Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Plural display systems – Tiling or modular adjacent displays
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-04
2001-07-31
Saras, Steven (Department: 2775)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Plural display systems
Tiling or modular adjacent displays
C348S113000, C701S208000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06268837
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a display control device of an audio/visual system equipped with at least a small-sized display for audio-system, and a control method. More particularly, the invention relates to a display control device and method, which enables the display of navigation information (route guidance information) by utilizing the small-sized display provided for audio-system.
In vehicle-mounted audio/visual and navigation systems of, for example, automobiles, it has been common practice to provide a large-sized liquid crystal display
61
of approximately 5 inches as a means of displaying navigational information as shown in FIG.
6
. More specifically, audio/visual equipment
62
having a small-sized liquid crystal display
621
for displaying audio or visual operating conditions in the form of characters, and navigation equipment
63
are connected via respective signal lines
64
,
65
to the large-sized liquid crystal display
61
and when navigation display is selected by pushing a selection button provided to the large-sized liquid crystal display
61
, the present position of one's own car and surrounding map information are displayed on the large-sized liquid crystal display
61
according to positional information obtainable from the GPS receiver of the navigation equipment
63
and the map data read from CD-ROM.
Alternatively, when visual display is selected, the TV broadcasting received by the audio/visual equipment
62
or the video image reproduced by the audio/visual equipment
62
is displayed on the large-sized liquid crystal display
61
.
FIG. 7
is a schematic diagram illustrating a conventional audio/visual system configuration in that a large-sized liquid crystal display is not provided or, even if a large-sized LCD is provided but it is retracted in the case body. In such cases, the operating condition of navigation equipment may be displayed on the display of audio/visual equipment.
In
FIG. 7
, a signal line
66
is used to connect audio/visual equipment
62
and navigation equipment
63
and when the navigation equipment
63
is in operation, a character such as “NAVIGATION” is displayed on the small-sized liquid crystal display
621
of the audio/visual equipment
62
.
However, there is a problem with the system of displaying navigational information (route guidance information) on the large-sized liquid crystal display as aforesaid in that the navigational function is not fully demonstrated because a detailed map picture and the like cannot be displayed unless the large-sized liquid crystal display is installed.
In the system of utilizing the small-sized liquid crystal display of the audio/visual equipment, moreover, it can only be displayed whether or not the navigation equipment is in operation and therefore route guidance can be given only in voice.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention made in view of the foregoing problems is to provide a display control system capable of causing navigational information (route guidance information) to be automatically, and simply displayed through interruption by utilizing an in-system small-sized display even in a case that a large-sized display for displaying the navigational information is absent or even where a self-contained large-sized display is installed.
In order to solve the foregoing problems, a display control system according to the present invention comprises: a navigation unit for generating route guidance data and a main unit connected via an interface to the navigation unit and a small-sized display unit with a communication cable, the main unit including: recognizing means for recognizing the connection of the large-sized display unit; and control means for sending out a request for route guidance display to the navigation unit when the recognizing means recognizes the connection of the small-sized display unit and causing the received route guidance data to be displayed through interruption on the small-sized display unit when the route guidance data generated by the navigation unit is received via the communication cable and the interface.
According to the present invention, the navigational information can be automatically displayed through interruption by utilizing the small-sized display unit even without the large-sized display for displaying the navigational information.
In a display control system according the present invention, the main unit described is audio/visual equipment. Thus, the main unit can be formed by utilizing the audio/visual equipment.
In a display control system according to the present invention, the small-sized display unit in the display control system is incorporated in the main unit. Thus, navigational information can be displayed by utilizing the self-contained small-sized display unit of the main unit.
In a display control system according to the present invention, the display control system comprises one of a large-sized display unit and a combined display unit formed by combining a large-sized display and a small-sized display, said one of the large-sized display unit and the combined display unit being connected via a communication cable to the main unit, wherein the control means makes the recognizing means monitor the on/off state of one of the large-sized display unit and the combined display unit and when one of the large-sized display unit and the large-sized display of the combined display unit is recognized to be in the off state, causes the route guidance data generated by the navigation unit to be displayed through interruption on the small-sized display of the combined display unit.
According to the present invention, navigational information can be automatically displayed through interruption by utilizing the small-sized display unit or the small-sized display which is held ON even when the large-sized display unit or the large-sized display of the combined display unit is held OFF, that is, retracted.
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Iwasa Eiichi
Kobayashi Kazutomo
Tomita Masaru
Alphonse Fritz
Clarion Co., Ltd
McGinn & Gibb PLLC
Saras Steven
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