Vehicle Display System

Abstract

To obtain a vehicular display system which can improve comfort of a rear seat occupant in a structure with a display for the rear seat occupant.SOLUTION: A vehicular display system includes: a display which is provided in a cabin and has a display surface which can display information; a moving mechanism which moves the display between a use position where the display surface is directed to a rear seat side and a storage position which is arranged along a ceiling section on an upper side of the rear seat and has the display surface directed downward; a camera which photographs an upper side of a vehicle; and a control section which acquires videos photographed by the camera and displays the videos on the display in a state that the display is positioned at the storage portion.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a structure in which a rear seat display is installed on the ceiling of a vehicle interior. The rear seat display described in Patent Document 1 is structured so that the display surface faces the rear seat passengers when in use, and when not in use, it is rotated and stored in a position along the ceiling. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-82835 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the rear seat display described in Patent Document 1 is visible to rear seat passengers even when stored, making it unattractive. In addition, the display is located above the passengers' heads, which can cause the passengers to feel oppressed.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In consideration of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle display system that can improve the comfort of rear seat passengers in a structure equipped with a display for rear seat passengers. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The vehicle display system of claim 1 comprises a display provided in the vehicle cabin and having a display surface capable of displaying information; a moving mechanism for moving the display between a usage position in which the display surface faces the rear seat and a storage position in which the display surface faces downward and is positioned along the ceiling above the rear seat; an upper camera for photographing an area above the vehicle; and a control unit for acquiring images photographed by the upper camera and displaying the images on the display when the display is in the storage position.

[0007] In the vehicle display system according to claim 1, the display is provided in the vehicle cabin and has a display surface capable of displaying information. The movement mechanism moves the display between a use position where the display surface faces the rear seat and a storage position where the display is disposed along the ceiling above the rear seat and faces downward. When the occupant is not using the display, the display is moved to the storage position, thereby preventing the occupant's view from being obstructed.

[0008] The vehicle display system also includes an overhead camera that captures images above the vehicle, and displays the images captured by the camera on the display while the display is in the retracted position. This allows passengers inside the vehicle to view the scenery outside the vehicle through the display, ensuring a wide field of view.

[0009] A second aspect of the present invention provides a vehicle display system according to the first aspect, wherein at least a portion of the ceiling portion adjacent to the display when the display is in the storage position is formed of a transparent material.

[0010] In the vehicle display system according to claim 2, the ceiling portion made of a transparent material is adjacent to the display in the storage position, so that the scenery outside the vehicle can be seen over a wide area including the display and the ceiling portion.

[0011] A third aspect of the present invention provides a display system for a vehicle according to the second aspect, wherein the display extends from one end to the other end in the vehicle width direction inside the vehicle compartment.

[0012] In the vehicle display system according to claim 3, the display is a large display that extends from one end of the vehicle interior to the other, so that the image can be displayed with a sense of realism when in use. Also, even when the display is stored, the view above the vehicle is displayed on the entire display surface, so the display does not feel oppressive.

[0013] The vehicular display system according to claim 4 is the same as claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to be able to display an image of the area ahead of the vehicle on the display when the display is in the use position.

[0014] In the vehicle display system according to claim 4, even when the display is in the use position, the view ahead of the vehicle is displayed when not in use, allowing the driver to grasp obstacles ahead of the vehicle and the driving route, eliminating the feeling of oppression in the driver's seat.

[0015] The vehicular display system according to claim 5 is based on claim 1, and the control unit stops displaying the image when the rear seat is tilted backward by a predetermined angle or more while the display is in the stored position.

[0016] In the vehicle display system according to claim 5, the display of images is stopped when the rear seat is tilted back by more than a predetermined angle, thereby blocking the view with the display and preventing the occupants from falling asleep. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] As described above, the vehicular display system according to the present invention can improve the comfort of rear seat passengers in a structure equipped with a display for rear seat passengers. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle to which a vehicle display system according to an embodiment is applied, viewed from the outside in the vehicle width direction, showing a state in which the display is in a use position. [Figure 2]1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle to which a vehicle display system according to an embodiment is applied, viewed from the outside in the vehicle width direction, showing a state in which the display is in a retracted position. [Figure 3] 1 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a vehicle display system according to an embodiment; [Figure 4] 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a vehicle display system according to an embodiment; [Figure 5] 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow of a display process by the vehicular display system according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] A vehicle V to which a vehicular display system 10 according to the embodiment is applied will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the arrows FR and UP in each drawing indicate the front and top of the vehicle, respectively. When describing using front-rear, left-right, top-bottom directions, unless otherwise specified, these directions refer to front and back in the vehicle's front-rear direction, left and right in the vehicle's width direction, and top and bottom in the vehicle's top-bottom direction.

[0020] 1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle to which a vehicular display system 10 according to an embodiment (hereinafter referred to as "display system 10") is applied, as seen from the outside in the vehicle width direction, showing a state in which a display 12 is in an operating position. As shown in FIG. 1, a vehicle V includes, as an example, a front seat 14 and a rear seat 16.

[0021] The front seats 14 are arranged side by side on the left and right, with one of the front seats 14 serving as a driver's seat and the other serving as a passenger seat. Each of the left and right front seats 14 is configured so that the angle of the seat back relative to the seat cushion can be changed. The rear seats 16 are arranged connected to the left and right. The rear seats may also be configured so that three seats are arranged in the width direction of the vehicle.

[0022] Here, the display 12 is provided on a ceiling 18 of the vehicle V. The ceiling 18 is mainly configured to include a front transparent portion 18A, a rear transparent portion 18B, and a cross member 20.

[0023] The front transparent portion 18A is disposed in front of the ceiling portion 18 and is made of a transparent material such as tempered glass or reinforced resin. The front transparent portion 18A is installed between a pair of left and right roof side rails that extend in the front-to-rear direction above the vehicle. The front transparent portion 18A is configured to allow the view outside the vehicle cabin to be seen.

[0024] The rear transparent portion 18B is disposed rearward of the front transparent portion 18A via a cross member 20, and is formed of a transparent material such as tempered glass or reinforced resin. The rear transparent portion 18B is also disposed between a pair of left and right roof side rails, similar to the front transparent portion 18A. The cross member 20 is disposed between the front transparent portion 18A and the rear transparent portion 18B, and serves as a framework connecting the left and right roof side rails in the vehicle width direction. The front transparent portion 18A and the rear transparent portion 18B may be configured to be at least partially light-blocking. For example, they may be provided with a light-controlling element that blocks light when energized.

[0025] The display 12 is provided in the vehicle interior and has a display surface 12A capable of displaying information. In Fig. 1, the display 12 is disposed in the use position, and in this state, the display surface 12A faces the rear seat 16.

[0026] The display 12 of this embodiment extends from one end to the other end in the vehicle width direction within the vehicle cabin. The display 12 is disposed adjacent to the rear transparent portion 18B and is configured to be movable back and forth along the underside of the rear transparent portion 18B by a movement mechanism 46 (see FIG. 3).

[0027] Specifically, the display 12 is configured to be movable between a use position shown in Fig. 1 and a storage position shown in Fig. 2. For example, the upper end of the display 12 is slidably engaged with slide grooves 22 that are provided on the left and right sides of the upper part of the vehicle compartment and extend in the front-to-rear direction, and can be slid back and forth along the slide grooves 22 to a predetermined position by the power of a motor (not shown).

[0028] 1, by rotating the lower end of display 12 toward the front of the vehicle, display surface 12A faces downward as shown in FIG. 2. In this state, display 12 is configured to be moved to the storage position by sliding it along ceiling portion 18. Note that the movement of display 12 may be performed automatically by movement mechanism 46, or may be configured such that display 12 is moved manually along slide groove 22 that constitutes movement mechanism 46.

[0029] Also, as an example in this embodiment, when the display 12 is in the storage position, the front and rear of the display 12 are transparent rear transparent portions 18B, which are located slightly forward of and in front of the rear seat 16.

[0030] (Hardware configuration of the vehicle display system 10) 3, the display system 10 includes a control unit 30. The control unit 30 includes a CPU 32, a ROM 34, a RAM 36, a storage 38, a communication interface (communication I / F) 40, and an input / output interface (input / output I / F) 42. Each component is connected to each other via an internal bus 44 so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0031] The CPU 32 is a central processing unit that executes various programs and controls each component. That is, the CPU 32 reads programs from the ROM 34 or storage 38 and executes the programs using the RAM 36 as a work area. The CPU 32 also controls the above components and performs various arithmetic operations in accordance with the programs stored in the ROM 34 or storage 38.

[0032] The ROM 34 stores various programs and various data. The RAM 36 temporarily stores programs or data as a working area. The storage 38 is composed of an HDD or SSD and is a non-transitory recording medium that stores various programs including the operating system and various data.

[0033] The communication I / F 40 is an interface for communicating with servers and other devices, and uses standards such as CAN (Controller Area Network), Ethernet (registered trademark), LTE (Long Term Evolution), FDDI (Fiber Distributed Data Interface), and Wi-Fi (registered trademark).

[0034] The input / output I / F 42 is electrically connected to the display 12, the moving mechanism 46, the upper camera 48, and the front camera 50. For example, when an occupant inputs a signal related to the display of an image to the control unit 30 via an input unit (not shown), a signal for displaying the image is transmitted from the control unit 30 to the display 12.

[0035] The movement mechanism 46 is configured to include, for example, a motor (not shown), and when the control unit 30 sends a signal to the drive motor to supply power, the motor operates to move the display 12. The movement mechanism 46 is also configured to be able to detect the position of the display 12, and sends a signal related to the position of the display 12 to the control unit 30.

[0036] Furthermore, the movement mechanism 46 includes a locking device that locks the display 12 in a predetermined position, and the locking device locks the movement of the display 12 after the display 12 has been moved to the use position. Similarly, the locking device locks the movement of the display 12 after the display 12 has been moved to the storage position.

[0037] The upper camera 48 is a camera that is provided, for example, on the top surface of the vehicle V and captures images above. Images captured by the upper camera 48 are stored in the storage 38 of the control unit 30 or an external server. The upper camera 48 may capture images above the vehicle V at all times, or may capture images at predetermined times.

[0038] The front camera 50 is, for example, a camera provided at the front of the vehicle V, and captures images ahead of the vehicle. Images captured by the front camera 50 are stored in the storage 38 of the control unit 30 or an external server. Note that the front camera 50 may also be a camera for detecting obstacles ahead of the vehicle or the distance between the vehicle and a leading vehicle.

[0039] (Functional configuration of the vehicle display system 10) The control unit 30 of the vehicular display system 10 uses the above hardware resources to realize various functions. The functional configuration realized by the control unit 30 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0040] 4, the control unit 30 is configured to include, as functional components, an upward image acquisition unit 52, a forward image acquisition unit 54, a display positioning unit 56, a display movement unit 58, and an image output unit 60. Each functional component is realized by the CPU 32 reading and executing a program stored in the ROM 34 or storage 38.

[0041] The upper image acquisition unit 52 acquires an image of an area above the vehicle. Specifically, the upper image acquisition unit 52 acquires an image captured by the upper camera 48. The front image acquisition unit 54 acquires an image of an area in front of the vehicle. Specifically, the front image acquisition unit 54 acquires an image captured by the front camera 50.

[0042] The display positioning unit 56 acquires information about the current position of the display 12. Specifically, the display positioning unit 56 acquires position information of the display 12 detected by the movement mechanism 46. In particular, the display positioning unit 56 of this embodiment may acquire information about whether the position of the display 12 is in the use position or the storage position.

[0043] When the display moving unit 58 receives a signal from the occupant instructing the occupant to move the display 12 to a predetermined position, the display moving unit 58 moves the display 12 to the predetermined position using the moving mechanism 46. For example, when the occupant issues an instruction to store the display 12 via an input device (not shown) while the display 12 is in the use position, the display moving unit 58 moves the display 12 from the use position to the storage position using the moving mechanism 46.

[0044] The image output unit 60 outputs a predetermined image to the display 12. Specifically, during normal use, the image output unit 60 outputs an image selected by the occupant when the image output unit 60 is in the use position. Furthermore, when the display 12 is in the storage position and no special instructions have been received from the occupant, the image output unit 60 displays an image acquired by the upper image acquisition unit 52 on the display 12. Note that, as an example in this embodiment, the display surface 12A of the display 12 has no or almost no border, so that an image of the upper part of the vehicle is displayed on the entire downward-facing display 12.

[0045] Furthermore, when the display 12 is in the use position and is not in use, i.e., when no other image is being displayed, the image output unit 60 displays an image of the area ahead of the vehicle on the display 12. That is, the image output unit 60 displays an image acquired by the front image acquisition unit 54 on the display 12.

[0046] Furthermore, the image output unit 60 may stop displaying the image when the rear seat 16 is tilted backward by a predetermined angle or more while the display 12 is in the storage position. Additionally, if the rear seat 16 is equipped with a camera that captures images of the occupant, the image output unit 60 may stop displaying the image when the occupant's level of alertness falls below a predetermined threshold based on the image captured by the camera.

[0047] (action) Next, the operation of the display system 10 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0048] An example of the flow of display processing by the display system 10 of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in Fig. 5. These display processes are executed by the CPU 32 reading a display program from the ROM 34 or storage 38, expanding it in the RAM 36, and executing it.

[0049] (Example of display processing) In step S102, the CPU 32 acquires position information of the display 12. Specifically, the CPU 32 acquires the position information of the display 12 detected by the movement mechanism 46 using the function of the display positioning unit 56.

[0050] In step S104, CPU 32 determines whether display 12 is in the storage position. Specifically, if CPU 32 determines that display 12 is in the storage position based on the position information acquired by display positioning unit 56, CPU 32 proceeds to processing in step S106. On the other hand, if CPU 32 determines that display 12 is in a position other than the storage position, CPU 32 proceeds to processing in step S110.

[0051] In step S106, the CPU 32 acquires an image of the upper part of the vehicle V. Specifically, the CPU 32 acquires an image captured by the upper camera 48 using the function of the upper image acquisition unit 52.

[0052] Next, the CPU 32 outputs the image acquired in step S108 to the display 12. Specifically, the CPU 32 outputs an image of the area above the vehicle to the display 12 using the function of the image output unit 60. Then, the display process ends. As a result, when the occupant looks up at the ceiling 18, the sky can be seen through the rear transparent portion 18B and the display 12.

[0053] On the other hand, if a negative decision is made in step S104, the CPU 32 determines in step S110 whether or not the display 12 is not in use. Specifically, if no image is displayed on the display 12, the CPU 32 determines that the display 12 is in an unused state, and proceeds to processing in step S112. Furthermore, if an image is displayed on the display 12, the CPU 32 ends the display processing while maintaining this state.

[0054] If the display 12 is not in use, the CPU 32 acquires an image of the area in front of the vehicle in step S112. Specifically, the CPU 32 acquires an image captured by the front camera 50 using the function of the front image acquisition unit 54.

[0055] Next, CPU 32 outputs the image acquired in step S114 to display 12. Specifically, CPU 32 outputs the image of the area ahead of the vehicle to display 12 using the function of image output unit 60. Then, the display process ends. As a result, the view ahead of the vehicle is displayed in front of the occupant.

[0056] As described above, in the display system 10 according to this embodiment, the movement mechanism 46 moves the display 12 between a use position where the display surface 12A faces the rear seat and a storage position where the display 12 is disposed above the rear seat along the ceiling 18 and where the display surface 12A faces downward. In this way, when the occupant is not using the display 12, the display 12 is moved to the storage position, thereby preventing the occupant's view from being obstructed.

[0057] Furthermore, in the vehicular display system 10 according to this embodiment, when the display 12 is in the retracted position, the image captured by the upper camera 48 is displayed on the display 12. This allows passengers in the vehicle to view the scenery outside the vehicle through the display 12, ensuring a wide field of view.

[0058] In particular, in this embodiment, the display 12 in the storage position and the rear transparent portion 18B are arranged adjacent to each other, so that the scenery outside the vehicle compartment can be seen over a wide area including the display 12 and the ceiling portion 18.

[0059] In this embodiment, the display 12 is a large display that extends from one end of the vehicle interior to the other, so that the image can be viewed with a sense of realism when in use. Even when the display is stored, the scenery above the vehicle is displayed on the entire display surface, so that the large display does not feel oppressive.

[0060] Furthermore, in this embodiment, even when the display 12 is in the use position, if it is not in use, the view ahead of the vehicle is displayed, allowing the driver to grasp obstacles ahead of the vehicle and the driving route, eliminating the feeling of oppression in the driver's seat.

[0061] Furthermore, in this embodiment, by stopping the display of the image when the rear seat 16 is tilted backward by more than a predetermined angle, the display 12 can block the view and prevent the occupants from being disturbed to fall asleep.

[0062] Although the vehicular display system 10 according to the present embodiment has been described above, it is needless to say that it can be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the ceiling 18 is configured to include the front transparent portion 18A, the rear transparent portion 18B, and the cross member 20 as shown in Figures 1 and 2, but this is not limited thereto, and the cross member 20 may not be included. In this case, the entire ceiling except for the display 12 is formed of a transparent material, providing a more open feeling.

[0063] In the above embodiment, the display 12 is moved between the use position and the storage position by the power of the motor that constitutes the movement mechanism 46, but this is not limiting. For example, a configuration may be adopted in which the display 12 can be manually moved along the slide groove 22. In this case, the movement mechanism of the present invention is configured to include the slide groove 22, a shaft that engages with the slide groove 22 to support the display 12, a bearing arranged inside the slide groove 22, etc.

[0064] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the upper camera 48 photographs the area above the vehicle, and the front camera 50 photographs the area in front of the vehicle, but this is not limited to this, and one camera may photograph both the area above and the area in front of the vehicle V. For example, the camera may be oriented toward the front of the vehicle when the display 12 is in the use position, and may be oriented toward the area above the vehicle when the display 12 is moved to the storage position.

[0065] The following notes are provided regarding the above embodiment.

[0066] (Appendix 1) a display provided in the vehicle cabin and having a display surface capable of displaying information; a movement mechanism that moves the display between a use position where the display surface faces the rear seat side and a storage position where the display is disposed along a ceiling portion above the rear seat and the display surface faces downward; an upper camera that photographs an area above the vehicle; a control unit that acquires an image captured by the upper camera and displays the image on the display while the display is in the storage position; A vehicle display system having: (Appendix 2) The vehicle display system described in Appendix 1, wherein at least the portion of the ceiling portion adjacent to the display is formed of a transparent material when the display is in the storage position. (Appendix 3) 3. The vehicular display system according to claim 1, wherein the display extends from one end to the other end in the vehicle width direction inside the vehicle cabin. (Appendix 4) The vehicle display system described in any one of Appendix 1 to Appendix 3, wherein the control unit is configured to be able to display an image captured in front of the vehicle on the display when the display is in the usage position. (Appendix 5) The vehicle display system according to any one of Appendix 1 to Appendix 4, wherein the control unit stops displaying the image when the rear seat is tilted backward by more than a predetermined angle while the display is in the storage position. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] 10. Vehicle display system 12 Display 12A display surface 16 Rear seats 18 Ceiling 30 Control Unit 46 Moving mechanism 48 Upward Camera

Claims

1. a display provided in the vehicle cabin and having a display surface capable of displaying information; a movement mechanism that moves the display between a use position where the display surface faces the rear seat side and a storage position where the display is disposed along a ceiling portion above the rear seat and the display surface faces downward; an upper camera that photographs an area above the vehicle; a control unit that acquires an image captured by the upper camera and displays the image on the display while the display is in the storage position; A vehicle display system having:

2. The vehicular display system according to claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the ceiling portion adjacent to the display when the display is in the storage position is formed of a transparent material.

3. The vehicular display system according to claim 1 , wherein the display extends from one end to the other end in a vehicle width direction within the vehicle interior.

4. The vehicular display system according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to be able to display, on the display, an image of an area ahead of the vehicle, when the display is in the use position.

5. 2. The vehicular display system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit stops displaying the image when the rear seat is tilted backward by a predetermined angle or more while the display is in the stored position.

Images