In-vehicle display device

Abstract

To provide an in-vehicle display device which switches information sources for displaying lane lines while suppressing discomfort felt by a driver.SOLUTION: An in-vehicle display device 100 displays lane lines of a road on a display 4 of an own vehicle V. The in-vehicle display device 100 includes: an acquisition part 13 for acquiring camera lane line information including information on positions of the lane lines and map lane line information including the information on the positions of the lane lines; and a display control part 14 for displaying the lane lines. The display control part 14 makes the lane lines based on the map lane line information faded in after making the lane lines based on the camera lane line information faded out.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an in-vehicle display device that displays road markings on a vehicle display. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a device that detects lane markings on a road where a vehicle is located and displays the detected lane markings on a display mounted on the vehicle. This device changes the length of the lane markings displayed on the display based on the detection distance of a detection unit (sensor) that detects the lane markings. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-163903 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the device for displaying lane markings as described above, lane markings may be displayed based on camera recognition results or based on map information. When the information source for lane markings is switched, the position of the lane markings displayed on the display may shift between before and after the switch. This may cause occupants to feel uncomfortable when viewing the display.

[0005] Therefore, the present disclosure describes an in-vehicle display device that can switch the information source for displaying lane lines while suppressing discomfort felt by occupants. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure is an in-vehicle display device that displays road markings on a vehicle display, and includes an acquisition unit that acquires first marking information including information on the position of the markings and second marking information including information on the position of the markings and different from the first marking information, and a display control unit that displays markings on the display based on the first marking information and based on the second marking information.When switching from displaying markings based on the first marking line information to displaying markings based on the second marking line information, the display control unit fades out the markings based on the first marking line information and then displays the markings based on the second marking line information, or fades in the markings based on the second marking line information after erasing the markings based on the first marking line information, or fades out the markings based on the first marking line information and then fades in the markings based on the second marking line information.

[0007] Here, for example, there may be a slight misalignment between the positions of the lane lines based on the first lane line information and the positions of the lane lines based on the second lane line information. In this case, when switching from displaying lane lines based on the first lane line information to displaying lane lines based on the second lane line information, the positions of the lane lines displayed on the display may differ before and after the switch. Therefore, when switching from displaying lane lines based on the first lane line information to displaying lane lines based on the second lane line information, the in-vehicle display device at least either fades in the lane lines when they are displayed or fades out when they are removed. In other words, when switching the information source for the lane lines, the in-vehicle display device does not instantly switch the display of the lane lines. If the display of the lane lines were switched instantly without using fade-in or fade-out, the lane lines may suddenly disappear and then suddenly reappear in a position different from where they disappeared, which may cause discomfort to occupants. In this way, by using at least one of fade-in and fade-out, the in-vehicle display device can switch the information source for displaying the lane markings while minimizing the discomfort felt by the occupants.

[0008] Another aspect of the present disclosure is an in-vehicle display device that displays road markings on a vehicle display, and includes an acquisition unit that acquires first marking information including information on the position of the markings and second marking information including information on the position of the markings and different from the first marking information, and a display control unit that displays the markings on the display based on the first marking information and based on the second marking information, and when switching from displaying markings based on the first marking information to displaying markings based on the second marking information, the display control unit gradually transitions the markings from the position of the markings displayed based on the first marking information to the position of the markings that should be displayed based on the second marking information.

[0009] When switching from displaying lane lines based on first lane line information to displaying lane lines based on second lane line information, this in-vehicle display device gradually shifts the lane lines to the position where they should be displayed based on the second lane line information. In other words, when switching the information source for lane lines, the in-vehicle display device does not instantaneously switch the position of the lane lines displayed on the display. If the display position of the lane lines were switched instantaneously, the lane lines might suddenly disappear and suddenly appear in a position different from where they disappeared, which could cause occupants to feel uncomfortable. In this way, by gradually shifting the lane lines to the position where they should be displayed based on the second lane line information after switching the display, the in-vehicle display device can switch the information source for displaying the lane lines while preventing occupants from feeling uncomfortable.

[0010] In the above-mentioned in-vehicle display device, the first demarcation line information includes information on the position of the demarcation line of the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, and the second demarcation line information includes information on the position of the demarcation line of the lane in which the vehicle is traveling and information on the position of the demarcation line of an adjacent lane adjacent to the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, and when switching from displaying demarcation lines based on the first demarcation line information to displaying demarcation lines based on the second demarcation line information, the display control unit may gradually transition the demarcation line of the lane in which the vehicle is traveling from the position of the demarcation line of the lane in which the vehicle is traveling displayed based on the first demarcation line information to the position of the demarcation line of the lane in which the vehicle is traveling to be displayed based on the second demarcation line information, and after the transition is completed, may further display the demarcation line of the adjacent lane at the position of the demarcation line of the adjacent lane in which the second demarcation line information is based.

[0011] For example, if the information sources for the markings are different, there may be discrepancies between the positions of the markings displayed based on these information sources. Therefore, when a combination of the markings for the current lane and the adjacent lane, which are from different information sources, is displayed, the markings may intersect or the lane width may appear wider or narrower. Therefore, after the display of the markings for the current lane is switched to the markings for the current lane based on the second marking line information, the in-vehicle display device displays the markings for the adjacent lane based on the second marking line information. In other words, the in-vehicle display device can display the markings for the adjacent lane when the information sources for the markings for the current lane and the adjacent lane are the same (second marking line information). This prevents the in-vehicle display device from feeling uncomfortable for the occupants, even when newly displaying the markings for the adjacent lane in addition to the markings for the current lane.

[0012] In the above-mentioned in-vehicle display device, when the display control unit switches the display of lane lines from a display based on the second lane line information to a display based on the first lane line information, and then switches again from a display based on the first lane line information to a display based on the second lane line information within a predetermined judgment time, it may gradually transition the lane line of the vehicle from the position of the lane line of the vehicle's lane displayed based on the first lane line information to the position of the lane line of the vehicle's lane that should be displayed based on the second lane line information, and then not display the lane line of the adjacent lane at the position of the lane line of the adjacent lane based on the second lane line information until a predetermined display waiting time has elapsed.

[0013] For example, the display of lane lines may be switched in the following order: display based on second lane line information, display based on first lane line information, and display based on second lane line information. When displaying based on first lane line information, the lane line of the vehicle's own lane is displayed; when displaying based on second lane line information, the lane line of adjacent lanes is displayed in addition to the lane line of the vehicle's own lane. In this case, the lane line of the adjacent lane disappears when displaying based on the first lane line information, and then the lane line of the adjacent lane is displayed again when displaying based on the second lane line information. Therefore, when displaying based on the second lane line information again, this in-vehicle display device does not display the lane line of the adjacent lane until a predetermined display wait time has elapsed. This prevents the lane line of the adjacent lane from disappearing for a short time and then reappearing, thereby preventing occupants from feeling uncomfortable.

[0014] In the above-described in-vehicle display device, after switching between displaying the lane lines based on the first lane line information and displaying the lane lines based on the second lane line information, the display control unit may not switch between displaying the lane lines based on the first lane line information and displaying the lane lines based on the second lane line information until a predetermined switching waiting time has elapsed. In this case, the in-vehicle display device can suppress switching of the information source of the lane lines, thereby preventing occupants from finding the display switching annoying. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to switch the information source for displaying the lane markings while suppressing the occupant from feeling uncomfortable. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of an in-vehicle display device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a top view showing the road on which the host vehicle is traveling. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a display image of a lane marking on a display. [Figure 4]FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a display image of a lane line based on camera lane line information on a display. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a display image of lane lines based on map lane line information on a display. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an example of an in-vehicle display device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a display image of lane lines based on camera lane line information on a display. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a display image of lane lines based on map lane line information on a display. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining how the lane markings are displayed with gradual transitions. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display image of a lane line based on camera lane line information on a display. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a display image of lane lines based on map lane line information on a display. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or corresponding elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0018] (First embodiment) A first embodiment of an in-vehicle display device will be described. The in-vehicle display device 100 shown in FIG. 1 is mounted on a vehicle such as a passenger car or a freight vehicle (hereinafter referred to as the host vehicle) and displays an image according to the surrounding conditions of the host vehicle. The in-vehicle display device 100 displays road markings (markings on a road for dividing lanes) on a display 4 as an image display according to the surrounding conditions of the host vehicle. The in-vehicle display device 100 includes an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 10 that manages the device. The ECU 10 is an electronic control unit having a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a storage unit. The storage unit is configured, for example, with a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory). The ECU 10 realizes various functions by, for example, executing programs stored in the storage unit in the CPU. The ECU 10 may be configured with multiple electronic units.

[0019] The ECU 10 is connected to a camera 1, a GPS receiver 2, a map database 3, and a display 4. The camera 1 is an imaging device that captures images of the external conditions of the vehicle. The camera 1 is provided, for example, behind the windshield of the vehicle, and captures images of the area ahead of the vehicle. The camera 1 transmits captured images of the external conditions of the vehicle to the ECU 10. In this embodiment, the camera 1 can capture images of the road ahead of the vehicle. The GPS receiver 2 receives signals from three or more GPS satellites to measure the position of the vehicle (for example, the latitude and longitude of the vehicle). The GPS receiver 2 transmits the measured position information of the vehicle to the ECU 10.

[0020] The map database 3 is a database that stores map information. The map database 3 is provided, for example, in a storage unit installed in the vehicle. The map information includes road (lane) position information (position on the map), road shape (lane shape) information (e.g., curves, type of straight section, curvature of curves, etc.), and position information of road structures. The map database 3 may be stored in a server that can communicate with the vehicle. In this embodiment, the map information stored in the map database 3 includes "map lane information (second lane information)," which is information about lane lines. The map lane information includes information about the positions of the lane lines. Furthermore, if there are multiple lanes on a road, the map lane information includes information about the positions of multiple lane lines that separate the lanes. The map lane information does not necessarily have to be defined for the entire area. The map lane information may also be defined for only a portion of the area.

[0021] The display 4 is a display device provided in the cabin of the vehicle. The display 4 may be a center display, a multi-information display (MID), or a head-up display (HUD). The display 4 displays various information in response to control signals from the ECU 10.

[0022] Functionally, the ECU 10 includes a vehicle position recognition unit 11, a lane marking recognition unit 12, an acquisition unit 13, and a display control unit 14. The vehicle position recognition unit 11 recognizes the position of the vehicle itself. The vehicle position recognition unit 11 can recognize the position of the vehicle itself based on position information measured by the GPS receiver 2. The vehicle position recognition unit 11 may also recognize the position of the vehicle itself using the well-known SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) technology, using position information of fixed obstacles such as utility poles included in the map information of the map database 3 and detection results from a radar mounted on the vehicle itself.

[0023] The lane marking recognition unit 12 recognizes the position of the lane markings ahead of the vehicle based on the image captured by the camera 1. For example, the lane marking recognition unit 12 extracts the lane markings based on the captured image using well-known image processing techniques and recognizes the position of the lane markings relative to the vehicle. The lane marking recognition unit 12 may also recognize the position of each point on the lane markings. Note that the lane marking recognition unit 12 may also recognize the absolute position of the lane markings, expressed by latitude and longitude, for example. Hereinafter, information on the position of the lane markings recognized by the lane marking recognition unit 12 based on the image captured by the camera 1 will be referred to as "camera lane marking information (first lane marking information)."

[0024] As shown in FIG. 2, for example, assume that the host vehicle V is traveling in the host lane L, and an adjacent lane L10 exists to the right of the host lane L. The host lane L is made up of a pair of marking lines K1 and K2, and the adjacent lane L10 is made up of a pair of marking lines K1 and K10. In other words, the marking line K1 is the marking line on the right side of the host lane L, and is also the marking line on the left side of the adjacent lane L10.

[0025] In this embodiment, the lane markings of the current lane refer to the pair of lane markings (the left lane marking and the right lane marking) that make up the current lane. The lane markings of an adjacent lane adjacent to the current lane refer to the pair of lane markings that make up the adjacent lane that do not also function as lane markings of the current lane. In other words, in the example shown in FIG. 2, the lane markings of the current lane refer to markings K1 and K2. The lane marking of an adjacent lane L10 refers to marking K10.

[0026] The lane marking recognition unit 12 recognizes the lane markings of the vehicle's own lane based on the image captured by the camera 1. Furthermore, if the road on which the vehicle is traveling has multiple lanes, the lane marking recognition unit 12 recognizes the lane markings of adjacent lanes in addition to the lane markings of the vehicle's own lane based on the image captured by the camera 1. However, depending on the positions of other vehicles around the vehicle and the shape of the road, the camera 1 may not be able to capture (or may have difficulty capturing) the lane markings of adjacent lanes. For this reason, the lane marking recognition unit 12 may only be able to recognize the lane markings of the vehicle's own lane, even if there are multiple lanes.

[0027] The acquisition unit 13 acquires the camera lane line information recognized by the lane line recognition unit 12 and the map lane line information stored in the map database 3. The map lane line information is different from the camera lane line information. Here, the map lane line information differs from the camera lane line information because the information source for recognizing (setting) the lane line positions is different, the method for recognizing (setting) the lane line positions is different, or the accuracy of the lane line positions is different. As described above, the camera lane line information is recognized based on the image captured by the camera 1 mounted on the vehicle. The map lane line information stored in the map database 3 is preset information. Therefore, the map lane line information and the camera lane line information are different from each other.

[0028] The display control unit 14 controls the display of lane lines on the display 4. The display control unit 14 displays lane lines on the display 4 based on the camera lane line information acquired by the acquisition unit 13, and displays lane lines based on the map lane line information acquired by the acquisition unit 13. Here, the display control unit 14 displays either lane lines based on the camera lane line information or lane lines based on the map lane line information. When displaying lane lines based on the map lane line information, the display control unit 14 can determine the lane lines of the area to be displayed based on the position information of the vehicle recognized by the vehicle position recognition unit 11 and the position information of the lane lines included in the map lane line information.

[0029] In this embodiment, the display control unit 14 displays a lane marking KA on the display 4, as well as a vehicle icon VA representing the vehicle, as shown in Fig. 3. The display control unit 14 displays the vehicle icon VA and the lane marking KA so as to show the vehicle and lane markings as viewed from behind and diagonally above the vehicle. Displaying the lane marking KA on the display 4 means displaying an image (e.g., a line) corresponding to the lane marking on the display 4.

[0030] The display control unit 14 displays the lane lines based on the camera lane line information at positions on the display 4 that correspond to the positions of the lane lines in the camera lane line information. Specifically, when displaying the lane lines based on the camera lane line information on the display 4, the display control unit 14 displays the vehicle icon VA and the lane line KA so that the positional relationship between the actual position of the vehicle and the position of the lane line based on the camera lane line information corresponds to the positional relationship between the vehicle icon VA displayed on the display 4 and the lane line KA based on the camera lane line information.

[0031] Furthermore, the display control unit 14 displays the lane lines based on the map lane line information at positions on the display 4 that correspond to the positions of the lane lines in the map lane line information. Specifically, when displaying the lane lines based on the map lane line information on the display 4, the display control unit 14 displays the vehicle icon VA and the lane lines KA so that the positional relationship between the actual position of the vehicle and the position of the lane lines based on the map lane line information corresponds to the positional relationship between the vehicle icon VA displayed on the display 4 and the lane lines KA based on the map lane line information.

[0032] Note that there may be cases where another vehicle is detected around the host vehicle by a radar or the like mounted on the host vehicle. In this case, the display control unit 14 may display an other vehicle icon VB indicating the detected other vehicle on the display 4. In this case, the display control unit 14 displays the other vehicle icon VB so that the positional relationship between the actual position of the host vehicle and the position of the detected other vehicle corresponds to the positional relationship between the position of the host vehicle icon VA displayed on the display 4 and the position of the other vehicle icon VB.

[0033] The display control unit 14 switches between displaying lane lines based on camera lane line information and displaying lane lines based on map lane line information based on various conditions, such as the vehicle's traveling position and the lane line recognition status based on the image captured by the camera 1. For example, while displaying lane lines based on map lane line information, the vehicle may enter an area where the map information does not include map lane line information. In this case, the display control unit 14 is unable to display lane lines based on the map lane line information. In such a case, the display control unit 14 switches from displaying lane lines based on map lane line information to displaying lane lines based on camera lane line information. In addition, the lane line recognition unit 12 may be unable to properly recognize lane lines based on the image captured by the camera 1 due to, for example, the conditions of other vehicles around the vehicle, fog, backlighting, etc. In such a case, the display control unit 14 switches from displaying lane lines based on camera lane line information to displaying lane lines based on map lane line information.

[0034] As described above, the display control unit 14 determines whether or not to switch the display of lane lines based on various conditions, such as the vehicle's traveling position and the recognition status of lane lines based on the image captured by the camera 1. Furthermore, a priority for displaying lane lines may be defined for the camera lane line information and the map lane line information. In this case, the display control unit 14 may determine whether or not to switch the display based on the defined priority when both the camera lane line information and the map lane line information are available. For example, assume that lane lines are currently being displayed based on information with a lower priority among the camera lane line information and the map lane line information. In this state, assume that information with a higher priority also becomes available. In this case, the display control unit 14 determines that it is necessary to switch from displaying lane lines based on information with a lower priority among the camera lane line information and the map lane line information to displaying lane lines based on information with a higher priority. If it is determined that display of lane lines needs to be switched, the display control unit 14 switches between displaying lane lines based on the camera lane line information and displaying lane lines based on the map lane line information.

[0035] The following describes a case where it is determined that the display of lane lines needs to be switched and the display control unit 14 switches between displaying lane lines based on camera lane line information and displaying lane lines based on map lane line information. Here, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, it is assumed that lane lines MA based on camera lane line information are displayed on the display 4. In this state, it is assumed that it is determined that the display of lane lines needs to be switched and the display is switched to displaying lane lines based on map lane line information. It is assumed that the lane line recognition unit 12 recognizes the lane lines K1 and K2 of the host vehicle V's lane L and the lane line K10 of the adjacent lane L10 based on the image captured by the camera 1, as shown in FIG. 2. It is also assumed that the map lane line information stored in the map database 3 includes information on the positions of the lane lines K1 and K2 of the host vehicle V's lane L and the position of the lane line K10 of the adjacent lane L10 around the traveling position of the host vehicle V, as shown in FIG. 2.

[0036] The lane markings MA based on the camera lane marking information shown in Figure 4 include lane markings M1A corresponding to lane markings K1 of the current lane L (see Figure 2), lane markings M2A corresponding to lane markings K2 of the current lane L (see Figure 2), and lane markings M10A corresponding to lane markings K10 of the adjacent lane L10 (see Figure 2).

[0037] When switching from displaying lane lines MA based on the camera lane line information shown in Fig. 4 to displaying lane lines NA based on the map lane line information shown in Fig. 5, the display control unit 14 fades out the lane lines MA based on the camera lane line information and then fades in the lane lines NA based on the map lane line information. Like the lane lines MA based on the camera lane line information, the lane lines NA based on the map lane line information shown in Fig. 5 include lane lines N1A corresponding to lane line K1 (see Fig. 2) of the current lane L, N2A corresponding to lane line K2 (see Fig. 2) of the current lane L, and N10A corresponding to lane line K10 (see Fig. 2) of the adjacent lane L10, as with the lane lines MA based on the camera lane line information.

[0038] Note that fading out a demarcation line may mean gradually lightening the color of the demarcation line, gradually approaching the background color, gradually decreasing the brightness of the demarcation line, gradually thinning the demarcation line, or a combination of two or more of these. Also, fading in a demarcation line may mean gradually darkening the color of the demarcation line, gradually approaching the color of the demarcation line from the background color to the color that should originally be displayed, gradually increasing the brightness of the demarcation line, gradually thickening the demarcation line, or a combination of two or more of these.

[0039] Furthermore, when switching from displaying lane lines MA based on the camera lane line information shown in Fig. 4 to displaying lane lines NA based on the map lane line information shown in Fig. 5, the display control unit 14 may fade out the lane lines MA based on the camera lane line information and then display the lane lines NA based on the map lane line information. Displaying the lane lines NA based on the map lane line information here does not mean gradually displaying them, such as fading them in, but rather instantly displaying the lane lines NA.

[0040] Furthermore, when switching from displaying lane lines MA based on the camera lane line information shown in Fig. 4 to displaying lane lines NA based on the map lane line information shown in Fig. 5, the display control unit 14 may erase the lane lines MA based on the camera lane line information and then fade in the lane lines NA based on the map lane line information. Here, erasing the lane lines MA based on the camera lane line information does not mean gradually erasing the display, as in fading out, but means instantly erasing the display of the lane lines MA.

[0041] In this way, when it is determined that the display of the lane lines needs to be switched, the display control unit 14 uses at least one of fade-in and fade-out to switch from the display of the lane lines MA based on the camera lane line information shown in Figure 4 to the display of the lane lines NA based on the map lane line information shown in Figure 5. Note that it may be determined that the display of the lane lines needs to be switched when the lane lines NA based on the map lane line information as shown in Figure 5 is being displayed. In this case as well, the display control unit 14 uses at least one of fade-in and fade-out to switch from the display of the lane lines NA based on the map lane line information shown in Figure 5 to the display of the lane lines MA based on the camera lane line information shown in Figure 4.

[0042] Here, for example, there may be a deviation (slight deviation) between the position of the lane line MA based on the camera lane line information and the position of the lane line NA based on the map lane line information. This may occur, for example, due to an error in recognizing the lane line based on the image captured by the camera 1, or an error in recognizing the position of the vehicle V when displaying the lane lines based on the map lane line information. In this case, for example, when switching from displaying the lane line MA based on the camera lane line information to displaying the lane line NA based on the map lane line information, the position of the lane line displayed on the display 4 may differ before and after the switch.

[0043] Therefore, when switching between displaying lane lines based on camera lane line information and displaying lane lines based on map lane line information, the display control unit 14 of the in-vehicle display device 100 performs at least one of fading in the lane lines when they are displayed and fading out the lane lines when they are removed. In other words, when switching the lane line information source, the in-vehicle display device 100 does not instantly switch the display of the lane lines. If the lane line display is switched instantly without using fade-in or fade-out, the lane line may suddenly disappear and suddenly reappear in a position different from where it disappeared, which may cause the occupants to feel uncomfortable. In this way, by using at least one of fade-in and fade-out, the in-vehicle display device 100 can switch the information source for displaying the lane lines while minimizing the occupants' discomfort.

[0044] The display control unit 14 may be configured not to switch between displaying lane lines based on the camera lane line information and displaying lane lines based on the map lane line information until a predetermined switching wait time has elapsed after switching between displaying lane lines based on the camera lane line information and displaying lane lines based on the map lane line information. This predetermined switching wait time is set in advance. In this case, the in-vehicle display device 100 suppresses switching of the lane line information source, thereby preventing the occupants from feeling annoyed by the display switching. This suppression of switching of the lane line display is performed when both the camera lane line information and the map lane line information are available. After determining that switching is necessary, the display of lane lines based on the information before switching is maintained until the predetermined switching wait time has elapsed. The display control unit 14 switches the display of lane lines after the predetermined switching wait time has elapsed.

[0045] (Second embodiment) Next, a second embodiment of the in-vehicle display device will be described. As shown in Fig. 6, the in-vehicle display device 100A according to this embodiment includes a display control unit 14A instead of the display control unit 14 of the in-vehicle display device 100 according to the first embodiment. The configuration of this embodiment other than the display control unit 14A is the same as that of the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0046] The display control unit 14A displays the lane lines on the display 4 at the positions of the lane lines based on the camera lane line information, or at the positions of the lane lines based on the map lane line information. The display control unit 14A differs from the display control unit 14 according to the first embodiment only in the configuration when switching the display of lane lines, and the other configurations are the same as the configuration of the display control unit 14 according to the first embodiment.

[0047] Below, we will explain a case where it is determined that switching the display of lane lines is necessary, and the display control unit 14A switches between displaying lane lines based on the camera lane line information and displaying lane lines based on the map lane line information. For example, as shown in Figure 7, assume that lane line PA is displayed at the position of the lane line based on the camera lane line information. In this state, if it is determined that switching the display of the lane lines is necessary, the display control unit 14A displays lane line PA at the position of the lane line based on the map lane line information, as shown in Figure 8.

[0048] For example, suppose that the positions of the lane lines based on the camera lane line information and the lane lines based on the map lane line information are misaligned even though they are for the same lane. In this case, when switching from displaying the lane lines PA based on the camera lane line information shown in Fig. 7 to displaying the lane lines PA based on the map lane line information shown in Fig. 8, the display control unit 14A gradually transitions the lane lines PA from the position of the lane lines displayed based on the camera lane line information to the position of the lane lines that should be displayed based on the map lane line information.

[0049] 9, for example, there is a discrepancy between the display position P1 of the lane line displayed on the display 4 based on the camera lane line information and the display position P2 of the lane line displayed on the display 4 based on the map lane line information. In such a case, the display control unit 14A gradually shifts the lane line PA from the display position P1 of the lane line displayed based on the camera lane line information to the display position P2 of the lane line that should be displayed based on the map lane line information.

[0050] 7 and 8, the position of the lane marking PA on the left side of the vehicle icon VA is shifted between the lane marking based on the camera lane marking information and the lane marking based on the map lane marking information. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 8, the lane marking PA on the left side of the vehicle icon VA is gradually shifted from the position of the lane marking displayed based on the camera lane marking information to the position of the lane marking that should be displayed based on the map lane marking information.

[0051] The transition of the demarcation lines that occurs when the display of the demarcation lines is switched is not performed if there is no deviation in the position of the demarcation lines before and after the switch. For example, the transition of the demarcation lines may be performed if the deviation in the position of the demarcation lines before and after the switch is equal to or greater than a predetermined deviation amount. For example, when switching the display of the lane markings, the display control unit 14A determines whether or not there is a deviation in the position of the lane markings before and after the switching. If there is a deviation, the display control unit 14A may be configured to gradually transition the lane markings.

[0052] In this way, when it is determined that the display of the lane lines needs to be switched, the display control unit 14A gradually transitions the lane lines based on the deviation of the lane lines, and switches from displaying the lane lines PA based on the camera lane line information shown in Figure 7 to displaying the lane lines PA based on the map lane line information shown in Figure 8. Note that it may be determined that the display of the lane lines needs to be switched when the lane lines PA based on the map lane line information as shown in Figure 8 is displayed. In this case as well, the display control unit 14A gradually transitions the lane lines based on the deviation of the lane lines, and switches from displaying the lane lines PA based on the map lane line information shown in Figure 8 to displaying the lane lines PA based on the camera lane line information shown in Figure 7.

[0053] Here, the number of lane lines included in the camera lane line information and the map lane line information may differ. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the camera lane line information may include information on the positions of lane lines K1 and K2 of the lane L in which the host vehicle V is traveling, but may not include information on the position of lane line K10 of the adjacent lane L10. This may be the case, for example, when the camera 1 is unable to detect lane line K10 because it is obscured by other vehicles surrounding the host vehicle V. On the other hand, the map lane line information may include information on the positions of lane lines K1 and K2 of the host vehicle lane L and information on the position of lane line K10 of the adjacent lane L10 adjacent to the host vehicle lane L.

[0054] In this way, if the map lane line information contains more lane lines than the camera lane line information, the number of lane lines displayed on display 4 increases when the display switches from lane line display based on the camera lane line information to lane line display based on the map lane line information. Here, as shown in Figure 10, lane line QA based on the camera lane line information is displayed on display 4. The lane line QA based on the camera lane line information shown in Figure 10 includes lane line Q1A corresponding to lane line K1 (see Figure 2) of the current lane L and lane line Q2A corresponding to lane line K2 (see Figure 2) of the current lane L. In this state, it is determined that the display of lane lines needs to be switched, and the display switches to the display of lane lines based on the map lane line information. Here, it is assumed that the display is switched to display lane lines of adjacent lanes in addition to the lane line of the current lane.

[0055] When switching the display of lane lines, the display control unit 14A first switches the display of the lane line for the current lane and then displays the lane lines for adjacent lanes. Specifically, when switching the display of lane lines, the display control unit 14A displays lane lines Q1A and Q2A as lane line QA at the position of the lane line for the current lane based on the map lane line information, as shown in FIG. 11. At this time, there may be a discrepancy between the position of the lane line for the current lane based on the camera lane line information and the position of the lane line for the current lane based on the map lane line information. In this case, the display control unit 14A gradually shifts the lane line for the current lane from the position of the lane line for the current lane displayed based on the camera lane line information to the position of the lane line for the current lane that should be displayed based on the second lane line information, as described above.

[0056] 10 and 11, the position of the lane marking Q1A on the right side of the vehicle icon VA is shifted between the lane marking based on the camera lane marking information and the lane marking based on the map lane marking information. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 11, the lane marking Q1A on the right side of the vehicle icon VA is gradually shifted from the position of the lane marking displayed based on the camera lane marking information to the position of the lane marking that should be displayed based on the map lane marking information.

[0057] After the transition (display) of the lane marking QA of the current lane is completed, the display control unit 14A further displays the lane marking Q10A of the adjacent lane at the position of the lane marking of the adjacent lane based on the map lane marking information. That is, after the lane markings Q1A and Q2A of the current lane are displayed at the positions of the lane markings based on the map lane marking information, the lane marking Q10A of the adjacent lane based on the map lane marking information is displayed.

[0058] As described above, when switching from displaying lane lines based on camera lane line information to displaying lane lines based on map lane line information, the display control unit 14A of the in-vehicle display device 100A gradually shifts the lane lines to the position where they should be displayed based on the map lane line information. In other words, when switching the information source for the lane lines, the in-vehicle display device 100A does not instantaneously switch the position of the lane lines displayed on the display 4. If the display position of the lane lines is switched instantaneously, the lane lines may suddenly disappear and then suddenly appear in a position different from where they disappeared, which may cause the occupants to feel uncomfortable. In this way, the in-vehicle display device 100A gradually shifts the lane lines to the position where they should be displayed based on the map lane line information after the display is switched, thereby making it possible to switch the information source for displaying the lane lines while minimizing the occupants' discomfort.

[0059] For example, if the information sources for lane markings are different, the positions of the lane markings displayed based on these information sources may differ. Therefore, when a lane marking for the vehicle's own lane and an adjacent lane marking from different information sources are displayed in combination, the lane markings may intersect or the lane width may appear wider or narrower. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 11, when the lane marking Q1A for the vehicle's own lane, which is based on camera lane marking information and the lane marking Q10A for the adjacent lane, which is based on map lane marking information, are displayed simultaneously, the width of the adjacent lane represented by the lane marking Q1A and the lane marking Q10A appears narrower. This may cause the occupants to feel uncomfortable.

[0060] Therefore, the display control unit 14A of the in-vehicle display device 100A displays the lane markings of the adjacent lane based on the map lane marking information after switching the display of the lane markings of the current lane to the lane markings based on the map lane marking information. In other words, the in-vehicle display device can display the lane markings of the adjacent lane when the information sources for the lane markings and the adjacent lane markings are in the same state (here, the state of the map lane marking information). This prevents the occupants from feeling uncomfortable even when the lane markings of the adjacent lane are newly displayed in addition to the lane markings of the current lane.

[0061] (First modified example of the second embodiment) A first modified example of the second embodiment will be described. In this modified example, a process is added to prevent the display control unit 14A from switching the display of lane lines within a short period of time. As in the second embodiment, the camera lane line information includes information on the positions of the lane lines K1 and K2 of the lane L in which the host vehicle V is traveling, but does not include information on the position of the lane line K10 of the adjacent lane L10. On the other hand, the map lane line information includes information on the positions of the lane lines K1 and K2 of the host lane L and information on the position of the lane line K10 of the adjacent lane L10 adjacent to the host lane L.

[0062] In this state, the display control unit 14A may switch the display of lane lines from a display based on map lane line information to a display based on camera lane line information, and then switch back to a display based on map lane line information within a predetermined determination time. The predetermined determination time is determined in advance. When this switching occurs, the display 4 changes from a state in which the lane line of the vehicle itself and the lane line of the adjacent lane are displayed, to a state in which the lane line of the adjacent lane disappears, and then the lane line of the vehicle itself and the lane line of the adjacent lane are displayed again. If the time it takes for the lane line of the adjacent lane to disappear is short, the occupant may feel uncomfortable when they see the lane line of the adjacent lane disappear for only a moment.

[0063] Therefore, when switching from displaying lane lines based on camera lane line information to displaying lane lines based on map lane line information, the display control unit 14A can delay the timing of displaying the lane lines of the adjacent lane based on the map lane line information. Here, as described above, the display control unit 14A gradually transitions the lane line of the own lane from the position of the lane line of the own lane displayed based on the camera lane line information to the position of the lane line that should be displayed based on the map lane line information. After the transition of the lane line of the own lane is complete, the display control unit 14A does not display the lane line of the adjacent lane at the position of the lane line of the adjacent lane based on the map lane line information until a predetermined display wait time has elapsed. This predetermined display wait time is set in advance. After the predetermined display wait time has elapsed, the display control unit 14A displays the lane line of the adjacent lane at the position of the lane line of the adjacent lane based on the map lane line information.

[0064] In this way, for example, the display of lane lines may be switched in the following order: display based on map lane line information, display based on camera lane line information, and display based on map lane line information. When displaying based on camera lane line information, the lane line of the vehicle's own lane is displayed; when displaying based on map lane line information, the lane line of the adjacent lane is also displayed in addition to the lane line of the vehicle's own lane. In this case, the lane line of the adjacent lane disappears when displaying based on the camera lane line information, and then the lane line of the adjacent lane is displayed again when displaying based on the map lane line information. Therefore, when displaying based on the map lane line information again, the display control unit 14A of the in-vehicle display device 100A does not display the lane line of the adjacent lane until a predetermined display standby time has elapsed. This prevents the lane line of the adjacent lane from disappearing for a short time and then reappearing, thereby preventing the occupants from feeling uncomfortable.

[0065] (Second Modification of the Second Embodiment) A second modification of the second embodiment will be described. In this modification, a process is added to prevent the display control unit 14A from switching the display of lane lines within a short period of time. Here, after switching between displaying lane lines based on camera lane line information and displaying lane lines based on map lane line information, the display control unit 14A does not switch between displaying lane lines based on camera lane lines and displaying lane lines based on map lane line information until a predetermined switching standby time has elapsed. After the predetermined switching standby time has elapsed, the display control unit 14A switches the display of lane lines. In this case, the in-vehicle display device 100A suppresses switching of the information source of lane lines, thereby preventing the occupant from feeling annoyed by the display switching. Note that this suppression of switching the display of lane lines is performed when both camera lane line information and map lane line information are available. After determining that switching is necessary, the display of lane lines based on the information before switching is maintained until a predetermined switching standby time has elapsed. The display control unit 14A switches the display of lane lines after the predetermined switching standby time has elapsed.

[0066] Although various embodiments and various modified examples of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modified examples. For example, a case has been described in which the display control units 14 and 14A switch between displaying lane lines based on camera lane line information and displaying lane lines based on map lane line information. The information source used by the display control unit 14 or the like to switch the display of lane lines is not limited to camera lane line information and map lane line information. For example, the display control unit 14 or the like may switch between displaying lane lines based on first map lane line information and displaying lane lines based on second map lane line information. This second map lane line information may be information created with different accuracy or based on a different information source than the first map lane line information. The display control unit 14 or the like may be configured to switch between displaying lane lines based on different lane line information. Furthermore, in the second embodiment or the like, a case has been described in which the map lane line information contains more lane lines than the camera lane line information. This is not limited to this; the camera lane line information may contain more lane lines than the map lane line information.

[0067] The display of the lane markings on the display 4 shown in Figure 4 etc. is an example and is not limited to a view of the vehicle and lane markings viewed from behind and diagonally above the vehicle. For example, a view of the vehicle and lane markings viewed from above (plan view) may be displayed on the display 4. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 4...display, 13...acquisition unit, 14...display control unit, KA, MA, M1A, M2A, M10A, NA, N1A, N2A, N10A, PA, QA, Q1A, Q2A, Q10A...demarcation lines, 100, 100A...in-vehicle display device, V...own vehicle (vehicle).

Claims

1. An in-vehicle display device that displays road markings on a vehicle display, an acquisition unit that acquires first demarcation line information including information on the position of the demarcation line and second demarcation line information including information on the position of the demarcation line and different from the first demarcation line information; a display control unit that displays the demarcation lines on the display based on the first demarcation line information and the second demarcation line information; Equipped with The display control unit When switching from displaying the demarcation lines based on the first demarcation line information to displaying the demarcation lines based on the second demarcation line information, After fading out the demarcation line based on the first demarcation line information, the demarcation line based on the second demarcation line information is displayed. After erasing the demarcation line based on the first demarcation line information, the demarcation line based on the second demarcation line information is faded in. Alternatively, the vehicle-mounted display device fades out the demarcation lines based on the first demarcation line information and then fades in the demarcation lines based on the second demarcation line information.

2. An in-vehicle display device that displays road markings on a vehicle display, an acquisition unit that acquires first demarcation line information including information on the position of the demarcation line and second demarcation line information including information on the position of the demarcation line and different from the first demarcation line information; a display control unit that displays the demarcation lines on the display based on the first demarcation line information and the second demarcation line information; Equipped with The display control unit When switching from displaying the demarcation lines based on the first demarcation line information to displaying the demarcation lines based on the second demarcation line information, An in-vehicle display device that gradually transitions the lane marking from a position of the lane marking displayed based on the first lane marking information to a position of the lane marking that should be displayed based on the second lane marking information.

3. the first lane marking information includes information about the position of the lane marking of the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, the second lane marking information includes information on the position of the lane marking of the current lane and information on the position of the lane marking of an adjacent lane adjacent to the current lane; The display control unit When switching from displaying the demarcation lines based on the first demarcation line information to displaying the demarcation lines based on the second demarcation line information, gradually shifting the lane marking of the own lane from a position of the lane marking of the own lane displayed based on the first lane marking information to a position of the lane marking of the own lane that should be displayed based on the second lane marking information; The in-vehicle display device according to claim 2 , further comprising: after the transition is completed, displaying the lane marking of the adjacent lane at a position of the lane marking of the adjacent lane based on the second lane marking information.

4. The display control unit When the display of the demarcation line is switched from a display based on the second demarcation line information to a display based on the first demarcation line information, and then switched again from a display based on the first demarcation line information to a display based on the second demarcation line information within a predetermined determination time, 4. The in-vehicle display device according to claim 3, wherein the lane markings of the vehicle are gradually shifted from the position of the lane markings of the vehicle that are displayed based on the first lane marking information to the position of the lane markings of the vehicle that should be displayed based on the second lane marking information, and then the lane markings of the adjacent lane are not displayed at the position of the lane markings of the adjacent lane that are based on the second lane marking information until a predetermined display waiting time has elapsed.

5. The in-vehicle display device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein after switching between displaying the demarcation lines based on the first demarcation line information and displaying the demarcation lines based on the second demarcation line information, the display control unit does not switch between displaying the demarcation lines based on the first demarcation line information and displaying the demarcation lines based on the second demarcation line information until a predetermined switching waiting time has elapsed.

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