Displaying device for vehicle having light sources of different directivities

• US 20020135573A1
• Filed: 02/01/2002
• Published: 09/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Kanamori, Naohito
• Granted Patent: US 6,795,040 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/204
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/785 on or in relation to the windshield or windows
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/785 on or in relation to the windshield or windows
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0118 comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• 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: G02F 1/133626 providing two modes of illumination, e.g. day-night
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/02 Improving the quality of display appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/062 Adjustment of illumination source parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/342 using several illumination sources separately controlled corresponding to different display panel areas, e.g. along one dimension such as lines

Abstract

A light source located in a rear part of an LCD panel has a first LED group and a second LED group. LEDs in the second LED group has higher directivity than LEDs in the first LED group and located above the LEDs in the second LED group. The LCD panel receives light emitted from the LEDs through a diffusion plate, and displays high priority information on an entire display surface of the LCD panel. It also receives light emitted from the LEDs, and displays low priority information on a partial display surface.

Claims

1. A displaying device for a vehicle comprising:

an LCD panel having a wide display surface and a narrow display surface included in the wide display surface;

a light source including a first light emitting device that emits light for the wide display surface and a second light emitting device that emits light for the narrow display surface; and

a control means for controlling the LCD panel to display high priority information on the wide display surface and low priority information on the narrow display surface,

wherein the second light emitting device has higher directivity than the first light emitting device, and

wherein the control means performs a controlling operation so that the first light emitting device emits light when displaying the high priority information on the wide display surface and the second light emitting device emits light when displaying the low priority information on the narrow display surface.

2. A displaying device for a vehicle as in claim 1, wherein:

the light source is installed behind an instrument panel which is located in an interior of the vehicle below a windshield;

the LCD panel is installed at a light emitting side of the light source behind the instrument panel;

a reflector is positioned to face both an interior surface of the windshield and the display surface of the LCD panel; and

the control means performs control operation so that virtual images of the low priority information and the high priority information are formed in front of the windshield when display light is reflected off the reflector toward the interior surface of the front windshield through an opening of a panel top.

3. A displaying device for a vehicle as in claim 1, further comprising:

an image capturing means included in the control means for capturing images of scenes ahead of vehicle which is displayed in large size; and

a low priority information output means included in the control means for outputting driving information which is displayed in small size,

wherein the control means performs controlling operation so that the high priority information is displayed on the wide display surface in response to an output of the image capturing means and the low priority information is displayed on the narrow display surface in response to an output of the low priority information outputting means.

4. A displaying device for a vehicle as in claim 1, wherein:

a light color of the first light emitting device differs from that of the second light emitting device.

5. A displaying device for a vehicle as in claim 1, wherein:

the first light emitting device for the wide display surface includes a plurality of light emitting diodes; and

the second light emitting device for the narrow display surface includes a plurality of light emitting diodes which are less in number than the light emitting diodes of the first light emitting device.

6. A display device for a vehicle as in claim 5, wherein:

the first light emitting diode is tilted at a predetermined angle from a position directed perpendicular to the LCD panel.

7. A display device for a vehicle as in claim 1, further comprising:

a diffusion plate placed between the LCD panel and the light source.

8. A display device for a vehicle as in claim 1, wherein:

the first light emitting device and the second light emitting device are placed so that the first light emitting device and the second light emitting device are separated from each other.

9. A display device for a vehicle as in claim 1, further comprising:

a light conductive plate made of a clear, colorless light conductive material.

10. A display device for a vehicle as in claim 9, wherein:

the first light emitting device is positioned in a bottom portion of the light conductive plate so that the light from the first emitting device is transmitted and directed toward the diffusion plate after reflected off a rear surface of the light conductive plate.

11. A displaying method for a vehicle characterized by comprising steps of:

switching a display of a displaying device between low priority information on a narrow display surface of the display device and high priority information on a wide display surface of the display device; and

switching activation of a first and a second light emitting devices in response to switching of displays between the low priority information and the high priority information, respectively, the second light emitting device having higher directivity than the first light emitting device.

12. A displaying method for a vehicle as in claim 11, further comprising a step of:

diffusing lights emitted from the first and the second light emitting devices before being transmitted to the display device.

13. A displaying method for a vehicle as in claim 11, further comprising a step of:

reflecting the display light toward the interior surface of the front windshield through the opening of the panel top to form virtual images of the information displayed on the display surface in front of the front windshield.

14. A displaying method for a vehicle as in claim 11, further comprising steps of:

capturing images of scenes ahead of the vehicle for the high priority information by an image capturing means;

displaying the high priority information on the wide display surface in response to an output of the image capturing means;

outputting driving information as the low priority information by a low priority information outputting means; and

displaying the low priority information on the narrow display surface in response to an output of the low priority information outputting means.