Vehicle systems and programs

Abstract

To provide a system for a vehicle capable of intelligibly transmitting information to various users.SOLUTION: A radar detector for performing control to display monitoring information on a traffic monitoring activity on a screen can display a map area for drawing a map for displaying a target icon 316 representing an execution point of the traffic monitoring activity and a panel area 36 for notifying the monitoring information on the screen, and can set the number of display of the map area and the number of display of the panel area 36 including zero when displaying the map on the screen.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 79

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a system that supports vehicle driving by providing information related to various types of traffic monitoring activities such as traffic control and checkpoints. [Background Art]

[0002] Conventionally, as systems for supporting vehicle driving, in-vehicle devices such as radar detectors have been realized that issue an alarm to attract the driver's attention when a radar wave emitted for speed enforcement is received. Some of these in-vehicle devices include a GPS function that measures the current position of the vehicle and a database of GPS content such as installation points of speed enforcement systems, and detect the approach to specific GPS content and notify the driver (see, for example, Patent Document 1). According to such an in-vehicle device, by notifying the driver of approaching a point where traffic monitoring activities are carried out, it is possible to prevent the risk that the driver unknowingly drives at an excessive speed in advance.

[0003] Examples of GPS content for which the in-vehicle device configured as described above notifies approach include, in addition to permanent points such as installation points of speed enforcement systems and police stations, temporary points where traffic monitoring activities such as speed enforcement by mobile speed cameras and drunk driving checkpoints are frequently carried out. The in-vehicle device attempts to raise the driver's awareness of safe driving by notifying the driver of approach to various GPS contents.

[0004] In particular, vehicle speed measuring devices applied for speed enforcement are generally installed at dangerous points where excessive speed is easily induced. Notification of approach to such points is extremely effective for raising the driver's awareness of safe driving before danger arises and preventing danger in advance. In-vehicle devices such as radar detectors are extremely useful for motivating drivers to drive safely, and are devices that contribute to ensuring traffic safety and support driving.

[0005] Some radar detectors equipped with a GPS content database also have a display capable of showing a map of the area around the vehicle. Such in-vehicle devices can perform a variety of notification functions, such as plotting the location of GPS content on a map or displaying warning animations overlaid on the map.

[0006] However, the conventional in-vehicle devices described above have the following problems. Specifically, user preferences vary, with some users demanding very detailed information, while others find too much information confusing and prefer a more intuitive and easy-to-understand presentation of only the essential information. It is necessary to carefully address these diverse user needs. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2007-248180 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] This invention was made in view of the aforementioned conventional problems, and aims to provide a vehicle system that can communicate information in an easy-to-understand manner to a variety of users. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] A first aspect of the present invention is a vehicle system that controls the display of monitoring information related to traffic monitoring activities on a screen, The screen can display a map area for drawing a map to show target icons representing locations where traffic monitoring activities are conducted, and a panel area for broadcasting the monitoring information. The vehicle system allows setting the number of map areas to display and the number of panel areas to display, including zero, when displaying a map on the screen.

[0010] A second aspect of the present invention is a program for a computer to implement the functions of the vehicle system of the first aspect.

[0011] In the vehicle system according to the present invention, the number of map areas and panel areas displayed can be set according to preference. In this system, the frequency and level of detail of information can be adjusted by appropriately setting the number of map areas and panel areas displayed. Thus, the vehicle system according to the present invention is a system that can respond precisely to a variety of user needs.

[0012] In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the map displayed by the vehicle system may be a map of the area around the vehicle, or a map of the area around the location where traffic monitoring activities are conducted. It is also possible to display two maps of the area around the vehicle with different scales. It is also possible to display two maps of the area around the location where traffic monitoring activities are conducted with different scales.

[0013] In a vehicle system in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a scope area is displayed on the screen that represents an equidistant range based on the vehicle's current position, and also displays a mini-icon representing the location where the traffic monitoring activity is to be conducted. It is possible to display link information that represents the correspondence between the mini-icon displayed in the scope area and the panel area that displays monitoring information related to the mini-icon. The display of the aforementioned link information makes it easier to understand the correspondence between the mini-icons displayed in the scope area and the panel area. Even when multiple mini-icons are displayed, it becomes easier to identify the locations where traffic monitoring activities related to the monitoring information displayed in the panel area are being conducted. The aforementioned link information can be various types of information, such as text displays indicating relationships, arrow displays indicating relationships, or displays of specific matching colors. Any information that can show the relationship between the mini-icons and the panel area is acceptable.

[0014] In a vehicle system according to one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the link information is a line segment connecting the panel area and the mini-icon. Connecting mini icons and panel areas with line segments allows drivers to quickly grasp their relationship, reducing the burden on them while driving.

[0015] In a vehicle system according to one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the panel area and the scope area are displayed so as not to overlap. By avoiding overlap between the two areas, the situation where mini icons are hidden by the panel area can be prevented. The scope area and panel area can also be displayed in predetermined, independent positions. Setting the display position of each area to a consistent location increases user confidence and improves screen readability. During driving, the need to search for information is eliminated, thus improving safety.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a vehicle system is capable of outputting monitoring information for traffic monitoring activities as audio, The display mode of the link information for a panel area that notifies monitoring information while audio is being output is different from the display mode of the link information for a panel area that notifies monitoring information when audio is not being output. In this case, the correspondence between the monitoring information to be output via audio and the link information can be clarified. Through this link information, the correspondence between the monitoring information to be output via audio, the panel area, and the mini-icons becomes easily understandable. The location and content of the audio-output monitoring information can be grasped relatively easily without having to constantly look at the screen. Eliminating the need to constantly look at the screen to understand the correspondence improves usability and, in particular, enhances safety while driving.

[0017] A vehicle system in a preferred embodiment of the present invention has defined display colors according to the type of traffic monitoring activity, and controls the display of the link information in the display color according to the type of traffic monitoring activity related to the monitoring information reported by the panel area. In this case, the type of traffic monitoring activity can be grasped only by the display color of the link information, which reduces the burden on the driver during driving. It allows one to grasp whether the monitoring information is important at a glance from the display color of the link information.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment of the vehicle system of the present invention, an alarm level indicating the importance of said monitoring information is defined based on the type of traffic monitoring activity and the positional relationship between the current position of the vehicle and the implementation site of the traffic monitoring activity, while two display positions of panel areas with different priorities are set, In the panel area of the first display position with higher priority, monitoring information with a higher alarm level than that notified in the panel area of the second display position and meeting or exceeding a predetermined alarm level is notified.

[0019] In this case, the difference between the monitoring information notified at the first display position and the monitoring information notified at the second display position is clarified. For example, it enables usage such that if one wants to know monitoring information related to speed control, one only needs to pay attention to the panel area of the first display position. If the panel area to be checked is determined according to the information required in this way, the burden on the user when obtaining information is reduced, thereby improving safety.

[0020] In a preferred embodiment of the vehicle system of the present invention, the monitoring information of traffic monitoring activities can be output by voice, In the panel area of the first display position, monitoring information that conforms to the notification conditions is notified regardless of whether voice output is in progress, In the panel area of the second display position, when voice output is in progress, notification of monitoring information of the traffic monitoring activity that is the target of voice output is prioritized over other monitoring information.

[0021] In this case, the monitoring information targeted for audio output can be notified by means of the panel area at the second display position. Since the position of the panel area to be checked is determined when audio output occurs, omissions of the monitoring information output via audio are reduced. For example, even when the audio cannot be heard clearly, the content of the monitoring information output via audio can be confirmed by checking the notification content of the panel area at the second display position in response to the audio output. This can reduce the risk of distracting a driver during driving by causing anxiety when the audio cannot be heard, thereby improving safety.

[0022] In the vehicle system according to a preferred aspect of the present invention, as the setting of the display size of the panel area, in addition to a first size setting and a second size setting smaller than the first size, an automatic setting in which display in the first size and display in the second size are switched according to situations can be selected. If the display size of the panel area can be set according to a user's preference, it is possible to respond to user needs in a more detailed manner. The above configuration is particularly effective when the panel area is displayed superimposed on a map area. This is because there are various user needs, such as users who want to display a large map and users who want to display a large panel area, resulting in diverse user needs.

[0023] In the vehicle system according to a preferred aspect of the present invention, a display field for displaying the type of traffic monitoring activity can be displayed on the screen, and the display mode of the target icon or the mini-icon related to the traffic monitoring activity displayed in the display field is different from the display mode related to other traffic monitoring activities. In this case, the target icon or mini-icon related to the traffic monitoring activity displayed in the display area becomes immediately clear. Since the correspondence between the traffic monitoring activity displayed in the display area and the target icon, etc., can be quickly grasped, the burden on the user is reduced. Various display modes are possible, such as changing the display color, flashing, enlarging, or displaying with movement such as zooming in and out. Furthermore, it is also good to set the display mode of the display area to be the same as the display mode of the target icon, etc. In this case, understanding the correspondence becomes even easier.

[0024] In a vehicle system according to one preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to display two or more map areas with different scales. For example, displaying two or more maps with different scales around the vehicle makes it easier to understand the positional relationship between the traffic monitoring activity location and the current location. This reduces the burden on the user to understand the system and improves safety, especially while driving.

[0025] In a vehicle system according to one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the panel area is displayed superimposed on a portion of the map area. In this case, the screen display area can be used effectively. Regarding the panel area, it is best to display it as a pop-up when monitoring information is needed, and to hide it when no notification is required. This allows for the map display area to be secured when no notification is needed, improving the map's readability. On the other hand, if the panel area appears when monitoring information is displayed, it can attract the driver's attention in response to its appearance. Drivers only need to pay attention to the appearance of the panel area while driving, allowing them to concentrate on driving and focus on ensuring traffic safety. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0026] [Figure 1] A front perspective view showing the radar detector in Example 1. [Figure 2] A rear perspective view showing the radar detector in Example 1. [Figure 3] A block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the radar detector in Example 1. [Figure 4] An explanatory diagram showing the types of GPS targets in Example 1. [Figure 5] A diagram showing the display screen of the registration menu button in Example 1. [Figure 6] This figure shows the display screen when the pin setting button is operated in Example 1. [Figure 7] A front view showing the standby list screen in Example 1. [Figure 8] A front view showing the eco-driving screen in Example 1. [Figure 9] Front view of the digital meter screen in the direction of travel in Example 1. [Figure 10] Front view of the digital meter screen for rotational speed in Example 1. [Figure 11] Front view of the preset screen, including the display of status icons, in Example 1. [Figure 12] A front view showing the map screen in Example 1. [Figure 13] A diagram showing the first display section of the map screen in Embodiment 1. [Figure 14] A diagram showing the first display section of the map screen in Embodiment 1. [Figure 15] A front view showing the Classic Scope screen in Example 1. [Figure 16] A front view showing the Classic Scope screen in Example 1. [Figure 17] A diagram illustrating the operation of switching to the settings list screen in Example 1. [Figure 18] This diagram shows the switching from the settings list screen to the standby settings screen in Example 1. [Figure 19] A diagram illustrating the setting operation of the radar scope screen in Example 1. [Figure 20] Diagram illustrating the map detail settings in Example 1. [Figure 21] Front view of the map screen in detail mode and wide-area mode in Example 1. [Figure 22] A diagram illustrating the setting operation for the scope sub-display in Example 1. [Figure 23] A diagram illustrating the setting operation of the tidal information screen in Example 1. [Figure 24] A diagram illustrating the settings operation of the graph screen in Example 1. [Figure 25] Front view of the speed graph screen in Example 1. [Figure 26] Front view of the altitude graph screen in Example 1. [Figure 27] Front view of the atmospheric pressure graph screen in Example 1. [Figure 28] Front view of the acceleration graph screen in Example 1. [Figure 29] Front view of the gyroscope graph screen in Example 1. [Figure 30] Front view of the fuel consumption graph screen in Example 1. [Figure 31] Front view of the temperature graph screen in Example 1. [Figure 32] Front view of the rotation speed graph screen in Example 1. [Figure 33] Front view of the graph screen of engine 1 in Example 1. [Figure 34] Front view of the graph screen of engine 2 in Example 1. [Figure 35] Front view of the fuel graph screen in Example 1. [Figure 36] Front view of the voltage graph screen in Example 1. [Figure 37] Front view of the manually configured graph screen in Example 1. [Figure 38] Front view of the altitude graph screen in Example 1. [Figure 39] A diagram illustrating the setting operation for the automatic item settings in Example 1. [Figure 40] A diagram illustrating the preset setting operation in Example 1. [Figure 41] Front view of the preset screen in Example 1. [Figure 42] A diagram illustrating the backlight color setting operation in Example 1. [Figure 43] A diagram illustrating the setting operation for the semi-transparent mode in Example 1. [Figure 44] A diagram showing an example of the display of additional information in Example 1. [Figure 45] A diagram illustrating the setup procedure for the photo frame in Example 1. [Figure 46] A front view showing the fuel efficiency planning surface in Example 1. [Figure 47] A diagram illustrating the setting operation of the fuel consumption meter in Example 1. [Figure 48] A front view showing the OBD data screen in Example 1. [Figure 49] A diagram illustrating the OBD data setting operation in Example 1. [Figure 50] A diagram illustrating the setting operation of the alarm mode in Example 1. [Figure 51] A diagram showing the alarm settings in Example 1. [Figure 52] A diagram illustrating the manual setting operation of the alarm mode in Example 1. [Figure 53] Front view of the radar settings screen in Example 1. [Figure 54] Front view of the wireless configuration in Example 1. [Figure 55] Front view of the GPS settings in Example 1. [Figure 56] A diagram illustrating the setting operation for radar reception in Example 1. [Figure 57] A diagram illustrating the screen and LED settings operation in Example 1. [Figure 58] A diagram illustrating the operation method for window touch correction in Example 1. [Figure 59] A diagram illustrating the operation method for voice settings in Example 1. [Figure 60] Diagram illustrating the audio settings in Example 1. [Figure 61] Diagram illustrating the timing of the alarm sound (alarm voice) generation in Example 1. [Figure 62] Diagram illustrating the timing of the alarm sound (alarm voice) generation in Example 1. [Figure 63] Diagram illustrating the timing of the alarm sound (alarm voice) generation in Example 1. [Figure 64] An explanatory diagram of the pronunciation content according to the date and time in Example 1. [Figure 65] Diagram illustrating the electronic sounds for each type of wireless communication in Example 1. [Figure 66] A diagram showing the reminder setting screen in Example 1. [Figure 67] A diagram showing the oil setting screen in Example 1. [Figure 68] A diagram illustrating the operation method for system settings in Example 1. [Figure 69] Diagram illustrating the data erasure method in Example 1. [Figure 70] A diagram illustrating the operation method for custom settings in Example 1. [Figure 71] An explanatory diagram illustrating the sound image for each target sound in Example 1. [Figure 72] A diagram illustrating the method for setting a custom image in Example 1. [Figure 73] A diagram illustrating the method for configuring the startup screen in Example 1. [Figure 74] A diagram showing the OBD settings screen in Example 1. [Figure 75] A diagram illustrating the operation method for OBD settings in Example 1. [Figure 76] Front view of the map screen in the 1 map panel-less mode in Example 1. [Figure 77] Front view of the map screen in 1-map panel automatic mode in Embodiment 1. [Figure 78] Front view of the map screen in 1-map panel small mode in Example 1. [Figure 79] Front view of the map screen in 1-map, 2-panel small mode in Example 1. [Figure 80]Front view of the map screen in the mode without the 2 map panel in Example 1. [Figure 81] Front view of the map screen in 2-map panel small mode in Example 1. [Figure 82] A front view showing the Classic Scope screen in Example 1. [Figure 83] Front view of the classic scope screen, including the scope sub-display, in Example 1. [Figure 84] A front view showing the Classic Scope screen in Example 1. [Figure 85] Diagram illustrating the system alarm levels in Example 1. [Figure 86] Front view of the Classic Scope screen during a weak wireless alarm in Example 1. [Figure 87] A front view of the Classic Scope screen in Example 1, where the Public Enforcement Window is displayed in a pop-up window. [Figure 88] A diagram showing the target icon in Example 1. [Figure 89] A diagram showing the message window related to GPS alerts in Example 1. [Figure 90] A diagram showing a portion of the target icon in Example 1. [Figure 91] A diagram showing the message window related to radar warnings in Example 1. [Figure 92] A diagram showing the message window related to wireless alarms in Example 1. [Figure 93] A diagram showing wireless icons with different display colors in Example 1. [Figure 94] Front view of the ring display with a clock display set in Example 1. [Figure 95] Front view of the ring display with vehicle speed indicator set in Example 1. [Figure 96] Front view of the ring display with the Eco-Drive indicator set in Example 1. [Figure 97] Front view of the ring display with acceleration display set in Example 1. [Figure 98] Front view of the ring display with tilted display set in Example 1. [Figure 99] Front view of the ring display with tidal information display set in Example 1. [Figure 100] Front view of the ring display with satellite information display set in Example 1. [Figure 101] Front view of the ring display with alarm panel display configured in Example 1. [Figure 102] Front view of the ring display with compass display set in Example 1. [Figure 103] Front view of the ring display with pressure display set in Example 1. [Figure 104] Front view of the ring display with reminder day count set in Example 1. [Figure 105] Front view of the ring display with reminder distance display set in Example 1. [Figure 106] Front view of the ring display with instantaneous fuel consumption display set in Example 1. [Figure 107] Front view of the ring display with average fuel consumption display set in Example 1. [Figure 108] Front view of the ring display with average fuel consumption on public roads set in Example 1. [Figure 109] Front view of the ring display with highway average fuel consumption display set in Example 1. [Figure 110] Front view of the ring display in Example 1, where the fuel consumption display has been set. [Figure 111] Front view of the ring display with lifetime fuel consumption display set in Example 1. [Figure 112] Front view of the ring display with moving average fuel consumption display set in Example 1. [Figure 113] Front view of the ring display with fuel flow rate indicator set in Example 1. [Figure 114] Front view of the ring display with engine water temperature display set in Example 1. [Figure 115] Front view of the ring display with intake air temperature display set in Example 1. [Figure 116] Front view of the ring display with ambient temperature display set in Example 1. [Figure 117] Front view of the ring display with engine oil temperature display set in Example 1. [Figure 118] Front view of the ring display with battery voltage display set in Example 1. [Figure 119] Front view of the ring display with throttle opening indicator set in Example 1. [Figure 120] Front view of the ring display with engine load indicator set in Example 1. [Figure 121] Front view of the ring display with intake manifold gauge display set in Example 1. [Figure 122] Front view of the ring display with boost gauge display set in Example 1. [Figure 123] Front view of the ring display with tachometer display set in Example 1. [Figure 124] Front view of the ring display with battery current display set in Example 1. [Figure 125] Front view of the ring display with HV battery capacity display set in Example 1. [Figure 126] Front view of the ring display with HV battery current display set in Example 1. [Figure 127] Front view of the ring display with HV motor rotation speed display set in Example 1. [Figure 128] Front view of the ring display with HV motor torque display set in Example 1. [Figure 129] Front view of the ring display with HV generator rotation speed display set in Example 1. [Figure 130] A front view showing the custom image settings screen in Example 1. [Figure 131] Front view of the preset screen, including the default background image, in Example 1. [Figure 132] Front view of the preset screen in Example 1, where a custom image is set as the background. [Figure 133] An explanatory diagram illustrating the preset screen in Example 1. [Figure 134] A diagram illustrating a preset screen including an alarm panel in Example 1. [Figure 135] Front view of the ring display with the alarm panel set up in Example 1. [Figure 136] Diagram illustrating the layer structure of the ring display in Example 1. [Figure 137] Front view of the ring display with a clock display set in Example 1. [Figure 138] Diagram illustrating the layer structure of the ring display in Example 1. [Figure 139] Front view of the ring display with speed indicator set in Example 1. [Figure 140] A front view of the ring display in Example 1, immediately before the display of additional information. [Figure 141] Front view of the ring display for displaying additional information in Example 1. [Figure 142] Diagram illustrating the arrow motion using a ring in Example 1. [Figure 143] Diagram illustrating the ring action, including the arrow motion, in Example 1. [Figure 144] A diagram illustrating the rolling motion by the ring in Example 1. [Figure 145] A diagram illustrating the ring action caused by the rolling motion in Example 1. [Figure 146] A diagram illustrating the flash operation by the ring in Example 1. [Figure 147] Diagram illustrating the ring action caused by the flashing motion in Example 1. [Figure 148] A diagram illustrating the arrow operation within the preset screen in Example 1. [Figure 149] A diagram showing the ring action during a wireless alarm in Example 1. [Figure 150]A diagram showing the ring action during a radar warning in Example 1. [Figure 151] A diagram illustrating the flash operation within the preset screen in Example 1. [Figure 152] A diagram illustrating the rolling motion within the preset screen in Example 1. [Figure 153] A diagram illustrating the data specifications of the posted information in Example 1. [Figure 154] A diagram illustrating the content of each data item that constitutes the posted information in Example 1. [Figure 155] Diagram illustrating the data values ​​for the enforcement direction in Example 1. [Figure 156] A diagram showing the menu screen in Example 1. [Figure 157] A diagram showing the pin setting screen in Example 1. [Figure 158] A diagram showing the menu screen in Example 1. [Figure 159] A diagram showing the menu screen in Example 1. [Figure 160] A diagram showing the GPS search screen in Example 1. [Figure 161] A diagram showing the screen transitions when starting a post in Example 1. [Figure 162] A diagram showing the screen transitions when generating post information in Example 1. [Figure 163] A diagram showing the screen transitions when generating post information in Example 1. [Figure 164] A front view showing the input screen for monitoring direction in Example 1. [Figure 165] A diagram showing the screen transitions when a post pin is deleted in Example 1. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0027] Embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described using the following examples. (Example 1) This example is one embodiment of the vehicle system of the present invention, relating to a radar detector 1 whose primary function is to provide warnings related to traffic enforcement. This radar detector 1 provides various traffic information useful when driving a vehicle, including monitoring information related to traffic surveillance activities such as speed enforcement. This will be explained in the following order with reference to Figures 1 to 165. 1.Shape 2. Internal Configuration 3.Basic operation 4. How to set up the standby screen and its specifications 5. Specifications of the radar scope screen 5.1 Map screen specifications 5.2 Specifications of the Classic Scope Screen 6. Settings 6.1 Standby Settings 6.1.1 Radar Scope Settings 6.1.2 Tidal Information Settings 6.1.3 Graph Settings 6.1.4 Auto Item Settings 6.1.5 Preset Settings 6.1.6 Photo Frame Settings 6.1.7 Fuel Consumption Meter Settings 6.1.8 OBD Data Settings 6.2 Mode Settings 6.3 Alarm Settings 6.4 Screen and LED Settings 6.5 Audio Settings 6.6 Reminder Settings 6.7 System Settings 6.8 Custom Settings 6.9 OBD Settings 7. Radar Scope Screen Settings and Operation 7.1 Map screen settings and operation 7.2 Classic scope screen operation 8. Preset screen 8.1 Ring Display 8.2 Background Settings 9. Display specifications for the ring display 9.1 Transparent display 9.2 Display of Additional Information 9.3 Ring Action 10. Post 10.1 Data Specifications for Posted Information 10.2 Submission Processing 11. Summary

[0028] ■ 1. Shape ■ The radar detector 1 in this example, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, is an in-vehicle device that consists of a thin, rectangular case body 2 and is attached to the dashboard of a vehicle via a bracket 28 mounted on the lower rear side of the case body 2. This radar detector 1 can also be installed on the back of the sun visor, the back of the rearview mirror, etc., depending on the bracket 28.

[0029] The front of the case body 2, which faces the driver when installed, is equipped with a 3.2-inch color touch panel 15. This touch panel 15 is a display panel in which a transparent sheet-like touchscreen 151 (Figure 3) that detects the touch position is laminated on a TFT dot matrix liquid crystal display 152 (Figure 3). On the right outer side of the touch panel 15, as viewed from the driver's side, are volume adjustment buttons 226 and a mute button 223, while on the left outer side are a VIEW button 221, a MEMORY button 222, and a light-emitting section 23 with an embedded multi-color LED 137 (Figure 3).

[0030] A light-receiving surface 25 of an infrared light-receiving unit 138 (Figure 3), which receives infrared rays from an operating remote control (not shown), is provided in the lower right of the touch panel 15. The radar detector 1 in this example can be operated by touch operation with a fingertip on the touch panel 15, button operation, remote control operation, etc. The upper MEMORY button 222 of the operation buttons 22 on the left side is an operation button for displaying four registered menu buttons 313 (see Figure 5) as a pop-up on the standby screen.

[0031] On the right side of the case body 2, as viewed from the driver's side, there is a card slot 27 for inserting a removable recording medium such as an SD card or other memory card 171 (Figure 3). A USB connector 20 and a power switch (not shown) are located on the lower rear of the case body 2. The USB connector 20 is connected to a cigarette lighter plug cord extending from the vehicle's cigarette lighter socket, an OBD adapter cord, or a USB cable. The radar detector 1 operates by receiving power through the cord connected to the USB connector 20.

[0032] The OBD adapter cord is a communication cable that connects to the OBD connector (a fault diagnostic connector, not shown) located on the vehicle side, in accordance with the OBD (On-board Diagnostics)-II standard (II is the Roman numeral "2"; hereinafter referred to as "OBD"), which is a vehicle inspection standard. The OBD connector is electrically extended from the vehicle's ECU (not shown) and can output various vehicle information. The vehicle-side end of the OBD adapter cord has a connector that can be detachably attached to the vehicle's OBD connector. The vehicle's OBD connector is also called a fault diagnostic connector.

[0033] ■ 2. Internal Configuration ■ As shown in Figure 3, the radar detector 1 is electrically configured around a control unit 10. In addition to the above configuration, the control unit 10 is electrically connected to a GPS receiver 121, a microwave receiver 122, a wireless receiver 123, an acceleration sensor 124, a gyroscope 125, a geomagnetic sensor 126, an illuminance sensor 127, a barometric pressure sensor 128, a clock unit 129, a speaker 16, a memory card reader 17, and the like. Furthermore, the radar detector 1 is provided with a database 100 that can be accessed from the control unit 10.

[0034] The GPS receiver 121 is a receiver that receives GPS signals from GPS satellites and outputs the current time, current location information (latitude and longitude), current speed, altitude, etc. The GPS receiver 121 is built into the case body 2 so as to be located in the upper center of the back side of the radar detector 1. The control unit 10, which has acquired the current location information from the GPS receiver 121, can also calculate the vehicle's speed based on the changes in the current location.

[0035] The microwave receiver 122 is a receiver that receives radar waves in the microwave wavelength band emitted from a speed measuring device such as a mobile radar (hereinafter simply referred to as radar). The wireless receiver 123 is a receiver that receives radio waves of a predetermined frequency. In this example, the wireless receiver 123 can be selectively set to one of several frequencies in order to respond to various types of radio waves. The microwave receiver 122 and the radio receiver 123 are incorporated into the case body 2 so as to be located on the rear side of the radar detector 1. This mounting position is suitable for receiving radio waves and other signals coming from the front of the vehicle. The microwave receiver 122 has five levels of microwave field strength, from Lv1 to Lv5, from lowest to highest.

[0036] The acceleration sensor 124 is a sensor that detects acceleration in the forward / backward, left / right, and up / down directions of the vehicle. The gyro sensor 125 is a sensor that detects the angular velocity generated in accordance with the vehicle's movement. The geomagnetic sensor 126 is a sensor that detects the north direction by measuring the magnitude and direction of the Earth's magnetic field. The illuminance sensor 127 is a sensor that detects the brightness of the outside environment.

[0037] The clock unit 129 is a clock that outputs calendar information. The calendar information includes data representing the year, month, and day, and data representing the current time. Once a day, if the current time can be obtained from the GPS receiver 121, the current time (including date and time) of the clock unit 129 is calibrated using that time. The speaker 16 is assembled inside the case body 2 so that it can output sound and other signals through a speaker hole (not shown) that opens on the bottom surface of the case body 2. The memory card reader 17 reads the data recorded on the memory card 171 and transfers it to the control unit 10. The memory card 171 inserted into the card slot 27 is mounted on the memory card reader 17.

[0038] The control unit 10 is composed of a microcontroller (not shown) equipped with a CPU, ROM, RAM, EEPROM and other non-volatile memory, I / O, etc. ROM stores software programs and other data that the CPU will execute. The storage area of ​​non-volatile memory such as EEPROM is provided with a setting information storage area for storing setting information such as alarm settings.

[0039] The database 100 is configured using non-volatile memory (e.g., EEPROM) located within or outside the microcontroller of the control unit 10. At the time of product shipment, the database 100 stores map data, GPS targets including location information of warning targets, various facilities and tourist destinations, regulatory information such as speed limits, and various other voice output information.

[0040] The data stored in database 100 can be updated using memory card 171. By inserting memory card 171 containing update data such as map data, GPS targets, and audio output information into memory card reader 17, the control unit 10 reads the update data, and the data in database 100 can be updated. It is also possible to update database 100 by connecting a PC with the update data stored on a hard disk or the like via USB.

[0041] The control unit 10 has a non-volatile memory (e.g., EEPROM) within its microcontroller, and an external memory area is provided for storing information related to the traffic monitoring activity to be posted. The posting pin storage area can store up to four pieces of posting pin information related to the traffic monitoring activity to be posted. The data specifications for the posting pin information will be explained in detail later.

[0042] ■ 3.Basic operation ■ The radar detector 1 implements various functions by having the CPU execute a software program read from ROM. These functions include a current information display function, GPS logging function, various warning functions, OBD function, setting function, and registration function. The warning functions include GPS warning function, RD warning function, and wireless warning function, which are common features of radar detectors. Furthermore, the radar detector 1 in this example includes a posting function for generating posted information. The means for implementing these functions are formed in the control unit 10.

[0043] The current information display function displays current information by showing a pre-set standby screen on the touch panel 15. This current information includes various types of information such as map information of the vehicle's surroundings, location information of surrounding GPS targets, time information, tidal information, vehicle information, fuel efficiency information, eco-driving information, satellite information, and altitude information. The displayed current information can be selectively set by selecting a standby screen. Selective setting of the standby screen is achieved by the setting function described later.

[0044] The OBD function is a function for acquiring vehicle information. This OBD function only works when the radar detector 1 is connected to the vehicle via an OBD adapter cord that connects to the vehicle's OBD connector. By connecting the radar detector 1 to the vehicle using the OBD adapter cord, various vehicle information can be acquired every 0.5 seconds. Examples of vehicle information that can be acquired from the vehicle include vehicle speed, engine speed, engine load ratio, ignition timing, intake manifold pressure, intake air volume (MAF), injection opening time, engine coolant temperature, intake air temperature, ambient temperature, fuel flow rate, instantaneous fuel consumption, accelerator opening (throttle opening), turn signal information (operation information of left and right turn signals), brake opening, steering wheel rotation angle information, etc.

[0045] The GPS logging function stores the current location output from the GPS receiver 121 every second as location history in the database 100. This location history is recorded in format such as NMEA. The time and speed (vehicle speed) at which the control unit 10 detected the current location are associated with the stored current location. The registration function allows the user (driver) to register personal locations (My Points) and regions (My Areas), and is performed by a registration means implemented in software within the control unit 10.

[0046] The GPS warning function alerts the driver when approaching a target such as an Orbis (automatic speed enforcement device). The GPS warning function repeatedly calculates the distance between the current location and the target location at predetermined time intervals (e.g., 1 second). When this distance reaches a predetermined approach distance and an event called "warning point approach" occurs, a GPS warning is issued to indicate this.

[0047] The GPS alert function can alert you to speed cameras, enforcement areas, checkpoints, intersection monitoring points, parking violation monitoring areas, N-systems, traffic monitoring systems, red light violation prevention systems, police stations, accident-prone areas, car break-in-prone areas, sharp curves, junctions and merge points, ETC lanes, etc. Database 100 stores these targets as GPS targets (POI data), with their type information, location information (latitude and longitude) indicating their specific location, schematic diagrams (animations) or photographic data displayed on the touch panel 15, and audio data associated with them. The alert targets may also include locations of drowsy driving accidents, radar, speed limit change points, etc.

[0048] In addition to the areas covered by the GPS warning function, other GPS targets include service areas (on expressways), parking areas (on expressways), highway oases (on expressways), smart interchanges (on expressways), gas stations within PAs / SAs (on expressways), tunnels (on expressways), highway radio reception areas (on expressways), prefectural border announcements, roadside stations, and viewpoint parking areas.

[0049] In the radar detector 1 of this example, GPS targets are managed in four categories, as shown in Figure 4, in order of increasing urgency: red → yellow → blue → green. Each color corresponding to the GPS target category is used as the icon display color, as well as the scope color of the classic scope screen (reference numeral 32 in Figure 15, described later), the display color of the ring action by the ring display (reference numeral 34 in the same figure, described later), and the emission color of the multicolor LED 137.

[0050] The RD warning function is a function that warns of the incoming radar waves (microwaves) emitted from a radar-type speed enforcement device. When an event occurs in which the microwave receiver 122 receives radar waves (hereinafter referred to as RD reception), an RD warning is issued to indicate this.

[0051] The radio warning function is a function that warns drivers to avoid interfering with the operation of emergency vehicles, etc. When an event occurs in which radio waves emitted by emergency vehicles, etc. are received (hereinafter referred to as radio reception), a radio warning is issued to alert the driver. The types of radios that can be warned include enforcement radios, car location radios, digital radios, low-power radios, police station activity radios, police telephones, police activity radios, tow truck radios, helicopter telemetry radios, fire department helicopter telemetry radios, fire department radios, ambulance radios, highway radios, security radios, etc.

[0052] The posting function generates posting information such as traffic enforcement information. In the radar detector 1 of this example, the generated posting information is converted into a two-dimensional code image 15C (see Figure 163, which will be described later) and displayed on the touch panel 15. In this example, a QR code (registered trademark) is used as the two-dimensional code image. Various code images, such as one-dimensional barcodes, can be used as the code image. Instead of a code image, characters may be displayed and recognized. Alternatively, wireless communication such as IRDA, IRDX, NFC, or Bluetooth (registered trademark) may be used. The operation for generating posting information will be explained later.

[0053] The settings function allows you to configure various settings related to the radar detector 1. These settings include standby settings for the standby screen, mode settings, alarm settings for alarm operation, screen / LED settings for the touch panel 15 and light-emitting unit 23, voice settings, posting settings, reminder settings, system settings, custom settings, and OBD settings. The details of each setting will be explained later.

[0054] Next, the operation overview of the radar detector 1 in this example will be explained. When the control unit 10 is in standby mode and no alarm events such as RD reception, wireless reception, or approach to an alarm point have occurred, it displays a standby screen on the touch panel 15. In this example, the default standby screen for the radar detector 1 is the map screen 31. When the operation of the MEMORY button 222 is detected while the standby screen is displayed, the control unit 10 displays four registration menu buttons 313 as a pop-up on the screen, as shown in Figure 5 (center screen). The registration menu buttons 313 include a pin setting button for registering a posting pin 44 (see Figure 157), which will be described later, an ITY map button that displays the latitude and longitude of the vehicle's positioning location as a 2D barcode when the MEMORY button 222 is pressed, a My Area button for registering My Area, and a Cancel button for registering My Cancel Area.

[0055] Furthermore, when the MEMORY button 222 is detected being operated while all four of the registered post pins 44 are registered, the control unit 10 will display a pop-up message saying "Pins are full." instead of the pin setting button, as shown in Figure 6(a). When the MEMORY button 222 is detected being operated while the vehicle is not moving at all, the control unit 10 will display a pop-up message saying "Direction not determined." instead of the pin setting button, as shown in Figure 6(b). If GPS positioning is not performed, when the control unit 10 detects operation of any menu button except the ITY map button, it will display the text "Searching for GPS." at the top, as shown in Figure 6(c), and when the ITY map button is detected being operated, it will switch to displaying a screen with "Searching for GPS." centered, as shown in Figure 6(d).

[0056] When any of the following events occur while the system is in standby mode: approach to an alarm point, RD reception, or wireless reception, the control unit 10 executes the corresponding function from among the GPS alarm function, RD alarm function, and wireless alarm function. When two or more events occur simultaneously, the priority of each function, from highest to lowest, is RD alarm function, wireless alarm function, and GPS alarm function.

[0057] ■ 4. How to set up and the specifications of the standby screen ■ In this example, the radar detector 1 displays a standby screen on the touch panel 15 that shows various useful information for driving when there are no warnings or notifications. The standby screens available are: (1) radar scope screen, (2) clock screen, (3) speed screen, (4) eco-driving screen, (5) acceleration screen, (6) tilt screen, (7) digital meter screen, (8) tidal information screen, (9) preset A screen, (10) preset B screen, (11) preset C screen, (12) photo frame screen, (13) graph screen, (14) altitude screen, (15) satellite information screen, (16) fuel consumption plan screen, and (17) OBD data screen.

[0058] When the control unit 10 detects the operation of the VIEW button 221, it switches to displaying the standby list screen 3A in Figure 7. This standby list screen 3A is a screen that lists the 17 types of screens that can be set as standby screens to be displayed while waiting for an alarm event. In addition to operation buttons that are reduced versions of the 17 types of screens (1) to (17) above, the standby list screen also has an AUTO button 302 and an OFF button 303 arranged in two dimensions.

[0059] All operation buttons on the standby list screen 3A, the AUTO button 302, and the OFF button 303 are touch switches. However, the operation buttons corresponding to the (17) OBD data screen are only effective when the device is connected to the vehicle via the OBD adapter cord. When not connected, the control unit 10 displays the operation buttons corresponding to the (17) OBD data screen as shadows, making them unselectable. Alternatively, the buttons may be hidden.

[0060] When the control unit 10 detects a touch operation on any of the operation buttons, it sets that screen as the standby screen. Furthermore, when it detects a touch operation on the AUTO button 302, the control unit 10 switches between 17 pre-set screens from the available standby screens every minute and displays them on the touch panel 15. The screens switched and displayed by the operation of the AUTO button 302 can be appropriately set by the user from among the 17 available screens. In the initial product settings, all 17 screens (16 screens excluding the OBD data screen when the OBD adapter connector is not connected) are set as the screens switched and displayed by the operation of the AUTO button 302. When it detects a touch operation on the OFF button 303, the control unit 10 makes the touch panel 15 blank in standby mode, thereby setting a completely black screen as the standby screen.

[0061] (1) Two radar scope screens are available: a map screen 31 (see Figure 12) which primarily displays a map, and a classic scope screen 32 (see Figure 15) which primarily displays the radar scope. The radar scope screen in Figure 7 is a reduced display of the map screen 31. The screen specifications for the map screen 31 and the classic scope screen 32 will be explained in detail in "5. Specifications of the Radar Scope Screen" after an overview of the 17 types of screens.

[0062] In the initial settings at the time of product shipment, the map screen 31 of the radar scope screens described above (1) is set as the standby screen. In the standby list screen 3A in the product's default state, the map screen is displayed as a reduced version of the radar scope screen 32 (see Figure 7). Whether to set the map screen 31 or the classic scope screen 32 as the radar scope screen can be selected using the setting function described later.

[0063] (2) The clock screen is a combination of an analog clock-style display and a date and day of the week display. (3) The speed screen is a screen that combines an analog meter that displays the vehicle speed and a compass (magnetic needle) that displays the direction. (4) The eco-driving screen (Figure 8) is a screen equipped with a radar chart display on the left, an overall evaluation display on the upper right, and a driving speed display on the lower right. The radar chart display shows points for rapid acceleration at the top, rapid deceleration on the right, idling at the bottom, and economical speed on the left. The overall evaluation display shows the average value of each point displayed on the radar chart display. The driving speed display shows the current speed obtained from the GPS receiver 121.

[0064] (5) The acceleration screen is a screen in which an acceleration image display unit is located on the left and an acceleration numerical display unit is located on the right. The acceleration image display unit shows the direction and strength of acceleration with the direction and magnitude (vector) of an arrow. (6) The tilt screen is a screen that has a tilt image display unit on the left that displays an image of the vehicle's tilt state, and a numerical display unit on the right. (7) The digital meter screen is a screen that digitally displays the direction of travel, vehicle speed, etc. Figure 9 is an example when the display item is set to the direction of travel, and Figure 10 is an example when the display item is rotation speed. On these digital meter screens, numbers representing the direction of travel and vehicle speed are displayed in segments like a digital clock. A compass is located to the right of these digital meter screens. This compass is formed by drawing an elliptical region that is viewed from an oblique angle from the east-west-north-south plane, and a magnetic needle that rotates inside this elliptical region, on the inside of a ring-shaped outer circumference. The time is displayed numerically in the upper right corner of the screen, which is above the compass, and the year, month, day, and day of the week are displayed numerically in the lower right corner of the screen, which is below the compass. (8) The tidal information screen is a screen that includes a tidal level graph display section. (9)~(11) Preset A~C screens are screens that can arrange up to three circular ring displays (information display areas) 34. Each ring display 34 displays a preset type of display item as determined by the user. In order to secure the widest possible display area, as shown in Figure 11, the ring display section 34C is positioned higher than the ring displays 34L and R on either side, so that the three ring display sections 34 are arranged in a mountain shape. Furthermore, each ring display section 34 is arranged so that parts of them overlap, thereby securing a wide display area. The central ring display 34C is displayed in the foreground, and the ring displays 34L and R on either side are displayed in the background. When the ring display section 34C is displaying, the outer edges of the ring displays 34L and R are partially hidden.

[0065] The display items that can be preset on each ring display 34 differ depending on whether the OBD is connected or not. When the OBD is not connected, the display items that can be preset are the clock, vehicle speed, acceleration, incline, tidal information, compass, eco-driving, and satellite information. When the OBD is connected, in addition to these display items, the display items that can be preset are instantaneous fuel consumption, average fuel consumption, average fuel consumption on ordinary roads, average fuel consumption on highways, current fuel consumption, lifetime fuel consumption, moving average fuel consumption, fuel flow rate, engine water temperature, intake air temperature, outside temperature, engine load, intake manifold gauge, boost gauge, tachometer, battery voltage, throttle opening, etc.

[0066] As shown in Figure 11, in the preset screen where the ring display 34 is arranged in a mountain shape, the status icon 35 blinks in the upper left corner of the screen where there is a gap. The figure shows an example where the no-parking zone icon 351 and the area with a high incidence of car break-ins icon 352 are displayed. When not in an area, the status icon 35 lights up very faintly, to the point where it may not be recognizable depending on the background. However, if the no-parking zone or area with a high incidence of car break-ins setting is OFF in the mode setting or manual setting, the status icon 35 will not light up and will be completely off. The display specifications of the status icon 35 are the same for all standby screens except the radar scope screen. In the map screen 31 of Figure 12, the display of the status icon 35 is omitted. In the classic scope screen 32 of Figure 15, the status icon 35 is displayed in the lower left (see Figure 84).

[0067] (12) The photo frame screen is a screen that displays image data set by the user. It is possible to set multiple image data, and if multiple images are set, each image data will be displayed in a cycle. (13) The graph screen is a screen comprising a graph display section and a numerical display section. The graph display section displays the type of graph set by the user. The numerical display section displays the current value. The types of graphs that can be displayed are speed, altitude, and acceleration. (14) The altitude screen is a screen that displays changes in altitude in a graph. (15) The satellite information screen is a screen that displays the position of satellites receiving GPS signals on an illustration of a globe. (16) The fuel consumption planning screen is a screen that includes a display unit that displays OBD data as text and a fuel consumption meter display. (17) The OBD data screen displays the selected OBD data. OBD data includes various types of data such as "speed," "average speed," and "maximum speed."

[0068] ■ 5. Radar Scope Screen Specifications ■ There are two radar scope screens: the map screen 31 (Figure 12) and the classic scope screen 32 (Figure 15). In the radar detector 1 of this example, either the map screen 31 or the classic scope screen 32 can be selectively set as the radar scope screen by configuring the radar scope settings described later.

[0069] ■ 5.1 Map Screen Specifications ■ As shown in Figure 12, the map screen 31 displays a map of the area around the vehicle. Within the map screen 31, the vehicle's position is indicated by a triangular vehicle icon 311. At the top of the map screen 31 are a compass indicator 312 showing the north direction on the map, a vehicle speed indicator 315 showing the vehicle speed, and a time indicator 314 digitally displaying the time. At the bottom of the map screen 31 is a strip-shaped ticker display 37. This ticker display 37 consists of a first display section (display area) 371 on the left and a second display section 372 on the right. Target icons 316 representing the locations of GPS targets (such as locations where traffic monitoring activities are conducted) are plotted on the map screen 31.

[0070] The first display unit 371 displays the current location name as shown in Figure 13 if there is no GPS target to focus on (focus target), and displays target information as shown in Figure 14 if there is a focus target. As shown in Figure 12, the second display unit 372 displays public enforcement information related to the current date and time. Here, the focus target is the target located in front of the vehicle and at the shortest distance. However, if an audio output occurs, the target for which the audio output is given will be set as the focus target, even if it is not at the shortest distance. In the case of targets with a monitoring direction, such as speed cameras, the vehicle must be within an angle range of ±40 degrees of that direction in order to be set as the focus target. The target icon for this focus target is the focus target icon.

[0071] The first display unit 371 is designed to display the map while obscuring it. On the other hand, the vehicle speed display unit 315, the time display unit 314, and the second display unit 372 are designed to display text so that it appears to float on the displayed map. With this display specification, the area in which the map is displayed can be secured as wide as possible. For example, even when the second display unit 372 is displayed, the encroachment on the map display area can be suppressed, and a wide display area can be secured.

[0072] On the map screen 31, the warning panel 36 and mini radar scope 38 are displayed depending on the settings. The warning panel 36 is a rectangular display area that pops up in conjunction with the warning voice. The warning panel 36 displays information such as the warning event that occurred using photos and animations. In this example, with radar detector 1, it is also possible to select a setting that does not display the warning panel 36 through the map detailed settings described later. Such specifications are effective in finely addressing a wide range of user needs.

[0073] The mini radar scope (scope area) 38 is a circular display area that appears when approaching a GPS target, etc. The mini radar scope 38 is a roughly circular window that mimics the radar screen of an airport control tower. In this mini radar scope 38, a triangular vehicle icon 381 is displayed in the center of the circular display area, and the target's position is displayed by granular mini icons 383. The mini radar scope 38 allows for an intuitive display of the positional relationship between the vehicle's position and the target's position, as well as the distance to the target. Furthermore, within the mini radar scope 38, the distance to the target is displayed numerically below the vehicle icon 381. The mini radar scope 38 fades in while expanding in a circular shape as a target appears, and fades out while shrinking in a circular shape as the target disappears. Among the mini icons 383 displayed in the mini radar scope 38, the GPS target displayed on the first display unit 371 is indicated by a flashing display showing its correspondence with the GPS target displayed on the first display unit 371. Furthermore, the display on the first display unit 371 alternates between a state where the display is colored according to the type of GPS target and a state where it is displayed in black and white without coloring.

[0074] ■ 5.2 Specifications of the Classic Scope Screen ■ The Classic Scope screen 32, as shown in Figures 15 and 16, is a display that mimics the radar screen of an airport control tower. In the Classic Scope screen 32, a scope surface is formed in which circular areas at 500m intervals, based on the vehicle's position, are drawn so that they can be distinguished by distance. Specifically, equidistant circles of 500m, 1000m, etc. are displayed as white lines 323, and differences in brightness, etc., are provided for each area 321 separated by these white lines 323. Furthermore, the directions of zero degrees (representing the direction of travel), ±25 degrees relative to the direction of travel, ±80 degrees relative to the direction of travel, and ±90 degrees (representing the left and right directions) are displayed as white lines. The area between the white line 325D representing the zero-degree direction and the white line 325B representing the ±25-degree direction is the area corresponding to the direction of travel of the vehicle. The area between the white line 325C, which represents a bearing of ±80 degrees, and the white line 325H, which represents left and right directions, is the area that corresponds to the direction of travel when turning at an intersection.

[0075] In the Classic Scope screen 32, the player's vehicle position is represented by a triangular vehicle icon 322 located at the bottom of the screen. The vehicle icon 322 has three positions in the left-right direction and two positions in the top-bottom direction. As will be explained in more detail later, the position of the vehicle icon 322 in the Classic Scope screen 32 is selected depending on whether the Scope Sub-Display 34 is displayed, the position and type of the focus target, etc. The Classic Scope screen 32 offers four scale levels, from 2000m (far) to 500m (close), with the maximum distance of the displayed circular area differing for each scale.

[0076] In the Classic Scope screen 32, depending on the settings and situation, a scope sub-display 34 surrounded by a circular ring (outer circumference) 340 is displayed in the upper left. This scope sub-display 34 has the same specifications as the ring display 34 in the preset screen (Figure 11). In the following description, the ring display 34 in the Classic Scope screen 32 will be specifically referred to as the scope sub-display 34. Except when set to OFF (hidden), the scope sub-display 34 will display one of the following items depending on the settings: clock, vehicle speed, eco-driving, acceleration, incline, tidal information, satellite information, warning panel, compass, barometric pressure, reminder days, reminder distance, instantaneous fuel consumption, average fuel consumption, average fuel consumption on city roads, average fuel consumption on highways, current fuel consumption, lifetime fuel consumption, moving average fuel consumption, fuel flow rate, engine water temperature, intake air temperature, outside air temperature, engine oil temperature, battery voltage, throttle opening, intake manifold gauge, boost gauge, tachometer, battery current, HV battery capacity, HV battery current, HV motor speed, HV motor torque, and HV generator speed.

[0077] The initial setting for the scope sub-display 34 is the alarm panel 36 shown in Figure 15. When the alarm panel 36 is set, the control unit 10 causes the scope sub-display 34 to pop up in conjunction with the alarm sound (voice). When no alarm sound is generated, the scope sub-display 34 is hidden. On the other hand, for example, when vehicle speed is set as the scope sub-display 34 (Figure 16(a)), or when the compass is set as the scope sub-display 34 (Figure 16(b)), the scope sub-display 34 is always displayed on the classic scope screen 32. Furthermore, in the scope sub-display 34 where the alarm panel 36 is set, the ring action described later is performed by the outer ring 340. This ring action is also performed in the ring display 34 where the alarm panel 36 is set within the preset screen.

[0078] ■ 6. Settings ■ In this example, radar detector 1 allows various settings to be configured using the settings list screen 1A, which is displayed in response to touch operations on the standby screen, as shown in Figure 17. This settings list screen 1A has setting buttons corresponding to (1) standby settings, (2) mode settings, (3) alarm settings, (4) screen / LED settings, (5) sound settings, (6) posting settings, (7) reminder settings, (8) system settings, (9) custom settings, and (10) OBD settings. The content and operation of each setting will be explained below. However, (6) posting settings will be explained in detail in "10. Posting".

[0079] ■ 6.1 Standby Settings ■ The standby settings are for configuring each of the candidate screens for the standby screen. When the operation of the standby settings button in the settings list screen 1A in Figure 17 is detected, the control unit 10 switches to displaying the standby settings screen A, as shown in Figure 18. This standby settings screen A has setting buttons corresponding to radar scope settings, tidal information settings, graph settings, auto item settings, preset screen settings (3 types, A to C), photo frame settings, digital meter settings, fuel consumption meter settings, and OBD data settings.

[0080] ■ 6.1.1 Radar Scope Settings ■ When the control unit 10 detects the operation of the radar scope setting button, it displays one of the following: the radar scope selection screen AA1, the standby / radar scope switching screen AA2, or the GPS target search range setting screen AA3, as shown in Figure 19. When the radar scope setting button is operated, the control unit 10 first displays the radar scope selection screen AA1, and then sequentially switches the screen display according to the operation of the right arrow button (page forward button) and the left arrow button (page back button) in the lower right corner.

[0081] The standby / radar scope switching screen AA2 has setting buttons corresponding to alarm / 1000m approach switching, alarm / 500m approach switching, and standby fixed. For example, when alarm / 1000m approach switching is set, the control unit 10 switches to display on the radar scope screen when an alarm sound is generated or the focus target is within 1000m. On the other hand, when it is set to standby fixed, it does not switch to display on the radar scope screen. Note that the setting buttons on the standby / radar scope switching screen AA2 can only be operated when a screen other than the radar scope screen is selected as the standby screen. If the radar scope screen is selected as the standby screen, the message "If the standby is the radar scope, it will be fixed to the radar scope" is displayed, and each setting button is disabled (cannot be operated). Note that even if it is fixed to a standby screen other than the radar scope screen, if the alarm panel 36 is set in the ring display 34 in the preset screen, various alarms can be executed.

[0082] The GPS target search range setting screen AA3 has setting buttons for optimal range and wide range. The optimal range setting displays GPS targets according to the alarm distance and facing angle, narrowing down the targets on the radar scope screen to only those necessary and improving visibility. The wide range setting displays red targets (red GPS targets in Figure 4) and yellow targets (yellow GPS targets in Figure 4) within the range visible on the screen. Even when the wide range is set, the control unit 10 controls targets other than red and yellow targets in the same way as when the optimal range is set.

[0083] When the control unit 10 detects the operation of the map detail setting button on the radar scope selection screen AA1, it displays one of the following screens, as shown in Figure 20: the map display format setting screen (a in the figure), the map mode setting screen (b), the focus movement setting screen (c), the zoom display setting screen (d), or the icon display setting screen (e). As with the radar scope settings described above with reference to Figure 19, each screen can be switched by operating the right arrow button (page forward button) or the left arrow button (page back button) in the lower right corner.

[0084] The map display format settings screen (a) has setting buttons for North Up and Heading Up. North Up is a display format where the top of the screen is north. Heading Up is a display format where the direction of travel of the vehicle is at the top. Note that the display format cannot be changed on the wide-area map when two maps are selected in the following map modes.

[0085] The map mode setting screen (b) contains setting buttons corresponding to the following map modes: 1 map panel (no panel), 1 map panel (automatic), 1 map panel (small), 1 map panel (2 small panels), 2 map panels (no panel), and 2 map panels (small). Here, "map" refers to the map area, and "panel" refers to the alarm panel area. 1 map means there is one map area, 2 maps means there are two map areas (map areas). 2 panels means that two alarm panel areas can be displayed. Small panel means that the maximum display size of the alarm panel is small. Automatic panel means that when the distance to the GPS target is within 600m, the alarm panel size automatically switches to large. The map mode settings and the map screens under each mode will be explained in detail in "7.1 Map Screen Settings and Operation".

[0086] The focus movement settings screen (c) has setting buttons corresponding to ON and OFF. ON is the setting that moves the screen so that the focus target is centered while the alarm sound is being emitted. OFF is the setting that prevents the screen from moving even when the alarm sound is emitted. Note that in wide-area maps when two maps are selected in map mode, the focus movement setting is disabled and fixed to OFF. The default value for the focus movement setting is ON.

[0087] The zoom display settings screen (d) has setting buttons corresponding to ON and OFF. ON is a setting where the scale is automatically changed so that the focus target is displayed on the screen as much as possible. OFF is a setting where the scale is fixed. Note that the zoom display setting is disabled in the wide area map when 2 maps are selected in map mode. When the setting is ON, as shown in Figure 21, the scale of the map screen 31 is automatically changed according to the distance to the focus target by the control unit 10. As shown in the same figure, place names and facility icons are displayed on the map screen 31 when in detail mode (a), and the place names and facility icons disappear when the map scale becomes wider than a certain size (b).

[0088] The icon display settings screen (e) contains setting buttons for turning convenience stores ON / OFF, fast food restaurants ON / OFF, family restaurants ON / OFF, gas stations ON / OFF, and other facilities ON / OFF. By operating each setting button as appropriate, you can turn the facility icons on the map ON or OFF. Note that by default, only "Other" is set to ON. Multiple setting buttons can be selected. However, when the map mode is set to 2 maps as described in the map mode settings, the icon display settings are disabled and all settings are turned OFF on the wide-area map.

[0089] When the control unit 10 detects the operation of the classic selection button on the radar scope selection screen AA1 (Figure 19), it switches to displaying the settings screen for the classic scope screen 32 (Figure 15), as shown in Figure 22. The settings screen for the classic scope screen 32 includes the scope sub display setting screen (a in the figure), the scope sub backlight setting screen (b), the scope sub backlight color setting screen (c), the scope sub semi-transparent mode setting screen (d), the scope sub additional information display setting screen (e), the public enforcement automatic pop-up setting screen (f), and the in-scope clock display setting screen (g). The specifications of the classic scope screen 32 will be explained in detail in "7.2 Operation of the Classic Scope Screen".

[0090] The Scope Sub-Display Settings screen (a) is a screen for setting the display items of the Scope Sub-Display 34 (see Figures 15 and 16) located in the upper left of the Classic Scope screen 32. The display items of the Scope Sub-Display 34 can be selected from OFF, Clock, Vehicle Speed, Eco-Drive, Acceleration, Inclination, Tidal Information, Satellite Information, Warning Panel, Compass, Barometric Pressure, Reminder Days, Reminder Distance, Instantaneous Fuel Consumption, Average Fuel Consumption, Average Fuel Consumption on General Roads, Average Fuel Consumption on Highways, Current Fuel Consumption, Lifetime Fuel Consumption, Moving Average Fuel Consumption, Fuel Flow Rate, Engine Water Temperature, Intake Air Temperature, Outside Air Temperature, Engine Oil Temperature, Battery Voltage, Throttle Opening, Intake Manifold Gauge, Boost Gauge, Tachometer, Battery Current, HV Battery Capacity, HV Battery Current, HV Motor Speed, HV Motor Torque, and HV Generator Speed. When the settings operation for the Scope Sub-Display 34 is performed, the control unit 10 displays a preview for a certain period of time. In the case of AUTO (see Figure 7), the first half of the preview is displayed OFF and the second half is displayed ON.

[0091] The scope sub-backlight setting screen (b) has setting buttons corresponding to OFF, AUTO, and ON. OFF is the setting where the backlight in the scope sub-display 34 (see Figures 15 and 16) is always OFF. AUTO is the setting where the backlight is automatically switched ON / OFF in conjunction with the vehicle lights using a dimmer function. ON is the setting where the backlight in the scope sub is always ON. When a setting operation is performed, the control unit 10 displays a preview for a certain period of time.

[0092] The scope sub-backlight color setting screen (c) has setting buttons corresponding to Aqua Blue, Yellow Green, Dark Red, Deep Blue, Green, Yellow Green, Orange, and Purple. When a setting operation is performed, the control unit 10 displays a preview for a certain period of time. The Scope Sub Semi-Transparent Mode setting screen (d) has setting buttons corresponding to ON and OFF. ON sets the Scope Sub display 34 to be semi-transparent. OFF sets the Scope Sub display 34 not to be semi-transparent. When semi-transparent display is set, the Scope Sub display 34 is displayed so that the background image is visible through it.

[0093] The Scope Sub Additional Information Display Setting Screen (e) has setting buttons corresponding to ON and OFF. Additional information is information displayed in addition to the original display items within the Scope Sub Display 34. The control unit 10 starts displaying the additional information within the Scope Sub Display 34 approximately 3 seconds after detecting that the vehicle has stopped, and stops displaying the additional information when the vehicle starts moving again.

[0094] Some of the display items that can be set in the scope sub-display 34 have additional information set, as described below. This additional information includes the maximum value and average value of the display items set in the scope sub-display 34. Note that this additional information is not saved when the power is off, and the value is the maximum or average value from the most recent power-on (the current run).

[0095] Display items: Additional information (1) Clock: Date, day of the week (2)Vehicle speed: average vehicle speed (AVESPD), maximum vehicle speed (MAXSPD) (3) Acceleration: Maximum forward acceleration (MAXFWD), maximum lateral acceleration (MAXL / R) (4) Fuel efficiency for this trip: Maximum fuel efficiency for this trip (MAXAVE). Note that NULL will be displayed, such as "-", until the distance traveled in this trip reaches 1 km. (5) Moving average fuel consumption: Maximum moving average fuel consumption (MAXMOV) Note that NULL will be displayed as "-" or similar until the distance traveled reaches 16km or more (until the graph is filled). (6) Fuel flow rate: Maximum fuel flow rate (MAXFLW) (7) Engine water temperature: Maximum engine water temperature (MAXENG) (8) Intake temperature: Maximum intake temperature (MAXITK) (9) Outside temperature: Maximum outside temperature (MAXAMB) (10) Engine oil temperature: Maximum engine oil temperature (MAXOIL) (11) Throttle opening: Average throttle opening (AVETHR), Maximum throttle opening (MAXTHR) (12) Engine load: Average engine load (AVELOD), Maximum engine load (MAXLOD) (13) Intake Manifold Gauge: Maximum Intake Manifold Pressure (MAXINM) (14) Boost gauge: Maximum boost pressure (MAXBST) (15) Tachometer: Average RPM, Maximum RPM (16) HV motor rotation speed: Maximum rotation speed of the HV motor (MAX RPM) (17) HV motor torque: Maximum torque (MAXTRQ) of the HV motor

[0096] The public enforcement automatic pop-up setting screen (f) has setting buttons corresponding to ON and OFF. ON means that when public enforcement information is changed, the window will be displayed automatically for a certain period of time. OFF means that the window will not be displayed automatically even if the public enforcement information is changed. Even when set to OFF, the control unit 10 will display the window when the MUTE button 223 (see Figure 1) is operated (manually). The in-scope clock display settings screen (g) has setting buttons for ON and OFF. ON enables the clock display, and OFF disables the clock.

[0097] ■ 6.1.2 Tidal Information Settings ■ As shown in Figure 23, when the control unit 10 detects that the tidal information setting button on the standby setting screen A has been pressed, it switches to displaying the tidal information setting screen AB. The tidal information setting screen AB has setting buttons corresponding to auto and manual modes. When the control unit 10 detects that the manual button on this tidal information setting screen AB has been pressed, it displays the tidal station setting screen (b), which allows setting tidal stations such as Wakkanai, Abashiri, Ishigaki Island, and Yonaguni Island.

[0098] ■ 6.1.3 Graph Settings ■ As shown in Figure 24, when the control unit 10 detects the operation of the graph setting button on the standby setting screen A, it displays graph setting screens AC1 and AC2. The two graph setting screens AC1 and AC2 have setting buttons and manual setting buttons corresponding to the data to be displayed as graphs. The target data includes speed (Figure 25), altitude (Figure 26), atmospheric pressure (Figure 27), acceleration (Figure 28), gyro (Figure 29), fuel consumption (Figure 30), temperature (Figure 31), rotational speed (Figure 32), engine 1 (Figure 33), engine 2 (Figure 34), fuel (Figure 35), voltage (Figure 36), etc. The manual setting button is a setting button that allows the user to display multiple types of graphs (in the same figure, a combination of speed, altitude, and coolant temperature is shown as an example) according to their preferred specifications, as illustrated in Figure 37. Note that the altitude graph is displayed differently depending on whether the distance traveled is less than 3km or 3km or more, as shown in Figure 38. In Figure (a), which shows an example of displaying distances less than 3km, a graph of altitude for the period from 0.0km to that point is displayed. In Figure (b), which shows an example of displaying distances of 3km or more, the altitude graph is displayed in two sections, top and bottom. The upper graph shows the altitude for the period of the most recent 3km, and the lower graph shows the altitude for the period from 0.0km to that point.

[0099] As shown in Figure 24, when the manual setting button on the graph setting screen AC1 is detected to be operated, the control unit 10 switches to displaying the manual setting screen (a). This manual setting screen (a) has item buttons for setting target data and period setting buttons for setting the sampling period. The item buttons display the data names of the set target data, such as speed, acceleration forward / backward, and yaw. When the control unit 10 detects the operation of an item button, it switches to displaying the target data selection screen (b). On the target data selection screen (b), data can be scrolled using the up arrow button (page forward button) and down arrow button (page back button). The data that can be scrolled to display includes speed, altitude, atmospheric pressure, instantaneous fuel consumption, current fuel consumption, coolant temperature, intake air temperature, rotational speed, engine load, throttle opening, MAF, INJ, intake manifold pressure, remaining fuel, no graph, acceleration forward / backward, acceleration left / right, acceleration up / down, pitch, roll, and yaw. When the control unit 10 detects the operation of the BACK button, it sets the target data that was selected on the target data selection screen as the selected data. On the manual setting screen (a), period setting buttons corresponding to the target data selected on the target data selection screen (b) are displayed. When the operation of the period setting button is detected, the control unit 10 switches to displaying the period selection screen (c), which includes period icons corresponding to periods such as 500ms, 1s, 2s, 5s, and 10s. The period selected on this period selection screen (c) is set as the sampling period for the target data.

[0100] ■ 6.1.4 Automatic Item Settings ■ As shown in Figure 39, when the control unit 10 detects the operation of the auto item setting button on standby setting screen A, it switches the display to auto item setting screens AD1 and AD2. Auto item setting screens AD1 and AD2 are screens for selectively setting the standby screens that the control unit 10 cycles through and displays on the touch panel 15 when the AUTO button 302 (see Figure 7) on standby list screen 3A is selected. Auto item setting screens AD1 and AD2 have setting buttons for clock, speed, eco-driving, acceleration, incline, digital meter, tidal information, preset A screen, preset B screen, preset C screen, photo frame, graph, altitude, positioning information, fuel consumption meter, OBD data, etc. Each setting button has an illuminated area on its left end. The control unit 10 illuminates the illuminated area of ​​the setting button corresponding to the set item in green.

[0101] ■ 6.1.5 Preset Screen Settings ■ As shown in Figure 40, when the control unit 10 detects the operation of the preset screen setting button on standby screen A, it sequentially displays one of the following: preset item setting screen AE1, GPS window interrupt setting screen AE2, backlight setting screen AE3, backlight color setting screen AE4, semi-transparent mode setting screen AE5, or additional information display setting screen AE6. The standby screen set using these setting screens is stored and retained by the control unit 10. There are three types of preset buttons, A to C, corresponding to preset screens A to C, respectively. The same settings can be made for each preset screen. Three preset screen setting buttons are provided, corresponding to preset screens A to C. The setting procedure for each preset screen setting button is the same.

[0102] The preset item setting screen AE1 allows you to set preset items (display items) such as OFF, clock, vehicle speed, eco-drive, acceleration, incline, tidal information, satellite information, warning panel, compass, reminder days, reminder distance, instantaneous fuel consumption, average fuel consumption, average fuel consumption on ordinary roads, average fuel consumption on highways, current fuel consumption, lifetime fuel consumption, moving average fuel consumption, fuel flow rate, engine water temperature, intake air temperature, outside air temperature, engine oil temperature, battery voltage, throttle opening, intake manifold gauge, boost gauge, tachometer, battery current, HV battery capacity, HV battery current, HV motor rotation speed, HV motor torque, and HV generator rotation speed. Note that items from instantaneous fuel consumption onwards can only be set when OBD data is enabled. In the initial settings, the preset A screen is set to clock, speed, and eco-drive; the preset B screen is set to acceleration, incline, and satellite information; and the preset C screen is set to tidal information, compass, and atmospheric pressure. When a setting operation is performed, the control unit 10 displays a preview for a certain period of time. When the backlight is set to AUTO, the first half of the preview will be displayed with the backlight OFF, and the second half with the backlight ON.

[0103] The GPS window interruption setting screen AE2 has setting buttons corresponding to ON and OFF. ON is the setting that displays the type, distance, and direction when a GPS target enters the warning range. OFF is the setting that does not display the type, distance, and direction even when a GPS target enters the warning range. When a GPS target approaches under the ON setting, a GPS window (display area) 391 that displays information about that target will be displayed as an interrupt, as shown in Figure 41(b). At this time, the display positions of the left and right ring displays 34L and R of the three ring displays 34 on the preset screen are raised, thereby securing the interruption area for the GPS window 391. In this example, the initial setting for the GPS window interruption setting in radar detector 1 is ON.

[0104] The backlight setting screen AE3 has setting buttons corresponding to OFF, AUTO, and ON. OFF is the setting where the backlight is always OFF. AUTO is the setting where the backlight is automatically switched ON / OFF. ON is the setting where the backlight is always ON. When a setting is made, the control unit 10 displays a preview for a certain period of time. The content of the automatic judgment when AUTO is selected differs depending on the flex dimmer setting. In the case of a flex dimmer based on the signal of the GPS receiver 121, it is ON when GPS positioning is not available and tunnel guidance is in progress, OFF from sunrise to sunset and ON from sunset to sunrise otherwise. In the case of a flex dimmer based on the signals of the illuminance sensor 127 and the GPS receiver 121, it takes precedence over the setting where it is ON when GPS positioning is not available and tunnel guidance is in progress, OFF from sunrise to sunset and ON from sunset to sunrise otherwise, and turns ON when the illuminance sensor 127 determines that it is dark. In the case of a flex dimmer that is linked to the vehicle illumination signal via the OBD function, it turns ON when the illumination is ON and OFF when the illumination is OFF.

[0105] As shown in Figure 42, the backlight color setting screen AE4 has setting buttons corresponding to Aqua Blue, Yellow Green, Dark Red, Deep Blue, Green, Yellow Green, Orange, and Purple. When any setting button corresponding to a backlight color on the backlight color setting screen AE4 is operated, the control unit 10 displays a preview of the backlight color corresponding to that setting button for a certain period of time, and then switches back to the original backlight color setting screen AE4. The initial value is set to Aqua Blue.

[0106] The semi-transparent mode setting screen AE5 has setting buttons corresponding to ON and OFF, as shown in Figure 43. When an ON or OFF setting button on the semi-transparent mode setting screen AE5 is operated, the control unit 10 displays a preview screen corresponding to that setting button for a certain period of time, and then switches back to the original semi-transparent mode setting screen AE5. The preset screen (a) in Figure 43 is an example of when semi-transparent display is set. In preset screen (a), the ring display 34 is displayed semi-transparently so that the background image set as a custom image is visible through it. Preset screen (b) is an example of a display where the background image of the ring display 34 is not visible through it. The semi-transparent mode is a display mode that respects the feelings of the user who has set a background image as a custom image.

[0107] The AE6 additional information display settings screen has setting buttons for ON and OFF. The function to display additional information is only active when connected via OBD. When the vehicle speed obtained by the OBD function (OBD vehicle speed) remains at zero for 3 seconds, a 17-segment scrolling display is performed, assuming that there is additional information for the set item. When the OBD vehicle speed exceeds zero, the display of additional information ends and returns to the normal display. Note that even if the OBD vehicle speed remains at zero for 3 seconds, if the screen switches, the display will start again after 3 seconds.

[0108] When the additional information display setting is ON, the control unit 10 starts displaying additional information on a portion of the meter approximately 3 seconds after the OBD vehicle speed becomes zero, and returns to the normal display when driving begins. The display of additional information is performed by the control unit 10, as illustrated in Figure 44. The additional information displayed is the same as the additional information in the scope sub-display 34 described above, as follows.

[0109] Display items: Additional information (1) Clock: Date, day of the week (2)Vehicle speed: average vehicle speed (AVESPD), maximum vehicle speed (MAXSPD) (3) Acceleration: Maximum forward acceleration (MAXFWD), maximum lateral acceleration (MAXL / R) (4) Fuel efficiency for this trip: Maximum fuel efficiency for this trip (MAXAVE). Note that NULL will be displayed, such as "-", until the distance traveled in this trip reaches 1 km. (5) Moving average fuel consumption: Maximum moving average fuel consumption (MAXMOV) Note that NULL will be displayed as "-" or similar until the distance traveled reaches 16km or more (until the graph is filled). (6) Fuel flow rate: Maximum fuel flow rate (MAXFLW) (7) Engine water temperature: Maximum engine water temperature (MAXENG) (8) Intake temperature: Maximum intake temperature (MAXITK) (9) Outside temperature: Maximum outside temperature (MAXAMB) (10) Engine oil temperature: Maximum engine oil temperature (MAXOIL) (11) Throttle opening: Average throttle opening (AVETHR), Maximum throttle opening (MAXTHR) (12) Engine load: Average engine load (AVELOD), Maximum engine load (MAXLOD) (13) Intake Manifold Gauge: Maximum Intake Manifold Pressure (MAXINM) (14) Boost gauge: Maximum boost pressure (MAXBST) (15) Tachometer: Average RPM, Maximum RPM (16) HV motor rotation speed: Maximum rotation speed of the HV motor (MAX RPM) (17) HV motor torque: Maximum torque (MAXTRQ) of the HV motor

[0110] ■ 6.1.6 Photo Frame Settings ■ The photo frame setting allows you to configure the photo frame to display photos (JPEG data) saved on an SD card. By preparing an SD card containing your photo data, you can configure the photo frame without using conversion tools on a PC or other device. The photo frame will sequentially display up to 100 JPEG files stored in the / user / photo / directory on the SD card. Subfolders up to four levels below / user / photo / are automatically searched. While photos stored on mobile phones and PCs are often organized into folders by date, this specification allows for convenient copying of such folder-managed data. The JPEG files supported are Baseline JPEG or Progressive JPEG YUV444 / YUV422 / YUV420 / Y only. The maximum data size for JPEG data is 8000 x 8000 pixels, and the maximum file size is approximately 3MB.

[0111] If no photo data is saved on the inserted SD card, the message "No valid jpeg files found" will be displayed. The photo frame settings in this example do not have a function to fix the display to a single photo when there are multiple photos. One way to fix a single photo as the standby screen is to hide the ring display 34 by turning off all items in the preset screen settings. It would also be good to include a setting in the photo frame settings to permanently display a single photo. It would also be good to include a function in the photo frame settings to set the order in which multiple photos are displayed.

[0112] In the photo frame standby mode, a clock is displayed in the upper right corner of the screen. It is possible to hide the clock through the settings. Note that GPS target messages are not displayed while the photo frame standby mode is active. However, volume control, radar warnings, and radio warning messages are still displayed.

[0113] As shown in Figure 45, when the operation of the photo frame setting button on the standby setting screen A is detected, the control unit 10 sequentially displays one of the following: the photo switching time setting screen AF1, the photo switching effect setting screen AF2, the photo zoom setting screen AF3, the photo special effect setting screen AF4, or the clock display setting screen AF5. The AF1 photo switching time setting screen has setting buttons corresponding to photo switching times of 3 seconds, 5 seconds, 10 seconds, 30 seconds, 1 minute, 5 minutes, and 15 minutes. The AF2 photo transition effect settings screen has setting buttons for No Effect, Fade, Slide, Window, Zoom, and All (all effects). Fade is an effect where the previous photo gradually disappears and the next photo appears. Slide is an effect where the next photo slides in from the right. Window is an effect where the next photo appears in a window-like manner from the center. Zoom is an effect where the next photo enlarges and disappears before the next photo appears. All is an effect where Fade → Slide → Window → Zoom → Fade is repeated.

[0114] The AF3 photo zoom settings screen has setting buttons corresponding to Full, Normal, Normal (no scaling), and Forced Screen Size zoom. Full zoom enlarges or reduces the image to fill the screen while maintaining the aspect ratio of the photo. If the aspect ratio of the screen and the photo are different, the top / bottom or left / right sides will be cut off and part of the image will not be displayed. Normal zoom enlarges or reduces the image to fill the screen either vertically or horizontally while maintaining the aspect ratio of the photo. If the aspect ratio of the screen and the photo are different, black bars will appear. Normal (no scaling) is a zoom setting that, in the normal operation, does not enlarge the image if it is smaller than the screen size, and fills the empty space with black. Forced Screen Size zoom enlarges or reduces the image to fit the screen size both vertically and horizontally, so the image may become horizontally or vertically stretched. Note that the aspect ratio of the touch panel 15 screen in this example is 400:240 = 10:6.

[0115] The AF4 photo special effects settings screen has buttons for normal, negative, grayscale, and sepia color settings. Normal is the default setting with no special effects. Negative is a special effect that inverts the brightness, like a photographic negative. Grayscale is a special effect that displays the image like a black and white television. Sepia color is a special effect that displays the image in the colors of an old photograph. The AF5 clock display settings screen has on and off setting buttons. By selecting either setting button, users can choose whether or not to display the clock in the upper right corner of the photo frame's standby screen, according to their preference.

[0116] ■ 6.1.7 Fuel Consumption Meter Settings ■ The fuel consumption meter setting function is a setting function for the fuel consumption plan screen as shown in Figure 46. When the operation of the fuel consumption meter setting button on the standby setting screen A is detected as shown in Figure 47, the control unit 10 switches to display one of the six types of fuel consumption meter setting screens AG1 to AG6. Fuel consumption meter setting screens AG1 to AG6 have setting buttons for the data to be displayed as text on the left side of the fuel consumption plan screen as shown in Figure 46. Each setting button switches between on and off with each operation. Setting buttons that are switched to the on state are displayed in green on the left edge.

[0117] The data that can be set on the fuel consumption plan include speed, average speed, maximum speed, 5-second speed, average 5-second speed, maximum 5-second speed, RPM, average RPM, maximum RPM, engine load, average load, maximum load, throttle opening, average throttle opening, maximum throttle opening, ignition timing, fuel level, intake manifold pressure, maximum intake manifold pressure, MAF, INJ, coolant temperature, maximum coolant temperature, intake air temperature, maximum intake air temperature, ambient temperature, maximum ambient temperature, engine oil temperature, maximum engine oil temperature, maximum engine water temperature, remaining fuel, fuel flow rate, maximum fuel flow rate, fuel consumed, lifetime fuel consumed, instantaneous fuel consumption, current fuel consumption, maximum current fuel consumption, lifetime fuel consumption, average fuel consumption, average fuel consumption on ordinary roads, average fuel consumption on highways, moving average fuel consumption, maximum moving average fuel consumption, driving time, and mileage. These include time, idle time, idle ratio, mileage, lifetime mileage, lifetime engine mileage, lifetime engine mileage ratio, 0-20km / h acceleration time, 0-20km / h average acceleration, 0-20km / h shortest acceleration, 0-40km / h acceleration time, 0-40km / h average acceleration, 0-40km / h shortest acceleration, 0-60km / h acceleration time, 0-60km / h average acceleration, 0-60km / h shortest acceleration, 0-80km / h acceleration time, 0-80km / h average acceleration, 0-80km / h shortest acceleration, 0-20km / h driving time, 20-40km / h driving time, 40-60km / h driving time, 60-80km / h driving time, driving time above 80km / h, lifetime engine mileage, lifetime engine mileage ratio, etc.

[0118] "Speed" displays the current vehicle speed obtained from the vehicle in km / h. "Average Speed" displays the average vehicle speed obtained from the vehicle from the time the unit was powered on until the present in km / h. "Maximum Speed" displays the highest vehicle speed obtained from the vehicle from the time the unit was powered on until the present in km / h. "5-Second Speed" displays the average vehicle speed obtained from the vehicle from 5 seconds ago until the present in km / h. "Average 5-Second Speed" displays the average speed every 5 seconds since the power was turned on, obtained from the vehicle, in km / h. "Maximum 5-Second Speed" displays the highest speed every 5 seconds since the power was turned on, obtained from the vehicle, in km / h. "Engine RPM" displays the current engine RPM obtained from the vehicle in rpm. "Average RPM" displays the average engine RPM obtained from the vehicle from the time the power was turned on until the present in rpm. "Maximum RPM" displays the highest engine RPM obtained from the vehicle from the time the power was turned on until the present in rpm. "Engine Load" displays the current engine load percentage obtained from the vehicle in units of %. "Average Load" displays the average value of the engine load percentage obtained from the vehicle from power-on to the present in units of %. "Average Load" displays the average value of the engine load percentage obtained from the vehicle from power-on to the present in units of %. "Maximum Load" displays the maximum value of the engine load percentage obtained from the vehicle from power-on to the present in units of %. "Throttle Opening" displays the current throttle opening percentage obtained from the vehicle in units of %. "Average Throttle Opening" displays the average value of the throttle opening percentage obtained from the vehicle from power-on to the present in units of %. "Maximum Throttle Opening" displays the maximum value of the throttle opening percentage obtained from the vehicle from power-on to the present in units of %. "Ignition Timing" displays the current ignition timing obtained from the vehicle in units of degrees. "Average Throttle Opening" displays the average value of the throttle opening percentage obtained from the vehicle from power-on to the present in units of %. "Maximum Throttle Opening" displays the maximum throttle opening value obtained from the vehicle since power-on, in percentage units. "Fuel Level" displays the current percentage of remaining fuel obtained from the vehicle, in percentage units."Intake Manifold Pressure" displays the current intake manifold pressure obtained from the vehicle in units of kPa. "MAF" displays the current amount of air drawn into the engine (intake air volume (MAF)) obtained from the vehicle in units of g / second. "INJ" displays the time (injection opening time) for which fuel is injected by the injector in a certain period of time, obtained from the vehicle, in units of milliseconds. "Coolant Temperature" displays the current engine coolant temperature obtained from the vehicle in units of °C. "Intake Air Temperature" displays the current temperature of the air drawn into the engine (intake air temperature) obtained from the vehicle in units of °C. "Outside Air Temperature" displays the current outside air temperature obtained from the vehicle in units of °C. "Remaining Fuel" displays the current amount of fuel remaining in the fuel tank (remaining fuel amount) obtained from the vehicle in units of L. "Fuel Flow Rate" displays the current fuel flow rate obtained from the vehicle in units of mL / min. "Fuel Consumption" displays the difference between the remaining fuel amount obtained from the vehicle when the power is turned on and the current remaining fuel amount as fuel consumed in mL. "Lifetime Fuel Consumption" displays the cumulative value of fuel consumed since the unit was first installed or reset in L. "Instantaneous Fuel Consumption" displays the current instantaneous fuel consumption obtained from the vehicle in km / L. "Current Fuel Consumption" displays the fuel consumption for the current trip, etc., calculated based on the instantaneous fuel consumption obtained from the vehicle from power-on to the present, in km / L. "Lifetime Fuel Consumption" displays the fuel consumption during this period, calculated based on the instantaneous fuel consumption since the unit was first installed or since an all-reset was performed on the settings screen, in km / L. "Average Fuel Consumption" displays the fuel consumption during this period, calculated based on the instantaneous fuel consumption since the unit was first installed or since the average fuel consumption was reset on the settings screen, in km / L. The "Average Fuel Economy on Public Roads" function determines whether the current location corresponds to a public road based on map data stored in the database 100 and the current location obtained by the GPS receiver 121. Based on the instantaneous fuel economy obtained from the vehicle at the public road location, it displays the average fuel economy on public roads in km / L from the time the device was first installed or from the time the average fuel economy was reset in the settings screen to the present. Similarly, the "Average Fuel Economy on Highways" function displays the average fuel economy on highways in km / L."Operating Time" displays the time from power-on to the present in hours:minutes:seconds format. "Driving Time" displays the time from power-on to the present during which the vehicle speed, as measured by the vehicle, was greater than zero, in hours:minutes:seconds format. "Idle Time" displays the time from power-on to the present during which the vehicle was stationary, i.e., the time during which the vehicle speed, as measured by the vehicle, was zero, in hours:minutes:seconds format. "Idle Ratio" displays the ratio in % of the time from power-on to the present between the time the vehicle was running, i.e., the time during which the vehicle speed was greater than zero (driving time), and the time the vehicle was stationary, i.e., the time during which the vehicle speed, as measured by the vehicle, was zero (stationary time). "Distance Traveled" displays the metered distance traveled in km, calculated from the vehicle speed and elapsed time obtained from the vehicle, as measured by the vehicle, from power-on to the present. "Lifetime Distance Traveled" displays the cumulative distance traveled since the device was first installed or reset, in km. "Lifetime Engine Distance Traveled" is the distance traveled using the engine as power. "Lifetime Engine Distance Traveled" is the percentage of time the vehicle was traveled using the engine as power. It is also possible to determine the brake mileage, which represents the load on the brake pads, using a similar approach to engine mileage. In calculating brake mileage, for example, one can estimate the degree to which the load on the brake pads has been reduced based on the accumulated power value from the regenerative braking current of hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles, and then calculate a distance that is less than the actual mileage based on that degree.

[0119] "0-20km / h acceleration time" displays the time taken in seconds to reach 20km / h from a standstill. "0-20km / h average acceleration" displays the average time taken in seconds to reach 20km / h from a standstill. "0-20km / h shortest acceleration" displays the shortest time taken in seconds to reach 20km / h from a standstill. "0-40km / h acceleration time" displays the time taken in seconds to reach 40km / h from a standstill. "0-40km / h average acceleration" displays the average time taken in seconds to reach 40km / h from a standstill. "0-40km / h shortest acceleration" displays the shortest time taken in seconds to reach 40km / h from a standstill. "0-60km / h acceleration time" displays the time taken in seconds to reach 60km / h from a standstill.

[0120] "Average 0-60km / h acceleration" displays the average time taken to reach 60km / h from a standstill, in seconds. "Shortest 0-60km / h acceleration" displays the shortest time taken to reach 60km / h from a standstill, in seconds. "0-80km / h acceleration time" displays the most recent time taken to reach 80km / h from a standstill, in seconds. "Average 0-80km / h acceleration" displays the average time taken to reach 80km / h from a standstill, in seconds. "Shortest 0-80km / h acceleration" displays the shortest time taken to reach 80km / h from a standstill, in seconds. "0-20km / h driving time" displays the total time spent driving at 20km / h from a standstill in hours:minutes:seconds format. "20-40km / h driving time" displays the total time spent driving at speeds between 20km / h and 40km / h in hours:minutes:seconds format. "40-60km / h driving time" displays the total time spent driving at speeds between 40km / h and 60km / h in hours:minutes:seconds format. "60-80km / h driving time" displays the total time spent driving at speeds between 60km / h and 80km / h in hours:minutes:seconds format. "80km / h and above driving time" displays the total time spent driving at speeds of 80km / h or above in hours:minutes:seconds format.

[0121] In addition to the data listed above, there is "Illumination," which indicates the ON / OFF status of the illumination power line and is linked to the SW position above the small lamp (including when AUTO detects darkness); "Battery Current," which is the current value input and output to the battery, generally called the ammeter, and is expressed as + during charging and - during discharging; "Engine Oil Temperature," which is the temperature of the engine oil, and is slightly higher than the coolant temperature because the engine is cooled by coolant; "Maximum Engine Oil Temperature"; "Hybrid Vehicle Battery Capacity," which indicates what percentage of the hybrid battery is charged (SOC = State Of Charge); "Hybrid Vehicle Battery Current," which is the current of the hybrid battery, and is expressed as + during charging and - during discharging; "Hybrid Vehicle Motor Speed," which indicates the rotational speed of the hybrid motor; "Hybrid Vehicle Maximum Motor Speed," which indicates the maximum motor speed after IG (ignition) is ON; "Hybrid Vehicle Motor Torque," which indicates the shaft rotational force of the hybrid motor; "Hybrid Vehicle Maximum Motor Torque," which indicates the maximum motor torque after IG is ON; and "Hybrid Vehicle Generator," which indicates the rotational speed of the hybrid generator. It would also be good to include things like "generator rotation speed".

[0122] ■ 6.1.8 OBD Data Settings ■ The OBD data setting function is a setting function for the OBD data screen, as shown in Figure 48. When the operation of the OBD data setting button on the standby setting screen A is detected, as shown in Figure 49, the control unit 10 switches the display to one of the OBD setting screens AH1 to AH6. The OBD setting screens AH1 to AH6 have setting buttons corresponding to the following data. Each setting button is the same as the fuel consumption meter setting button in Figure 47, and when it is turned on, the leftmost part lights up green. The data includes: speed, average speed, maximum speed, 5-second speed, average 5-second speed, maximum 5-second speed, RPM, average RPM, maximum RPM, engine load, average load, maximum load, throttle opening, average throttle opening, maximum throttle opening, ignition timing, fuel level, intake manifold pressure, maximum intake manifold pressure, MAF, INJ, coolant temperature, maximum coolant temperature, intake air temperature, maximum intake air temperature, ambient temperature, maximum ambient temperature, engine oil temperature, maximum engine oil temperature, remaining fuel, fuel flow rate, maximum fuel flow rate, fuel consumed, lifetime fuel consumed, instantaneous fuel consumption, current fuel consumption, maximum current fuel consumption, lifetime fuel consumption, average fuel consumption, average fuel consumption on city roads, average fuel consumption on highways, moving average fuel consumption, maximum moving average fuel consumption, driving time, and distance. These include driving time, idle time, idle ratio, distance traveled, lifetime mileage, 0-20km / h acceleration time, 0-20km / h average acceleration, 0-20km / h shortest acceleration, 0-40km / h acceleration time, 0-40km / h average acceleration, 0-40km / h shortest acceleration, 0-60km / h acceleration time, 0-60km / h average acceleration, 0-60km / h shortest acceleration, 0-80km / h acceleration time, 0-80km / h average acceleration, 0-80km / h shortest acceleration, 0-20km / h driving time, 20-40km / h driving time, 40-60km / h driving time, 60-80km / h driving time, 80km / h or higher driving time, lifetime engine mileage, lifetime engine mileage ratio, etc.

[0123] ■ 6.2 Mode Settings ■ Mode settings are for setting alarm modes with different alarm frequencies. As shown in Figure 50, when the operation of the mode setting button on the setting list screen 1A is detected, the control unit 10 switches the display to the mode setting screen B. The mode setting screen B has setting buttons corresponding to the Normal, Minimum, Special, All On, and Manual alarm modes. The settings for each alarm mode except Manual mode, and the setting example under Manual mode, are shown in Figure 51. Normal mode is the initial setting mode at the time of product shipment. In each mode other than Manual mode, the operation (on / off) according to each alarm target is predetermined. In Manual mode, the user can manually set the operation according to the alarm target. Minimum mode is a setting that alerts only the minimum necessary alarm targets in all of the RD alarm function, wireless alarm function, and GPS alarm function. Normal mode is a mode that emphasizes the balance between functions, and in addition to the items of Minimum mode, it is set to alert items of high importance among the enforcement items as alarm targets. Special mode is a setting that alerts all items related to enforcement as alarm targets in addition to the items of Normal mode.

[0124] As shown in Figure 52, when the control unit 10 detects that the manual setting button on mode setting screen B has been pressed, it switches to displaying manual setting screen BA, which has setting buttons corresponding to wireless settings, radar settings, and GPS settings. As shown in Figure 53, when the control unit 10 detects operation of the radar setting button on the manual setting screen BA, it switches to displaying the radar setting screen. This radar setting screen has setting buttons corresponding to I-cancel, cancel sound, and opposite cancel. I-cancel is a function that automatically registers GPS location information when a false alarm occurs and cancels subsequent alarms at the same location. Cancel sound is a function that emits a voice message "Canceling in progress" once every 10 seconds when I-cancel is in progress. Opposite cancel is a function that cancels the RD alarm when passing a radar speed camera installation point if the lane where the camera is installed is the opposite lane. Each setting button is switched on or off with each operation, and the leftmost part of a setting button that is switched to the ON state lights up green.

[0125] As shown in Figure 54, when the control unit 10 detects the operation of the wireless setting button on the manual setting screen BA, it switches and displays either the wireless setting screen (a) or (b). The two types of wireless setting screens (a) and (b) have setting buttons corresponding to reception sensitivity, car location, enforcement, digital, low-power radio, station activity system, police telephone, police activities, tow truck, helicopter TV, fire helicopter TV, fire department, new ambulance, highway, and security. Each setting button is an on / off button, and the leftmost part of it lights up green when it is set to the ON state. As shown in Figure 55, when the operation of the GPS setting button on the manual setting screen BA is detected, the control unit 10 switches and displays one of the five types of GPS setting screens (a) to (e). The GPS setting screens (a) to (e) have setting buttons corresponding to speed cameras, immediate speed notification, camera location notification, passing notification, speed limit notification, speeding notification, enforcement area, checkpoint area, speed limit change notification, intersection monitoring point, red light violation prevention, highway traffic police unit, parking violation monitoring area, stop sign warning, N system, traffic monitoring system, police station, police box, accident-prone area, car break-in area, sharp curve, junction / merging point, railroad crossing, ETC lane, service area, parking area, highway oasis, smart interchange, gas station, tunnel, highway radio, prefectural border, roadside station, viewpoint, parking area, fire station, public toilet, etc.

[0126] ■ 6.3 Alarm Settings ■ Alarm settings are settings related to the type of alarm. As shown in Figure 56, when the operation of the alarm setting button on the setting list screen 1A is detected, the control unit 10 displays one of the following on the touch panel 15: radar reception sensitivity setting screen C1, road selection screen C2, alarm panel operation setting screen C3, or alarm panel photo setting screen C4. The radar reception sensitivity setting screen C1 has setting buttons corresponding to City, Extra, Super Extra, AAC / ASS, and AAC / SE. When the control unit 10 detects that any of the setting buttons has been pressed, it sets the radar reception sensitivity corresponding to that setting button. The road selection screen C2 has setting buttons corresponding to general roads, highways, all roads, automatic pressure control off, and automatic pressure control on. Automatic pressure control off is a setting that automatically determines the road using GPS, while automatic pressure control on is a setting that automatically determines the road using both GPS and a pressure sensor.

[0127] The alarm panel operation setting screen C3 contains setting buttons for animation loop, animation → freeze, and freeze. The animation loop setting causes the animation to loop while the alarm panel 36 (see Figures 12 and 15) is displayed. However, with this setting, the photo display on the alarm panel 36 is set to ON, and if there is a photo for the target, it will switch to the photo midway through. The animation → freeze setting causes the animation to be displayed for a while while the alarm panel 36 is displayed, and freeze at the final frame. With this setting, the frequency of alarm activation by the ring 340 for reasons other than approaching a speed camera is reduced. The freeze setting causes the alarm panel 36 to freeze at the final frame while it is displayed. With this setting, alarm activation by the ring 340 for reasons other than approaching a speed camera will also freeze. The alarm panel photo setting screen C4 has setting buttons corresponding to "on" and "off". When the "on" setting button is pressed, the control unit 10 sets the alarm panel 36 to display the target's photo. On the other hand, when the "off" setting button is pressed, the alarm panel 36 will not display the target's photo.

[0128] ■ 6.4 Screen / LED Settings ■ The screen and LED settings relate to the display screen of the touch panel 15 and the illumination operation of the multicolor LED 137. As shown in Figure 57, when the operation of the screen and LED setting button on the setting list screen 1A is detected, the control unit 10 displays one of the following: brightness setting screen D1, flex dimmer setting screen D2, screen inversion setting screen D3, window touch correction screen D4, multicolor LED setting screen D5, or button LED setting screen D6. The brightness setting screen D1 has setting buttons corresponding to minimum, dim, normal, and bright. The Flex Dimmer setting screen D2 has setting buttons corresponding to GPS, Illuminance Sensor + GPS, and OBD Illumination Linkage. GPS is a dimmer setting that calculates sunrise and sunset times from the time / latitude and longitude and determines the brightness. Illuminance Sensor + GPS is a dimmer setting that prioritizes brightness reduction detected by the illuminance sensor 127 in addition to the GPS determination. OBD Illumination Linkage is a dimmer setting that controls the brightness at daytime when the illumination signal is OFF and at nighttime when it is ON, based on illumination detection from OBD information. If installed in a vehicle that cannot detect the illumination signal, the control unit 10 will disable the setting button corresponding to this OBD Illumination Linkage. The initial setting for the dimmer setting is the OBD Illumination Linkage dimmer setting when the illumination is enabled when the OBD adapter is connected, and the Illuminance Sensor + GPS dimmer setting otherwise. The window touch correction screen D4 has operation buttons for performing the correction. When the operation of these operation buttons is detected, the control unit 10 switches and displays a series of correction screens in sequence, as shown in Figure 58.

[0129] The multicolor LED setting screen D5 has setting buttons corresponding to OFF, voice-activated, area-activated, and voice + area-activated. Using the multicolor LED setting screen D5, you can set the operation of the multicolor LED 137 in four ways. OFF means that the multicolor LED 137 does not light up at all. Voice-activated means that the color changes depending on the type of voice output, such as GPS warning, radar warning, and radio warning, and the brightness changes according to the volume (amplitude) and dimmer of the sound.

[0130] Area-based illumination is a mode in which the multi-color LED 137 lights up in conjunction with the area, as described below. Red: Speed ​​camera (2100m) Yellow: Enforcement area (1100m / 100m (stop)), checkpoint area (1100m), highway police waiting area (1100m), My area (1100m), intersection monitoring point (600m), traffic light violation prevention system (600m) All of these include targets inside the tunnel and targets immediately after the exit.

[0131] In area-linked mode, the color of the "highest priority target" is output when the vehicle is traveling toward the aforementioned target azimuth and is within the valid range of the target (including cases where enforcement areas other than temporary stop check areas and inspection areas remain in a out-of-range state until the vehicle leaves). The color conditions are the same as the system alarm level. However, the 2100 m range for the aforementioned Orbis speed camera is always extracted when the attribute is for an expressway, but depends on the "GPS target search range" setting when the attribute is for a general road. In this example, the blinking cycle is changed according to the distance to the highest priority target. Specifically, the blinking cycle is determined by linear interpolation between two points: 3000 ms at 2000 m and 750 ms at 0 m. The PWM ON time is fixed at 80 ms, and the ON target value for the brightness of the PWM itself is 30% × dimmer coefficient. However, this is only the target value. In practice, when the brightness increases, an approximation process is performed where the current value moves half the difference between the current value and the target value every 4 ms, and when the brightness decreases, the current value moves 1 / 64 of the difference between the current value and the target value every 4 ms. This creates a soft fading-out effect. As for priority, targets with a higher system alarm level are given priority.

[0132] Voice+area linkage is a setting where voice linkage is always output with priority when the voice linkage condition is satisfied, and the area linkage operation is performed when the voice linkage condition is not satisfied. With this setting, the multi-color LED 137 turns off when neither the voice linkage condition nor the area linkage condition is satisfied.

[0133] ■ 6.5 Audio Settings ■ Audio settings are settings related to sound output such as alarm voices. When operation of the audio setting button on the setting list screen 1A is detected as shown in FIG. 59, the control unit 10 displays any one of a narrator switching screen E1, a voice mode setting screen E2, a radar alarm sound setting screen E3, a radio alarm sound setting screen E4, an Orbis location guide setting screen E5, a speed warning sound setting screen E6, a positioning announcement setting screen E7, a relaxation chime setting screen E8, a time signal setting screen E9, and an operation sound setting screen E10.

[0134] On the narrator switching screen E1, respective setting buttons corresponding to female 1, female 2, female 3, female 4, and male narrators are arranged. On the voice mode setting screen E2, respective setting buttons corresponding to normal, assistant, and advice modes are arranged. As shown in FIG. 60, different pronunciations are output depending on the set mode. In Best Partner+ (Plus) shown in the figure, in addition to conventional alarms based on radio wave reception, determination is made based on the combination of radar waves, radio, and GPS. Not only combinations with radio alarms, but also more accurate pronunciation is performed based on the combined conditions of RD waves, radio, and GPS. Examples of the combined conditions of RD waves and GPS include a condition that only the "first time" when an RD wave is received within the area (500m) of a speed trap area after the start of the alarm for the speed trap area changes the pronunciation content of the RD alarm, and a condition that when the device leaves the area and re-enters the area and receives an RD wave, it is also treated as the first time. Note that the handling of "first time" is independent from the combined condition of radio and GPS described later. Since the pronunciation of Best Partner+ has the highest priority, it is played by interrupting even when another pronunciation is being output. Examples of such voice include "♪ (same Aeen ×3 as in stealth alarm) Caution speed measurement" and the like.

[0135] Examples of the combined conditions of radio and GPS include a condition that only the "first time" when a specific radio is received within the area (500m) after the start of an alarm in an enforcement area or a checkpoint area changes the pronunciation content of the radio alarm, and a condition that when the device leaves the area and re-enters the area and receives a radio signal, it is also treated as the first time. The handling of "first time" is independent from the aforementioned combined condition of RD waves and GPS. Note that since this pronunciation does not have the highest pronunciation priority, it will not be played by interrupting even when another pronunciation is being output. Target radios include car location proximity, car location distance, 350.1 enforcement radio, digital radio, enforcement signal, checkpoint signal, parallel tracking, ultra-small radio, tow truck radio, police station activity radio, police telephone, and police activity radio. When in a tracking-type enforcement area, examples of such voice include "♪ (set radio jingle) Caution tracking-type enforcement" and the like. Note that in the radar detector 1 of the present example, the generation timing of alarm sound (alarm voice) is set as shown in FIGS. 61 to 63.

[0136] Examples of greetings shown in Figure 60 include the greeting announced when the GPS positioning is initially determined. It is recommended to change the content of the announcement depending on the date and time, as shown in Figure 64. The sunset notification in Figure 60 is sounded when the time of sunset, calculated from the vehicle's position and the time of day as output by the GPS receiver 121, is reached. An example of the voice is, "♪ (GPS notification jingle) It's sunset. Please check your lights." Note that the time of sunset will change if the vehicle moves, but once a sunset notification has been made, it is best not to make another notification until the power is turned off.

[0137] The reminder notification in Figure 60 is the notification displayed when a reminder has been set. If the set number of days or distance has been reached at startup, a notification will be displayed up to three times (cancelled by operation). During this notification, a voice will be played, for example, "♪ (reminder jingle) It's time to change your engine oil." The speed camera countdown function shown in the diagram reads out the remaining distance to the speed camera in 100m increments when approaching it. The countdown announcement is not the highest priority, so if other announcements are playing, it is possible that the distance has already been passed. Such distance announcements will be canceled. The countdown is considered complete when the distance to be announced is 50m or less, but if multiple announcement distances are met simultaneously (when the distance jumps), the closest one will be output. Note that distances beyond the distance that has already been counted out will not be output. Once the distance away is reached, output will be possible again from 900m or 400m. 1000m and 500m announcements will not be made. Additionally, to prioritize the countdown, the radar warning sound is temporarily changed. When the countdown is active, the radar warning sound setting temporarily switches to an electronic sound when the countdown state is entered, and then returns to the warning sound that was set after the object has passed (countdown priority control of radar warning sound).

[0138] In addition, other voice-related features include the following: The illumination decrease notification function is a feature that emits an audible message when the ambient light level decreases, as detected by the illumination sensor 127. However, since this may occur frequently in continuous tunnels, it is advisable to set the system so that it does not emit a notification if the ambient light level drops again within 30 seconds after a change from dark to bright. For example, the voice output might say, "♪ (Jingle) Illumination level has decreased. Please check your lights." The eco-driving notification function is a feature that makes an announcement when your eco-driving points reach their maximum or when your points start to decrease. For example, it may output voice messages such as "♪ (Jingle) Your eco-driving points are full." or "♪ (Jingle) Your eco-driving points are decreasing."

[0139] The OBD function also provides voice output. For outside temperature, a voice alert is given when the temperature is 30°C or higher, and once it is given, it will not be given again until the power is turned off. For example, there is a voice alert that says, "♪ (Jingle) The outside temperature is over 30°C." For throttle opening, a voice alert is given when it is 80% or higher for 3 seconds, for example, "♪ (Jingle) You are pressing the accelerator too hard." For engine load, a voice alert is given when it is 80% or higher for 3 seconds, for example, "♪ (Jingle) The engine is under too much load." For engine speed, a voice alert is given when it is 5000 rpm or higher for 3 seconds, for example, "♪ (Jingle) The engine speed is too high." In addition, there are voice functions that are not dependent on the mode, such as speed warnings and wireless alarm sounds.

[0140] The radar warning sound setting screen E3 (Figure 59) has setting buttons corresponding to electronic sound, voice, quiet voice, melody 1, melody 2, melody 3, and melody rotation. The wireless alarm sound setting screen E4 contains setting buttons corresponding to Voice, Demodulation, Voice Classic, Demodulation Classic, and OFF. As shown in Figure 65, in addition to the wireless jingle (pirololoon), an electronic sound jingle can be selected for wireless alarms. The electronic sound jingle allows for some degree of identification of the type of wireless communication based on the difference in sound. The Orbis Location Guide settings screen E5 has setting buttons for ON and OFF.

[0141] The speed warning sound setting screen E6 has setting buttons corresponding to OFF, Chime, and Voice. In this example, an electronic sound ♪Ding dong ding dong... is used as the speed warning sound. When the speed warning sound and radar warning sound (electronic sound setting) are active at the same time, the control unit 10 executes control that prioritizes the radar warning (electronic sound setting). The speed warning is a function that sounds a speed warning chime when the vehicle speed is ≥ 110 km / h (with a 5 km / h hysteresis setting), regardless of the target speed limit. Since the chime is output as an electronic sound, it can be output simultaneously with other voices. If the radar warning is outputting an electronic sound, the radar warning takes priority. The speed warning sound can be turned ON / OFF on the speed warning sound setting screen E6 in Figure 59. The initial setting is OFF.

[0142] The positioning announcement settings screen E7 has setting buttons for ON and OFF. The relaxation chime settings screen E8 has setting buttons for 30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, and OFF. The time signal setting screen E9 has setting buttons for ON and OFF. The operation sound settings screen E10 has setting buttons corresponding to ON and OFF.

[0143] ■ 6.6 Reminder Settings ■ Reminder settings are used to set maintenance schedules such as oil changes. As shown in Figure 66, when the control unit 10 detects the operation of the reminder setting button on the setting list screen 1A, it switches to displaying the reminder setting screen F, which has setting buttons corresponding to oil, oil filter, tires, and battery. As shown in Figure 67, when the control unit 10 detects that the oil setting button on the reminder setting screen F has been operated, it switches to displaying the oil setting screen FA. When the oil element setting button has been operated, it switches to displaying the oil element setting screen FB. When the tire setting button has been operated, it switches to displaying the tire setting screen FC. When the battery setting button has been operated, it switches to displaying the battery setting screen FD. On setting screens such as the oil setting screen FA, the remaining distance and number of days until the next oil change are displayed, and change buttons are provided. When the upper change button is detected to be pressed, the control unit 10 switches to displaying the screen for entering the oil change distance (a). When the lower change button is detected to be pressed, the control unit 10 switches to displaying the screen for entering the number of days until the next oil change (b).

[0144] Furthermore, when considering hybrid vehicles, it is best to use the distance traveled with the internal combustion engine running (burning gasoline or diesel fuel) (engine mileage) to determine the oil and oil filter interval (reminder interval). In hybrid vehicles equipped with both an engine and an electric motor as power sources, the distance traveled on battery power is irrelevant to the deterioration of engine oil and oil filter, and the actual maintenance interval can be determined by using the engine mileage, which excludes this distance. For vehicles other than hybrids, the total distance traveled equals the engine mileage, so the determination can be made using the engine mileage, just as with hybrid vehicles.

[0145] ■ 6.7 System Settings ■ As shown in Figure 68, when the control unit 10 detects the operation of the system setting button on the settings list screen 1A, it switches and displays one of the following: the log function setting screen G1, the SD output setting screen G2, the data erase screen G3, the demo mode setting screen G4, or the version information screen G5. As shown in Figure 69, the data erasure screen G3 has operation buttons corresponding to My Area, Cancel Area, Post Pin, Log Data, Eco Drive, and Initialization. When the control unit 10 detects an operation of an operation button, it switches to display the corresponding deletion screen. For example, when it detects an operation of the operation button corresponding to Post Pin, the control unit 10 switches to display the Post Pin Deletion screen, which allows the user to choose whether or not to delete the Post Pin. Each deletion screen, including the Post Pin Deletion screen, has operation buttons corresponding to Yes and No. When it detects an operation of the Yes operation button, the control unit 10 switches to display a Deletion Complete screen that indicates that the deletion has been completed. On the other hand, when it detects an operation of the No operation button, the control unit 10 switches to display the original data erasure screen.

[0146] ■ 6.8 Custom Settings ■ Custom settings are various detailed settings tailored to the user's preferences. As shown in Figure 70, when the operation of the custom settings button on the settings list screen 1A is detected, the control unit 10 switches to displaying one of the following: the custom voice settings screen H1, the custom image settings screen H2, or the custom image zoom settings screen H3. The custom voice settings screen H1 contains setting buttons corresponding to each item: opening, speed camera jingle, GPS warning jingle, GPS notification jingle, radio jingle, GPS initial positioning, and radar melody 1. Each setting button switches between using the normal sound and the custom sound each time it is operated. Each setting button has a green illuminated area on its left end. The control unit 10 turns off the illuminated area for setting buttons set to use the normal sound, and illuminates the green area for setting buttons set to use the custom sound. Setting buttons corresponding to items for which no custom sound data file exists will not light up green when operated. Also, if the custom sound cannot be played for any reason, the setting button will not light up green when operated. If the custom sound data file is valid, each time the setting button is operated, the normal sound or custom sound set by that operation will be output.

[0147] The requirements for a file to be set as a custom sound are that the format is an MP3 audio file, the file name is the same as the custom sound file name shown in Figure 71, the path to the SD card where the file is stored is \user\sound\, and if the sound file is not mono, it will be played back as a mono mix. To prevent alarm delays, playback will be forcibly stopped after 15 seconds, except for the startup sound and radar melody 1 (Figure 71). For this reason, short playback times are recommended for jingles and the like. While the startup sound is playing, other sounds other than electronic sounds will not be played until the startup sound finishes playing. To forcibly stop playback, you need to operate the MUTE button 223. Note that there is no automatic sound pressure adjustment function for sound files, so if you feel uncomfortable with the difference in sound pressure between the built-in sound and the custom sound, you will need to adjust the gain of the sound file yourself. The built-in sound is adjusted to an average sound pressure of -13dB.

[0148] In the initial settings, if a replacement audio file is stored on the SD card, the leftmost setting button on the custom audio output screen in Figure 70 lights up green, and that custom audio is checked. Operating the setting button corresponding to the target custom audio toggles the check ON / OFF status. Operating ON uses the checked custom audio, and that custom audio is played as a test. Custom audio that is not checked is not used, and the normal audio is played as a test. Test playback can be stopped using the audio stop button.

[0149] The custom image setting screen H2 is provided with respective setting buttons corresponding to the startup screen and preset A to C screens. When each setting button is operated, a custom image can be set as the background of the corresponding screen (FIG. 70(a)→FIG. 70(b)). As a custom image file, it is required that the format is a JPEG file, sampling supports YUV444 / YUV422 / YUV420 / YUV 411 / Y Only, and the format supports baseline / progressive. It should be noted that the upper limit of the file size per image is approximately 3MB, the maximum resolution is 8000×8000 pixels, the file name is arbitrary, the path of the SD card storing the files is \user\photo\, the subfolder search range is below \user\photo\ and limited to a range of up to 4 levels. Since the screen size is 400×240 dots, if the image size does not match, the image will be displayed after being enlarged or reduced. In this case, a desired scaling pattern can be selected via the custom image zoom setting screen H3 (FIG. 70). For progressive JPEG files, only the final image is displayed. When files are added to or deleted from below \user\photo\, it is necessary to reselect an image.

[0150] A method for setting a custom image will be described with reference to FIG. 72. This figure illustrates an example of a procedure for setting a custom image on the startup screen. To set a custom image, first, store a JPEG file below \user\photo on the SD card. Next, select a target screen by operating any one of the setting buttons on the custom image setting screen. Then, a thumbnail list screen is displayed, and a photograph to be set as the custom image can be selected from this list. The cursor will move to the currently set photograph. A right triangle mark arranged at the lower part of the thumbnail list screen can be operated to scroll to the next page, and a left triangle mark can be operated to scroll to the previous page. It should be noted that the upper left position of the thumbnail list is where the initial display is located. If a user prepares a logo of a vehicle manufacturer or the like by themselves, it is also possible to set a photograph of the manufacturer logo on the startup screen as shown in FIG. 73.

[0151] The custom image zoom settings screen H3 (Figure 70) contains setting buttons for Full, Normal, Normal No Enlargement, and Force Screen Size. Full is a zoom setting that enlarges or reduces the image to fill the screen while maintaining the aspect ratio of the photo. With the Full zoom setting, if the aspect ratio of the screen and the aspect ratio of the photo are different, the top / bottom or left / right sides will be cut off. Normal is a zoom setting that enlarges or reduces the image to fill the screen either vertically or horizontally while maintaining the aspect ratio of the photo. With the Normal zoom setting, if the aspect ratio of the screen and the aspect ratio of the photo are different, black bars will appear. Normal No Enlargement is a zoom setting that, in the normal operation, does not enlarge the image if it is smaller than the screen size, and the empty parts are filled with black. Force Screen Size is a zoom setting that enlarges or reduces the image to fit the screen size both vertically and horizontally, so the image may become horizontally or vertically stretched. Furthermore, the zoom setting selected on the custom image zoom settings screen H3 will not only be reflected in the background settings of the actual startup screen / preset A, B, and C screens, but will also be applied to the display of the custom image settings.

[0152] ■ 6.9 OBD Settings ■ As shown in Figure 74, when the control unit 10 detects the operation of the OBD setting button on the setting list screen 1A, it switches to displaying the OBD setting screen I. This OBD setting screen I has setting buttons corresponding to full tank start, full tank correction, coefficient correction, average clear, and all clear, and various operations can be performed as shown in Figure 75.

[0153] ■ 7. Radar Scope Screen Settings and Operation ■ As mentioned above, there are two types of radar scope screens: the map screen 31 (see Figure 12) and the classic scope screen 32 (see Figure 15). Here, we will explain in detail the settings and operation of the map screen 31, the operation of the classic scope screen 32, and the ring actions performed by the ring 340. The ring 340 is the outer frame of the ring display 34 (scope sub-display 34 in the case of the classic scope screen 32) in the preset screen and the classic scope screen 32. ■ 7.1 Map Screen Settings and Operation ■ Regarding the map screen 31, the control unit 10 performs the following setting process in accordance with the operation on the map mode setting screen (Figure 20(b)). When the "No Map Panel" setting button on the map mode settings screen is pressed, the map screen 31 shown in Figure 76 is set as the radar scope screen. The "No Map Panel" setting is a map mode for users who want to display a wider map and do not need the display of the warning panel 36, which includes animations and photographs. When the control unit 10 detects the operation of the "Automatic Map Panel" setting button, it sets the map screen 31, as illustrated in Figure 77, as the radar scope screen. The "Automatic Map Panel" setting is a map mode for users who want to display the warning panel 36 larger when approaching an object. When displaying the map screen 31 in Figure 77 as the standby screen, the control unit 10 enlarges the warning panel 36 when the distance to the target is 600m or less, and reduces the warning panel 36 when the distance exceeds 600m. When the operation of the "Small Map Panel" setting button is detected, the map screen shown in Figure 78 is set as the radar scope screen. The "Small Map Panel" setting is a map mode for users who want to display the warning panel 36 but want to keep it small because displaying it larger would reduce the map area. In this example, radar detector 1 is set to "Small Map Panel" as the default setting.

[0154] When the control unit 10 detects the operation of the "1 Map 2 Panel Small" setting button on the map mode setting screen (Figure 20(b)), it sets the map screen 31, illustrated in Figure 79, as the radar scope setting screen. If there is only one warning panel 36, even if an important target is behind the user, nearby targets or targets that are currently giving a voice warning will be displayed preferentially, which may make it difficult for the user to recognize the urgency of important targets behind the user. The "1 Map 2 Panel Small" setting is a map mode that addresses this situation by preferentially displaying important targets such as speed cameras, enforcement stations, and checkpoints in the left-hand display position of the touch panel 15.

[0155] When 1 map 2 small panel is set, the control unit 10 draws a link line (a line segment as link information) 312 connecting the mini icon 383 in the mini radar scope 38 and the alarm panel 36 so that the user can reliably identify the target corresponding to the alarm panel 36. Furthermore, during an audible alarm, the control unit 10 makes the corresponding link line 312 flash so that the user can immediately recognize the target.

[0156] When the control unit 10 detects the operation of the setting button for "No Map Panel," it sets the map screen 31, as illustrated in Figure 80, as the radar scope screen. In this "No Map Panel" map mode, the control unit 10 divides the display screen of the touch panel 15 into two halves, displaying a detailed map 31A on the left and a wide-area map 31B on the right. The wide-area map 31B has a constant scale and its orientation is fixed as heading up. The scale and orientation of the detailed map 31A are determined by the zoom setting and display format setting. In this "No Map Panel" map mode, it is possible to display nearby targets on the detailed map 31A while also displaying distant targets on the wide-area map 31B. Note that the warning panel 36 is not displayed in this map mode.

[0157] When the control unit 10 detects the operation of the setting button on the small map panel, it sets the map screen shown in Figure 81 as the radar scope screen. This map mode for the small map panel is the same as the map mode without the two map panels described above, but with the display of the small alarm panel added.

[0158] Here, we will explain the operation process of the map screen 31 in Figure 79, which is a map mode with 1 map and 2 small panels. In Figure 79, for the map screen 31 under the 1 map 2 panel small map mode, the control unit 10 sets the alarm panel 36 on the left display position as a high-priority panel 36A and the alarm panel 36 on the right as a low-priority panel 36B. The control unit 10 sets speed cameras, enforcement, checkpoints, My Area, highway police, red light violation prevention, intersection monitoring (yellow target or higher) as "GPS 1st priority" and displays them on the high-priority panel 36A on the left display position (1st display position) regardless of audio output, with high priority based on distance, target angle, and opposing angle. The control unit 10 sets speed cameras, enforcement, checkpoints, My Area, highway police, red light violation prevention, intersection monitoring, etc. with the next highest priority after the target displayed on the left as "GPS 2nd priority" and displays them on the low-priority panel 36B on the right display position (2nd display position).

[0159] However, when an audio target is detected, if it is not GPS priority 1, the audio target will be displayed on the right-hand low-priority panel 36B, and if it is GPS priority 1, it will be displayed on the left-hand high-priority panel 36A. Also, if neither an audio target nor GPS priority 2 is displayed on the right-hand low-priority panel 36B, then targets within the warning distance and angle (referred to as GPS normal priority) will be displayed. Meanwhile, the mini radar scope 38 will display up to three targets: GPS priority 1, GPS priority 2, and GPS normal priority. However, if the same target exists, duplicate display will be avoided.

[0160] The GPS 1st / 2nd priority display starts when the target is far from the vehicle's position, and is less likely to end until the target has passed. With this setting, the GPS 2nd priority is more likely to be displayed with higher priority than the GPS normal priority, thereby allowing for more reliable display of important targets. The control unit 10 controls the warning panel 36, which has both animation and photos, so that when the left and right display positions are swapped based on distance and angle conditions, the display state is carried over before and after the swap. This specification takes into consideration that it would be cumbersome if it always started with the animation again. Also, if RD reception or wireless reception occurs, it is determined to have a higher priority than GPS 2nd priority and is displayed on the lower priority panel 36B on the right.

[0161] ■ 7.2 Operation of the Classic Scope Screen ■ The scale of the classic scope screen 32 is controlled by the control unit 10 and automatically changes according to the distance and opposing angle of the focus target, as shown in Figures 82(a) to (c). When changing the scale, it is controlled to zoom in and out smoothly. In the upper left corner of the classic scope screen 32, a scope sub-display 34 surrounded by a circular ring 340 can be displayed. This scope sub-display 34 has the same specifications as the ring display 34 on the preset screen and performs the same display operation. In the initial state, the alarm panel 36 is set as the scope sub-display 34, as shown in Figure 82. When the alarm panel 36 is set as the scope sub-display 34, the scope sub-display 34 automatically disappears when no alarm event occurs. On the other hand, various display items can be set for the scope sub-display 34, similar to the ring display. Figure 83 shows an example of the scope sub-display when vehicle speed and compass are set as the scope sub-display.

[0162] The position of the vehicle icon 322, which indicates the vehicle's position on the classic scope screen 32, is switched in steps depending on whether the scope sub-display 34 is displayed, and the position and type of the focus target. There are three possible horizontal positions for the vehicle icon 322: center of the screen, slightly to the right of the screen, and an intermediate position slightly to the right. Furthermore, there are two vertical positions on the screen: the bottom of the screen and the top of the screen. Combining these three horizontal and vertical positions, there are six possible positions for the vehicle icon 322. The vehicle icon 322 is switched as needed to ensure that the focus target is displayed correctly. When the position of the vehicle icon 322 is switched, it does not suddenly appear in the new position, but rather the display is smoothly controlled so that the vehicle icon 322 gradually approaches the new position.

[0163] For example, if the focus target is located in the area to the right of the direction of travel, the vehicle icon 322 will be positioned on the left to allow for a wider display of the right-hand area. Conversely, if the focus target is located in the area to the left of the direction of travel, the vehicle icon 322 will be positioned on the right to allow for a wider display of the left-hand area. Additionally, when the scope sub-display 34 is displayed in the upper left, the vehicle icon 322 will move to the right to utilize the remaining area. Furthermore, target icons for no-parking zones, etc., will be displayed in the center of the area to represent the enforcement area. When notifying that a no-parking zone has been passed (passage information), the vehicle icon 322 will move to the top of the screen to allow for the display of target icons for no-parking zones, etc., located in the opposite direction of travel.

[0164] On the Classic Scope screen 32, as shown in Figure 84, a cross gauge 327 is displayed to clearly show the position of the focus target and its movement during switching. This cross gauge 327 is composed of a horizontal line 327H that extends across the entire horizontal area of ​​the screen and a vertical line 323V that extends across the entire vertical area, and they intersect at the position of the focus target. At the upper end of the vertical line 323V, a horizontal deviation 324H representing the horizontal component of the distance to the focus target is displayed. As shown in the figure, the horizontal deviation 324H "13" displayed adjacent to the left of the vertical line 323V indicates that the vehicle is offset 13m to the left of its own position. At the right end of the horizontal line 327H, a vertical deviation 324V representing the vertical component of the distance to the focus target is displayed. As shown in the figure, the vertical deviation 324V "796" displayed adjacent to the lower side of the horizontal line 327H indicates that the vehicle is offset 796m forward of its own position. When the focus target changes between different targets, the cross gauge 327 does not immediately change its position, but rather its display is controlled to move closer to the new target. At this time, the vertical deviation 324V and horizontal deviation 324H display moment-to-moment values ​​corresponding to the position of the cross gauge 327. This display control of the cross gauge 327 is an effective control method for easily identifying the new focus target when the focus target is changed. For the target icon 326 of the focus target on the classic scope screen 32, a cursor 325 is displayed surrounding the target icon 326. This cursor 325 is animated to repeatedly enlarge and shrink during the target's audio alarm, becoming larger and smaller in size.

[0165] The control unit 10 performs control to change the scope color (display color of the scope surface) as needed while the classic scope screen 32 is displayed. The control unit 10 represents the system alarm level with the color of the scope surface. In the radar detector 1 of this example, the status of the vehicle can be determined from the color of the scope surface on the classic scope screen 32. The change in the scope color is set to be very smooth. In the radar detector 1 of this example, there are 10 levels of system alarm levels (alarm levels) as shown in Figure 85, and a color is set for each level. The scope color on the classic scope screen 32 is set to a color corresponding to the system alarm level of the target. In the case of multiple targets, the level where the highest level condition is met is set as the system alarm level, and that color is set as the scope color. Figure 86 is an example in the case of radio information (weak), where blue is set as the scope color corresponding to system alarm level 1. Note that even if the scope color changes, the display colors of the cross gauge 327, vertical deviation 324V, and horizontal deviation 324H do not change, so that the focus target is not lost due to the change in scope color.

[0166] In this example, the Classic Scope screen 32, as shown in Figure 87, displays public enforcement information in a single window to eliminate the need to follow long scrolling text while driving. This window is displayed on the front side of the Classic Scope screen 32. The Public Enforcement Window 32P automatically displays for 10 seconds to show information for a municipality that has posted public enforcement information. Note that if the automatic public enforcement pop-up setting is OFF, the Public Enforcement Window 32P will not start to display automatically. If you want to see the Public Enforcement Window 32P again while it is hidden, press the MUTE button 223 to display the window again. When the display is started manually in this way, the display state is maintained for 1 minute. Also, if you operate the MUTE button 223 while the Public Enforcement Window 32P is displayed, you can immediately dismiss the window. In the display of the Public Enforcement Window 32P, the current address, year, month, day, day of the week, etc. are displayed below the text display of the public enforcement information. The public enforcement window feature described above is only available when the radar scope is set to Classic.

[0167] On the Classic Scope screen 32, for all target icons 326 that have directionality, such as the direction of monitoring, a triangular compass mark 326M representing the direction of monitoring is animated and displayed around the outer edge of the target icon, as shown in Figure 88. The compass mark 326M is displayed at a position corresponding to the direction of monitoring with the target icon 326 as the center, and furthermore, the vertices of the triangle are displayed so as to point in the direction of monitoring. When a new target icon 326 appears on the Classic Scope screen 32, it appears flashing to attract the user's attention.

[0168] At the bottom of the Classic Scope screen 32, as shown in Figure 89, a message window 32M is displayed, showing various information. The message window (display area) 32M contains the focus target icon, information corresponding to the target (only if information is available), an arrow indicating the direction of the target as seen from the vehicle, and the distance to the target (for targets where the target icon 326 is not displayed on the Classic Scope screen 32). In the message window 32M for a GPS target as exemplified in the figure, the speed limit is displayed as information corresponding to the target. Note that for GPS targets corresponding to the icons in Figure 90 where the target icon 326 is not displayed on the Classic Scope screen 32, the arrow and distance display are omitted. The icons in the figure, from left to right, are icons for sharp curves, merging points, branching points, prefectural borders, ETC lanes, parking restriction priority areas / most priority parking restriction areas, and areas with a high incidence of car break-ins. Note that the speed limit icon is displayed at speed limit change points. Figure 91 shows an example of the message window 32M for RD alarms, and Figure 92 shows an example of the message window 32M for wireless alarms. In the message window 32M for wireless alarms, depending on the type of alarm, the icon shown in Figure 93 (with a different display color) is displayed in conjunction with the text.

[0169] On the Classic Scope screen 32, a status icon 35 (see Figure 84) flashes in the lower left corner of the screen. Status icons 35 include icons for areas where parking is prohibited and areas where car break-ins are frequent. The status icon 35 lights up brightly so that it can be clearly seen when the vehicle is located in an area such as a parking prohibited area, and lights up dimly when the vehicle is outside the area. Depending on the mode or manual setting, if the parking prohibited area or car break-in frequent area setting is OFF, it will be completely off. When the message window 32M is not displayed, the status icon 35 is displayed in the lower left corner of the Classic Scope screen 32, and when the message window 32M is displayed, it is displayed at the top left edge of the message window 32M. On standby screens other than the Classic Scope screen 32, the same status icon 35 flashes in the upper left corner of the screen.

[0170] ■ 8. Preset Screen ■ ■ 8.1 Ring Display ■ Up to three ring displays 34 (see Figure 41) can be set on preset A-C screens. This section explains how to set the display items that can be set on this ring display 34. Note that the scope sub-display 34 on the classic scope screen 32 (see Figures 15 and 16) has exactly the same specifications as the ring display 34.

[0171] The display items that can be preset on ring display 34 include clock display, vehicle speed display, eco-driving display, acceleration display, incline display, tidal information display, satellite information display, warning panel display, compass display, barometric pressure display, reminder days display, reminder distance display, instantaneous fuel consumption display, average fuel consumption display, average fuel consumption display for general roads, average fuel consumption display for highways, current fuel consumption display, lifetime fuel consumption display, moving average fuel consumption display, fuel flow rate display, engine water temperature display, intake air temperature display, outside temperature display, battery voltage display, throttle opening display, engine load display, intake manifold gauge display, boost gauge display, tachometer display, etc. Note that among these display items, information related to vehicle information can only be selected when connected via OBD. In addition to these display items, you may also set additional displays such as engine oil temperature display, battery current display, HV battery capacity display, HV battery current display, HV motor rotation speed display, HV motor torque display, and HV generator rotation speed display.

[0172] Furthermore, if the alarm panel 36 is set to the ring display 34, the same display operation and ring action by the ring (outer periphery) 340 will be performed as when the alarm panel 36 is set to the scope sub-display 34. Thus, in this example of radar detector 1, the scope sub-display 34 in the classic scope screen 32 and the ring display 34 in the preset screen have the same specifications. Both the scope sub-display and the ring display are set to code 34. Regardless of whether the standby screen is set to the classic scope screen 32 or the preset screen, if the alarm panel 36 is set to the scope sub-display 34 or the ring display 34, the same alarm notification operation will be received. The following describes the display items that can be set for the ring display 34. Note that the contents of the display items are the same for the scope sub-display on the classic scope screen 32.

[0173] As shown in Figure 94, the clock display has three modes: the left display mode when semi-transparent mode is not selected on the mode setting screen (see Figure 43), the center display mode when semi-transparent mode is selected, and the right display mode when additional information is set on the additional information setting screen (Figure 40). In the display mode when semi-transparent mode is selected, the background image is displayed as if it were transparent. The clock display includes the month, day, and day of the week as additional information. The vehicle speed display can also display average speed (AVESPD) or maximum speed (MAXSPD) as additional information. Setting either of these additional information displays the vehicle speed as shown in Figure 95. The vehicle speed display and each of the following display items can also be selectively set to semi-transparent mode. The display mode when semi-transparent mode is selected and when it is not selected are the same as for the clock display.

[0174] In the eco-driving display shown in Figure 96, rapid acceleration is displayed at the top, rapid deceleration at the right, idling at the bottom, and economical speed at the left, all as points on a radar chart. Each point is displayed with an upper limit of 100 points and a lower limit of 0 points. Each point starts at an initial value of 70 points, and points are deducted when the output of acceleration from the acceleration sensor 124 and the output of speed from the GPS receiver 121 are judged to be in an un-eco-driving state, and added when they are judged to be in an eco-driving state. The eco-driving display shows the numerical value of each point and a graph plotting that value on the radar chart.

[0175] The acceleration display, as shown in Figure 97, includes a meter for longitudinal acceleration (FR) and meters for lateral acceleration (LR). For longitudinal acceleration, the F side is displayed as a negative value and the R side as a positive value. For lateral acceleration, the L side is displayed as a negative value and the R side as a positive value. Each meter has a first needle on the outer circumference and a second needle on the inner circumference. The first needle moves to a position corresponding to a maximum of 0.5G and a minimum of -0.5G, and is held if it exceeds this range. The second needle expresses the change in acceleration by rotation at a rate of 0.03G / 360° (one rotation). This second needle rotates clockwise, with positive acceleration. Additional information for the acceleration display includes maximum forward acceleration (MAXFWD) and maximum lateral acceleration (MAXL / R), which is the maximum absolute value of lateral acceleration. Selectively setting either of these additional pieces of information will result in an acceleration display like the one shown in the right-hand figure of Figure 97(A).

[0176] In the tilt display in Figure 98, the tilt of the vehicle at 30 degrees in each direction (forward, backward, left, and right) is displayed as the movement of a sphere. A detailed display, as illustrated in Figure (B), is available for this tilt display. The tilt display is triggered when the output value of the lateral acceleration of the vehicle (either to the right or left) from the acceleration sensor 124 exceeds 0.1G. In this case, the upper white hemisphere of the sphere image in Figure (A) becomes transparent, and the lower black hemisphere is displayed in gray. Then, as shown in Figure (B), a white disk with the same radius as the hemisphere is drawn on the upper surface of the lower hemisphere (the interface between the upper and lower hemispheres (the plane passing through the equator)), and an image of the 3D object of the car is placed on top of it. This 3D object of the car is rotated on the upper surface of the lower hemisphere according to the direction of travel detected by the geomagnetic sensor 126. In this detailed display, the vertical depth of the screen is north, the vertical foreground is south, the horizontal right of the screen is east, and the horizontal left of the screen is west. When the car in the sphere is facing due north, the taillight side is displayed parallel to the screen plane, and the entire taillight side is visible. In Figure (B), red markers are placed in a vertical band around the circumference of the disc to indicate the direction of travel. The right-hand image in Figure (B) shows the car facing south-southeast, with the front of the car slightly turned to the right, and the marker is also displayed slightly to the right. This display continues for 3 seconds after the output value of the lateral acceleration of the vehicle (either to the right or left) from the acceleration sensor 124 falls below 0.1G, and then returns to the display in Figure (A). In this way, when a turning motion is detected based on a certain level of lateral G of the car, the car in the sphere becomes visible for a certain period of time, and the turning motion is represented. The turning situation can then be confirmed by the detailed display (B).

[0177] The tidal information display in Figure 99 shows the tidal level calculated based on data, not the measured amount. First, as shown in Figure (A), the name of the nearest tide gauge station, the lunar phase for the current date, and the tidal name are displayed. As shown in Figure (B), the tidal information display periodically switches every 10 seconds, showing the name of the nearest tide gauge station, the lunar phase for the current date, and the tidal name (left figure), the time and level of the first low tide of the day, the time and level of the first high tide (middle figure), and the time and level of the second low tide of the day, and the time and level of the second high tide (right figure).

[0178] In the satellite information display in Figure 100, a grid is displayed with the vehicle's position as the center, with north at the top, south at the bottom, east to the right, and west to the left. The grid consists of three concentric circles of different radii centered on the vehicle's position, and lines passing through the center in the left-right and up-down directions (however, lines are not drawn within the concentric circle with the smallest radius). In the satellite information display, circular satellite objects are drawn at positions corresponding to the satellites acquired by the GPS receiver 121. After being displayed in this state for 3 seconds, the satellite numbers are displayed one by one periodically, as shown in Figure (B). That is, as shown in Figure (A), all acquired satellites are displayed at their corresponding positions, and after 3 seconds have elapsed, the first satellite number (18 in the figure) is displayed as shown in Figure (B). The display time for each satellite is 3 seconds, and after all satellite numbers have been displayed, the display returns to the original display as shown in Figure (A), and this display operation is repeated. It is recommended that the satellite information display be a heading-up display with the vehicle's direction of travel at the top. In this heading-up satellite information display, the displayed satellite positions will also change when the vehicle changes direction and turns. It is advisable to display each satellite in a stepped manner according to its color-to-color ratio (C / N). For example, one could assign numbers 0-5 to the display colors (0: red, 1: pink, 2: orange, 3: yellow, 4: yellow-green, 5: green) and determine the display color using a formula such as color number = C / N ÷ 8 (if the C / N is 5 or higher, then display color 5).

[0179] In the alarm panel display, as shown in Figure 101, when an alarm starts, the display proceeds in the order of alarm animation → photograph. However, if the alarm panel photograph setting is OFF or for targets without a photograph, the photograph will not be displayed. The animation will either continue or stop, depending on the alarm panel operation setting. Once the animation for a target has finished to some extent, after switching to another target, the animation will not start again from the beginning, but will start with the photograph display. However, if the alarm panel photograph setting is OFF or for targets without a photograph, it will start with the animation.

[0180] Furthermore, the alarm panel display behaves differently when there is no alarm, depending on whether it is the ring display 34 on the preset screen or the scope sub-display 34 in the classic scope screen 32. In the case of the preset screen, when there is no alarm, the logo shown in Figure 101(B) is displayed. On the other hand, in the case of the scope sub-display 34 in the classic scope screen, after the alarm disappears and the logo is displayed, the scope sub-display 34 itself disappears after a short time.

[0181] In the compass display shown in Figure 102, the direction is displayed with the vehicle's direction of travel as the top of the screen, based on the geomagnetic field detected by the geomagnetic sensor 126. The atmospheric pressure display, as shown in Figure 103, shows the current atmospheric pressure. In this example, the atmospheric pressure display shows a range from a minimum of 700 hPa to a maximum of 1050 hPa. The reminder day display shows the remaining days set in the reminder, as shown in Figure 104. If no reminder is set, or if the remaining days reach zero, "----" will be displayed. The example days shown in the figure, from top to bottom, are the remaining days for oil, oil filter, tires, and battery. The reminder distance display, as shown in Figure 105, is a selectable display when connected via OBD and shows the remaining distance set in the reminder. This reminder distance display is a subtractive trip meter that shows the remaining distance. If no setting is made, or if the remaining distance reaches zero, "----" will be displayed. When the remaining distance is less than 10,000 km, the unit will be displayed in 100m increments. The distances shown as examples in the same figure, from top to bottom, are for oil, oil filter, tires, and battery. The distances subtracted by the reminder distance are the lifetime engine mileage for oil and oil filter, and the lifetime mileage for tires and battery.

[0182] In the instantaneous fuel consumption display in Figure 106, the instantaneous fuel consumption is displayed in the range of 0.0 to 99.9 km / L. The needle is positioned with a lower limit of 5 km / L, a higher limit of 50 km / L, a lowest point of 0 km / L, and a highest point of 100 km / L. Note that the specifications of this scale are common to the fuel consumption displays in Figures 107 to 111. The lower section contains a numerical display and an indicator. This indicator shows whether the fuel consumption is good or bad; it is red when the fuel consumption is between 0 and 5 km / L, interpolated between red and yellow when the fuel consumption is between 5 and 10 km / L, interpolated between yellow and green when the fuel consumption is between 10 and 30 km / L, and a green indicator (a circular mark resembling a lamp) is displayed when the fuel consumption is 30 km / L or more. Figure 107 shows the average fuel consumption. In Figure 108, the general fuel consumption display shows the average fuel consumption on ordinary roads. Figure 109 shows the highway fuel consumption display, which shows the average fuel consumption on highways.

[0183] In this fuel efficiency display, as shown in Figure 110, the fuel efficiency since the radar detector 1 was powered on is displayed as a number in the range of 0.0 to 99.9 km / L. The value may change abruptly if not enough time has elapsed since the radar detector 1 was switched on, but the value will converge as the elapsed time increases. Even with the power on, it is possible to reset it by performing the OBD setting - average clear operation. Additional information for the current fuel efficiency display is the maximum current fuel efficiency (MAXAVE). This maximum current fuel efficiency (MAXAVE) display setting becomes effective after the distance traveled since the radar detector 1 was switched on has reached 1 km. This is because if the distance traveled is short, there is a risk of extremely good values ​​being displayed. Figure 111 shows the lifetime fuel consumption display.

[0184] The moving average fuel consumption display, as shown in Figure 112, is a moving average fuel consumption, and the number is displayed in the range of 0.0 to 99.9 km / L. The upper section displays the fuel consumed in a 2 km section as a bar graph. The bar graph has a maximum of 10 cells, and the height of each cell is 25 cc, so a single bar graph can represent a maximum of 250 cc of fuel. Every 2 km driven, the display starts with zero for the most recent section's fuel consumption, and accordingly, the section's fuel consumption in each existing bar graph moves to the right (towards the older side). Only the top edge of the most recent section's fuel consumption flashes. If the section's fuel consumption is arranged in a sequence of 9 (fuel[0] to fuel[8]) and the latest section distance is dist, the moving average fuel consumption m representing the fuel consumption for the most recent 16 km is calculated by the following formula. (Formula 1) TIFF0007926802000001.tif28168

[0185] Furthermore, the fuel consumed for each segment is stored in non-volatile memory and will be carried over to the next startup. By carrying over the fuel consumed for each segment in this way, it will not display a value that differs from the current fuel consumption and is not useful even if the distance is short. Note that the fuel consumed for each segment can be reset by going to OBD settings - Clear Average. Additional information for the moving average fuel consumption display is the maximum moving average fuel consumption (MAXMOV). This maximum moving average fuel consumption (MAXMOV) is the maximum value during the current drive and becomes effective after driving 16km after a reset.

[0186] The fuel flow rate display, as shown in Figure 113, shows the fuel flow rate per minute, with the number displayed in the range of 0 to 999 mL / min. The bar graph is updated each time fuel consumption is acquired via the OBD function. There are two types of OBD communication cycles: 5Hz and 1Hz, and the graph update speed differs depending on which type of vehicle it is. Each bar in the bar graph has a height of 20 mL / min, and a single bar graph can represent up to 200 mL / min. Bars with fractional values ​​less than 20 mL are represented by changing the brightness. Furthermore, if the fuel flow rate remains zero for about 2 seconds, the words "FUEL CUT" will be displayed scrolling from right to left. Additional information for the fuel flow rate display is the maximum fuel flow rate (MAXFLW).

[0187] The engine coolant temperature display, as shown in Figure 114, shows the engine coolant temperature, with the number displayed in the range of -40 to 215°C. The needle is at 0°C at the lower limit of the scale (45° to the left), 80-105°C in the center (it hardly moves in this 25°C range), -40°C at the lowest point (53° to the left), and 160°C at the highest point (53° to the right). The intake air temperature display (Figure 115) is similar. Additional information for the engine coolant temperature display is the maximum engine coolant temperature (MAXENG). Additional information for the intake air temperature display is the maximum intake air temperature (MAXITK).

[0188] In the intake air temperature display shown in Figure 115, the intake air temperature is displayed in the range of -40 to 215°C. An additional display for the intake air temperature is the maximum ambient temperature (MAXAMB). The outside temperature display, as shown in Figure 116, shows the outside temperature, with the number displayed in the range of -40 to 215°C. The needle is at its lowest point (53° left) at -30°C and at its highest point (53° right) at 60°C. Additional information for the outside temperature display is the maximum outside temperature (MAXAMB).

[0189] The engine oil temperature display, as shown in Figure 117, shows the engine oil temperature, with the number displayed in the range of -40 to 215°C. The needle is positioned as follows: 0°C at the lower limit of the scale (45° to the left), 100-135°C in the center (it hardly moves within this 35°C range), -40°C at the lowest point (53° to the left), and 190°C at the highest point (53° to the right). Additional information for the engine oil temperature display is the maximum engine oil temperature (MAXOIL).

[0190] The battery voltage display shows the battery voltage as shown in Figure 118. The numbers are displayed in the range of 0.0 to 25.5V. The needle is at its lowest point (53° to the left) at 0V and at its highest point (53° to the right) at 25.5V. The throttle opening indicator displays the throttle opening as shown in Figure 119. The numbers are displayed in the range of 0 to 100%. One color segment in the pie chart represents 4%. The fractional part of 4% is represented by brightness. Additional information for the throttle opening indicator includes the average throttle opening (AVETHR) and the maximum throttle opening (MAXTHR). The engine load display shows the engine load as shown in Figure 120. The numbers represent the engine load in the range of 0 to 100%. Each color segment in the pie chart represents 4%. The fractional part of 4% is represented by brightness. Additional information for the engine load display includes average engine load (AVELOD) and maximum engine load (MAXLOD).

[0191] The intake manifold pressure gauge, as shown in Figure 121, displays the relative pressure of the intake manifold pressure to atmospheric pressure (101.325 kPa). The numbers are displayed in the range of -1.01 to 1.54 × 100 kPa. The intake manifold pressure gauge is for vehicles without a supercharger, and in vehicles without a supercharger, it will never show a value greater than 0.0 except for driving pressure. It approaches 0.0 when the accelerator is fully pressed and becomes -1.01 in a vacuum. The indicator to the lower left of the number indicates the pressure by color. This indicator is always lit, and is green for values ​​below -1, interpolated between green and yellow for values ​​between -1.0 and -0.5, interpolated between yellow and red for values ​​between -0.5 and 0.0, and red for values ​​above 0.0. Because the amount of change is large, the needle has an afterimage, which makes it easier to recognize the movement. Additional information on the intake manifold pressure gauge display is the maximum intake manifold pressure (MAXINM).

[0192] The boost gauge display, as shown in Figure 122, shows the intake manifold pressure relative to atmospheric pressure (101.325 kPa). The numbers are displayed in the range of -1.01 to 1.54 × 100 kPa. The boost gauge display is for vehicles with turbochargers, and may show values ​​greater than atmospheric pressure due to supercharging. When it exceeds 0.00, boosting begins, and the boost indicator in the lower left flashes. It turns off when it is less than 0.00. The indicator colors are: 0.0: green, 0.0 to 0.5: interpolated between green and yellow, 0.5 to 1.0: interpolated between yellow and red, and 1.0 or above: red. Because the amount of change is large, the needle has an afterimage, which makes it easier to recognize the movement. Additional information on the intake manifold gauge display is the maximum boost pressure (MAXBST).

[0193] The tachometer display shows the engine speed, as shown in Figure 123. The numbers are displayed in the range of 0 to 9999 rpm, and the needle moves to a position corresponding to the rotation speed even when it exceeds 8000 rpm. Even when the amount of change is large, the needle has an afterimage, making it easy to recognize the movement. Additional information on the tachometer display includes average RPM and maximum RPM.

[0194] For hybrid vehicles, it is also advisable to add the following displays: battery current display (Figure 124), HV battery capacity display (Figure 125), HV battery current display (Figure 126), HV motor rotation speed display (Figure 127), HV motor torque display (Figure 128), and HV generator rotation speed display (Figure 129). Additional information for the HV motor rotation speed display includes the maximum HV motor rotation speed (MAX RPM). Additional information for the HV motor torque display includes the maximum HV motor torque (MAX TRQ).

[0195] ■ 8.2 Background Settings ■ In the preset A-C screens, you can selectively set a background image (such as a photograph) using the custom image setting screen H2 (see Figure 70) shown in Figure 130. A background image can be set for each of the preset A-C screens. The custom image setting screen H2 contains selection buttons corresponding to the startup screen and the preset A-C screens. For example, operating the selection button for the preset A screen will display the background image selection screen for preset A, as shown in Figures 131 and 132. The image selected on this selection screen will be set as the background image for preset A. If there are no photo data in the / user / picture / folders (four levels), the default background will be displayed. If there are photo data in the / user / picture / folders (four levels), the photo data will be displayed as thumbnails (see Figures 131 and 132). By touching or using the remote control to select the desired photo from the thumbnail display, you can set that photo as the background for the preset screen. When touched, the selected photo will be previewed for a few seconds, as shown in the center of Figure 132. Furthermore, in the custom image settings screen H2, you can select the background image for the startup screen by operating the corresponding selection button.

[0196] In this example of radar detector 1, the number and position of the ring displays 34 in the preset screen can be set as appropriate by the user. This specification allows for flexible response to the needs of users who want to display a background photo. By selecting the item selection button in the custom image setting screen H2 in Figure 130, a screen will be displayed for setting the display items, including OFF, for the three ring displays 34 in the preset screen, as shown in Figure 133, which illustrates the case of preset screen A. By turning OFF the central ring display 34 as shown in the left column, or by turning OFF the central and lower left ring displays 34 as shown in the right column, it is possible to set a preset screen where the background photo is clearly visible.

[0197] As shown in Figure 134, it is also possible to set the warning panel 36 to the ring display 34 in the preset screen. If the warning panel 36 can be set to the ring display 34, even if the standby mode is fixed in the standby⇔radar scope switching screen AA2 (see Figure 19) and the system does not switch from the preset screen to the radar scope screen, the warning can be displayed using the ring display 34 in the preset screen. Figure (a) is an example of a warning in which an animated image of the N system is displayed on the warning panel 36 of the ring display 34 in the preset screen. Figure (b) is an example of a warning in which a photographic image of the speed camera is displayed on the warning panel 36 of the ring display 34 in the preset screen. Figure (c) is an example of when no warning event has occurred, in which case the initially set wallpaper is displayed on the warning panel 36. It is also good to configure the system so that a preferred image can be set as the wallpaper. Note that for photographic images and animated images, visibility may decrease when the backlight is on at night. In such cases, it is also good to adopt a configuration in which the warning panel 36 does not have a backlight. Even if the ring display 34 is selected in the preset screen, if the alarm panel 36 is set, the ring action described later will be executed. This will be explained later with reference to Figures 148 to 152.

[0198] ■ 9. Ring Display Specifications ■ ■ 9.1 Transparent display ■ The ring display 34 on the preset screen, or the scope sub-display 34, which is the ring display in the classic scope screen 32, can be displayed in a semi-transparent mode in which the background image is visible through it. In the radar detector 1 of this example, semi-transparent display is achieved by using alpha blending technology, which blends multiple images using a coefficient α. Alpha blending technology is a well-known technology in software development such as game development.

[0199] In the case of the ring display (scope sub-display) 34 of the alarm panel 36 illustrated in Figure 135, as shown in Figure 136, it has a four-layer structure consisting of a gray back panel 36A, a photo panel 36B for displaying photographs, an animation panel 36C for displaying animations, and a ring panel 36D containing the ring 340. In the case of a preset screen, this four-layer structure is displayed in front of the background image. In the case of a classic scope screen 32, this layer structure is displayed in front of the scope surface. Of the display panels that make up the layer structure, the display state of all display panels except the ring panel 36D changes depending on the control of the coefficient α. For the ring panel 36D, the coefficient α is always set to 100%, and the display state is fixed.

[0200] In opaque mode, the coefficient α of the back panel 36A is set to 100%, resulting in zero transparency of the background image. On the other hand, in semi-transparent mode, the coefficient α of the back panel 36A is set to 25%, allowing the background image to be seen through it. The reason why the coefficient α is set to around 25% instead of zero in semi-transparent mode is to create a moderate level of transparency. If the coefficient α is set to zero, the glasses-like appearance is lost, like glasses without lenses, and the transparency effect cannot be properly created. On the other hand, setting the coefficient α to 25% creates a difference in appearance between the area of ​​the background image that does not involve the ring display 34 and the area of ​​the background image that is seen through the back panel 36A of the ring display 34, creating the impression that the ring display 34 is visible through it, i.e., a transparency effect. Just as even fashion glasses do not look "realistic" without lenses, setting the coefficient α of the ring display 34 to zero and making it completely transparent would result in a loss of a moderate level of transparency.

[0201] When the alarm panel 36 is displayed, the coefficient α of both the photo panel 36B and the animation panel 36C is controlled within the range of 0% to 95%. When displaying the photo panel 36B, the coefficient α of the photo panel 36B is set to 95%, while the coefficient α of the animation panel 36C is set to 0%. As a result, a photographic image is displayed on the alarm panel 36. By reversing the relationship between the two coefficients α, an animated image can be displayed on the alarm panel 36 instead of a photograph. When switching from a photographic image to an animated image, the respective coefficients α are smoothly increased and decreased to create a gradual transition from the photographic image to the animated image.

[0202] In the radar detector 1 of this example, a difference is set between the value of coefficient α when displaying photo panel 36B and the value of coefficient α when displaying animation panel 36C. The coefficient α is set higher for photo panel 36B, which suppresses the degree to which the background image is visible. This is because, in the case of photo images, which have a higher spatial frequency than animation images and appear cluttered, the degree to which visibility is reduced due to the background image being visible is greater. In particular, when a photo is set as the background image, the reduction in visibility is even more pronounced when the background photo is visible. On the other hand, in the case of animation images where areas are divided with solid colors, the impact is less even if the background image is visible, and the degree to which visibility is reduced is low. Instead of this example, it would also be good to control the coefficient α to change appropriately according to the spatial frequency distribution of photo panel 36B, animation panel 36C, etc. For example, it would be good to set the coefficient α lower for panels that are distributed in the high spatial frequency region. The spatial frequency of the panel can also be determined from the JPEG data. It is also possible to set the value of coefficient α to a constant value for both animated images and photographic images. In this case, consistency can be maintained in the transparency of the ring display 34.

[0203] ■ 9.2 Additional Information Display ■ In the case of a ring display 34 that shows a time, speed, or boost pressure (for example, Figure 137), it has a layered structure consisting of a base panel 34A which corresponds to the dial of a clock, a hands 34C which correspond to the hands of a clock, and a scale 34B which indicates the markings (see Figure 138). The transmittance of the base panel 34A is adjusted by controlling a coefficient α, while the hands 34C and scale 34B are displayed without transmittance. The coefficient α of the base panel 34A is adjusted to 25% in semi-transparent mode and to 100% in opaque mode.

[0204] Some ring displays, such as the ring display 34 that shows the clock and boost pressure, allow for the setting of additional information. For example, in the case of the vehicle speed ring display 34 (see Figure 95), the maximum speed can be set as additional information. When displaying additional information, predetermined characters or numbers are represented by selectively lighting up one of several segments used to display characters or numbers, thereby displaying the additional information. Among the segments, the unlit segments are displayed faintly with a coefficient α=25%, while the lit segments are displayed brightly with a coefficient α=90%. In this example display, all segments are displayed to varying degrees, while characters such as numbers are displayed by the brightly lit segments.

[0205] The display of additional information begins 3 seconds (a predetermined time) after the vehicle speed reaches zero km / h, and ends when the vehicle speed exceeds zero km / h. The additional information is displayed over the ring display 34 (see Figure 95). For example, in the case of vehicle speed, when the display of additional information begins, an animation is performed, as shown in Figures 139 and 140, which makes the speedometer-like needle and scale disappear. In this animation, each part, such as the numbers representing the scale and the needle, gradually shrinks towards its center and finally disappears as a dot. For the numbers on the scale, they shrink towards their respective centers (positions corresponding to the center of gravity). For the needle, they shrink around the axis of rotation of the needle and disappear as a dot at that center position. After that, as shown in Figure 141, the maximum vehicle speed is displayed as additional information.

[0206] Furthermore, by setting the start of the display of additional information to 3 seconds after the vehicle speed reaches zero, time is provided for the driver to shift their gaze from the front to the display screen of the radar detector 1 after the vehicle has stopped, allowing the driver to appreciate the animation as described above. When ending the display, if the additional information is immediately dismissed when the vehicle speed exceeds zero, the display of the ring display 34 can be switched while the display screen of the radar detector 1 is within the driver's field of vision. Once the display of additional information has ended, an animation is performed that is the reverse of the animation described above. In this animation, each scale and pointer appears as if emerging from a single point, expands, and is displayed in a predetermined position at a predetermined size.

[0207] ■ 9.3 Ring Action ■ On the Classic Scope screen 32, a Scope Sub-Display 34 surrounded by a circular ring 340 may be displayed in the upper left, as shown in Figures 142 to 147. Except when set to OFF (hidden), the Scope Sub-Display 34 displays one of the following, depending on the setting: clock, vehicle speed, eco-driving, acceleration, incline, tidal information, satellite information, warning panel, compass, barometric pressure, reminder days, reminder distance, instantaneous fuel consumption, average fuel consumption, average fuel consumption on city roads, average fuel consumption on highways, current fuel consumption, lifetime fuel consumption, moving average fuel consumption, fuel flow rate, engine water temperature, intake air temperature, ambient temperature, engine oil temperature, battery voltage, throttle opening, intake manifold gauge, boost gauge, tachometer, battery current, HV battery capacity, HV battery current, HV motor speed, HV motor torque, or HV generator speed. If the Warning Panel 36 is set, the Scope Sub-Display 34 is displayed when a warning voice is generated and is cleared when no warning is generated.

[0208] When an alarm sound is generated, the control unit 10 causes the ring 340 forming the outer frame of the scope sub-display 34 of the alarm panel 36 to perform a predetermined display operation and display various notification expressions. The notification expressions by the ring 340 are the same for the ring display 34 set for the alarm panel 36 in the preset screen.

[0209] When the alarm panel 36 is set on the scope sub-display 34, the control unit 10 causes the ring 340 to perform predetermined actions, which include (1) arrow action, (2) rolling action, and (3) flash action. (1) Arrow operation As illustrated in Figures 142 and 143, in the case of a visible target alarm panel 36, the target's orientation is animated three times each time the target is focused. Figure 143 shows a ring 340. Each frame constituting the ring 340 represents an area where the color can be changed. In the ring 340 of this example, such areas are arranged around the entire circumference with gaps between them. In the figure, white areas indicate areas that remain as they are, and hatching indicates areas that are lit (colored) (specific areas). The arrow motion includes a movement that moves from both sides towards a specific point (c) roughly midway between 2 o'clock and 3 o'clock on a clock face, as shown in Figures (a)→(b)→(c). In the arrow motion of this example, after the movement (a)→(b)→(c) is repeated three times, the specific point roughly midway between 2 o'clock and 3 o'clock is shown, and the target's orientation is displayed.

[0210] In this example, the alarm panel 36 has three possible operation settings: animation loop, animation → static, and static. In the animation loop setting, the operation (a) → (b) → (c) is repeated three times, and then the display (c) → (d) is repeated alternately, making the target direction appear to vibrate. In the animation → static setting, the operation (a) → (b) → (c) is repeated three times, and then the display is fixed to (c), showing the target direction. In the static setting, the target direction is immediately displayed as static (c) without going through the arrow operation.

[0211] (2) Rolling motion As illustrated in Figures 144 and 145, a ring-rotating warning is issued during RD (radar) warnings, radio warnings, or from 350m before the speed camera (from the start of vehicle speed notification) until passing the camera. In particular, during RD warnings, the rotation speed increases according to the warning level. This rolling motion is performed independently of the warning panel operation settings. (3) Flash operation As illustrated in Figures 146 and 147, in the case of targets without a specific direction, such as car break-ins, illegal parking, speed limit changes, and merging, the entire ring flashes several times. If the alarm panel operation setting is set to animation loop or animation → stationary, the flashing operation is performed; if set to stationary, the entire ring lights up. The display color of the ring action is set to a color corresponding to the type of "red," "yellow," "blue," or "green" (see Figure 4), which represents the urgency (alarm level) of the target being alerted.

[0212] Figures 148 to 152 show examples of ring actions when the warning panel 36 is set to ring display 34 in the preset screen. Figure 148 is an example of a warning for a directional GPS target such as a loop coil type speed camera, where the direction to the target is displayed by an arrow movement. Figure 149 is an example of a radio warning, where attention is drawn by a rolling movement. The display color at this time is set to a color corresponding to the type of radio (see Figure 85). Figure 150 is an example of an RD warning. The rotation speed of the rolling movement is changed according to the reception level. Figure 151 is an example of notification for a non-directional GPS target (merging). At this time, the entire ring 340 flashes by a flashing movement. The display color is set to a color corresponding to the type in Figure 4. Figure 152 is an example of a warning when the distance to the speed camera is within 350m. Attention is drawn by a high-speed rotating rolling movement.

[0213] ■ 10. Post ■ According to the radar detector 1 in this example, it is possible to post information related to traffic monitoring activities to an external server. ■ 10.1 Data Specifications of Posted Information ■ The data specifications of the posted information from radar detector 1 in this example are as shown in Figure 153. Note that the header information and other information necessary for communication are omitted from the figure. The posted information in this example is composed of a combination of product information of radar detector 1 (serial number, etc.) to identify the source of the post, and posting pin information. The breakdown of each data, such as X, Y, A, etc., that constitute the posting pin information is as shown in Figure 154(a). The contents of each data, T, R, and M, among the data in Figure (a) are as shown in Figures (b), (c), and (d).

[0214] Freshness information indicates the timing of the traffic monitoring activity being reported. Depending on the timing of the traffic monitoring activity, a data value representing freshness is defined, as shown in Figure 154(c). For example, if the reported information concerns a traffic monitoring activity currently underway, the freshness value will be zero. If the reported information concerns a traffic monitoring activity that took place more than one week but within one month, the freshness value will be 20. On the other hand, for reported information concerning permanently installed speed cameras, the freshness data value will be 255. Directional type information supplements the enforcement direction included in the location information. By using directional type information, it is possible to specify the enforcement direction for monitoring activities on the opposite lane, as well as specify whether the traffic monitoring activity is on the right or left side of the driving lane. For example, for traffic monitoring activities targeting the driving lane, the enforcement direction type is 0x01, which is obtained by inverting the direction of travel (vehicle direction) of 0x02 in Figure 155 by 180 degrees. For example, when post pin 44 (Figure 157) is registered in front of a speed camera installed in the median strip, it means that the speed camera is set diagonally to the right of the driving lane. In this case, the enforcement direction type is the direction of 0x10 in the same figure.

[0215] ■ 10.2 Submission Processing ■ (1) Generating posting information When the control unit 10 detects the operation of the MEMORY button 222 while the standby screen is displayed, it pops up four registration menu buttons 313 on the screen, including a pin setting button, as shown in Figure 156. In addition to the pin setting button for registering a posted pin 44 (Figure 157), the registration menu buttons 313 include an ITY map button that displays the latitude and longitude of the vehicle's positioning location at the time the button is pressed as a 2D barcode, a My Area button for registering a My Area, and a Cancel button for canceling a registered area.

[0216] When the pin setting button is touched, the control unit 10 sets a posting pin 44 at the current location on the map screen 31, as shown in Figure 157, and registers the location information (latitude and longitude, address, enforcement direction) and pin registration time of the posting target and the posting pin memory area. In this example, the radar detector 1 can register up to four posting pin information entries in the posting pin memory area, and up to four posting pins 44 can be registered, from the first to the fourth pin. The figure shows an example where, because all pins were empty, the first pin was set as the posting pin 44 at the current location, and the location information and pin registration date and time were stored in association with the first pin. Activity content information, such as the type, embodiment, and method of traffic monitoring activity, is generated according to subsequent user operations (Figures 161 to 163) and stored in the posting pin memory area.

[0217] If all four post pins 44 have been registered and the post pin memory area contains information for all four post pins, the registration menu button 313 shown in Figure 158 will pop up in response to the operation of the MEMORY button 222. Here, the registration menu button, which includes the message "Pins are full," will display a message indicating that post pins 44 cannot be registered. In this example, since the direction of enforcement is essential information for the posted information, the posting pin 44 cannot be registered when the direction of travel determined by the GPS function is not yet determined. When the MEMORY button 222 is operated while the direction of travel is not yet determined, the control unit 10 displays a pop-up registration menu button 313, which includes a registration menu button indicating that the direction is not yet determined (Figure 159). Also, when the MEMORY button 222 is operated while the GPS function is not being used for positioning, the control unit 10 displays a ticker at the top of the map screen 31 indicating that GPS search is in progress (Figure 160).

[0218] When the control unit 10 detects a touch operation on the map screen 31, it displays the settings list screen 1A at the top of Figure 161. This settings list screen 1A contains various setting buttons, including a post button for posting information. When the post button is touched, the control unit 10 switches to displaying the post pin menu J1 in the middle of the same figure. This post pin menu screen J1 is a screen where a confirmation button and a delete button are placed for each post pin. For unregistered post pins, both the confirmation button and the delete button are displayed as shadows and are inoperable. When the control unit 10 detects a touch operation on the pin confirmation button, it reads the post pin information corresponding to that post pin from the post pin storage area. The control unit 10 displays the pin confirmation screen J2, which contains a text display of the location information (latitude and longitude, address, enforcement direction) and time information (pin registration date and time) from the read post pin information, as well as a post button to start the posting process. The generation of post information starts in response to the touch operation of this post button.

[0219] The posting buttons include a registration posting button for posting posting pin information and a delete posting button for requesting the deletion of posting information. A delete posting is used when the traffic monitoring activity corresponding to the posting information has already ended or is no longer being carried out. When the control unit 10 detects a touch operation of the delete posting button, it generates a code image 15C in which the posting information of the deletion request is recorded, and displays the posting screen J81 including this code image 15C on the touch panel 15.

[0220] As shown in Figure 162, when the control unit 10 detects a touch operation of the registration / post button in the pin confirmation screen J2, it displays the posting screens J3 to J80 shown in Figure 162 and Figure 163 on the touch panel 15 as appropriate, according to the type of traffic monitoring activity, etc. The posting screens J3 to J5 in Figure 162 are screens that generate activity content information (Figure 153), such as the type (category) of the traffic monitoring activity to be posted, its embodiment, and method.

[0221] Screen J3 is for selecting the type (category) of traffic monitoring activity. Screens J4 and J5 are for selecting the implementation method and format of the traffic monitoring activity. Here, the types of traffic monitoring activities are speed cameras, N-systems, checkpoints, and enforcement. The variations in the implementation method and format of traffic monitoring activities differ depending on the type of traffic monitoring activity. For example, there are no variations in the implementation method and format for N-systems. On the other hand, for enforcement, there are variations such as speed traps and mobile speed cameras, and mobile speed cameras have further variations such as radar type and stealth type. Whether or not the posting screen is displayed during the posting operation depends on the type of traffic enforcement activity, etc.

[0222] In addition, posting screens J4 and J5, excluding posting screen J3 which allows the user to select the implementation method and type of traffic monitoring activity, are both equipped with an "Other" operation button. When the "Other" operation button is pressed, the control unit 10 confirms the activity content information stored in the posting pin memory area and immediately switches the posting screen to display. With this specification, the radar detector 1 in this example can, for example, relatively easily generate detailed posting information such as "a speed camera is installed" even for users who are unaware of the differences between speed camera (Orbis) systems, according to their level of knowledge. On the other hand, a user with a high level of knowledge who is familiar with the differences between speed camera systems can generate highly detailed posting information by selecting one of the systems on the posting screen.

[0223] The control unit 10 adds the activity content information generated in response to user operations on the posting screens J3 to J5 to the posting pin information stored in the posting pin memory area. Except for posting screen J3, which selects the type of traffic monitoring activity to be posted, posting screens J4 and J5, which select embodiments and methods, have operation buttons for selecting "Other" or "Unknown." The purpose of providing these operation buttons on posting screens J4 and J5 is to make posting easier for users who are not very familiar with traffic enforcement, thereby stimulating posting activity.

[0224] The posting screen J6 in Figure 163 is an operation screen for inputting freshness information (Figures 153 and 154) that indicates when the traffic monitoring activity to be posted was carried out. In addition to the operation button to select "currently in progress," this posting screen J6 has operation buttons for "within one week," "within one month," "within three months," etc. The control unit 10 adds the freshness information corresponding to the operation button selected on the posting screen J6 to the posting pin information stored in the posting pin memory area. The posting screen J7, shown in enlarged view in Figure 164, is a posting screen for selecting the type of enforcement direction. This posting screen J7 has operation buttons for "driving lane," "opposite lane," "right direction," and "left direction." Below each operation button is an intuitive illustration of the corresponding content. Direction type information (Figures 153 to 155) corresponding to the operation button selected on posting screen J7 is added to the posting pin information stored in the posting pin memory area.

[0225] When any operation button is pressed on the posting screen J7, the generation of posting pin information (Figure 153) is completed. The control unit 10 reads the posting pin information from the posting pin storage area, adds product information (Figure 153), and generates posting information. Then, it generates a code image 15C on which this posting information is recorded, and displays the posting screen J80, including this code image 15C, on the touch panel 15, as shown in Figure 163. A user who wants to post can, for example, take a picture of the code image 15C with a mobile device such as a smartphone (multifunctional mobile phone) with posting software that supports code images running. The mobile device that took the picture of the code image 15C performs image processing to extract the code image from the captured image, read the posting information recorded in the code image 15C, and sends that posting information to the server.

[0226] The deletion of registered post pins 44 (Figure 157, etc.) can be performed by operating the delete button on the post pin menu screen J1 in the middle of Figure 161. When this delete button is operated, the deletion of the corresponding post pin is completed via a confirmation screen and a screen indicating that the deletion is complete, as shown in Figure 165(a). By operating the system button on the settings list screen 1A at the top of Figure 161, the data deletion screen can be switched to display as shown in Figure 165(b). It is also possible to delete post pins and their corresponding post pin information all at once by selecting the post pin button on this data deletion screen.

[0227] In this example, the radar detector 1 transfers posting information to the mobile terminal via code image 15C (Figure 163). Alternatively, the radar detector 1 and the mobile terminal may be connected via wireless communication such as WiFi, and the posting information may be transferred. For example, if the mobile terminal is running dedicated software, operating the posting button displayed on the touch panel 15 of the radar detector 1 may cause the posting information to be posted via the mobile terminal. To equip the radar detector 1 with WiFi functionality, a WiFi module or the like can be incorporated. The mobile terminal can be any mobile terminal with access point (tethering) functionality. If the radar detector 1 is capable of wireless communication with the mobile terminal, it can also receive posting target information via the mobile terminal. The radar detector 1 can then provide notifications and warnings regarding posting target information.

[0228] ■ 11. Summary ■ As described above, the radar detector 1 in this example is a vehicle system that allows for a wide range of settings through user operation, and can respond meticulously to a broad range of user needs. For users who seek detailed information, it can provide extremely detailed and specialized information. On the other hand, for users who prefer information that is easy to understand intuitively, various features have been incorporated to facilitate information comprehension. Furthermore, to enable warnings even for users who want to set the vehicle information display screen (preset screen) based on the OBD function as the standby screen, the information display area (ring display) for setting vehicle speed, etc., can be configured on the warning panel 36.

[0229] In particular, the classic scope screen 32 (Figure 13, etc.) clearly displays targets around the vehicle on the scope surface. In this classic scope screen 32, one of the targets is selected as the focus target, and information about that focus target is provided. The focus target is marked with a cross gauge 327 and a cursor 325, so it is easy to identify which target is the focus target at a glance. This makes it easy for the driver to understand while driving.

[0230] Information regarding the focus target is communicated using the display color on the scope surface, the scope sub-display 34, and the message window 32M. All displays are very easy to understand and allow for intuitive grasp of the information. This radar detector 1, which allows for intuitive grasp of various information, is a system that can effectively support the driver and encourage them to concentrate on driving. Furthermore, the scope sub-display 34 can display the clock, vehicle speed, etc., in place of the default warning panel 36, according to the user's preference. This radar detector 1 can meticulously address a wide range of user needs and is a useful system for various users.

[0231] In the preset screen (Figure 43, etc.), where up to three ring displays 34 can be set, a wide variety of display items can be set to the ring displays 34 according to the user's preference. The ring displays 34 have the same specifications as the scope sub-display 34 of the classic scope screen 32, and it is also possible to set the alarm panel 36. Therefore, when the preset screen is set to standby, it is possible to place the ring display 34 of the alarm panel 36 along with the ring displays 34 of vehicle speed and acceleration. If the alarm panel 36 is set to any of the ring displays 34, it is possible to receive notifications of monitoring information related to traffic monitoring activities even when the preset screen is fixed to standby.

[0232] In this example of radar detection 1, where the ring display 34 and the scope sub-display 34 are set to the same specifications, consistency of operation is ensured between the preset screen and the classic scope screen 32, improving ease of learning and use. In particular, the adoption of a circular display area for the scope sub-display 34 improves compatibility with the ring display 34 used to display information such as vehicle speed and acceleration in the preset screen, thus achieving specification standardization. In the preset screen, setting one of the ring displays 34 to an alarm panel 36 does not cause any sense of incongruity (Figure 148, etc.).

[0233] The outer periphery of the scope sub-display 34 and ring display 34 is composed of an annular ring 340. In the radar detector 1 of this example, a display operation (ring action) is set that utilizes the ring 340, which also serves as a decorative frame for the scope sub-display 34. By using the ring 340, various movements such as arrow movements (Figure 142, etc.), rolling movements (Figure 144, etc.), and flash movements (Figure 146, etc.) can be expressed by moving the area where the display appears as if a lamp is lit. By incorporating movements that are easily detected by the human eye into the notification operation, it becomes possible to reliably attract the attention of drivers while driving, and to reliably transmit notification information. In the absence of a notification, the need to pay attention to the screen of the radar detector 1 is reduced, thereby directing the attention of drivers while driving towards the direction of travel and improving safety. The display color of the display operation by the ring 340 corresponds to the type of traffic monitoring activity being notified. Users familiar with the relationship between traffic monitoring activities and colors can immediately grasp the vehicle's driving situation simply by glancing at the color of the ring action display.

[0234] Furthermore, the preset screen allows users to set their own background images (Figure 133, etc.). If you set an important photo as the background image, you can hide one of the ring displays 34 to enlarge the display area of ​​the background image, allowing you to show the photo to passengers or view it yourself. You can freely choose which of the three ring displays 34 to hide, so it is a good idea to set the hidden ring displays 34 to display the important parts of the photo. In addition, it is possible to select a semi-transparent display mode for the ring displays 34. By selecting semi-transparent mode, you can make the background image transparent and create an aesthetically pleasing screen.

[0235] On the map screen 31, users can customize the number of map areas and warning panel areas displayed. This allows for a wide range of detailed customization options to meet the diverse needs of users, such as those who want a wider map view or those who want warning panels to pop up when approaching traffic monitoring locations. In particular, when two warning panel areas are set (Figure 79), the mini-icons 383 on the mini-radar scope 38 and the warning panel 36 are linked by a link line 312, making it easy to identify the location corresponding to the monitoring information on the warning panel 36. The two warning panel areas have different levels of priority. The left-hand warning panel only displays information above a certain warning level. Important information is always displayed on the left-hand warning panel, resulting in a very user-friendly display.

[0236] Furthermore, the warning panel 36 displayed on the map screen 31 has the same specifications as the warning panels that can be set on the scope sub-display 34 and ring display 34. Therefore, consistency in operation is maintained whether the map screen 31 is set to standby, the classic scope screen 32 is set, or a preset screen is set. In this way, the radar detector 1 in this example achieves a consistent specification that is very easy for the user to understand.

[0237] This example is a device that displays not only monitoring information related to traffic monitoring activities, but also road information such as intersections and ETC lanes, as well as driving information such as parking lots, tourist spots, and scenic spots. It is also possible to display various information, including location information, such as information about amusement parks, restaurants, and gas stations, in the map area or panel area. Furthermore, with the hardware configuration of this example, it is possible to display not only monitoring information related to traffic monitoring activities, but also various information accompanied by location information in an easy-to-understand manner on the map screen 31. The map screen 31 in this example is also suitable as a screen for displaying information other than monitoring information.

[0238] Although specific examples of the present invention have been described in detail as shown in the examples above, these examples only disclose an example of the technology covered by the claims. Needless to say, the claims should not be interpreted restrictively based on the configuration or numerical values ​​of the specific examples. The claims encompass technologies obtained by various modifications or changes to the above examples using prior art or the knowledge of those skilled in the art. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0239] 1. Radar detector 10 Control Unit 100 databases 121 GPS receiver 122 Microwave receiver 123 Wireless receiver 124 Accelerometer 125 Gyro 126 Geomagnetic Sensor 127 Illuminance recovery 128 Barometric pressure sensor 129 Clock section 137 Multicolor LEDs 138 Infrared light receiving section 15 Touch panel 151 Touchscreen 152 TFT LCD displays 16 speakers 17. Memory card reader 171 Memory Card 22 Operation buttons 31 Map screen 32 Classic Scope Screen 34 Ring display, Scope sub-display 340 Ring 36 Alarm Panel 44 Post Pins

Claims

1. In a vehicle system that controls the display of monitoring information related to traffic monitoring activities on a screen, A predetermined icon representing the location where traffic monitoring activities are conducted is displayed within a scope area that represents a predetermined distance range based on the vehicle's current position. Link information from other areas related to the monitoring information pertaining to the aforementioned icon can be displayed. The vehicle system is capable of outputting the monitoring information as audio, and the display mode of the link information relating to the monitoring information during audio output differs from the display mode of the link information relating to the monitoring information when audio output is not being performed. A vehicle system characterized by the following features.

2. The vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the scope region represents an equidistant range based on the vehicle's current position.

3. A vehicle system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the link information is a display including text display or arrow display.

4. A vehicle system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the difference in the display manner of the link information includes at least a dynamic change in the display.

5. A program for a computer to implement the functions of the vehicle system described in any one of claims 1 to 4.

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