Display system for vehicle and vehicle

• US 9,140,716 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2005
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• 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: Abe, Takeo, Miake, Aki, Yamamoto, Takeshi, Takahashi, Toshiya, Ota, Shinichirou, Itoh, Megumi, Akada, Mika, Sato, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): MCNALLY, KERRI L
• Application Number:
  US11/570,094
• Publication Number:
  US 20070182537A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,760 Days
• Field of Search: 340/438, 340/815, 340/462, 340/441, 340/995.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: G01P 1/08 Arrangements of scales, pointers, lamps or acoustic indicators, e.g. in automobile speedometers

Abstract

A display system of the present invention for a vehicle includes plural speed display areas which are capable of being simultaneously displayed, such as a first speed display area and a second speed display area, and a display controlling section causing predetermined one of speed display areas to display speed and for causing other one or more of speed display areas to display information other than speed according to necessity. This allows decrease in false recognition of the speed. With this, a display system for a vehicle can be provided, the display system being able to improve safety of driving by a user by getting rid of false recognition of speed, which is important information for safe driving.

Claims

1. A display system for a vehicle, comprising:

a display device having plural speed display areas, which are arranged to display simultaneously;

a display controlling device arranged to cause a predetermined one of said plural speed display areas to display speed and to cause another one or more of said plural speed display areas to display information other than the speed according to necessity;

a front camera arranged to capture an image of a front area seen from said vehicle; and

a human body detection section arranged to detect a human body in an image-capturing range of said front camera;

wherein

the display device is arranged to operate in a first display mode and a second display mode, the first display mode causes at least two of the plural speed display areas to display a speed of the vehicle, and the second display mode causes at least one of the plural speed display areas to display the speed of the vehicle and causes at least another one of the plural speed display areas to display information other than speed;

the display controlling device is arranged to switch the display device between the first display mode and the second display mode in response to the necessity and is arranged to control the display device in only either the first display mode or the second display mode;

the information other than the speed includes at least one of an image from a navigation device, a captured image from a camera disposed in the vehicle, an image from a storage medium included in the vehicle, an image which is stored in another storage medium and is outputted by a reproducing device included in the vehicle, the reproducing device reproducing the image from said another storage medium, an image for operation of an acoustic device included in the vehicle, an image for operation of an air-conditioning apparatus included in the vehicle, and an image received by a TV receiver;

the display system performing the display in such a manner that, if an image displayed as the information other than the speed is a front image captured by said front camera, said display controlling device causes the detected human body to be displayed with emphasis when said human body detection section detects the human body in the front image; and

said human body detection section includes a section arranged to detect a human body by detecting heat of a photographic subject in an image-capturing range of said front camera.

2. The display system for a vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein, when the speed and the information other than the speed are displayed respectively on said predetermined one and said another one or more of said speed display areas, said another one or more of said speed display areas is larger than said predetermined one of said speed display areas.

3. The display system for a vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein, when the speed and the information other than the speed are displayed respectively on said predetermined one and said another one or more of said speed display areas, the speed is displayed digitally.

4. The display system as set forth in claim 1, comprising:

a speed detection section for detecting the speed of said vehicle;

a steering angle detection section for detecting steering angle of said vehicle; and

a background image storage section for storing therein a background image that is to be displayed on said speed display area, said display controlling device (i) reading out the background image from said background image storage section, (ii) causing the display device to display the background image, and (iii) scrolling the background image according to the speed detected by said speed detection section and to the steering angle detected by said steering angle detection section.

5. The display system as set forth in claim 1, comprising:

a speed detection section for detecting the speed of said vehicle; and

a steering angle detection section for detecting steering angle of said vehicle, the display system performing the display in such a manner that, when an image displayed as the information other than the speed is a front image being captured in a front area seen from the vehicle, said display controlling device moves a central position of the front image according to the steering angle detected by said steering angle detection section, and decides scroll speed of the front image according to the speed detected by said speed detection section.

6. The display system for a vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein said human body detection section detects a human body by use of outline information included in the front image captured by said front camera.

7. The display system for a vehicle as set forth in claim 1, comprising, in a case of said vehicle being an automobile, at least one of an in-vehicle camera for capturing an image of an inside of an automobile and a trunk camera for capturing an image of an inside of a trunk of the automobile,

the display system performing the display in such a manner that, said display controlling device displays, as the information other than the speed, the image or images on the other one or more of said speed display areas displaying information other than speed, the image or images captured by said in-vehicle camera and/or trunk camera.

8. The display system as set forth in claim 7, wherein:

a plurality of said in-vehicle cameras and/or said trunk cameras are provided; and

said display device simultaneously displays all of the images captured by said plurality of said in-vehicle cameras and/or said trunk cameras.

9. The display system for a vehicle as set forth in claim 8, wherein:

when said display controlling device causes the another one or more of said speed display areas to display, as the information other than the speed, the image captured by said in-vehicle cameras and/or said trunk cameras,

said display controlling device displays information including a figure schematically indicating a position, an image of which said in-vehicle cameras and/or said trunk cameras captures.

10. The display system for a vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein the another one or more of said speed display areas are oblong, with their aspect ratios being 7:

3 or more, the aspect ratios being a width/height ratio of a display area.

11. A vehicle including the display system for a vehicle as set forth in claim 1.

12. A display system for a vehicle, comprising:

a display device having plural speed display areas, which are arranged to display simultaneously;

a display controlling device arranged to cause at least two of said plural speed display areas to display speed and to cause another one or more of said plural speed display areas to display information other than the speed according to necessity;

a front camera arranged to capture an image of a front area seen from said vehicle; and

a human body detection section arranged to detect a human body in an image-capturing range of said front camera;

wherein

the display device is arranged to operate in a first display mode and a second display mode, the first display mode causes at least two of the plural speed display areas to display a speed of the vehicle, and the second display mode causes at least one of the plural speed display areas to display the speed of the vehicle and causes at least another one of the plural speed display areas to display information other than speed;

the display controlling device is arranged to switch the display device between the first display mode and the second display mode in response to the necessity and is arranged to control the display device in only either the first display mode or the second display mode;

the information other than the speed includes at least one of an image from a navigation device, a captured image from a camera disposed in the vehicle, an image from a storage medium included in the vehicle, an image which is stored in another storage medium and is outputted by a reproducing device included in the vehicle, the reproducing device reproducing the image from said another storage medium, an image for operation of an acoustic device included in the vehicle, an image for operation of an air-conditioning apparatus included in the vehicle, and an image received by a TV receiver;

the display system performing the display in such a manner that, if an image displayed as the information other than the speed is a front image captured by said front camera, said display controlling device causes the detected human body to be displayed with emphasis when said human body detection section detects the human body in the front image; and

said human body detection section includes a section arranged to detect a human body by detecting heat of a photographic subject in an image-capturing range of said front camera.

13. The display system for a vehicle as set forth in claim 12, wherein, when the speed and the information other than the speed are displayed respectively on said predetermined at least two and said another one or more of said speed display areas, said another one or more of said speed display areas is larger than said predetermined at least two of said speed display areas.

14. The display system for a vehicle as set forth in claim 12, wherein, when the speed and the information other than the speed are displayed respectively on said predetermined at least two and said another one or more of said speed display areas, the speed is displayed digitally.

15. A display system for a vehicle, comprising:

a display device having plural speed display areas, which are arranged to display simultaneously;

a display controlling device arranged to cause a same one of said plural speed display areas to always display speed when the display device is displaying the speed, and to cause another one or more of said plural speed display areas to display information other than the speed according to necessity;

a front camera arranged to capture an image of a front area seen from said vehicle; and

a human body detection section arranged to detect a human body in an image-capturing range of said front camera;

wherein

the display device is arranged to operate in a first display mode and a second display mode, the first display mode causes at least two of the plural speed display areas to display a speed of the vehicle, and the second display mode causes at least one of the plural speed display areas to display the speed of the vehicle and causes at least another one of the plural speed display areas to display information other than speed;

the display control device is arranged to switch the display device between the first display mode and the second display mode in response to the necessity and is arranged to control the display device in only either the first display mode or the second display mode;

the information other than the speed includes at least one of an image from a navigation device, a captured image from a camera disposed in the vehicle, an image from a storage medium included in the vehicle, an image which is stored in another storage medium and is outputted by a reproducing device included in the vehicle, the reproducing device reproducing the image from said another storage medium, an image for operation of an acoustic device included in the vehicle, an image for operation of an air-conditioning apparatus included in the vehicle, and an image received by a TV receiver

the display system performing the display in such a manner that, if an image displayed as the information other than the speed is a front image captured by said front camera, said display controlling device causes the detected human body to be displayed with emphasis when said human body detection section detects the human body in the front image; and

said human body detection section includes a section arranged to detect a human body by detecting heat of a photographic subject in an image-capturing range of said front camera.

16. The display system for a vehicle as set forth in claim 15, wherein, when the speed and the information other than the speed are displayed respectively on said predetermined same one and said another one or more of said speed display areas, said another one or more of said speed display areas is larger than said predetermined same one of said speed display areas.

17. The display system for a vehicle as set forth in claim 15, wherein, when the speed and the information other than the speed are displayed respectively on said predetermined same one and said another one or more of said speed display areas, the speed is displayed digitally.

18. A display system for a vehicle, comprising:

a display device having plural speed display areas, which are arranged to display simultaneously;

a display controlling device arranged to cause a predetermined one of said plural speed display areas to display speed and to cause another one or more of said plural speed display areas to display information other than the speed according to necessity; and

at least one of an in-vehicle camera for capturing an image of an inside of an automobile and a trunk camera for capturing an image of an inside of a trunk of the automobile;

wherein

the display device is arranged to operate in a first display mode and a second display mode, the first display mode causes at least two of the plural speed display areas to display a speed of the vehicle, and the second display mode causes at least one of the plural speed display areas to display the speed of the vehicle and causes at least another one of the plural speed display areas to display information other than speed;

the display controlling device is arranged to switch the display device between the first display mode and the second display mode in response to the necessity and is arranged to control the display device in only either the first display mode or the second display mode;

the information other than the speed includes at least one of an image from a navigation device, a captured image from a camera disposed in the vehicle, an image from a storage medium included in the vehicle, an image which is stored in another storage medium and is outputted by a reproducing device included in the vehicle, the reproducing device reproducing the image from said another storage medium, an image for operation of an acoustic device included in the vehicle, an image for operation of an air-conditioning apparatus included in the vehicle, and an image received by a TV receiver;

the display system performing the display in such a manner that, said display controlling device displays, as the information other than the speed, the image or images on the other one or more of said speed display areas displaying information other than speed, the image or images captured by said in-vehicle camera and/or trunk camera;

a plurality of said in-vehicle cameras and/or said trunk cameras are provided; and

said display device simultaneously displays all of the images captured by said plurality of said in-vehicle cameras and/or said trunk cameras.

19. A display system for a vehicle, comprising:

a display device having plural speed display areas, which are arranged to display simultaneously; and

a display controlling device arranged to cause a same one of said plural speed display areas to always display speed when the display device is displaying the speed, and to cause another one or more of said plural speed display areas to display information other than the speed according to necessity;

at least one of an in-vehicle camera for capturing an image of an inside of an automobile and a trunk camera for capturing an image of an inside of a trunk of the automobile;

wherein

the display device is arranged to operate in a first display mode and a second display mode, the first display mode causes at least two of the plural speed display areas to display a speed of the vehicle, and the second display mode causes at least one of the plural speed display areas to display the speed of the vehicle and causes at least another one of the plural speed display areas to display information other than speed;

the display control device is arranged to switch the display device between the first display mode and the second display mode in response to the necessity and is arranged to control the display device in only either the first display mode or the second display mode;

the information other than the speed includes at least one of an image from a navigation device, a captured image from a camera disposed in the vehicle, an image from a storage medium included in the vehicle, an image which is stored in another storage medium and is outputted by a reproducing device included in the vehicle, the reproducing device reproducing the image from said another storage medium, an image for operation of an acoustic device included in the vehicle, an image for operation of an air-conditioning apparatus included in the vehicle, and an image received by a TV receiver;

the display system performing the display in such a manner that, said display controlling device displays, as the information other than the speed, the image or images on the other one or more of said speed display areas displaying information other than speed, the image or images captured by said in-vehicle camera and/or trunk camera;

a plurality of said in-vehicle cameras and/or said trunk cameras are provided; and

said display device simultaneously displays all of the images captured by said plurality of said in-vehicle cameras and/or said trunk cameras.