Operating device

• US 8,094,189 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2008
• Issued: 01/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kumon, Hitoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Application Number:
  US12/010,627
• Publication Number:
  US 20080197996A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,443 Days
• Field of Search: 348115-118, 340/461
• US Class Current: 348/115
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1526 Dual-view displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/21 using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/1526 Dual-view displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/1531 Three-dimensional displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/21 using cameras
• 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 35/211 producing three-dimensional [3D] effects, e.g. stereoscopic images
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/22 Display screens

Abstract

The invention relates to an operating device that includes: an operating portion in which an operation switch is disposed; a display portion that allows stereoscopic vision to be viewed by naked-eye; an image pickup mechanism that takes pictures of a hand of a user operating the operating portion, from a plurality of directions; and a displayed image generation device that generates a stereoscopic image of the hand based on parallax images obtained from the image pickup device. An operation menu image that depicts a position of the operation switch in the operating portion and a function of the operation switch, and a stereoscopic image of the hand generated by the displayed image generation device, and the compounded image is displayed in the display.

Claims

1. An operating device comprising:

an operating portion in which an operation switch is disposed, the operating portion being disposed between a driver'"'"'s seat and a navigator'"'"'s seat and being arranged in a vehicle width direction within a cabin;

a display that displays a stereoscopic image, the display being disposed between the driver'"'"'s seat and the navigator'"'"'s seat and being arranged in the vehicle width direction within the cabin;

an image pickup mechanism that includes at least two image pickup devices that look obliquely downward at the operating portion from a driver'"'"'s seat side and are arranged in the vehicle width direction and takes pictures of a hand of a user operating the operating portion, from a plurality of directions;

a displayed image generation device that generates a stereoscopic image of the hand based on parallax images obtained from the at least two image pickup devices; and

an operator determination portion that determines whether the operating portion is being operated from the driver'"'"'s seat side or from a navigator'"'"'s seat side, wherein

a compounded image obtained by compounding an operation menu image that depicts a position of the operation switch in the operating portion and a function of the operation switch, and the stereoscopic image of the hand generated by the displayed image generation device is displayed in the display, and

the displayed image generation device generates the stereoscopic image of the hand in a sight line direction from the driver'"'"'s seat side if it is determined by the operator determination portion that the operating portion is being operated from the driver'"'"'s seat side, and the displayed image generation device generates the stereoscopic image in a sight line direction from the navigator'"'"'s seat side if it is determined by the operator determination portion that the operating portion is being operated from the navigator'"'"'s seat side.

2. The operating device according to claim 1, wherein:

the image pickup mechanism includes three or more image pickup devices that are apart from each other in the vehicle width direction;

the displayed image generation device generates the stereoscopic image of the hand based on the parallax images obtained from two image pickup devices provided at the driver'"'"'s seat side if it is determined by the operator determination portion that the operating portion is being operated from the driver'"'"'s seat side; and

the displayed image generation device generates the stereoscopic image of the hand based on the parallax images obtained from two image pickup devices provided at the navigator'"'"'s seat side if it is determined by the operator determination portion that the operating portion is being operated from the navigator'"'"'s seat side.

3. The operating device according to claim 1, wherein:

the image pickup mechanism includes two image pickup devices that are movable in the vehicle width direction;

the displayed image generation device moves the two image pickup devices based on a result determined by the operator determination portion in the vehicle width direction, and

the displayed image generation device generates the stereoscopic image of the hand based on the parallax images obtained from two image pickup devices moved to the driver'"'"'s seat side if it is determined by the operator determination portion that the operating portion is being operated from the driver'"'"'s seat side, and the displayed image generation device generates the stereoscopic image of the hand based on the parallax images obtained from two image pickup devices moved to the navigator'"'"'s seat side if it is determined by the operator determination portion that the operating portion is being operated from the navigator'"'"'s seat side.

4. The operating device according to claim 1, wherein the displayed image generation device stereoscopically displays, in the display, an image portion in the operation menu image that represents the operation switch, and displays the stereoscopic image of the hand while using a first reference plane of zero height that is a plane offset by a predetermined height from a display plane of the display.

5. The operating device according to claim 4, wherein the image portion in the operation menu image that represents the operation switch is stereoscopically displayed while the display plane of the display is used as a second reference plane of zero height, and the predetermined height by which the reference plane of zero height is offset from the display plane of the display is substantially equal to a stereoscopic height of the image portion that represents the operation switch.

6. The operating device according to claim 4, wherein the height of a finger of the hand displayed in the stereoscopic image of the hand from the display plane of the display when the finger touches the operating portion is substantially equal to a stereoscopic height of the image portion that represents the operation switch in the operation menu image.