Vehicle display device

• US 10,409,062 B2
• Filed: 02/18/2016
• Issued: 09/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nippon Seiki Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nippon Seiki Company Limited
• Inventors: Yamamura, Ayako
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Priyank J
• Application Number:
  US15/552,100
• Publication Number:
  US 20180031834A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,300 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/16 Type of output information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/31 Virtual images
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/334 Projection means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/347 Optical elements for superposition of display information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/213 Virtual instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/365 Guidance using head up displays or projectors, e.g. virtual vehicles or arrows projected on the windscreen or on the road itself
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0154 with movable elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0093 with means for monitoring data relating to the user, e.g. head-tracking, eye-tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0101 characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0149 characterised by mechanical features G02B27/0176 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/593 Recognising seat occupancy

Abstract

Provided is a vehicle display device capable of providing a user with appropriate information, without being affected by changes in the position of the viewpoint of the user. This vehicle display device is provided with: an image display unit having a display screen capable of displaying images on at least part thereof; an image generating unit which generates images to be displayed by the image display unit; a viewpoint position acquiring unit which acquires a viewpoint position of a user seated on a driver'"'"'s seat of a vehicle; and a projecting unit which projects the images toward a transparent front windshield of the vehicle in such a way that the images are reflected in the transparent front windshield of the vehicle, thereby allowing the user seated in the driver'"'"'s seat to visually recognize a virtual image. The image generating unit determines a usage region to be used to display the images, within the display screen of the image display unit, in accordance with the viewpoint position of the user that has been acquired by the viewpoint position acquiring unit.

Claims

1. A vehicle display device, comprising:

an image display unit including a display screen, the display screen comprising a usage region having a first size, the image display unit emitting light representing an image through the usage region of the display screen;

a projector configured to;

receive the light emitted through the usage region of the display screen; and

project the light onto a projection surface to allow a virtual image of the image to be superimposed over an area of a scenery outside the vehicle when viewed from a user in a vehicle;

a viewpoint position sensor configured to acquire a viewpoint position of the user in the vehicle;

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

generate the image to be represented by the light emitted from the usage region of the display screen;

receive, from the viewpoint position sensor, a first viewpoint position of the user; and

when a first change in the viewpoint position of the user from the first viewpoint position to a second viewpoint position along a forward-backward direction of the vehicle is received from the viewpoint position sensor, adjust a size of the usage region on the display screen from a first size to a second size so that an area of the scenery over which the virtual image of the generated image is superimposed when viewed from the second viewpoint position is maintained to be the same as an area of the scenery over which the virtual image of the generated image is superimposed when viewed from the first viewpoint position.

2. The vehicle display device according to claim 1, wherein

when the first change includes the second viewpoint position to be closer to a front side of the vehicle than the first viewpoint position along the forward-backward direction of the vehicle, the size of the usage region is adjusted so that the second size of the usage region is smaller than the first size of the usage region.

3. The vehicle display device according to claim 2, wherein

the first size of the usage region comprises a first length in a first direction of the display screen and a second length in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction of the display screen,

the second size of the usage region comprises a third length in the first direction and a fourth length in the second direction,

the third length of the second size is shorter than the first length of the first size, and

the fourth length of the second size is shorter than the second length of the first size.

4. The vehicle display device according to claim 1, wherein

when the first change includes the second viewpoint position to be closer to a rear side of the vehicle than the first viewpoint position along the forward-backward direction of the vehicle, the size of the usage region is adjusted so that the second size of the usage region is larger than the first size of the usage region.

5. The vehicle display device according to claim 4, wherein

the first size of the usage region comprises a first length in a first direction of the display screen and a second length in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction of the display screen,

the second size of the usage region comprises a third length in the first direction and a fourth length in the second direction,

the third length of the second size is longer than the first length of the first size, and

the fourth length of the second size is longer than the second length of the first size.

6. The vehicle display device according to claim 1, wherein

the usage region is disposed at a first position on the display screen,

when a second change in the viewpoint position of the user from the first viewpoint position to a third viewpoint position along a vertical direction of the vehicle is received from the viewpoint position sensor, 1) a position of the usage region is adjusted from the first position to a second position on the display so that an area of the scenery over which the virtual image of the generated image is superimposed when viewed from the third viewpoint position is maintained to be the same as the area of the scenery over which the virtual image of the generated image is superimposed when viewed from the first viewpoint position and 2) the size of the usage region is adjusted from the first size to a third size, and

the vertical direction is perpendicular to the forward-backward direction and a left-right direction of the vehicle.

7. The vehicle display device according to claim 6, wherein

the display screen comprises a first side, a second side opposite the first side, a third side extending between the first side and the second side, and a fourth side opposite the third side and extending between the first side and the second side,

a first direction of the display screen extends between the first side and the second side,

the first direction of the display screen corresponds to the vertical direction of the vehicle,

a second direction of the display screen extends between the third side and the fourth side,

the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction of the display screen,

the first size of the usage region comprises a first length in the first direction of the display screen and a second length in the second direction,

the third size of the usage region comprises a fifth length in the first direction and a sixth length in the second direction,

when the second change includes the third viewpoint position to be closer to an upper side of the vehicle than the first viewpoint position along the vertical direction of the vehicle, 1) the position of the usage region is adjusted so that the second position is disposed closer to the first side of the display screen than the first position on the display screen in the first direction of the display screen and 2) the size of usage region is adjusted from the first size to the third size so that the fifth length of the third size is longer than the first length of the first size, and

when the second change includes the third viewpoint position to be closer to a bottom side of the vehicle than the first viewpoint position along the vertical direction of the vehicle, 1) the position of the usage region is adjusted so that the second position is disposed closer to the second side of the display screen than the first position on the display screen in the first direction of the display screen and 2) the size of usage region is adjusted from the first size to the third size so that the fifth length of the third size is shorter than the first length of the first size.

8. A vehicle display device, comprising:

an image display unit including a display screen, the display screen comprising a usage region having a first size, the first size of the usage region comprises a first length in a first direction of the display screen and a second length in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction of the display screen, the image display unit emitting light representing an image through the usage region of the display screen;

a projector configured to;

receive the light emitted through the usage region of the display screen; and

project the light onto a projection surface to allow a virtual image of the image to be superimposed over an area of a scenery outside the vehicle when viewed from a user in a vehicle;

a viewpoint position sensor configured to acquire a viewpoint position of the user in the vehicle;

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

generate the image to be represented by the light emitted from the display screen;

receive, from the viewpoint position sensor, a first viewpoint position of the user; and

when a first change in the viewpoint position of the user from the first viewpoint position to a second viewpoint position being closer to a front side of the vehicle than the first viewpoint position is received from the viewpoint position sensor,

     1) adjust the first length of the usage region to a third length being shorter than the first length and

     2) adjust the second length of the usage region to a fourth length being shorter than the second length,

when a second change in the viewpoint position of the user from the first viewpoint position to a second viewpoint position being closer to a rear side of the vehicle than the first viewpoint position is received from the viewpoint position sensor,

     1) adjust the first length of the usage region to a fifth length being longer than the first length and

     2) adjust the second length of the usage region to a sixth length being longer than the second length, wherein

the usage region is disposed at a first position on the display screen,

when a third change in the viewpoint position of the user from the first viewpoint position to a third viewpoint position along a vertical direction of the vehicle is received from the viewpoint position acquiring unit,

     1) a position of the usage region is adjusted from the first position to a second position on the display so that an area of the scenery over which the virtual image of the generated image is superimposed when viewed from the third viewpoint position is maintained to be the same as the area of the scenery over which the virtual image of the generated image is superimposed when viewed from the first viewpoint position and

     2) the first length of the usage region is adjusted to a seventh length,

the seventh length differs from the first length,

the vertical direction is perpendicular to a forward-backward direction and a left-right direction of the vehicle,

the display screen comprises a first side, a second side opposite the first side, a third side extending between the first side and the second side, and a fourth side opposite the third side and extending between the first side and the second side,

the first direction of the display screen extends between the first side and the second side,

the first direction of the display screen corresponds to the vertical direction of the vehicle,

a second direction of the display screen extends between the third side and the fourth side,

the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction of the display screen,

when the third change includes the third viewpoint position to be closer to an upper side of the vehicle than the first viewpoint position along the vertical direction of the vehicle,

     1) a position of the usage region is adjusted from the first position to a second position on the display screen so that the second position is disposed closer to the first side of the display screen than the first position on the display screen in the first direction of the display screen and

     2) the first length is adjusted to an eighth length being longer than the first length, and

when the third change includes the third viewpoint position to be closer to a bottom side of the vehicle than the first viewpoint position along the vertical direction of the vehicle,

     1) the position of the usage region is adjusted so that the second position is disposed closer to the second side of the display screen than the first position on the display screen in the first direction of the display screen and

     2) the first length is adjusted to a ninth length being shorter than the first length.