Video display system, and vehicle equipped with a video display system

Abstract

To provide a video display system that can eliminate a difficulty of seeing content, when a driver reclines a driver's seat toward a back seat.SOLUTION: A video display system, which is arranged in a vehicle configured so that a driver's seat can be reclined backward, is provided with a video display device that displays content and a position adjustment device whose one end part is connected to a dashboard of the vehicle or the opposite side of a vehicle interior with respect to the dashboard and whose other end part is connected to the video display device, which can displace the video display device in a longitudinal direction and in a vertical direction of the vehicle. The position adjustment device is configured to be able to displace the video display device up to an upper side of the driver's seat reclined backward.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an image display system and a vehicle including the image display system. [Background Art]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technology in which a steering device is moved toward a dashboard by an actuator connected to the steering device including a display. According to the technology of Patent Document 1, after the steering device is moved toward the dashboard, a driver can widely use a space near the driver's seat. [Prior Art Literature] [Patent Literature]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] US Patent Application Publication No. 2020 / 023882 Specification [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0004] During automatic driving of a vehicle, when a driver reclines the driver's seat toward the rear seat side, the driver can enjoy content in a comfortable posture. However, in the technology of Patent Document 1, when the driver reclines the driver's seat toward the rear seat side, a monitor provided on the steering device becomes farther from the driver than before the driver's seat is reclined, which causes a problem that it becomes difficult for the driver to view the content displayed on the monitor. [Means for Solving the Problem]

[0005] The present disclosure can be implemented in the following modes. (1) According to a first embodiment of the present disclosure, a video display system is provided for a vehicle in which the driver's seat can be tilted backward. The video display system comprises a video display device for displaying content, which can be housed in a housing space on the side of the vehicle's dashboard opposite to the passenger compartment, and a position adjustment device having one end connected to the vehicle's dashboard or the side of the dashboard opposite to the passenger compartment, and the other end connected to the video display device, which can displace the video display device in the longitudinal and vertical directions of the vehicle, wherein the position adjustment device can be housed in the housing space and is configured to displace the video display device to above the driver's seat when tilted backward. In the state in which they are housed in the aforementioned storage space, they overlap each other It has multiple foldable arms and multiple joints, The position adjustment device is capable of displacing the image display device in the longitudinal and vertical directions of the vehicle by bending and extending the plurality of joints. One end of the position adjustment device is connected to the housing space, and the housing space is a space capable of housing the image display device, the position adjustment device, and the steering device. (2) According to the second form of this disclosure, A video display system is provided for a vehicle in which the driver's seat can be tilted backward. This video display system comprises a video display device for displaying content, which can be housed in a storage space on the side of the vehicle's dashboard opposite to the passenger compartment, and a position adjustment device having one end connected to the vehicle's dashboard, or the side of the dashboard opposite to the passenger compartment, and the other end connected to the video display device, which can displace the video display device in the longitudinal and vertical directions of the vehicle, wherein the position adjustment device can be housed in the storage space and is configured to displace the video display device to above the driver's seat when tilted backward. In the state in which they are housed in the aforementioned storage space, they overlap each other It has multiple foldable arms and multiple joints, The position adjustment device is capable of displacing the image display device in the longitudinal and vertical directions of the vehicle by bending and extending the plurality of joints. One end of the position adjustment device is connected to the housing space, and the position adjustment device is capable of displacing the image display device by passing inside the gripping portion of the vehicle's steering device.

[0006] (1) According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a video display system is provided for a vehicle in which the driver's seat can be reclined. The video display system comprises a video display device for displaying content, and a position adjustment device having one end connected to the dashboard of the vehicle, or the side of the dashboard opposite to the passenger compartment, and the other end connected to the video display device, the position adjustment device capable of displacing the video display device in the longitudinal and vertical directions of the vehicle, wherein the position adjustment device is configured to displace the video display device to above the driver's seat when it is reclined. With this embodiment of the video display system, when the driver reclines the seat towards the rear seat, the position adjustment device can move the position of the video display device above the driver. This eliminates the difficulty in seeing the content displayed on the video display device when the driver reclines the seat towards the rear seat, compared to an embodiment without a position adjustment device. (2) The video display device of the above form may further include a displacement control unit that controls the displacement of the video display device by the position adjustment device. (3) In the above-described image display device, the device includes an image acquisition unit for acquiring images of a predetermined range including the driver's seat, and a face position detection unit for detecting the position of the driver's face based on the images acquired by the image acquisition unit, and the displacement control unit may displace the image display device so as to face the driver's face based on the position of the driver's face detected by the face position detection unit. With this image display system, when the driver changes their posture, the driver can view the images displayed on the image display device in an easy-to-see position without having to manually change the position of the image display device. (4) In the above-described image display device, an acceleration sensor for detecting the acceleration of the image display device may be further provided, and the displacement control unit may be controlled to reduce the displacement of the image display device based on the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor. This image display system can eliminate the difficulty in viewing the image display device when the image display device moves significantly. (5) In the above-described image display device, the device may be equipped with a driving state acquisition unit that acquires a signal indicating the driving state of the vehicle, and the displacement control unit may, when the driving state acquisition unit acquires a signal indicating that the vehicle should be driven by a driver, control the device so as not to position the image display device on a line connecting the position of the headrest assumed to be when the vehicle is driven by the driver and a specific part of the vehicle's windshield. With this embodiment of the image display device, when the vehicle should be driven by a driver, the image display device can be positioned so as not to be in the driver's field of vision. (6) In another embodiment of the present disclosure, a vehicle is provided having the video display system of the above embodiment. The vehicle has a housing space on the side of the dashboard opposite to the passenger compartment, which is a space capable of housing the video display device and the position adjustment device, the position adjustment device being configured such that the position adjustment device deforms so that the video display device and the position adjustment device are housed in the housing space, and one end of the position adjustment device is located within the housing space. With this embodiment of the vehicle, when the driver is not viewing content, the video display device and the position adjustment device can be housed in the housing space, thereby freeing up space around the driver's seat. (7) In the above-described vehicle, a steering wheel housing space may be provided on the side of the dashboard opposite to the passenger compartment, and the steering wheel housing space may be configured to house the steering device when the vehicle is in automatic driving mode. With this vehicle configuration, when the vehicle is in automatic driving mode, the steering device is housed in the housing space, thereby increasing the space around the driver's seat. (8) In other embodiments of the present disclosure, a vehicle is provided which is equipped with the above-described image display system. The vehicle further includes a scenery acquisition unit that acquires images in the direction the vehicle is traveling, and the image display device can display the images acquired by the scenery acquisition unit. With this vehicle, for example, the driver can see images in the direction the vehicle is traveling when the driver's seat backrest is tilted towards the rear seats. (9) In the above-described vehicle, the video display system includes a driving state acquisition unit that acquires a signal indicating the driving state of the vehicle, and the video display device displays the video acquired by the scenery acquisition unit for a predetermined time from the time the driving state acquisition unit acquires a signal indicating that the driver should drive the vehicle. With this vehicle, when the driver has reclined the driver's seat towards the rear seat and the driver should drive the vehicle, the video of the direction the vehicle is traveling is displayed for a predetermined time, so that the driver can check the situation in the direction the vehicle is traveling until he drives the vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] A diagram illustrating the video display system of this embodiment. [Figure 2] This diagram shows the driver's seat backrest tilted towards the rear seats. [Figure 3] A block diagram illustrating the video processing unit, system processing unit, and vehicle processing unit. [Figure 4] A diagram illustrating an example of displacement of a position adjustment device. [Figure 5] A diagram showing the video display device after displacement from the state shown in Figure 4. [Figure 6] A diagram illustrating a vehicle being driven by a driver. [Figure 7] This diagram shows that the video display device is showing the video acquired by the scenery acquisition unit. [Figure 8] A diagram showing the installation of a video display device, a position adjustment device, and a steering device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] A. Embodiment: A1. Description of the vehicle of this embodiment: Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the video display system 40 of this embodiment. In Figure 1, the driver's seat DRS is shown in a state where it is slid towards the rear seat by the driver DR. Figure 2 is a diagram showing the state where the backrest of the driver's seat DRS is tilted towards the rear seat. In Figure 2, the positions of the driver DR and the driver's seat DRS when the vehicle 1 is driven by the operation of the driver DR are shown by dashed lines. In this embodiment, the driver DR can tilt the driver's seat DRS backward in the vehicle 1. "The driver DR can tilt the driver's seat DRS backward" means either the driver DR sliding the driver's seat DRS towards the rear seat as shown in Figure 1, or the driver DR tilting the backrest of the driver's seat DRS towards the rear seat as shown in Figure 2, or both.

[0009] In this embodiment, vehicle 1 is capable of autonomous driving. In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, vehicle 1 comprises a dashboard 10, a steering device 20, a scenery acquisition unit 30, a video display system 40, a storage space SP, and a vehicle processing unit 50. The steering device 20, the scenery acquisition unit 30, the video display system 40, and the vehicle processing unit 50 are electrically connected to each other and can send and receive signals.

[0010] A2. Description of the dashboard 10, steering device 20, scenery acquisition unit 30, and vehicle processing unit 50: The dashboard 10, steering device 20, scenery acquisition unit 30, and vehicle processing unit 50 will be described below. The video display system 40 and the storage space SP will be described separately. As shown in Figure 2, the dashboard 10 is a plate-shaped member that separates the front FR of the vehicle 1 from the passenger compartment CA. The dashboard 10 comprises a first plate portion 11 and a second plate portion 12. The first plate portion 11 is the upper vertical portion of the dashboard 10. The first plate portion 11 extends from the second plate portion 12 side toward the windshield FW. One end 11a of the first plate portion 11 is connected to the end of the windshield FW. The second plate portion 12 is the lower vertical portion of the dashboard 10. The second plate portion 12 is connected to the end 11b of the first plate portion 11 that is opposite to the end 11a that connects to the windshield FW. The second plate portion 12 includes a receiving opening 12a shown in Figure 1 and an opening cover portion 12b (not shown).

[0011] The storage opening 12a is an opening that connects the vehicle compartment CA and the storage space SP. The opening cover 12b can be moved under the control of the vehicle processing unit 50. Specifically, the opening cover 12b is positioned to overlap the storage opening 12a under the control of the vehicle processing unit 50, thereby sealing the storage opening 12a. When the storage opening 12a is not sealed, the opening cover 12b is positioned around the storage space SP under the control of the vehicle processing unit 50. The movement of the opening cover 12b will be described later. Although not shown in the figure, in Figure 1, the opening cover 12b is positioned around the storage space SP.

[0012] The steering device 20 is a device for enabling steering of a vehicle 1 by a driver DR. The steering device 20 is configured to be tiltable toward the front FR side of the vehicle 1. The tilt of the steering device 20 will be described later. As shown in FIG. 2, a part of the steering device 20 is disposed in the accommodation space SP. Specifically, in the steering device 20, a portion 20a gripped by the driver DR is disposed in the vehicle compartment, and a part of the other portion 20b is disposed in the accommodation space SP. The portion 20b of the steering device is configured to be extendable and retractable. The steering device 20 can be accommodated in the accommodation space SP. The accommodation of the steering device 20 will be described later. As shown in FIG. 1, the steering device 20 of the present embodiment has a substantially annular shape.

[0013] The scenery acquisition unit 30 shown in FIG. 2 acquires an image in the traveling direction of the vehicle 1. The scenery acquisition unit 30 is a camera mounted on the vehicle 1.

[0014] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an image processing unit 415, a system processing unit 43, and a vehicle processing unit 50. The image processing unit 415, the system processing unit 43, and the vehicle processing unit 50 are electrically connected to each other and can transmit and receive signals to and from each other. The image processing unit 415 and the system processing unit 43 will be described later. The vehicle processing unit 50 is composed of a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. The vehicle processing unit 50 executes the processing of the vehicle processing unit 50 by developing a program stored in the ROM on the RAM and causing the CPU to execute the program.

[0015] A3. Description of Video Display System 40: The video display system 40 will be described. The video display system 40 shown in FIG. 1 is used in a vehicle when the driver DR or an unillustrated person in the vehicle views content such as moving images and SNS. The video display system 40 includes a video display device 41, a position adjustment device 42, and a system processing unit 43. In FIG. 1, illustration of the system processing unit 43 is omitted. The video display device 41, the position adjustment device 42, and the system processing unit 43 are electrically connected to each other.

[0016] The video display device 41 displays content such as videos, social media content, and maps. The video display device 41 acquires content from a wireless network outside the vehicle 1. In this embodiment, the video display device 41 is a tablet terminal equipped with a touch sensor. The video display device 41 comprises a video acquisition unit 411, an audio acquisition unit 412, an audio generation unit 413, an acceleration sensor 414, and a video processing unit 415. In Figure 1, the acceleration sensor 414 and the video processing unit 415 are not shown.

[0017] The video acquisition unit 411 acquires video footage from inside the vehicle. In this embodiment, the video acquisition unit 411 can acquire video footage of a predetermined range, including the driver's seat DRS, when the video display device 41 is in its initial position, which is the position of the video display device 41 when the vehicle 1 is being driven by the driver DR. In this embodiment, the predetermined range refers to the range including the driver's seat DRS and the upper body of the driver DR sitting in the driver's seat DRS. The video footage acquired by the video acquisition unit 411 is used when the video display device 41 is displaced by the displacement control unit 434, which will be described later. Details of the displacement of the video display device 41 by the displacement control unit 434 will be described later.

[0018] Furthermore, the video acquired by the video acquisition unit 411 is used by the vehicle processing unit 50 to monitor the driver's condition. "Monitoring the driver's condition" means monitoring the driver's physical condition, distracted driving, drowsiness, etc. By integrating the video acquisition unit 411 into the video display device 41, costs can be reduced compared to a configuration where a separate device for monitoring the driver is installed inside the vehicle. In this embodiment, a camera built into the video display device 41 is used as the video acquisition unit 411.

[0019] The voice acquisition unit 412 acquires the voice of the driver (DR). The voice acquisition unit 412 has different sensitivity to voice acquisition depending on the direction. The voice acquisition unit 412 can acquire voices emitted from the direction of the driver (DR) with good sensitivity by comparing them with sounds emitted from other directions. In this embodiment, the voice acquisition unit 412 is a microphone built into the video display device 41.

[0020] The voice generation unit 413 emits voice messages to notify the driver (DR). For example, the voice generation unit 413 emits voice messages for navigation to the destination or for video content. In addition, when the operation of vehicle 1 should be changed from automatic driving to driver (DR) control, the voice generation unit 413 will notify the driver (DR) by voice before the display control unit 415a, which will be described later, that vehicle 1 should be driven. The voice generation unit 413 is a speaker built into the video display device 41.

[0021] The acceleration sensor 414 detects the acceleration of the video display device 41. The acceleration sensor 414 transmits a signal representing the detected acceleration to the system processing unit 43. In this embodiment, the acceleration sensor 414 is a three-axis acceleration sensor capable of detecting acceleration in the front-to-back direction, up-and-down direction, left-to-right direction, and rotational direction of the video display device 41. The acceleration sensor 414 is built into the video display device 41.

[0022] The video processing unit 415 shown in Figure 3 consists of a CPU, ROM, and RAM. The video processing unit 415 executes the processing of the video display device 41 by loading the program stored in ROM onto RAM and having the CPU execute it. In this embodiment, the video processing unit 415 functions as a display control unit 415a and a speech recognition unit 415b.

[0023] The display control unit 415a controls the display of images shown on the video display device 41. The display control unit 415a displays or hides content such as videos, social media posts, and maps on the display of the video display device 41.

[0024] In this embodiment, when content is displayed on the video display device 41, the display control unit 415a hides the content if it receives a signal from the driving state acquisition unit 432 (described later) indicating that the vehicle 1 should be driven by the driver DR. In this embodiment, the situation in which the vehicle 1 should be driven by the driver DR refers, for example, to the situation in which the vehicle switches from automatic driving to driving operated by the driver DR in order to enter a road where automatic driving is not permitted.

[0025] As will be described later, the display or hiding of content can be done by the driver's (DR) touch panel operation or by voice command. In this embodiment, when the vehicle 1 is being driven by the driver's (DR) operation, the display control unit 415a controls the display of the video display device 41 so as not to display any content other than what the vehicle processing unit 50 has determined to be necessary, such as maps or speedometers, regardless of the driver's (DR) touch panel operation or voice command. When the vehicle 1 transitions to an automatic driving or stopped state, the display control unit 415a, which has received a signal from the driving state acquisition unit indicating that the vehicle 1 is in an automatic driving or stopped state, displays content such as videos or social media. In this case, the content can be hidden by the driver's (DR) touch panel operation or by voice command.

[0026] When the display control unit 415a receives a signal from the driving status acquisition unit 432 indicating that the vehicle 1 should be driven by the driver (DR) from automatic driving to driver (DR), it displays a message indicating that the vehicle 1 should be driven by the driver (DR). The display control unit 415a also displays the video acquired by the scenery acquisition unit 30. The conditions under which the scenery acquisition unit 30 is displayed will be described later. The display control unit 415a can display, hide, or change content in response to notifications from the voice recognition unit 415b.

[0027] The voice recognition unit 415b recognizes the voice of the driver DR acquired by the voice acquisition unit 412 and reads the driver DR's instructions. In this embodiment, the driver DR's instructions include "change the content displayed on the video display device 41" and "adjust the position of the video display device 41". Based on the driver DR's instructions, the voice recognition unit 415b notifies the display control unit 415a of the change in content displayed on the video display device 41. The voice recognition unit 415b also transmits a signal to the system processing unit 43 to adjust the position of the video display device 41 based on the instructions it has read.

[0028] Although not shown in the diagram, the driver DR can touch the image displayed on the display of the video display device 41 to input commands to the video processing unit 415 for displaying or hiding content, adjusting the position adjustment device 42, and housing the video display device 41, position adjustment device 42, and steering device 20 in the storage space SP described later.

[0029] Figure 4 illustrates an example of displacement of the position adjustment device 42. In Figure 4, the steering device 20 is housed in the housing space SP. The position adjustment device 42 is a device capable of displacing the video display device 41 in the longitudinal, vertical, and lateral directions of the vehicle 1. The position adjustment device 42 is configured to displace the video display device 41 to above the driver's seat DRS, which is tilted backward by the driver DR. Above the driver's seat DRS means above the part of the driver's seat DRS where the driver DR sits. Displacement will be described later. Furthermore, the position adjustment device 42 is configured so that the video display device 41 and the position adjustment device 42 are housed in the housing space SP by the deformation of the position adjustment device 42. Housed in the housing space SP will be described later.

[0030] In this embodiment, the position adjustment device 42 is deformed by a displacement control unit 434, which will be described later, and displaces the video display device 41. As shown in Figure 4, in this embodiment, the position adjustment device 42 has a deformable rod shape, and the arm portion can be bent and extended by joints provided at each part. One end of the position adjustment device 42 is connected to a connection part of the front FR of a vehicle 1 (not shown) on the side opposite to the cabin CA relative to the dashboard 10. The other end of the position adjustment device 42 is connected to the video display device 41. The position adjustment device 42 includes a first arm portion 421, a first joint portion 422, a second arm portion 423, a second joint portion 424, a third arm portion 425, a third joint portion 426, a fourth arm portion 427, and a fourth joint portion 428.

[0031] Figure 5 shows the image display device 41 displaced from the state shown in Figure 4. The first arm 421 is connected to the image display device 41. In this embodiment, the first arm 421 is connected to the image display device 41 at one end via a connecting part (not shown) for adjusting the angle. This allows the position adjustment device 42 to tilt the image display device 41 so that it forms an angle with respect to the vertical. The first joint 422 connects the other end of the first arm 421 to the second arm 423. The first joint 422 is a ball joint that can displace the first arm 421 by bending it in the front-rear direction, up-down direction, and left-right direction of the vehicle 1. Figure 5 shows the first joint 422 extended so that the first arm 421 is positioned further rearward than in the state shown in Figure 4. When the first arm 421 is bent, the video display device 41 connected to the first arm 421 is displaced to the rear of the vehicle 1.

[0032] The second arm 423 is connected to the first arm 421 via the first joint 422. The second arm 423 is also connected to the third arm 425 via the second joint 424. The second joint 424 connects the second arm 423 and the third arm 425. The second joint 424 is a ball joint that can displace the second arm 423 in the front-rear direction and the up-down direction of the vehicle 1 by bending the second arm 423 in the front-rear direction, the up-down direction and the left-right direction of the vehicle 1. In Figure 5, the second joint 424 is shown extended so that the second arm 423 is positioned further rearward than in the state shown in Figure 4. As the second arm 423 is displaced, the second arm 423 and the video display device 41 connected to the first arm 421 via the first joint 422 are displaced further rearward than the vehicle 1.

[0033] The third arm 425 is connected to the fourth arm 427 via the third joint 426. The third joint 426 is a ball joint that allows the third arm 425 to bend in the front-rear, up-down, and left-right directions of the vehicle 1. Displacement of the third arm 425 allows displacement of the video display device 41, which is connected to the third arm 425 via the first joint 422 and the second joint 424.

[0034] The fourth arm portion 427 is connected to the fourth joint portion 428. The fourth joint portion 428 is connected to the front FR of the vehicle 1 (not shown) on the side opposite to the passenger compartment CA relative to the dashboard 10. This fixes the position adjustment device 42 to the vehicle 1. The fourth joint portion 428 is a ball joint that allows the fourth arm portion 427 to be displaced by bending the fourth arm portion 427 in the front-rear direction, up-down direction, and left-right direction of the vehicle 1. In this embodiment, the tilt of the steering device 20 and the position of the position adjustment device 42 are adjusted so that the steering device 20 and the position adjustment device 42 do not come into contact.

[0035] Figure 6 shows the state in which the vehicle 1 is being driven by the driver DR. In Figure 6, the video display device 41 is not displaced by the position adjustment device 42. For example, in an embodiment where there is no position adjustment device 42 and the video display device 41 is always positioned as shown in Figure 6, it is conceivable that the video display device 41 may become difficult for the driver DR to see if the driver DR reclines their seat towards the rear seat. On the other hand, in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 1, 4 and 5, when the driver DR reclines their seat towards the rear seat, the position of the video display device 41 can be moved above the driver DR by the position adjustment device 42. This eliminates the difficulty in seeing the content displayed on the video display device 41 when the driver DR reclines their seat towards the rear seat, compared to an embodiment without the position adjustment device 42. Furthermore, the position of the video display device 41 can be finely adjusted to a position that is easy for the driver DR to see, such as when the video display device 41 is displaced from the position in Figure 4 to the position in Figure 5.

[0036] In the configuration without the position adjustment device 42, the driver (DR) needs to look down to view the video display device 41. In this case, the driver (DR) may experience motion sickness. On the other hand, in this embodiment, the video display device 41 can be displaced to a position where the driver (DR) can easily view it, thus reducing the possibility of the driver (DR) experiencing motion sickness.

[0037] When the driver (DR) reclines the driver's seat (DRS) towards the rear seat and touches the display of the video display device 41, if there is no position adjustment device 42, the driver (DR) may have difficulty reaching the display. On the other hand, in this embodiment, the video display device 41 can be displaced to a position where the driver (DR) can easily touch it, making it easier to operate the video display device 41.

[0038] Compared to holding the device that displays the image in one's hand, the configuration of this embodiment can reduce driver fatigue. Also, because the display can be made larger, content can be enjoyed on a larger screen compared to when the device that displays the image in one's hand. Furthermore, compared to the configuration without the image display device 41, the configuration of this embodiment makes the screen easier to see for people other than the driver who are in the vehicle.

[0039] The system processing unit 43 shown in Figure 3 consists of a CPU, ROM, and RAM. The system processing unit 43 executes the processing of the video display system 40 by loading the program stored in ROM onto RAM and having the CPU execute it. The system processing unit 43 functions as a face position detection unit 431, a driving state acquisition unit 432, a scenery data receiving unit 433, and a displacement control unit 434.

[0040] The face position detection unit 431 detects the position of the driver's face based on the video acquired by the video acquisition unit 411. First, the face position detection unit 431 detects the driver's face from the video acquired by the video acquisition unit 411. In this embodiment, the face position detection unit 431 detects the driver's pupils from the driver's face. Next, the face position detection unit 431 detects the position of the detected driver's pupils on the screen of the video display device 41. The face position detection unit 431 notifies the displacement control unit 434 of the detected face position. In this embodiment, the face position detection unit 431 notifies the displacement control unit 434 of the detected face position if the position of the driver's pupils remains in the same position for a predetermined period of time. "Remaining in the same position" includes cases where the position of the pupils moves by a few millimeters. The face position detection unit 431 may also detect the position of the driver's nose and lips. The facial position detection unit 431 detects the area that is input to the system processing unit 43 in advance by the user.

[0041] The driving status acquisition unit 432 acquires the driving status of vehicle 1 from the vehicle processing unit 50. The driving status of vehicle 1 refers to states such as when vehicle 1 is driving automatically, when vehicle 1 is being driven by the driver DR, when vehicle 1 is stopped, or when vehicle 1 should be driven by the driver DR. The driving status acquisition unit 432 transmits a signal to the display control unit 415a according to the acquired driving status of vehicle 1. The driving status acquisition unit 432 also notifies the displacement control unit 434 according to the acquired driving status of vehicle 1. In this embodiment, when the driving status acquisition unit 432 acquires a signal from the vehicle processing unit 50 indicating that vehicle 1 should be driven by the driver DR, it notifies the scenery data receiving unit 433 of this fact.

[0042] Figure 7 shows that the video display device 41 is displaying the video acquired by the scenery acquisition unit 30. Note that the vehicle 1 is simplified in Figure 7. The scenery data receiving unit 433 shown in Figure 3 receives video data of the direction in which the vehicle 1 is traveling, acquired by the scenery acquisition unit 30, from the scenery acquisition unit 30. The scenery data receiving unit 433 notifies the display control unit 415a to display the video acquired by the scenery data receiving unit 433 in response to operations by the driver DR touching the display or instructions by the driver DR's voice. For example, if the driver DR has tilted the backrest of the driver's seat DRS toward the rear seat, the driver DR can see the video of the direction in which the vehicle 1 is traveling by touching the display.

[0043] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the scenery data receiving unit 433 notifies the display control unit 415a to display the video acquired by the scenery acquisition unit 30 for a predetermined period of time after the driving state acquisition unit 432 has acquired a signal indicating that the vehicle 1 should be driven by the driver DR. Specifically, first, the scenery data receiving unit 433 receives notification from the driving state acquisition unit 432 that a signal indicating that the vehicle 1 should be driven by the driver DR has been acquired. The scenery data receiving unit 433 then notifies the display control unit 415a of this fact. As a result, the display control unit 415a displays the video acquired by the scenery acquisition unit 30. For example, if the driver DR has reclined the driver's seat DRS towards the rear seat, the video of the direction in which the vehicle 1 is traveling will be displayed for a predetermined period of time, allowing the driver DR to confirm the situation in the direction in which the vehicle 1 is traveling until they start driving the vehicle 1. In this embodiment, the predetermined period of time is the time required for the reclined rear seat to be raised by the driver DR, and is input to the system processing unit 43 in advance by the user.

[0044] As shown in the display NC of Figure 7, in this embodiment, when the driving state acquisition unit 432 receives a signal indicating that the driving of vehicle 1 should be changed from automatic driving to driver operation DR, the video acquired by the scenery acquisition unit 30 is displayed, along with a message indicating that vehicle 1 should be driven by driver DR.

[0045] The displacement control unit 434 shown in Figure 3 controls the displacement of the video display device 41. Specifically, the displacement control unit 434 displaces the video display device 41 connected to the position adjustment device 42 by deforming the position adjustment device 42. The displacement of the video display device 41 due to the deformation of the position adjustment device 42 is as described above. In this embodiment, when the vehicle 1 changes from automatic driving to driving operated by the driver DR, the displacement control unit 434 displaces the video display device 41 to the position used when the vehicle is driven by the driver DR, as shown in Figure 2. Furthermore, when the vehicle 1 changes from driving operated by the driver DR to automatic driving, the displacement control unit 434 can displace the video display device 41 based on the position of the driver DR's face detected by the face position detection unit 431. Subsequently, the position of the video display device 41 can be adjusted by the driver DR's operation or voice instruction.

[0046] In this embodiment, the displacement control unit 434 can displace the video display device 41 so that the display surface on which the video is displayed faces the driver's face, based on the face position detection unit 431. Specifically, first, when the video display device 41 is in its initial position, the video acquisition unit 411 acquires video of a predetermined range including the driver's seat DRS. Then, the face position detection unit 431 detects the driver's face, and the displacement control unit 434 displaces the video display device 41 so that it faces the driver's face, based on the detected face position. This allows the driver to easily view the video displayed on the video display device 41 without having to manually change the position of the video display device 41 if the driver changes their posture. Subsequently, the face position detection unit 431 detects the face position from the video of the driver acquired by the video acquisition unit 411. Then, the displacement control unit 434 displaces the video display device 41 so that it faces the driver's face.

[0047] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the displacement control unit 434 displaces the image display device 41 when the position of the driver's pupils remains in the same position for a predetermined period of time, as determined by the face position detection unit 431. This prevents the image display device 41 from being displaced even if the driver moves their head slightly from side to side. In other words, it prevents the image display device 41 from being displaced undesirably by the driver.

[0048] Furthermore, the displacement control unit 434 controls the position adjustment device 42 to reduce the displacement of the video display device 41 by adjusting it based on the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor 414. The displacement control unit 434 adjusts the position adjustment device 42 to reduce the displacement of the video display device 41 when the acceleration value detected by the acceleration sensor 414 is greater than a predetermined value.

[0049] For example, the displacement control unit 434 controls the first joint 422 of the position adjustment device 42 so that the first arm 421 of the position adjustment device 42 is displaced toward the front of the vehicle 1 when the acceleration sensor 414 detects that the acceleration in the direction toward the rear of the vehicle 1 is greater than a predetermined value. Also, for example, the displacement control unit 434 controls the second joint 424 of the position adjustment device 42 so that the second arm 423 of the position adjustment device 42 is displaced toward the left of the driver DR when the acceleration sensor 414 detects that the acceleration in the direction toward the right from the driver DR is greater than a predetermined value. This makes it possible to eliminate the difficulty in viewing the video display device 41 by the driver DR when the video display device 41 moves significantly.

[0050] Furthermore, the displacement control unit 434 adjusts the displacement of the video display system 40 based on instructions read by the voice recognition unit 415b. For example, when the driver DR gives the instruction to "move the video display device 41 forward," the displacement control unit 434 can displace the video display device 41 by deforming the position adjustment device 42 to move forward of the vehicle 1. This allows the driver DR to adjust the position of the video display device 41 without having to manually move the position adjustment device 42.

[0051] As shown in Figure 2, when the driving state acquisition unit 432 acquires a signal indicating that the vehicle 1 should be driven by the driver DR, the displacement control unit 434 controls the system so that the video display device 41 is not positioned on the line OL connecting the assumed headrest position HD, which is the assumed position of the headrest when the vehicle 1 is driven by the driver DR, and a specific part of the windshield FW of the vehicle 1.

[0052] The assumed headrest position HD is stored in the system processing unit 43 in advance. A specific part of the windshield FW of the vehicle 1 is predetermined by the user, and in this embodiment, it is the part FW1 located in the driver's line of sight when the driver DR is driving the vehicle 1. The system processing unit 43 can position the video display device 41 so that it does not enter the driver DR's field of vision when the vehicle 1 is to be driven by the driver DR, by not placing the video display device 41 on the line OL connecting the assumed headrest position HD and the specific part FW1 of the windshield FW of the vehicle 1.

[0053] A4. Description of containment space SP: The storage space SP will now be described. Figure 8 shows the storage of the video display device 41, the position adjustment device 42, and the steering device 20. The storage space SP is a space capable of housing the video display device 41, the position adjustment device 42, and the steering device 20. As shown in Figure 2, the storage space SP is located on the side opposite the passenger compartment CA to the dashboard 10. Specifically, the storage space SP is located between the front FR of the vehicle 1 and the dashboard 10. As shown in Figure 8, the storage space SP is capable of housing the video display device 41, the position adjustment device 42, and the steering device 20 all at once. The storage space SP allows the steering device 20 to be housed in the storage space SP simultaneously with or at different times to the video display device 41 and the position adjustment device 42 through the storage opening 12a.

[0054] The housing of the steering device 20 will be explained using Figure 4. Although not shown in the figure, first, the vehicle processing unit 50 tilts the steering device 20 toward the front of the vehicle 1. After tilting toward the front of the vehicle 1, the vehicle processing unit 50 shortens part 20b of the steering device 20, thereby moving the steering device 20 toward the front FR side of the vehicle 1. Then, the entire steering device 20 is housed in the housing space SP. At this time, the displacement control unit 434 controls the steering device 20 so that it does not come into contact with the video display device 41 and the position adjustment device 42. When the vehicle 1 is driving automatically, housing the steering device 20 in the housing space SP makes the space around the driver's seat DRS wider. In addition, the driver DR can enjoy the content without being bothered by the presence of the steering device 20.

[0055] The housing of the video display device 41 and the position adjustment device 42 will be explained using Figure 8. First, as described above, the steering device 20 is housed in the housing space SP. Although not shown in the figure, at this time, the displacement control unit 434 folds the first arm 421, the second arm 423, the third arm 425, and the fourth arm 427 so that they overlap each other. In Figure 8, the reference numerals for the first arm 421 to the fourth arm 427 have been omitted. At the same time, the displacement control unit 434 displaces the video display device 41 so that the display surface of the video display device 41 is parallel to the horizontal plane. Then, the displacement control unit 434 houses the video display device 41 and the position adjustment device 42 in the housing space SP. As shown in Figure 8, the fourth joint 428, which is one end of the position adjustment device 42, is positioned within the housing space SP. If the driver DR does not view the content, the video display device 41 and the position adjustment device 42 are housed in the housing space SP, thereby widening the space around the driver's seat DRS. When the video display device 41, the position adjustment device 42, and the steering device 20 are housed in the housing space SP, the housing opening 12a is sealed by the opening cover 12b controlled by the system control unit. Figure 8 shows the opening cover 12b in the process of sealing the housing opening 12a.

[0056] Although not shown in the diagram, it is also possible for the video display device 41 and the position adjustment device 42 to be housed in the housing space SP, while the steering device 20 is not housed there. In this case, the driver DR can operate the vehicle without being concerned about the presence of the video display device 41 and the position adjustment device 42.

[0057] B. Other embodiments: B1. Other Embodiments 1: (1) In the above embodiment, one end of the position adjustment device 42 is connected to the front FR of a vehicle 1 (not shown) on the side opposite to the passenger compartment CA relative to the dashboard 10. The other end of the position adjustment device may be connected to the vehicle's dashboard. The steering device may also be connected to the dashboard.

[0058] (2) In the above embodiment, the position adjustment device 42 included a first arm portion 421, a first joint portion 422, a second arm portion 423, a second joint portion 424, a third arm portion 425, a third joint portion 426, a fourth arm portion 427, and a fourth joint portion 428. The number of arms and joint portions of the position adjustment device is not limited to four each, and may be different numbers such as two or five. Also, for example, the position adjustment device may be an elastic member having elasticity. The video display device may be displaced as the elastic member is displaced in the longitudinal and vertical directions of the vehicle.

[0059] (3) In the above embodiment, the displacement control unit 434 folded the first arm 421, the second arm 423, the third arm 425, and the fourth arm 427 so that they overlapped each other, and the position adjustment device 42 and the image display device 41 were housed in the housing space SP. The position adjustment device may have a retractable configuration, and may be extended by the displacement control unit or the user to be displaced above the driver's seat which is tilted backward, and then shortened to be housed in the housing space.

[0060] (4) In the above embodiment, the steering device has a substantially ring shape. The steering device may have a shape other than a substantially ring shape, such as a semicircular shape or a rectangular parallelepiped shape. For example, the steering device may have rod-shaped parts on the left and right, and the vehicle may be operated by the driver gripping and moving the rod-shaped parts. In this embodiment, the video display device may be arranged between the rod-shaped parts.

[0061] (5) In the above embodiment, the vehicle 1 is capable of autonomous driving. However, the vehicle does not have to be capable of autonomous driving.

[0062] (6) In the above embodiment, the position adjustment device 42 is a device capable of displacing the video display device 41 in the longitudinal direction, vertical direction, and left-right direction of the vehicle 1. The position adjustment device may also be a device capable of displacing the video display device in the longitudinal direction and vertical direction of the vehicle.

[0063] (7) In the above embodiment, when the vehicle 1 is being driven by the driver DR, the display control unit 415a controls the video display device 41 so as not to display any content other than what the vehicle processing unit 50 has determined to be necessary, such as a map or speedometer, regardless of the driver DR's operation of the touch panel or voice instructions. However, when the vehicle is being driven by the driver, content such as videos or social media may be displayed by the driver's operation of the touch panel or voice instructions. In addition, the user may predetermine and input the content to be displayed by the display control unit.

[0064] (8) In the above embodiment, the video display device 41 was equipped with an audio acquisition unit 412. However, the video display device does not need to be equipped with an audio acquisition unit.

[0065] (9) In the above embodiment, the video acquired by the video acquisition unit 411 is used by the vehicle processing unit 50 when monitoring the driver's condition DR. For example, the vehicle may be equipped with an in-vehicle video acquisition unit that acquires video from inside the vehicle, and the in-vehicle video acquisition unit may be used when monitoring the driver's condition.

[0066] (10) In the above embodiment, the voice acquisition unit 412 acquires the voice of the driver DR. The voice acquisition unit may also acquire the voices of people inside the vehicle other than the driver. Alternatively, the vehicle may be equipped with an in-vehicle voice acquisition unit for acquiring the voices of people inside the vehicle other than the driver, and the in-vehicle voice acquisition unit may recognize the voices acquired and read instructions from the people inside the vehicle.

[0067] (11) In the above embodiment, the video display system 40 was equipped with a voice recognition unit 415b. However, in an embodiment in which, for example, the driver manually operates the position adjustment device or the video display device, the video display system does not need to be equipped with a voice recognition unit.

[0068] B2. Another Embodiment 2: (1) In the above embodiment, the video display system 40 was equipped with a displacement control unit 434. However, in an embodiment in which, for example, the driver manually operates the position adjustment device or the video display device, the video display system may not be equipped with a displacement control unit.

[0069] B3. Other Embodiments 3: (1) In the above embodiment, the video display device 41 was equipped with a video acquisition unit 411 built into the video display device 41. For example, the video display system may also be equipped with a video acquisition unit located outside the video display device that is electrically connected to the video display device. Furthermore, there may be multiple video acquisition units, such as two or three.

[0070] (2) In the above embodiment, the video display system 40 was equipped with a face position detection unit 431. However, the video display system does not need to be equipped with a face position detection unit.

[0071] (3) In the above embodiment, the face position detection unit 431 notifies the displacement control unit 434 of the detected face position if the position of the driver DR's pupils remains in the same position for a predetermined period of time. The face position detection unit may also immediately notify the displacement control unit of the detected face position if the detected face position moves.

[0072] (4) In the above embodiment, the predetermined range refers to the range including the driver's seat DRS and the upper body of the driver DR sitting in the driver's seat DRS. For example, the predetermined range may also refer to the range including the driver's seat and the face of the driver sitting in the driver's seat.

[0073] B4. Other Embodiments 4: (1) In the above embodiment, the video display system 40 was equipped with an acceleration sensor 414. However, the video display system does not need to be equipped with an acceleration sensor.

[0074] B5. Other Embodiments 5: (1) In the above embodiment, when the driving state acquisition unit 432 acquires a signal indicating that the vehicle 1 should be driven by the driver DR, the video display system 40 controls the system so as not to place the video display device 41 on a line connecting the position of the headrest assumed to be driven by the driver DR and a specific part 20b of the windshield FW of the vehicle 1. However, the displacement control unit does not need to control the system so as not to place the video display device on a line when the driving state acquisition unit acquires a signal indicating that the vehicle should be driven by the driver.

[0075] (1) In the above embodiment, the specific part of the windshield FW of the vehicle 1 is the part FW1 located in the driver's line of sight when the driver DR is driving the vehicle 1. The specific part may be located in front of the driver's forehead, or it may be in the center of the windshield.

[0076] B6. Other Embodiments 6: (1) In the above embodiment, the vehicle 1 was provided with a storage space SP. For example, in an embodiment in which the position adjustment device and the steering device are connected to the dashboard, the vehicle may not be provided with a storage space.

[0077] (2) The accommodation space may have walls. In this case, the other end of the position adjustment device and the steering device may be connected to the walls of the accommodation space.

[0078] B7. Other Embodiments 7: (1) In the above embodiment, the vehicle 1 was provided with a storage space SP capable of housing an image display device 41, a position adjustment device 42, and a steering device 20. Alternatively, a steering storage space, distinct from the storage space SP, may be provided on the side of the dashboard opposite to the passenger compartment, and configured to house the steering device when the vehicle is in automatic driving mode.

[0079] B8. Other Embodiments 8: (1) In the above embodiment, the vehicle 1 was equipped with a scenery acquisition unit 30. However, the vehicle does not need to be equipped with a scenery acquisition unit.

[0080] B9. Other Embodiments 9: (1) In the above embodiment, the video display system 40 displayed the video acquired by the scenery acquisition unit 30 for a predetermined period of time from the time the driving state acquisition unit 432 acquired a signal indicating that the driver DR should drive the vehicle 1. However, for example, the video display system does not have to display the video acquired by the scenery acquisition unit when the driving state acquisition unit acquires a signal indicating that the driver should drive the vehicle. For example, in an embodiment without a display control unit, the scenery acquisition unit can display the video acquired by the scenery acquisition unit on the video display device.

[0081] (2) In this embodiment, the predetermined time is the time required for the reclined rear seats to be raised by the driver DR, and is input in advance to the system processing unit 43 by the user. For example, the predetermined time may be the time required for the driver to raise the rear seats and grip the steering wheel.

[0082] This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented in various configurations without departing from its spirit. For example, the technical features in the embodiments corresponding to the technical features in each form described in the summary of the invention can be replaced or combined as appropriate in order to solve some or all of the above-described problems, or to achieve some or all of the above-described effects. Furthermore, if a technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it can be deleted as appropriate. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0083] 1...Vehicle, 10...Dashboard, 11...First panel section, 11a, 11b...Ends of the first panel section, 12...Second panel section, 12a...Storage opening, 12b...Opening cover section, 20...Steering device, 20a, 20b...Parts of the steering device, 30...Scenery acquisition unit, 40...Video display system, 41...Video display device, 42...Position adjustment device, 43...System processing unit, 50...Vehicle processing unit, 411...Video acquisition unit, 412...Audio acquisition unit, 413...Audio generation unit, 414...Accelerometer, 415...Video processing unit, 415a...Display Control unit, 415b... Voice recognition unit, 421... First arm, 422... First joint, 423... Second arm, 424... Second joint, 425... Third arm, 426... Third joint, 427... Fourth arm, 428... Fourth joint, 431... Face position detection unit, 432... Driving state acquisition unit, 433... Scenery data reception unit, 434... Displacement control unit, CA... Passenger compartment, DR... Driver, DRS... Driver's seat, FR... Front, FW... Windshield, FW1... Part of the windshield, HD... Assumed headrest position, OL... Line, SP... Accommodation space

Claims

1. A video display system installed in a vehicle in which the driver's seat can be tilted backward, A video display device for displaying content, which can be housed in a storage space on the side of the vehicle's dashboard opposite to the passenger compartment, A position adjustment device having one end connected to the vehicle's dashboard, or the side of the dashboard opposite to the passenger compartment, and the other end connected to the video display device, the position adjustment device capable of displacing the video display device in the longitudinal and vertical directions of the vehicle, Equipped with, The position adjustment device is, It is possible to accommodate it in the aforementioned accommodation space, The system is configured to allow the video display device to be displaced above the driver's seat, which is tilted backward. In the state where it is housed in the aforementioned storage space, it has a plurality of arms and a plurality of joints that can be folded so as to overlap each other, The position adjustment device is capable of displacing the image display device in the longitudinal and vertical directions of the vehicle by bending and extending the plurality of joints. One end of the position adjustment device is characterized by being connected to the housing space, The aforementioned housing space is a space capable of housing the video display device, the position adjustment device, and the steering device. Video display system.

2. The video display system according to claim 1, Furthermore, the video display system includes a displacement control unit that controls the displacement of the video display device by the position adjustment device.

3. The video display system according to claim 2, A video acquisition unit for acquiring video of a predetermined range including the driver's seat, The system includes a face position detection unit that detects the position of the driver's face based on the video acquired by the aforementioned video acquisition unit. The displacement control unit displaces the image display device so that it faces the driver's face, based on the position of the driver's face detected by the face position detection unit, in this image display system.

4. The video display system according to claim 2, Furthermore, the system includes an acceleration sensor for detecting the acceleration of the video display device, The displacement control unit, A video display system that controls the displacement of the video display device to decrease based on the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor.

5. The video display system according to claim 2, The vehicle is equipped with a driving state acquisition unit that acquires signals indicating the driving state of the vehicle. The displacement control unit, When the driving state acquisition unit acquires a signal indicating that the vehicle should be driven by a driver, the system controls the placement of the video display device so as not to be positioned on a line connecting the position of the headrest assumed to be in operation by the driver and a specific part of the vehicle's windshield. Video display system.

6. A vehicle equipped with the video display system described in claim 1, On the side of the dashboard opposite to the vehicle interior, there is a storage space capable of housing the video display device and the position adjustment device, The position adjustment device is configured such that the video display device and the position adjustment device are housed in the housing space by the deformation of the position adjustment device. A vehicle in which one end of the position adjustment device is located within the housing space.

7. The vehicle according to claim 6, On the side of the dashboard opposite to the passenger compartment, a steering wheel storage space is provided, A vehicle in which the steering housing space is configured to house the steering device when the vehicle is in autonomous driving mode.

8. A vehicle equipped with the video display system described in claim 1, Furthermore, it includes a scenery acquisition unit that acquires images in the direction the vehicle is traveling, The aforementioned video display device is a vehicle capable of displaying video acquired by the scenery acquisition unit.

9. A vehicle according to claim 8, The aforementioned video display system includes a driving state acquisition unit that acquires signals indicating the driving state of the vehicle, The aforementioned video display device is a vehicle that displays video footage acquired by the scenery acquisition unit for a predetermined period of time from the time the driving state acquisition unit acquires a signal indicating that the vehicle should be driven by the driver.

10. A video display system installed in a vehicle in which the driver's seat can be tilted backward, A video display device for displaying content, which can be housed in a storage space on the side of the vehicle's dashboard opposite to the passenger compartment, A position adjustment device having one end connected to the vehicle's dashboard, or the side of the dashboard opposite to the passenger compartment, and the other end connected to the video display device, the position adjustment device capable of displacing the video display device in the longitudinal and vertical directions of the vehicle, Equipped with, The position adjustment device is, It is possible to accommodate it in the aforementioned accommodation space, The system is configured to allow the video display device to be displaced above the driver's seat, which is tilted backward. In the state where it is housed in the aforementioned storage space, it has a plurality of arms and a plurality of joints that can be folded so as to overlap each other, The position adjustment device is capable of displacing the image display device in the longitudinal and vertical directions of the vehicle by bending and extending the plurality of joints. One end of the position adjustment device is characterized by being connected to the housing space, The position adjustment device is capable of displacing the image display device by passing through the inside of the gripped portion of the vehicle's steering device. Video display system.

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