On-Vehicle Stereoscopic Display Device

• US 20070229540A1
• Filed: 02/28/2007
• Published: 10/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Xanavi Informatics Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Xanavi Informatics Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Matsuo, Shigeru, Miyazawa, Hirohisa, Atarashi, Yoshitaka, Yoshimaru, Takashi, Nakahara, Takashi
• Application Number:
  US11/680,260
• Publication Number:
  US 20070229540A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/630
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3688 Systems comprising multiple parts or multiple output devices (not client-server), e.g. detachable faceplates, key fobs or multiple output screens
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/395 with depth sampling, i.e. the volume being constructed from a stack or sequence of 2D image planes

Abstract

There is provided an on-vehicle stereoscopic display device wherein the same graphics having different brightness levels are superimposed on display devices to represent the depth of a graphic. The device has a configuration such that information indicating a cross-sectional shape of a graphic to be stereoscopically displayed is generated, and based on the generated information indicating the cross-sectional shape, the graphic having the depth is transparently displayed from the front to the rear of the screen. It is, therefore, possible to provide the on-vehicle stereoscopic display device wherein levels of the depth of a graphic to be stereoscopically displayed do not depend on the number of display devices, there are fewer limitations over a position of an operator to watch the display, and the superior visibility is provided.

Claims

1. An on-vehicle stereoscopic display device, on which a graphic is displayed on at least two display devices with different brightness levels and the graphic displayed on the display device is superimposed to represent depth of the graphic,

the device comprising:

a processor unit that generates information indicating a cross-sectional shape of the graphic to be stereoscopically displayed; and

a graphics processor unit that performs a process to transparently display the graphic from a front position toward a rear position of a screen to represent the depth of the graphic, based on the generated information indicating the cross-sectional shape.

2. The on-vehicle stereoscopic display device according to claim 1,

wherein the graphic is at least one of a line to draw a road, a graphic to draw an icon, a character string to draw a name, and a graphic to draw a background.

3. The on-vehicle stereoscopic display device according to claim 1,

wherein the information indicating the cross-sectional shape includes the number of the superimposed graphics, a shape of each of the superimposed graphics, and the depth of the each graphic.

4. The on-vehicle stereoscopic display device according to claim 1,

wherein the information indicating the cross-sectional shape includes the depth of the graphic, a radius of a gradation circle, and a size of a gradation filter.

5. The on-vehicle stereoscopic display device according to claim 1,

wherein the processor unit generates the information indicating the cross-sectional shape to sort the graphics in the order of priority, in which the graphics are superimposed, and to sequentially display the sorted graphics as seen located from the front position to the rear position of the screen.

6. The on-vehicle stereoscopic display device according to claim 1,

wherein the processor unit generates the information indicating the cross-sectional shape to display an inner portion of the graphic excluding an outline of the graphic as seen located in a middle position between the front position and the rear position of the screen, and display the outline, which extends from the inner portion toward an outer ward of the graphic, as seen located from the middle position to the rear position, thereby displaying the graphic as seen located in the middle position.

7. The on-vehicle stereoscopic display device according to claim 1,

wherein the processor unit generates the information indicating the cross-sectional shape to display the graphic including the outline as seen located in the front position of the screen, thereby displaying the graphic as seen located in the front position of the screen.

8. The on-vehicle stereoscopic display device according to claim 6,

wherein the processor unit changes an inner area or an outline width of the cross-sectional shape of the graphic based on a vehicle speed signal obtained from a externally connected sensor.

9. The on-vehicle stereoscopic display device according to claim 1,

the device further comprising

a screen storage unit for the display device that stores graphic information to be displayed in the display device;

a screen storage unit for an actual screen that stores the graphic, which is to be stereoscopically displayed; and

a screen storage unit for setting depth that stores depth setting information;

wherein the graphics processor unit includes;

a screen writing unit for the display device that writes graphic information, which is to be displayed, in the screen storage unit for the display device;

a reading unit for the actual screen that reads the graphic, which is to be stereoscopically displayed, from the screen storage unit for the actual screen;

a screen reading unit for setting depth that reads the depth setting information from the screen storage unit for setting depth that stores the depth setting information corresponding to each pixel of graphic information, which is generated by the processor unit and is stored in the screen storage unit for the actual screen, and

a graphic output conversion unit that copies the graphic information stored in the screen storage unit for the actual screen, converts a brightness of the graphic information based on the depth setting information read from the screen storage unit for setting depth, and outputs the copied graphic information according to the converted brightness into the screen writing units for the display device.

10. The on-vehicle stereoscopic display device according to claim 9,

wherein the graphic output conversion unit repeatedly draws the graphic as many times as the number of the superimposed graphics according to information indicating a shape and depth determined by the processor unit, thereby converting the brightness.

11. The on-vehicle stereoscopic display device according to claim 9,

wherein the graphic output conversion unit paints an inner ward of the graphic by using a circle generated by a gradation filter, and makes the graphic smaller by a portion of the painted inner ward, thereby displaying the graphic as seen located in the approximately middle position between the front position and the rear position of the screen.

12. The on-vehicle stereoscopic display device according to claim 9,

wherein the graphic output conversion unit paints an outer ward of the graphic by using a circle generated by a gradation filter, and makes a shadow portion larger by a portion of the painted outer ward, thereby displaying the graphic as seen located in the front position of the screen.

13. A program used in an on-vehicle stereoscopic display device, on which a graphic is displayed on at least two display devices with different brightness levels and the graphic displayed on the display device is superimposed to represent depth of the graphic,

the program to be executed by a computer including:

a first process to generate information indicating a cross-sectional shape of the graphic to be stereoscopically displayed; and

a second process to transparently display the graphic from a front position toward a rear position of a screen to represent the depth of the graphic, based on the generated information indicating the cross-sectional shape of the graphic.

14. The program according to claim 13,

wherein the first process includes the step of generating the information indicating the cross-sectional shape, the information including the number of the superimposed graphics, a shape of the each graphic of the superimposed graphics, and a depth of the each graphic, thereby displaying the graphic.

15. The program according to claim 13,

wherein the first process includes:

a step of generating the information indicating the cross-sectional shape including the depth of the graphic, a radius of a gradation circle, and a size of a gradation filter to display an inner portion of the graphic excluding an outline of the graphic as seen located in a middle position between the front position and the rear position of the screen, and display the outlines which extends from the inner portion of the graphic toward an outer ward of the graphic, as seen located from the middle position to the rear position, thereby displaying the graphic as seen located in the middle position; and

a step of generating the information indicating the cross-sectional shape including the depth of the graphic, the radius of the gradation circle, and the size of the gradation filter to display the graphic including the outline as seen located in the front position of the screen, thereby displaying the graphic as seen located in the front position of the screen.

16. The program according to claim 13,

wherein the second process includes the step of repeatedly drawing depth setting information of the graphic in a screen storage unit for setting depth as many times as the number of the superimposed graphics stored in the drawing information storage unit according to information indicating a shape and depth of the graphic, the information stored in the drawing information storage unit.

17. The program according to claim 13,

wherein the second process includes:

the step of painting an inner ward of the graphic by using a circle generated by a gradation filter, making the graphic smaller by a portion of the painted inner ward, and displaying the graphic as seen located in the approximately middle position in the screen storage unit for setting depth, thereby displaying the graphic as seen located in the middle position between the front position and the rear position of the screen; and

the step of painting an outer ward of the graphic by using a circle generated by a gradation filter, making a shadow portion larger by a portion of the painted outer ward, and displaying the graphic as seen located in the front position in the screen storage unit for setting depth, thereby displaying the graphic as seen located in the front position of the screen.