Smart legibility adjustment for vehicular display

• US 7,936,258 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2008
• Issued: 05/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Denso International America Incorporated (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Denso International America Incorporated (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Pala, Silviu, Arms, Christopher Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): BEE, ANDREW W.
• Application Number:
  US12/079,870
• Publication Number:
  US 20090243819A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,131 Days
• Field of Search: 340/540, 340461-462, 340/691.6, 345/207
• US Class Current: 340/461
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/33 Illumination features
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/33 Illumination features
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles

Abstract

A display system for a vehicle system includes at least one light sensor that detects a light condition, and a display member that displays an information message. The information message includes a background and an object that is displayed adjacent the background. The display system further includes a controller that changes legibility of the information message by changing each of the background and the object based on the light condition detected by the light sensor. A method of controlling the display system is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A display system for a vehicle comprising:

a display member that displays an information message, the information message including a background and an object that is displayed adjacent the background, the display member defines a surface from which the information message is displayed;

a display surface light sensor that detects an ambient illuminance on the surface of the display member for calculating a reflected ambient luminance on the surface of the display member;

a light noise sensor that detects a light noise condition within an area corresponding approximately to a forward area in front of the vehicle;

a controller that calculates a total object luminance by adding a luminance of the object and the reflected ambient luminance without adding the light noise condition, the controller also calculates a total background luminance by adding a luminance of the background, the reflected ambient luminance, and the light noise condition, the controller changes legibility of the information message by changing each of the background and the object based on an actual contrast of the information message, which is a ratio between the total object luminance and the total background luminance, and a predetermined relationship between luminance and contrast.

2. The display system of claim 1, wherein the controller changes legibility of the information message by at least one of increasing the luminance of the object, decreasing the luminance of the background, increasing a color contrast between the object and the background, increasing a size of the object, and adding a special effect for the object based on a plurality of predetermined relationships between luminance and contrast, the plurality of predetermined relationships being specific for any number of factors to be changed.

3. The display system of claim 2, wherein the special effect for the object causes the object to blink.

4. The display system of claim 1, wherein the light noise sensor distinguishes between a light noise condition within a first area corresponding approximately to a first field of vision of the occupant and a second area corresponding approximately to a second field of vision of the occupant, and

wherein the controller changes legibility of the information message based on which of the first and second areas in which the light noise condition is detected.

5. The display system of claim 1, wherein the display member includes at least one of a liquid crystal display and an emissive display.

6. The display system of claim 1, wherein the display member includes a manual control member with which a manually input legibility command is input, and

wherein the controller accounts for the manual input legibility command when changing the legibility of the information message.

7. The display system of claim 6, wherein the manual control member is a manual dimming control member with which a manually input dimming level of information message is input, and

wherein the controller accounts for the manually input dimming level of the information message when changing the legibility of the information message.

14. The display system of claim 1 further comprising look-up tables that contain a plurality of predetermined relationships between luminance and contrast each predetermined relationship is specific for any one of color of the object, size of the object, age of an occupant of the vehicle, gender of the occupant and visual acuity of the occupant.

8. A method of operating a display system of a vehicle comprising:

detecting an ambient illuminance on a surface of the display member;

calculating a reflected luminance on the surface of the display member based on the ambient illuminance;

detecting a light noise condition within an area corresponding approximately to a forward area in front of the vehicle;

displaying an information message from a display member, the information message including a background and an object that is displayed adjacent the background;

calculating a total object luminance by adding a luminance of the object and the reflected ambient luminance without adding the light noise condition;

calculating a total background luminance by adding a luminance of the background, the reflected ambient luminance and the light noise condition; and

changing legibility of the information message by changing each of the background and the object based on an actual contrast of the information message, which is a ratio between the total object luminance and the total background luminance, and a predetermined relationship between luminance and contrast.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising changing legibility of the information message comprises by at least one of increasing the luminance of the object, decreasing the luminance of the background, increasing a color contrast between the object and the background, increasing a size of the object, and adding a special effect for the object based on a predetermined plurality of predetermined relationships between luminance and contrast, the plurality of predetermined relationships being specific for any number of factors to be changed.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein adding a special effect of the information message comprises causing the object to blink.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising

distinguishing between a light noise condition within a first area corresponding approximately to a first field of vision of the occupant and a second area corresponding approximately to a second field of vision of the occupant, and

changing legibility of the information message based on which of the first and second areas in which the light noise condition is detected.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising accounting for a manually input legibility command when changing legibility of the information message based on the detected light condition.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising accounting for a manually input dimming level of the information message when changing legibility of the information message based on the detected light condition.