On-vehicle information providing device

• US 8,451,108 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2008
• Issued: 05/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Kohno, Atsushi, Okada, Reiko, Matsutani, Kiyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lau, Hoi
• Application Number:
  US12/669,027
• Publication Number:
  US 20100182140A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,817 Days
• Field of Search: 340/439, 340/438, 340/441, 340/988, 340/435, 340/955.16, 340/990, 701/123, 701/200, 701/209, 701/50, 701/400, 701/418, 701/423, 348/125
• US Class Current: 340/438
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/785 on or in relation to the windshield or windows
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• 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: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/095 Predicting travel path or likelihood of collision
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

In an on-vehicle information providing device including an input device 1 for inputting information corresponding to operation, on-vehicle information equipment 2 for executing processing corresponding to the information input, an active safety system 3 for monitoring surrounding conditions of the vehicle and generating caution information, a liquid crystal display device 4 for displaying a processing result of the on-vehicle information equipment, and a head-up display (HUD) 5 for displaying the information delivered from the on-vehicle information equipment or from active safety system, the on-vehicle information equipment sends, if any display interrupt request is made from the active safety system during execution of the display processing onto the HUD, a display switching control request to the HUD by suspending the display processing, and the HUD switches from a state of displaying the information from the on-vehicle information equipment to a state of displaying the information from the active safety system in response to the display switching control request from the on-vehicle information equipment.

Claims

1. An on-vehicle information providing device comprising:

an input device for inputting information corresponding to operation;

an on-vehicle information device for executing processing corresponding to the information input from the input device;

a vehicle safety device for generating caution information to a driver of a vehicle;

a first display device for displaying a processing result of the on-vehicle information device; and

a second display device for displaying information delivered from the on-vehicle information device or from the vehicle safety device, wherein said on-vehicle information providing device, wherein

the on-vehicle information device, while executing display processing onto the second display device, suspends the display processing and sends a display switching control request to the second display device in response to a display interrupt request from the vehicle safety device;

the second display device switches, in response to the display switching control request from the on-vehicle information device, from a state of displaying the information from the on-vehicle information device to a state of displaying the information from the vehicle safety device;

the on-vehicle information device comprises a processing suspension decision unit for deciding whether to suspend the display processing onto the second display device;

the vehicle safety device delivers a display emergency level and a display interrupt request to the on-vehicle information device; and

the processing suspension decision unit of the on-vehicle information device decides whether to suspend the display processing by comparing the emergency level received from the vehicle safety device with a preset threshold used for making a decision of display processing suspension.

2. The on-vehicle information providing device according to claim 1, wherein

the on-vehicle information device comprises a positioning unit for calculating the position of the vehicle;

and

the processing suspension decision unit alters the threshold used for making a decision of the display processing suspension in accordance with the position of the vehicle calculated by the positioning unit.

3. The on-vehicle information providing device according to claim 2, wherein

the on-vehicle information device comprises a running history recording unit for recording positions of the vehicle calculated by the positioning unit;

and

the processing suspension decision unit alters the threshold used for making a decision of the display processing suspension in accordance with the position of the vehicle calculated by the positioning unit and the positions of the vehicle recorded in the running history recording unit.

4. The on-vehicle information providing device according to claim 1, wherein

the on-vehicle information device comprises an operation state managing unit for managing an operation state representing an extent of progress of an operation;

and

the processing suspension decision unit alters the threshold used for making a decision of the display processing suspension in accordance with the operation state managed by the operation state managing unit.

5. The on-vehicle information providing device according to claim 1, wherein

the on-vehicle information device comprises a driving skill decision unit for making a decision of driving skill of the driver;

and

the processing suspension decision unit alters the threshold used for making a decision of the display processing suspension in accordance with the driving skill decided by the driving skill decision unit.

6. The on-vehicle information providing device according to claim 1, wherein

the on-vehicle information device comprises a leeway detecting unit for detecting leeway of the driver;

and

the processing suspension decision unit alters the threshold used for making a decision of the display processing suspension in accordance with the leeway detected by the leeway detecting unit.

7. The on-vehicle information providing device according to claim 1, wherein

the vehicle safety device sends display duration of the caution information to the on-vehicle information device;

and

the on-vehicle information device alters the threshold used for making a decision of the display processing suspension in accordance with the display duration received from the vehicle safety device.

8. The on-vehicle information providing device according to claim 1, wherein

the on-vehicle information device comprises a vehicle state acquiring unit for acquiring a vehicle state;

and

the processing suspension decision unit alters the threshold used for making a decision of the display processing suspension in accordance with the vehicle state acquired by the vehicle state acquiring unit.

9. The on-vehicle information providing device according to claim 1, wherein

the on-vehicle information device comprises an external condition acquiring unit for acquiring external conditions of the vehicle;

and

the processing suspension decision unit alters the threshold used for making a decision of the display processing suspension in accordance with the external conditions of the vehicle acquired by the external condition acquiring unit.

10. The on-vehicle information providing device according to claim 1, wherein

the processing suspension decision unit of the on-vehicle information device acquires an operation state of the driver, and alters the threshold used for making a decision of the display processing suspension in accordance with the operation state of the driver acquired.

11. The on-vehicle information providing device according to claim 1, wherein

the vehicle safety device sends a display completion notification to the on-vehicle information device when the display processing has been completed;

and

the on-vehicle information device restarts, when receiving the display completion notification from the vehicle safety device, the display processing onto the second display device which has been suspended.

12. The on-vehicle information providing device according to claim 11, wherein

the on-vehicle information device comprises a suspension duration measuring unit for measuring duration from time of suspending the display processing onto the second display device to time of receiving the display completion notification from the vehicle safety device;

and

the processing suspension decision unit decides whether to restart the display processing which has been suspended by comparing the duration measured by the suspension duration measuring unit with a threshold used for deciding restart of the display processing.

13. The on-vehicle information providing device according to claim 1, wherein

the on-vehicle information device suspends, when receiving a display interrupt request from the vehicle safety device, the display processing onto the second display screen, and executes the display processing onto the first display screen.

14. The on-vehicle information providing device according to claim 1, wherein

the on-vehicle information device causes, when suspending the display processing onto the second display screen, the first display screen or second display screen to display a notice so stating.

15. The on-vehicle information providing device according to claim 11, wherein

the on-vehicle information device causes, when restarting the display processing onto the second display screen, the first display screen or second display screen to display a notice so stating.

16. The on-vehicle information providing device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an illuminance detecting unit for detecting surrounding illuminance, wherein

the second display device varies luminance of its display in accordance with the illuminance detected by the illuminance detecting unit.