger P in the front seat.

[0013] A hood 3a for the displays 2a to 2e is formed on the instrument panel 3, and the displays 2a to 2b and the hood 3a are arranged in a plate shape as a whole. The hood 3a is arranged to cover the backs of the displays 2a to 2e.

[0014] The multiple displays 2a to 2e are each composed of an organic EL display having a display surface on the front surface. The organic EL display is composed of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). OLED is an abbreviation for Organic Light-Emitting Diode. By using OLEDs, the display can be made thinner than TFT liquid crystals, and installation can be facilitated. TFTs may also be used for the displays 2a to 2e.

[0015] The display devices 2a to 2e are installed with their display surfaces facing downward and forward, and are configured as flat surfaces. However, due to physical installation constraints of the display devices 2a to 2e and to the need to design them to provide good visibility for the driver D who is positioned to the left or right of the center of the vehicle, the display surfaces of the display devices 2a to 2e are not limited to simple flat surfaces. They may be configured as convex, concave, or uneven surfaces.

[0016] In this embodiment, the displays 2a to 2e are installed so that their display surfaces are generally parallel to the line of sight of the occupants or so that the front side faces downwards, so that the driver D or passenger P in the front seat does not directly view the display surfaces of the displays 2a to 2e.

[0017] The virtual image produced by the display device 2b is projected in an area primarily visible to the driver D. A mirror 8 is installed through the glass 7 in front of the display surfaces of the displays 2a to 2e, or physically located below the displays 2a to 2e. The mirror 8 is a reflective member that reflects images emitted from the display surfaces of the displays 2a to 2e, and is supported by the instrument panel 3. The mirror 8 is installed so as to protrude obliquely downward and rearward from the inner end of the flat portion of the hood 3a. This maintains an installation relationship in which the display surfaces of the displays 2a to 2e and the reflective surface of the mirror 8 are inclined at a predetermined angle.

[0018] The mirror 8 is installed with its reflective surface facing diagonally rearward and upward, and is capable of reflecting images toward the front seats, i.e., the driver's seat and passenger seat, located behind the instrument panel 3. Furthermore, in order to improve the design of the reflective surfaces of the instrument panel 3 and the mirror 8, or to improve visibility from the driver's seat located to the left or right of the center, the reflective surface of the mirror 8 is not limited to a simple flat surface, but may be configured as a convex, concave, or uneven surface. The mirror 8 mirror-reflects the image displayed on the display surface of the displays 2a to 2e, and projects a virtual image in line with the line of sight of the occupants.

[0019] Since the mirror 8 is installed under the hood 3a and the displays 2a to 2e, the incident light entering from the front windshield 5 is blocked by the hood 3a and there is no risk of it being reflected by the mirror 8. Since the light is less likely to hit the reflective surface of the mirror 8, the vehicle occupants can more easily confirm the virtual image through the mirror 8.

[0020] The driver D or the passenger P in the front passenger seat can recognize the image projected on the display surface of the display devices 2a to 2e as a virtual image by viewing the reflective surface of the mirror 8. At this time, the vehicle occupant sees the virtual image as if it were located further back than the reflective surface of the mirror 8, i.e., in front of the vehicle.

[0021] Fig. 3 shows a schematic perspective view of the display 2d in front of the passenger P, and Fig. 4 shows a longitudinal side view taken along line IV-IV in Fig. 3. The virtual image produced by the display 2d is projected in front of the passenger P, i.e., in an area that is primarily visible to the passenger P. The virtual image produced by the display 2d is also projected within the field of view of the driver D.

[0022] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, a viewing angle control filter 9 that limits the viewing angle is installed in front of the display surface of the display device 2d as a viewing angle control unit. The viewing angle control filter 9 is physically installed below the display device 2d, and more specifically, as shown in Figure 4, it is located between the display surface of the display device 2d and the glass 7 and is installed so that its movement can be controlled. The viewing angle control filter 9 is installed so as to pass light that is self-emitted from the display device 2d, and is provided so as to limit the viewing angle of the display device 2d. The movement of this viewing angle control filter 9 is configured so that it can be controlled by a movement control unit 14, which will be described later.

[0023] The viewing angle control filter 9 is made of a flexible material, such as a flexible film material called a VCF or LCF, which allows viewing angle control. A VCF is an optical element that limits the angular range through which light travels by arranging loopers at regular intervals and at a regular angle on the surface of the display 2d. An LCF is an abbreviation for light collimating film, an optical film with multiple parallel grooves. When a vehicle occupant views the image displayed on the display 2d from a direction perpendicular to the film surface, the image can be seen. However, as the viewing angle increases and reaches a predetermined cutoff angle, the light is blocked by the light-absorbing material, making it impossible to observe the display surface.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 5, the vehicular display system 1 is composed of a display device 2 and an electronic control unit 11. The electronic control unit 11 is also called an ECU (Electronic Control Unit). Electronic control units 11 in a vehicle can be classified into display-system ECUs, driving control ECUs, etc., and the electronic control unit 11 in this embodiment belongs to the display-system ECU and is also called an HCU. HCU stands for Human Machine Interface Control Unit and indicates an information presentation control device. The electronic control unit 11 is mainly composed of a microcomputer equipped with a memory unit as a non-transitory physical recording medium such as a processor, cache memory, RAM, and ROM, and a bus connecting these, and performs various processes by executing programs stored in the memory unit.

[0025] The storage unit stores various applications (hereinafter referred to as apps). The apps include a navigation app, an image synthesis app, etc. The navigation app is an application that realizes the navigation function and is mainly used to draw content such as a map to be displayed on multiple displays (e.g., 2c, 2d) and a navigation screen that includes the current vehicle position.

[0026] The electronic control unit 11 includes a control unit 12, a display processing unit 13, and a movement control unit 14. The control unit 12 of the electronic control unit 11 performs various controls based on the monitoring results of the occupant monitor 40.

[0027] The occupant monitor 40 detects the status of vehicle occupants inside the vehicle. The occupant monitor 40 is, for example, a power switch 41, a turn switch 42, an occupant status monitor 43, an automatic control switch 44, etc., and outputs various signals to the control device 12. The occupant monitor 40 may also include a steering sensor that detects whether the driver is gripping or steering the steering wheel 4, a seating sensor that detects whether the driver is seated in the front seat, an accelerator pedal or brake pedal depression sensor, an electronic throttle sensor, etc.

[0028] The power switch 41 is turned on by a vehicle occupant in the vehicle cabin to start the internal combustion engine or the electric motor, and outputs a signal corresponding to the operation. The turn switch 42 is turned on by a vehicle occupant in the vehicle cabin to activate the vehicle's turn indicators, and outputs a turn signal to turn right or left in accordance with the operation. The occupant status monitor 43 detects the status of the driver D or passenger seat occupant P by capturing an image of the driver D or passenger seat occupant P using an image sensor and outputs an image signal. The occupant status monitor 43 is used to detect the status of occupants such as the driver during normal driving, driving assistance, or automatic driving. In particular, the occupant status monitor 43 for the driver D sitting in the driver's seat is called a DSM. DSM stands for Driver Status Monitor.

[0029] The automatic control switch 44 is turned on by a vehicle occupant in the vehicle cabin to issue a command for automatic control of the vehicle's driving state, and outputs an automatic control signal corresponding to the operation. The control device 12 can determine the behavior of the vehicle occupant, for example, the direction in which the line of sight is directed, based on the sensor signal from the occupant monitor 40, and can also input the operation state of the power switch 41, the operating state of the turn signal, command information for automatic control of the vehicle, etc.

[0030] The display processing unit 13 also processes and displays image and text content on the display screens of the multiple displays 2a to 2e under the control of the control device 12. At this time, the displays 2a and 2e located at the left and right ends mainly display content for the electronic mirror, and control the display 2b located directly in front of the driver's seat to display a meter image.

[0031] The other displays 2c and 2d are controlled to display map screens for navigation processing, images captured by a front-view camera, and entertainment image content. The content displayed on each of the displays 2a to 2e is not limited to these.

[0032] The movement control unit 14 controls the movement of the viewing angle control filter 9 based on the control of the control device 12, thereby placing the viewing angle control filter 9 in front of the display surface of the display 2d and between the passenger seat occupant P and the driver D, or moving it outside or storing it. As shown in a specific example in Figure 6, flexible belts 15 are fixed to both the left and right ends of the viewing angle control filter 9, and the flexible belts 15 are placed so as to mesh with gear 16, and the shaft of the gear 16 is attached to the rotation shaft of a motor 17.

[0033] In addition, a guide rail 18 is provided as a restricting guide to restrict the movement of the flexible belt 15. By providing this guide rail 18, the flexible belt 15 is free to move up and down at the inner end of the instrument panel 3, and free to move back and forth below the instrument panel 3.

[0034] Movement control unit 14 controls the rotation drive of the rotation shaft of motor 17 to rotate gear 16, thereby controlling the movement of flexible belt 15 meshed with gear 16. Then, since viewing angle control filter 9 is fixed to flexible belt 15, it moves while partially changing its bending position.

[0035] Therefore, by controlling the movement of the flexible belt 15 by the movement control unit 14 as shown in Fig. 7, the view angle control filter 9 can be positioned between the display surface of the display device 2d and the glass 7 as shown in Fig. 4, allowing the view angle control filter 9 to function. At this time, the view angle control filter 9 moves between the driver D and the display surface of the display device 2d, so that the display content of the display device 2d can be viewed by the front passenger P as shown by the solid arrow in Fig. 3, while the driver D's visibility can be hindered as shown by the dashed arrow in Fig. 3. At this time, the driver D cannot see the display content of the display device 2d.

[0036] Conversely, by controlling the movement of the flexible belt 15 as shown in Fig. 10, the movement control unit 14 can store the viewing angle control filter 9 at the rear of the instrument panel 3 on the front side of the vehicle as shown in Fig. 9. At this time, the movement control unit 14 can store the viewing angle control filter 9 so that the display content of the display 2d does not enter the field of view of the driver D and the passenger seat occupant P. In this case, conversely, both the driver D and the passenger seat occupant P can see the display content of the display 2d, as shown by the solid arrow in Fig. 8.

[0037] It is preferable that the movement control unit 14 controls the movement of the viewing angle control filter 9 depending on the content to be displayed on the specific display device 2d, thereby switching between enabling and disabling viewing angle control by the viewing angle control filter 9.

[0038] For example, for vehicle information content related to the vehicle, it is preferable to control the movement of the viewing angle control filter 9 so that it is visible to both the driver D and the passenger P. Also, for example, content such as a seatbelt warning light for the passenger P while the vehicle is running, and a warning light for the passenger door being ajar, should be visible to both the driver D and the passenger P.

[0039] This makes it easier for the driver D to notice any abnormalities on the passenger side when checking from the driver's seat, and can warn the passenger P about this. Content intended only for the passenger P may be, for example, entertainment information, movies, games, telephone conferences, etc., which have a high rendering load and a high frame rate, utilizing in-vehicle and out-of-vehicle network communications. This allows the passenger P to view specific content and enjoy it.

[0040] Furthermore, the display processing unit 13 executes the application to realize the function of the adjustment control unit 13a. The adjustment control unit 13a has a function of adjusting and controlling the brightness and color of the display content that forms a virtual image on the display 2d in front of the passenger seat occupant P. When the movement control unit 14 switches the viewing angle control function by controlling the movement of the viewing angle control filter 9 of the display 2d in front of the passenger seat occupant P, the optical characteristics may differ between an image that has passed through the viewing angle control filter 9 and an image that has not passed through it. For example, a white image may appear blue or yellow when viewed by the driver D or the passenger seat occupant P.

[0041] For this reason, it is desirable to adjust the brightness difference and color difference using the function of the adjustment control unit 13a. In particular, when continuous content (for example, a landscape map screen or entertainment content such as a movie) is displayed on the displays 2c and 2d arranged side by side, or when continuous content is displayed vertically or horizontally on a single screen of the display 2d, adjusting the brightness difference and color difference using the adjustment control unit 13a allows the occupants to view the content without feeling uncomfortable.

[0042] According to this embodiment, the viewing angle control filter 9 is provided so that it can be moved and controlled to make the content of the specific display device 2d visible to the passenger seat passenger P among the vehicle occupants who view the content of the specific display device 2d and to block the visibility of the driver D. Therefore, it is possible to control whether the driver D can view or cannot view the content of the display device 2d, and the passenger seat passenger P can view the specific content.

[0043] A viewing angle control technology that can switch on and off using a method using TFT and liquid crystal shutters has been developed, and is called Privacy View. However, when an OLED with a particularly wide viewing angle is used, the viewing angle control effect is reduced even when a liquid crystal shutter is used. According to this embodiment, an OLED with a wide viewing angle is used in a virtual image method, so the passenger P in the front seat can enjoy the display content on the display device 2d.

[0044] (Variation) A modified example of the first embodiment will be described. When the electronic control unit 11 receives an instruction from the driver D via the automatic control switch 34, the electronic control unit 11 executes an autonomous driving mode in which the vehicle is driven automatically. In the autonomous driving mode, when a command is input from the electronic control unit 11 to an autonomous driving ECU (not shown), the autonomous driving ECU activates a driving actuator to perform a corresponding predetermined level of driving assistance and autonomous driving. For example, Level I driving assistance can perform automatic braking to avoid collisions with obstacles, following a preceding vehicle, or lane prevention driving to prevent the vehicle from deviating from the lanes on either side. Level II autonomous driving can perform a combination of Level I driving assistance or an autonomous driving mode under specific conditions, such as automatically overtaking a slower vehicle on a highway or automatically merging onto a highway. Note that Level II autonomous driving requires the driver to monitor the vehicle. In Level III or higher autonomous driving, the system performs all driving tasks while monitoring the vehicle.

[0045] At this time, it is preferable to switch between enabling and disabling the viewing angle control function depending on the driving situation of driver D. Specifically, it is preferable to execute viewing angle control by controlling the movement of viewing angle control filter 9 using movement control unit 14 depending on the driving situation of driver D. For example, when the situation changes to one in which driver D does not need to monitor the road ahead, such as when the vehicle is stopped or the autonomous driving mode is at level III or higher, it is preferable to disable viewing angle control by controlling the movement of viewing angle control filter 9, so that driver D can also view all content.

[0046] Conversely, when the driver D changes from a state where he / she is not required to monitor the periphery of the vehicle to a state where he / she is required to monitor the periphery of the vehicle based on a change in the level of the autonomous driving mode, it is advisable to switch the function of the field of view control using the field of view control filter 9 from disabled to enabled. This makes it possible to limit the content that the driver D can view.

[0047] For example, when the vehicle starts moving from a stopped state or when the autonomous driving mode changes from level III to level II or lower, the field of view control filter 9 can be moved and controlled to switch the field of view control from disabled to enabled.

[0048] (Second embodiment) A second embodiment is shown in Figures 11 and 12. As shown in Figure 11, the movement control unit 14 controls the movement of the viewing angle control filter 9 so as to cover a portion of the front side of the vehicle of the display surface of the display device 2d, thereby enabling viewing angle control to function in a portion of the display device 2d and preventing it from functioning in other portions. In this case, the visibility / invisibility of the display surface of the display device 2d to the driver D can be partially changed. In this embodiment, by controlling the movement of the viewing angle control filter 9 so as to cover a portion of the front side of the vehicle of the display device 2d, the display content reflected on the upper part of the mirror 8 becomes invisible to the driver D, as shown in Figure 12.

[0049] Furthermore, when displaying information simultaneously in the upper and lower areas Ra and Rb, it is preferable to display vehicle information in the lower area Rb that is visually targeted at the driver D and the passenger P. As described in the above embodiment, it is preferable to control the display of a seatbelt warning light for the passenger P while the vehicle is running, a warning light for the passenger door ajar, etc. in the lower area Rb. This makes it easier for the driver D to notice an abnormality on the passenger side, even if he or she is checking from the driver's seat, and to warn the passenger P about this.

[0050] It is preferable to display content for the passenger seat occupant P, such as entertainment information, in the upper area Ra. It is preferable to control the display of entertainment movies, games, telephone conferences, etc., which have a high rendering load and a high frame rate and utilize in-vehicle and out-of-vehicle network communications in the upper area Ra. This allows the passenger seat occupant P to view specific content and enjoy the specific content. It is also preferable to avoid interrupting the display of vehicle information such as warning lights in the upper area Ra as much as possible, as this may increase the processing load and have a negative impact on processing speed.

[0051] In this embodiment, an example has been given in which the upper area Ra is made invisible to the driver D, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the lower area Rb may be made invisible to the driver D. If the area Rb visible to the driver D is changed up or down, it is desirable that the display processing unit 13 also change the contents to be displayed in the upper and lower areas Ra and Rb.

[0052] (Third embodiment) The third embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 13 to 16. As shown in Figure 13, the movement control unit 14 may control the movement of the viewing angle control filter 9 in the left-right direction. In this case, the function of the movement control unit 14 may control the movement of the viewing angle control filter 9 from the display 2d located immediately in front of the passenger seat occupant P to in front of the display 2c located in the left-right center of the vehicle interior.

[0053] 14, as an example of a movement control method, a guide rail 18 is provided along the left-right direction inside the vehicle cabin below the instrument panel 3, and a movement control unit 14 linearly drives a flexible belt 15 along the left-right direction using a motor 17 and a gear 16, thereby controlling the movement of the viewing angle control filter 9 along the left-right direction. This allows the movement of the viewing angle control filter 9 to be controlled in front of the displays 2c and 2d.

[0054] 15, a linear slider mechanism 25 using a ball screw 21, a stepping motor 22, and a slider 23 may be provided, a gripping portion 24 may be attached to the slider 23 and the ball screw 21, and the view angle control filter 9 may be attached to the gripping portion 24 in parallel with the movement direction to move left and right. The movement control portion 14 drives the slider 23 linearly by driving the ball screw 21 to rotate with the stepping motor 22. This allows the view angle control filter 9 to be controlled to move left and right.

[0055] As explained in the first embodiment, when the viewing angle control filter 9 is moved and controlled in front of the display surface of the display device 2d, the driver D cannot see the display content of the display device 2d, as indicated by the dashed arrow in Fig. 3. However, if the viewing angle control filter 9 is moved in front of the display device 2c located in the left-right center, the driver D can see the display content of the display device 2d.

[0056] In addition, by being positioned in front of the central display 2c, the viewing angle control filter 9 controls the viewing angle of the display content of the display 2c as shown in Figure 16, but by adjusting the viewing angle control angle of the viewing angle control filter 9 of the central display 2c, driver D can also clearly see the display content of the central display 2c.

[0057] As shown in this embodiment, if the viewing angle control filter 9 can be controlled to move left and right, for example, the viewing angle of only the left half area, right half area, or 1 / 3 area of the display content of the display device 2d can be controlled by the viewing angle control filter 9.

[0058] For example, in recent years, in-vehicle displays have often been of the 8:3 wide-screen type, such as 12.3 inches or 10.25 inches. However, content from various apps, such as entertainment content, may not use the entire screen, such as when projecting a 16:9 or 4:3 horizontal display, or a 9:16 or 9:19 vertical display when using a smartphone's mirror link. By partially dividing the display surface of a specific display 2d without using the viewing angle control filter 9 for privacy viewing, a larger information display area for the driver D can be secured.

[0059] (Fourth embodiment) The fourth embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 17 to Fig. 20. In the above-described embodiment, a virtual image is projected using a mirror 8, but as shown in Fig. 17, the present invention can also be applied to a configuration in which a real image is visually recognized by the driver D and the passenger P. In other words, the present invention can be applied to a case in which the display surfaces of the displays 2a to 2e are installed facing the driver D and the passenger P.

[0060] When storing the viewing angle control filter 9, it is desirable to store it behind the display 2d, that is, at the front of the vehicle, so as not to be in the field of view of the driver D and front passenger P, as shown in Figures 17 and 18. As shown in Figure 18, the housing 30 is configured in the shape of a rectangular box, and is housed in the above-mentioned instrument panel 3. The glass 7 is provided in the housing 30 in the direction of the display surface, and the display 2d is installed standing upright in the housing 30 in the vertical direction. A gear 16 is configured above the display 2d.

[0061] Guide rails 18 are configured around the gear 16 and in front and behind the display 2d. The movement control unit 14 controls the movement of the flexible belt 15 along the guide rails 18 while engaging the flexible belt 15 with the gear 16 using the motor 17 and the gear 16, thereby allowing the viewing angle control filter 9 to move in front and behind the display 2d.

[0062] 19 and 20, the movement control unit 14 can cause the view angle control filter 9 to function by moving the view angle control filter 9 so that it is positioned on the display surface side of the display device 2d. This makes it possible to limit the view angle, and the driver D will not be able to see the display content of a specific display device 2d. This provides the same effect as the above-described embodiment.

[0063] (Fifth embodiment) The fifth embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 21. As shown in Fig. 21, even when the driver D or the passenger P in the front passenger seat visually recognizes the display content of the displays 2a to 2e as a real image, the movement control unit 14 may be configured to control the movement of the viewing angle control filter 9 in the left-right direction. This embodiment also achieves the same effects as the second embodiment.

[0064] (Other embodiments) The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but can be implemented in various modifications and can be applied to various embodiments within the scope of the gist thereof.

[0065] The techniques of the electronic control unit 11 described herein may be implemented by a special purpose computer provided by configuring a processor and memory programmed to perform one or more functions embodied in a computer program. Alternatively, the electronic control unit 11 and techniques described herein may be implemented by a special purpose computer provided by configuring a processor with one or more dedicated hardware logic circuits.

[0066] Alternatively, the electronic control unit 11 and the techniques described herein may be implemented by one or more special-purpose computers configured by combining a processor and memory programmed to perform one or more functions with a processor configured with one or more hardware logic circuits. Also, the computer program may be stored as instructions executed by the computer on a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium.

[0067] Although the present invention has been described based on the above-described embodiment, it is understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment or structure. The present invention also encompasses various modifications and modifications within the scope of equivalents. In addition, various combinations and forms, as well as other combinations and forms including one, more, or less than one element, are also within the scope and spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] In the drawings, 1 denotes a vehicle display system, 2a to 2e denote displays, 6 denotes a virtual image forming unit, 8 denotes a mirror, and 11 denotes an electronic control device.

Claims

1. A vehicle display system (1) for displaying content to a vehicle occupant, comprising: a plurality of displays (2) that display content on a display surface to allow a vehicle occupant to visually recognize a virtual image or a real image; a viewing angle control unit (9) configured to be visible to a passenger in the front seat among the vehicle occupants who view the content displayed on a specific display device among the plurality of display devices and to be movable so as to obstruct the driver's view; a movement control unit (14) that moves the viewing angle control unit between at least the driver and a display surface of the specific display device to make the viewing angle control unit visible to the passenger in the front passenger seat and to hinder visibility by the driver, The plurality of display devices are arranged side by side in the left and right direction in the vehicle, The vehicle display system is such that, when a first display (2d) installed in front of the passenger seat occupant is the specific display, the movement control unit moves the viewing angle control unit from in front of the display surface of the specific display to in front of the display surface of a second display (2c) installed in the center of the left and right of the vehicle, thereby making the second display the specific display.

2. A vehicle display system as described in claim 1, wherein the movement control unit moves the viewing angle control unit between the driver and the display surface of the display by moving the viewing angle control unit up and down or left and right in the vehicle.

3. 2. The vehicular display system according to claim 1, further comprising an adjustment control unit (15) that adjusts brightness and color among the plurality of display devices when the viewing angle control unit is moved to the display surface of the specific display device.

4. 3. The vehicular display system according to claim 1, wherein the movement control unit moves the viewing angle control unit to partially change the visible / invisible state of the display surface of the specific display device for the driver.

5. 3. The vehicular display system according to claim 1, wherein the movement control unit controls the movement of the viewing angle control unit depending on the content to be displayed on the specific display device.

6. There are two cases: a case in which the function of the viewing angle control unit of the viewing angle control section is enabled so as to hinder the driver's visibility; and a case in which the function of the viewing angle control unit of the viewing angle control section is disabled so that the driver can also view all content; The vehicular display system according to claim 1 , wherein the viewing angle control by the viewing angle control unit is switched between enabled and disabled depending on a driving situation of the driver.

7. There are two cases: a case in which the function of the viewing angle control unit of the viewing angle control section is enabled so as to hinder the driver's visibility; and a case in which the function of the viewing angle control unit of the viewing angle control section is disabled so that the driver can also view all content; The vehicular display system of claim 1, wherein when the function of the viewing angle control unit is disabled, the movement control unit stores the viewing angle control unit so that the display content of the specific display device is not within the field of view of the driver and passenger seat occupant.

8. The vehicular display system according to claim 1 , wherein the viewing angle control unit is made of a flexible member.

9. A vehicle display method for displaying content, comprising: When displaying content on the display surfaces of a plurality of displays (2) to allow a vehicle occupant to visually recognize a virtual image or a real image on the display surfaces, A viewing angle control unit (9) is moved so that the content displayed on a specific display device among the plurality of display devices is visible to a passenger seat occupant and is obstructed from being viewed by the driver, and the viewing angle control unit is moved by a movement control unit (14) between at least the driver and a display surface of the specific display device, so that the content is visible to the passenger seat occupant and is obstructed from being viewed by the driver, The plurality of display devices are arranged side by side in the left and right direction in the vehicle, The vehicle display method includes, when a first display (2d) installed in front of the passenger seat occupant is the specific display, moving the viewing angle control unit from in front of the display surface of the specific display to in front of the display surface of a second display (2c) installed in the center of the left and right of the vehicle, thereby making the second display the specific display.

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