IN-VEHICLE DISPLAY APPARATUS

• US 20130135093A1
• Filed: 10/24/2012
• Published: 05/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Araki, Teruaki
• Granted Patent: US 8,797,154 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/459
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/151 Instrument output devices for configurable output
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/20 Output arrangements, i.e. from vehicle to user, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/02 electric constitutive elements

Abstract

An in-vehicle display apparatus includes: multiple switchable display elements for displaying one of display items in a display group that is assigned each switchable display element; an operation device for outputting an operation signal according to an operation of a user; a determination device for determining an operation mode of the operation of the user with respect to the operation device, according to the operation signal; and a display control device for independently controlling each switchable display element to execute a switching and displaying operation according to the operation mode. In the switching and displaying operation, the display control device controls one of switchable display elements to switch a current display item to another display item according to a predetermined switching order of display items every time the operation device outputs the operation signal.

Claims

1. An in-vehicle display apparatus comprising:

a plurality of switchable display elements, each of which displays one of display items in a corresponding display group that is assigned to the switchable display element, wherein each display group includes a plurality of predetermined display items;

an operation device for outputting an operation signal according to an operation of a user;

a determination device for determining an operation mode of the operation of the user with respect to the operation device, according to the operation signal; and

a display control device for independently controlling each switchable display element to execute a switching and displaying operation according to the operation mode of the operation device,

wherein, in the switching and displaying operation, the display control device controls one of switchable display elements to switch a current display item to another display item and to display the another display item according to a predetermined switching order of display items every time the operation device outputs the operation signal.

2. The in-vehicle display apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the determination device determines the operation mode according to the number of operation times or operation duration time, which is defined by the operation signal.

3. The in-vehicle display apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the plurality of switchable display elements includes a first switchable display element and a second switchable display element,

wherein a first display group is assigned to the first switchable display element, and a second display group is assigned to the second switchable display element,

wherein the first display group includes a plurality of predetermined first display items, and the second display group includes a plurality of predetermined second display items,

wherein each of the second display items is different from the first display items,

wherein the operation mode includes a predetermined first operation mode and a predetermined second operation mode, which is different from the first operation mode,

wherein the determination device determines whether the operation device is operated in the first operation mode or the second operation mode,

wherein the display control device includes a first display control device and a second display control device,

wherein the first display control device controls the first switchable display element to switch the current display item to the another display item, which are included in the first display group, according to a predetermined first switching order every time the determination device determines that the operation device is operated in the first operation mode, and

wherein the second display control device controls the second switchable display element to switch the current display item to the another display item, which are included in the second display group, according to a predetermined second switching order every time the determination device determines that the operation device is operated in the second operation mode.

4. The in-vehicle display apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the operation device is a pushing type operation device so that the user pushes the operation device,

wherein the first operation mode is defined by the operation of the user when the user pushes the operation device once for operation duration time, which is shorter than predetermined time, and

wherein the second operation mode is defined by the operation of the user when the user pushes the operation device twice successively for the operation duration time, which is shorter than the predetermined time.

5. The in-vehicle display apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the first display items or the second display items includes a re-settable display item,

wherein a content of the re-settable display item is re-settable,

wherein the operation mode further includes a predetermined third operation mode, which is different from the first operation mode and the second operation mode,

wherein the determination device further determines whether the operation device is operated in the first operation mode, the second operation mode, or the third operation mode, and

wherein when the first switchable display element or the second switchable display element displays the re-settable display item, and the determination device determines that the operation device is operated in the third operation mode, the display control device controls the first switchable display element or the second switchable display element to reset the content of the re-settable display item.

6. The in-vehicle display apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

a time display element for displaying the present time,

wherein the operation mode further includes a predetermined third operation mode, which is different from the first operation mode and the second operation mode,

wherein the determination device further determines whether the operation device is operated in the first operation mode, the second operation mode, or the third operation mode,

wherein, when the determination device determines that the operation device is operated in the third operation mode, the display control device controls the time display element to switch to a time adjustment mode for adjusting the present time, and

wherein, in the time adjustment mode, the display control device controls the time display element to display the present time according to the operation of the user.

7. The in-vehicle display apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the third operation mode is defined by the operation of the user when the user pushes the operation device for operation duration time, which is longer than the predetermined time.