System and Program

Abstract

To provide a system and a program capable of providing more operation information rapidly increased in a vehicle with a plurality of power sources without lowering grasping easiness of a user.SOLUTION: In a system, each operation information on at least a part of a vehicle with a plurality of power sources is distributed to a plurality of screens such as a power system screen P1, each part detail screen P2, and a time series screen P3, a display is allowed to display one screen of the plurality of screens, and the screen to be displayed on the display can be switched.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a system and a program for displaying various operational information of a vehicle having multiple power sources. [Background technology]

[0002] In the case of a vehicle that runs on a single engine, it is sufficient to provide the user with operational information about that engine, and the operational information provided to the vehicle driver is extremely limited, such as engine power, engine speed, coolant temperature, etc.

[0003] However, in recent years, vehicles equipped with multiple power sources in their powertrains have become increasingly common. A good example is a hybrid vehicle, which runs on the cooperation of multiple motors and engines. In such vehicles, the number of components constituting the powertrain has increased, and new operational modes, such as cooperation between the components, have emerged, resulting in a dramatic increase in the types of operational information generated in the powertrain.

[0004] Therefore, in a vehicle having a power system with multiple power sources, an attempt to provide the driver with all of the operation information occurring in the power system results in the display area being filled with the operation information, reducing the visibility of the operation information and resulting in a situation where it is difficult to say that the operation information is being provided. Therefore, careful consideration is required for the operation information that should be provided to the vehicle driver.

[0005] Furthermore, if the driving conditions of a hybrid vehicle are divided into starting acceleration, slow acceleration, low-speed cruising, acceleration, sudden acceleration, high-speed cruising, deceleration, and stopping, for example, during slow acceleration, high-speed cruising, and stopping, only the engine is driven and the motor is idling or stopped, while during starting acceleration, low-speed cruising, acceleration, and sudden acceleration, the motor and engine work together, and during deceleration, the engine is stopped and the motor is charged.

[0006] In other words, in a vehicle with a powertrain equipped with multiple power sources, the operating information generated by the powertrain may change frequently, which increases the frequency with which the user must pay attention to the operating information of the powertrain, and thus requires a display device that allows the user to grasp the operating status of the powertrain at a glance.

[0007] Therefore, automobile manufacturers are narrowing down the operational information they provide to users of vehicles equipped with multiple power sources to information that allows them to grasp the energy distribution of each power source.Hybrid and electric vehicles have rapidly become popular in recent years in response to global environmental issues and the depletion of fossil fuels, and it is thought that users are interested in the energy distribution of power sources from the perspective of pursuing fuel efficiency.

[0008] One example of such a display mode is to place a display panel in a location visible from the driver's seat. A background image of a bird's-eye view of the vehicle's power system is displayed on the display panel. Schematic images of each component of the power system are placed on the background image. Arrows are then displayed between the schematic images of each component (see, for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2).

[0009] In this case, the arrows identify the components and serve as operation information that indicates the movement of energy between them. This display format is sufficient for understanding the energy distribution, and the number of types of operation information displayed can be reduced. Furthermore, since the meaning of the operation information is expressed by an image, it does not reduce the ease of understanding when combined with the operation information. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0010] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-93491 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-501573 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0011] For example, some users may desire to pursue greater fuel efficiency. Users with such a desire may be interested in the causes of the energy allocation of each power source, as well as the energy allocation of each power source. For example, it may be the battery deterioration, rather than the driving style, that affects the energy allocation of the power sources. However, if the operation information is limited to the energy allocation, as in the past, it becomes difficult to investigate the causes of such energy allocation. On the other hand, if an attempt is made to provide detailed information about each operating state that allows the energy allocation and the causes of the allocation to be investigated, the display of a large amount of operation information becomes complicated, making it difficult to check while driving.

[0012] In other words, in the past, it was not possible to achieve both the ease of understanding of the operating information, which has rapidly increased in vehicles equipped with multiple power sources in the power system, and the completeness of providing the operating information without any omissions. This situation is not limited to the pursuit of fuel efficiency, but for users who wish to deeply pursue, for example, driving performance, both understanding of driving performance and the causes of that driving performance are of interest, and if the display mode is limited to only the operating information for understanding driving performance as in the past, it becomes impossible to achieve both the ease of understanding of the operating information that satisfies the interest and the completeness.

[0013] In short, users have priorities for the operation information they need to understand, and the frequency with which they want to understand it varies depending on the priority.However, in the past, operation information was classified as either provided or not provided, making it impossible to achieve both ease of understanding operation information and completeness.

[0014] The present invention has been proposed to solve the problems of the prior art as described above, and its purpose is to provide a system and a program that can provide more operating information, which has rapidly increased in a vehicle, without reducing the ease with which the user can grasp it. [Means for solving the problem]

[0015] (1) In order to achieve the above object, the system of the present invention is characterized in that it distributes each piece of operational information relating to at least a portion of a vehicle having multiple power sources to multiple screens, displays one of the multiple screens on a display means, and makes it possible to switch the screen displayed on the display means.

[0016] This allows the amount of operation information displayed on one screen to be limited, making it easier to understand the operation information. By switching screens, other operation information can also be viewed, making it possible to easily and reliably provide more operation information than before. For example, if a configuration is adopted in which all operation information desired by the user is distributed to each screen without omission, the operation information desired by the user can be provided without omission. Therefore, it is possible to ensure the completeness of operation information related to a part of the vehicle, such as the vehicle, its power system, or only the electrical system of the power system. Therefore, it is possible to fully satisfy the concerns desired by the vehicle driver.

[0017] (2) The plurality of screens may include a first screen that collects operational information that the user desires to understand, and one or more second screens to which other operational information is distributed.

[0018] This allows the user to basically refer to the first screen to get a rough understanding of the power system trends related to the desired perspective, and then refer to the second screen if he or she wants to delve deeper into the results of that rough understanding.

[0019] (3) It is desirable that the first screen displays operational information that allows the user to roughly grasp the operating status of the entire power system of the vehicle. The user can grasp the desired viewpoint in the context of the entire power system, and it becomes easy to determine which page of the second screen to refer to further. The user's desired viewpoint may be, for example, the pursuit of fuel efficiency, the pursuit of driving performance, the pursuit of maintaining the performance or extending the life of the vehicle, etc.

[0020] (4) The first screen may be displayed as a power system screen that provides an overview of the entire power system, and the second screen may be prepared for each division of the power system, and displayed as a detailed screen for each part that displays operating information for each part belonging to that division.

[0021] The power system screen, which provides an overview of the entire power system, makes it easy to grasp the overall trends of the power system in a coherent manner. The detailed screen for each part makes it possible to investigate the causes of trends based on the overall trends of the power system. This makes it possible to achieve both ease of understanding and completeness of operating information while maintaining user convenience.

[0022] Here, the operation information from which an outline of the operation state can be grasped may be, for example, the input and output of energy to and from each device. If the power system is a so-called hybrid system, that is, if the power system is mainly composed of an engine, a battery, a front motor, a rear motor, and a generator motor, the operation information from which an outline of the operation state can be grasped may be, for example, engine power, engine speed, coolant temperature, battery current, battery capacity, front motor power, rear motor power, motor torque distribution ratio, generated power, etc.

[0023] Operational information such as engine power, engine speed, coolant temperature, battery current, battery capacity, front motor power, rear motor power, motor torque distribution ratio, and generated power not only makes it possible to understand the distribution of energy produced by multiple power systems, but can also, for example, discover discrepancies between the vehicle's driving state and this operational information, providing an opportunity to investigate the cause of the energy distribution.

[0024] (5) The power system screen may include an arrow display indicating the direction of energy input and output to each part, or the direction and magnitude of energy, as operation information, and the part detail screen may include a numerical or meter display as the other operation information.

[0025] This makes it possible to instantly improve the ease of understanding energy distribution, the completeness of information for investigating the causes of energy distribution, and user convenience, all at once, when the user's desired viewpoint is to investigate the energy distribution of multiple power sources and the causes of that distribution.

[0026] That is, the power system screen allows the user to grasp the power system overview at a glance, and for example, makes it easy to grasp the energy distribution at a glance. This can assist the user in understanding the energy distribution, which is a frequent action performed by the user while the vehicle is running. The individual part details screen makes it easy to investigate the mechanism by which the energy distribution occurs. Furthermore, by separating the power system screen and the individual part details screen, it is possible to quickly respond to the user's request, whether they wish to check the energy distribution or to investigate the cause of the energy distribution. The magnitude of the energy can be indicated by the thickness or color of the arrow.

[0027] (6) The first screen may display a schematic diagram of the vehicle's power system or the vehicle, and may display a smaller number of pieces of operating information than those displayed on the second screen, corresponding to the location of the subject, and the second screen may display the operating information in pairs with the name of the type of operating information across multiple columns.

[0028] On the first screen, the information is displayed together with a schematic diagram of the vehicle, so for example, the amount of information is reduced to avoid clutter, but there is no need to display the names specifying the types of operation information as character strings. This configuration prevents the operation information, written as character strings, from becoming difficult to read in conjunction with the name character strings, which is advantageous for grasping the outline of the operation information. On the other hand, on the second screen, for example, it is preferable to display more operation information together with name character strings that allow the meaning of the operation information to be understood, thereby pursuing completeness of the operation information. Using the first screen and the second screen together is advantageous because it is possible to further improve the ease of understanding and completeness of the operation information and user convenience.

[0029] The power system screen may have a background screen in which the vehicle is depicted in a wireframe, with operation information displayed so as to overlap the position of each device. Using a wireframe background screen for the power system screen can give the user a sense of realism. It is preferable to provide various background screens for the power system screen so that the user can select one.

[0030] (7) The plurality of screens may include a time-series screen that displays changes in the operation information over time. This is advantageous when the user needs to understand changes in the operation information over time to investigate the cause. For example, this makes it easier to associate changes in the operation information with the user's driving, allowing the user to understand the desired energy allocation method, etc. The time-series screen may be configured to associate time with operation information, such as a line graph screen, a tabular screen, or a video screen in which the time scale is compressed and numerical values ​​and bar graphs change dynamically.

[0031] (8) It is preferable that the selection of operation information by the user is accepted and the operation information selected by the user is displayed in the margin of the first screen. This allows the user to always grasp, for example, operation information that the user considers particularly important other than for general understanding without switching, and it is possible to further satisfy the user's interest.

[0032] Furthermore, the system may accept a selection of operation information by the user and display the operation information selected by the user in the margin of one or more of the plurality of screens. That is, the operation information selected by the user may be displayed in the margin of not only the first screen but also other screens, so that the operation information desired by the user will not disappear from the screen even when the screen is switched, thereby improving user convenience.

[0033] (9) The first screen may be provided with a display for displaying diagnostic information in a margin thereof or for notifying the user of the presence of diagnostic information. (11) One or more of the plurality of screens may be provided with a display for displaying diagnostic information in a margin thereof or for notifying the user of the presence of diagnostic information.

[0034] The root cause of the problem that the user is trying to investigate is sometimes a vehicle malfunction. By displaying diagnostic information in the margin or by displaying a notification that diagnostic information is available, the root cause of the problem can be easily and conveniently notified to the user, which is advantageous. In particular, in a system that attempts to provide information on fuel economy and driving performance, the diagnostic information has a high affinity, reducing the risk that the user will ignore the vehicle malfunction. In particular, in the first screen, which emphasizes an overview of the operating information, the screen becomes somewhat more cluttered, but this clutter is advantageous because it improves the accuracy of the overview.

[0035] (10) The system may accept a user's selection of operation information and display the selected operation information in the margin of one or more of the multiple screens. This allows the user to easily view information that they consider important, in addition to diagnostic information. The margin may be either an empty area on the edge of the screen or an empty area between individual operation information display areas. However, considering the visibility of other operation information, an empty area on the edge of the screen is preferable. In particular, since the operation information and diagnostic information displayed in this margin is often important to the user, the upper corner of the screen closest to the driver's seat is more preferable. However, if there is a large margin between individual operation information display areas and visibility is not an issue, the information may be displayed in that margin.

[0036] The screen switching mode may be such that the screen is switched in response to the user's tap operation and the tapped screen area. In this system, the operation information is distributed across multiple screens, so that information is not crowded on one screen, and the risk of tapping incorrectly can be reduced.

[0037] The functions of the system described above can also be configured to function as a program for causing a computer to realize the functions. [Effects of the Invention]

[0038] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide more operating information, which has rapidly increased in a vehicle having multiple power sources in its power system, without reducing the ease with which the user can understand it, and it is possible to satisfy the user's interests without compromising user convenience. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0039] [Figure 1] 1 is an external view of an electronic device that configures a system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of an electronic device that constitutes the system according to the present embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a first screen displayed on a display device of the system. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a second screen displayed on a display device of the system. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing another example of display of the second screen on the display device of the system. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a display of a third screen on a display device of the system. [Figure 7] 10 is a table schematically illustrating a tree structure stored in a control unit. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of use of an electronic device. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the electronic device when it is a radar detector. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a map display of an electronic device. [Figure 11] 1 shows an example of a display for a radar wave warning function on an electronic device. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a power system screen of an electronic device that constitutes a system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a screen displaying diagnostic information. [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a power system screen P1 according to a third embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a part detail screen P2 according to the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0040] (First embodiment) (composition) A first embodiment of an electronic device constituting a system of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows the appearance of an electronic device 1 constituting a system of the present invention, with (a) being a perspective view of the front side of the electronic device 1 and (b) being a perspective view of the back side. The front side refers to the surface facing rearward of the vehicle, in other words, the surface facing the driver. The back side refers to the surface opposite the front side. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the electronic device 1 constituting a system of the present invention.

[0041] 1 is, for example, a radar detector, a car navigation system, a car audio system, a vehicle status display device, etc. The electronic device 1 is mounted on a vehicle such as a passenger car or truck, and provides information generated inside and outside the vehicle to the occupants visually in the form of figures, numbers, character strings, etc.

[0042] This electronic device 1 is incorporated into the interior panel of the vehicle as an in-dash type, or installed in the vehicle interior space as an on-dash type. The on-dash type electronic device 1 is externally attached via a bracket 3. The electronic device 1 is formed of a thin, rectangular case body 2. The bracket 3 is attached to the lower back side of the case body 2, and the bracket 3 is attached to the dashboard or the like of the vehicle, thereby fixing the electronic device 1 to the vehicle.

[0043] A DC jack 17 is disposed below the rear side of the case body 2. The DC jack 17 is for connecting a cigarette lighter plug cord, and is connected to a cigarette lighter socket of a vehicle via the cigarette lighter plug cord to receive power. Power may also be supplied to the electronic device 1 by connecting a cord that takes power via a fuse box to the DC jack 17.

[0044] The front surface of the case body 2 is provided with a display 5. The display 5 is a display means for visually displaying information, and is, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display. A touch panel 6 is provided on the display 5. The touch panel 6 is an input means for accepting user operations, and detects the touch position on the display 5 using a capacitance method or a pressure-sensitive method.

[0045] 2, the electronic device 1 is also provided with a connection cable 22 that is connected to a vehicle. The vehicle-side connector is an outlet for extracting various types of vehicle operation information output by the vehicle's ECU. This vehicle-side connector is, for example, an OBD-II connector, also known as a fault diagnosis connector. One end of the connection cable 22 is provided with a connector terminal 23 that can be detachably attached to the OBD-II connector. The other end of the connection cable 22 is provided with a connector terminal 25 for connecting to a socket 24 provided on the side of the case body 2, and is also detachably attached to the electronic device 1.

[0046] Furthermore, the electronic device 1 includes a control unit 18 inside the case body 2. The control unit 18 is a computer including a CPU, EEPROM, RAM, non-volatile memory, I / O, etc. An execution program is stored in the EEPROM, and the program is appropriately loaded into the RAM and executed by the CPU, thereby realizing the control unit 18 having various functions.

[0047] This control unit 18 is connected to the display device 5, touch panel 6, and the vehicle's ECU so as to be able to input and output signals. An operation signal indicating a touch position is input from the touch panel 6 to the control unit 18. A digital signal indicating various operational information of the vehicle is input to the control unit 18 from the vehicle's ECU via a connection cable 22. On the other hand, the control unit 18 outputs a video signal of the display screen displaying information to the display device 5.

[0048] This control unit 18 selects one display screen from a plurality of screen candidates for displaying operation information, and outputs a video signal of the selected display screen to the display device 5. The control unit 18 selects the next display screen according to a combination of the current display screen and an operation signal indicating the touch position.

[0049] The type, number, display format, and layout position of the operational information to be displayed are determined for each screen. The method for determining the type, number, display format, and layout position of the operational information depends on the purpose of the screen and the ease of visibility and comprehension derived from that purpose.

[0050] The control unit 18 selects the operation information to be displayed according to the template of the display screen, converts the selected operation information into a specified display format, or selects a graphic that matches the operation information from graphics that conform to the specified display format, and places the converted operation information or the selected display graphic in a specified screen area to generate a display screen, converts it into a video signal, and outputs it to the display device 5.

[0051] The control unit 18 stores three types of screens in its memory, distinguishing each screen by the type, number, display format, and location of operational information. The first screen displays a schematic diagram of the main components that make up the vehicle or a part of the vehicle, and displays operational information graphically within the schematic diagram. This first screen is provided to allow the user to intuitively grasp the general outline of the matters of interest to the user in the context of the entire power system.

[0052] For example, the first screen is a power system screen P1 that provides an overview of the entire power system of the vehicle, as shown in Fig. 3. This power system screen P1 is a display example of electric power equipment 1 mounted on a vehicle equipped with multiple power sources. A power source is a source that generates kinetic energy required for the vehicle to run. A vehicle equipped with multiple power sources is a vehicle that combines different types of power sources, such as two or more motors of the same or different types, two or more engines of the same or different types, or a hybrid system that uses both an engine and a motor.

[0053] On the power system screen P1, the type of operation information is the energy input / output between the components of the power system. The number of pieces of operation information is smaller than on the second screen P2 described below, making it easy to visually distinguish it from other operation information displayed at the same time. The operation information is displayed in the form of arrows A1 to A4, making it easy to grasp the general content of the operation information at a glance. The display position of the operation information is near the main components that input and output energy, making it easy to grasp the main body of the information at a glance. In other words, this power system screen P1 allows the user to instantly grasp the energy distribution trends of the vehicle.

[0054] Specifically, the power system screen P1 has part images G1 to G6, which represent the main components that input and output energy, on a background image B. On the background image B, arrow displays A1 to A4, which indicate the input and output of energy, are provided near the part images G1 to G6.

[0055] Background image B consists of a wide plate reminiscent of a vehicle chassis, with tire shapes arranged in four locations around the periphery. The part images G1 to G6 are a front drive shaft image G1, a rear drive shaft image G2, an engine image G3, a battery image G4, a front motor image G5, and a rear motor image G6. The front drive shaft image G1 and the rear drive shaft image G2 are part of background image B. The engine image G3, the battery image G4, the front motor image G5, and the rear motor image G6 are icons.

[0056] Arrow indicators A1 to A4 are: arrow indicator A1 indicating that the vehicle is being driven by the energy output of the engine; arrow indicator A2 indicating that the vehicle is being driven by the energy output of the front motor for driving the vehicle; arrow indicator A3 indicating that the vehicle is being driven by the energy output of the rear motor; and arrow indicator A4 indicating that the engine is exchanging energy with the battery via the generator motor.

[0057] On this power system screen P1, the operation information displayed by arrow displays A1 to A4 indicates the type and content of the information. That is, the display position of the arrow intuitively indicates the type of operation information. The direction of the arrow indicates the direction of energy input / output. Furthermore, the thickness or color of the arrow indicates the amount of energy input / output. The control unit 18 receives numerical data of the operation information to be displayed on the power system screen P1 from the vehicle's ECU, and generates arrow displays A1 to A4 according to the positive / negative sign and magnitude of the numerical data and places them on the power system screen P1.

[0058] The second screen displays various operational information for one of the main components of the vehicle in a tabular format, using numerical values ​​to indicate the detailed operational status of that component. This second screen is provided to enable the user to investigate the cause of the vehicle's operational status identified on the first screen.

[0059] For example, the second screen is a part detail screen P2 that displays various types of operation information about one of the main components that make up the power system, as shown in Fig. 4. The part detail screen P2 displays various types of operation information about one of the main components in multiple rows and multiple columns on the screen. The operation information is displayed as a numerical value D1, and is displayed next to a type name string D2 that indicates the type name of the operation information.

[0060] For example, the detailed screen P2 for each engine part displays type name character strings D2 indicating engine power, engine load, ignition timing, injection time, coolant temperature, engine oil temperature, throttle opening, engine speed, engine torque, intake manifold pressure, intake air flow rate (MAF), intake temperature, and battery voltage arranged in two columns and seven rows, and displays corresponding numerical values ​​D1 of operating information with units of measurement to the right of each type name character string D2.

[0061] The part detail screen P2 may also be configured to display various types of operation information for multiple components or across multiple components. In other words, the mode of displaying operation information for one major component is an example of how to display detailed operation information for the power system in a categorized manner. The parts that make up the power system may be categorized into multiple parts from various perspectives, and part detail screens P2 may be prepared for each categorized part to display operation information for each part that belongs to that categorized part.

[0062] Figure 5 is an example of a part detail screen P2 based on another classification. The part detail screen P2 shown in Figure 5 displays operational information for each part of the entire power system in more detail than the operational information displayed on the power system screen P1, and adds operational information related to the electrical system and air conditioning consumption. Specifically, numerical displays D1 of operational information such as engine oil temperature, system power, front motor power, battery current, battery voltage, auxiliary battery, total battery capacity, engine power, boosted voltage, accelerator position, air conditioning consumption, generator power generation, HV glide, and the number of existing diagnostic codes are displayed and paired with type name strings D2.

[0063] The third screen displays one piece of operating information in chronological order. This third screen is provided to verify and confirm the cause suspected on the second screen, the parts details screen P2, from the perspective of time change, or to find the cause of the occurrence of the situation grasped on the first screen, the power system screen P1, from the perspective of time change.

[0064] For example, as shown in Fig. 6, the third screen is a time series screen P3 that graphically shows the change in value of one piece of operation information over time. The time series screen P3 has an orthogonal coordinate system. The operation information is plotted on the orthogonal coordinate system to form a graph D3. In the orthogonal coordinate system, the horizontal axis represents the passage of time, and the vertical axis represents the value of the operation information.

[0065] The control unit 18 stores the relationship between the power system screen P1, the part detail screen P2, and the time series screen P3 in a three-layered tree structure. The layers are switched and displayed on the display 5 in response to user operations. In the three-layered tree structure, the power system screen P1 is located in the top layer, which can also be called the top screen, root screen, or home screen. The part detail screen P2 is located in the middle layer. The time series screen P3 is located in the bottom layer. The control unit 18 associates multiple part detail screens P2 with the power system screen P1, and associates multiple time series screens P3 with the part detail screen P2.

[0066] When an icon represented by each part image G3 to G6 in the power system screen P1 is pressed by a user operation using the touch panel 6, the control unit 18 causes the display 5 to display a part detail screen for the component corresponding to the pressed icon. Furthermore, when a user operation using the touch panel 6 causes the display 5 to display a time-series screen P3 of the operation information that was displayed in the pressed display area.

[0067] Fig. 7 is a table that schematically illustrates a tree structure stored by the control unit 18. As shown in Fig. 7, in response to pressing an engine image G3 displayed on the power system screen P1 in the top layer, the control unit 18 causes the display device 5 to display a detailed screen P2 for each engine part. On the detailed screen P2 for each engine part, type name character strings D2 indicating engine power, engine load, ignition timing, injection time, coolant temperature, engine oil temperature, accelerator opening, engine speed, engine torque, intake manifold pressure, MAF, intake air temperature, and battery voltage are arranged in two columns and seven rows, and corresponding numerical display D1 of operation information is arranged to the right of them.

[0068] In response to pressing the battery image G4 displayed on the power system screen P1 in the top layer, the control unit 18 causes the display device 5 to display a detailed screen P2 relating to each battery part. On the detailed screen P2 relating to each battery part, type name character strings D2 indicating the battery current, battery capacity, battery voltage, boosted voltage, maximum and minimum battery block voltage, maximum and minimum battery temperature, and maximum and minimum internal resistance are arranged in seven rows, and to the right of these are arranged numerical displays D1 of the corresponding operating information.

[0069] In response to pressing the front motor image G5 displayed on the power system screen P1 at the top layer, the control unit 18 causes a detailed screen for each part related to the front motor to be displayed on the P2 display unit 5. On the detailed screen P2 for each part related to the front motor, type name character strings D2 indicating front motor power, front motor torque, front motor rotation speed, front motor temperature, and front motor inverter temperature are arranged in five rows, and to the right of them are arranged numerical displays D1 of corresponding operating information.

[0070] In response to pressing the rear motor image G6 displayed on the power system screen P1 at the top layer, the control unit 18 causes a detailed screen P2 relating to the rear motor to be displayed on the display device 5. On the detailed screen P2 relating to the rear motor, type name character strings D2 indicating rear motor power, rear motor torque, rear motor rotation speed, rear motor temperature, rear motor inverter temperature, and motor torque distribution ratio are arranged in six rows, with corresponding numerical display D1 of operation information arranged to the right of them.

[0071] When an iconized generator motor image is displayed on the top-layer power system screen P1, in response to pressing this generator motor image, the control unit 18 causes a detailed part screen P2 relating to the generator motor to be displayed on the display 5. On the detailed part screen P2 relating to the generator motor, type name character strings D2 indicating generated power, generator rotation speed, generator torque, generator temperature, and generator inverter temperature are arranged in five rows, and to the right of them are arranged numerical displays D1 of corresponding operating information.

[0072] An example of use of the electronic device 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 8. First, a driver of a vehicle having multiple power sources displays the power system screen P1 on the display 5 while driving to understand the energy distribution of each power source within the context of the entire power system. When the driver wants to view operation information not displayed on the power system screen P1 in order to investigate the cause of the energy distribution understood from the power system screen P1, the driver presses one of the icons displayed on the power system screen P1.

[0073] For example, if the arrows from the front motor and rear motor on the power system screen P1 indicate a lower-than-normal energy output, the driver may press the icon of the battery image G4. At this time, an operation signal indicating that the icon of the battery image G4 is the touch position is input from the touch panel 6 to the control unit 18.

[0074] Upon receiving this operation signal, the control unit 18 switches the display screen of the display device 5 to the battery component details screen P2. The driver examines the operational information displayed on the battery component details screen P2, including the battery current, battery capacity, battery voltage, boosted voltage, maximum and minimum battery block voltage, maximum and minimum battery temperature, and maximum and minimum internal resistance. If the examination reveals that the battery current is too low, for example, battery degradation is suspected as the cause of the energy distribution. Furthermore, if the maximum internal resistance is excessive, there is a certain degree of certainty that the battery is degraded.

[0075] Furthermore, the driver may suspect that the battery has an initial defect. In this case, the driver presses either the numeric display D1 showing operating information such as the battery voltage or the type name character string D2 of that numeric value on the battery component details screen P2. For example, the driver presses the internal resistance (MAX). The touch panel 6 detects this press and inputs an operation signal indicating the touched position to the control unit 18.

[0076] Upon receiving this operation signal, the control unit 18 displays a time-series screen P3 of the touched operation information on the display 5. The driver can observe a graph D3 of operation information such as internal resistance displayed on the time-series screen P3 and determine whether the battery is defective from the start or has deteriorated over time.

[0077] Such an electronic device 1 is an example that assumes a case in which a user is interested in the fuel efficiency of a vehicle and wishes to understand the energy distribution and investigate the causes. Operational information that responds to understanding other matters of interest can be collected on the first screen while maintaining ease of visibility and understanding, and operation information for investigating other causes can also be distributed to one or more second screens. Other matters of interest include the pursuit of driving performance, maintaining the performance or extending the life of the vehicle, etc.

[0078] As described above, the electronic device 1 constituting the system according to this embodiment distributes each piece of operating information relating to at least a part of a vehicle having multiple power sources onto multiple screens, displays one of the multiple screens on the display 5, and makes it possible to switch the screen displayed on the display 5.

[0079] This allows the amount of operation information displayed on one screen to be limited, making it easier to understand the operation information. By switching screens, other operation information can be viewed, so the operation information desired by the user can be provided without any omissions. Therefore, the completeness of operation information related to the vehicle, its power system, or only a part of the power system, such as the electrical system, can be guaranteed. Therefore, it becomes possible to fully satisfy the concerns desired by the vehicle driver.

[0080] The multiple screens include a first screen that collects the operation information that the user wants to understand, and a second screen that distributes other operation information. For example, if the user is interested in fuel efficiency, the user will want to understand the energy distribution of multiple power sources, so the first screen collects operation information related to the energy input and output of the main components that make up the power system.

[0081] This allows the user to basically refer to the first screen to get a rough understanding of the power system trends related to the desired perspective, and then refer to the second screen if he or she wants to delve deeper into the results of that rough understanding.

[0082] The first screen displays operational information that allows the user to grasp the overall operating status of the vehicle's power system. This allows the user to grasp the desired viewpoint from the context of the entire power system, making it easy to determine which page of the second screen to refer to further.

[0083] When the first screen is to display operating information that allows a rough understanding of the operating status of the entire power system, the first screen is displayed as a power system screen P1 that provides an overview of the entire power system, and the second screen is prepared for each division into which the power system is divided, and is displayed as a detailed screen P2 for each part that displays operating information for each part belonging to that division.

[0084] The power system screen P1, which provides an overview of the entire power system, makes it easy to grasp the overall trends of the power system in a coherent manner. The individual part detail screen P2 makes it possible to investigate the causes of trends based on the overall trends of the power system. This makes it possible to achieve both ease of understanding and completeness of operation information while maintaining user convenience.

[0085] The power system screen P1 has arrow displays A1 to A4 indicating the direction of energy input / output to each part, or the direction and magnitude of energy, as operational information, and the part detail screen P2 has a numerical display D1 as other operational information. This makes it possible to improve the ease of understanding the energy distribution, the completeness of the information for investigating the causes of the energy distribution, and user convenience all at once when the user's desired viewpoint is to investigate the energy distribution of multiple power sources and the causes of that distribution.

[0086] That is, the power system screen P1 allows the user to grasp the power system overview at a glance, and for example, makes it easy to grasp the energy distribution at a glance. This can assist the user in understanding the energy distribution, which is a frequent action performed by the user while the vehicle is running. The part details screen P2 makes it easy to investigate the mechanism by which the energy distribution occurs. Furthermore, by separating the power system screen P1 and the part details screen P2, it is possible to quickly respond to the user's request, whether they wish to check the energy distribution or to investigate the cause of the energy distribution. The magnitude of the energy can be indicated by the thickness or color of the arrow.

[0087] The first screen displays the vehicle's power system or a schematic diagram of the vehicle, and displays a smaller number of pieces of operation information than those displayed on the second screen in correspondence with the location of the subject, and the second screen displays the operation information in pairs with the name of the type of the operation information across multiple columns.

[0088] On the first screen, the information is displayed together with a schematic diagram of the vehicle, so the amount of information is reduced to avoid clutter, but there is no need to display the names identifying the types of operation information as text. Therefore, the operation information displayed as text, combined with the name text, is not difficult to read, which is advantageous for grasping the general outline of the operation information. On the other hand, on the second screen, more operation information is displayed together with name text that allows the meaning of the operation information to be understood, so the completeness of the operation information can be pursued. By using the first screen and the second screen together, the ease of understanding and completeness of the operation information and user convenience can be further improved, which is advantageous.

[0089] The multiple screens also include a time-series screen P3 that displays changes in the operation information over time. This is useful when the user needs to understand the changes in the operation information over time to investigate the cause. For example, it becomes easy to associate changes in the operation information with the user's driving, allowing the user to understand the desired energy allocation method, etc. The time-series screen may be any screen that associates time with the operation information, such as a line graph screen, a tabular screen, or a video screen in which the time scale is compressed and the numerical values ​​and bar graphs change dynamically.

[0090] Furthermore, the screen may be switched in response to a user's tap operation and the tapped screen area. In this electronic device 1, the operation information is distributed across multiple screens, so that information is not crowded on one screen and the risk of erroneous tapping can be reduced. However, the screen may also be switched in response to voice input or gesture input. In the case of voice input, a microphone may be provided in the system or a microphone already installed in the vehicle may be used. In the case of gesture input, a camera may be provided in the system or an in-vehicle camera may be used. This simplifies user operation while the vehicle is traveling.

[0091] An example of application of this electronic device 1 will be described assuming that it is a radar detector. As shown in Fig. 9, the radar detector is equipped with a database 19 that can input and output data to and from a control unit 18. The database 19 can be realized by a non-volatile memory (such as an EEPROM) inside the microcomputer of the control unit 18 or attached externally to the microcomputer. Note that map data and information about certain alarm targets are registered in the database 19 at the time of shipment, and data about subsequently added alarm targets is updated as described above.

[0092] The control unit 18 receives information from the touch panel 6, the vehicle's ECU, a GPS receiver 13, a microwave receiver 14, a radio receiver 15, a geomagnetic sensor 36, an acceleration sensor 37, an atmospheric pressure sensor 38, and the like.

[0093] The GPS receiver 13 receives GPS signals from GPS satellites and outputs current position (longitude and latitude) information. The microwave receiver 14 receives microwaves of a predetermined frequency emitted from the speed measurement device. The radio receiver 15 receives incoming radio waves of a predetermined frequency.

[0094] The geomagnetic sensor 36 detects geomagnetism to determine which direction north is relative to the vehicle's direction of travel. The acceleration sensor 37 detects the vehicle's acceleration in the front-to-back, left-to-right, and up-to-down directions. The air pressure sensor 38 measures the atmospheric pressure at the current location of the vehicle in which the case body 2 is installed.

[0095] The electric power device 1 also has a built-in speaker 16 as an information output source from the control unit 18. The speaker port is provided on the bottom surface of the case body 2. As input means, a volume adjustment button 7 is provided on the right side of the front of the case body 2, and various operation buttons 8 are provided on the left side. A card insertion slot 9 into which a memory card 11 is inserted is provided on the right side of the case body 2 (see Figure 1), and a memory card reader 10 is provided inside.

[0096] In addition to the display 5, a lamp 31, a remote control receiver 32, and an infrared communication device 34 are arranged on the front of the case main body 2. The lamp 31 warns by shining in various colors depending on the type and urgency of the alarm. The remote control receiver 32 communicates data with a remote control (portable device: slave device) 33 via infrared rays and performs various settings for the device. The infrared communication device 34 sends and receives data to and from a communication device with a built-in infrared communication device, such as a mobile phone 35.

[0097] In this radar detector, the control unit 18 has a GPS log function, a standby screen display function, a map display function, a GPS warning function, a radar wave warning function, a radio warning function, etc. The standby screen display function distributes each piece of operational information related to at least a part of the vehicle to multiple screens, displays one of the multiple screens on the display means, and makes it possible to switch the screen displayed on the display means. That is, this radar detector switches among a power system screen, a component detail screen, and a time series screen as the standby screen and displays them on the display 5 in response to user operation.

[0098] The GPS log function is a function in which the control unit 18 associates the current position detected by the GPS receiver 13 every second with the time of detection and the speed (vehicle speed) and stores the result in a non-volatile memory as a position history. This position history is recorded in, for example, NMEA format.

[0099] As shown in Fig. 10, the map display function is a function that accesses the database 19 based on the current position detected by the GPS receiver 13, and reads and displays the map data stored therein. The map display function also has a function that searches for objects to be warned about around the current position based on the position information stored in the database 19, and if an object to be warned about is found in the vicinity, superimposes information indicating the object to be warned about (such as a target icon 112) at the corresponding position on the map and displays it. Specific display modes are as follows:

[0100] The control unit 18 displays the map so that the vehicle's traveling direction always faces upward in the main display area R1 that occupies almost the entire surface of the display device 5. The control unit 18 displays the map so that the current vehicle position is at the center of the lower side of the main display area R1, and also displays the vehicle icon 111 at that position.

[0101] The control unit 18 displays status information in a status area R2 set above the main display area R1. The status information displayed in the status area R2 includes, from left to right, a current time 121 (in the figure, "15:10"), a GPS radio wave reception level display icon 122 (in the figure, three parallel lines of different lengths indicate the maximum reception level), a no-parking area icon 123 (displayed when the vehicle is in a most important parking area or a priority parking area), a reception sensitivity mode display icon 124 indicating the radar reception sensitivity (in the figure, "SE" indicates the highest sensitivity), a vehicle speed 125 (in the figure, "30 km / h"), and a compass 126. The status area R2 is a transparent area and is positioned using a layer above the main display area R1. This allows the map located below to be seen in places within the status area R2 where no status information is displayed.

[0102] The control unit 18 displays the current scale information (reduction scale) in a scale display area R3 set on the left side of the main display area R1. The scale is set such that the vehicle position is 0 m, and the distance from the vehicle position to the vertical center position of the main area R1 ("500" in the figure) and the distance to the upper position ("1000" in the figure) are displayed in units of "m." When the control unit 18 detects that the main display area R1 has been touched twice consecutively, it displays a map scale change button (not shown) at a predetermined position in the main display area R1 (a position along the scale display area R3) and changes the map scale in response to the touch on the map scale change button. In other words, the control unit 18 changes the scale of the map displayed in the main display area R1 to match the scale of the changed map scale, and also changes the scale information displayed in the scale display area R3.

[0103] While the standby screen display function or map display function (hereinafter these functions are collectively referred to as the standby functions) is being executed, the control unit 18 executes processing to realize each function such as the GPS warning function, radar wave warning function, and wireless warning function in response to an event that has occurred, and returns to processing the original standby function when the processing of the function has ended. The priority of each function is set in descending order: radar wave warning function, wireless warning function, and GPS warning function.

[0104] The GPS warning function is a process executed at a predetermined time interval (1 second interval) in response to an event from a timer in the control unit 18. The process calculates the distance between the object to be warned stored in the database 19 and the object to be warned stored in the database 19, based on the latitude and longitude of the object's current position detected by the GPS receiver 13. When the calculated distance reaches a predetermined approach distance, the display 5 displays a warning screen, i.e., a GPS warning display 130 (a schematic diagram of the object to be warned, the remaining distance, etc.), and the speaker 16 outputs an approach warning sound indicating this.

[0105] Such warning targets include locations of drowsy driving accidents, speed measurement devices (radar type, loop coil type, H system, LH system, photocell type, mobile type, etc.), speed limit change points, enforcement areas, checkpoint areas, no parking monitoring areas, N system, traffic monitoring systems, intersection monitoring points, red light ignorance prevention systems, police stations, accident-prone areas, areas with high rates of vehicle theft, sharp / continuous curves (expressways), branching / merging points (expressways), ETC lane advance guidance (expressways), service areas (expressways), parking areas (expressways), highway oases (expressways), smart interchanges (expressways), gas stations in PAs / SAs (expressways), tunnels (expressways), highway radio receiving areas (expressways), prefectural border announcements, roadside stations, view point parking, etc. Information on the type of these targets, latitude and longitude information indicating their positions, schematic diagram or photograph data to be displayed on the display 5, and audio data are associated with each other and stored in the database 19.

[0106] FIG. 11(a) shows an example of a display of the radar wave warning function. This radar wave warning function is an alarm function that displays a GPS warning display 131 as an alarm screen on the display 5 and outputs an alarm sound from the speaker 16 when the microwave receiver 14 detects a signal corresponding to microwaves in a frequency band emitted by a speed measurement device (such as a mobile radar (hereinafter simply referred to as "radar")). For example, when the microwave receiver 14 detects microwaves in the frequency band of microwaves emitted by a radar, as shown in FIG. 11(b), a schematic diagram or photo of a radar stored in the database 19 is displayed as an alarm screen on the display 5, and audio data stored in the database 19 is read and output from the speaker 16 saying, "This is radar. Watch your speed." The distance to be displayed may be, for example, a distance estimated from the electric field strength.

[0107] The radio alarm function is a function that issues an alarm when radio waves emitted by an emergency vehicle or the like are received by radio receiver 15 so as not to interfere with the vehicle's travel, etc. The radio alarm function scans frequencies for police radio, car location radio, digital radio, special small radio, police station activity radio, police telephone, police activity radio, tow truck radio, helicopter radio, fire helicopter radio, fire radio, emergency radio, highway radio, security radio, etc., and when a radio signal is received at a scanned frequency, a schematic diagram indicating that a radio signal corresponding to that frequency, stored for each radio type in database 19, has been received is displayed on display 5 as an alarm screen, and audio data stored for each radio type in database 19 is read out and an audio alarm indicating the type of radio signal is output from speaker 16. For example, when a police radio signal is received, an audio signal such as "This is a police radio signal. Watch your speed" is output.

[0108] (Second embodiment) A second embodiment of the electronic device 1 constituting the system of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The same components and functions as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted. Fig. 12 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a power system screen P1 according to the second embodiment.

[0109] The vehicle's ECU and control unit 18 have a fault diagnosis function that analyzes operation information and diagnoses vehicle faults. As shown in Fig. 12, when diagnostic information is found as a result of the fault diagnosis, the control unit 18 displays a notification display G7 indicating the presence of the diagnostic information in a blank space on the power system screen P1. When an operation signal indicating pressing of the notification display G7 is input from the touch panel 6, the control unit 18 outputs a video signal of a diagnostic screen displaying the diagnostic information on the display unit 5, as shown in Fig. 13.

[0110] The margin for displaying the notification display G7 indicating the presence of diagnostic information is preferably the edge of the screen area R1 excluding the background image. More preferably, it should be in the lower corner of the screen, closer to the driver's seat. For example, as shown in Figure 12, the notification display G7 is displayed in the lower right corner of the screen, and uses a design based on red to make it stand out from other images and operating information. This is because diagnostic information is often important to the user, and therefore visibility is enhanced.

[0111] The root cause of the problem that the user is trying to investigate is sometimes a vehicle malfunction. By displaying a notification of the presence of diagnostic information in the margin, it is possible to easily inform the user of the root cause, which is advantageous. In particular, in a system that aims to provide information on fuel economy and driving performance, the diagnostic information is highly compatible, reducing the risk that the user will ignore the vehicle malfunction. In particular, in the first screen, which emphasizes an overview of the operating information, the screen becomes somewhat more cluttered, but this clutter is advantageous because it improves the accuracy of the overview.

[0112] Furthermore, instead of the notification display G7 indicating the presence of diagnostic information, or in a separate space from the notification display G7, operation information selected by the user may be displayed. This allows the user to always grasp operation information that is particularly important to the user other than for general understanding without the need to switch, which is advantageous because it makes it possible to further satisfy the user's interest.

[0113] It is desirable that this notification display G7 or the operation information specially set by the user be displayed on all currently displayed screens, regardless of whether the screen is switched to the power system screen P1, the parts detail screen P2, or the time series screen P3. Not only the power system screen P1, but also the notification display G7 or the operation information desired by the user will not disappear from the screen even when the screen is switched, thereby improving user convenience.

[0114] (Third embodiment) A third embodiment of the electronic device 1 constituting the system of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The same configurations and functions as those of the first and second embodiments are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. Fig. 14 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a power system screen P1 according to the third embodiment, and Fig. 15 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a part details screen P2 according to the third embodiment.

[0115] As shown in FIG. 14, the power system screen P1 may have a background image in which the vehicle is drawn in a wire frame, with operation information displayed so as to overlap the position of each device. When the display area of ​​this operation information is touched, the screen is switched. Using a wire frame background screen for the power system screen P1 can give the user a sense of realism. It is preferable to prepare various background images for the power system screen P1 and allow the user to select one via a setting screen.

[0116] This power system screen P1 displays only a limited number of operation information items that can be used to grasp energy distribution, and the operation information is expressed numerically, paired with a character string indicating the name of the type of operation information, and enclosed in a frame to enhance visibility. When this frame is touched, the control unit 18 switches to a detailed screen P2 for each part of the category represented by the operation information within the touched frame.

[0117] As shown in Fig. 15, the operation information on the detail screen P2 for each part may be displayed not only as a numerical value but also as a meter. The meter display has a background image with numbers along an arc, and the pointer image extending from the center of the arc toward the arc changes its point according to the numerical value indicated by the operation information. This harmonizes with the tachometer that displays the engine RPM and vehicle speed in a vehicle, improving the aesthetics of the interior of the vehicle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0118] 1. Radar detector 2 Case body 3 Bracket 5 Display 6 Touch Panel P1 Power system screen A1~A4 Arrow display G1 Front Drive Shaft Image G2 rear drive shaft image G3 engine image G4 Battery Image G5 front motor image G6 rear motor image G7 Notification Display P2 Each part details screen D1 Numerical display D2 Type name string D4 Meter display P3 Time Series Screen D3 Chart 9 Card slot 10 Memory Card Reader 11. Memory Card 13 GPS receiver 14 Microwave receiver 15 Radio receiver 16 speakers 18 Control Unit 19 Databases 22 Connection cable 23 Connector terminal 24 sockets 25 Connector terminal 31 Lamp 32 Remote control receiver 33 Remote Control 34 Infrared communication device 35 Mobile Phones 36 Geomagnetic sensor 37 Acceleration Sensor 38 Barometric pressure sensor

Claims

1. A radar detector having a function of displaying operation information of a hybrid vehicle based on information acquired from the vehicle side, which is a hybrid vehicle equipped with an engine, a battery, and a motor, The operation information includes a function of displaying information about the engine and information about the motor, a screen that displays an image of the engine and an image of the motor on a single screen; a screen that displays, in a plurality of rows 1, a type name character string indicating a type name of the operation information and numerical information related to the engine, which is the operation information, next to the type name character string; and a screen that displays, in a plurality of rows 1, a type name character string indicating a type name of the operation information and numerical information related to the motor, which is the operation information, next to the type name character string. It is configured to be switchable. A radar detector that features:

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

Images