Patent Publication Number: US-2022234445-A1

Title: Head-up display control system and head-up display display method

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is based upon and claims priority from the Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-010800, filed on Jan. 27, 2021, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Technical Field 
     The present invention relates to a head-up display control system and a head-up display display method. 
     Related Art 
     Conventionally, there is known a vehicle provided with a head-up display (hereinafter, referred to as a head-up display (HUD) device) that displays an image regarding basic information for a driver on a front windshield. 
     For example, JP 2014-216714 A discloses that a part of information displayed on a mobile terminal operated by a passenger is displayed on a HUD device, or conversely, a part of information displayed on the HUD device is displayed on the mobile terminal operated by the passenger. 
     SUMMARY 
     There is a case where a user of a vehicle prefers displaying information on another mobile terminal installed in the vehicle rather than displaying information on a front windshield. In the HUD device disclosed in JP 2014-216714 A, the passenger needs to operate the mobile terminal, which is complicated, and it is difficult for the driver to easily visually recognize the mobile terminal operated by the passenger. 
     The present invention is achieved in view of the above-described points, and an object thereof is to provide a head-up display control system and a head-up display display method capable of changing an information display quantity of a head-up display device corresponding to an installation status of a mobile terminal. 
     In order to achieve the above-described object, the present invention 
     The present invention may realize a head-up display control system and a head-up display display method capable of changing an information display quantity of a head-up display device corresponding to an installation status of a mobile terminal. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a block configuration diagram of a head-up display control system according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram illustrating a display principle of an optical system forming a head-up display device illustrated in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a partial virtual perspective view illustrating a state in which a mobile terminal is installed on a terminal holder illustrated in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4A  is a schematic diagram illustrating a first information display quantity of a virtual image of the head-up display device in a state in which the mobile terminal is not installed on the terminal holder, and  FIG. 4B  is a schematic diagram illustrating a second information display quantity of the virtual image of the head-up display device in a state in which the mobile terminal is installed on the terminal holder; 
         FIG. 5A  is a schematic diagram illustrating a specific example of the first information display quantity displayed on the virtual image,  FIG. 5B  is a schematic diagram illustrating a specific example of the second information display quantity after the mobile terminal is installed on the terminal holder, and  FIG. 5C  is a schematic diagram illustrating a state in which information displayed in the first information display quantity but is not displayed in the second information display quantity is displayed on the mobile terminal; 
         FIG. 6  is a partial virtual perspective view illustrating a state in which a mobile terminal is not installed yet on a terminal holder in a head-up display control system according to another embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a partial virtual perspective view illustrating a state in which the mobile terminal is installed on the terminal holder in the state illustrated in  FIG. 6 ; and 
         FIG. 8A  is a schematic diagram illustrating a second display region and a third display region in a state in which the mobile terminal is not installed yet on the terminal holder, and  FIG. 8B  is a schematic diagram illustrating a relationship among first to third display regions in a state in which the mobile terminal is installed on the terminal holder. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Next, an embodiment of the present invention is described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate. In  FIGS. 3, 6, and 7 , “front/rear” indicates a vehicle front-and-rear direction, “right/left” indicates a vehicle width direction (right-and-left direction), and “up/down” indicates a vehicle up-and-down direction (vertical up-and-down direction). 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , a head-up display control system  10  according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided with a head-up display device  12  (hereinafter, referred to as a HUD device  12 ), a terminal holder  14 , a mobile terminal installation detection unit  16 , and a control unit  18 . 
     The HUD device  12  displays display information such as, for example, a vehicle speed, a shift position, travel guidance, warning display, and an operation status of a drive support function in a position overlapping with a window. Specifically, for example, this is displayed on a lower side of a front window (window)  22  as a virtual image  20  so as to float in a vehicle front position with respect to a driver (refer to  FIG. 2 ). The HUD device  12  includes an optical system  24  and an information display quantity change unit  26  (refer to  FIG. 1 ). 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the optical system  24  is provided with a light source  28 , a reflection mirror (plane mirror)  30 , and concave mirror (magnifier)  32 . The optical system  24  is mounted, for example, in a space on a back side of an instrument panel located on a vehicle front side with respect to the driver. The light source  28  is formed of, for example, a cold cathode tube or a light emitting diode, and outputs visible light corresponding to the virtual image  20  visually recognized by the driver. The visible light (information) emitted from the light source  28  is returned back by the reflection mirror  30  to be enlarged by the concave mirror  32 . The display enlarged by the concave mirror  32  is reflected by the front window  22 , and the driver may visually recognize the same as the virtual image  20 . 
     The HUD device  12  includes the information display quantity change unit  26  that changes an information display quantity (type of display information) displayed as the virtual image  20  on the front window  22 . The information display quantity change unit  26  switches the information display quantity of the virtual image  20  from a first information display quantity Q 1 , which is a normal information display quantity of the virtual image  20  of the HUD device  12  set in advance, to a second information display quantity Q 2  with fewer types of display information as compared with the first information display quantity Q 1  when the mobile terminal installation detection unit  16  detects that the mobile terminal  36  is installed on the terminal holder  14  (Q 1 →Q 2 ). 
     The first information display quantity Q 1  and the second information display quantity Q 2  may be manually set in advance by an operator, for example, or it is possible to detect an area (refer to  FIG. 4B ) of a superimposed portion S between the virtual image  20  and the mobile terminal  36  by an imaging sensor not illustrated installed in the vehicle, and the control unit  18  automatically determines the second information display quantity Q 2  using detection information thereof. 
     The terminal holder  14  is arranged in the vicinity of the front window  22  in a vehicle interior, on a rear side of the instrument panel, and on a back side (front side) of a steering wheel  40 . As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the terminal holder  14  supports a rear surface of a mobile terminal  36  including a display screen  34  on a front surface visible to the driver, so that the mobile terminal  36  is installed thereon. 
     The terminal holder  14  has a horizontally long rectangular shape in a horizontal direction as seen from a vehicle rear side, and is arranged behind the steering wheel  40  in an annular shape that forms a steering mechanism  38  of a vehicle (vehicle front side). The installed mobile terminal  36  is in a state in which the display screen  34  is exposed from the inside of the steering wheel  40  toward the vehicle rear side. That is, the mobile terminal  36  is installed on the terminal holder  14  in a state in which the driver may look straight at the display screen  34  inside the steering wheel  40 . Both ends in the vehicle width direction of the terminal holder  14  are supported by a pair of arms  52  and  52  to be described later (refer to  FIG. 3 ). 
     A shaft  42  is inserted into a cylindrical portion  48  extending in the vehicle front-and-rear direction of a steering hanger  46 . A steering hanger pipe  50  of the steering hanger  46  is fixed above the cylindrical portion  48  so as to be orthogonal to the cylindrical portion  48 . The steering hanger pipe  50  extends in the vehicle width direction, and the pair of arms  52  and  52  is fixed to positions equidistant from a position orthogonal to the cylindrical portion  48  to both right and left sides. 
     Each arm  52  protrudes to extend to the vehicle front side. The terminal holder  14  is supported by support units  54  and  54  at distal ends of the pair of extending arms  52  and  52 . A disk  44  is fixed to a distal end of the shaft  42  on a side opposite to the cylindrical portion  48 . The disk  44  is arranged so as to be spaced apart from the terminal holder  14  with a clearance therebetween. 
     The mobile terminal installation detection unit  16  detects whether the mobile terminal  36  is installed on the terminal holder  14 . The mobile terminal installation detection unit  16  includes, for example, one that detects installation by a mechanical means and one that detects installation by an electric means or a magnetic means such as a sensor. As the mechanical means, for example, a switch mechanism may be provided in which a plate spring not illustrated having conductivity is mounted on a front surface of the terminal holder  14  in contact with the rear surface of the mobile terminal  36  or a lower surface of the terminal holder  14  in contact with a lower surface of the mobile terminal  36 , and the plate spring is elastically deformed by being pressed by the mobile terminal  36  installed on the terminal holder  14  to be brought into contact with a conductive metal plate arranged in the vicinity of the plate spring, so that a switch is switched from an off state to an on state. 
     As the electric means, for example, a proximity switch (proximity sensor) and the like not illustrated may be mounted on the terminal holder  14 , and the installation of the mobile terminal  36  on the terminal holder  14  may be detected by a detection signal output from the proximity switch. 
     The control unit  18  controls the HUD device  12 . The control unit  18  changes the information display quantity of the virtual image  20  of the HUD device  12  from the first information display quantity Q 1  to the second information display quantity Q 2  when the installation of the mobile terminal  36  is detected by the mobile terminal installation detection unit  16 . 
     The head-up display control system  10  according to this embodiment is basically configured as described above, and functions and effects thereof are next described. 
     First, in this embodiment, the mobile terminal installation detection unit  16  detects whether the mobile terminal  36  is installed on the terminal holder  14 . In a state in which the mobile terminal  36  is not installed on the terminal holder  14 , the information display quantity of the virtual image  20  of the HUD device  12  is kept at the normal first information display quantity Q 1  set in advance (refer to  FIGS. 4A and 5A ). 
     For example, when the mobile terminal  36  such as a tablet is installed on the terminal holder  14  arranged on the back side of the steering wheel  40 , an installation region of the mobile terminal  36  and a display region of the HUD device  12  might be superimposed on each other depending on a size of the installed mobile terminal  36  (refer to superimposed portion S in  FIG. 4B ). In this case, as illustrated in  FIG. 5B , the display screen of the mobile terminal  36  is located on a driver side, and a display screen of the HUD device  12  is displayed on a back side of the mobile terminal  36 , so that it is difficult for the driver to visually recognize a part of the virtual image  20  (display information) of the HUD device  12  in the superimposed portion S. For example, in  FIG. 5B , the display information of “shift position” and “vehicle speed” displayed in the superimposed portion S are hidden by the mobile terminal  36 , so that it becomes difficult to visually recognize the same. 
     Therefore, in this embodiment, when the mobile terminal installation detection unit  16  detects that the mobile terminal  36  is installed on the terminal holder  14 , the mobile terminal installation detection unit  16  outputs a detection signal to the control unit  18 . When the detection signal is input to the control unit  18 , the control unit  18  outputs an information display quantity change signal that changes the information display quantity of the virtual image  20  of the HUD device  12  from the first information display quantity Q 1  to the second information display quantity Q 2  to the HUD device  12 . Accordingly, the information display quantity of the virtual image  20  of the HUD device  12  is switched from the normal first information display quantity Q 1  to the second information display quantity Q 2  smaller than the normal information display quantity. 
     By switching from the first information display quantity Q 1  to the second information display quantity Q 2 , the control unit  18  transfers the display information of the superimposed portion S displayed in the first information display quantity Q 1  but not displayed in the second information display quantity Q 2  to the mobile terminal  36  and displays the same on the display screen  34  of the mobile terminal  36  (refer to  FIG. 1 ). That is, the display information of “shift position” and the display information of “vehicle speed” not displayed in the second information display quantity Q 2  (refer to  FIG. 5B ) are transferred to the mobile terminal  36 , and the display information of “shift position” and the display information of “vehicle speed” are displayed on the display screen  34  of the mobile terminal  36  (refer to  FIG. 5C ). 
     Accordingly, the driver may surely visually recognize at least a part of the display information of the virtual image  20  of the HUD device  12  difficult to be visually recognized due to an upper portion of the mobile terminal  36  as an obstacle when the mobile terminal  36  is installed on the terminal holder  14  by the display screen  34  of the mobile terminal  36 . 
     In this embodiment, although a case where a part of the display information of the virtual image  20  of the HUD device  12  superimposed on the mobile terminal  36  is transferred to the mobile terminal  36  when the mobile terminal  36  is installed on the terminal holder  14  is illustrated, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the operator may arbitrarily select (one or a plurality of pieces of) desired display information to be displayed on the virtual image  20  of the HUD device  12  using a switch device not illustrated, and display the selected desired display information on the display screen  34  of the mobile terminal  36 . 
     In this embodiment, although a case where the mobile terminal  36  installed on the terminal holder  14  is superimposed on a part of the display information of the virtual image  20  of the HUD device  12  is described, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, even in a case where the mobile terminal  36  installed on the terminal holder  14  and the display information of the virtual image  20  of the HUD device  12  are spaced apart and not superimposed on each other, the information display quantity of the virtual image  20  of the HUD device  12  may be controlled to be switched from the normal first information display quantity Q 1  to the second information display quantity Q 2  smaller than the normal information display quantity. 
     Next, a head-up display control system  100  according to another embodiment of the present invention is described. The same component as that of the above-described embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 1 to 3  is assigned with the same reference sign, and a detailed description thereof is not repeated. 
       FIG. 6  is a partial virtual perspective view illustrating a state in which a mobile terminal is not installed yet on a terminal holder in the head-up display control system according to another embodiment of the present invention,  FIG. 7  is a partial virtual perspective view illustrating a state in which the mobile terminal is installed on the terminal holder in the state illustrated in  FIG. 6 ,  FIG. 8A  is a schematic diagram illustrating a second display region and a third display region in the state in which the mobile terminal is not installed yet on the terminal holder, and  FIG. 8B  is a schematic diagram illustrating a relationship among first to third display regions in the state in which the mobile terminal is installed on the terminal holder. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 6 , the head-up display control system  100  according to another embodiment is different from that of the above-described embodiment in that a display unit  110  capable of displaying display information is provided on a vehicle rear surface of a terminal holder  14   a  close to a driver side. 
     A display region of a display screen of a mobile terminal  36  is set as a first display region R 1 , a display region in which a virtual image  20  of a HUD device  12  is displayed is set as a second display region R 2 , and a display region of the display unit  110  provided on the terminal holder  14   a  is set as a third display region R 3  (refer to  FIGS. 8A and 8B ). In this case, a size relationship of the areas of the display regions is represented as second display region R 2 &lt;third display region R 3 &lt;first display region R 1 . That is, the area of the first display region R 1  is larger than the area of the third display region R 3  (refer to  FIG. 8B ). 
     Accordingly, in a case where the mobile terminal  36  including the first display region R 1  larger than the third display region R 3  is installed on the terminal holder  14 , a user of the vehicle might want to increase an information display quantity of the mobile terminal  36  arranged in the vicinity of the third display region R 3  as compared with the information display quantity of the virtual image  20  of the HUD device  12 . By controlling to switch the information display quantity of the virtual image of the HUD device  12  from the first information display quantity Q 1  to the second information display quantity Q 2  in response to such a request of the user, it is possible to meet the needs of the user. 
     In this embodiment, a case where the virtual image  20  of the HUD device  12  is directly displayed on the front window  22  is illustrated as the “position overlapping with the window”, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and for example, a case where the display information of the HUD device  12  is displayed on a half mirror not illustrated fixed onto the instrument panel and installed in front of the front window  22  is also included.