Vehicle display device

Abstract

To provide a display device for a vehicle capable of reducing discomfort of a driver.SOLUTION: An image includes a both-eye region CB being a region visually recognized by both eyes by a driver 200; and a one-eye region CRL being a region visually recognized by one eye of the driver 200. A control unit 23 sets a non-display region CN in a boundary portion between the both-eye region CB and the one-eye region CRL and performs control such that at least a still image is not displayed in the non-display region CN.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a display device for a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there have been known display devices for vehicles, such as head-up displays, that allow a driver to view an image as a virtual image from the driver's eye position (eye point). For example, Patent Document 1 describes a display device that aims to improve visibility by making the brightness of a one-eye region of an image that can be viewed with only one eye higher than the brightness of both-eye regions of an image that can be viewed with both eyes. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-130771 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the above-mentioned conventional technology, an image displayed near the boundary between the one-eye area and the both-eye area may cross the boundary due to the driver's head movement, etc. When the image crosses the boundary in this way, there is a problem that the driver feels uncomfortable.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle display device that can reduce the sense of discomfort felt by the driver. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the vehicle display device according to the present invention has the following features. an image display unit that emits display light for an image; an optical system that projects display light emitted from the image display unit onto a reflective surface in front of a driver; a control unit that controls the image display unit, The image includes a binocular area, which is an area viewed by both eyes of the driver, and a binocular area, which is an area viewed by both eyes of the driver. right It is an area that can only be seen by the eyes. right The eye area; a left eye region that is a region that is viewed only by the left eye of the driver; and The control unit detects the eye regions and the right At the border with the eye area a first region having a horizontal width spanning the boundary between the both-eye region and the right-eye region; Set the hidden area, a second non-display area having a width in a horizontal direction across the boundary between the both-eye area and the left-eye area; The aforementioned 1st hidden area and the second non-display area Controlling the display of at least a still image within the It must be a display device for vehicles. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a display device for a vehicle that can reduce the sense of discomfort felt by the driver.

[0008] The present invention has been briefly described above. The details of the present invention will become clearer by reading the following detailed description of the invention (hereinafter referred to as "embodiments") with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of a vehicle display device according to the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the optical positional relationship between the virtual image, the second mirror, and the driver's eyes when the driver's eyes are located at the center of the eye box in the left-right direction. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the optical positional relationship between the virtual image, the second mirror, and the driver's eyes when the driver's eyes are positioned to the right of the eye box. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the layout of each area of ​​the virtual image superimposed on the driver's foreground. [Figure 5]FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the control unit constituting the vehicle display device shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Specific embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0011] For convenience of explanation, the following definitions are used for "front," "rear," "left," "right," "upper," and "lower" as shown in Figures 1 to 3. The "front-rear direction," "left-right direction," and "up-down direction" are perpendicular to each other. The left-right direction corresponds to the "horizontal direction" in the present invention.

[0012] As shown in Fig. 1, a vehicle display device 1 according to this embodiment is mounted on a vehicle 100 and constitutes a head-up display. The vehicle display device 1 is disposed, for example, inside an instrument panel 101. The instrument panel 101 has an opening 101a that opens upward. The opening 101a faces a windshield 102 in the vertical direction of the vehicle 100.

[0013] The vehicle display device 1 has a housing 4, a cover 5, an image display unit 20, a control unit 23, and an optical system 25. The image display unit 20, the control unit 23, and the optical system 25 are housed inside the housing 4. The housing 4 has a main body 2 and a lid member 3 that engages with the main body 2. The main body 2 has an opening that opens upward. The lid member 3 closes the opening of the main body 2 from above. The lid member 3 has a wall portion 30 that faces the opening 101a. The wall portion 30 has an opening 31 that opens upward. The housing 4 is arranged so that the opening 31 faces the opening 101a. The cover 5 is a plate-shaped member that closes the opening 31 of the lid member 3. The cover 5 is made of a translucent resin such as polycarbonate (PC) or acrylic.

[0014] The image display unit 20 is a device that emits image display light 70. The illustrated image display unit 20 is a liquid crystal display device, for example, a TFT-LCD (Thin Film Transistor-Liquid Crystal Display). However, the image display unit 20 is not limited to a liquid crystal display device. The image display unit 20 may be, for example, a device that generates an image on a transparent screen by scanning laser light.

[0015] The optical system 25 has a first mirror 21 and a second mirror 22. The first mirror 21 reflects the display light 70 emitted from the image display unit 20 toward the second mirror 22. The first mirror 21 is, for example, a flat mirror. The second mirror 22 reflects the display light 70 toward the windshield 102. The shape of the reflective surface of the second mirror 22 is, for example, a free-form surface. The second mirror 22 is, for example, a concave mirror that magnifies the display light 70.

[0016] The display light 70 reflected by the second mirror 22 passes through the opening 31 and the opening 101a, and is reflected by the reflecting surface 102a of the windshield 102 toward the driver 200. A virtual image is formed by the display light 70 incident on the eye 201 of the driver 200. The instrument panel 101 is provided with a cylindrical wall portion 103. The wall portion 103 surrounds the optical path of the display light 70 traveling from the opening 31 toward the opening 101a.

[0017] 2 and 3, the image displayed on the image display unit 20 and displayed as a virtual image to the driver 200 has a both-eye region CB, which is a region visible with both eyes of the driver 200, a right-eye region CR, which is a region not visible with the left eye but visible only with the right eye, and a left-eye region CL, which is a region not visible with the right eye but visible only with the left eye. The right-eye region CR and the left-eye region CL are regions on the left-right end side of the both-eye region CB. Hereinafter, the right-eye region CR and the left-eye region CL will be collectively referred to as the "one-eye region CRL."

[0018] Fig. 4 shows the arrangement of each region of the virtual image superimposed on the foreground of driver 200. As shown in Fig. 4, the leftmost region of the virtual image corresponds to the right eye region CR, the central region of the virtual image corresponds to the both eye region CB, and the right region of the virtual image corresponds to the left eye region CL.

[0019] The control unit 23 has a control circuit configured to control the image display unit 20. The control unit 23 is mounted on, for example, a control board arranged inside the housing 4. The control unit 23 controls the image display unit 20 to generate an image, for example, in accordance with a program stored in advance.

[0020] The vehicle 100 has a driver monitor 104. The driver monitor 104 includes a camera disposed in front of the driver 200. The driver monitor 104 captures an image of the driver 200 and generates a driver image. The driver monitor 104 detects the position of the head of the driver 200 and the position of the eyes 201 of the driver 200 (viewpoint position) based on the driver image. The detection result by the driver monitor 104 is sent to the control unit 23.

[0021] Control unit 23 sets both-eye area CB and one-eye area CRL (see FIGS. 2 and 3) on the display screen of image display unit 20, and changes the luminance between both-eye area CB and one-eye area CRL. Control unit 23 also sets a non-display area CN (see FIGS. 2 and 3) at the boundary between both-eye area CB and one-eye area CRL on the display screen of image display unit 20, and performs control so that a still image is not displayed in non-display area CN.

[0022] Next, the above-mentioned both-eye area CB and one-eye area CRL will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the optical positional relationship between a virtual image, a second mirror, and an eye 201 of the driver 200. The position of the eye 201 shown in FIG. 2 is the center position in the left-right direction in the eye box EB. The eye box EB is a range assumed in advance as a range within which the position of the eye 201 moves. The eye box EB has a predetermined width in the left-right direction. The vehicle display device 1 is configured so that an image can be viewed by the driver 200 when the eye 201 is inside the eye box EB.

[0023] 2, when the light reflected by the entire surface of the second mirror 22 is viewed, the left edge position of the right eye region CR is on an extension of the light ray "L1" that connects the right eye of the driver 200 and the left edge position of the second mirror 22. Also, the right edge position of the left eye region CL is on an extension of the light ray "L2" that connects the left eye of the driver 200 and the right edge position of the second mirror 22. Note that the driver 200 cannot view the left edge position of the right eye region CR with his left eye, and cannot view the right edge position of the left eye region CL with his right eye.

[0024] The left end position of the eye area CB is on an extension of the configuration "L3" that connects the left eye of the driver 200 and the left position of the second mirror 22. The right end position of the eye area CB is on an extension of the configuration "L4" that connects the right eye of the driver 200 and the left position of the second mirror 22.

[0025] As is clear from Figure 2, when the viewpoint position of driver 200 is at the center position in the left-right direction of eye box EB, the eye area CB, right eye area CR and left eye area CL can be set based on the distance between the eyes of driver 200 and the position of optical system 25.

[0026] Fig. 3 shows a state in which the position of eye 201 is shifted to the right side within eye box EB. In this case, both eye regions CB, right eye region CR, and left eye region CL are shifted to the left side relative to the positions shown in Fig. 2. Conversely, when eye 201 is positioned to the left side within eye box EB, both eye regions CB, right eye region CR, and left eye region CL are shifted to the right side relative to the positions shown in Fig. 2. In other words, both eye regions CB, right eye region CR, and left eye region CL change depending on the position (viewpoint position) of eye 201 of driver 200.

[0027] Therefore, in this embodiment, control unit 23 changes the position of non-display area CN according to the position of eyes 201 detected by driver monitor 104. Also, in this embodiment, control unit 23 calculates the average width of head shaking in the left-right direction based on the head position detected by driver monitor 104. Then, control unit 23 sets width W (see FIG. 4) of non-display area CN based on the average.

[0028] Next, the operation of the control unit 23 outlined above will be described with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 5. When the ignition switch is turned on, the control unit 23 starts processing. First, the control unit 23 measures the distance between the eyes of the driver 200 based on the driver image from the driver monitor 104 (S1).

[0029] Next, the control unit 23 sets the both-eye area CB, one-eye area CRL and non-display area CN on the display screen of the image display unit 20 when the eye 201 of the driver 200 is at the center position in the left-right direction of the eye box EB based on the measured distance between the eyes and the known position of the optical system 25 (S2).

[0030] Thereafter, the control unit 23 functions as a first acquisition unit and acquires the position of the eye 201 of the driver 200 detected by the driver monitor 104 (S3). Next, the control unit 23 functions as a first setting unit and changes the positions of the both-eye area CB, the one-eye area CRL, and the non-display area CN based on the position of the eye 201 of the driver 200 acquired in S3 (S4).

[0031] In S4, if the position of the eye 201 of the driver 200 is shifted to the right side within the eye box EB, the control unit 23 shifts the positions of the both-eye region CB, one-eye region CRL, and non-display region CN to the left from the positions set in S2 according to the amount of shift. Also, if the position of the eye 201 of the driver 200 is shifted to the left side within the eye box EB, the control unit 23 shifts the positions of the both-eye region CB, one-eye region CRL, and non-display region CN to the right from the positions set in S2 according to the amount of shift.

[0032] Next, control unit 23 functions as a second acquisition unit and acquires the movement of the head of driver 200 from the position of the head of driver 200 detected by driver monitor 104 (S5). Thereafter, control unit 23 changes width W of non-display area CN based on the movement of the head acquired in S5 (S6).

[0033] In S5, control unit 23 mainly acquires the left-right movement of the head of driver 200. In S6, control unit 23 changes the width W of non-display area CN based on, for example, the average width of the head shaking in the left-right direction. To explain in more detail, if the average width of the head shaking in the left-right direction is large, control unit 23 changes the width W of non-display area CN to a larger value, and if the average width of the head shaking is small, control unit 23 changes the width W of non-display area CN to a smaller value.

[0034] When S6 ends, the control unit 23 returns to S3 again and periodically changes the positions of the both-eye region CB, one-eye region CRL, and non-display region CN, and the width of the non-display region CN.

[0035] The control unit 23 controls the image display unit 20 based on the both-eye area CB, the single-eye area CRL, and the non-display area CN set by the operation of the flowchart shown in Fig. 5. The control unit 23 prevents a still image from being displayed in the non-display area CN. For example, when displaying independent designs representing route guidance, speed, and time side by side in the left-right direction, the control unit 23 prevents each design from being displayed within or across the non-display area CN.

[0036] According to the above-described embodiment, a still image is not displayed in the non-display area CN, which is the boundary between the both-eye area CB and the one-eye area CRL. This prevents a still image from being displayed across the boundary, thereby reducing the sense of discomfort felt by the driver 200.

[0037] According to the above-described embodiment, control unit 23 sets the width of non-display area CN based on the movement of the head of driver 200. As a result, even if the head of driver 200 moves and the positions of both-eye area CB and one-eye area CRL change, it is possible to reduce the display of a still image across the boundary, thereby reducing the sense of discomfort felt by driver 200.

[0038] According to the above-described embodiment, the control unit 23 sets the both-eye region CB, one-eye region CRL, and non-display region CN based on the position of the eye 201 of the driver 200. This makes it possible to set the non-display region CN at the boundary between the both-eye region CB and the one-eye region CRL with high accuracy.

[0039] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be appropriately modified, improved, etc. Furthermore, the material, shape, size, number, location, etc. of each component in the above-described embodiments are arbitrary and not limited as long as they can achieve the present invention.

[0040] In the above-described embodiment, the case where light reflected by the entire surface of second mirror 22 is viewed by driver 200 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the image may be cut off by cover member 3. In this case, both-eye region CB and one-eye region CRL are determined by lines connecting eye 201 of driver 200 with the right and left edge positions of opening 31 of cover member 3.

[0041] In the above-described embodiment, the control unit 23 measures the distance between the eyes based on the driver image and sets the both-eyes area CB, the one-eye area CRL, and the non-display area CN based on the measured distance between the eyes, but this is not limited to this. The control unit 23 may set the both-eyes area CB, the one-eye area CRL, and the non-display area CN based on a predetermined average distance between the eyes without measuring the distance between the eyes.

[0042] In the above-described embodiment, the control unit 23 changes (sets) the width W of the non-display area CN based on the average of the left-right amplitude of the head movement, but this is not limited to this. The control unit 23 may also change the width W of the non-display area CN based on the maximum value or median value of the left-right amplitude of the head movement.

[0043] In the above-described embodiment, the head movement is periodically acquired and the width W of the non-display area CN is changed, but this is not limited to this. For example, the head movement for the first predetermined time after the ignition is turned on may be acquired, the width W of the non-display area CN may be set based on the acquired head movement, and the width W may not be changed thereafter.

[0044] Here, the features of the above-described embodiments of the vehicle display device according to the present invention will be briefly summarized and listed below in [1] to [3].

[0045] [1] an image display unit (20) that emits image display light (70); an optical system (25) that projects display light (70) emitted from the image display unit (20) toward a reflecting surface in front of a driver (200); a control unit (23) that controls the image display unit (20), The image has a binocular region (CB) that is a region that is viewed by both eyes of the driver (200) and a single-eye region (CRL) that is a region that is viewed by only one eye of the driver (200), The control unit (23) sets a non-display area (CN) at the boundary between the both-eye area (CB) and the one-eye area (CRL), and controls so that at least a still image is not displayed in the non-display area (CN). Vehicle display device (1).

[0046] According to the vehicle display device (1) having the configuration [1] above, a still image is not displayed in the non-display area (CN) which is the boundary between the both-eye area (CB) and the one-eye area (CRL). This reduces the display of a still image across the boundary, thereby reducing the sense of discomfort felt by the driver (200).

[0047] [2] In the vehicle display device (1) described in [1], a first acquisition unit (23) that acquires a movement of the head of the driver (200); and a first setting unit (23) that sets the horizontal width of the non-display area (CN) based on the movement of the head of the driver (200) acquired by the first acquisition unit (23). Vehicle display device (1).

[0048] According to the vehicle display device (1) having the configuration [2] above, even if the head of the driver (200) moves and the positions of the both-eye area (CB) and the one-eye area (CRL) change, the display of a still image across the boundary can be reduced, thereby reducing the sense of discomfort felt by the driver (200).

[0049] [3] In the vehicle display device (1) described in [1], a second acquisition unit (23) that acquires a viewpoint position of the driver (200); and a second setting unit (23) that sets the position of the non-display area (CN) based on the viewpoint position of the driver (200) acquired by the second acquisition unit. Vehicle display device (1).

[0050] According to the vehicle display device (1) configured as described above in (3), the non-display area (CN) can be set accurately at the boundary between the both-eye area (CB) and the single-eye area (CRL). [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 1. Vehicle display device 20 Image display unit 23 control unit (first acquisition unit, first setting unit, second acquisition unit, second setting unit) 25 Optical system 70 display light 200 Drivers CB Eye area CN hidden area CRL Film Category

Claims

1. an image display unit that emits display light for an image; an optical system that projects display light emitted from the image display unit onto a reflective surface in front of a driver; a control unit that controls the image display unit, the image has a binocular region that is a region viewed by both eyes of the driver, a right eye region that is a region viewed only by the right eye of the driver, and a left eye region that is a region viewed only by the left eye of the driver, the control unit sets a first non-display area having a horizontal width at a boundary between the both eye areas and the right eye area so as to straddle the boundary between the both eye areas and the right eye area, and sets a second non-display area having a horizontal width at a boundary between the both eye areas and the left eye area so as to straddle the boundary between the both eye areas and the left eye area, and performs control so that at least a still image is not displayed in the first non-display area and the second non-display area. Vehicle display device.

2. An image display unit that emits display light for an image; an optical system that projects display light emitted from the image display unit onto a reflective surface in front of a driver; a control unit that controls the image display unit, the image has a binocular region that is a region that is viewed by both eyes of the driver, and a single-eye region that is a region that is viewed by only one eye of the driver, the control unit sets a non-display area at a boundary between the both-eye area and the one-eye area, and controls so that at least a still image is not displayed in the non-display area; a first acquisition unit that acquires a movement of the driver's head; a first setting unit that sets a horizontal width of the non-display area based on the movement of the driver's head acquired by the first acquisition unit, Vehicle display device.

3. The vehicle display device according to claim 1, a second acquisition unit that acquires a viewpoint position of the driver; a second setting unit that sets positions of the first non-display area and the second non-display area based on the viewpoint position of the driver acquired by the second acquisition unit, Vehicle display device.

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