vehicle

Abstract

The image projection device of the present invention can project information on a road surface etc. based on information about a vehicle. The image projection device for projecting an image includes an acquisition unit for acquiring information to be displayed and an image projection unit for projecting an image based on the information to be displayed acquired by the acquisition unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to vehicles. Background Art

[0002] Image projection devices represented by projectors have been used in a wide range of fields as devices for enlarging and projecting desired images, and in recent years they have been widely used as display devices for personal computers and mobile phones.

[0003] As for such an image projection device, the following technology is known as the prior art related to use on a vehicle in particular.

[0004] Prior art literature

[0005] Patent Literature

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-43781

[0007] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-136838

[0008] Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-26759

[0009] Patent Document 4: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2012-247369

[0010] Patent Document 5: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2014-153868 Summary of the invention

[0011] Technical problem to be solved by the invention

[0012] That is, the above-mentioned patent document 1 discloses a projection type display device, in which an LCD projector with excellent portability and no built-in light source is arranged in front of the headlight of the vehicle as an external light source, thereby using the headlight as an external light source. In order to solve the problem, patent document 2 realizes a first state in which the projector is pre-assembled in front of the headlight and in the vehicle, and a second state in which the projector or the headlight is moved so that the light beam from the headlight is directly irradiated to the outside of the vehicle, and further provides an implementation method for displaying images on the road.

[0013] In addition, Patent Document 3 discloses a technology that, as a driving assistance device for a vehicle, displays information for prompting attention on the road ahead of the vehicle using an illumination unit (laser) installed on the headlight part in front of the vehicle in order to effectively alert the driver of the vehicle when it is determined that the vehicle has left the driving lane.

[0014] In addition, according to patent document 4, a technology is disclosed in which a projector as a projection unit is installed on the front part of a vehicle, and a route guidance image for guiding the vehicle in the direction of a fork road is projected onto the road surface in front of the vehicle with a projection angle set based on route information searched by a navigation system. In addition, according to patent document 5, a vehicle driving assistance device is disclosed in which a depiction pattern consisting of a target mark and a tracking line is projected onto the road surface in front of the vehicle based on the driving state of the vehicle, so that the driving destination of the vehicle can be identified, thereby enabling appropriate driving.

[0015] However, the above-mentioned prior arts do not necessarily effectively display various information required for the driving of the vehicle.

[0016] Therefore, the present invention has been achieved in view of the problems of the above-mentioned prior art, and its purpose is to provide an image projection device that can project various information onto the road surface, wall surface, vehicle, etc. (hereinafter referred to as road surface, etc.) for display based on information about the vehicle, such as the driving status of the vehicle (a mobile body represented by a car, etc.).

[0017] Technical solutions to the problem

[0018] In order to solve the above problems, for example, the solution described in the claimed scope of rights is used. The present application includes a variety of technical solutions to solve the above problems, for example, an image projection device for projecting an image, including an acquisition unit for acquiring information to be displayed, and an image projection unit for projecting an image based on the information to be displayed acquired by the acquisition unit.

[0019] Effects of the Invention

[0020] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an image projection device capable of projecting information on a road surface or the like to display information based on information related to a vehicle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of a vehicle mounted with the image projection device according to one embodiment of the present invention and projecting an image on a road surface or the like, as viewed from the front.

[0022] Figure 2 This is a perspective view of a vehicle mounted with an image projection device according to one embodiment of the present invention and projecting an image on a road surface or the like, as viewed from the rear.

[0023] Figure 3 It is a diagram showing the overall structure of a light distribution control ECU included in the image projection device.

[0024] Figure 4 This is a block diagram showing a more detailed configuration example of the light distribution control ECU and its peripheral elements.

[0025] Figure 5 This is a diagram showing an example of the structure of an image projection device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 6 It is a ray diagram that includes the image plane of the projector.

[0027] Figure 7 This is a diagram showing specific examples of various images projected from a projector onto a road surface in accordance with the relationship with vehicle information.

[0028] Figure 8 This is a diagram showing specific examples of various images projected from a projector onto a road surface in accordance with the relationship with vehicle information.

[0029] Fig. 9 This is a diagram showing specific examples of various images projected from a projector onto a road surface in accordance with the relationship with vehicle information.

[0030] Fig.10 This is a diagram showing specific examples of various images projected from a projector onto a road surface in accordance with the relationship with vehicle information.

[0031] Fig.11 This is a diagram showing specific examples of various images projected from a projector onto a road surface in accordance with the relationship with vehicle information.

[0032] Fig.12 This is a diagram showing specific examples of various images projected from a projector onto a road surface in accordance with the relationship with vehicle information.

[0033] Fig.13 This is a diagram showing specific examples of various images projected from a projector onto a road surface in accordance with the relationship with vehicle information.

[0034] Fig.14 This is a diagram showing specific examples of various images projected from a projector onto a road surface in accordance with the relationship with vehicle information.

[0035] Fig.15 This is a diagram showing specific examples of various images projected from a projector onto a road surface in accordance with the relationship with vehicle information.

[0036] Fig.16 This is a diagram showing specific examples of various images projected from a projector onto a road surface in accordance with the relationship with vehicle information.

[0037] Fig.17 This is a diagram showing specific examples of various images projected from a projector onto a road surface in accordance with the relationship with vehicle information.

[0038] Fig.18 This is a diagram showing specific examples of various images projected from a projector onto a road surface in accordance with the relationship with vehicle information.

[0039] Fig.19 This is a diagram showing specific examples of various images projected from a projector onto a road surface in accordance with the relationship with vehicle information.

[0040] Fig. 20 This is a diagram showing specific examples of various images projected from a projector onto a road surface in accordance with the relationship with vehicle information.

[0041] Fig.21 This is a diagram showing specific examples of various images projected from a projector onto a road surface in accordance with the relationship with vehicle information.

[0042] Fig. 22 This is a diagram showing specific examples of various images projected from a projector onto a road surface in accordance with the relationship with vehicle information.

[0043] Fig.23 This is a diagram showing specific examples of various images projected from a projector onto a road surface in accordance with the relationship with vehicle information.

[0044] Fig.24 This is a diagram showing specific examples of various images projected from a projector onto a road surface in accordance with the relationship with vehicle information.

[0045] Fig.25 This is a diagram showing specific examples of various images projected from a projector onto a road surface in accordance with the relationship with vehicle information.

[0046] Fig.26 This is a diagram showing specific examples of various images projected from a projector onto a road surface in accordance with the relationship with vehicle information.

[0047] Fig. 27 This is a diagram showing a more detailed specific example of various images projected from the projector onto the road surface in accordance with the relationship with the vehicle information.

[0048] Fig.28 This is a diagram showing a more detailed specific example of various images projected from the projector onto the road surface in accordance with the relationship with the vehicle information.

[0049] Fig.29 This is a diagram showing a more detailed specific example of various images projected from the projector onto the road surface in accordance with the relationship with the vehicle information.

[0050] Fig.30 This is a diagram showing a more detailed specific example of various images projected from the projector onto the road surface in accordance with the relationship with the vehicle information.

[0051] Fig.31 This is a diagram showing a more detailed specific example of various images projected from the projector onto the road surface in accordance with the relationship with the vehicle information.

[0052] Fig.32 This is a diagram showing a more detailed specific example of various images projected from the projector onto the road surface in accordance with the relationship with the vehicle information.

[0053] Fig.33 This is a diagram showing a more detailed specific example of various images projected from the projector onto the road surface in accordance with the relationship with the vehicle information.

[0054] Fig.34 This is a diagram showing a more detailed specific example of various images projected from the projector onto the road surface in accordance with the relationship with the vehicle information.

[0055] Fig.35 This is a diagram showing a more detailed specific example of various images projected from the projector onto the road surface in accordance with the relationship with the vehicle information.

[0056] Fig.36 This is a diagram showing a more detailed specific example of various images projected from the projector onto the road surface in accordance with the relationship with the vehicle information.

[0057] Fig.37 This is a diagram showing a more detailed specific example of various images projected from the projector onto the road surface in accordance with the relationship with the vehicle information. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0058] Hereinafter, the details of the embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0059] <Configuration of Image Projection Device>

[0060] First, in Figure 1 In (A) and (B), a passenger car is shown as an example of a vehicle 10 equipped with an image projection device according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in these figures, a pair of left and right headlights 11 are provided on the front part of the main body of the passenger car 10.

[0061] exist Figure 1 In the example (A), a lamp as a light source is installed inside the pair of headlights 11, but it is not shown in detail here. Figure 1 In the example (A), the image projection device described in detail below is installed in a pair on the left and right sides of the vehicle (passenger car) 10. And the image light from the image projection device is projected to the front of the vehicle (passenger car) 10 through a transparent window, for example. In this example, the image projected onto the road surface is used to show the current or future travel direction to pedestrians walking near the vehicle (passenger car) 10, thereby ensuring higher safety.

[0062] Figure 1(B) shows an example in which only one image projection device is mounted on the front end of the vehicle body. In this case, the image light from the image projection device is projected to the front of the vehicle (passenger car) 10 through a transparent window 12 provided at the front end of the vehicle body.

[0063] In addition, if Figure 1 As shown in (A), image projection devices are also mounted on the bottom and side surfaces of the vehicle (passenger car) 10, thereby being able to project desired images on the road surface adjacent to both side surfaces of the vehicle (passenger car) 10.

[0064] then, Figure 2 (A) and (B) show the rear of the vehicle (passenger car) 10 equipped with the image projection device according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in these figures, red taillights 13 and 13' are provided at the rear of the vehicle body. Figure 2 In the example (A), a lamp as a light source is installed inside the tail lamp 13, 13', but it is not shown in detail here. Figure 2 In the example (A), the image projection devices are mounted in a pair on the left and right, and the image light from the image projection devices is projected to the rear of the host vehicle (passenger car) 10 through a transparent window, for example.

[0065] in addition, Figure 2 (B) shows an example in which the image projection device is mounted near the roof of a vehicle body, for example. Figure 2 In the example (B) of Figure 1 (B) Similarly, the image light is projected to the rear of the vehicle 10 through the transparent window portion provided at the rear end of the vehicle body.

[0066] In addition, if Figure 2 As shown in FIG. 1A , an image projection device is also mounted inside the side mirror 14 , thereby being able to project a desired image on the road surface adjacent to both side surfaces of the vehicle 10 .

[0067] Among them, the above describes an example in which one or more (for example, a pair) image projection devices are mounted on the front, back, left, and right sides of the vehicle 10, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the image projection device can be mounted at any position of the vehicle 10 (for example, on the roof, etc.). In addition, the image projection device can also be integrally assembled into the interior of the headlight or taillight. That is, in the present invention, as long as the image projection device can be used to project the desired image onto the road surface, etc. In addition, when the image projection device is integrally assembled into the interior of the headlight or taillight, the light source of the headlight or taillight can be used as a light source for projection.

[0068] <Structure of Light Distribution Control ECU>

[0069] then, Figure 3 An example of the structure of an electronic control unit (light distribution control ECU) installed in the above-mentioned vehicle (passenger car) 10 is shown. As can be seen from the figure, the light distribution control ECU 40 includes a CPU (central processing unit) 41, a RAM 42 and a ROM 43 as storage units, and an input and output device (I / O unit) 44. In addition, information from the following various information acquisition units or communication units is input to the light distribution control ECU via the above-mentioned I / O unit 44, and the driving of the above-mentioned headlights 11 and the image projection of the image projection device 500 are controlled.

[0070] Here, the information from the various information acquisition units mentioned above includes, for example, a speed signal indicating the driving speed of the vehicle 10, a signal indicating the state of the engine (ON / OFF), gear information indicating the position of the gear, a hazard warning signal for informing surrounding drivers of the existence of danger, a steering wheel steering angle signal indicating the steering angle of the steering wheel, a turn signal indicating the presence or absence of a turn signal (or also called a "turn signal") or indicating which of the left or right turn signals is lit / flashing, and indicator light information indicating the lighting / flashing status of the above-mentioned various lights.

[0071] In addition, the information from the various information acquisition units mentioned above also includes, for example, information from an external light sensor that detects light outside the vehicle (illuminance signal, chromaticity signal, etc.), image information from a camera installed on the vehicle, signals from distance sensors that detect the distance between the vehicle 10 and surrounding vehicles (such as in front of the vehicle) and other objects, and signals from infrared sensors that detect the external conditions of the vehicle at night.

[0072] In addition, the above-mentioned information from the communication unit includes, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) signal for estimating the position of the vehicle 10, information from a navigation device for route guidance, etc., namely, so-called navigation information, and information on vehicle-to-vehicle communication between the vehicle and other vehicles and road-to-vehicle communication between the road and the vehicle.

[0073] Figure 4 The light distribution control ECU 40 and its peripheral elements are shown in more detail. Figure 4In the above-mentioned light distribution control ECU 40, signals from a direction indicator sensor 51, a steering wheel angle sensor 52 for detecting the operating angle of the steering wheel (steering angle), a shift position sensor 53, a vehicle speed sensor 54, an accelerator operation sensor 55, a brake operation sensor 56, an illumination sensor 57, a chromaticity sensor 58, an engine start sensor 59, and a hazard warning light sensor 60 are input to the above-mentioned light distribution control ECU 40. In addition, it also includes a door handle sensor 68 for detecting that the driver or a passenger is holding the door handle, a door lock sensor 69 for detecting the open and closed state of the door including the case where the door is not tightly closed, a human body sensor 70 for detecting that there is no one in the vehicle based on the weight on the seat, for example, and a transmission sensor 71 for detecting the gear position of the transmission. The signal from the camera 61 is input to the ECU 40 via the image processing unit 62, and the signal from the GPS signal receiving unit 63 and the map information output unit 64 is input to the ECU 40 via the calculation unit 65.

[0074] In addition, the control signal from the above-mentioned light distribution control ECU 40 and the signal from the projection signal output unit 110 (the image signal to be projected onto the road surface, etc.) are input into the projector 100 constituting the above-mentioned image projection device 500 through the control unit 120, thereby performing the projection of the image described below onto the road surface, etc.

[0075] Furthermore, signals from a headlight sensor 66 and a high / low sensor 67 are input to the light distribution control ECU 40 .

[0076] <Image Projection Device>

[0077] Next, the above Figure 4 A more detailed configuration example of the image projection device 500 including the projector 100, the projection signal output unit 110, and the control unit 120 is described below with reference to Figure 5 Provide detailed explanation.

[0078] The projection optical system 501 is an optical system for projecting an image onto a road surface, etc., and includes a lens and / or a reflector. The display element 502 is an element that modulates transmitted light or reflected light to generate an image, and uses, for example, a transmissive liquid crystal panel, a reflective liquid crystal panel, a DMD (Digital Micromirror Device: registered trademark) panel, etc. The display element driving unit 503 sends a driving signal to the display element 502 to cause the display element 502 to generate an image. The light source 505 generates light for image projection, and uses a high-pressure mercury lamp, a xenon lamp, an LED light source, a laser light source, etc. The power supply 506 supplies power to the light source 505. In addition, the power supply 506 also supplies necessary power to each other part. The illumination optical system 504 converges the light generated by the light source 505, and further makes it uniform so that it is irradiated onto the display element 502. The cooling unit 515 cools the light source 505, the power supply 506, the display element 502, and other parts that may become high temperature by air cooling or liquid cooling as needed. The operation input unit 507 is a unit for receiving operation buttons or remote control signals, and receives operation signals from the user.

[0079] The video signal input unit 531 is connected to an external video output device to input video data. The audio signal input unit 533 is connected to an external audio output device to input audio data. The audio output unit 540 can output audio based on the audio data input to the audio signal input unit 533. In addition, the audio output unit 540 can also output built-in operation sounds or error alarm sounds. The communication unit 532 is connected to an external information processing device, for example, to input and output various control signals.

[0080] The non-volatile memory 508 stores various data used by the projector function. The data stored in the non-volatile memory 508 also includes pre-prepared image data and video data for projection on the road. The memory 509 stores the video data to be projected and the control parameters of each part of the device. The control unit 510 controls the operation of each connected part.

[0081] The image adjustment unit 560 performs image processing on the image data input through the image signal input unit 531 and the image data or the image data stored in the nonvolatile memory 508. Examples of the image processing include a scaling process for enlarging, reducing, or deforming an image, a brightness adjustment process for changing the brightness, a contrast adjustment process for changing the contrast curve of an image, and a Retinex process (retinal cortex processing) for decomposing an image into light components and changing the weight for each component.

[0082] The storage unit 570 records images, pictures, sounds, and various data. For example, images, pictures, sounds, and various data may be recorded in advance when the product is shipped, or images, pictures, sounds, and various data obtained from an external device or an external server via the communication unit 532 may be recorded. The images, pictures, and various data recorded in the storage unit 570 may be output as a projection image through the display element 502 and the projection optical system 501. The sound recorded in the storage unit 570 may be output as sound through the sound output unit 540.

[0083] As described above, the image projection device 500 can realize various functions. However, the image projection device 500 does not necessarily need all of the above structures. As long as it has the function of projecting an image, it can be any structure.

[0084] Figure 6 This is a light diagram of a projector including an image plane. In the figure, image light emitted from a light source composed of LEDs (not shown) and transmitted through an image display element passes through filters and is refracted in various lens systems, and then is reflected according to the structure before being projected onto an image plane 8 (road surface, etc.).

[0085] As described above, in the above-mentioned image projection device 500, the length of the long side of the range of the projected image is 10061-542=9519≈9520 mm for a projection distance of 700 mm, so the projection ratio is 700 / 9520=0.07, achieving an unprecedentedly large wide angle.

[0086] The above description is about one image projection device 500 and its projection optical system. However, as mentioned above, the present invention can also mount one or more (e.g., a pair) projectors on a vehicle (or assemble them together with the headlights and taillights) to project the desired image onto the road surface. Figure 1 (A) and Figure 2 As shown in (A), when a plurality of (for example, a pair of) image projection devices 500 are used, the same image can be projected onto a road surface or the like from each image projection device 500 (in this case, Figure 5 Alternatively, different images may be projected from the left and right image projection devices 500 and synthesized on the road surface or the like (in this case, the same image is displayed on the display element 502). Figure 5 An image obtained by dividing the desired image into left and right images is displayed on the display element 502).

[0087] In addition, in the above, as the image projection device 500 for projecting an image onto a road surface, etc., a structure using a transmissive liquid crystal image display element is described, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and various other image projection devices 500 can also be used as the image projection device 500, for example, a reflective image projection device 500 composed of micromirrors such as a DLP (digital light processing) device, an image projection device 500 capable of projecting image light from a planar light emitting diode capable of light modulation via a projection optical system, etc. That is, in the present invention, it is sufficient as long as the desired image can be projected onto a road surface, etc., using the image projection device 500.

[0088] <Projected images of various information displayed on the road surface, etc.>

[0089] Next, refer to Figures 7 to 26 A specific example in which the image projection device 500 described in detail above is mounted on the front and / or rear of the vehicle body as described above, and various images are projected onto the road surface etc. according to the relationship with the vehicle information will be described in detail.

[0090] By using the image projection device 500 provided at various locations of the host vehicle 10 as described above, it is possible to realize a display including not only the state of the host vehicle 10 as described above but also the thoughts of the driver of the host vehicle 10 and the like.

[0091] Figure 7 The example shown is a message displayed to other nearby vehicles when the vehicle 10 is stopped at an intersection, etc. Here, a projected image 203 such as "Please turn right first" is displayed in front of the vehicle 10 for another oncoming vehicle 10' that has turned right by lighting the turn signal.

[0092] The display is performed by the image projection device 500 in such a manner that the image to be displayed is stored in advance in the storage unit, that is, the memory 509 (refer to Figure 5 ), for example, by using a switch set on a dashboard, etc. to call up the image for display. Fig.10 As shown, in order to make it easier for the driver of the other oncoming vehicle 10' to understand the display content, it is preferred to display it in the direction opposite to the normal situation.

[0093] In addition, when the above message is displayed, in order to make it easy for people to understand which vehicle is displaying the message, such as Figure 8 As shown, the message display area may be a trapezoid or a triangle, or an arrow 204 indicating the direction of the vehicle displaying the message or a license plate number 205 of the vehicle may be included in a portion of the displayed projection image 203. Alternatively, animation may be used for display, but this is not shown in the figure.

[0094] Or, if Fig. 9 As shown, in addition to displaying the projected image 203, its content may be pronounced as sound 250 for composite display.

[0095] Furthermore, if Fig.10 As shown, the projected image 203 may also be displayed in front of another vehicle 10 ′.

[0096] In addition, if Fig.11 As shown in FIG. 1 , the above-mentioned message etc. can also be displayed to pedestrians who want to cross the road in front of the vehicle 10 in the same manner as in the above-mentioned case. In this case, the message 203 etc. can be displayed not only by an image but also by a loudspeaker etc. provided on the vehicle 10 to give a voice prompt, so that the message etc. can be more effectively conveyed to the other party. In addition, in this case, the message etc. can be transmitted to the other party more effectively by using, for example, a pre-stored image in the above-mentioned memory 509 (refer to FIG. 1 ). Figure 5 ) or the voice 250 of the driver of the vehicle 10 may be transmitted through a microphone arranged on a dashboard, etc.

[0097] In addition, regarding the display of the above message, such as Fig.12 As shown, especially when the vehicle 10 is a taxi, it is also possible to display a message 206 showing advertising content on the road surface adjacent to the rear door. Alternatively, for vehicles providing public services such as buses and trains, it is possible to display advertising content messages 206 at their entrances and exits, but this is not shown in the figure here.

[0098] In addition, regarding the display of the message 206 of the above-mentioned advertising content, for example Fig.13 As shown in (A), when Figure 4 When the vehicle speed sensor 54 receives the stop signal, the ECU 40 selects multiple advertisements stored in the RAM 42 and displays them through the image projection device 500. In this case, a different one or a specified number of advertisements can be displayed each time the vehicle stops, or multiple advertisements can be displayed in sequence for a specified time.

[0099] Alternatively, you can Fig.13 As shown in (B), by further providing a router 1000, the ECU 40 acquires advertisement information from outside the vehicle 10 via WiFi and displays the acquired advertisement content.

[0100] In addition, especially when an advertisement is displayed as message 206, it is also possible to Fig.14 As shown, for example, using Fig.13The structure shown in (B) receives advertisements from advertisers such as shopping malls near the vehicle 10 via WiFi, and displays the contents as a message 206 on the road surface, etc.

[0101] In addition, if Fig.15 As shown, it is also possible to replace the above advertisements, etc., using Figure 3 The navigation information of the communication unit of the host vehicle 10 is displayed as a message 206 on the sidewalk, roadside strip, road surface, etc., such as "15 km to the destination" and other information that the driver of the host vehicle 10 wants to know (so-called navigation information). By displaying it on the road surface headed by the sidewalk and roadside strip, it is possible to prevent the driver of the vehicle other than the host vehicle 10 from being misidentified.

[0102] In addition, regarding the information that the above-mentioned drivers want to know, such as Fig.16 As shown, the message 206 to be displayed can also simultaneously display so-called navigation information (the direction of travel of the vehicle 10, the distance to the destination), vehicle information or alarms such as the driving speed and remaining fuel amount of the vehicle 10, and information about portable terminals such as smart phones held by the driver, such as received emails.

[0103] In addition, if Fig.17 As shown in FIG. 206 , for example, a warning message such as “Attention! This vehicle is faulty” can also be displayed as message 206 . Fig.23 As shown, since the information is a reminder to the driver of the other vehicle 10' in the opposite direction, the message 206 is preferably displayed in front of the other vehicle 10' in the opposite lane. For this purpose, it is possible to consider using a wide-angle display of the image projection device 500, or changing the direction of the image projection device 500, etc.

[0104] In addition, the following contents can also be considered as the contents projected and displayed by the above-mentioned image projection device 500.

[0105] The driver performs various measurements visually while driving, and as an example of a display for assisting the measurement, Fig.18 An example is shown in which a ruler is displayed in front of the vehicle 10 as a projected image 207. That is, in this example, the driver of the vehicle 10 can easily measure the distance (inter-vehicle distance) between the vehicle 10 and the other vehicle 10' traveling in front of the vehicle 10 based on the ruler 207 displayed in front of the vehicle 10, thereby facilitating safe driving.

[0106] in addition, Fig.19 The display image 207' shows that the height can be easily measured when passing under a building (bridge-shaped object S) with a height limit such as a bridge or a tunnel. Fig.19This shows the state of the host vehicle 10 traveling toward the object S as observed from the rear.

[0107] In this height measurement display, from the image projection devices 500 provided on the headlights on both sides (left and right) in the front of the host vehicle 10 (refer to (A) of Figure 1 ), substantially "卜"-shaped bar images 207' formed by combining vertical bars and horizontal bars are respectively projected upward above the road surface in the traveling direction. And this pair of bar images 207' are preset such that at a distance farther than the set specified distance (distance > d), the backs of the vertical bars are separated from each other, and its horizontal bar is set to be at a specified height (for example, the height at which the host vehicle 10 can pass safely) at this specified distance (d).

[0108] As a result, when the host vehicle 10 is at a distance farther than the set specified distance (distance > d), as shown in (A) of Fig.19 , the above pair of bar images 207' are displayed separately from each other. After that, when the host vehicle 10 coincides with the set specified distance (distance = d), as shown in (B) of Fig.19 , the pair of "卜"-shaped bar images 207' are closely attached together to form a cross shape. And at this time, the horizontal bar of the "卜"-shaped bar image 207' represents the height at which the host vehicle 10 can pass safely. By confirming the position of the horizontal bar of the bar image 207' that has become a cross shape, the driver can know whether the host vehicle can pass safely. In addition, after that, as shown in (C) of Fig.19 , the pair of "卜"-shaped bar images 207' are displayed overlapping each other.

[0109] In addition, it is also possible to consider such a situation. For example, the road surface or the like on which the host vehicle 10 displays various information as images is an Fig. 20 unpaved road surface with unevenness as shown. In this case, as shown in Fig. 20 , a road surface sensor 15 such as a camera (for example, an infrared stereo camera, etc.) is installed in front of the host vehicle 10 (in the traveling direction). Based on the image plane captured by this camera, the state (shape, reflectivity, etc.) of the road surface or the like is obtained, and based on the result, the image to be projected onto the road surface or the like is corrected. Thus, an easily observable and highly recognizable image corrected based on the shape and reflectivity of the road surface or the like can be displayed.

[0110] In addition, by using the above-mentioned camera or other road surface sensors 15, the above ECU 40 can also judge whether to display the image according to the process shown in Fig.21 . Among them, in Fig.21In the example, the image projection device 500 is started (step 210), the left and right lanes of the vehicle 10 are read from the image from the camera and the lane width is measured, the road width is detected (step 211), and it is determined whether there is enough road width for displaying the image (step 212). If it is determined in step 212 that the road width is sufficient to display the image, the image is displayed (step 213). If it is determined in step 212 that the road width is not sufficient to display the image, the image is not displayed (step 214).

[0111] Alternatively, by using the road surface sensor 15 such as the camera, Fig. 22 As shown, in a narrow alley, the distance between the vehicle and the projected image 206 is set to be smaller (refer to Fig. 22 (A)), while on a wide road, the distance between the vehicle and the projected image 206 is set larger (reference Fig. 22 (B)). Thus, an image with excellent recognition can be displayed. In addition, the halftone dot portion in the figure represents the projection area of ​​the image projection device 500.

[0112] In addition, if Fig.23 As shown, the camera may be installed behind the vehicle 10, and the image of another vehicle 10' behind the vehicle 10 obtained by the camera may be projected in front of the vehicle 10 for display. Thus, when the vehicle 10 is stopped, the driver can easily check the situation behind without looking back, which is very convenient.

[0113] In addition, if Fig.24 As shown in FIG. 1 , based on the image of the following other vehicle 10' obtained from the camera installed behind the vehicle 10, the ECU 40 can also display a warning to the following vehicle according to the inter-vehicle distance, driving speed, and threshold value with the following other vehicle. That is, when the inter-vehicle distance between the two vehicles is too close according to the driving speed, for example, a red arrow is displayed behind the vehicle 10 (see FIG. 1 ). Fig.24 (A)), if it is determined that the vehicle is not too close but is at a distance that requires caution, for example, a yellow arrow (reference Fig.24 If the inter-vehicle distance is determined to be sufficient, no display is made (refer to Fig.24 (C)).

[0114] In the above-mentioned various examples, the image light from the image projection device 500 is projected onto the road surface around the vehicle 10. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and for example, a part of the object may be highlighted in the projection area of ​​the image projection device 500.

[0115] As an example, Fig.25As shown, based on the image signal from the road surface sensor such as the camera installed in front of the vehicle 10, the ECU 40 detects obstacles (trees in this example) in the direction of travel (refer to Fig.25 (A) and (B)). When the image projection device 500 projects the image light, the obstacle (the trunk of the tree in this example) is highlighted by flashing, for example, to selectively display the obstacle to alert the driver (see Fig.25 (C)). Among them, Fig.25 In (B), the display range in the longitudinal direction of the image light 206 projected from the image projection device 500 near the trees is represented by lighter dots, while Fig.25 In (C), the area where the flashing is ON is represented by darker dots. And, if the ECU 40 does not determine that it is an obstacle, the flashing is turned OFF (refer to Fig.25 (D)).

[0116] In addition, if Fig.26 As shown, for pedestrians and oncoming vehicles 10' detected by infrared irradiation, the vehicle 10 can change the display color (for example, red) of the corresponding part in the area of ​​the image light 206 in a precisely positioned manner to emphasize the display. In addition, as a method of emphasizing the display, it is also possible to consider modulating or flashing the brightness of the image light projected onto the obstacle and / or its surroundings. And animations, etc. can also be used. In addition, the display position of the objects (such as trees, etc.) for emphasizing the obstacles mentioned above does not move even when the vehicle 10 moves. In addition, not limited to obstacles, the same display can be performed for dangerous objects such as manhole covers or wheel stops of inspection wells.

[0117] Here, in the above description, the image projection device 500 (refer to Figure 5 ) is displayed as needed. In particular, for information displayed in front of and behind the vehicle 10, effective display cannot be performed if the inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle in front or behind is not far enough. For this reason, although not shown here, the inter-vehicle distance can be detected by the above-mentioned camera or sensor, and the projected image is displayed only when a sufficient inter-vehicle distance is ensured, and the display is stopped when the inter-vehicle distance is closer than the specified inter-vehicle distance.

[0118] In addition, Fig. 20 In related matters, the following describes details of a technique for correcting the shape and reflectivity of a road surface, etc., to display an image that is easy to observe and has excellent recognizability.

[0119] First, for the deviation (concavity) of the road surface shape, for example Fig. 27As shown in (A) and (B) of FIG. 1 , an image 201 in which a grid pattern is inserted into a projection image 200 is projected onto the road surface by an image projection device installed in front of the vehicle 10. On the other hand, an image in front of the vehicle is obtained by using a camera 61 installed on the vehicle 10, and the image is subjected to a predetermined image processing by the ECU 40 to detect the deflection of the road surface, and the projection image is corrected in accordance with the detected deflection of the road surface, so that an image that is easy to observe and has excellent recognition without deflection can be obtained regardless of the deflection of the road surface. However, a predetermined time is required to perform this processing, and it is difficult to perform this processing in real time.

[0120] For this reason, Fig.28 As shown in the flowchart, the above-mentioned deflection correction processing is appropriately switched on and off according to the driving speed of the vehicle. In addition, the type of the projected image is also used as a switching condition. This is because, for example, when the displayed information is text, the driver's attention will be attracted by understanding the text, which is not an ideal situation for safe driving.

[0121] Specifically, as shown in the figure, when the road projection ON signal (S2801) is received, it is determined whether the vehicle is stopping (S2802). If the result is that the vehicle is stopping ("Yes"), the above-mentioned skew correction process is performed (details will be described later). On the other hand, if the vehicle is not stopping ("No"), it is further determined whether the driving speed of the vehicle is less than the set speed (S2803). If the result is that the vehicle is less than the set speed ("Yes"), the above-mentioned skew correction process is performed. If the vehicle is greater than the set speed ("No"), it is determined whether the projected image is text (or whether it contains text) (S2804). If the result is that the projected image is text ("Yes"), the above-mentioned road projection ON signal is switched to OFF (S2805). If the projected image is not text ("No"), the above-mentioned road projection ON signal is not switched (S2806).

[0122] In addition, when the result of the above judgment (S2802) is that the vehicle is parked ("Yes") and when the result of the above judgment (S2802) is that the driving speed is less than the set speed ("Yes"), in the executed deflection correction process, the deflection detection image, that is, the above-mentioned image 201 with the grid pattern inserted in the projected image 200 is first projected (S2807). Thereafter, the above-mentioned camera is used to shoot, and the grid pattern inserted in the projected image 200 is compared with the grid pattern in the picture shot by the camera (S2808). Then, through the judgment (S2809), when it is judged that the deflection of the grid pattern in the picture shot by the camera is greater than the prescribed value (threshold value) ("Yes") (that is, the deflection is too large to be corrected), the above-mentioned road surface projection ON signal is switched to OFF (S2810), that is, the road surface projection is stopped. If the skew is determined to be less than the specified value (threshold value) ("No"), the road projection image is corrected (S2811), the road projection is performed without switching the road projection ON signal (S2812). Figure 4 The light distribution control ECU 40 shown may be implemented by a CPU (central processing unit) 41 or the like.

[0123] As is clear from the above description, in the above embodiment, the image is basically projected only at a speed that can ensure safe driving, including during parking, and in particular, when the projected image contains text, the image display is suppressed. In addition, when the deflection on the road surface to be projected is too large (deflection amount>threshold value), the image projection onto the road surface is stopped. This is because if the deflection amount is large, the image deflection of the corrected image will also become larger for the object person (observer) with a different viewpoint position, so the image display is intentionally stopped.

[0124] In addition, due to the influence of the color of the road surface or the pattern of the crosswalk, the brightness or color of the projected image may deviate from the intended color. In this case, the intention of the driver to project the image onto the road may not be correctly communicated to the surroundings. For this reason, in the embodiments described in detail below, by detecting the uneven distribution of the color and illumination of the projected image on the road surface (so-called unevenness), brightness correction and color balance correction are performed at each position on the road surface of the projected image, thereby obtaining an image that is easy to observe and has excellent recognition, thereby being able to irradiate the image intended (wanted) by the driver onto the road surface.

[0125] Regarding the above-mentioned deviation (concavity and convexity) of the road surface shape, specifically, in addition to the above-mentioned Fig. 27 The image for deflection detection shown is an image 201 with a grid pattern inserted therein, which is projected onto the road surface from an image projection device installed in front of the vehicle 10 (see FIG. Fig.29In addition to (A), an image displayed in full white (an image containing light of R, G, and B colors) can also be projected on the road surface, but no illustration is given here. Among them, the image displayed in full white can also be intermittently projected onto the road surface together with the image 201 with the grid pattern inserted as described above, and used for brightness correction as described later.

[0126] Thus, it is possible to obtain the image from the camera 61 (see the above Fig. 27 ) in the captured image, the distribution of brightness is detected according to the uneven illumination on the road surface, the illumination balance of each color is detected according to the uneven color, and the brightness correction and color balance correction are performed at each position on the road surface where the image is projected based on these detection results, thereby realizing the display of the image intended by the driver on the road surface. In addition, the above description is about the case where an image displayed in full white is intermittently displayed together with the image 201 with a grid pattern inserted, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, even if the light of R, G, and B colors is inserted, for example, sequentially or intermittently, the same effect as above can be obtained, which is self-evident to those skilled in the art.

[0127] Furthermore, when the image projection device displays an image by tilting the road surface as the projection surface of the image, i.e., by so-called oblique projection, the relationship between the image projection device and the road surface, i.e., the relative angle (tilt angle) between the image projection device and the road surface, causes a significant change in size and causes the projected image to be skewed. Therefore, the image projection device and the road surface are preferably parallel to each other.

[0128] For example, when the vehicle 10 is parallel to the road surface, Fig.29 As shown in (A), the grid pattern inserted into the projected image is displayed without any deviation (original shape). Fig.29 As shown in (B), when the vehicle 10 is tilted relative to the road surface, especially when tilted to the left in the lateral direction relative to the driving direction, the image projected onto the road surface by the image projection device deviates from the original shape and becomes deformed and skewed. Fig.29 As shown in (C), the image is also deflected in the same manner. In addition, although a grid pattern is described here as an image inserted into the projected image, it is needless to say that the deflection of the road surface can also be detected in the same manner by using a rectangular image or a simple rectangular frame instead.

[0129] In addition, if Fig.30 As described above, the vehicle 10 is usually required to be arranged parallel to the road surface in the direction of travel (refer to Fig.30 However, it is also possible to consider, for example, tilting forward (refer to Fig.30 (B)) or tilted backwards (reference Fig.30In this case, when the vehicle body tilts forward or backward, the image projected from the image projection device onto the road surface will be reduced in size at the rear or enlarged in size at the front relative to its original shape (rectangular), that is, it will also be skewed due to deformation.

[0130] For this purpose, for example, at the stage before the image is displayed, such as when the vehicle is started, the rectangular or grid-shaped image pattern is inserted, and the camera 61 (see the above) is used. Fig. 27 ) captures an image projected onto the road surface and performs prescribed image processing, thereby being able to detect the inclination of the image projection device - and thus the vehicle - relative to the road surface (inclination in the traveling direction and lateral direction). Based on the inclination relative to the road surface (inclination in the traveling direction and lateral direction) thus detected, the inclination of the image projection device relative to the road surface is corrected, thereby being able to obtain an image that is not skewed and easy to observe and has excellent recognition. The inclination relative to the road surface (inclination in the traveling direction and lateral direction) thus detected can also be used in the posture control of the vehicle body by an actuator provided in the vehicle, similarly to the automatic leveling function of the headlights.

[0131] In addition, the above Fig.21 The flow of determining whether to display or not display an image executed by the ECU 40 using a road surface sensor such as a camera is shown. The example described is to determine whether the road width is sufficient for displaying an image, and to display the image if it is determined that the road width is sufficient for displaying an image, and not to display the image if it is determined that the road width is not sufficient for displaying an image. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the following display may also be performed.

[0132] In more detail, before projecting the desired image onto the road, e.g. Fig.31 As shown in (A), when the road width is wide enough, an image 201 with a grid pattern inserted is projected, and the projected image is compared with the real image using a camera, so that the existence of walls or obstacles in front of the left and right sides of the road can be detected. However, in reality, for the size of the image to be projected, in the case of Fig.31 As shown in (B), when the image display overlaps with the detected obstacle such as the wall, it can be considered to make the image not displayed, or Fig.31 The projected image is reduced as shown in (C).

[0133] also, Fig.32 The situation when the vehicle is passing an oncoming vehicle 10' (obstacle) in a narrow alley, etc. Here, as shown by the arrow in the figure, the area of ​​the image projected and displayed from the image projection device (see the bold line in the figure) is limited to the range that can be displayed on the road (see the dotted line in the figure), or the display is reduced.

[0134] Fig.33 An example of the processing flow in the above case is shown. First, when the road projection ON signal is received (S3301), the so-called road width / obstacle detection image such as the above-mentioned grid pattern is inserted into the projection image and projected onto the road surface from the image projection device (S3302). After that, the image projected onto the road surface is photographed by the above-mentioned camera to determine whether the width of the projected image is greater than the width of the road (S3303). If the result is that the width of the projected image is greater than the width of the road ("Yes"), the road projection of the image is stopped (OFF) (S3304).

[0135] On the other hand, when it is determined that the width of the projected image is smaller than the width of the road ("No"), the image captured by the above-mentioned camera is used to determine whether there is an obstacle on the road surface (S3305). When the result is that there is no obstacle on the road surface ("No"), the road surface projection of the image is performed (ON) (S3306). When there is an obstacle ("Yes"), it is further determined whether the obstacle can be avoided and the image can be displayed (S3307). When the obstacle can be avoided and displayed ("Yes"), the projection position on the road surface is corrected (S3308), and then the road surface projection is performed (ON) (S3309). In addition, the above-mentioned processing is performed by the above-mentioned Figure 4 The light distribution control ECU 40 shown may be implemented by a CPU (central processing unit) 41 or the like.

[0136] In addition, the above Fig.24 In the description, the technology for displaying a warning to a following vehicle based on the vehicle-to-vehicle distance, driving speed, and threshold value to the following vehicle is described, and its details are further described below.

[0137] Generally speaking, as a safe inter-vehicle distance, in order to be able to stop after sensing danger, it is generally recognized that the value obtained by subtracting 15m from the driving speed is required when the speed is below 60km / h. For this reason, the driving speed of the vehicle is calculated based on the vehicle speed pulse, and the distance to the rear vehicle is calculated using a camera installed at the rear of the vehicle. When the inter-vehicle distance is less than the necessary inter-vehicle distance, a red arrow is displayed as a projected image to warn the rear vehicle, and, for example, when the inter-vehicle distance is only 10% surplus to the necessary inter-vehicle distance, a yellow arrow is used to remind attention. In addition, regarding the inter-vehicle distance with the rear vehicle, a laser radar can also be used instead of the above-mentioned camera for detection.

[0138] In addition, the stopping distance of the vehicle will also change depending on the state of the road surface. Generally speaking, when it rains, a vehicle distance 1.5 times the normal distance is required, and when the road surface is icy, a vehicle distance 3 times the normal distance is required. Therefore, the setting of the necessary vehicle distance calculated based on the driving speed is preferably changed according to the surrounding environment. For example, the detection of rain can usually be detected using an infrared sensor. Specifically, the detection of rain can be achieved by detecting the change in reflection caused by raindrops adhering to the window glass. As for the icing of the road surface, it can be detected based on the mirror reflection intensity of the road surface. That is, on a normal road surface, the diffuse reflection component caused by the unevenness of the surface is strong, but when it is frozen, the mirror reflection component is enhanced because an ice film is formed on the surface. As a result, for example, the mirror reflection of the headlights irradiated by the oncoming vehicle is enhanced, so the icing state can be detected by detecting the amount of light reflected from the road surface. In addition, these safety / caution vehicle distance data are pre-stored in the memory as a table.

[0139] The above description describes that, in particular, when the inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle and the other vehicle behind the vehicle is not sufficiently far away, effective display cannot be performed, so the inter-vehicle distance is detected, and the projected image is displayed only when a sufficient inter-vehicle distance is ensured, and the display is stopped when the inter-vehicle distance is closer than the specified inter-vehicle distance. However, this is not limited to this, such as Fig.34 As shown, if there is not enough inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle 10 and the other vehicle 10' in front, effective display cannot be performed. Fig.34 (A) indicates that the distance between vehicles is sufficient. Fig.34 (B) indicates that the distance between vehicles is not enough. Fig.34 (C) indicates a situation where there is almost no distance between vehicles.

[0140] Here, in Fig.35 An example of a processing flow for implementing a warning to the following vehicle is shown in the figure. In the figure, the inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle and the following vehicle is first detected (S3501). Then, the driving speed of the vehicle is detected (S3502). Then, the above-mentioned rain sensor is used to detect whether there is rainfall (S3503). In addition, a road icing sensor based on the above-mentioned principle is used to detect the icing of the road surface (S3504). Afterwards, based on their detection results, the necessary safety / caution inter-vehicle distances are searched from the above-mentioned table and set respectively (S3505).

[0141] Then, it is determined whether the detected inter-vehicle distance is less than the safe inter-vehicle distance set above (S3506). If the result is that it is greater than the safe inter-vehicle distance ("No"), it is further determined whether it is less than the caution inter-vehicle distance (S3507). On the other hand, if it is determined that it is less than the safe inter-vehicle distance ("Yes") in the determination (S3506), the above-mentioned warning image for the following vehicle is projected onto the road surface (S3510).

[0142] In the case where it is judged in the above judgment (S3506) that it is greater than the safe vehicle distance ("No"), but in the judgment (S3507) it is judged that it is less than the attention vehicle distance ("Yes"), instead of the above warning image, a warning image for the following vehicle is projected (ON) on the road surface (S3508). In addition, in the case where it is judged in the above judgment (S3506) that it is greater than the safe vehicle distance ("No"), and in the judgment (S3507) it is also judged that it is greater than the attention vehicle distance ("No"), the display of the above safety / reminder information for the following vehicle is stopped (OFF) (S3509). In addition, the above-mentioned processing is performed by the above-mentioned Figure 4 The light distribution control ECU 40 shown may be implemented by a CPU (central processing unit) 41 or the like.

[0143] In order to project images in addition to the above-mentioned warnings to the following vehicles, if there is no space above at least one vehicle body, it will not be possible to fully display the images to be displayed. Therefore, it can be seen that when the distance between the vehicle and the vehicle in front and the vehicle behind is narrow for the image to be displayed, it is preferred not to display the image. For example, in the case of displaying a 4m wide image on the road surface 10m away, for example, from the perspective of a subject with a height of 170cm, the image is observed as a 600mm square image 10m away. At this time, if the naked eye's visual acuity is above 0.1, it is possible to recognize a size of more than 30mm 10m away, so it is possible to achieve a display with a fineness of more than 16×16 required for text display.

[0144] Fig.36 An example of a processing flow for implementing image projection on the road surface based on the above viewpoint is shown. In the figure, first, when a road projection ON signal is received (S3601), it is determined whether the image to be projected is displayed in front of the vehicle (S3602).

[0145] When the result of the above judgment is that the image to be displayed is an image displayed in front of the vehicle ("Yes"), the inter-vehicle distance between the preceding vehicle and the vehicle is then detected (S3603). Then, it is determined whether the size of the image to be projected in front of the vehicle is larger than the inter-vehicle distance detected above (S3604). When the result is that the size of the image is larger than the inter-vehicle distance ("Yes"), the road projection of the image is stopped (OFF) (S3605). When it is smaller than the inter-vehicle distance ("No"), the road projection of the image is executed (ON) (S3606).

[0146] On the other hand, when the result of the above judgment (S3602) is that the image to be displayed is an image displayed behind the vehicle ("No"), the inter-vehicle distance between the rear vehicle and the vehicle is detected (S3607). Then, it is determined whether the size of the image to be projected to the rear of the vehicle is larger than the inter-vehicle distance detected above (S3608). When the result is that the size of the image is larger than the inter-vehicle distance ("Yes"), the road projection of the image is stopped (OFF) (S3609), and when it is smaller than the inter-vehicle distance ("No"), the road projection of the image is performed (ON) (S3510).

[0147] In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiments, as an image inserted into the projected image for detecting the deflection of the road surface or for detecting obstacles, a grid pattern, a rectangular image, or a simple rectangular frame is described. In this case, it is preferred to use light in a band centered on a wavelength of 1.4 μm in the light of the spectral intensity called "AM1.5". This is because a portion of the wavelength components of sunlight outside the atmosphere will be absorbed by components in the atmosphere and cannot reach the ground, and a portion of the spectral components of the spectral intensity called "AM1.5" is reduced or removed, especially the intensity of light in a band centered on a wavelength of 1.4 μm in the near-infrared region is approximately zero (0). That is, on the ground where the vehicle is traveling, the sunlight does not contain the above-mentioned AM1.5 light. That is, by using this light, it is possible to stably obtain road surface condition information without being affected by sunlight.

[0148] In addition, for the correction of the brightness of the projected image described above, the following reference Fig.37 In addition, similarly to the above, the processing of the flowchart of this figure is performed by the above Figure 4 The light distribution control ECU 40 shown may be implemented by a CPU (central processing unit) 41 or the like.

[0149] First, after receiving the road projection ON signal (S3701), an image for road illumination detection is projected onto the road surface (S3702). The road illumination detection image is the above-mentioned all-white display image (an image containing light of R, G, and B colors). Furthermore, during the all-white display, the unevenness of road illumination (so-called deviation) is detected based on the image captured by the camera (S3703). Next, the deviation of the detected illumination (or each value) is compared with a predetermined threshold value (S3704).

[0150] If the result of the above comparison is that the deviation of the illumination is greater than the threshold value ("yes"), it is further determined whether the deviation of the illumination is greater than the limit value (S3705). The limit value is the limit value of the range that can be corrected by the light source of the image projection device. If the result is determined to be greater than the limit value ("yes"), the road projection of the image is stopped (OFF) (S3706).

[0151] When it is judged that the illumination is less than the limit value ("No"), the illumination correction of the image to be projected onto the road surface is performed (S3707), and then the road surface projection of the image is performed (ON) (S3708) in the same way as when the illumination deviation is less than the threshold in the above comparison (S3704).

[0152] According to the above embodiments, an image that is easy to observe and has excellent recognition can be obtained, so that the image intended by the driver can be reliably and clearly projected on the road surface. In addition, as the above-mentioned road illumination detection image, by replacing the above-mentioned all-white displayed image, the brightness of the above-mentioned projected image is corrected (for example, sequentially) using pure color patterns of red (R), green (G), and blue (B), so that the deviation of each color can be detected separately, thereby also being able to perform color difference correction.

[0153] In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, but also includes various modified examples. For example, the above-mentioned embodiments describe the entire system in detail in order to explain the present invention in an easy-to-understand manner, but are not limited to all structures described. In addition, a part of the structure of a certain embodiment can be replaced with the structure of other embodiments, and the structure of other embodiments can be added to the structure of a certain embodiment. In addition, other structures can be added, deleted, or replaced with a part of the structure of each embodiment.

[0154] Description of Reference Numerals

[0155] 10…Own vehicle (passenger car), 10'…Other vehicles, 11…Headlight, 12…Window, 13, 13'…Taillight, 14…Side mirror, 40…Light distribution control ECU, 51…Direction indicator sensor, 52…Steering wheel angle sensor, 53…Shift position sensor, 54…Vehicle speed sensor, 55…Accelerator operation sensor, 56…Brake operation sensor, 57…Illuminance sensor, 58…Chroma sensor, 59…Engine start sensor, 60…Hazard warning light sensor, 61…Camera, 62…Image processing unit, 63…GPS signal Receiving unit, 64…map information output unit, 66…headlight sensor, 67…high / low sensor, 68…door handle sensor, 69…door lock sensor, 70…human body sensor, 71…transmission sensor, 100…projector, 110…projection signal output unit, 120…control unit, 500…image projection device, 501…projection optical system, 502…display element, 503…display element driving unit, 504…illumination optical system, 505…light source, 531…image signal input unit, 533…sound signal input unit, 532…communication unit.

Claims

1. A vehicle capable of projecting an image, characterized in that include: Information Acquisition Department for obtaining information; and an image projection unit for projecting an image based on the information acquired by the information acquisition unit, The image projection unit displays a distance from the vehicle in front of the vehicle for understanding the distance from the vehicle. When the traveling speed of the vehicle acquired by the information acquisition unit is greater than a predetermined speed, if the projection image includes text, the road surface projection is not performed, and if the projection image does not include text, the road surface projection is performed.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The image projection unit displays at least one of a scale and numbers indicating a distance as a projection image in front of the vehicle.

3. The vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that: The scales and numbers indicating the distance are used to indicate the inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle and other vehicles traveling in front of the vehicle.

Images