Display system

Abstract

To provide a display system having high recognition properties of a passenger of a vehicle.SOLUTION: A display system (1A) includes an image display part (10) for displaying an image indicating a mode selected in a vehicle driving device having a plurality of modes. The image display part (10) displays all of images indicating each of the plurality of modes, and displays the image indicating the selected mode so that at least one of the color, the brightness and the format and the size of the character thereof is different from that of the image indicating a mode that is not selected.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a display system installed inside a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] A system that is provided inside a vehicle and indicates a currently selected mode in a vehicle driving device having a plurality of modes, such as a transmission, is known in the related art. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique of illuminating a range position of a shift lever for selecting an operation mode of a transmission with a light source. Prior Art Documents Patent Documents

[0003] Patent Document 1 Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2014-125149 Summary of the Invention Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, with the technique described in Patent Document 1, only the currently selected range position is illuminated, and there is a demand for a display that makes the selected mode more noticeable and that has excellent design.

[0005] An object of one aspect of the present invention is to implement a display system with high recognizability for vehicle occupants. Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above problems, a display system according to one aspect of the present invention is a display system installed inside a vehicle, comprising an image display unit that displays an image indicating the selected mode in the vehicle's driving device which has multiple modes, wherein the image display unit displays all of the images indicating each of the multiple modes, and displays the image indicating the selected mode in such a way that it differs from the image indicating the unselected mode in at least one of the following: color, brightness, font format, and size.

[0007] This configuration allows the selected mode to be displayed more prominently.

[0008] In the above-described display system, the image display unit switches and displays multiple mode display images according to the selected mode, and the mode display image includes an image indicating the selected mode and an image indicating an unselected mode. With this configuration, not only can the image indicating the selected mode be changed according to the selected mode, but the display state of the image indicating the unselected mode can also be changed. Therefore, it is possible to design the system so that the image of the selected mode stands out through the overall mode display image.

[0009] In the above-described display system, each of the images representing a plurality of modes includes characters indicating the mode, and the image display unit may be configured to display the characters included in the image representing the selected mode larger than the characters included in the image representing the unselected mode.

[0010] In the above display system, each of the images representing the multiple modes includes characters indicating the mode, and the image display unit includes the image representing the selected mode. The aforementioned characters may be displayed as white outline characters.

[0011] In the above-described display system, the image display unit may be configured to display an image that indicates the selected mode, which includes characters and patterns.

[0012] In the above-described display system, each of the images representing the multiple modes includes characters indicating the mode, and the image display unit may be configured to display the characters included in the image representing the selected mode by surrounding them with a predetermined graphic.

[0013] In the above-described display system, the driving device may be the transmission of the vehicle's engine, and the image display unit may be provided on the shift lever that controls the mode of the transmission. With this configuration, the display on the shift lever makes it easier to recognize the mode when visually checking during shift operations. In addition, the selected mode is clearly displayed, improving operability. Furthermore, the selected mode can be displayed with good visibility, making it possible to display a highly visible display even in a narrow space such as a shift lever.

[0014] In the above-described display system, the image display unit may be configured to display an image that includes an animation showing the direction of the vehicle's movement as the image in the selected mode. With this configuration, the driver of the vehicle can intuitively understand which direction the vehicle will move in the mode selected with the shift lever.

[0015] In the above-described display system, the operating device may be the vehicle's wiper, and the image display unit may be provided on the wiper switch that controls the operating mode of the wiper. With this configuration, the display on the wiper switch makes it easier to recognize the mode when visually checking during operation of the wiper switch. In addition, the selected mode is clearly displayed, improving operability. Furthermore, the selected mode can be displayed with good visibility, making it possible to display a sufficiently visible display even in a narrow space such as a wiper switch.

[0016] To solve the above problems, a display system according to one aspect of the present invention is a display system installed inside a vehicle, comprising an image display unit that displays an image indicating the selected mode in the vehicle's driving device which has multiple modes, and the image display unit performs an animation display indicating the direction of operation of the vehicle in the selected mode.

[0017] According to the above configuration, this allows the vehicle driver to intuitively understand the direction of travel of the vehicle in the selected vehicle mode.

[0018] In the above-described display system, the driving device may be the transmission of the vehicle's engine, and the image display unit may be provided on the shift lever that controls the mode of the transmission. With this configuration, the display on the shift lever makes it easier to recognize the direction of the vehicle's movement when visually checking during shift operation. In addition, the selected mode is clearly displayed, improving operability. Furthermore, the selected mode can be displayed with good visibility, making it possible to display a highly visible display even in a narrow space such as a shift lever.

[0019] In the above display system, the image display unit is a display switching device that switches a displayed image by switching irradiation of light from a plurality of light sources, the display switching device comprising: a lens array in which a plurality of lenses are arranged; and each of the light irradiated from the plurality of light sources is a display unit including a plurality of pixel regions arranged including regions through which the light condensed by each of the lenses of the lens array passes, wherein transmittance in each of the pixel regions is set corresponding to a predetermined stationary pattern.

[0020] With this configuration, an image indicating the selected mode can be displayed without using a complicated and expensive display device such as a liquid crystal display. This enables a low-cost image display unit to be achieved. Effects of the Invention

[0021] According to one aspect of the present invention, a display system with high recognizability for vehicle occupants can be realized. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0022] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a display system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the periphery of a shift lever included in the above display system. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an image displayed by the image display unit when a vehicle driver moves the shift lever to "P" [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an image displayed by the image display unit when a vehicle driver moves the shift lever to "R". [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an image displayed by the image display unit when a vehicle driver moves the shift lever to "N". [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an image displayed by the image display unit when a vehicle driver moves the shift lever to "D" [Figure 7]This is a schematic diagram showing the basic configuration of the image display unit described above. [Figure 8] The figures shown with reference numerals 801, 802, and 803 are examples of the configuration of the lens array provided in the image display unit in Figure 7. [Figure 9] This figure shows an example of the light-gathering state using the lens array described above. [Figure 10] The figures shown by reference numerals 1001, 1002, 1003, and 1004 are diagrams illustrating examples of the switching displays of the display units provided by the image display unit described above. [Figure 11] This diagram shows the correspondence between the display unit, the lenses constituting the lens array, and the light source. [Figure 12] This figure shows an image displayed by the image display unit in a display system that is a modified example of the display system of Embodiment 1. [Figure 13] This figure shows further examples of how the image displayed by the image display unit can be displayed in a display system that is a modified version of the display system of Embodiment 1. [Figure 14] This figure shows further examples of how the image displayed by the image display unit can be displayed in a display system that is a modified version of the display system of Embodiment 1. [Figure 15] This is a block diagram of a display system as a modified example of the display system of Embodiment 1. [Figure 16] This is a diagram showing the wiper switch included in the above display system. [Figure 17] This diagram shows the image displayed by the image display unit when the vehicle driver moves the wiper switch to "OFF". [Figure 18] This figure shows the image displayed by the image display unit when the vehicle driver moves the wiper switch to "INT". [Figure 19] This figure shows the image displayed by the image display unit when the vehicle driver moves the wiper switch to "LO". [Figure 20]This diagram shows the image displayed by the image display unit when the vehicle driver moves the wiper switch to "HI". [Figure 21] This is a block diagram of a display system as a modified example of the display system of Embodiment 1. [Figure 22] This diagram shows the image displayed by the image display unit in the above-described display system. [Figure 23] This figure shows further examples of how the image display unit displays images. [Figure 24] This figure shows a shift lever included in a display system as a modified example of the display system in Embodiment 1. [Figure 25] This figure shows an example of a conventional shift lever with an image indicating the transmission mode printed on the top surface. [Figure 26] This diagram shows the image displayed by the image display unit in the above-described display system. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0023] [Embodiment 1] Hereinafter, an embodiment relating to one aspect of this disclosure (hereinafter also referred to as "this embodiment") will be described based on the drawings.

[0024] The display system disclosed herein is a display system installed inside a vehicle (for example, a car), and includes an image display unit that displays an image indicating the mode (state) of the driving device equipped in the vehicle to the vehicle's occupants. In this embodiment, display system 1A as one aspect of the display system disclosed herein will be described.

[0025] §1 Examples of Application First, an example of a scenario in which the display system 1A is applied will be explained using Figures 1 to 3. Figure 1 is a block diagram of the display system 1A. Figure 2 is a diagram showing the area around the shift lever 50 provided by the display system 1A. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the display system 1A comprises a shift lever 50, an image display unit 10, and a control unit 60.

[0026] In the display system 1A, the image display unit 10 displays an image corresponding to the driver's operation of the shift lever 50. Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example display image shown by the image display unit 10. Figure 3 is a diagram showing image P1 displayed by the image display unit 10 when the vehicle driver moves the shift lever 50 to "P (parking)". In the display system 1A, for example, when the driver moves the shift lever 50 to "P", the control unit 60 displays the image on the image display unit 10 in the following way, as shown in Figure 3: (1) display all the characters indicating the respective modes of the vehicle's engine transmission: "P", "R (reverse)", "N (neutral)", and "D (drive)", and (2) display the character "P" larger than the other characters. In other words, the image display unit 10 displays the image so that the selected mode, "P", stands out more than the other characters. This makes it easy for the driver to confirm that the mode selected by the shift lever 50 is "P".

[0027] §2 Example Configuration The following describes the details of the configuration of the display system 1A. As described above, the display system 1A comprises a shift lever 50, an image display unit 10, and a control unit 60.

[0028] The shift lever 50 is an operating part operated by the driver to select a desired mode from among the multiple modes provided by the vehicle's engine transmission. In this embodiment, for simplicity, the transmission is described as having four modes: "P", "R", "N", and "D", but other modes such as "2 (second)", "L (low)", and "B (brake)" may also be provided.

[0029] As shown in Figure 2, the image display unit 10 is installed near the shift lever 50 in a position where the vehicle driver can see it. The image display unit 10 displays an image corresponding to the transmission mode selected by the driver. Figure 4 shows the vehicle driver moving the shift lever 50 to "R". Figure 5 shows image P2 displayed by the image display unit 10 when the driver of the vehicle moves the shift lever 50 to "N". Figure 6 shows image P4 displayed by the image display unit 10 when the driver of the vehicle moves the shift lever 50 to "D". As shown in Figures 3 to 6, the image display unit 10 displays (1) all the characters indicating each of the transmission modes of the vehicle's engine, and (2) the character indicating the transmission mode selected by the driver is displayed larger than the other characters, in response to the driver's operation of the shift lever 50.

[0030] The image display unit 10 may be implemented by a display switching device as detailed below.

[0031] (Basic configuration of the image display unit) Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing the basic configuration of the image display unit 10 according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 7, the image display unit 10 comprises, from top to bottom in the drawing, a light absorbing member 2, a light diffusing member 3, a display light concentrating unit 46, a plurality of light sources 7, and a substrate 8 to which the plurality of light sources 7 are attached.

[0032] The light-absorbing member 2, the light-diffusing member 3, the display unit 45, and the lens array 6 are supported by the housing 9. Furthermore, the basic configuration of the image display unit 10 is achieved by attaching the housing 9 to a substrate 8 on which multiple light sources 7 are mounted. The image display unit 10 may also be provided with a protective layer above the light-absorbing member 2 to prevent damage. The size of each of the above-mentioned components can be appropriately designed according to the size of the area in which the image display unit 10 displays an image.

[0033] The light-absorbing member 2 is a member that absorbs light, and the light-diffusing member 3 is a member that diffuses light. In other words, the light-absorbing member 2 and the light-diffusing member 3 can be collectively referred to as a dimming member. Examples of the configuration of the dimming member include smoke, half mirrors, polarizing plates, color plates, diffusers, members that display images, and smoke combined with a diffuser to have a diffusion function.

[0034] The display light-gathering unit 46 comprises a display unit 45 and a microlens array (hereinafter abbreviated as lens array) 6. The display unit 45 consists of an image layer 4 and a matrix layer 5, and displays the image to be displayed (display image) P. The matrix layer 5 comprises, for example, a pixel region 45a (aperture, hereinafter the same) and a pixel periphery region 45b (mask, hereinafter the same), which is the region other than the pixel region 45a. The image layer 4 and the matrix layer 5 are joined. The "pixel periphery region 45b" referred to here refers to the region around each pixel region 45a with a constant transmittance. The pixel periphery region 45b also blocks light from the light source side, that is, light from the side where the lens array 6 is located.

[0035] As shown in Figure 7, the lens array 6 located below the display unit 45 focuses the light emitted by multiple light sources 7 mounted on the substrate 8. The lens array 6 is composed of multiple lenses arranged in a row.

[0036] The display unit 45 includes a plurality of pixel regions 45a, each of which includes a region through which light emitted from the positions of the plurality of light sources 7 passes, and the transmittance in each of the lenses of the lens array 6 is set to correspond to a predetermined static image.

[0037] The multiple light sources 7 may be, for example, RGB LEDs.

[0038] With the above configuration, the image display unit 10 can switch the displayed image by switching the illumination of light from multiple light sources 7. The switching of the light sources 7 on and off is performed by the light emission control unit 11, as shown in Figure 1.

[0039] (Example of lens array configuration) Figures 8, labeled 801, 802, and 803, respectively, show examples of the configuration of the lens array 6 in Figure 7. Specifically, as shown in the figure labeled 801 in Figure 8, the lens array 6 is configured by arranging multiple lenses in a two-dimensional matrix.

[0040] Reference numeral 802 in Figure 8 indicates a perspective view showing an enlarged portion of the lens array 6, and reference numeral 803 in Figure 8 indicates a partial cross-sectional view showing an enlarged portion of the lens array 6.

[0041] Figure 9 shows an example of the light focusing state by the lens array 6. From Figure 9, it can be understood that the point of focus can be changed by changing the position of the light source.

[0042] Figures 1001, 1002, 1003, and 1004 show examples of the switching display of the display unit 45, respectively. Figure 1001 shows an example of the display shown on the display unit 45 (image layer 4), figure 1002 shows an example of the displayed pattern, figure 1003 is an enlarged view of part A of figure 1001, and figure 1004 is an enlarged view of part B of figure 1003.

[0043] In the example shown in Figure 10, for example, it is possible to switch between displaying images P5 (in the example, the hiragana character "き"), image P6 (in the example, the pattern "△"), image P7 (in the example, the uppercase letter "G"), and image P8 (in the example, the number "6") on the same image layer.

[0044] As shown by reference numeral 1004 in Figure 10, for example, the entire display unit 45 can be divided into multiple areas (multiple pixels) such that each area contains up to four pixel areas 45a, and the display can be switched accordingly. Also, as shown by reference numeral 1004 in Figure 10, the area of ​​the display unit 45 other than the pixel areas 45a is the pixel surrounding area 45b.

[0045] Figure 11 is a diagram showing the correspondence between the display unit 45, the lenses constituting the lens array 6, and the light source 7. In Figure 11, two pixels are shown as examples, and the light from each light source is focused by the lens array 6 and emitted from the corresponding pixel area 45a. Each pixel of the display unit 45 is divided into a pixel area 45a and a pixel surrounding area 45b.

[0046] By using the display switching device described above as the image display unit 10, it is possible to display an image indicating the selected mode without using a complex and expensive display device such as a liquid crystal display. This makes it possible to realize a low-cost image display unit 10.

[0047] In this embodiment, the image display unit 10 displays the following images: (1) by irradiating light from light source 7a, it displays the image P1 shown in Figure 3; (2) by irradiating light from light source 7b, it displays the image P2 shown in Figure 4; (3) by irradiating light from light source 7c, it displays the image P3 shown in Figure 5; and (4) by irradiating light from light source 7d, it displays the image P4 shown in Figure 6. In other words, the image display unit 10 is capable of switching between and displaying multiple images P1 to P4 (mode display images) according to the transmission mode selected by the shift lever 50, and can switch between and display multiple images P1 to P4 by switching between the irradiating light sources 7a to 7d.

[0048] In this embodiment, a method of switching between four images P1 to P4 using the image display unit 10 has been described. However, the image display unit 10 of this disclosure can switch between and display five or more images by appropriately adjusting the number of divisions in the display unit 45 and the number of light sources according to the number of images to be displayed.

[0049] The control unit 60 controls the operation of the image display unit 10. Specifically, the control unit 60 acquires information indicating the position of the shift lever 50 and instructs the image display unit 10 to display an image corresponding to the acquired position of the shift lever 50. For example, if the acquired position of the shift lever 50 is "D", the control unit 60 instructs the image display unit 10 (more precisely, the light emission control unit 11) to display the image P4 shown in Figure 6. Upon receiving the instruction from the control unit 60, the light emission control unit 11 controls the light sources 7a to 7d so that only the light source 7d emits light. As a result, the image display unit 10 displays the image P4 shown in Figure 6. In other words, the image display unit 10 displays the image so that the selected mode, "D", stands out more than the other characters. As a result, the driver can easily confirm that the mode selected by the shift lever 50 is "P". In other words, the display system 1A of this embodiment is a display system that is highly recognizable to the occupants of the vehicle.

[0050] In the display system 1A of this embodiment, depending on the mode selected by the shift lever 50, multiple images P1 to P4 are switched and displayed, including an image representing the selected mode and an image representing an unselected mode. This allows not only the image representing the selected mode to be changed according to the selected mode, but also the display state of the image representing the unselected mode to be changed. Therefore, it is possible to design the system so that the image representing the selected mode stands out when all images P1 to P4 are used together.

[0051] In one embodiment of the present invention, the display system 1A may change the color of each image P1 to P4. This changes the color of not only the image of the selected mode but also the image of the unselected mode, thereby improving the visibility of the mode based on the overall color of images P1 to P4.

[0052] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present invention, the display positions of the selected mode image and the unselected mode image may be changed for each image P1 to P4. For example, the spacing between the selected mode image and the unselected mode image may be increased, and the spacing between the unselected mode images may be decreased. This makes the selected mode image more prominent.

[0053] §3 Variant Example Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the above description is merely illustrative in all respects of the present invention. Needless to say, various improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the following modifications are possible. In the following, the same reference numerals are used for components similar to those in the above embodiments, and explanations of points similar to those in the above embodiments have been omitted as appropriate. The following modifications can be combined as appropriate.

[0054] <3.1> In the display system 1A of Embodiment 1, the size of the characters corresponding to the mode selected by the shift lever 50 was made larger than the characters corresponding to the unselected modes, thereby improving the driver's recognition of which mode is selected by the shift lever 50. However, the display system of the present disclosure is not limited to this.

[0055] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the display system 1A may improve the driver's recognition of which mode is selected by the shift lever 50 by changing the format of the characters indicating the transmission mode selected by the driver (for example, displaying the characters indicating the transmission mode selected by the driver as white outline characters). Figure 12 is a diagram showing another example of the display of an image shown by the image display unit 10. As shown in Figure 12, for example, when the driver moves the shift lever 50 to "R", the image display unit 10 may (1) display all the characters indicating "P", "R", "N", and "D", which represent the respective transmission modes of the vehicle's engine, and (2) display the character "R" as white outline characters.

[0056] Furthermore, in a display system 1A according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the driver's recognition of which mode is selected by the shift lever 50 may be improved by displaying an image including characters and patterns as an image indicating the transmission mode selected by the driver. Figure 13 is a diagram showing another example of an image displayed by the image display unit 10. As shown in Figure 13, for example, when the driver moves the shift lever 50 to "P", the image display unit 10 may (1) display all the characters indicating "P", "R", "N", and "D", which represent the respective transmission modes of the vehicle's engine, and (2) display a pattern (pictogram) indicating parking in the area surrounding the area where the character P is displayed.

[0057] Furthermore, in a display system 1A according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the driver's recognition of which mode is selected by the shift lever 50 may be improved by enclosing the character indicating the transmission mode selected by the driver in a predetermined shape. Figure 14 is a diagram showing another example of the display of an image shown by the image display unit 10. As shown in Figure 14, for example, when the driver moves the shift lever 50 to "R", the image display unit 10 may (1) display all the characters indicating "P", "R", "N", and "D", which represent the respective transmission modes of the vehicle's engine, and (2) enclose the character "R" in a predetermined shape (a circle in the example shown in Figure 14).

[0058] Furthermore, in a display system 1A according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the driver's recognition of which mode is selected by the shift lever 50 may be improved by displaying the color of the characters corresponding to the mode selected by the shift lever 50 as different from the color of the characters corresponding to the modes that are not selected.

[0059] Furthermore, in a display system 1A according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the brightness of the image corresponding to the mode selected by the shift lever 50 may be displayed differently from the brightness of the image corresponding to the unselected mode, thereby improving the driver's recognition of which mode is selected by the shift lever 50. For example, in a display system 1A according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the image display unit 10 may display images such that the brightness of the image corresponding to the mode selected by the shift lever 50 is greater than the brightness of the image corresponding to the unselected mode.

[0060] <3.2> Embodiment 1 described a display system 1A that displays an image indicating the mode of the transmission as an operating device of the vehicle, but the display system of this disclosure can be applied to other operating devices. This modified example describes an embodiment in which the system is applied to a wiper as an operating device of the vehicle.

[0061] Figure 15 is a block diagram of the display system 1B according to this modified example. Figure 16 is a diagram showing the wiper switch 70 included in the display system 1B. As shown in Figures 15 and 16, the display system 1B includes the wiper switch 70, the image display unit 10, and the control unit 80.

[0062] The wiper switch 70 is located behind the steering wheel of the vehicle and is operated by the driver to select a desired operating mode from multiple operating modes of the vehicle's wipers. It has the function of controlling the operation of the wipers. Figure 16 shows the wiper switch 70. As shown in Figure 16, the wiper switch 70 has a region D that indicates the operating mode selected by the driver from among multiple operating modes of the wipers (hereinafter simply referred to as wipers) installed on the vehicle's windshield. In this modified example, the display system 1B displays an image in region D, corresponding to the driver's operation of the wiper switch 70, using the image display unit 10.

[0063] As shown in Figure 16, the image display unit 10 is installed on the wiper switch 70. The image display unit 10 displays an image corresponding to the wiper operation mode selected by the driver. Figure 17 shows image P9 displayed by the image display unit 10 when the vehicle driver moves the wiper switch 70 to "OFF (stop)". Figure 18 shows image P10 displayed by the image display unit 10 when the vehicle driver moves the wiper switch 70 to "INT (intermittent operation mode)". Figure 19 shows image P11 displayed by the image display unit 10 when the vehicle driver moves the wiper switch 70 to "LO (low speed operation mode)". Figure 20 shows image P11 displayed by the image display unit 10 when the vehicle driver moves the wiper switch 70 to "HI (high speed operation mode)". As shown in Figures 17 to 20, in this modified example, the image display unit 10 (1) displays all the characters indicating each of the vehicle's wiper operating modes, and (2) displays the character indicating the wiper operating mode selected by the driver in a larger size than the other characters. This makes it easy for the driver to confirm which mode the transmission has selected, in other words, which mode has been selected by the wiper switch 70.

[0064] In this embodiment, the image display unit 10 displays (1) the image P9 shown in Figure 17 by irradiating light from light source 7a, (2) the image P10 shown in Figure 18 by irradiating light from light source 7b, (3) the image P11 shown in Figure 19 by irradiating light from light source 7c, and (4) the image P12 shown in Figure 20 by irradiating light from light source 7d. In other words, the image display unit 10 is capable of displaying multiple images P9 to P12, including characters that are larger in size than the characters indicating other modes, and can switch between displaying multiple images P9 to P12 by switching the irradiating light sources 7a to 7d.

[0065] The control unit 80 controls the operation of the image display unit 10. Specifically, the control unit 80 acquires information indicating the position of the wiper switch 70 and instructs the image display unit 10 to display an image corresponding to the acquired position of the wiper switch 70. For example, if the acquired position of the wiper switch 70 is "LO", the control unit 80 instructs the image display unit 10 (more precisely, the light emission control unit 11) to display the image P11 shown in Figure 19. Upon receiving the instruction from the control unit 80, the light emission control unit 11 controls the light sources 7a to 7d so that only the light source 7c emits light. As a result, the image display unit 10 displays the image P11 shown in Figure 19. Consequently, the driver can easily confirm that the mode selected by the wiper switch 70 is "LO". In other words, the display system 1B of this embodiment is a display system that is highly recognizable to the vehicle's occupants.

[0066] <3.3> Conventionally, only text was displayed to show images corresponding to the transmission mode selected by the driver. In this case, there is a problem that the driver has difficulty intuitively understanding the direction of travel of the vehicle in the selected mode. In this modified version, the driver can understand the direction of travel of the vehicle in the selected mode. This document describes a display system that can show images in an intuitively easy-to-understand manner.

[0067] Figure 21 is a block diagram of the display system 1C according to this modified example. As shown in Figure 21, the display system 1C includes an image display unit 10A instead of the image display unit 10 in Embodiment 1. The image display unit 10A is equipped with multiple light sources 7, and displays different images by emitting light from each of the light sources.

[0068] In the display system 1C of this embodiment, the image displayed by the image display unit when the transmission mode selected by the driver using the shift lever 50 is "R" or "D" is different from the image in Embodiment 1.

[0069] In this modified example, the image display unit 10A can display images P13 to P16 shown in Figure 22 and images P17 to P20 shown in Figure 23 by emitting light from one of the multiple light sources 7. Image P13 is an image of the letter "D". Image P14 is an image of only the front half of an arrow pointing forward of the vehicle. Image P15 is an image of an arrow pointing forward of the vehicle. Image P16 is an image of a rectangle. Image P17 is an image of the letter "R". Image P18 is an image of only the front half of an arrow pointing backward of the vehicle. Image P19 is an image of an arrow pointing backward of the vehicle. Image P20 is an image of a rectangle.

[0070] In the display system 1C, when the driver moves the shift lever 50 to "D", the light emission control unit 11 of the image display unit 10A sequentially lights up the light sources 7 corresponding to image P13, image P14, image P15, and image P16 in that order. As a result, images P13, P14, P15, and P16 are displayed sequentially on the image display unit 10A. This displays the image on the image display unit 10A as if an arrow is moving forward in the vehicle. This allows the driver of the vehicle to intuitively understand that in the mode selected with the shift lever 50, the vehicle will move forward.

[0071] Furthermore, in the display system 1C, when the driver moves the shift lever 50 to "R", the light emission control unit 11 of the image display unit 10A sequentially lights up the light source 7 corresponding to image P17, the light source 7 corresponding to image P18, the light source 7 corresponding to image P19, and the light source 7 corresponding to image P20 in that order. As a result, images P17, P18, P19, and P20 are displayed sequentially on the image display unit 10A. This displays the image on the image display unit 10A as if an arrow is moving toward the rear of the vehicle. This allows the driver of the vehicle to intuitively understand that in the mode selected with the shift lever 50, the vehicle will move in the reverse direction.

[0072] Thus, in the display system 1C, the image display unit 10A displays an animation indicating the direction of travel of the vehicle in the selected mode. This allows the vehicle driver to intuitively understand whether the vehicle will move forward or backward in the mode selected with the shift lever 50. In other words, the display system 1C of this embodiment is a display system that is highly recognizable to the vehicle's occupants.

[0073] <3.4> In the display system 1A of Embodiment 1, the image display unit 10 was installed near the shift lever 50, but the display system of the present invention is not limited to this. In this modified example, a configuration in which the image display unit 10 is provided inside the shift lever and the image display unit 10 displays an image on the upper surface of the shift lever will be described.

[0074] Figure 24 shows the shift lever 90 provided in the display system 1D in this modified example. As shown in Figure 24, in the display system 1D, the image display unit 10 is installed on the shift lever 90, or more specifically, on the knob 90a of the shift lever 90. The image display unit 10 is installed inside the shift lever 90 so that the surface from which light is emitted is the upper surface of the shift lever 90, and displays an image on the upper surface of the shift lever 90.

[0075] Figure 25 shows an example of a conventional shift lever with an image indicating the transmission mode printed on its top surface. In conventional shift levers, the image is printed on the top surface, so the image does not change even when the driver operates the shift lever. Therefore, the driver could not recognize which mode was selected by the shift lever just by looking at it. In contrast, the display system 1D allows the driver to recognize which mode is selected by the shift lever just by looking at it.

[0076] In this modified example, the image display unit 10 is equipped with multiple light sources 7, and by illuminating each light source, it displays different images. In this modified example, the image display unit 10A can display images P21 to P28 shown in Figure 26 by illuminating one of the multiple light sources 7. Image P21 is an image in which each character is displayed at the same size. Image P22 is an image in which the character "R" is displayed larger than the other characters. Image P23 is an image in which the character "N" is displayed larger than the other characters. Image P24 is an image in which the character "D" is displayed larger than the other characters. Image P25 is an image in which the character "B" is displayed larger than the other characters. Image P26 is an image in which the transmission mode selected by the next movement of the shift lever when the shift lever 90 is moved to the right from the neutral position (the position indicated by the circular figure). Image P27 is an image of the character "R". Image P28 is an image of the character "D".

[0077] <Example 1> In the display system 1D, when a mode of the transmission is selected by the driver operating the shift lever 90, the image display unit 10 may display an image from images P22 to P25 corresponding to the selected mode. That is, in the display system 1D, when a mode of the transmission is selected by the driver operating the shift lever 90, (1) all the characters indicating each of the transmission modes of the vehicle's engine may be displayed, and (2) the character indicating the transmission mode selected by the driver may be displayed larger than the other characters.

[0078] For example, if the driver selects "D" as the transmission mode by operating the shift lever 90, the image display unit 10 displays image P24 in which the letter "D" is displayed larger than the other letters. As a result, the driver can easily confirm that the mode selected by the shift lever 90 is "D".

[0079] Furthermore, in the display system ID, if the driver selects "D" as the transmission mode by operating the shift lever 90, (1) all the characters indicating each of the transmission modes of the vehicle's engine may be displayed, and (2) the animation display described in <3.3> above using Figure 22 may be performed.

[0080] <Example 2> In the display system 1D, if the driver moves the shift lever 90 to the right from the neutral position, the image display unit 10 may display image P26. This allows the driver to see the transmission mode that will be selected by the next direction of operation of the shift lever 90. This reduces the possibility of the driver misoperating the shift lever 90.

[0081] <Example 3> In the display system 1D, when a mode of the transmission is selected by the driver operating the shift lever 90, the image display unit 10 may alternately display image P21 and an image containing only text indicating the selected mode.

[0082] For example, if the driver selects "D" as the transmission mode by operating the shift lever 90, the image display unit 10 may alternately display images P21 and P28. This allows the driver to easily confirm that the mode selected by the shift lever 90 is "D".

[0083] In this modified example, the display system 1D uses light emitted from the light source 7 to display an image. Therefore, compared to conventional printed images, the driver can recognize the image even in dark conditions such as at night. In addition, the top surface of the shift lever 90 is illuminated, making it easier for the driver to grasp the position of the shift lever 90 knob.

[0084] §4 Examples of Application The embodiments described so far have been applications of the display system of the present invention to a shift lever or wiper switch, but the display system of the present invention can be applied to other driving devices of a vehicle.

[0085] For example, the display system of the present invention can be applied to a system that selects the operating mode of a transmission using a dial.

[0086] Furthermore, the display system of the present invention can be applied to switches (also called steering switches) provided on the steering wheel.

[0087] Furthermore, the display system of the present invention can be applied to a control panel for the rear seats. This control panel may, for example, allow for the control of the vehicle's air conditioning and the selection of audio functions. This allows rear-seat passengers to control some of the vehicle's driving controls.

[0088] Furthermore, the display system of the present invention can be applied to a so-called push-start switch that controls the on / off of the engine power. In this case, the color of the displayed image may be changed depending on whether the engine power is off and the driver is applying the vehicle's brakes, or whether the engine power is off and the driver is not applying the vehicle's brakes.

[0089] Furthermore, the display system of the present invention can be applied to an instrument panel. For example, the display system of the present invention may be applied to a turn signal or alert display shown on an instrument panel.

[0090] Furthermore, the display system of the present invention can be applied to a light switch that controls the operation of a vehicle's headlights.

[0091] Furthermore, the display system of the present invention can be applied to a heater control switch that controls the operation of a vehicle's heater.

[0092] Furthermore, the display system of the present invention can be applied to welfare vehicles. As an example of a welfare vehicle, a welfare vehicle that transports a person in a wheelchair is known. Such a welfare vehicle has many switches, such as switches for moving the wheelchair into the vehicle, such as a light-adjusting switch, a safety belt switch, and a fixing device switch for securing the wheelchair. Furthermore, some switches require multiple operations such as "pulling," "pushing," and "long-pressing." As a result, there is a problem in that it becomes difficult to know how to operate each switch in a welfare vehicle. By applying the display system of the present invention to each switch in such a welfare vehicle, it becomes easier for the operator of the welfare vehicle to recognize what mode is currently selected, and the risk of malfunction can be reduced.

[0093] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0094] 〔summary〕 A display system according to aspect 1 of the present invention is a display system installed inside a vehicle, comprising an image display unit that displays an image indicating the selected mode in the vehicle's driving device which has a plurality of modes, wherein the image display unit displays all of the images indicating each of the plurality of modes, and displays the image indicating the selected mode in such a way that it differs from the image indicating the unselected mode in at least one of the following: color, brightness, font format, and size.

[0095] In the substrate according to embodiment 2 of the present invention, in embodiment 1 described above, the image display unit may switch and display a plurality of mode display images according to the selected mode, and the mode display image may include an image showing the selected mode and an image showing an unselected mode.

[0096] In the substrate according to embodiment 3 of the present invention, in embodiment 1 or 2 described above, the image showing each of the multiple modes includes characters indicating the mode, and the image display unit may be configured to display the characters included in the image showing the selected mode larger than the characters included in the image showing the unselected mode.

[0097] In the substrate according to embodiment 4 of the present invention, in any of embodiments 1 to 3 above, the image representing each of the plurality of modes includes characters representing the mode. The image display unit may be configured to display the characters included in the image indicating the selected mode as white outline characters.

[0098] In any of the above embodiments 1 to 4, the substrate according to embodiment 5 of the present invention may be configured such that the image display unit displays an image including characters and patterns that indicate the selected mode as an image indicating the selected mode.

[0099] In the substrate according to embodiment 6 of the present invention, in any of embodiments 1 to 5 above, the image representing each of the plurality of modes includes characters representing the mode, The image display unit may be configured to display the characters included in the image indicating the selected mode by surrounding them with a predetermined graphic.

[0100] In any of the above embodiments 1 to 6, the substrate according to embodiment 7 of the present invention may be configured such that the driving device is the transmission of the vehicle's engine, and the image display unit is provided on the shift lever that controls the mode of the transmission.

[0101] In any of the above embodiments 1 to 7, the substrate according to embodiment 8 of the present invention may be configured such that the image display unit displays an image including an animation showing the direction of operation of the vehicle as the image in the selected mode.

[0102] In any of the above embodiments 1 to 6, the substrate according to embodiment 9 of the present invention may be configured such that the operating device is the wiper of the vehicle, and the image display unit is provided on a wiper switch that controls the operating mode of the wiper.

[0103] A display system according to aspect 10 of the present invention is a display system installed inside a vehicle, comprising an image display unit that displays an image indicating the selected mode in the vehicle's driving device which has multiple modes, and the image display unit performs an animation display indicating the direction of operation of the vehicle in the selected mode.

[0104] In embodiment 11 of the present invention, the substrate may be configured such that, in embodiment 10 above, the driving device is the transmission of the vehicle's engine, and the image display unit is provided on the shift lever that controls the mode of the transmission.

[0105] A substrate according to embodiment 12 of the present invention, in any of embodiments 1 to 11 above, the image display unit is a display switching device that switches a display image by switching the irradiation of light from a plurality of light sources, and the display switching device comprises a lens array in which a plurality of lenses are arranged, and a display unit including a plurality of pixel regions arranged to include a region through which the light irradiated from each of the plurality of light sources passes, and the transmittance in each of the pixel regions may be set to correspond to a predetermined static pattern. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0106] 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D display system 6 Lens Array 7, 7a, 7b, 7c, 7d light source 10, 10A Image display section 45 Display section 45a Pixel area 45b Pixel surrounding area 50, 90 Shift lever 70 Wiper switch

Claims

1. A display system installed inside a vehicle, The vehicle's driving system, which has multiple modes, includes an image display unit that displays an image indicating the selected mode, The image display unit is, All images representing each of the aforementioned multiple modes are displayed, The image representing the selected mode is displayed differently from the image representing the unselected mode in at least one of the following ways: color, brightness, font formatting, and size. The aforementioned driving device is the transmission of the vehicle's engine, The image display unit is provided on the shift lever that controls the mode of the transmission. The image display unit is a display switching device that switches the displayed image by switching the irradiation of light from multiple light sources, The aforementioned display switching device is A lens array in which multiple lenses are arranged, A display unit comprising a plurality of pixel regions, each of which includes a region through which light emitted from a plurality of light sources is focused by each of the lenses of the lens array passes, A display system in which the transmittance of each of the aforementioned pixel regions is set to correspond to a predetermined static image.

2. A display system installed inside a vehicle, The vehicle's driving system, which has multiple modes, includes an image display unit that displays an image indicating the selected mode, The image display unit is, All images representing each of the aforementioned multiple modes are displayed, The image representing the selected mode is displayed differently from the image representing the unselected mode in at least one of the following ways: color, brightness, font formatting, and size. The aforementioned operating device is the wiper of the vehicle, The image display unit is provided on the wiper switch that controls the operating mode of the wiper, The image display unit is a display switching device that switches the displayed image by switching the irradiation of light from multiple light sources, The aforementioned display switching device is A lens array in which multiple lenses are arranged, A display unit comprising a plurality of pixel regions, each of which includes a region through which light emitted from a plurality of light sources is focused by each of the lenses of the lens array passes, A display system in which the transmittance of each of the aforementioned pixel regions is set to correspond to a predetermined static image.

3. The image display unit switches and displays multiple mode display images according to the selected mode. The display system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the mode display image includes an image showing a selected mode and an image showing a mode that is not selected.

4. Each of the images representing multiple modes includes text indicating the mode. The display system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the image display unit displays the characters included in the image indicating the selected mode larger than the characters included in the image indicating the unselected mode.

5. Each of the images representing the aforementioned multiple modes includes characters indicating the mode. The display system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the image display unit displays the characters included in the image indicating the selected mode as outlined characters.

6. The display system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the image display unit displays an image indicating the selected mode, which includes characters and patterns indicating the selected mode.

7. Each of the images representing the aforementioned multiple modes includes characters indicating the mode. The display system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the image display unit displays the characters included in the image indicating the selected mode by surrounding them with a predetermined graphic.

8. The display system according to claim 1, wherein the image display unit displays an image including an animation showing the direction of operation of the vehicle as the image in the selected mode.

Images