JPH0412845B2 - - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention Technical Field The present invention relates to an image information display device, and in particular to image information displaying a composite of a plurality of image information output from an image information output device with different image levels and related image information. Related to display devices.

BACKGROUND ART A navigation device, for example, is known as an image information output device that outputs a plurality of pieces of image information having different image levels. This navigation device is used by being installed in a car.
In order to make vehicle driving easier, road map information and the like are provided to vehicle occupants. That is, road map information is displayed on the screen of a CRT display placed in or near the instrument panel in front of the vehicle driver to facilitate confirmation of the destination location, current location, etc.

By the way, the driver is responsible for checking the road map information etc. displayed on the display screen.
Since many people are driving, it is absolutely necessary that the display screen can be used effectively to display road map information and the displayed images are easy to see.

Summary of the invention The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and
To provide an image information display device which can effectively use a display screen to display image information from a source and in which the displayed image is very easy to see.

An image information display device according to the present invention includes an image information output device that outputs a plurality of image information having different image levels, an image display means that displays image information output from the image information output device, and a A storage means for storing image information related to the image information to be output, and key information for recalling the image information stored in the storage means on the screen of the image display means together with the image information output from the image information output device. and a touch sensor provided on the screen of the image display means to display the key information for a predetermined period of time from the time when the image level of the image information output from the image information output device changes. It is also controlled to display the key information again when the return call switch is turned on, and input of this key information is performed via a touch sensor.

Note that the image level referred to here refers to the classification criteria for the unit image information output from the image information output device. For example, if the image information is map information, it is classified by type based on regional characteristics, scale rate, etc. being classified.

Embodiments Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention, including a TV (television) tuner, an AM/
Four sources, an FM tuner, a CD (compact disc) player, and a navigation (NAVI) device, are used as information output devices, and four controllers 1 to 4 are provided corresponding to each of these sources. Further, a display controller 6 for controlling image information displayed on the screen of the CRT display 5, and a key input circuit 8 to which the detection output of a touch sensor 7 provided on the screen of the CRT display 5 are supplied are provided. These are connected to each other via a system controller 9 and a bus line 10, through which display information, control information, key input information, etc. are transmitted. Note that as the touch sensor 7, a transparent electrode, an infrared sensor, or the like may be used. Also, multiple sources 1
A selection switch device 11 for selecting any one of the controllers 1 to 4 is provided, and the system controller 9 turns on/off each controller 1 to 4 according to the source selection information from the selection switch device 11. Control.

For example, in the case of a navigation device that needs to constantly use the screen of the CRT display 5 as an output device for image information, road map information is always displayed on the screen of the display 5, as shown in FIG. In the case of map information, as mentioned earlier, it is divided into types based on regional characteristics, scale ratio, etc.
Selection of the image level (type) is performed by, for example, an external switch. Also, display 5
It is very convenient for driving if the road information of the map information displayed on the screen is the main one, and image information corresponding to the road information is synthesized and displayed on the screen every time the image level changes.

When maps are classified by region, for example, map information is classified into five types (image levels) A to E, for example. Assuming that classification A is a mountainous area, B is a rural area, C is an urban area, D is a tourist area, and E is a coastal area, a plurality of data are prepared for each classification as data information related to these areas. For example, classification A
For classification A, these data are prepared so that the locations of mountain houses, temples, dams, gas stations (GS), etc. can be displayed on the map of classification A, and for classification B, restaurants, GS, etc. For category C, data is prepared for restaurants, GS, supermarkets, government offices, etc., for category D, restaurants, souvenir shops, hotels, etc., and for category E, data for beach houses, guesthouses, etc. . A total of six pieces of menu key information indicating these data are displayed, for example, on the top and bottom of the screen of the display 5, together with the image information corresponding to each classification, each time the image level changes. Along with the display of the menu key information, a key code corresponding to the screen coordinates is sent to the key input circuit 8.

Input of these menu key information is performed using a touch sensor 7 provided on the screen of the CRT display 5.
It is done through. That is, when you touch the position of menu key information on the screen with your finger, the touch sensor 7 detects the position on the screen of the finger touching or near the screen, and the detection output is converted into a key code by the key input circuit 8 and sent to the system. It is supplied to the controller 9.

By the way, in a navigation device, it is necessary to display road map information on the screen of the display 5 at all times, and the image is required to be easy to see. On the other hand, as mentioned above, each time the image level changes, menu key information corresponding to the image information is also displayed on the screen of the display 5, but this menu key information occupies a certain area of the screen. This narrows the display range of the map and becomes a hindrance to checking the map.

Therefore, in the image information display device according to the present invention,
The above-mentioned problem is solved by displaying the menu key information for a certain period of time from the time when the image level changes, and erasing the menu key information after the certain period of time has elapsed. This control is performed by the display controller 6 or the system controller 9 based on its own built-in timer. Menu key information is generally needed when the displayed map changes, and is not often needed during normal driving, so there is no problem in erasing it.
Then, you can call it again when necessary. In order to enable this call, in this device, the touch sensor 7 is also used as a return call switch. That is, when the screen of the display 5 is touched with a finger, the touch sensor 7 detects this and the menu key information is displayed again. It goes without saying that a dedicated return call switch may be provided.

Next, in the image information display device according to the present invention, the selective operation of the navigation device, for example, will be explained along the flowchart of FIG.

Figure 3 is a flowchart when maps are classified according to regional characteristics. First, in step 1, it is determined whether or not the car is moving. If the car is moving, the image is classified in step 2. It is determined whether the level has been changed. When the map information is changed, the new map information is stored in the memory in the display controller 6 or the system controller 9 in an external storage device (not shown).
(Step 3). At the same time, menu key information corresponding to the map is also loaded. Then, it is determined in steps 4a to 4e which of the categories A to E the change key input determined in step 1 is in, and the map information of the classification according to the determination result and the corresponding menu key information are displayed on the CRT display. 5 screens simultaneously (steps 5a to 5e). Then, in step 6, it is determined whether or not menu key information has been input. If it is determined that a key input has been made, it is determined in step 7 which menu key information has been input, and according to the determination result, Various data information is synthesized and displayed on the map (steps 8a to 8f). If it is determined in step 1 that the vehicle is not moving, the process proceeds directly to step 6.

With this configuration, the map information on the screen of the display 5 can be easily displayed focusing on the roads necessary for driving a car, and if necessary, the location of the desired place can be displayed on the map. This means that you can enjoy a more comfortable drive.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the maps are classified according to regional characteristics, but it is also possible to classify according to scale. When the scale level of the map is set to three levels, A, B, and C, for example, a plurality of various data are set corresponding to each level as described above. The operation in that case will be explained along the flowchart of FIG.

In FIG. 4, it is first determined in step 10 whether or not there is an enlargement key input, and if so, the process moves to step 11 and a map enlarged by one level is displayed on the screen of the display 5. And step
In steps 12 and 13, it is determined whether the magnification level is A, B, or C, and menu key information according to the determination result is displayed together with the map (step 14).
~16).

When menu key information is input, the type of menu key input is determined in steps 17a to 17f, and various data information according to the determination result is synthesized and displayed on the map (steps 18a to 18f).
On the other hand, if it is determined in step 10 that there is no enlargement key input, the process moves to step 19, where it is determined whether or not there is a reduction key input, and if yes, a map reduced by one level is displayed in step 20. After that, move on to step 12. If it is determined in step 19 that there is no reduction key input key, the process directly proceeds to steps 17a to 17f. With the above operation,
The same effect as described above can be obtained.

Note that in the above embodiment, the case where a navigation device is selected is explained, but for example, when a TV tuner is selected, it is possible to display various function key information in accordance with the change of channel. . In this case, the function key information that is displayed each time the channel is changed is automatically deleted after a certain period of time.
The screen of the display 5 can be effectively used as an output device for image information, and images can also be easily viewed.

Effects of the Invention As explained above, according to the image information display device according to the present invention, the key information displayed in relation to the image information every time the image level changes is automatically erased after a certain period of time has passed. The key information is displayed again by turning on the return call switch, so the display screen can be used to display image information from the source without displaying the key information unless necessary. The available and displayed images are much easier to see.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a display screen, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are flowcharts showing the operating procedure of the apparatus of the present invention. Explanation of symbols of main parts, 5... CRT display, 6... Display controller, 7... Touch sensor, 8... Key input circuit, 9... System controller.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 An image information output device that outputs a plurality of image information with different image levels, an image display means that displays image information output from the image information output device, and an image information output device related to the image information output from the image information output device. storage means for storing the image information stored in the storage means; and control to display key information for recalling the image information stored in the storage means on the screen of the image display means together with the image information output from the image information output device. and a touch sensor provided on the screen of the image display means, the controller displays the key information for a predetermined period of time from the time when the image level of the image information output from the image information output device changes. The image information display is characterized in that the key information is controlled to be displayed again when the return call switch is turned on, and the input of the key information is performed via the touch sensor. Device.