Display System and Method of Restricting Operation in Same

• US 20090160732A1
• Filed: 03/01/2007
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Kimura, Mitsuo
• Granted Patent: US 8,102,381 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/1.100
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/143 Touch sensitive instrument input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1442 Emulation of input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/197 Blocking or enabling of input functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/21 using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/29 Instruments characterised by the way in which information is handled, e.g. showing information on plural displays or prioritising information according to driving conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/654 the user being the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/656 the user being a passenger
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3664 Details of the user input interface, e.g. buttons, knobs or sliders, including those provided on a touch screen; remote controllers; input using gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A control section 10 makes a judgment about which occupant the menu icon of an operation restricted item is operated by, and thereby makes invalid the operation of a touch panel related to the operation restricted item by an occupant on a driver'"'"'s seat side while a vehicle is moving by using any means of the operation of a push switch 171 provided at a position where only an occupant on a passenger seat side can operate; the touch operation or drag-and-drop operation of a marker of any shape displayed at any position of a passenger seat side screen; monitoring by an infrared sensor array 164 disposed in the peripheral portion of an LCD panel 162; and monitoring the occupant on the driver'"'"'s seat side by a monitoring camera 172 disposed at a position where the camera can monitor the direction toward which the face of the driver'"'"'s seat side occupant is facing.

Claims

1-11. -11. (canceled)

12. A display system comprising:

a display means that simultaneously displays an image having a first viewing angle and an image having a second viewing angle other than the first viewing angle, and that has an operation face provided on the display screen thereof;

an operator discriminating means discriminating one operator of the operation face of the display means from the other thereof;

a traveling state judging means making a judgment whether a vehicle is in a traveling one; and

a control means causing the display means to display a menu image of operation items containing an operation restricted item of the same menu configuration at both of the first viewing angle and the second viewing angle, and when the operator discriminating means determines that an operation is the operation performed by a driver and the traveling state judging means judges that the vehicle at that time is in a traveling state, making invalid an operation related to the operation restricted item contained in the operation items having the first viewing angle which the display means is caused to display;

wherein the control means displays a marker of any shape at a display position that is not in a superposed relation with the operation item menu through the display means, releases the operation restriction related to the operation restricted item included in the image having the second viewing angle when the control means detects that the marker is operated through the operation face, and makes valid the operation of the operation face of the display means performed by the occupant other than the driver.

13. The display system according to claim 12, wherein in displaying a marker, the control means displays the marker at a predetermined cycle or every time one screen display is switched to another.

14. The display system according to claim 12, wherein in displaying a marker at any random position, the control means prepares as candidates a plurality of display positions that are not in a superposed relation with the position where the menu image of operation items is displayed, and selects and displays a position from the candidates according to the random number to be generated.

15. The display system according to claim 14, wherein in displaying the marker at any random position, the control means updates the display position every predetermined time, and only in the case where the updated display position is the one not in a superposed relation with the display position of the menu image of operation items, the control means displays the marker.

16. The display system according to claim 12, wherein when the control means detects that the marker is dragged and dropped, and the position of the menu where the marker is dropped coincides with the position where the operation restricted item is displayed, the control means releases the restriction of operation related to the corresponding operation restricted item contained in the image having the second viewing angle, thus making valid the operation of the operation face of the display means.

17. The display system according to claim 12, wherein when the control means detects that there is shortage in a predetermined time required for operating the operation face, the control means deletes the marker display.

18. The display system according to claim 12, wherein the control means takes an image indicating the direction toward which the face of the driver is facing through a monitoring camera, and makes a judgment based on the recognition result of the taken image.

19. The display system according to claim 12, wherein the driver discriminating means includes an infrared sensor provided in the peripheral portion of the display means.

20. A display system comprising:

a display means that simultaneously displays an image having a first viewing angle and an image having a second viewing angle different from the first viewing angle, and that has an operation face provided on the display screen thereof;

an operator distinguishing means distinguishing the operator of the operation face of the display means;

a traveling state judging means judging a traveling state; and

a control means displaying a menu image of operation items containing an operation restricted item of the same menu configuration at both of the first viewing angle and the second viewing angle, and when the operator discriminating means determines that an operation is the operation performed by a driver and the traveling state judging means judges that the vehicle at that time is in a traveling state, makes invalid an operation related to the operation restricted item contained in the operation items having the first viewing angle which the display means is caused to display;

wherein when the control means displays a marker of any shape at any display position at random through the display means, and detects that the marker is operated through the operation face, it releases the restriction of operation related to the operation restricted item contained in the image having the second viewing angle, and makes valid the operation of the operation face of the display means performed by an occupant other than the driver.

21. The display system according to claim 20, wherein in displaying a marker, the control means displays the marker at a predetermined cycle or every time one screen display is switched to another.

22. The display system according to claim 20, wherein when the control means detects that the marker is dragged and dropped and the position of the menu where the marker is dropped coincides with the position where the operation restricted item is displayed, it releases the restriction of operation related to the corresponding operation restricted item contained in the image having the second viewing angle, thus making valid the operation of the operation face of the display means.

23. The display system according to claim 20, wherein when the control means detects that there is shortage in a predetermined time required for operating the operation face, it deletes the marker display.

24. The display system according to claim 20, wherein the control means takes an image indicating the direction toward which the face of the driver is facing through a monitoring camera, and makes a judgment based on the recognition result of the taken image.

25. The display system according to claim 20, wherein the driver discriminating means includes an infrared sensor provided in the peripheral portion of the display means.

26. A method of restricting an operation in a display system including a display means that simultaneously displays an image having a first viewing angle and an image having a second viewing angle other than the first viewing angle, and that has an operation face provided on the display screen thereof,

wherein a control apparatus controlling the display system performs the steps of:

causing the display means to display the menu image of operation items containing an operation restricted item of the same menu configuration at both of the first viewing angle and the second viewing angle;

displaying a marker of any shape at a display position that is not in a superposed relation with the operation item menu through the display means and detecting whether the marker is detected through the operation face; and

judging that an operation is the operation performed by a driver when the control apparatus did not detect that the marker is operated in that step, further making invalid an operation related to the operation restricted item contained in the operation items having the first viewing angle which the display means is caused to display when the control apparatus judges that the vehicle is in a traveling state, and releasing the restriction of operation related to the operation restricted item contained in the image having the second viewing angle to make valid the operation of the operation face of the display means performed by an occupant other than the driver when the control means detected that the marker is operated.

27. A method of restricting an operation in a display system including a display means that simultaneously displays an image having a first viewing angle and an image having a second viewing angle other than the first viewing angle, and that has an operation face provided on the display screen thereof,

wherein a control apparatus controlling the display system performs the steps of:

causing the display means to display the menu image of operation items containing an operation restricted item of the same menu configuration at both of the first viewing angle and the second viewing angle;

displaying a marker of any shape on a random basis at any display position, and detecting whether the marker is operated through the operation face; and

judging that an operation is the operation performed by a driver when the control apparatus makes no detection that the marker is operated in that step, further making invalid an operation related to the operation restricted item contained in the operation items having the first viewing angle which the display means is caused to display when the control apparatus judges that the vehicle is in a traveling state, and releasing the restriction of operation related to the operation restricted item contained in the image having the second viewing angle to make valid the operation of the operation face of the display means performed by an occupant other than the driver when the control means detected that the marker is operated.