Information display apparatus and navigation apparatus

• US 7,903,048 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2005
• Issued: 03/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Inventors: Yanagisawa, Takuma
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisen; Alexander
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, VIET DAVID
• Application Number:
  US11/629,902
• Publication Number:
  US 20080048932A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,091 Days
• Field of Search: 345 7- 9, 345/84
• US Class Current: 345/7
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0118 comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/108 involving the optical projection of slides, microfilm or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/08 Active matrix structure, i.e. with use of active elements, inclusive of non-linear two terminal elements, in the pixels together with light emitting or modulating elements
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/34 by control of light from an independent source

Abstract

In an information display apparatus such as a head-up display, while safety is being secured, visibility from a user is improved. Image data having an object such as an arrow showing an advancing direction or a road sign drawn on it are generated as information to be given to the user by a display information generating section 12 and is output to a projector 13. When a light beam R1 corresponding to the image data is emitted from the projector 13 to a combiner 14, reflected light of the light beam R1 and transmitted light of external light R2 are combined in the combiner 14, so as to be viewed by the user. At this time, the display information generating section 12 outputs coordinate values showing a display position of the object to a transmittance control section 16, and the transmittance control section 16 specifies a display region of the object based on the coordinate values, and reduces the transmittance in the specified region of the light control panel 15 so as to reduce a transmitting amount of the external light R2.

Claims

1. An information display apparatus which displays notification information to be given to a user, comprising:

a display device which is composed of a base material for transmitting a visible light beam and is provided with a display surface for displaying the notification information with it being opposed to an incident surface of the visible light beam;

a light control device which is arranged so as to be overlapped with the incident surface of the display device, controls luminance of the visible light beam incident to the incident surface and is formed by a base material having transparency, and changes light transmittance for each region obtained by dividing a range overlapped with the display device;

a display control device which generates data including the notification information as image data and controls display of the notification information in the display device;

a specifying device which specifies a display position of the notification information on the display device and specifies the region of the light control device corresponding to the display position;

a transmittance control device which controls the light control device so as to reduce the light transmittance in the specified region;

an imaging device which images the display device having the notification information displayed on it; and

a video picture analyzing device which calculates a difference between a brightness component corresponding to pixels included in a display range of the notification information in video picture data corresponding to a video picture imaged by the imaging device and its vicinity range and a brightness component in the range in the image data including the notification information, so as to generate viewing information representing a viewing state of the notification information from the user based on the difference value,

wherein the specifying device specifies the region on the light control device based on the viewing information, the transmittance control device reduces light transmittance in the specified region, and

wherein, the video picture analyzing device executes edge detecting processes based on the data supplied from an overlapped video picture imaging section and the image data supplied from the display control device, and creates two line image data respectively according to the each data, and compares two line image data, and calculates unconformity T corresponding to respective cells composing each data, and compares the calculated result of the unconformity T with a predetermined threshold, and when the calculated value is larger than the threshold, the transmittance control device reduces the transmittance of the cells corresponding to the unconformity T.

2. The information display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the video picture analyzing device executes a line drawing process on the video picture data corresponding to the video picture imaged by the imaging device and the image data so as to calculate the difference value for each pixel composing each data, and generates the viewing information using the difference value.

3. The information display apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the video picture analyzing device calculates the unconformity T between the video picture data and the image data based on the difference value, and generates the viewing information based on the unconformity T, the specifying device reduces the transmittance in the region where the unconformity T shown by the viewing information exceeds a predetermined threshold.

4. The information display apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein when the light control device is arranged so as to be separated from the incident surface of the display device, the specifying device has a table for storing information for relating the region on the light control device viewed by the user to the display position in it for each of different viewing positions, and after the viewing position of the user is specified, it uses the table corresponding to the viewing position so as to specify the region of the light control device corresponding to the display position of the notification information on the display device.

5. The information display apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein when the light control device is arranged so as to be separated from the incident surface of the display device, the specifying device generates information for relating the display position on the display device to the region on the light control device overlapped with the display position and viewed by the user according to a distance from the user'"'"'s viewing position to the light control device and the display device, and specifies the region on the light control device corresponding to the display position of the notification information on the display device based on the information.

6. The information display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light control device is composed of a liquid crystal panel having at least two or more transparent substrates, a plurality of transparent electrodes formed on counter surfaces of the substrates into a shape corresponding to the region and a liquid crystal material filled between both the substrates, the transmittance control device controls application of a voltage to the transparent electrodes so as to reduce the light transmittance in the specified region in the light control device.

7. The information display apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a projecting device which emits a light beam including the notification information to the display surface of the display device based on the image data generated in the display control device,

wherein the display device reflects the light beam on a reflection surface formed on the display surface so as to display the notification information.

8. The information display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display device is composed of a self-luminous display element or an incident light transmitting display element.

9. The information display apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a luminance detecting device which detects luminance of the visible light beam incident to the display device,

wherein the transmittance control device reduces transmittance of the visible light beam in the light control device according to the luminance detected by the luminance detecting device.

10. The information display apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the luminance detecting device includes:

an imaging device which images an incident state of the visible light beam with respect to the light control device; and

a calculating device which calculates luminance distribution of the visible light beam incident to the light control device based on video picture data corresponding to a video picture imaged by the imaging device, the transmittance control device calculates the luminance of transmitted light corresponding to the region whose transmittance should be reduced based on the calculated result of the luminance distribution, and when the luminance exceeds a predetermined threshold, reduces the transmittance of the region.

11. The information display apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the luminance detecting device includes:

an imaging device which images an incident state of the visible light beam with respect to the light control device; and

a calculating device which calculates luminance distribution of the visible light beam incident to the light control device based on video picture data corresponding to a video picture imaged by the imaging device, the transmittance control device controls the light control device based on the calculated result of the luminance distribution so as to set the luminance in all the regions to a constant value.

12. A navigation apparatus which displays route guiding information necessary for route guiding due to a movement of a mobile object, comprising:

a display device which is composed of a base material for transmitting a visible light beam and is provided with a display surface for displaying the route guiding information with it being opposed to an incident surface of the visible light beam;

a light control device which is arranged so as to be overlapped with the incident surface of the display device, controls luminance of the visible light beam incident to the incident surface and is formed by a base material having transparency, and changes light transmittance in each of regions obtained by dividing a range overlapped with the display device;

a recording device which records image data including the route guiding information in it;

a display control device which controls display of the route guiding information in the display device based on the image data recorded in the recording device;

a specifying device which specifies a display position of the route guiding information on the display device and specifies the region of the light control device corresponding to the display position;

a transmittance control device which controls the light control device so as to reduce the light transmittance in the specified region;

an imaging device which images the display device having the route guiding information displayed on it; and

a video picture analyzing device which calculates a difference between a brightness component corresponding to pixels included in a display range of the route guiding information in video picture data corresponding to a video picture imaged by the imaging device and its vicinity range and a brightness component in the range in the image data including the route guiding information, so as to generate viewing information representing a viewing state of the route guiding information from the user based on the difference value,

wherein the specifying device specifies the region on the light control device based on the viewing information, the transmittance control device reduces light transmittance in the specified region, and

wherein, the video picture analyzing device executes edge detecting processes based on the data supplied from an overlapped video picture imaging section and the image data supplied from the display control device, and creates two line image data respectively according to the each data, and compares two line image data, and calculates unconformity T corresponding to respective cells composing each data, and compares the calculated result of the unconformity T with a predetermined threshold, and when the calculated value is larger than the threshold, the transmittance control device reduces the transmittance of the cells corresponding to the unconformity T.

13. The navigation apparatus according to claim 12,

wherein when the light control device is arranged so as to be separated from the incident surface of the display device, the specifying device has a table for storing information for relating the region on the light control device viewed by the user to the display position in it for each of different viewing positions, and after the viewing position of the user is specified, it uses the table corresponding to the viewing position so as to specify the region of the light control device corresponding to the display position of the route guiding information on the display device.

14. The navigation apparatus according to claim 12,

wherein when the light control device is arranged so as to be separated from the incident surface of the display device, the specifying device generates information for relating the display position on the display device to the region on the light control device overlapped with the display position and viewed by the user according to a distance from the user'"'"'s viewing position to the light control device and the display device, and specifies the region on the light control device corresponding to the display position of the route guiding information on the display device based on the information.

15. The navigation apparatus according to claim 12, wherein when the recording device records the image data and also map data, it further includes a display contents determining device which predicts an actual video picture viewed from a passenger of the mobile object based on the map data, and determines a display position and a display shape of the route guiding information according to the predicted result, the display control device generates the image data based on the display shape and the display position determined in the display contents determining device.

16. The navigation apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising:

an imaging device which images an actual video picture to be viewed by a passenger of the mobile object; and

a display contents determining device which predicts an actual video picture to be viewed by the passenger based on video picture data corresponding to the video picture imaged by the imaging device, and determines a display position and a display shape of the route guiding information according to the predicted result,

wherein the display control device generates the image data based on the display shape and the display position determined in the display contents determining device.