In-vehicle image display system

• US 7,627,885 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2004
• Issued: 12/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Seto, Ohisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Hirl; Joseph P
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, AN V
• Application Number:
  US11/010,379
• Publication Number:
  US 20050138662A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,813 Days
• Field of Search: 725 75- 77, 725/78, 725/83, 725/141, 725/153, 348/75, 348/148
• US Class Current: 725/75
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41422 located in transportation means, e.g. personal vehicle arrangements specially adapted for transportation systems in broadcast systems H04H20/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

In an in-vehicle image display system, each of a car navigation device and a rear-seat display device includes an own image-drawing IC. The car navigation device interfaces with a TV tuner and a DVD player. When receiving a request signal from the rear-seat display device, the car navigation device forwards relevant image data to the rear-seat display device using a dedicated line. The rear-seat display device converts the forwarded image data to image signals using the own image-drawing IC to thereby display them. Thus, the car navigation device and the rear-seat display device can display different display window images with a simple system structure where no image-drawing IC used for the rear-seat display device is provided within the car navigation device.

Claims

1. An in-vehicle image display system for a vehicle, the image display system comprising:

a primary display device configured to include a first image-drawing unit and a first display screen for displaying a first window;

a secondary display device configured to include a second image-drawing unit and a second display screen for displaying a second window; and

a dedicated line configured to enable the primary display device to dedicatedly communicate with the secondary display device,

wherein;

when it is requested that the second window displayed in the second display screen be different from the first window displayed in the first display screen,

the first window is displayed in the first display screen based on a first image signal, which is generated by the first image-drawing unit,

while the second window is displayed in the second display screen based on a second image signal, which is generated by the second image-drawing unit; and

when it is requested that the second window displayed in the second display screen be identical to the first window displayed in the first display screen,

the first window is displayed in the first display screen based on the first image signal generated by the first image-drawing unit

while the second window is displayed in the second display screen based on the same first image signal, which is generated by the first image-drawing unit instead of the second image-drawing unit and then transferred via the dedicated line to the secondary display device.

2. The in-vehicle image display system of claim 1,

wherein the primary display device is assembled in a navigation apparatus.

3. The in-vehicle image display system of claim 1,

wherein the primary display device is disposed in proximity to a front seat in the vehicle, while the secondary display device is disposed in proximity to a rear seat in the vehicle.

4. An in-vehicle image display system for a vehicle, the image display system comprising:

a single primary display device configured to include a first image-drawing unit and a first display screen for displaying a first window, the primary display device further configured to obtain image data from a plurality of apparatuses provided in the vehicle;

at least one secondary display device configured to include a second image-drawing unit and a second display screen for displaying a second window; and

a dedicated line configured to enable the primary display device to dedicatedly communicate with the secondary display device,

wherein;

when it is requested that the second window displayed in the second display screen be different from the first window displayed in the first display screen,

the first window is displayed in the first display screen based on a first image signal, the image data being generated by the first image-drawing unit using image data obtained from one of the plurality of apparatuses,

while the second window is displayed in the second display screen based on a second image signal, the second image signal being generated by the second image-drawing unit using image data, the image data being obtained by the primary display device from one of the plurality of apparatuses and then transferred via the dedicated line to the secondary display device; and

when it is requested that the second window displayed in the second display screen be identical to the first window displayed in the first display screen,

the first window is displayed in the first display screen based on the first image signal generated by the first image-drawing unit using image data obtained from one of the plurality of apparatuses

while the second window is displayed in the second display screen based on the same first image signal, which is generated by the first image-drawing unit instead of the second image-drawing unit and then transferred via the dedicated line to the secondary display device.

5. The in-vehicle image display system of claim 4, further comprising:

a designating unit configured to designate first image data to be displayed in the first display screen as the first window and second image data to be displayed in the second display screen as the second window,

wherein the primary display device obtains, from among image data outputted from the plurality of apparatuses, the first image data and the second image data designated by the designating unit.

6. The in-vehicle image display system of claim 4, further comprising:

a manipulating unit that manipulates each of the apparatuses,

wherein the manipulating unit manipulates each of the apparatuses via a local area network provided in the vehicle, the local area network configured to interface with the apparatuses.

7. The in-vehicle image display system of claim 4,

wherein the apparatuses include at least two of a vehicular navigation apparatus, a TV tuner, and a DVD player.

8. The in-vehicle image display system of claim 4,

wherein the primary display device is assembled in a vehicular navigation apparatus, the vehicular navigation apparatus being included in one of the apparatuses.

9. The in-vehicle image display system of claim 4, wherein:

each of the primary display device and the secondary display device is further configured to include a sound output unit that outputs a sound,

wherein, when a certain apparatus included in the apparatuses outputs certain sound data in addition to certain image data, the primary display device obtains the certain sound data in addition to the certain image data from the certain apparatus and outputs the obtained certain sound data to the sound output unit of one of the primary display device and the secondary display device that displays the certain image data.

10. The in-vehicle image display system of claim 4,

wherein the primary display device is disposed in proximity to a front seat in the vehicle, while the secondary display device is disposed in proximity to a rear seat in the vehicle.

11. The in-vehicle image display system of claim 5,

wherein the designating unit causes the first display screen and the second display screen to display a menu relating to image data outputted from the apparatuses.

12. The in-vehicle image display system of claim 11,

wherein when the designating unit causes the second display screen to display the menu window, the designating unit transmits image data of the menu window to the secondary display device using the dedicated line.