Onboard Display Device, Onboard Display System and Vehicle

Abstract

An onboard display device in accordance with the present invention includes a display section ( 11 ) attached to an instrument panel of a vehicle. The section ( 11 ) has a second display area ( 11 b ) and a first display area ( 11 a ). The second display area ( 11 b ) shows at least the speed as vehicle condition images indicating the conditions of the vehicle. The first display area ( 11 a ) shows a navigation image and other secondary images. The display section ( 11 ) measures greater in width than in height with an aspect ratio of 7:3 or greater. The aspect ratio is the width/height ratio of a display area. The onboard display device allows for a visibility-improved simultaneous display of the secondary image, such as a navigation image, and the vehicle condition image, such as a speed display, which presents information on the conditions of the vehicle.

1 - 12 . (canceled) 
   
   
       13 . An onboard display device attached to an instrument panel of a vehicle, comprising:
 a display screen having a resolution including at least 468 rows of pixels and at least 1092 columns of pixels, said display screen including a first area, a second area, a third area and a fourth area, wherein the first area and the fourth area are laterally elongated display areas with a row direction displayed as a column direction in the display screen, and the second area and the third area are laterally elongated display areas with the row direction displayed as the row direction in the display screen, the first area being displayed on a left-hand side of the display screen, the fourth area being displayed on a right-hand side of the display screen, the second area being displayed between and above the first area and the fourth area, and the third area being displayed between and below the first area and the fourth area.   
   
   
       14 . The onboard display device of  claim 13 , wherein the first area is for displaying an image of an area of a left side of the vehicle, the second area is for displaying an image of an area of a front of the vehicle, the third area is for displaying an image of an area of a rear of the vehicle, and the fourth area is for displaying an image of an area of a right side of the vehicle. 
   
   
       15 . The onboard display device of  claim 13 , wherein the first area, the second area, the third area and the fourth area are W-QVGA display areas. 
   
   
       16 . A vehicle comprising the onboard display device of  claim 13 . 
   
   
       17 . An onboard display device, comprising:
 a display section attached to an instrument panel of a vehicle, said display section showing a secondary image different from vehicle condition images indicating conditions of the vehicle in a first portion thereof and showing the vehicle condition images in a second portion thereof; wherein   said display section is greater in width than in height and has an aspect ratio that is equal to or greater than approximately 7:3, the aspect ratio being a width/height ratio of a display area.   
   
   
       18 . The onboard display device of  claim 17 , wherein the display section includes at least 468 lines arranged substantially parallel to a longer side of the display section. 
   
   
       19 . The onboard display device of  claim 17 , wherein the display section includes at least 1200 lines arranged substantially parallel to a shorter side of the display section. 
   
   
       20 . The onboard display device of  claim 17 , wherein the display section includes at least 468 lines arranged substantially parallel to a longer side of the display section and at least 1200 lines arranged substantially parallel to a shorter side of the display section. 
   
   
       21 . The onboard display device of  claim 17 , further comprising a display control section arranged to control how the display section shows the secondary image and the vehicle condition images, wherein under control of said display control section, the secondary image appears partially on the second portion of the display section where the vehicle condition images are shown to show the secondary image at an increased scale and, the vehicle condition images are switched to be displayed in a different display manner, so as to display the secondary image at an increased scale. 
   
   
       22 . The onboard display device of  claim 21 , wherein the display control section fixes any one of ends of a vertical display line of the secondary image in left/right directions and moves a vertical display line at a fixed end, so as to scale up the secondary image. 
   
   
       23 . An onboard display system, comprising:
 an onboard display device including a display section attached to an instrument panel of a vehicle, the display section showing a secondary image different from vehicle condition images indicating conditions of the vehicle in a first portion thereof and showing the vehicle condition images in a second portion thereof, the display section being greater in width than in height and having an aspect ratio that is equal to or greater than approximately 7:3, the aspect ratio being a width/height ratio of a display area;   imaging devices arranged to obtain images from areas near the front, rear, right, and left of the vehicle; and   a control device arranged to control imaging operations of the imaging devices so that a front image, a rear image, a right-hand image, and a left-hand image obtained by the imaging devices can be all simultaneously shown on the display section of the onboard display device.   
   
   
       24 . The onboard display system of  claim 23 , wherein under control of the control device, the imaging devices operate in response to an ignition-induced start-up of an engine in the vehicle, so that the front, rear, right-hand, and left-hand images can be all simultaneously shown on the display section. 
   
   
       25 . A vehicle, comprising:
 an onboard display device including a display section attached to an instrument panel of a vehicle, the display section showing a secondary image different from vehicle condition images indicating conditions of the vehicle in a first portion thereof and showing the vehicle condition images in a second portion thereof, the display section being greater in width than in height and having an aspect ratio that is equal to or greater than approximately 7:3, the aspect ratio being a width/height ratio of a display area;   an imaging device arranged to obtain an image from an area near the rear of the vehicle;   a reverse gear selected to move the vehicle rearwardly; and   a display control device arranged to control the onboard display device such that, upon activation of the reverse gear, the display section shows a widthwise elongated image of the area near the rear of the vehicle as obtained by the imaging device at an aspect ratio that is equal to or greater than approximately 2.3:1.   
   
   
       26 . A vehicle, comprising:
 an onboard display device including a display section attached to an instrument panel of a vehicle, said display section showing a secondary image different from vehicle condition images indicating conditions of the vehicle in a first portion thereof and showing the vehicle condition images in a second portion thereof, said display section being greater in width than in height and having an aspect ratio that is equal to or greater than approximately 7:3, the aspect ratio being a width/height ratio of a display area.   
   
   
       27 . A vehicle, equipped with an onboard display system comprising:
 an onboard display device including a display section attached to an instrument panel of a vehicle, the display section showing a secondary image different from vehicle condition images indicating conditions of the vehicle in a first portion thereof and showing the vehicle condition images in a second portion thereof, the display section being greater in width than in height and having an aspect ratio that is equal to or greater than approximately 7:3, the aspect ratio being a width/height ratio of a display area;   imaging devices arranged to obtain images of areas near the front, rear, right, and left of the vehicle; and   a control device arranged to control imaging operations of the imaging devices so that a front image, a rear image, a right-hand image, and a left-hand image obtained by the imaging devices can be all simultaneously shown on the display section of the onboard display device.   
   
   
       28 . The vehicle of  claim 27 , wherein under control of the control device, the imaging devices operate in response to an ignition-induced start-up of an engine, so that the front, rear, right-hand, and left-hand images can be all simultaneously shown on the display section. 
   
   
       29 . The onboard display device according to  claim 17 , wherein the vehicle condition images include at least one of a vehicle speed image, a gear shift image, and a fuel quantity image, and the secondary image includes at least one of a navigation image, a camera image, and a non-vehicle information image. 
   
   
       30 . The onboard display system according to  claim 23 , wherein the vehicle condition images include at least one of a vehicle speed image, a gear shift image, and a fuel quantity image, and the secondary image includes at least one of a navigation image, a camera image, and a non-vehicle information image. 
   
   
       31 . The vehicle according to  claim 25 , wherein the vehicle condition images include at least one of a vehicle speed image, a gear shift image, and a fuel quantity image, and the secondary image includes at least one of a navigation image, a camera image, and a non-vehicle information image. 
   
   
       32 . The vehicle according to  claim 26 , wherein the vehicle condition images include at least one of a vehicle speed image, a gear shift image, and a fuel quantity image, and the secondary image includes at least one of a navigation image, a camera image, and a non-vehicle information image. 
   
   
       33 . The vehicle according to  claim 27 , wherein the vehicle condition images include at least one of a vehicle speed image, a gear shift image, and a fuel quantity image, and the secondary image includes at least one of a navigation image, a camera image, and a non-vehicle information image.