Patent ID: 11922089
Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
Field: Audio-visual technology (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC G  B  H | IPC B  G

Claim 9:
10. A vehicle control method for controlling a plurality of display units disposed in a vehicle interior, the method comprising:
performing, with a single processing unit, preprocessing on a plurality of link images for the plurality of display units such that each of the plurality of link images is able to be output to a corresponding one of the plurality of display units, the plurality of link images being displayed in a linked manner across the plurality of display units; and
outputting, with a plurality of display output units, each of the plurality of link images to the corresponding one of the plurality of display units after performing the preprocessing on the plurality of link images by the single display processing unit, wherein the method further comprises:
performing, with the single processing unit, the preprocessing on the plurality of link images by performing the preprocessing on a mixed image formed by synthesizing the plurality of link images into a frame;
specifying, with each of the plurality of image output units, a region of the respective one of the plurality of link images in the mixed image that is subject to the preprocessing by the single display processing unit; and
outputting, with each of the plurality of image output units, the respective one of the plurality of link images to the corresponding one of the plurality of display units, wherein the method further comprises:
forming the mixed image by synthesizing the plurality of images in each of frames that are displayed in a chronological order to provide an animation;
sequentially performing, for each of the frames with the single display processing unit, the preprocessing on the mixed image;
each time sequentially performing the preprocessing,
specifying, with each of the plurality of image output units, a region of the respective one of the plurality of link images in the mixed image that is subject to the preprocessing; and
sequentially outputting, with each of the plurality of image output units, the respective one of the plurality of link images to the corresponding one of the plurality of display units, wherein the method further comprises:

when each of the plurality of display units have a different frame rate, which is a number of images per unit time for the plurality of link images when displaying the animation,
forming the mixed image by synthesizing the plurality of link images at a frame rate corresponding to a highest frame rate of a first display unit among the plurality of display units that corresponds to a first link image of the plurality of link images;
synthesizing a second link image of the plurality of link images corresponding to a second display unit of the plurality of display units having a lower frame rate than the highest frame rate with the first link image in every Nth frame, wherein N is a number according to a ratio of the highest frame rate to the lower frame rate, whereas synthesizing the second link image as empty data with the first link image in other frames;

each time sequentially performing the preprocessing,
specifying, with a first image output unit of the plurality of image output units corresponding to the first display unit, a region of the first link image in the mixed image that is subject to the preprocessing; and

sequentially outputting, with the first image output unit, the first link image to the first display unit;
in every Nth frame,
specifying, with a second image output unit of the plurality of image output units corresponding to the second display unit, a region of the second link image in the mixed image that is subject to the preprocessing; and
sequentially outputting, with the second image output unit, the second link image to the second display unit.