Vehicle display apparatus

• US 7,642,901 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2006
• Issued: 01/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Watanabe, Yoshinori, Kawakami, Hidehiko, Uchida, Tsuneo, Kato, Miki, Taguchi, Kiyotaka
• Primary Examiner(s): GOINS, DAVETTA WOODS
• Application Number:
  US11/543,091
• Publication Number:
  US 20070085708A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,188 Days
• Field of Search: 340/438, 340/439, 340/457, 340/461, 340/425.5, 340/691.1, 340/691.6, 340/815.4, 701/1, 701/29, 701/31, 345/7, 345/156, 345/173, 345/87, 362/23
• US Class Current: 340/438
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/265 constructional aspects of navigation devices, e.g. housings, mountings, displays G01C21/3688 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/367 Details, e.g. road map scale, orientation, zooming, illumination, level of detail, scrolling of road map or positioning of current position marker

Abstract

When an ignition switch is turned on to display an image on a display apparatus, the display apparatus first displays a needle image of meter images and a warning indicator image. Out of the meter images, the display apparatus displays the needle image for a specified time period (e.g., 0.2 seconds), and then displays a dial image. After displaying the dial image for a specified time period, the display apparatus displays a navigation image. The specified time period may be set to 0.5 through 1.0 second, for example, long enough to visually check or recognize display of the meter image and the warning indicator image. Accordingly, it is possible to visually check the meter image and the warning indicator image while the navigation image is not displayed.

Claims

1. A vehicle display apparatus comprising:

display means provided in an instrument panel and including (i) a predetermined first display area for displaying a first image corresponding to relatively highly prioritized content and (ii) a predetermined second display area for displaying a second image corresponding to relatively less prioritized content, the first and second display areas being within a single display screen; and

control means for providing control to allow the first image to become visibly distinctive at initiation of power supply and to allow the second image to be less distinctive than the first image until a specified time period, which starts from the initiation of power supply, elapses to allow the first image to be recognizable.

2. The vehicle display apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the control means provides control to start displaying the first image at the initiation of power supply and to then start displaying the second image when the specified time period, which starts from the initiation of power supply, elapses.

3. The vehicle display apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the first image includes at least part of a meter image.

4. The vehicle display apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the meter image includes a needle-type meter image with a needle and a dial, and the at least part of the meter image included in the first image includes the needle and the dial, and

wherein, before displaying the second image is started, the first image is displayed such that the needle is displayed at the initiation of power supply and the dial is then displayed with an interval of a certain time period, which starts from the initiation of power supply.

5. The vehicle display apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the meter image includes a needle-type meter image with a needle and a dial, and the at least part of the meter image included in the first image is the needle, and

wherein the dial of the needle-type meter image is displayed with an interval of a certain time period, which starts when displaying the second image is started.

6. The vehicle display apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the first image includes a vehicle state image, which includes a warning indicator image and which a driver confirms at the initiation of power supply.

7. The vehicle display apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the second image includes at least a navigation image.

8. The vehicle display apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the control means provides control to start to display the first image with a predetermined brightness at the initiation of power supply and to display the second image with a brightness, which gradually increases after the initiation of power supply and then reaches the predetermined brightness after lapse of the specified time period, which starts from the initiation of power supply.

9. The vehicle display apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein a navigation image is obtained as the second image from a navigation apparatus and the control means synchronizes with the navigation apparatus in displaying the navigation image.

10. The vehicle display apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a light source that illuminates a mechanical meter, which is substituted for the first display area of the display means in the instrument panel, wherein

the control means provides

light control to turn on the light source to illuminate the mechanical meter at the initiation of power supply to thereby allow the mechanical meter illuminated as the first image to become visibly distinctive, and

display control to allow the second image to be less distinctive than the mechanical meter illuminated as the first image until the specified time period, which starts from the initiation of power supply, elapses to allow the meter image illuminated as the first image to be recognizable.

11. A vehicle display apparatus comprising:

a light source that illuminates a mechanical meter in an instrument panel;

display means provided in the instrument panel; and

control means that provides

light control to turn on the light source to illuminate the mechanical meter at initiation of power supply and

display control to cause the display means to display a predetermined image to be less distinctive than the mechanical meter until a specified time period, which starts from the initiation of power supply, elapses to allow the mechanical meter to be recognizable.

12. The vehicle display apparatus according to claim 11,

wherein the control means provides the display control to cause the display means to start to display the predetermined image when the specified time period, which starts from the initiation of power supply, elapses.

13. The vehicle display apparatus according to claim 12,

wherein the light source includes a needle light source for illuminating a needle of the mechanical meter and a dial light source for illuminating a dial of the mechanical meter, and

wherein, before displaying the predetermined image is started, the needle light source is turned on at the initiation of power supply and the dial light source is then turned on with an interval of a certain time period, which starts from the initiation of power supply.

14. The vehicle display apparatus according to claim 12,

wherein the light source includes a needle light source for illuminating a needle of the mechanical meter and a dial light source for illuminating a dial of the mechanical meter, and

wherein the needle light source is turned on at the initiation of power supply, the predetermined image is displayed when the specified time period, which starts from the initiation of power supply, elapses, and the dial light source is then turned on with an interval of a certain time period, which starts when displaying the predetermined image is started.

15. The vehicle display apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising:

a warning indicator light source for illuminating a warning indicator,

wherein the control means provides

the light control to further turn on the warning indicator light source to illuminate the warning indicator at the initiation of power supply and

the display control to cause the display means to start displaying the predetermined image when the specified time period, which starts from the initiation of power supply, elapses to allow the mechanical meter and the warning indicator to be recognizable.

16. The vehicle display apparatus according to claim 11,

wherein the control means provides the display control to allow the display means to display the predetermined image with a brightness, which gradually increases after the initiation of power supply and then reaches a maximum when the specified time period, which starts from the initiation of power supply, elapses.

17. The vehicle display apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising:

a warning indicator light source for illuminating a warning indicator,

wherein the control means provides

the light control to further turn on the warning indicator light source to illuminate the warning indicator at the initiation of power supply and

the display control to allow the display means to display the predetermined image with the brightness, which gradually increases after the initiation of power supply and then reaches the maximum when the specified time period, which starts from the initiation of power supply, elapses to allow the mechanical meter and the warning indicator to be recognizable.

18. The vehicle display apparatus according to claim 11,

wherein the predetermined image includes at least a navigation image.

19. The vehicle display apparatus according to claim 11,

wherein a navigation image is obtained as the second image from a navigation apparatus and the control means synchronizes with the navigation apparatus in displaying the navigation image.

20. A method for displaying images in an instrument panel in a vehicle, the method comprising:

causing a first image, which corresponds to relatively highly prioritized content in a predetermined first display area in the instrument panel, to become visibly distinctive from initiation of power supply; and

causing a second image, which corresponds to relatively less prioritized content in a predetermined second display area in the instrument panel, to be less distinctive than the first image until a specified time period, which starts from the initiation of power supply, elapses to allow the first image to be recognizable,

the first and second display areas being within a single display screen.

21. The method for displaying images according to claim 20, wherein the first image includes at least part of a meter image.