On-vehicle display system

Abstract

An on-vehicle display system 1 comprises: a two-screen display device 10 that is attached to a dashboard 2, including an eaves part 2a and having an opening 2b, in a manner positioning a display surface 10a below the eaves part 2a, that emits first light L1 corresponding to a first image G1 from the display surface 10a so as to cause the first light to pass through the opening 2b along a first direction W1, and that displays a second image G2 on the display surface 10a so as to be visible along a second direction W2 different from the first direction W1; and a reflector 20 that is attached to the dashboard 2 and reflects the first light L1 having passed through the opening 2b.

Description

In-vehicle display system

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an in-vehicle display system.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses, as an example of an in-vehicle display system, a vehicle display device including: a first concave mirror that reflects image light from an image displayed in a first display region of a display toward a windshield side; and a combiner that reflects image light from an image displayed in a second display region of the display toward an eye point side of a driver.

[0003] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2018-30424

[0004] In an in-vehicle display system capable of displaying such two images, there is a demand for superimposing an image on the outside world while providing necessary information to a driver, and achieving space saving.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to, in an in-vehicle display system capable of displaying two images, provide necessary information to a driver by means of images, superimpose an image on the outside world, and achieve space saving.

[0006] The in-vehicle display system of the present disclosure includes: a two-screen display device attached to a dashboard including a visor portion having an opening such that a display surface is located below the visor portion, the two-screen display device emitting outgoing light corresponding to a first image from the display surface along a first direction so as to pass through the opening, and displaying a second image on the display surface such that the second image is visible along a second direction different from the first direction; and a reflector attached to the dashboard and configured to reflect the outgoing light that has passed through the opening.

[0007] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an in-vehicle display system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of the in-vehicle display system shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram of the two-screen display device shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the reflector. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of an in-vehicle display system according to a modification of the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0008] The embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described below. Furthermore, the components described below include those that are readily conceivable to those skilled in the art, and those that are substantially the same. In addition, the components described below can be combined as appropriate.

[0009] Furthermore, the disclosure is merely an example, and any modifications that a person skilled in the art could easily conceive of while maintaining the spirit of this disclosure are naturally included within the scope of this disclosure. In addition, drawings may schematically represent the width, thickness, shape, etc. of each part in order to clarify the explanation, but these are merely examples and do not limit the interpretation of this disclosure. In addition, in this specification and each drawing, elements similar to those described above in previously shown drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed explanations may be omitted as appropriate.

[0010] The X, Y, and Z directions shown in the drawings represent the left-right, front-back, and up-down directions of the dashboard 2 on which the in-vehicle display system 1 is mounted. The X, Y, and Z directions are orthogonal to each other. In the X direction, the side indicated by the arrow corresponds to the rear, and the opposite side corresponds to the front. In the Y direction, the side indicated by the arrow corresponds to the right, and the opposite side corresponds to the left. In the Z direction, the side indicated by the arrow corresponds to the top, and the opposite side corresponds to the bottom. Note that the X, Y, and Z directions are examples, and this disclosure is not limited to these directions.

[0011] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an in-vehicle display system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the in-vehicle display system 1 shown in Figure 1. Figure 2 corresponds to a cross-sectional view when the dashboard 2 and the in-vehicle display system 1 are cut by a plane perpendicular to the Y direction and passing through an opening 2b, which will be described later.

[0012] The in-vehicle display system 1 is mounted on the dashboard 2. The dashboard 2 is, for example, the dashboard of a car. However, the dashboard 2 is not limited to the dashboard of a car, but can be any dashboard that is applicable to a moving object with a driving space.

[0013] A dual-screen display device 10, described later, is mounted on the dashboard 2. The dashboard 2 has a canopy portion 2a in the upper part that does not obstruct the driver M's view of the dual-screen display device 10. The canopy portion 2a is part of the dashboard 2 and has an opening 2b. The opening 2b is a hole that penetrates the canopy portion 2a.

[0014] The in-vehicle display system 1 consists of a dual-screen display device 10 and a reflector 20.

[0015] Figure 3 is a conceptual diagram of the dual-screen display device 10 shown in Figure 2. In the display area DA on the display surface 10a of the dual-screen display device 10, the first image G1 and the second image G2 are simultaneously displayed across the entire display area DA with different viewing angles.

[0016] The dual-screen display device 10 displays images based on image signals output from an external device (e.g., a car navigation system) that is electrically connected via a flexible wiring board.

[0017] As shown in Figure 2, the dual-screen display device 10 is mounted on the dashboard 2 such that the display surface 10a is located below the visor 2a. The display surface 10a is in a position that can be directly seen by the driver M.

[0018] The dual-screen display device 10 comprises a light source device 11, a prism plate 12, and a liquid crystal display panel 13.

[0019] The light source device 11 emits light toward the prism plate 12. The light source device 11 is, for example, a direct-lit backlight and has multiple light-emitting diodes (not shown).

[0020] The prism plate 12 includes multiple prisms that divide the light from the light source device 11 into a first light L1 (corresponding to "emitted light") that travels along a first direction W1, and a second light L2 that travels along a second direction W2 which is different from the first direction W1.

[0021] The first direction W1 is the direction in which the first light L1 passes through the aperture 2b. The first direction W1 is parallel to the Z direction. The first direction W1 may be inclined with respect to the Z direction. The second direction W2 is the direction in which the second light L2 is directed toward the driver M. The second direction W2 is inclined with respect to the X direction. The first light L1 and the second light L2 pass through the liquid crystal display panel 13.

[0022] The liquid crystal display panel 13 is a transmissive liquid crystal display. The liquid crystal display panel 13 includes a liquid crystal layer 13a. The liquid crystal display panel 13 displays an image based on an image signal.

[0023] The first light L1 and the second light L2 transmitted through the liquid crystal display panel 13 are modulated in the liquid crystal layer 13a. The second light L2 modulated in the liquid crystal layer 13a is visible as a second image G2 in the second direction W2. The driver M can directly see the second image G2 by looking at the display surface 10a. The second image G2 is, for example, an image such as a map.

[0024] Meanwhile, the first light L1 modulated in the liquid crystal layer 13a is visible as the first image G1. The first light L1 travels from the display surface 10a along the first direction W1 and passes through the opening 2b.

[0025] The reflector 20 is attached to the dashboard 2 and reflects the first light L1 that has passed through the opening 2b. The reflector 20 is plate-shaped and has a reflective surface 20a that reflects the first light L1 and a back surface 20b on the opposite side of the reflective surface 20a.

[0026] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the reflector 20. The reflector 20 is a half-mirror. The reflector 20 reflects a portion of the light incident on the reflective surface 20a and transmits the other portion of the light. The reflector 20 also transmits a portion of the light L3 (e.g., ambient light) incident from the back surface 20b. The reflector 20 comprises a base portion 21 and a mirror layer 22.

[0027] The base portion 21 is plate-shaped and translucent. The material of the base portion 21 is a thermoplastic resin (for example, acrylic resin). Alternatively, the material of the base portion 21 may be glass.

[0028] The mirror layer 22 is a dielectric multilayer film in which a transparent dielectric film with a high refractive index and a transparent dielectric film with a low refractive index are laminated. The reflectivity of the mirror layer 22 is adjusted by the materials and film thickness (number of layers) of the high-refractive-index and low-refractive-index dielectric films. The reflectivity of the mirror layer 22 is approximately 20% to 80%. The mirror layer 22 may also be a metal film. The material of the metal film is a metallic material with metallic luster, such as Al or Ag.

[0029] Furthermore, the reflector 20 is mounted on the dashboard 2 so as to be displaceable between a first position Po1 that opens the opening 2b and a second position Po2 that covers the opening 2b. The reflector 20 is displaced between the first position Po1 and the second position Po2 by rotating around a rotation axis Ax parallel to the Y direction. One end of the reflector 20 is mounted on the dashboard 2 so as to be rotatable around the rotation axis Ax.

[0030] When the reflector 20 is in the second position Po2, the back surface 20b of the reflector 20 is located on almost the same plane as the upper surface 2a1 of the visor 2a. Therefore, when the reflector 20 is in the second position Po2, the reduction in visibility in front of the dashboard 2 due to the reflector 20 is suppressed. When the reflector 20 is in the second position Po2, the driver M cannot see the first light L1. By making the reflector 20 movable in this way, when the first light L1 (first image G1) is not needed, the position of the reflector 20 can be set to the second position Po2. In addition, when the reflector 20 is in the second position Po2, the opening 2b is blocked, so dust and other particles falling from above the opening 2b can be prevented from adhering to the surface of the dual-screen display device 10.

[0031] When the reflector 20 is in the first position Po1, the reflective surface 20a faces the rear of the dashboard 2, and the first light L1 that has passed through the opening 2b is reflected by the reflective surface 20a and travels toward the rear of the dashboard 2. By looking at the reflective surface 20a, the driver M can see the first image G1 corresponding to the first light L1. The first image G1 is a graphic that shows information such as the vehicle's speed and the direction of travel. As described above, because a portion of the light L3 passes through the reflector 20, the driver M can see the first image G1 superimposed on the outside world.

[0032] When the reflector 20 is in the first position Po1, the degree of inclination of the reflector 20 around the rotation axis Ax can be adjusted. By adjusting the angle of the reflector 20 around the rotation axis Ax, the visibility of the first image G1 to the driver M can be adjusted.

[0033] Furthermore, the in-vehicle display system 1 allows the driver to view two images using only one dual-screen display device 10. Therefore, the in-vehicle display system 1 can be made more space-efficient. In this way, the in-vehicle display system 1, which can display a first image G1 and a second image G2, can provide the driver M with necessary information using the first image G1 and the second image G2, while also allowing the first image G1 to be superimposed onto the surrounding environment and achieving space savings.

[0034] While preferred embodiments of this disclosure have been described above, this disclosure is not limited to such embodiments. The content disclosed in the embodiments is merely an example, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of this disclosure. Any modifications made without departing from the spirit of this disclosure will naturally fall within the technical scope of this disclosure.

[0035] For example, when the reflector 20 is located in the second position Po2, the back surface 20b of the reflector 20 may be located below the upper surface 2a1 of the dashboard 2, and the reflector 20 may be housed in the dashboard 2. Alternatively, when the reflector 20 is located in the second position Po2, the reflector 20 may be located outside the outer surface of the dashboard 2.

[0036] Furthermore, the reflector 20 does not necessarily need to have a mirror layer 22.

[0037] Furthermore, the reflector 20 may be mounted to the dashboard 2 in a movable manner. In this case, the reflector 20 may be mounted to the dashboard 2 in a movable manner along the X, Y, and Z directions by means of a motor, for example.

[0038] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of an in-vehicle display system 1 according to a modified embodiment of the present disclosure. In this modified embodiment, the opening 2b is not a through hole, but a U-shape that opens toward the +X side of the dashboard 2 when viewed along the Z direction.

[0039] Furthermore, any other effects and advantages brought about by the embodiments described herein that are obvious from the description herein or that can be appropriately conceived by a person skilled in the art are naturally provided for by this disclosure.

[0040] 1. In-vehicle display system 2. Dashboard 2a. Visor 2b. Opening 10. Dual-screen display device 10a. Display surface 20. Reflector DA. Display area G1. First image G2. Second image L1. First light (emitted light) Po1. First position Po2. Second position W1. First direction W2. Second direction

Claims

1. An in-vehicle display system comprising: a two-screen display device mounted on a dashboard including a canopy having an opening, with the display surface positioned below the canopy, which emits light corresponding to a first image from the display surface along a first direction and passing through the opening, and displays a second image on the display surface in a visible manner along a second direction different from the first direction; and a reflector mounted on the dashboard which reflects the emitted light that has passed through the opening.

2. The in-vehicle display system according to claim 1, wherein the reflector is mounted on the dashboard so as to be displaceable between a first position that opens the opening and a second position that covers the opening.

3. The in-vehicle display system according to claim 1, wherein the reflector is a half-mirror.

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