VEHICLE DISPLAY DEVICE AND DISPLAY METHOD

• US 20110227717A1
• Filed: 11/25/2009
• Published: 09/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kumon, Hitoshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,653,961 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/441
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0183 Adaptation to parameters characterising the motion of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays

Abstract

In a vehicle display device in the invention, because the display position of a displayed image is adjusted by a display position calculation portion (14) and a drive control portion (15) when a predetermined vehicle travel condition is detected by a travel condition detection portion (12), the display position is adjusted while the driver is looking at the displayed image. In addition, adjustment of the display position may be avoided when the driver is not looking at the displayed image. Therefore, the display device avoids annoying the driver, and avoids needless adjustment of the display position. The display position of the image is adjusted based on the detected eyeball position.

Claims

1. A vehicle display device comprising:

display means for displaying an image in a field of view of a driver of a vehicle;

eyeball position detection means for detecting an eyeball position of the drive relative to the vehicle;

display position adjustment means for adjusting a display position of the image relative to the vehicle based on the detected eyeball position; and

travel condition detection means for detecting a vehicle travel condition,

wherein the display position adjustment means adjusts the display position of the image if the travel condition detection means detects a predetermined vehicle travel condition.

2. The vehicle display device according to claim 1, wherein

the eyeball position detection means detects the eyeball position when the travel condition detection means detects the predetermined vehicle travel condition.

3. The vehicle display device according to claim 2, wherein

the display position of the image is adjusted based on the detected eyeball position when the predetermined vehicle travel condition is detected.

4. The vehicle display device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein

the predetermined vehicle travel condition is at least one of a predetermined-speed traveling state of the vehicle, and a linearly traveling state of the vehicle.

5. The vehicle display device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein

the display position adjustment means adjusts the display position of the image based on a moving average of the eyeball position over a predetermined time.

6. The vehicle display device according to claim 5, further comprising seat position detection means for detecting a position of a driver'"'"'s seat, wherein

the display position adjustment means adjusts the display position of the image if the seat position detection means detects that the seat position has not changed for a certain time.

7. A display method comprising:

detecting an eyeball position of a driver of a vehicle;

determining whether the driver is driving the vehicle;

displaying an image in a field of view of the driver based on the detected eyeball position, if it is determined that the driver is driving the vehicle;

detecting a vehicle travel condition; and

adjusting a display position of the image if a predetermined vehicle travel condition is detected.

8. The display method according to claim 7, wherein

the eyeball position is detected if the predetermined vehicle travel condition is detected.

9. The display method according to claim 8, wherein

the display position of the image is adjusted based on the detected eyeball position when the predetermined vehicle travel condition is detected.