Vehicular display system and method

• US 7,725,255 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2006
• Issued: 05/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Kawakami, Hidehiko, Taguchi, Kiyotaka, Shibata, Hirokazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US11/515,030
• Publication Number:
  US 20070055442A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,358 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/211
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/11 Instrument graphical user interfaces or menu aspects
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/11 Graphical user interfaces or menu aspects
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/152 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/154 Combined instruments with analogue meters and additional displays
• 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 35/215 characterised by the combination of multiple visual outputs, e.g. combined instruments with analogue meters and additional displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/22 Display screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/265 constructional aspects of navigation devices, e.g. housings, mountings, displays G01C21/3688 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635

Abstract

A vehicular display system includes an in-vehicle navigation device and a vehicular meter device. The in-vehicle navigation device includes a display device, a character string storing device, and a character string converting device. The character string storing device stores a navigation display character string that is to be displayed in the display device. The character string converting device converts the navigation display character string into a meter display character string. The vehicular meter device includes a navigation display area. The meter display character string is displayed in a navigation display area.

Claims

1. A vehicular display system comprising:

an in-vehicle navigation device; and

a vehicular meter device, wherein;

the in-vehicle navigation device includes;

a display for displaying first map data, wherein;

the first map data includes first character string data;

a character string storage for configured to store the first map data that is to be displayed on the display; and

a transmitter configured to transmit map data to the vehicular meter device;

the vehicular meter device includes;

a receiver configured to receive the map data from the in-vehicle navigation device; and

a navigation display area for displaying second map data, wherein;

the second map data includes second character string data; and

a character string converter configured to convert the first map data into the second map data is included in at least one of the following devices;

the in-vehicle navigation device; and

the vehicular meter device, wherein;

the second character string data is displayed in a simpler form than the first character string data in the navigation display area.

2. The vehicular display system according to claim 1, wherein:

the character string converter is included in the in-vehicle navigation device;

the first character string data is navigation display character string data;

the second character string data is meter display character string data; and

the second map data is;

transmitted to the vehicular meter device by the transmitter; and

received from the in-vehicle navigation device by the receiver.

3. The vehicular display system according to claim 2, wherein:

the character string onvcrter includes a character string conversion database, wherein;

the character string conversion database includes;

the navigation display character string data; and

the meter display character string data; and

the navigation display character string data is converted by the character string converter based on the character string conversion database.

4. The vehicular display system according to claim 2, wherein:

the character string converter includes a character string conversion database, wherein;

the character string conversion database is included in a map data storage for storing electronic map data; and

the map data storage is further included in the in-vehicle navigation device; and

the navigation display character string data is converted by the character string converter based on the character string conversion database.

5. The vehicular display system according to claim 1, wherein:

the character string converter is included in the vehicular meter device;

the first character string data is navigation display character string data;

the second character string data is meter display character string data; and

the first map data is;

transmitted to the vehicular meter device by the transmitter; and

received from the in-vehicle navigation device by the receiver.

6. The vehicular display system according to claim 1, wherein:

the character string converter is included in;

the in-vehicle navigation device, wherein;

the first character string data is navigation display character string data; and

the second character string data is predetermined character string data, which is included in predetermined map data; and

the vehicular meter device, wherein;

the first character string data is the predetermined character string data; and

the second character string data is meter display character string data; and

the predetermined map data is;

transmitted to the vehicular meter device by the transmitter; and

received from the in-vehicle navigation device by the receiver.

7. The vehicular display system according to claim 6, wherein:

the character string converter, which is included in the in-vehicle navigation device, includes a character string conversion database, wherein;

the character string conversion database includes;

the navigation display character string data; and

the meter display character string data; and

the navigation display character string data is converted by the character string converter based on the character string conversion database.

8. The vehicular display system according to claim 6, wherein:

the character string converter, which is included in the in-vehicle navigation device, includes a character string conversion database, wherein;

the character string conversion database is included in a map data storage for storing electronic map data; and

the map data storage is further included in the in-vehicle navigation device; and

the navigation display character string data is converted by the character string converter based on the character string conversion database.

9. The vehicular display system according to claim 1, wherein a number of characters included in the first character string data is converted by the character string converter.

10. The vehicular display system according to claim 1, wherein display design of the first character string data is converted by the character string converter.

11. The vehicular display system according to claim 1, wherein:

the character string converter includes a character string conversion database; and

the first character string data is converted by the character string converter based on the character string conversion database.

12. The vehicular display system according to claim 11, wherein:

the character string conversion database includes a character string converting rank; and

the first character string data is converted by the character string converter based on the character string converting rank.

13. The vehicular display system according to claim 1, wherein:

the vehicular display system includes a dynamic information obtaining device configured to obtain dynamic information about a vehicle; and

the character string converter converts the first character string data, based on the dynamic information, which has been obtained by the dynamic information obtaining device.

14. The vehicular display system according to claim 1, wherein:

the second character string data displayed in the simpler form is different from the first character string data in at least one of the following characteristics;

a character color;

a character size; and

a font.

15. A vehicular meter device comprising:

a receiver configured to receive first map data from an output medium, wherein;

the first map data includes first character string data;

a character string converter for converting the first map data into second map data, wherein;

the second map data includes second character string data; and

a navigation display area for displaying the second map data, wherein;

the second character string data is displayed in a simpler form than the first character string data in the navigation display area.

16. A method for displaying a travel guidance map in a vehicle that has a navigation system and a meter display device, the method comprising:

producing display data including map data of a travel guidance map and first character string data indicative of a specified name for an indication of the specified name in a first form on the travel guidance map, the map data and the first character string data being stored in a memory of the navigation system;

converting the produced character string data into a second character string data to indicate the specified name in a second form simpler than the first form;

displaying, in a meter display device, both the travel guidance map and the specified name in the second form based on the map data and the second character string data in addition to predetermined display items of the meter display device.

17. The method according to claim 16 further comprising:

displaying, in a navigation system display device provided separately from the meter display device, both the travel guidance map and the specified name in the first form based on the map data and the first character string data.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein:

the converting uses a pre-stored conversion table between the first form and the second form.