Patent Description:
Patent Literature <NUM> discloses a vehicle-mounted operation display device. The vehicle-mounted operation display device disclosed in Patent Literature <NUM> includes a monitor having a touch panel and a plurality of mechanical switches. The plurality of mechanical switches are disposed around the monitor. An icon corresponding to a function of an operated mechanical switch is displayed on the monitor.

Patent Literature <NUM>: <CIT>
<CIT> discloses a display device that displays content on a display integrated with a touch panel. <CIT> discloses a vehicle, a display device for vehicle, and a method controlling the vehicle display device.

An object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of more suitably displaying an operation unit that is operated for air conditioning in a vehicle interior or temperature adjustment of pieces of equipment on a touchscreen of a vehicle-mounted device.

A vehicle-mounted device according to a first aspect of the present invention.

characterized in that
the second pattern has a smaller display region for the first image and a larger display region for the second image than the first pattern.

A vehicle according to a second aspect of the present invention is equipped with the vehicle-mounted device according to the first aspect of the present invention.

A control method for a vehicle-mounted device according to a third aspect of the present invention.

A program according to a fourth aspect of the present invention.

According to the present invention, it is possible to more suitably display the operation unit that is operated for the air conditioning in the vehicle interior or the temperature adjustment of the pieces of equipment on the touchscreen of the vehicle-mounted device.

A vehicle-mounted device according to a first aspect of the present invention has a touchscreen. The touchscreen displays image information to be provided to a user and accepts input by the user's touch operation. In the vehicle-mounted device, a controller separately displays a first image and a second image on the touchscreen.

The first image is an image displaying an operation unit that is operated for air conditioning in a vehicle interior or temperature adjustment of pieces of equipment. That is, a user can perform the air conditioning in the vehicle interior or the temperature adjustment of the pieces of equipment by performing a touch operation on the operation unit displayed as the first image on the touchscreen. The second image is an image displaying image information different from the first image, i.e., image information different from the operation unit. As the image information displayed as the second image, map information for navigation or image information of video content can be named.

In the vehicle-mounted device, the operation unit displayed as the first image on the touchscreen is operated by a user in the vehicle interior with relatively high frequency. For this reason, even if the second image is displayed on the touchscreen, the first image is also displayed separately from the second image. This makes it possible to improve convenience when the user performs the air conditioning in the vehicle interior or the temperature adjustment of the pieces of equipment. Note that the user may wish to display more image information as the second image or display the second image with a larger size while separately displaying the first image and the second image on the touchscreen.

Under the circumstances, the vehicle-mounted device according to the first aspect of the present invention has a first pattern and a second pattern as a display pattern for separately displaying the first image and the second image on the touchscreen. That is, the first image and the second image are separately displayed on the touchscreen in each of the first pattern and the second pattern. Note that the first pattern and the second pattern are different in a size of a region where the first image is to be displayed and a size of a region where the second image is to be displayed on the touchscreen. Particularly, the second pattern has a smaller display region for the first image and a larger display region for the second image than the first pattern. The controller separately displays the first image and the second image in a display pattern that is either the first pattern or the second pattern.

The vehicle-mounted device according to the first aspect of the present invention is capable of switching between the first pattern and the second pattern as a display pattern for separately displaying the first image and the second image on the touchscreen in accordance with a user's request in the vehicle-mounted device. Thus, separate display of the first image and the second image compliant with the user's request is possible.

Specific embodiments of the present invention will be described below on the basis of the drawings.

<FIG> is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a vehicle-mounted device according to the present embodiment. A vehicle-mounted device <NUM> is a device which is to be mounted on a vehicle <NUM>. The vehicle-mounted device <NUM> is configured to include a computer having a processor <NUM>, a main storage <NUM>, and an auxiliary storage <NUM>. The vehicle-mounted device <NUM> also has a touchscreen <NUM>. The touchscreen <NUM> is a device including a display for displaying image information to be provided to a user and a touch panel for accepting input by the user's touch operation.

The processor <NUM> performs arithmetic processing for controlling the vehicle-mounted device <NUM>. The processor <NUM> is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor). The main storage <NUM> is, for example, a RAM (Random Access Memory). The auxiliary storage <NUM> is, for example, a ROM (Read Only Memory), an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), or a flash memory. The auxiliary storage <NUM> may include a removable medium (removable recording medium). The removable medium here is, for example, a USB memory, an SD card, or a disc recording medium, such as a CD-ROM, a DVD, or a Blu-ray Disc.

An operating system (OS), various types of programs, and various types of information tables are stored in the auxiliary storage <NUM>. Various types of image information to be displayed on the touchscreen <NUM> are also stored in the auxiliary storage <NUM>. The processor <NUM> loads a program stored in the auxiliary storage <NUM> into the main storage <NUM> and executes the program, thereby implementing control for displaying various types of image information on the touchscreen <NUM>. Note that the processor <NUM> corresponds to a "controller" according to the present invention in the present embodiment.

<FIG> is a view illustrating a first example of image display on the touchscreen <NUM> of the vehicle-mounted device <NUM>. <FIG> is a view illustrating a second example of the image display on the touchscreen <NUM> of the vehicle-mounted device <NUM>. In each of <FIG> and <FIG>, a first image i1 and a second image i2 are separately displayed on the touchscreen <NUM>. Note that <FIG> and <FIG> are different in display pattern. In <FIG>, the first image i1 and the second image i2 are separately displayed in a first pattern. In <FIG>, the first image i1 and the second image i2 are separately displayed in a second pattern.

The first image i1 is an image displaying an operation unit that is operated for air conditioning in a vehicle interior of the vehicle <NUM> or temperature adjustment of pieces of equipment. The operation unit is composed of a plurality of operation icons <NUM>. Each operation icon <NUM> is an icon indicating a button, a switch, a lever, or the like that is operated for the air conditioning in the vehicle interior or the temperature adjustment of the pieces of equipment. That is, in the vehicle <NUM>, the user performs a touch operation on each operation icon <NUM> in the first image i1, thereby performing the air conditioning in the vehicle interior or the temperature adjustment of the pieces of equipment.

An air conditioner (A/C) ON/OFF icon, a blower level control icon, a blower OFF icon, an inside/outside air selector icon, an automatic air conditioning ON/OFF icon, an air conditioner blowout mode selector icon, a seat air conditioning ON/OFF icon, and a steering heater ON/OFF icon can be named as the operation icons <NUM>. Note that the icons are merely illustrative and that the operation icons <NUM> are not limited to icons having such functions.

The second image i2 is image information displaying map information for navigation. As described above, various types of image information to be displayed on the touchscreen <NUM> are stored in the auxiliary storage <NUM>. The processor <NUM> acquires image information that is required to be displayed as the first image i1 and image information that is required to be displayed as the second image i2 from the auxiliary storage <NUM> and separately displays the both images i1 and i2 on the touchscreen <NUM>. Note that image information to be displayed on the touchscreen <NUM> need not be stored in the auxiliary storage <NUM>. For example, the vehicle-mounted device <NUM> may have a function of communicating with an external server device via a network. In this case, the processor <NUM> may receive image information, such as map information for navigation, from the external server device.

Assume here that a region where the first image i1 is displayed and a region where the second image i2 is displayed are a first region E1 and a second region E2, respectively, when the first image i1 and the second image i2 are separately displayed on a screen of the touchscreen <NUM>. As illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>, a display region is vertically split in two on the screen of the touchscreen <NUM>. A lower region is the first region E1, and an upper region is the second region E2.

In the above-described case, the first pattern illustrated in <FIG> and the second pattern illustrated in <FIG> are different in the sizes of the first region E1 and the second region E2 on the screen of the touchscreen <NUM>. That is, the second pattern has the smaller first region E1 and the larger second region E2 than the first pattern. Differences in image display between the first pattern and the second pattern will be described below in more detail.

In the first pattern, the first image i1 includes an image in a first tier and an image in a second tier (a broken line indicates a border between the image in the first tier and the image in the second tier in <FIG>), as illustrated in <FIG>. A plurality of operation icons <NUM> and a plurality of operation icons <NUM> are displayed in the first tier and the second tire, respectively, of the first image i1. In this case, the operation icons <NUM> displayed in the first tier will be referred to as first operation icons while the operation icons <NUM> displayed in the second tire will be referred to as second operation icons. The second operation icons here are generally icons which are operated by a user less frequently than the first operation icons. The first operation icons are, for example, an air conditioner (A/C) ON/OFF icon, a blower level control icon, a blower OFF icon, an inside/outside air selector icon, and an automatic air conditioning ON/OFF icon. The second operation icons are, for example, an air conditioner blowout mode selector icon, a seat air conditioning ON/OFF icon, and a steering heater ON/OFF icon.

In contrast, in the second pattern, an image in a first tier alone is displayed as the first image i1, as illustrated in <FIG>. That is, in the second pattern, the second operation icons are hidden, and the first operation icons alone are displayed in the first image i1. As a result, in the second pattern, the first region E1 on the screen of the touchscreen <NUM> is smaller than the first region E1 in the first pattern by an amount corresponding to the image in the second tier of the first image i1 that is hidden. In the second pattern, the second region E2 on the screen of the touchscreen <NUM> is larger than the second region E2 in the first pattern by the amount corresponding to the image in the second tier of the first image i1 that is hidden. For this reason, in the second pattern, a wider range of map information than in the first pattern is displayed as the second image i2 in the second region E2. Note that the number of types of the operation icons <NUM> displayed in the first image i1 is smaller in the second pattern than in the first pattern. The number of user-adjustable items related to the air conditioning in the vehicle interior or the temperature adjustment of the pieces of equipment is smaller in the second pattern.

As illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>, a selector icon <NUM> is displayed on the touchscreen <NUM> in each display pattern of the first pattern and the second pattern. The selector icon <NUM> is an icon which is operated to switch between the first pattern and the second pattern. That is, in the vehicle-mounted device <NUM>, a display pattern is switched by a user performing a touch operation on the selector icon <NUM> when the first image i1 and the second image i2 are separately displayed on the touchscreen <NUM>.

<FIG> is a flowchart illustrating a flow of switching control of the display pattern for image display in the vehicle-mounted device <NUM>, according to the present embodiment. The flow is executed by the processor <NUM>. The flow is assumed to be repeatedly executed at predetermined intervals when the first image i1 and the second image i2 are separately displayed in the first pattern on the touchscreen <NUM>.

In the flow, it is first judged in S101 whether a display pattern switching operation is made by a user. Specifically, it is judged whether a touch operation on the selector icon <NUM> is detected on the screen of the touchscreen <NUM>. If a touch operation on the selector icon <NUM> is not detected (NO in S101), the flow is ended.

On the other hand, if a touch operation on the selector icon <NUM> is detected (YES in S101), a process in S102 is executed. In S102, the display pattern is switched from the first pattern to the second pattern. Specifically, the image in the second tier in the first image i1 is hidden, and a display range for map information in the second image i2 is enlarged. After that, the flow is ended.

When the first image i1 and the second image i2 are separately displayed in the second pattern on the touchscreen <NUM>, display pattern switching control is similarly executed by the processor <NUM>. In this case, when a touch operation on the selector icon <NUM> is detected, the display pattern is switched from the second pattern to the first pattern. Specifically, the image in the second tier in the first image i1 is displayed, and the display range for the map information in the second image i2 is reduced.

According to the present embodiment, the first image i1 and the second image i2 are separately displayed on the touchscreen <NUM>. This allows a user to operate various types of operation icons <NUM> in the first image i1 while map information for navigation is displayed as the second image i2. It is thus possible to improve convenience when the user performs the air conditioning in the vehicle interior or the temperature adjustment of the pieces of equipment.

A user can select the first pattern or the second pattern as a display pattern at the time of separately displaying the first image i1 and the second image i2 on the touchscreen <NUM>. For this reason, if the user wishes to display a wider range of map information as map information for navigation, the user can select the second pattern. If the user wishes to more appropriately perform the air conditioning in the vehicle interior or the temperature adjustment of the pieces of equipment, the user can select the first pattern.

In the present embodiment, objects to be hidden in the second pattern are the second operation icons in the first image i1. That is, in the second pattern, the first operation icons that are operated more frequently than the second operation icons in the first image i1 are similarly displayed on the touchscreen <NUM>. It is thus possible to curb reduction in the convenience when a user performs the air conditioning in the vehicle interior and the temperature adjustment of the pieces of equipment that accompanies selection of the second pattern.

Note that map information for navigation is set as image information to be displayed as the second image i2 on the touchscreen <NUM> in the present embodiment. Note that the image information to be displayed as the second image i2 on the touchscreen <NUM> is not limited to map information for navigation. For example, the image information to be displayed as the second image i2 on the touchscreen <NUM> may be image information of video content (i.e., video information). If the vehicle-mounted device <NUM> has a communication function of connecting to the Internet, the image information to be displayed as the second image i2 on the touchscreen <NUM> may be image information of a Web page.

In the present embodiment, a first image i1 and a second image i2 are separately displayed on a touchscreen <NUM> of a vehicle-mounted device <NUM>. If image information displaying map information for navigation is displayed as the second image i2, the first image i1 and the second image i2 are separately displayed in a first pattern or a second pattern, as in the first embodiment. Note that, if image information of video content is displayed as the second image i2, an image display pattern on the touchscreen <NUM> is different from the first pattern and the second pattern in the present embodiment.

<FIG> is a view illustrating a third example of image display on the touchscreen <NUM> of the vehicle-mounted device <NUM>. <FIG> is a view illustrating a fourth example of the image display on the touchscreen <NUM> of the vehicle-mounted device <NUM>. <FIG> is a view illustrating a fifth example of the image display on the touchscreen <NUM> of the vehicle-mounted device <NUM>. In each of <FIG>, <FIG>, and <FIG>, image information of video content is displayed as the second image i2. Note that <FIG>, <FIG>, and <FIG> are different in display pattern.

In <FIG>, the first image i1 and the second image i2 are separately displayed in a third pattern. In the third pattern, displayed contents of and a display region for the first image i1 are the same as displayed contents of and a display region for the first image i1 in the first pattern. That is, in the third pattern, the first image i1 includes an image in a first tier and an image in a second tier, in each of which a plurality of operation icons <NUM> are displayed. On a screen of the touchscreen <NUM>, the first image i1 is displayed in the same region as a first region E1 in the first pattern.

In the third pattern, the second image i2 is displayed on a reduced scale in a partial region in a second region E2 in the first pattern, on the screen of the touchscreen <NUM>. In the third pattern, a zoom in icon <NUM> is displayed on the touchscreen <NUM>. The zoom in icon <NUM> is an icon which is operated to zoom in the second image i2 displayed on the reduced scale. In the vehicle-mounted device <NUM>, the display pattern is switched to a fourth pattern illustrated in <FIG> by a user performing a touch operation on the zoom in icon <NUM> when the first image i1 and the second image i2 are separately displayed in the third pattern on the touchscreen <NUM>.

The second image i2 is displayed in the fourth pattern in <FIG>. In the fourth pattern, the second image i2 is displayed over the entire second region E2. In the fourth pattern, the first image i1 is hidden on the touchscreen <NUM>. In the fourth pattern, a display icon <NUM> is displayed on the touchscreen <NUM> instead of the first image i1. The display icon <NUM> is an icon which is operated to display the first image i1.

In the fourth pattern, the display icon <NUM> is displayed in the same region as the first region E1 in the second pattern on the screen of the touchscreen <NUM>. The second region E2 where the second image i2 is to be displayed is enlarged to the same region as the second region E2 in the second pattern <NUM> on the screen of the touchscreen <NUM>.

That is, in the vehicle-mounted device <NUM> according to the present embodiment, if image information of video content is displayed as the second image i2 over the entire second region E2 on the screen of the touchscreen <NUM>, the first image i1 is hidden, and the size of the second region E2 is enlarged. This makes it possible to prevent a user from feeling cumbersomeness toward display of the first image i1 when the user views video content with the vehicle-mounted device <NUM>. Additionally, the video content can be displayed with as large a size as possible on the touchscreen <NUM>. Thus, the user can view the video content in a more comfortable state in the vehicle-mounted device <NUM>.

In the vehicle-mounted device <NUM>, the display pattern is switched to a fifth pattern illustrated in <FIG> by a user performing a touch operation on the display icon <NUM> when the second image i2 is displayed in the fourth pattern on the touchscreen <NUM>.

In <FIG>, the first image i1 and the second image i2 are separately displayed in the fifth pattern. That is, in the fifth pattern, the display icon <NUM> is hidden in a state where the second image i2 is displayed over the entire second region E2, and the first image i1 is displayed in the first region E1, on the touchscreen <NUM>. This allows a user to perform air conditioning in a vehicle interior or temperature adjustment of pieces of equipment while viewing video content in the vehicle-mounted device <NUM>. Note that image display in the third pattern, the fourth pattern, or the fifth pattern is executed by a processor <NUM> in the vehicle-mounted device <NUM>.

<FIG> is a flowchart illustrating a flow of switching control of the display pattern for image display in the vehicle-mounted device <NUM>, according to the present embodiment. The flow is executed by the processor <NUM>. The flow is assumed to be repeatedly executed at predetermined intervals when the second image i2 is displayed in the fourth pattern on the touchscreen <NUM>.

In the flow, it is first judged in S201 whether an operation to redisplay the first image i1 is performed by a user. Specifically, it is judged whether a touch operation on the display icon <NUM> is detected on the screen of the touchscreen <NUM>. If a touch operation on the display icon <NUM> is not detected (NO in S201), the flow is ended.

On the other hand, if a touch operation on the display icon <NUM> is detected (YES in S201), a process in S202 is executed. In S202, the display pattern is switched from the fourth pattern to the fifth pattern. Specifically, the display icon <NUM> is hidden in a state where the second image i2 is displayed, and the first image i1 is displayed.

In S203, it is judged whether a state of non-operation on the operation icons <NUM> of an operation unit in the first image i1 is continued for a predetermined period or longer. Specifically, it is judged whether a state where no touch operation on the operation icons <NUM> is detected on the screen of the touchscreen <NUM> is continued for the predetermined period or longer. If the state where no touch operation on the operation icons <NUM> is detected is not continued for the predetermined period or longer (NO in S203), the process in S203 is executed again. On the other hand, if the state where no touch operation on the operation icons <NUM> is detected is continued for the predetermined period or longer (YES in S203), a process in S204 is executed. In S204, the display pattern is switched from the fifth pattern to the fourth pattern. Specifically, the first image i1 is hidden, and the display icon <NUM> is redisplayed. After that, the flow is ended.

With the above-described flow, if the air conditioning in the vehicle interior or the temperature adjustment of the pieces of equipment is not performed for the predetermined period or longer by the user after the display pattern is switched from the fourth pattern to the fifth pattern, the display pattern can be automatically returned to the fourth pattern.

Note that image information of video content corresponds to "predetermined image information" according to the present disclosure in the present embodiment. Note that the predetermined image information according to the present disclosure is not limited to image information of video content and may be different image information.

The embodiments described above are merely examples, and the present invention is defined by the appending claims.

Furthermore, a process that is described to be performed by one apparatus may be shared and performed by a plurality of apparatuses. Processes described to be performed by different apparatuses may be performed by one apparatus. Which function is to be implemented by which hardware configuration (server configuration) in a computer system may be flexibly changed.

Claim 1:
A vehicle-mounted device (<NUM>) having a touchscreen (<NUM>), comprising
a controller (<NUM>) configured to separately display a first image (i1) displaying an operation unit (<NUM>) that is operated for air conditioning in a vehicle interior or temperature adjustment of pieces of equipment and a second image (i2) displaying image information different from the first image (i1) on the touchscreen (<NUM>),
wherein the vehicle-mounted device (<NUM>) has a first pattern and a second pattern as a display pattern for separately displaying the first image (i1) and the second image (i2), and the controller switches between the first pattern and the second pattern,
characterized in that the second pattern has a smaller display region for the first image (i1) and a larger display region for the second image (i2) than the first pattern.