Display unit for vehicle

• US 5,961,570 A
• Filed: 10/22/1998
• Issued: 10/05/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Autonetworks Technologies, Ltd. (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Harness System Technologies Research, Ltd. (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Inamori, Nobuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US09/176,887
• Time in Patent Office: 348 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/216, 701/7, 701/225, 701/201-10, 345/156, 345/7, 345/173, 340/988, 340/990, 340/5
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0606 Manual adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/36 using liquid crystals

Abstract

A car navigation system 11 has a screen change section 19d for changing one screen to a different screen based on a predetermined input signal, a display signal generation section 19c for generating a video signal for displaying the different screen, a liquid crystal display section 17 being responsive to the signal level of the video signal for changing voltage applied to liquid crystal of each pixel part in a predetermined change range and displaying the corresponding screen, ROM 31 for storing a plurality of the change ranges of the applied voltage preset in a one-to-one correspondence with the screens, and a brightness level control section 18 for selecting the change range corresponding to the different screen from among the change ranges stored in the ROM 31 and instructing the liquid crystal display section 17 to change the applied voltage in the selected change range.

Claims

1. A car display unit for changing display of different screens based on an input signal fed through an input section for accepting predetermined operation input, said car display unit comprising:

a screen change section for changing a displayed screen among the screens based on the input signal fed through the input section;

a display signal generation section, when said screen change section changes one screen to a different screen, being responsive to the screen change for generating and outputting a video signal for displaying the different screen;

a liquid crystal display section having a plurality of pixels and being responsive to a signal level of the video signal input for each pixel for changing voltage applied to liquid crystal of each pixel part in a predetermined change range and changing transmittance of light for display, thereby displaying the screen corresponding to the video signal;

a storage section for storing information for specifying a plurality of the change ranges of the applied voltage preset in a one-to-one correspondence with the screens so that each screen is displayed by said liquid crystal display section at a brightness level corresponding to the screen; and

a brightness level control section, when said screen change section changes one screen to a different screen, being responsive to the screen change for selecting the change range of the applied voltage corresponding to the different screen from among the change ranges based on the information stored in said storage section and instructing said liquid crystal display section to change the applied voltage in the selected change range.

2. The car display unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein the menu screens include a menu screen for car navigation other than the road map screen and a menu screen for controlling accessories installed in a vehicle.

3. A car display unit for changing display of different screens based on an input signal fed through an input section for accepting predetermined operation input, said car display unit comprising:

a screen change section for changing a displayed screen among the screens based on the input signal fed through the input section;

a display signal generation section, when said screen change section changes one screen to a different screen, being responsive to the screen change for generating and outputting a video signal for displaying the different screen;

a liquid crystal display section having a plurality of pixels and being responsive to a signal level of the video signal input for each pixel for changing voltage applied to liquid crystal of each pixel part in a predetermined change range and changing transmittance of light for display, thereby displaying the screen corresponding to the video signal;

an average level calculation section, when said screen change section changes one screen to a different screen, being responsive to the screen change for calculating an average level by averaging the signal level of the video signal input for each pixel of said liquid crystal display section, generated said display signal generation section about the pixels of the whole screen displayed by the video signals or the pixels in a part area of the screen;

a storage section for storing information for specifying a plurality of the change ranges of the applied voltage preset in a one-to-one correspondence with partial areas into which an area in which the average level calculated by said average level calculation section can change is divided; and

a brightness level control section, when said screen change section changes one screen to a different screen, being responsive to the screen change for specifying the change range of the applied voltage corresponding to the partial area to which the average level indicated by the calculation result of said average level calculation section belongs based on the information stored in said storage section and instructing said liquid crystal display section to change the applied voltage in the specified change range.

4. The car display unit as claimed in claim 3 wherein the menu screens include a menu screen for car navigation other than the road map screen and a menu screen for controlling accessories installed in a vehicle.