Drawing control device

• US 10,134,369 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2014
• Issued: 11/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Shota
• Primary Examiner(s): Ge, Jin
• Application Number:
  US15/316,236
• Publication Number:
  US 20170200433A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,516 Days
• Field of Search: 345589
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/186 Displaying information according to relevancy
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/33 Illumination features
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/349 Adjustment of brightness
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/695 Dial features
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• 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: B60K 35/81 for controlling displays
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/203 Drawing of straight lines or curves
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/08 Arrangements within a display terminal for setting, manually or automatically, display parameters of the display terminal
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/10 Automotive applications
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/10 Intensity circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/363 Graphics controllers

Abstract

According to a drawing control device according to the present invention, graphics capable of implementing reality is displayed on a surface-shaped drawing device in a vehicle. A degree of importance is provided for each of components to be displayed (a drawing object, a drawing component and a decoration component), and the degree of importance is changed in accordance with the state of the vehicle. The drawing arrangement order is changed in accordance with the degree of importance to draw and display each of the components. As a result, the drawing control device can prevent any decoration component for pursuing reality from hiding information necessary to the driver from view.

Claims

1. A drawing control device that draws, on a surface-shaped drawing device in a vehicle, a drawing object, a drawing component within said drawing object, and either a decoration component for decorating said drawing object or a decoration component for decorating said drawing component, said drawing control device comprising:

a vehicle state acquirer to acquire information showing a state of said vehicle; and

a controller to provide degrees of importance for said drawing object, said drawing component and said decoration component, which are to be drawn on said drawing device, in accordance with the vehicle state acquired by said vehicle state acquirer, and to also determine drawing arrangement order of said drawing object, said drawing component and said decoration component, which are to be drawn on said drawing device, in accordance with said degrees of importance,

wherein said controller changes said degrees of importance in accordance with a change of said vehicle state, and changes the drawing arrangement order of said drawing object, said drawing component and said decoration component, which are to be drawn on said drawing device, in accordance with said degrees of importance,

wherein said drawing component includes a first drawing component whose degree of importance is the greatest and a second drawing component whose degree of importance is less than the degree of importance of said first drawing component, and said controller places said first drawing component, said second drawing component, and said decoration component in ascending order of degree of importance from the rear side to the front side of said drawing device when the degree of importance of said second drawing component is greater than the degree of importance of said decoration component.

2. The drawing control device according to claim 1, wherein the degree of importance of said first drawing component is not changeable, and the degree of importance of said second drawing component is changeable, and said controller changes the degree of importance of said second drawing component in accordance with said vehicle state.

3. The drawing control device according to claim 1, wherein the decoration component for decorating said drawing component is an expression of an effect caused by light.

4. The drawing control device according to claim 3, wherein the expression of said effect caused by light is a shadow of said drawing component.

5. The drawing control device according to claim 4, wherein said controller changes darkness of said shadow when receiving change information about the darkness of said shadow.

6. The drawing control device according to claim 4, wherein a plurality of light sources are provided, and said controller draws multiple shadows in accordance with a number of said light sources.

7. The drawing control device according to claim 4, wherein a position of a light source is changeable, and said controller draws said shadow in accordance with the position of said light source.

8. The drawing control device according to claim 7, wherein said light source is placed in a direction in which the sun is estimated to be located in accordance with a position and a traveling direction of said vehicle.

9. The drawing control device according to claim 4, wherein during night, a light source is placed at a predetermined position and said controller draws said shadow in accordance with the position of said light source.

10. The drawing control device according to claim 3, wherein the expression of said effect caused by light is to increase brightness of a portion exposed to said light.

11. The drawing control device according to claim 1, wherein said controller changes the drawing position of said decoration component in accordance with relative positions between an eyepoint of a driver of said vehicle and drawing positions of said drawing object, said drawing component, and said decoration component, which are to be drawn on said drawing device.

12. The drawing control device according to claim 1, wherein said first drawing component is a needle of a meter, said second drawing component is a gauge of said meter, and said decoration component is a shadow of said needle.

13. The drawing control device according to claim 1, wherein said drawing object includes said first drawing component, said second drawing component, and said decoration component.