Site News  |   Monitor Keywords  |   Monitor Archive  |   Organizer  |   Account Info  |

Onboard display device, onboard display system and vehicle

Onboard display device, onboard display system and vehicle description/claims

The present invention relates to onboard display devices and systems for displaying the traveling speed, engine speed, and other conditions of the vehicle. The present invention also relates to vehicles in which the onboard display system is installed.

New automobile instrument panels, or onboard display devices, have been suggested. They display driver-supporting information, such as navigation images (“secondary images”), as well as the traveling speed, engine speed, and other information on the conditions of the vehicle. See Japanese published patent application 6-195056/1994 (Tokukaihei 6-195056; published on Jul. 15, 1994) and Japanese published patent application 9-123848/1997 (Tokukaihei 9-123848; published on May 13, 1997).

For example, Tokukaihei 6-195056 provides a wide display screen to improve on visibility, road safety, and ease in operation. Monitor images around the vehicle are displayed on the wide screen along with traveling speed, fuel, and other vehicle-related information.

Tokukaihei 9-123848 provides a wide display device through which the driver is presented with necessary information depending on traveling conditions, to allow for comfortable and smooth driving.

Tokukaihei 6-195056 discloses a display device with a screen measuring 160 to 180 mm in width and 80 to 100 mm in height. The patent application also discloses a specific aspect ratio of 16:9 for display screen. The aspect ratio is the width/height ratio of a display area.

However, navigation images are typically displayed at an aspect ratio of 4:3, 15:9, or 16:9. For example, if a 12:9 navigation image, with the least width, is produced on a Tokukaihei 6-195056 display screen (16:9), the remaining part of the screen has a 4:9 aspect ratio. This means that other images will appear vertically elongated.

A speed display device mounted on an instrument panel for a vehicle is expected also to produce other displays including navigation and rearview images.

If a navigation image is produced on the display device disclosed in Tokukaihei 6-195056 at 4:3 (12:9), the remaining 4:9 part of the screen is not large enough to accommodate a round speedometer display.

The speedometer and related displays are more important than, for example, the navigation system in terms of safety. However, when they are displayed side by side on the Tokukaihei 6-195056 display device, the former appear much smaller and more difficult to recognize. This situation will lead to safety and ease-in-operation issues.

As to the Tokukaihei 9-123848 display device, sufficient resolution is available if navigation and other secondary images and vehicle condition images presenting the conditions of the vehicle are switchably displayed. If these images are however displayed at the same time, sufficient resolution is not ensured for each kind of image. The resultant display is hard to recognize for the driver. This will again lead to safety and ease-in-operation issues.

The present invention, conceived in view of the problems, has an objective to provide an onboard display device and systems, as well as a vehicle incorporating the device and system. The device and system achieves improved visibility to the eye of the driver in the concurrent display of a secondary image and a vehicle condition image. The former includes, for example, a navigation image. The latter presents information on the conditions of the vehicle and includes. for example, a speed display. The device and system thus achieves improved road safety and ease in operation.

An onboard display device in accordance with the present invention, to achieve the objective, is characterized by the inclusion of a display section attached to an instrument panel of a vehicle. The display section shows at least the speed as vehicle condition images indicating the conditions of the vehicle. The display section also shows a navigation image and other secondary images. The display section measures greater in width than in height with an aspect ratio of 7:3 or greater.

Generally, at a 4:3 aspect ratio, a navigation image and other secondary images are displayed with sufficient visibility. At a 3:3 aspect ratio, a common, round speedometer can still be displayed with sufficiently visibility.

Therefore, if a navigation image and other secondary images are shown at the 4:3 aspect ratio, the foregoing arrangement where the display area on the display section measures greater in width than in height with the 7:3 or greater width/height ratio (aspect ratio) can still accommodate a display area having the 3:3 aspect ratio for the vehicle condition images.

This allows for a visibility-improved simultaneous display of the secondary image, such as a navigation image, and the vehicle condition image, such as a speed display, which presents information on the conditions of the vehicle. As a result, the onboard display device offers improvement in visibility, safety, and easy-of-use to the driver.

Secondary images, other than the navigation image, include for example a television image, a camera image, an email message transmission/reception image, and other images which are useful information to the driver or a fellow passenger.

The aspect ratio only needs be 7:3 or greater. For example, at 8:3 or 32:9, two 4:3 or 16:9 display areas can be accommodated. As a result, high visibility displays are produced in both areas, giving extra safety to the driver.

An onboard display system in accordance with the present invention is characterized by the inclusion of an onboard display device, imaging devices, and a control device. The onboard display device is arranged in accordance with the present invention. The imaging devices take images to and near the front, rear, right, and left of the vehicle. The control device controls imaging operations of the imaging devices so that a front image, a rear image, a right-hand image, and a left-hand image taken by the imaging devices can be all simultaneously shown on the display section of the onboard display device,

According to the arrangement, the imaging devices takes images to and near the front, rear, right, and left of the vehicle. The images are simultaneously shown on the display section of the vehicle display device. The driver can reliably check the surroundings of the vehicle for safety when start moving the vehicle.

A vehicle in accordance with the present invention is characterized by the inclusion of an onboard display device, imaging devices, a reverse gear, and a display control device. The onboard display device is arranged in accordance with the present invention. The imaging devices take images to and near the rear of the vehicle. The reverse gear is selected to back the vehicle. Under the control of the display control device,

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

• What Is a Patent?
• What Is a Trademark or Servicemark?
• What Is a Copyright?
• Patent Laws