Abstract:
In a method for displaying information in a vehicle, a geographic map is displayed on a display surface, a symbol for the vehicle is displayed within the geographic map, the position of the symbol relative to the geographic map changing as a function of the geographic position of the vehicle, and a graphic object including supplementary information being displayed within the geographic map as a function of the geographic position of the vehicle. An image sequence including multiple images for the graphic object is produced and displayed as a function of the geographic position of the vehicle such that at the end of the image sequence the graphic object has disappeared or can no longer be assigned to the supplementary information. A device is adapted to implement the method described above.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a method and device for displaying information in a vehicle. 
     For example, the present invention relates to a method for displaying information in a vehicle, in which a geographic map is displayed on a display surface, a symbol for the vehicle is displayed within the geographic map, the position of the symbol relative to the geographic map changing as a function of the geographic position of the vehicle, and a graphic object including supplementary information being displayed within the geographic map as a function of the geographic position of the vehicle. The present invention furthermore relates to a device for displaying information in a vehicle having a memory for storing a geographic map and supplementary information, which is assigned to the geographic map and to which graphic objects are assigned, a display device having a display surface for displaying the information, a device for determining the geographic position of the vehicle and a control unit for controlling the information displayed on the display surface, such that within the displayed geographic map a symbol for the vehicle is displayable, the position of which relative to the geographic map is changeable as a function of the geographic position of the vehicle, and that a graphic object including supplementary information is displayable within the geographic map as a function of the geographic position of the vehicle. 
     BACKGROUND INFORMATION 
     It is conventional to display a geographic map in a vehicle using a navigation system, in which a vehicle symbol is displayed on the geographic map as a function of the current geographic position of the vehicle such that the observer is able to detect where the vehicle is presently located. In the process, manifold supplementary information may be displayed within the geographic map. For example, the traffic signs assigned to the roads of the geographic map may be indicated on the geographic map by a graphic object. The display of the traffic sign may disappear for example if the displayed map detail has changed such that the position of the graphic object for the traffic sign is no longer within the displayed map detail. 
     SUMMARY 
     Example embodiments of the present invention provide a method and a device of the kind mentioned at the outset, in which the display of the graphic object for the supplementary information is improved. 
     In the method according to example embodiments of the present invention an image sequence including multiple images for the graphic object is produced and displayed as a function of the geographic position of the vehicle such that at the end of the image sequence the graphic object has disappeared or can no longer be assigned to the supplementary information. In the method, the graphic object thus does not disappear from one image to the next, but rather a graphic animation is reproduced for the graphic object, at the end of which the graphic object has disappeared or can no longer be assigned to the supplementary information. In particular, the graphic object can no longer be assigned to the supplementary information if, although a changed graphic object is still represented, it is no longer possible to extract informational content from this object so as to infer supplementary information. 
     In the method, the vehicle symbol represents in particular the vehicle&#39;s direction of travel. The vehicle symbol may be an arrow for example. For example, the graphic object for the supplementary information is represented in front of the vehicle symbol in the direction of travel. The graphic object lies in particular exactly on the axis of travel represented on the geographic map. If a travel route produced by a navigation system is displayed on the geographic map, the graphic symbol for the supplementary information is displayed centrally on the indicated travel route. 
     According to exemplary embodiments of the method, a perspective rotation of the graphic object is represented in the image sequence. In particular, a perspective rotation of the graphic object about a horizontal axis is represented in the image sequence. For example, the graphic object may be tilted by 90° about its lower edge or an axis through the lowest point of the object such that at the end of the image sequence only a dash for the virtual face of the graphic object is represented, which may finally disappear in the last image of the image sequence. 
     According to the method, the vehicle symbol and the graphic object are represented during the image sequence such that the graphic object folds over as the vehicle symbol drives over it. The animation produced by the image sequence thus creates the impression for the observer as though the graphic object for the supplementary information were folded over by the movement of the vehicle symbol until it is no longer visible. 
     According to example embodiments, the rotation of the graphic object is divided into a first phase, in which the pixels of the graphic object are accelerated, and a second phase, in which the pixels of the graphic object are decelerated. In this instance, the first phase corresponds e.g. to an angle of rotation of the graphic object from 0° to 45°, and the second phase corresponds to an angle of rotation of the graphic object from 45° to 90°. 
     An accelerated movement here should be understood to be a positive acceleration during which the speed increases, and a decelerated movement is understood to be a negative acceleration during which the speed is reduced. 
     According to example embodiments, the following computing steps are carried out for successive intermediate images for representing the rotation—the successive positions x of the pixels of the graphic object—in the first phase: 
                     n   =       t   -     t   0         d   1         ;           (   i   )                 x   =       b   1     +       c   1     ·     n   4           ,           (   ii   )               
where
 
t is a system time, at which the information is shown on the display surface, where t=t 0  at the beginning of the rotation of the first phase,
 
d 1  is the duration of the first phase,
 
b 1  is the starting position of the pixel of the graphic object,
 
c 1  is the total shift of the pixel of the graphic object in the first phase, and steps (i) and (ii) are repeated until: t&gt;(t 0 +d 1 )
 
     In this instance, parameter x may represent e.g. the vertical position of a point of the graphic object or an angle of rotation. 
     In addition, the following computing steps are carried out for successive intermediate images for representing the rotation—the successive positions x of the pixels of the object—in the second phase: 
                     n   =         t   -     t   0         d   2       -   1       ;           (   i   )                 x   =       b   2     +       c   2     ·     (     1   -     n   4       )           ,           (   ii   )               
where
 
t is a system time, at which the information is shown on the display surface, where t=t 0  at the beginning of the rotation of the second phase,
 
d 2  is the duration of the second phase,
 
b 2  is the starting position of the pixel of the object,
 
c 2  is the total shift of the pixel of the object in the second phase and
 
steps (i) and (ii) are repeated by the computing unit until: t&gt;(t 0 +d 2 ).
 
     According to example embodiments, the speed of the vehicle is measured, and the duration of the total rotation or the duration of the rotation of the first and/or second phase is ascertained as a function of the speed of the vehicle. By preference, the higher the speed of the motor vehicle, the longer the duration of the rotation. For, at higher speeds, the driver can direct his eye toward the display only for shorter time intervals. Moreover, the spacing of the time intervals in which the driver directs his eye toward the display is greater, since at higher speeds, the driver must focus greater attention on the driving process. The coupling of the rotational duration of the two-dimensional object to the speed of the motor vehicle therefore ensures that at higher speeds, the driver retains the orientation in the information display, and in this manner, is able to comprehend the informational contents easily, quickly and intuitively. 
     According to exemplary embodiments, the image sequence causes the graphic object to fade out. In this instance, particularly the transparency of the graphic object is increased, the closer the vehicle symbol is represented to the graphic object on the display surface. The computation of the parameter for the transparency may occur in the same manner as the previously described computation of the position x of the pixels of the graphic object in the rotation. The transparency changes in the process from 0% to 100% such that at the end of the image sequence the graphic object has disappeared completely. 
     According to example embodiments, a traffic sign is represented as the graphic object. The supplementary information thus relates to the informational content of the represented traffic sign. For this purpose, the graphic object for the traffic sign is displayed on the geographic map before it is applicable to the vehicle. As in reality, the observer is thus able to perceive the graphic object for the traffic sign before it becomes applicable. For this purpose, as in reality, the graphic object for the traffic sign may be represented at the position on the geographic map at which it becomes applicable. 
     The geographic map may be represented two-dimensionally on the display surface. The image sequence, by contrast, may represent a three-dimensional perspective change of the graphic object. Furthermore, the geographic map may be represented in three-dimensional perspective. A bird&#39;s-eye perspective may be represented for example. In this case as well, the image sequence may represent a three-dimensional perspective change of the graphic object. 
     In a device according to example embodiments of the present invention for displaying information in a vehicle, the control unit is able to produce, as a function of the geographic position of the vehicle, an image sequence for display on the display surface, which comprises multiple images for the graphic object such that the graphic object has disappeared by the end of the image sequence or it can no longer being assigned to the supplementary information. The control unit is arranged in particular so that the method steps described above may be performed in part or entirely. In particular, the control unit is able to produce graphic data and transmit these to the display device, which graphic data represent the image sequence for the graphic object produced on the display device. 
     Example embodiments of the present invention are explained in greater detail with reference to the Figures. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a schematic representation of a device according to an example embodiments of the present invention and its coupling to additional devices of the vehicle. 
         FIGS. 2-4  show a display on the display surface that is produced from a method according to an example embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The device according to an example embodiment of the present invention includes a display device  1  having a display surface  2  for representing information. Display surface  2  may be a display of any type of construction. It may be a liquid crystal display for example, in particular a color display using TFT (thin film resistor) technology. The display on display surface  2  is freely programmable, i.e. arbitrary graphic data may be produced, which are represented on display surface  2 . 
     Display surface  2  of display device  1  is fastened in an area of the vehicle that is readily visible at least for the driver. For example, display surface  2  may be part of the so-called instrument cluster of the vehicle, which is situated directly in the driver&#39;s field of vision. 
     Display device  1  is connected to a control unit  3 . Control unit  3  in turn is connected to a memory  5 . Memory  5  stores in particular the data associated with a geographic map. Furthermore, memory  5  stores data for supplementary information associated with the geographic map. For example, a specific geographic position on the geographic map may be assigned to the supplementary information. The supplementary information in turn has graphic objects assigned to it, by which the supplementary information may be represented within the geographic map. Control unit  3  is able to produce graphic data for representing a detail of the geographic map in combination with graphic objects for the supplementary information. These graphic data are displayed by display device  1  via display surface  2 . 
     Control unit  3  is furthermore coupled with a system clock  6  and with a vehicle bus  7 . Data of a speedometer of the vehicle are transmitted via vehicle bus  7  to control unit  3 . 
     Furthermore, control unit  3  is connected via vehicle bus  7  to driver assistance systems of the vehicle. These driver assistance systems may include in particular a navigation system, the display of which may be displayed by display surface  2 . Via vehicle bus  7 , control unit  3  may furthermore be coupled with a device for determining the geographic position of the vehicle. This device may contain for example a receiver for data, which are emitted by satellites for positioning. The devices described above may also be part of a navigation system. 
     In the following, a first example for an informational display in a vehicle on display surface  2  will be explained in detail with reference to  FIGS. 1 through 4 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , display surface  2  in an instrument cluster of the vehicle shows a detail of a road map. In particular, a road intersection is represented in perspective as viewed at an angle from above. The current position of the host vehicle relative to the road map is represented by a symbol  8 , which also indicates the direction of travel of the vehicle. 
     In the display shown in  FIG. 2 , vehicle symbol  8  approaches an intersection or junction. This junction has a traffic sign assigned to it, namely, a yield sign. This supplementary information to the road map is stored in memory  5 . At a specific distance of the vehicle from the junction, control unit  3  produces graphic data, which represent a graphic object  9  that symbolically represents the traffic sign. The time of the appearance of graphic object  9  for the traffic sign is different than the time at which or starting at which the traffic sign becomes applicable. As in reality, graphic object  9  for the traffic sign becomes visible before the traffic sign is reached. 
     The graphic object  9  for the traffic sign is represented exactly in the axis of travel of the symbol  8  for the vehicle, as shown in  FIG. 2 . If additionally a travel route of the navigation system is indicated on the map, then the graphic object  9  for the traffic sign is shown centrally on the indicated travel route. 
     The additional  FIGS. 3 and 4  show how the display changes as vehicle symbol  8  continues to approach the graphic object  9  for the traffic sign, i.e. as the vehicle in reality approaches the junction. In this case, the control unit produces an image sequence of a plurality of images, in which the representation of graphic object  9  is changed. For this purpose, graphic object  9  is shown in perspective in such a way that it is turned in perspective backward by 90° about the horizontal axis  10  ( FIG. 1 ) until only the virtual face of object  9  is displayed as a dash that finally disappears at the end of the image sequence such that graphic object  9  has disappeared at the end of the image sequence. The image sequence thus results in an animation of graphic object  9 , in which the impression is created that vehicle symbol  8  drives over graphic object  9 , whereby graphic object  9  is folded backward. The end of the image sequence is reached at least when the position of vehicle symbol  8  on the map has reached the position of the graphic object  9  for the traffic sign on display surface  2 .  FIGS. 2 through 4  show three images of the image sequence, which contains however a much greater number of intermediate images, which result in an animation of the rotational motion of graphic object  9 . 
     The following describes in detail how graphic object  9  is rotated with respect to time: 
     The rotation of graphic object  9  is divided into two phases. In the first phase, object  9  is rotated by 45° from an initial position shown in  FIG. 2  to a neutral position. In a second phase, the graphic object is rotated further to an angle of rotation of 90° such that only the virtual lateral face of graphic object  9  is still visible. The perspective representation of the rotation occurs in such a way that the observer looks directly onto graphic object  9 , i.e. the direction of observation for the perspective representation runs parallel to the normal of display surface  2 . 
     The following describes the parameterization of the rotational motion on the basis of position x, which represents for example the distance of a pixel of object  9  from axis of rotation  10  in the vertical direction. 
     The rotation of graphic object  9  is represented by successive intermediate images, which indicate successive positions of the pixels of graphic object  9 . In computing the graphic data for these positions x, the following computing steps are performed in the first phase: 
                     n   =       t   -     t   0         d   1         ;           (   i   )                 x   =       b   1     +       c   1     ·     n   4           ,           (   ii   )               
where
 
t is a system time, at which the information is shown on display surface  2 , where t=t 0  at the beginning of the rotation of the first phase,
 
d 1  is the duration of the first phase,
 
b 1  is the starting position of the pixel of graphic object  9 ,
 
c 1  is the total shift of the pixel of graphic object  9  in the first phase, and steps (i) and (ii) are repeated until t&gt;(t 0 +d 1 )
 
     For the second phase, the following computing steps are carried out: 
                     n   =         t   -     t   0         d   2       -   1       ;           (   i   )                 x   =       b   2     +       c   2     ·     (     1   -     n   4       )           ,           (   ii   )               
where
 
t is a system time, at which the information is shown on display surface  2 , where t=t 0  at the beginning of the rotation of the second phase,
 
d 2  is the duration of the second phase,
 
b 2  is the starting position of the pixel of graphic object  9 ,
 
c 2  is the total shift of the pixel of graphic object  9  in the second phase and
 
steps (i) and (ii) are repeated until: t&gt;(t 0 +d 2 ).
 
     The computing steps are performed by a computing unit  4  of control unit  3 , system clock  6  transmitting system time t to computing unit  4 . 
     Duration d 1  of the rotation of the first phase is in a range from 0.25 seconds to 1 second, in particular in a range from 0.6 seconds to 0.8 seconds. In the same way, the duration of the rotation of the second phase is in a range from 0.25 seconds to 1 second, in particular in a range from 0.6 seconds to 0.8 seconds. 
     According to exemplary embodiments, the data of the speedometer of the vehicle are transmitted to control unit  3  and thus computing unit  4  via vehicle bus  7 . These data are used by computing unit  4  to ascertain the duration of rotation for the two phases. The higher the speed of the vehicle, the longer the duration of the total rotation. 
     In another example, graphic object  9  is not rotated, but rather the image sequence fades out graphic object  9  in that the transparency of graphic object  9  is increased in the course of the image sequence until graphic object  9  has disappeared completely. For this purpose, the transparency is progressively increased as vehicle symbol  8  is represented as being closer to graphic object  9  on display surface  2 . The manner in which the transparency is increased corresponds to the manner in which graphic object  9  was rotated in the first example. The graphic object has disappeared entirely in particular when vehicle symbol  8  has reached the position of graphic object  9  so that there occurs no superposition of the representation of vehicle symbol  8  and graphic object  9 , in which object  9  possibly covers vehicle symbol  8 . 
     LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS 
     
         
           1  display device 
           2  display surface 
           3  control unit 
           4  computing unit 
           5  memory 
           6  system clock 
           7  vehicle bus 
           8  vehicle symbol 
           9  graphic object 
           10  horizontal axis