WO2020070970A1 - Vehicular display device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention is a vehicular display device that is used in a vehicle (A) and displays information in a display region (10), the device comprising: a decorative member (70, 270, 370, 470, 570) that comprises at least one light-reflecting reflective-function surface (73, 271, 273, 373), and is provided in the display region to decorate the display region; and a photographing unit (60) that uses the reflection of light by the reflective-function surface to photograph passengers in the vehicle.

Description

Display device for vehicles Cross-reference of related applications

This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-188439 filed on Oct. 3, 2018, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

The present disclosure relates to a display device for a vehicle used in a vehicle.

Conventionally, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a structure in which a camera for photographing a driver of a vehicle is provided in a meter device. In this meter device, the camera photographs the driver through a near-infrared light transmitting portion provided on the dial so as to avoid the rotation range of the hands.

場合 When the driver is photographed from the front as in the configuration disclosed in Patent Literature 1, the camera must be provided so as to face the occupant. Therefore, the camera and the transmissive portion are arranged so as to be easily perceived by the driver. If a camera is provided at a position that is hardly perceived in order to suppress the influence on the design due to such an arrangement, it may be difficult to secure a shooting angle of view of the camera.

JP 2008-74146 A

The present disclosure has an object to provide a vehicle display device capable of securing a shooting angle of view of an imaging unit while suppressing an influence on a design due to provision of an imaging unit.

In an aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicular display device that is used in a vehicle and that displays information in a display area has at least one reflection function surface that reflects light, and is provided in the display area to add the display area. The vehicle further includes a decorating member to decorate, and an imaging unit that captures an occupant of the vehicle by using light reflection by the reflection function surface.

表示 The display area in which the decorative member is provided in this mode is generally arranged facing the occupant in order to realize easy-to-see information display. By providing a reflection function surface on the decorative member having such an arrangement, and photographing the occupant using the reflection of the reflection function surface, even if the imaging unit is arranged so as not to be easily perceived by the occupant, the imaging unit can move the occupant from a preferable direction. A captured image can be captured. According to the above, it is possible to secure the shooting angle of view of the imaging unit while suppressing the influence on the design due to the provision of the imaging unit.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawing is
It is a diagram showing a layout of the display device according to the first embodiment in a vehicle, It is a front view of the display device, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG. 2, showing a mechanical configuration of a display device and details of an optical axis of a camera; FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an electrical configuration of the display device, It is a diagram showing a configuration of a camera, It is a diagram showing a photographing range of the driver's face photographed by the imaging function of the display device, It is a diagram showing the mechanical configuration of the display device according to the second embodiment, and details of two imaging axes, It is a diagram showing the details of the synthesis processing by the imaging control unit, It is a front view of a display device according to a third embodiment, FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XX of FIG. 9, illustrating a mechanical configuration of the display device and details of an optical axis of the camera; FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing Modification Example 1 of the second embodiment, assuming a cross section taken along line XI-XI in FIG. 2; It is a figure which shows the modification 2 of the first embodiment, FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a third modification of the first embodiment.

(First embodiment)
The display device 100 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 is a combination meter used in the vehicle A. The display device 100 is installed in the cabin of the vehicle A in front of a seat (driver's seat 3) on which an occupant (driver) sits. The front of the display device 100 is directed to the driver's seat side. The display device 100 presents various information related to the vehicle A to a driver sitting in the driver's seat 3.

In the following description, expressions related to directions such as front and rear, up and down, and left and right are defined with reference to the vehicle A placed on a horizontal plane. Right and left are defined based on the driver sitting in the driver's seat 3. Also, the direction in which the display of the display device 100 is directed is the front direction, and the direction opposite to the front direction is the back direction.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the steering operation unit 4 of the vehicle A is provided between the display device 100 and the headrest of the driver's seat 3 in the cabin of the vehicle A. The steering operation unit 4 constitutes an operation unit operated by a driver in a steering system for steering the vehicle A. The steering operation unit 4 can adjust the relative position with respect to the display device 100 and the instrument panel 2. As an example, the steering operation unit 4 is movable in the direction of the rotation axis of the steering wheel 5 and in the vertical direction. The steering operation unit 4 has a configuration including a steering wheel 5 and a column cover 6.

The steering wheel 5 has an annular rim portion 5a gripped by a driver, a center pad portion 5b supported by a steering shaft, and a spoke portion 5c connecting the rim portion 5a and the center pad portion 5b. The steering wheel 5 has an opening 5e surrounded by a rim 5a, a center pad 5b, and a spoke 5c. The opening 5e is substantially semicircular or approximately crescent-shaped. When the vehicle A is traveling straight, the driver can visually recognize the display on the display device 100 through the opening 5e.

The column cover 6 is a cover member between the instrument panel 2 and the steering wheel 5 which covers a column mechanism including a steering shaft from outside. The column cover 6 is located in front of the center pad portion 5b, and has a top surface shape that does not hinder the visibility of the display device 100 through the opening 5e.

表示 As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a display area 10 is provided in front of the display device 100. The display area 10 displays information related to the vehicle A to a driver sitting in the driver's seat 3 behind. The display area 10 is assumed to be visually recognized from the reference eye point center CSE (see FIG. 6) through the opening 5e of the steering wheel 5.

The reference eye point center CSE is a virtual point set for each vehicle, and is a point representing the positions of the left and right eyes of the driver in a normal driving state. The reference eye point center CSE is generally set at a height of 635 mm immediately above the seating reference point. The seating reference point is the position of the mannequin H (the hip joint point of the mannequin) when the mannequin is seated on a seat such as a driver's seat by the seating method specified in ISO 6549-1980, or on a seat corresponding thereto. Refers to the design standard position set in.

The display area 10 is formed by the pointer display sections 11 and 12, the multi-display section 13, the telltale display section 14, and the like.

(4) The pointer display sections 11 and 12 are arranged on the left and right sides of the multi display section 13 in the display area 10. The display by the pointer display units 11 and 12 is formed by a display plate 21 that displays a design part such as a numerical value and a scale, and a pointer 23 that rotates along the pointer display plate 21. The hands 11 and 12 display hands, for example, the speed of the vehicle A, the engine rotation speed, and the powering output.

The multi display unit 13 is arranged at the center of the display area 10. The multi display unit 13 is formed by a display such as a liquid crystal display 41 or an EL (Electro Luminescence) display. Various images are displayed on the multi display unit 13. Specifically, various alarms, status information related to the driving support function, and information such as e-mails are displayed on the multi-display unit 13.

The telltale display section 14 is arranged above the multi-display section 13 in the display area 10. The telltale display section 14 is formed by a design plate 24 provided with a number of design sections that are turned on as warning lights. The telltale display unit 14 alerts the driver by turning on a warning light.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the display device 100 has a mechanical or electrical configuration, in addition to the above-described pointer display plate 21, the pointer 23, the design plate 24, and the liquid crystal display 41, a frame-shaped display plate 25. , A decorative member 70, a circuit board 29, and a housing 30.

(4) The pointer display plate 21 is formed using a transparent resin material such as polycarbonate formed into a circular sheet as a base material. The light-shielding range that occupies most of the pointer display plate 21 is formed by dark-colored (for example, black) light-shielding printing or the like, and is a range that does not substantially transmit visible light. In the vicinity of the outer edge of the pointer display plate 21, design portions such as numerals and scales are formed. The design portion is a transmission range that transmits at least visible light, and is formed by light-transmitting printing or the like that is performed instead of light-shielding printing.

The pointer 23 is formed in a tapered column shape by a transparent resin material. The pointer 23 is attached to a rotation shaft of a stepper motor 42 described later, and rotates integrally with the rotation shaft. The pointer 23 forms a display on each of the pointer display sections 11 and 12 by pointing the design section by rotation.

The design plate 24 is formed using a transparent resin material such as polycarbonate formed into a rectangular sheet as a base material. The light-shielding range that occupies most of the pointer display plate 21 is formed by dark light-shielding printing or the like, and is a range that does not substantially transmit visible light. The design plate 24 has a large number of design portions such as icons that function as warning lights. Similarly to the pointer display plate 21, the design portion is formed by translucent printing or the like that is performed instead of light-shielding printing.

The liquid crystal display 41 is installed between the two pointer display plates 21. The liquid crystal display 41 includes a liquid crystal panel, a backlight, and the like, and has a thick plate shape as a whole. The liquid crystal display 41 transmits and illuminates the image drawn on the liquid crystal panel with a backlight, and causes the display surface to emit and display the image.

The frame-shaped display plate 25 is formed using a transparent resin material such as a sheet-like polycarbonate as a base material. The light-shielding range that occupies most of the frame-shaped display panel 25 is formed by applying dark-colored light-shielding printing, and is a range that does not substantially transmit visible light. The overall shape of the frame-shaped display plate 25 corresponds to the outer edge shape of the display area 10. The frame-shaped display plate 25 is provided with a plurality of openings corresponding to the shapes of the display units 11 to 14. The frame-shaped display plate 25 forms a portion of the display area 10 that is outside the areas of the hands 11, 12, the multi-display 13, and the telltale display 14.

The decorative member 70 is formed by depositing a metal material such as aluminum on the surface of a colorless and transparent resin material base material. By such metal plating, the outer surface of the decorative member 70 is mirror-finished. The decorative member 70 is formed in a frame shape corresponding to the outer edge shape of each of the display units 11 to 14. The decorative member 70 is disposed in front of the pointer display panel 21 and the frame display panel 25 so as to hide the outer edges of the display units 11 to 14 from the viewing side. The decorating member 70 decorates each of the display units 11 to 14.

The circuit board 29 is formed in a rectangular plate shape as a whole. Of the two mounting surfaces of the circuit board 29, one facing the front direction is a display-side mounting surface 29a, and the other is a connection-side mounting surface 29b. A large number of light emitting diodes 43 and the like are mounted on the display side mounting surface 29a. The light-emitting diode 43 is a light source that causes each design portion formed on the pointer display plate 21 and the design plate 24, the pointer 23, and the like to emit light. A stepper motor 42, an external connector 44, and the like are mounted on the connection side mounting surface 29b. The stepper motor 42 is a movement that drives the hands 23 to rotate. The external connector 44 is connected to a connector on the vehicle side. The external connector 44 is supplied with power necessary for operating the display device 100, information necessary for presenting information, and the like.

表示 A display control unit 40 for controlling the display of the display area 10 is formed on the circuit board 29. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the display control unit 40 is electrically connected to a liquid crystal display 41, a stepper motor 42, a light emitting diode 43, and the like. The display control unit 40 acquires information necessary for information presentation from the vehicle-mounted network via the external connector 44. The display control unit 40 controls the liquid crystal display 41, the stepper motor 42, and the light emitting diode 43 based on the acquired information.

The housing 30 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 has a box shape as a whole, and forms the appearance of the display device 100. The housing 30 houses display structures such as the display panels 21 and 25, the pointer 23, the circuit board 29, and the liquid crystal display 41. The housing 30 is formed by assembling a case main body 31, a rear cover 32, a front panel 33, and the like.

The case body 31 and the rear cover 32 are formed of a light-shielding resin material. The case body 31 supports the display panels 21 and 25, the circuit board 29, the liquid crystal display 41, and the like. The rear cover 32 is located on the back side of the case main body 31, is assembled to the case main body 31, and covers the circuit board 29. The front panel 33 is formed in a curved plate shape using a transparent resin material having a light transmitting property such as an acrylic resin and a polycarbonate resin. The front panel 33 is located in the front direction of the case main body 31, is assembled to a tubular facing portion surrounding the outer periphery of the display area 10, and covers the display area 10.

The display device 100 has a function as an imaging device for photographing the driver, in addition to the information presenting function for presenting information. The display device 100 captures an image of a driver's face sitting in the driver's seat 3 as a capturing target and generates an image (hereinafter, “face image”). The face image is used for the function of a driver status monitor (Driver \ Status \ Monitor, DSM) that monitors the driver's state of falling asleep and looking aside. The function of the DSM for analyzing a face image may be implemented in the display device 100 or may be implemented in an in-vehicle ECU (Electronic Control Unit) different from the display device 100.

The display device 100 includes a camera 60, an imaging control unit 50, a near-infrared light emitting element 47, and an illumination control unit 46 as a configuration related to such an imaging function. In addition, near-infrared light transmitting regions 22 and 26 are provided on each of the pointer display panel 21 and the frame display panel 25. Further, the decorative member 70 is provided with a concave reflecting surface 71 and a convex reflecting surface 73.

The camera 60 has an image sensor 62 and a lens unit 63. The imaging element 62 includes a rectangular imaging surface 62a that detects incident light. Pixels are two-dimensionally arranged on the imaging surface 62a by detecting elements such as photodiodes. As the imaging element 62, a CMOS sensor or the like having good sensitivity to light in a wavelength band from visible light to near infrared light is used. The image sensor 62 has a high resolution so that a face image with a high pixel count is captured.

The lens unit 63 is an optical system that forms an image of a subject on the imaging surface 62a. The lens unit 63 is configured to include at least one or more lenses. In the first embodiment, the biconvex lens 63a is provided as the lens unit 63. The biconvex lens 63a is provided with a pair of refraction surfaces 63b. An imaginary axis connecting the centers of curvature of the respective refraction surfaces 63b is defined as an optical axis OA. Even when the lens unit 63 includes an aspheric lens, the optical axis OA is defined by the rotationally symmetric axis of each refraction surface 63b. The optical axis OA has a posture substantially perpendicular to the imaging surface 62a, and passes through the center point of the imaging surface 62a. The direction along the optical axis OA and facing the imaging surface 62a is the imaging direction of the camera 60.

The camera 60 is arranged at a position where it is difficult for the driver to directly view the camera 60 without directing the optical axis OA to the driver. Specifically, when the display area 10 is viewed from the front side, the camera 60 is located below the multi-display unit 13 in the up-down direction, and is located substantially at the center of the display area 10 in the left-right direction. ing. The camera 60 is mounted on the display-side mounting surface 29 a of the circuit board 29, and is arranged on the back side of the frame-shaped display plate 25. The camera 60 is held on the circuit board 29 in a posture in which the optical axis OA is substantially perpendicular to the circuit board 29 and the frame-shaped display panel 25 and the imaging direction is directed to the front. The camera 60 has the outer refraction surface 63b of the biconvex lens 63a facing the frame-shaped display plate 25.

The imaging control unit 50 mainly includes a microcontroller having at least one processor, a RAM coupled to the processor, a nonvolatile storage medium, an input / output interface, and the like. The imaging control unit 50 may be configured integrally with the display control unit 40. The imaging control unit 50 is electrically connected to the camera 60 and the illumination control unit 46. The imaging control unit 50 controls imaging by the camera 60, acquires imaging data output from the imaging element 62, and generates a face image.

The near-infrared light emitting element 47 is a light source that emits near-infrared light. The near-infrared light-emitting element 47 has a peak wavelength at, for example, 850 nm, and has a wavelength characteristic in which the half width is about 30 to 40 nm. The near-infrared light emitting element 47 irradiates near-infrared light, which is invisible light, as illumination light necessary for capturing a face image by the camera 60. The near-infrared light emitting element 47 is arranged on the back side of each of the pointer display units 11 and 12, and is mounted on the display-side mounting surface 29 a of the circuit board 29. When the display area 10 is viewed from the front side, the near-infrared light emitting element 47 is located outside the movable range of the pointer 23. The near-infrared light emitting element 47 emits near-infrared light toward the front where the driver's face is located.

The illumination control unit 46 has a configuration mainly including, for example, a microcontroller. The illumination control unit 46 may be formed integrally with the imaging control unit 50, or may be formed integrally with the display control unit 40 together with the imaging control unit 50. The illumination control unit 46 synchronizes the light emission of the near-infrared light emitting element 47 with the imaging timing of the camera 60 so that a face image with a secured contrast is captured. The illumination control unit 46 acquires the lightness and contrast shooting state of the face image from the imaging control unit 50, and adjusts the light emission amount of the near-infrared light emitting element 47 according to the shooting state.

The near-infrared light transmitting region 22 and the near-infrared light transmitting region 26 are regions in which the near-infrared light emitted by the near-infrared light emitting element 47 is easily transmitted, and are respectively provided on the pointer display panel 21 and the frame-shaped display plate 25. Stipulated. Each of the near-infrared light transmitting regions 22 and 26 is formed by printing ink having a characteristic of selectively transmitting near-infrared light instead of light-shielding printing. The transmittance of the near-infrared light in each of the near-infrared light transmitting regions 22 and 26 is set to be significantly higher than other ranges (light-shielding ranges) of the respective display panels 21 and 25. On the other hand, the transmittance of visible light in each of the near-infrared light transmitting regions 22 and 26 is suppressed to the same level as or slightly higher than other ranges (light-shielding ranges).

(4) The near-infrared light transmitting region 22 is provided in the pointer display panel 21 in a region facing the emission surface of the near-infrared light emitting element 47. The near-infrared light transmitting region 22 transmits the near-infrared light emitted by the near-infrared light emitting element 47 toward the driver's seat side. The near-infrared light transmitting region 22 has a function of making it difficult for the driver to clearly recognize the near-infrared light emitting element 47.

The near-infrared light transmitting region 26 is provided in the region of the pointer display plate 21 facing the lens unit 63 of the camera 60. The near-infrared light transmitting region 26 transmits near-infrared light reflected by the driver's face or the like toward the camera 60. The near-infrared light transmitting region 26 has a function of making it difficult for the driver to clearly recognize the camera 60.

The concave reflecting surface 71 and the convex reflecting surface 73 are each formed in a mirror-like shape by metal plating applied to the decorative member 70. The concave reflecting surface 71 and the convex reflecting surface 73 can reflect near-infrared light with a high reflectance, and are used as optical components for wide-angle shooting by the camera 60. The concave reflecting surface 71 and the convex reflecting surface 73 have a shape extending in the horizontal (left / right) direction of the display device 100 along the surface of the frame-shaped display panel 25.

The concave reflection surface 71 is provided on the lower edge portion 72 of the decorative member 70 that covers the lower edge of the multi display unit 13. The concave reflecting surface 71 faces the camera 60 with the near-infrared light transmitting area 26 of the frame-shaped display panel 25 interposed therebetween. The concave reflecting surface 71 has, for example, a concave cylindrical shape. The axial direction of the concave reflecting surface 71 is along the horizontal direction of the display device 100. The concave reflecting surface 71 sets an extension line EL that reflects the optical axis OA of the camera 60 by approximately 90 ° toward the convex reflecting surface 73 located above.

The convex reflection surface 73 is provided at a boundary portion 74 of the decorative member 70 that divides the multi display unit 13 and the telltale display unit 14. The boundary portion 74 faces the concave reflection surface 71 in the up-down direction, and is located at the upper edge of the multi display unit 13. The convex reflecting surface 73 has, for example, a convex cylindrical shape. The axial direction of the convex reflecting surface 73 is substantially parallel to the axial direction of the concave reflecting surface 71. The curvatures of the convex reflecting surface 73 and the concave reflecting surface 71 are set to mutually related values so that distortion of an image due to reflection is corrected. The convex reflecting surface 73 reflects the extension line EL reflected by the concave reflecting surface 71 further toward the front direction by approximately 90 °. Furthermore, the convex reflecting surface 73 has a convex curved shape, which enlarges the angle of view of the camera 60 in the vertical direction.

According to the reflection function of each of the reflection surfaces 71 and 73, as shown in FIG. 6, the extension line EL of the optical axis OA of the camera 60 passes through the opening 5e of the steering wheel 5 at the normal position, and the reference eye point It is set to pass through the center CSE or its vicinity. In addition, since the convex reflection surface 73 is located near the center of the display area 10, the extension line EL is sufficiently separated from the rim 5a and the center pad 5b (or the column cover 6) at the opening 5e. Pass through the position. Therefore, the horizontal angle of view of the camera 60 is set to include the entire driver's face in the shooting range.

In the first embodiment described so far, the display area 10 in which the decorative member 70 is provided is arranged to face the driver in order to realize easy-to-see information display. If the convex reflecting surface 73 is provided on the decorative member 70 having such an arrangement, and the driver is photographed using the reflection on the convex reflecting surface 73, the camera 60 can be arranged even if it is hardly perceived by the driver. A face image of the driver taken from a preferable direction (front) can be captured. According to the above, it is possible to secure the shooting angle of view of the camera 60 while suppressing the influence on the design due to the provision of the camera 60.

In addition, in the first embodiment, the convex reflecting surface 73 formed in a convex shape has a function of expanding the angle of view of the camera 60 in the display area 10. Therefore, even if the position of the driver's face, and consequently, the eye point deviates from the reference eye point center CSE due to a change in the physique or posture of the driver, the camera 60 can generate a face image including most of the driver's face. Can be taken. According to the above, the imaging function of the display device 100 can acquire high robustness against a change in the driver's face position.

Further, as in the first embodiment, if the convex reflecting surface 73 and the concave reflecting surface 71 are further combined, the distortion of the image of the photographing target formed on the image sensor 62 of the camera 60 is reduced before entering the lens unit 63. , Can be corrected in advance. Therefore, the camera 60 can capture a face image in which distortion can be easily corrected. Further, by reflecting the optical axis OA on the concave reflecting surface 71, the degree of freedom of the arrangement of the camera 60 in the display device 100 is more easily ensured.

In the first embodiment, the lower edge 72 of the decorative member 70 arranged in front of the near-infrared light transmitting region 26 makes the near-infrared light transmitting region 26 difficult to be seen by a driver. According to such an arrangement, the undesired effect on the design of the display area 10 due to the addition of the camera 60 can be further reduced.

In the first embodiment, the camera 60 corresponds to an “imaging unit”, the convex reflecting surface 73 corresponds to a “reflecting function surface”, and the display device 100 corresponds to a “vehicle display device”.

(Second embodiment)
The second embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 is a modification of the first embodiment. The display device 200 according to the second embodiment includes a camera 60, a decorative member 270, and an upper reflecting mirror 275 and a lower reflecting mirror 277 as components related to the imaging function. FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view at the center in the left-right direction of the display device 200, similarly to FIG.

The camera 60 is located above the multi-display unit 13 in the up-down direction when the display area 10 is viewed from the front side, and is located substantially at the center of the display area 10 in the left-right direction. The camera 60 is fixed to the circuit board 29 with the optical axis of the biconvex lens 63a substantially orthogonal to the frame-shaped display plate 25. In the frame-shaped display panel 25, a near-infrared light transmitting region 26 substantially the same as in the first embodiment is formed in a region facing the biconvex lens 63a.

The decoration member 270 is shaped to surround the outer periphery of the multi display unit 13. The decorative member 270 is provided with a first convex reflecting surface 271 and a second convex reflecting surface 273 as a configuration corresponding to the convex reflecting surface 73 (see FIG. 3) of the first embodiment. The plurality (two) of the convex reflecting surfaces 271 and 273 are formed in the decorating member 270 at positions apart from each other. The first convex reflecting surface 271 and the second convex reflecting surface 273 are each formed in a mirror-like shape by metal plating applied to the decorative member 270, and can reflect near-infrared light with high reflectance. is there.

The first convex reflection surface 271 is provided on the lower edge portion 272 of the decorative member 270 that covers the lower edge of the multi display unit 13. The first convex reflecting surface 271 has, for example, a convex cylindrical shape. The axial direction of the first convex reflecting surface 271 is along the horizontal direction of the display device 200.

The second convex reflection surface 273 is provided on the upper edge portion 274 of the decorative member 270 that covers the upper edge of the multi display unit 13. The second convex reflecting surface 273 has a convex cylindrical shape, like the first convex reflecting surface 271. The axial direction of the second convex reflecting surface 273 is substantially parallel to the axial direction of the first convex reflecting surface 271.

The upper reflecting mirror 275 and the lower reflecting mirror 277 are concave mirrors formed by depositing a metal such as aluminum on the surface of a colorless and transparent base made of synthetic resin or glass. The upper reflecting mirror 275 and the lower reflecting mirror 277 are formed in a rectangular shape. The upper reflecting mirror 275 and the lower reflecting mirror 277 are arranged in the up and down direction while being in contact with each other in a posture in which the longitudinal direction extends along the horizontal direction. The upper reflecting mirror 275 and the lower reflecting mirror 277 are arranged in front of the camera 60 with the respective concave reflecting surfaces 276 and 278 facing the camera 60. The upper reflector 275 and the lower reflector 277 are held by the case body 31 of the housing 30. The upper reflecting mirror 275 and the lower reflecting mirror 277 may be a single reflecting mirror formed integrally.

The upper reflecting mirror 275 has a first concave reflecting surface 276. The first concave reflecting surface 276 has, for example, a concave cylindrical shape. The axial direction of the first concave reflecting surface 276 is defined substantially parallel to the axial direction of the first convex reflecting surface 271. The first concave reflection surface 276 is in a posture facing both the biconvex lens 63a and the first convex reflection surface 271 of the camera 60, and directs light incident from the first convex reflection surface 271 to the biconvex lens 63a. Collect light.

The lower reflecting mirror 277 has a second concave reflecting surface 278. The second concave reflecting surface 278 has a concave cylindrical shape, like the first concave reflecting surface 276. The axial direction of the second concave reflecting surface 278 is defined substantially parallel to the axial directions of the second convex reflecting surface 273 and the first concave reflecting surface 276. The second concave reflection surface 278 faces both the biconvex lens 63a and the second convex reflection surface 273 of the camera 60, and collects light incident from the second convex reflection surface 273 toward the biconvex lens 63a. Light up.

In the above configuration, a virtual axis from the camera 60 toward the center of the first concave reflecting surface 276 is defined as a first imaging axis IA1. The virtual axis from the camera 60 toward the center of the second concave reflection surface 278 is defined as a second imaging axis IA2. The first imaging axis IA1 and the second imaging axis IA2 have a vertically symmetric positional relationship with respect to the optical axis of the biconvex lens 63a.

The first imaging axis IA1 is reflected downward by the first concave reflecting surface 276, and reaches the first convex reflecting surface 271 as a first extended line EL1. The first extension line EL1 is reflected in the front direction on the first convex reflection surface 271, passes through the opening 5e, and reaches near the upper part of the reference eye point center CSE (see FIG. 6). The first extension line EL1 is defined in a rear-up posture.

{Circle around (2)} The second imaging axis IA2 is reflected in the back direction on the second concave reflecting surface 278 and reaches the second convex reflecting surface 273 as a second extension line EL2. The second extension line EL2 is reflected in the front direction by the second convex reflecting surface 273, passes through the opening 5e, and reaches near the reference eye point center CSE (see FIG. 6). The second extension line EL2 is different from the first extension line EL1 and is defined in a rearward-downward posture.

As described above, according to the setting in which the first extension line EL1 and the second extension line EL2 are in different postures and intersect vertically, the image pickup surface 62a of the camera 60 (see FIG. 5) shows the vicinity of the face. Are formed from different upper and lower directions. As a result, the camera 60 can perform wide-angle multi-viewpoint imaging in which the driver's face is imaged from a plurality of imaging directions using the reflection of light by the plurality of convex reflecting surfaces 271 and 273.

Specifically, the near-infrared light reflected above the driver's face area transmits through the front panel 33, is reflected by the first convex reflecting surface 271 and the first concave reflecting surface 276, and is reflected by the image sensor 62 (FIG. 5)). Thus, the light incident along the first extension line EL1 and the first imaging axis IA1 is captured by the camera 60 as the upper image IF1. Since the first extension line EL1 is in a posture extending upward from below the display area 10, the upper image IF1 is an image of the lower viewpoint of the display area 10. Therefore, in the upper image IF1, the driver's mouth and lower chin can be easily hidden by the column cover 6 and the like, while the driver's eyebrows and forehead are photographed without being hidden by the steering wheel 5.

Further, the near-infrared light reflected below the face area of the driver passes through the front panel 33, is reflected by the second convex reflection surface 273 and the second concave reflection surface 278, and is captured by the image sensor 62 (see FIG. 5). ) Reach the lower area. Thus, the light incident along the second extension line EL2 and the second imaging axis IA2 is captured by the camera 60 as the lower image IF2. Since the second extension line EL2 extends downward from above the display area 10 to the rear, the lower image IF2 is an image of the upper viewpoint than the upper image IF1. Therefore, in the lower image IF2, the upper part of the driver's eyebrows and the upper forehead are more easily hidden by the steering wheel 5 and the like, while the driver's mouth and lower chin are photographed without being hidden by the column cover 6. In a part of the lower image IF2, a range overlapping with the upper image IF1 is photographed. That is, the photographing ranges of the driver shown in the upper image IF1 and the lower image IF2 overlap each other.

(4) The imaging control unit 50 has a function of an image combining unit that combines the upper image IF1 and the lower image IF2 into one combined face image IFs. The imaging control unit 50 cuts out a part (see each thick line) including the overlapping range OL from each of the images IF1 and IF2 based on the specific coordinates of each of the upper image IF1 and the lower image IF2. The imaging control unit 50 generates a synthesized face image IFs used for state monitoring by a synthesis process of connecting the cut out image parts. The composite face image IFs is an image of the entire driver's face without being hidden by the steering wheel 5, the column cover 6, and the like.

In the second embodiment described so far, the same effect as in the first embodiment is exerted, and even if the camera 60 is arranged at the edge of the display area 10 which is hard to be visually recognized, the light on each of the convex reflecting surfaces 271, 273 By using the reflection, an image as if the driver is photographed from the front is captured. Therefore, also in the second embodiment, it is possible to secure the shooting angle of view of the camera 60 while suppressing the influence on the design due to the provision of the camera 60.

In addition, in the second embodiment, the camera 60 acquires the driver's face images taken from different directions, that is, the upper image IF1 and the lower image IF2, by utilizing the reflection by the plurality of convex reflecting surfaces 271 and 273. it can. According to the above, since the imaging range including the upper image IF1 and the lower image IF2 is expanded, the driver's face can remain within the imaging range of the camera even when the physique and posture of the driver change. Therefore, high robustness to changes in the physique and posture of the driver is obtained.

In the second embodiment, a part of the photographing range shown in the upper image IF1 and the lower image IF2 partially overlap each other. Therefore, even if the camera 60 can acquire the two images IF1 and IF2, the camera 60 can acquire information near these boundaries without loss.

In the second embodiment, two images IF1 and IF2 photographed from different viewpoints are combined into one combined face image IFs. According to such processing, the angle of view of the camera 60 can be further increased while hiding by the steering wheel 5 and the column cover 6 is reduced.

In the second embodiment, the imaging control unit 50 corresponds to an “image combining unit”, and the first convex reflection surface 271 and the second convex reflection surface 273 each correspond to a “reflection function surface”. The upper image IF1 and the lower image IF2 each correspond to a “passenger image”, the composite face image IFs corresponds to a “composite image”, and the display device 200 corresponds to a “vehicle display device”.

(Third embodiment)
The third embodiment shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 is another modification of the first embodiment. In the display device 300 of the third embodiment, the pointer display unit 11 and the multi-display unit 13 are provided at the center of the display area 10 so as to be arranged below. The camera 60 and the near-infrared light transmitting area 26 of the third embodiment are located above the pointer display section 11 in the up-down direction when the display area 10 is viewed from the front side, and in the left-right direction, It is located substantially at the center of the display area 10. The display device 300 includes a concave mirror 375 and a decorative member 370 as components related to the imaging function.

The concave mirror 375 is a reflecting mirror in which a metal such as aluminum is vapor-deposited on the surface of a colorless and transparent base made of synthetic resin or glass. The concave mirror 375 is formed in a rectangular shape as a whole. The concave mirror 375 is held by the housing 30 in a posture in which the longitudinal direction is along the horizontal direction. The concave mirror 375 is located on the extension of the optical axis OA of the camera 60, and makes the concave reflection surface 376 face the biconvex lens 63a. The concave reflection surface 376 is formed, for example, in a concave shape having a curvature in both the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction. The concave mirror 375 condenses the light incident on the concave reflecting surface 376 toward the biconvex lens 63a.

The decorative member 370 is formed by evaporating a metal material such as aluminum on the surface of a resin material base formed in a hemispherical shape. The decorating member 370 is a pointer cover provided integrally with the pointer 23. The decorating member 370 is driven by the stepper motor 42 and is rotatable together with the hands 23. The decorating member 370 is arranged at the center of the pointer display section 11 and decorates the pointer display section 11. A hemispherical reflecting surface 373 is formed on the outer surface of the decorating member 370 by the above-described metal plating.

The hemispherical reflecting surface 373 has a configuration corresponding to the convex reflecting surface 73 (see FIG. 3) of the first embodiment. The hemispherical reflecting surface 373 has a convex spherical shape. Corresponding to the curved shape of the hemispherical reflecting surface 373, the curved shape of the concave reflecting surface 376 is defined so that image distortion due to reflection is corrected. The hemispherical reflecting surface 373 reflects the extension line EL reflected by the concave reflecting surface 376 further toward the front. The hemispherical reflecting surface 373 has a convex curved shape that enlarges the angle of view of the camera 60 in the vertical direction. The hemispherical reflecting surface 373 is disposed substantially coaxially with the rotation axis of the stepper motor 42. Therefore, even if the decorating member 370 rotates, the positional relationship between the hemispherical reflecting surface 373 and the concave reflecting surface 376 does not change.

According to the use of the reflecting function of the hemispherical reflecting surface 373, the extension line EL of the optical axis OA of the camera 60 passes through the opening 5e of the steering wheel 5 at the normal position, and the reference eye point center CSE (see FIG. 6). , Or the vicinity thereof. In addition, since the hemispherical reflecting surface 373 is located near the center of the display area 10, the extension line EL is sufficiently separated from the rim 5a and the center pad 5b (or the column cover 6) at the opening 5e. Pass through the position. Therefore, the horizontal angle of view of the camera 60 is set to include the entire driver's face in the shooting range.

Also in the third embodiment described so far, the near-infrared light reflected on the driver's face area passes through the front panel 33, is reflected on the hemispherical reflecting surface 373 and the concave reflecting surface 376, and is reflected by the image sensor 62 ( (See FIG. 5). Therefore, even if the camera 60 is arranged at the edge of the display area 10 which is hard to be visually recognized, a face image as if the driver is photographed from the front is captured by utilizing the reflection of light on the hemispherical reflecting surface 373. Therefore, also in the third embodiment, it is possible to secure the shooting angle of view of the camera 60 while suppressing the influence on the design due to the provision of the camera 60.

て In addition, as in the third embodiment, the pointer cover on which the hemispherical reflecting surface 373 is formed is located substantially at the center of the display area 10 in the vertical and horizontal directions. Therefore, the balance of imaging using reflection is improved. As a result, the influence of hiding by the steering wheel 5 and the column cover 6 is less likely to occur on the face image captured using the reflection on the hemispherical reflecting surface 373. In the third embodiment, the hemispherical reflective surface 373 corresponds to a “reflective function surface”, and the display device 300 corresponds to a “vehicle display device”.

(Other embodiments)
As described above, a plurality of embodiments of the present disclosure have been described. However, the present disclosure is not construed as being limited to the above embodiments, and may be applied to various embodiments and combinations without departing from the gist of the present disclosure. can do.

In the first modification of the second embodiment, the camera 60 is offset rightward from the center of the display area 10 when viewed from the driver. The camera 60 is arranged above the hands 23 of the hands display unit 12, as shown in FIG. The decorative member 470 is a meter ring that surrounds the pointer display unit 12 in a ring shape, and has a first convex reflecting surface 271 and a second convex reflecting surface 273 substantially the same as those of the second embodiment. The convex reflecting surfaces 271 and 273 reflect the imaging axes IA1 and IA2 together with the concave reflecting surfaces 276 and 278 fixed to the housing to define two extended lines EL1 and EL2 that intersect vertically. By using such a plurality of reflecting surfaces, the camera 60 captures images of the first convex reflecting surface 271 and the second convex reflecting surface 273 located above and below the pointer display unit 12, thereby obtaining the same as in the second embodiment. Multi-view shooting can be performed.

In the first modification, similarly to the second embodiment, multi-viewpoint imaging using the angle difference between the extension axes is performed while shifting the imaging area. Therefore, the occlusion of the face by the steering wheel 5 and the column cover 6 can be eliminated by combining the two images and performing the image interpolation. As a result, the range in which the difference in the driver's physique and the difference in driving posture can be accommodated is widened, and high robustness can be realized.

In the modification 2 of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 12, the camera 60 is located outside the display area 10 and in the front direction of the frame-shaped display board 25. The camera 60 is located between the frame-shaped display plate 25 and the lower edge portion 72. The camera 60 is hidden from the driver side by the lower edge portion 72 of the decorative member 70. The camera 60 is mounted on an imaging board 129 electrically connected to the circuit board 29. The camera 60 is held on the imaging substrate 129 in a posture in which the imaging direction is directed to the convex reflection surface 73 arranged above the multi-display unit 13. The optical axis OA of the camera 60 extends upward along the display surface of the liquid crystal display 41, and reaches the convex reflection surface 73. The convex reflection surface 73 is a convex mirror-shaped portion having a reflective decoration layer formed thereon, and reflects the optical axis OA of the camera 60 approximately 90 ° in the front direction.

In the second modification, similarly to the first embodiment and the like, the light reflected on the driver's face area passes through the front panel 33, is reflected on the convex reflection surface 73, and is detected by the camera 60 ( Shooting). Therefore, by photographing the convex reflecting surface 73 with the camera 60, wide-angle photographing with a single viewpoint using the decorative member 70 becomes possible.

In the third modification of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 13, the camera 60 is arranged in an area outside the display area 10 and on the right side when viewed from the driver. The camera 60 is mounted on an imaging board 129 provided as a sub-board, similarly to the second modification. The camera 60 is held by the imaging substrate 129 in a posture in which the imaging direction is directed to the ring-shaped decoration member 570 that decorates the pointer display unit 11. The optical axis of the camera 60 is reflected in the front direction by the convex reflecting surface 73 provided on the decorating member 570. With such a configuration, even when the camera 60 is placed outside the design area that is difficult to be seen by the driver, the camera 60 can perform wide-angle shooting from the center of the display area with a single viewpoint by shooting the convex reflecting surface 73.

In the fourth modification of the third embodiment, an infrared selective transmission layer is further formed outside the metal plating layer provided on the pointer cover. The infrared selective transmission layer has an optical function in which the transmittance of visible light is significantly lower than the transmittance of near infrared light. Therefore, the pointer cover, which is a decorative member, is visually recognized as a glossy dark color. Even if such a decorative member is employed, the reflectance with respect to near-infrared light is ensured, so that single-view imaging using reflection on the hemispherical reflecting surface becomes possible. Therefore, in the fourth modification, it is possible to perform wide-angle shooting with a camera while using a decorative member having a design different from a mirror tone by plating. As in Modification Example 4 described above, the surface of the decorative member need not be a metallic glossy color, and may be black or an arbitrary color provided with a near-infrared light transmitting layer or a reflective decorative layer.

変 形 In the fifth modification of the above embodiment, instead of the pointer cover, the plating ornament has a convex reflecting surface. As in Modification Example 5, the decorative component to be photographed having the reflection function surface may be appropriately changed, such as a frame member of a display, a ring member of a pointer area portion, a decorative member such as a pointer, and the like. Further, the reflection function surface may be either a concave mirror shape or a convex mirror shape. Furthermore, optical components with optical shape characteristics equivalent to those of various lenses, etc., are combined with a reflective function surface to perform expansion and contraction of light beams, convergence to focus, light distribution control, etc. between the driver and camera. , Wide angle shooting may be supported. Further, the optical component or optical element such as a reflection function surface may not have a curved shape, and may have a planar shape such as a wedge-shaped prism, a Fresnel mirror, and a hologram mirror having a micro-geometric pattern for giving a specific reflection direction to the surface. It may be. In addition, the imaging control unit appropriately performs software distortion correction, image synthesis, mutual interpolation of images, and the like according to the shape of each optical element, and generates a face image suitable for state monitoring. It is desirable.

Furthermore, three or more reflective function surfaces may be provided in the display area. Even in such a mode, an overlapping area (overlapping area) is provided in the shooting range from each viewpoint. The setting of the overlap area may be omitted. Furthermore, the function of synthesizing a plurality of images may be performed by an arithmetic device outside the display device, that is, by a circuit different from the imaging control unit.

In the above embodiment, the configuration in which the display device functioning as the combination meter is provided with the imaging function has been exemplified. However, the display device provided with the imaging function is not limited to the combination meter. For example, a display device arranged at the center of the instrument panel, for example, a center information display, an operation panel for air conditioning, a clock, and the like may be provided with the imaging function according to the present disclosure.

Although the present disclosure has been described based on the embodiments, it is understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments and the structure. The present disclosure also encompasses various modifications and variations within an equivalent range. In addition, various combinations and forms, and other combinations and forms including only one element, more or less, are also included in the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.

Claims (5)

A display device for a vehicle, which is used in a vehicle (A) and displays information in a display area (10),
A decorating member (70, 270, 370, 470, 570) having at least one reflection function surface (73, 271, 273, 373) for reflecting light and provided in the display area to decorate the display area; )When,
A display device for a vehicle, comprising: an imaging unit (60) for photographing an occupant of the vehicle by utilizing light reflection by the reflection function surface. At least one reflective functional surface has a plurality of reflective functional surfaces,
In the decorating member, a plurality of the reflective function surfaces are formed at positions separated from each other,
The vehicle display device according to claim 1, wherein the imaging unit captures the occupant from a plurality of directions by using light reflection by the plurality of reflection function surfaces. The imaging unit captures a plurality of occupant images (IF1, IF2) having different imaging directions,
The display device for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein photographing ranges of the occupant appearing in the occupant images overlap with each other. The vehicle display device according to claim 3, further comprising: an image combining unit (50) that combines the plurality of occupant images into one combined image (IFs). The display device for a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the reflection function surface is formed in a convex shape to widen a shooting angle of view of the imaging unit.

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