Display device, vehicle, method for displaying, program for displaying and recording medium of same

• US 7,729,514 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2005
• Issued: 06/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Sato, Keiichiro, Ota, Shinichirou, Takahashi, Toshiya, Yamamoto, Takeshi, Miake, Aki, Itoh, Megumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Do; Anh Hong
• Application Number:
  US11/570,052
• Publication Number:
  US 20080258892A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,825 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/104, 382/106, 382/107, 382/187, 382/155, 358/520, 358/530, 345/7, 345/169, 359/13, 348/160, 348/762, 705/412, 379/106.6, 324/157, 340/441
• US Class Current: 382/104
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/188 Displaying information using colour changes
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/211 producing three-dimensional [3D] effects, e.g. stereoscopic images
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/213 Virtual instruments
• 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 35/29 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 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 7/002 giving both analog and numerical indication
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 7/04 using a separate indicating element for each variable

Abstract

A display section displays a speedometer having a substantially circular shape on an outer circumference of which a speed scale is provided. Then, that point on the outer circumference of the speedometer which indicates a speed at a moment is calculated. Further a speed that is attained at a given time period (e.g. 0.5 second) after the moment if the speed is increased at an acceleration at the moment is calculated. An arc-shaped pointer is displayed, the arc-shaped pointer passing (i) the calculated point of the speed scale, (ii) a middle point between the calculated point of the speed scale and a center of the speedometer, and (iii) the center of the speedometer. With this arrangement, a display device displaying the speedometer allows a driver to easily recognize the speed and an amount of a change therein (i.e. acceleration).

Claims

1. A display device comprising:

a display section for displaying an image; and

a control section for controlling the image or images that are to be displayed on the display section,

each of the image or images being a meter image for indicating a physical amount, and

the control section causing the meter image to indicate, as well as the physical amount, an amount of a change in the physical amount per a given time period.

2. A display device as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the control section changes a shape of the meter image in order to indicate the amount of the change in the physical amount per the given time period.

3. A display device as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the meter image comprises a plurality of parts images; and

the control section changes a shape or shapes of one or more of the parts images in order to indicate the amount of the change in the physical amount per the given time period.

4. A display device as set forth in claim 3, wherein:

the control section changes a display area or display areas of one or more of the parts images in order to indicate the amount of the change in the physical amount per the given time period.

5. A display device as set forth in claim 3, wherein:

the meter image includes a pointer image for pointing a position that corresponds to the physical amount that is to be indicated; and

the control section changes a shape of the pointer image in order to indicate the amount of the change in the physical amount per the given time period.

6. A display device as set forth in claim 3, wherein:

at least one of the parts image is a three dimension image that is at least partly displayed with three dimensions; and

the control section changes a length of one of the three dimensions of the three dimension image in order to indicate the amount of the change in the physical amount per the given time period.

7. A display device as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

the control section changes a color of at least part of the meter image in order to indicate the amount of the change in the physical amount per the given time period.

8. A display device as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the meter image comprises a plurality of parts images; and

the control section changes a color or colors of one or more of the parts images in order to indicate the amount of the change in the physical amount per the given time period.

9. A display device as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the control section causes the meter images to respectively indicate the different physical amounts as well as the amounts of changes in the physical amounts per the given time period or the given time periods.

10. A display device as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the control section causes the meter image or at least one of the meter images to solely indicate two or more physical amounts and amounts of changes in the physical amounts per a given time period or given time periods.

11. A display device as set forth in claim 10, wherein:

the meter image or at least one of the meter images comprises a panel portion image, a pointer image, and a three dimension displaying image, the panel portion image being a background image in an interior portion of the meter image, the pointer image displayed on the panel portion image and rotating about a specific position, which acts as an axis of the pointer image, of the panel portion image, and the three dimension displaying image causing the panel portion image to be displayed with three dimensions; and

the control section changes a point at which the pointer image points, a shape of the pointer image, a shape of the three-dimension displaying image, and a color of at least part of the meter image, in order to cause the meter image or at least one of the meter images to solely indicate two physical amounts and amounts of changes in the two physical amounts per a given time period or given time periods.

12. A display device as set forth in claim 1, comprising:

a physical amount measuring section for measuring the physical amount; and

a change amount measuring section for measuring the amount of the change in the physical amount,

the physical amount and the amount of the change indicated by the meter image being the physical amount and the amount of the change, which are respectively measured by the physical amount measuring section and the change amount measuring section.

13. A vehicle comprising:

a display device comprising;

a display section for displaying an image; and

a control section for controlling the image or images that are to be displayed on the display section,

each of the image or images being a meter image for indicating a physical amount, and

the control section causing the meter image to indicate, as well as the physical amount, an amount of a change in the physical amount per a given time period.

14. A vehicle as set forth in claim 13, comprising:

a speed measuring section for measuring a speed; and

an acceleration measuring section for measuring an amount of a change in the speed per a given time period,

the physical amount and the amount of the change indicated by the meter image being the speed and the amount of the change in the speed, which are respectively measured by the speed measuring section and the acceleration measuring section.

15. A vehicle as set forth in claim 13, comprising:

a revolution driving section for supplying a driving force to the vehicle;

a revolution speed measuring section for measuring a revolution speed; and

a revolution speed change amount measuring section for measuring an amount of the change in the revolution speed per a given time period,

the physical amount and the amount of the change indicated by the meter image being the revolution speed and the amount of the change in the revolution speed, which are measured by the revolution speed measuring section and the revolution speed change amount measuring section.

16. A display method comprising:

displaying a meter image on a display section for displaying an image, the meter image indicating a physical amount,

the meter image indicating, as well as the physical amount, an amount of a change in the physical amount per a given time period.

17. A display method comprising:

indicating, on a display device mounted on a vehicle, a speed of the vehicle,

the speed indicated by using a speed meter image, which indicates, as well as the speed, an amount of a change in the speed per a given time period.

18. A display method comprising:

indicating, on a display device mounted on a vehicle, a revolution speed of a revolution driving section for supplying a driving force to the vehicle,

the revolution speed indicated by using a, tachometer image, which indicates, as well as the revolution speed, an amount of a change in the revolution speed per a given time period.

19. A display program causing, to act as a control section, a computer provided on a display device, which comprises a display section for displaying an image and causes the display section to display a meter image for indicating a physical amount, the control section causing the meter image to indicate, as well as the physical amount, an amount of a change in the physical amount per a given time period.

20. A computer readable recording medium storing therein a display program as set forth in claim 19.