Denso Corporation

Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Nippondenso Co., Ltd.

Yukihide Shibata

Miki Kato

Tomoyuki Miyagaki

Makoto Inomata

Munechika Okita

Naoki Yokota

Hiroshi Niimi

A display device for a vehicle includes a liquid crystal panel, a light source, and a controller. The liquid crystal panel includes a particular display pixel and a normal display pixel. The controller controls the ratio of the gradation value of the normal display pixel to a set gradation value of the normal display pixel as a gradation ratio of the normal display pixel. At the same time, it controls the ratio of the gradation value of the particular display pixel to a set gradation value of the particular display pixel as a gradation ratio of the particular display pixel. Further, the controller sets first and second modes as a control mode, the first mode in which the light source emits light, and the second mode in which the light source emits light with brightness lower than in the first mode. In the first mode, the controller sets the gradation ratio of the normal display pixel and the gradation ratio of the particular display pixel at a particular time to a maximum ratio. In the second mode, the controller executes a gradation processing to make the gradation ratio of the particular display pixel at a particular time higher than the gradation ratio of the normal display pixel.

Display device for vehicle

A display device for a vehicle includes a liquid crystal panel (), a light source (), and a controlling means (). The liquid crystal panel includes a particular display pixel () and a normal display pixel (). The controlling means controls the ratio of the gradation value of the normal display pixel to a set gradation value of the normal display pixel as a gradation ratio of the normal display pixel. At the same time, it controls the ratio of the gradation value of the particular display pixel to a set gradation value of the particular display pixel as a gradation ratio of the particular display pixel. Further, the controlling means sets first and second modes as a control mode, the first mode in which the light source emits light, and the second mode in which the light source emits light with brightness lower than in the first mode. In the first mode, the controlling means sets the gradation ratio of the normal display pixel and the gradation ratio of the particular display pixel at a particular time to a maximum ratio. In the second mode, the controlling means executes a gradation processing for making the gradation ratio of the particular display pixel at a particular time higher than the gradation ratio of the normal display pixel.

A display apparatus for use in a vehicle has a liquid crystal display panel, and the panel includes a first pixel area for displaying a meter image that represents vehicle condition values, and a second pixel area for displaying an outside image that calls attention of occupants as a warning image. Further, an input unit of the apparatus receives inputs of adjustment value from occupants of the vehicle for adjusting brightness of the meter image and the outside image. A main control unit and a drawing unit of the apparatus cooperatively serve as a controller of the apparatus by changing gradation ratio of the first and second pixel areas so that the gradation ratio of the second pixel area becomes greater than the gradation ratio of the first pixel area according to the input of the adjustment value.

Vehicle display apparatus

A display device for vehicle includes an LCD panel that has a first pixel region and a second pixel region. The display controller portion displays a meter image on the first pixel region at a regular time and a specific time, and displays an outside image on the second pixel region at the specific time. The display controller portion controls a gradient ratio of pixel in the first pixel region as a meter image gradient ratio, and controls a gradient ratio of pixel in the second pixel region as an outside image gradient ratio. The display controller portion switches and performs a first mode and a second mode. In the first mode, the display controller portion keeps both the meter image gradient ratio and the outside image gradient ratio to the maximum ratio R1max and R2max, and varies a source luminance of a light source according to an adjust value which is in a side brighter than a reference value Cb. In the second mode, the display controller portion keeps the source luminance of the light source at the minimum source luminance Lmin, varies the meter image gradient ratio according to an adjust value which is in a side darker than the reference value Cb, and keeps the outside image gradient ratio at the maximum ratio R2max. As a result, the multiple images in which the display objectives differ can be appropriately displayed to attain each objective.

A preheating device for an illuminating unit comprises a cold cathode fluorescent tube, a heater for heating the cold cathode fluorescent tube at the time of low temperature and ensuring the brightness, a temperature sensor, a door-unlocking detector, and a CPU controlling the heater. When a driver of a vehicle unlocks a door of a vehicle with a key to get it in, the door-unlocking detector detects unlocking of the door and sends the detected signal to the CPU. The CPU starts electric supply to the heater to preheat the cold cathode fluorescent tube when a detected signal of the unlocking of the door is input by the door-unlocking detector and a cold temperature signal is input by the temperature sensor.

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Kariya, Japan

Yukihide Shibata