Vehicle display control device, control method thereof, and storage medium

Abstract

A vehicle display control device, a control method thereof, and a storage medium are provided. The vehicle display control device includes: an estimating unit that estimates the curvature of a road on which a vehicle is traveling based on at least the output of a detection device that detects objects present in the vehicle's direction of travel; and a display processing unit that causes a display device to display a surrounding situation display image including a vehicle icon representing the vehicle and an image of a road dividing line whose shape is determined by the curvature. The display processing unit reduces the base curvature of the image of the road dividing line included in the surrounding situation display image when a predetermined condition is satisfied.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle display control device, a control method for the vehicle display control device, and a storage medium. Background Art

[0002] Previously, technologies related to vehicle display devices that display relative positional relationships to other vehicles traveling around and ahead of the vehicle have been disclosed (e.g., see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-223488). In such conventional technologies, the vehicle's surrounding conditions are detected, and an image representing the surrounding conditions, including the vehicle's lane and the vehicle itself, is displayed on a display device. This allows the driver, etc., to easily understand the surrounding conditions, including the positional relationship to other vehicles traveling ahead of the vehicle.

[0003] However, conventional technology displays the vehicle's surrounding conditions by faithfully reproducing the detected conditions. Therefore, for example, if the vehicle's lane curves ahead, the curved lane or the position of other vehicles ahead may extend beyond the information display area. In such cases, conventional technology fails to inform the driver of the situation outside the display area. Consequently, conventional technology sometimes fails to enable the driver to recognize the relative positional relationship between the vehicle's surroundings and other vehicles. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0005] The present invention is made based on the above-mentioned problem recognition, and its purpose is to provide a vehicle display control device, a vehicle display control device control method and a storage medium that enable the driver to recognize the relative positional relationship with the surroundings of the vehicle and other vehicles.

[0006] Solutions to Problems

[0007] The vehicle display control device, the control method for the vehicle display control device, and the storage medium of the present invention employ the following configurations.

[0008] (1): A vehicle display control device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: an estimating unit for estimating the curvature of the road on which the vehicle is traveling based at least on the output of a detecting device for detecting an object existing in the direction of travel of the vehicle; and a display processing unit for causing a display device to display a surrounding condition display image including a vehicle icon representing the vehicle and an image of a road dividing line whose shape is determined by the curvature. When prescribed conditions are met, the display processing unit reduces the base curvature of the image of the road dividing line included in the surrounding condition display image.

[0009] (2) In the embodiment of (1) above, the predetermined condition is that the estimated curvature is greater than or equal to a predetermined value.

[0010] (3): Based on the above-mentioned scheme (1) or (2), the display device displays a driving status display image on at least one of the left and right sides of the surrounding condition display image, and the prescribed condition is that when the shape of the image of the road dividing line is determined based on the estimated curvature, the image of the road dividing line overlaps with the driving status display image. When the prescribed condition is met, the display processing unit reduces the curvature to such an extent that the image of the road dividing line does not overlap with the driving status display image.

[0011] (4): Based on any one of the above schemes (1) to (3), the display device displays two driving status display images on the left and right of the surrounding condition display image, and the display processing unit displays the surrounding condition display image at a position between each of the two driving status display images.

[0012] (5): Based on any one of the above schemes (1) to (4), the vehicle display control device also has a detection unit, which detects the center position of the road in the direction of travel of the vehicle based on the output of the acquisition device, and the estimation unit estimates the curvature of the road based on the center line connecting the center positions.

[0013] (6) In any one of the above-mentioned aspects (1) to (5), the estimating unit further estimates the curvature of the road based on map information indicating a path along which the host vehicle travels.

[0014] (7): Based on any one of the above schemes (1) to (6), the estimating unit estimates the curvature of the road at a time point when the vehicle is traveling on a straight road with a curvature less than a specified value and there is a curve with a curvature greater than the specified value on the side of the traveling direction, and the display processing unit reduces the curvature of the image of the road dividing line included in the surrounding condition display image, which serves as a reference, starting from a point ahead of the point where the curve exists.

[0015] (8): Based on any one of the above schemes (1) to (7), the object also includes other vehicles traveling in front of the vehicle, and the display processing unit causes the display device to display as follows: the position within the surrounding situation display image corresponding to the position where the other vehicle exists includes another vehicle icon representing the other vehicle, and when the vehicle follows the other vehicle, a follow-up icon indicating the situation of following the other vehicle is also included at a position around the other vehicle icon.

[0016] (9): Based on the scheme of (8) above, the prescribed condition is that, when the surrounding condition display image includes the follow-up icon, at least a portion of the other vehicle icon overlaps with the driving status display image. When the prescribed condition is met, the display processing unit moves the other vehicle icon and the follow-up icon to a position where they do not overlap with the driving status display image, and in coordination with the other vehicle icon and the follow-up icon after movement, reduces the curvature of the image of the road dividing line.

[0017] (10): Based on the above-mentioned scheme (9), the display processing unit moves the other vehicle icon and the follow-up icon so that at least the entire other vehicle icon included in the surrounding condition display image does not overlap with the driving status display image and a part of the follow-up icon is included in the surrounding condition display image.

[0018] (11): A control method of a vehicle display control device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises the following processing performed by a computer: estimating the curvature of the road on which the vehicle is traveling based at least on the output of a detection device that detects an object existing in the direction of travel of the vehicle; and reducing the base curvature of the image of the road dividing line included in the surrounding condition display image when a prescribed condition is satisfied, when causing the display device to display a surrounding condition display image including a vehicle icon representing the vehicle and an image of a road dividing line whose shape is determined by the curvature.

[0019] (12): A storage medium according to one embodiment of the present invention stores a program that causes a computer to perform the following processing: estimating the curvature of the road on which the vehicle is traveling based at least on the output of a detection device that detects an object existing in the direction of travel of the vehicle; and reducing the base curvature of the image of the road dividing line included in the surrounding condition display image when a specified condition is satisfied, when causing a display device to display a surrounding condition display image including a vehicle icon representing the vehicle and an image of a road dividing line whose shape is determined by the curvature.

[0020] Effects of the Invention

[0021] According to the above-mentioned aspects (1) to (12), the driver can recognize the relative positional relationship with the surroundings of the own vehicle and other vehicles. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 It is a schematic configuration diagram of a vehicle display control device according to an embodiment.

[0023] Figure 2This is a diagram showing an example of how the curvature estimating unit estimates the curvature of the road.

[0024] Figure 3 This is a diagram showing an example of a surrounding situation display image.

[0025] Figure 4 This is a diagram for explaining an example of a process in which the display information generating unit changes the curvature of a road dividing line.

[0026] Figure 5 This is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing executed by the vehicle display control device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] Hereinafter, embodiments of a vehicle display control device, a control method for a vehicle display control device, and a storage medium according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0028] [Configuration of a Vehicle Display Control Device]

[0029] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the configuration of a vehicle display control device according to an embodiment. The vehicle equipped with the vehicle display control device is, for example, a four-wheeled vehicle, whose driving source is an internal combustion engine such as a diesel engine or a gasoline engine, an electric motor, or a combination thereof. The electric motor operates using power generated by a generator connected to the internal combustion engine or power discharged from a secondary battery or fuel cell.

[0030] Figure 1 , the learning device 10 and the display device 20 are shown as components related to the vehicle display control device 100 among the components included in the vehicle (hereinafter referred to as “host vehicle M”) on which the vehicle display control device 100 is mounted.

[0031] The detection device 10 detects objects that exist in the direction of travel of the vehicle M. Objects include, for example, road dividing lines drawn on the road on which the vehicle M is traveling, lanes divided by the road dividing lines, and other vehicles traveling in the same direction as the vehicle M (hereinafter referred to as "other vehicles V"). The detection device 10 is, for example, a digital camera that utilizes a solid-state imaging element such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). In this case, the detection device 10 is mounted on any location that can capture at least the front of the vehicle M. The detection device 10 is, for example, mounted on the upper portion of the windshield, the back of the rearview mirror inside the vehicle, etc. The detection device 10 periodically and repeatedly captures the surroundings of the vehicle M at predetermined time intervals. The detection device 10 may also be a stereo camera. The detection device 10 outputs the captured image data to the vehicle display control device 100. The detection device 10 may also output information representing the detected objects to the vehicle display control device 100. The detection device 10 may also include a vehicle-mounted radar device or LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) for detecting the outside world in addition to a camera. Alternatively, it may also combine a high-precision map obtained through on-board communication or server communication with a vehicle position recognition device. In this case, the vehicle's width and curvature in the direction of travel can be determined by determining the vehicle's position on the high-precision map.

[0032] The display device 20 displays information images representing various information presented to the driver of the vehicle M. The display device 20 is, for example, a display device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) assembled on the instrument panel or dashboard of the vehicle M. The display device 20 displays a driving state display image representing the driving state of the vehicle M and a surrounding condition display image output by the vehicle display control device 100, representing the surrounding conditions of the vehicle M. The driving state display image includes, for example, an image of a speedometer (speedometer) representing the speed at which the vehicle M is traveling and an image of a rotational speed meter (tachometer) representing the rotational speed (rotational speed) of the internal combustion engine of the vehicle M. The driving state display image may also include, for example, images of a fuel consumption meter, a travel distance meter, a clock, and the like.

[0033] The vehicle display control device 100 includes, for example, a recognition unit 120 and a display processing unit 140. The recognition unit 120 includes, for example, a road dividing line recognition unit 122, a lane center detection unit 124, a curvature estimation unit 126, and a vehicle recognition unit 128. The display processing unit 140 includes, for example, a display area determination unit 142 and a display information generation unit 144. These components are implemented by executing a program (software) through a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). Some or all of these components can be implemented by hardware (including circuitry) such as LSI (Large Scale Integration), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or by the coordinated cooperation of software and hardware. Some or all of the functions of these components can also be implemented by a dedicated LSI. The program can be pre-stored in a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or a flash memory of the vehicle M (a storage device having a non-temporary storage medium), or can be stored in a removable storage medium such as a DVD or CD-ROM (a non-temporary storage medium) and installed in the HDD or flash memory of the vehicle M by assembling the storage medium in a drive device of the vehicle M.

[0034] The recognition unit 120 recognizes the road in the travel direction of the host vehicle M based on the image data output by the detection device 10. Furthermore, the recognition unit 120 recognizes another vehicle V traveling ahead of the host vehicle M based on the image data output by the detection device 10. The recognition unit 120 outputs information about the recognized road and information about the other vehicle V to the display processing unit 140.

[0035] The road dividing line recognition unit 122 identifies road dividing lines drawn on the road in the direction of travel of the host vehicle M based on the image data output by the recognition device 10. More specifically, based on the image data output by the recognition device 10, the road dividing line recognition unit 122 generates bird's-eye view data representing the area of ​​the road surface in front of the host vehicle M captured in the image data as if viewed from directly above. Furthermore, based on the generated bird's-eye view data, the road dividing line recognition unit 122 recognizes white lines drawn on the road surface in front of the host vehicle M as road dividing lines. The road dividing line recognition unit 122 is not limited to white lines; it can also recognize yellow lines or road boundary lines (road boundaries) such as shoulders, curbs, medians, and guardrails. The road dividing line recognition unit 122 outputs information about the identified road dividing lines to the lane center detection unit 124. The road dividing line information output by the road dividing line recognition unit 122 to the lane center detection unit 124 also includes information indicating whether the road dividing line is on the left or right side. This information is determined, for example, based on the viewing angle of the image data output by the acquisition device 10. For example, when the road dividing line recognition unit 122 fails to recognize one road dividing line, it outputs information of the successfully recognized road dividing line to the lane center detection unit 124.

[0036] The lane center detection unit 124 detects the center position of the road (driving lane) in the direction of travel of the host vehicle M based on the road dividing line information output by the road dividing line recognition unit 122. More specifically, the lane center detection unit 124 measures the distance between the left and right road dividing lines of the driving lane, i.e., the width of the driving lane, at intervals of a predetermined distance (e.g., 50 m) from the host vehicle M, based on the road dividing line information output by the road dividing line recognition unit 122. If the road dividing line information output by the road dividing line recognition unit 122 does not include information on either the left or right road dividing line, the lane center detection unit 124 may, for example, use the same width as the preceding driving lane measured when both left and right road dividing line information is included, or may assume the width of a typical lane (e.g., 3.5 m) as the driving lane width. Furthermore, the lane center detection unit 124 detects the center position of the driving lane as being halfway between the measured widths of the driving lane. The lane center detection unit 124 outputs information indicating each center position detected at each predetermined distance to the curvature estimation unit 126. The lane center detection unit 124 is an example of a "detection unit" in the claims.

[0037] The curvature estimating unit 126 estimates the curvature of the road on which the host vehicle M is traveling, particularly the travel lane, based on the information of each center position output by the lane center detecting unit 124 . Figure 21 is a diagram showing an example of how the curvature estimating unit 126 estimates the curvature of the road. Figure 2 , an example of a case where the curvature estimating unit 126 estimates the curvature of a curved road that turns right is shown. Figure 2 , an example of the road dividing line L1 on the left side and the road dividing line Lr on the right side of the driving lane recognized by the road dividing line recognition unit 122 are also shown. Figure 2 , an example of each center position Pc detected by the lane center detection unit 124 at each predetermined distance ΔX where the left side width WYL and the right side width WYR are equal is also shown.

[0038] The curvature estimating unit 126 calculates the center line Lc of the driving lane by connecting the center positions Pc output by the lane center detection unit 124. The curvature estimating unit 126 then aligns the starting point of the calculated center line Lc with the origin O, using the center of the host vehicle M as the origin O. Furthermore, the curvature estimating unit 126 estimates the curvature of the lane ahead of the host vehicle M based on the left-right difference between the center line Lc and the reference X-axis set ahead of the host vehicle M. In this way, the curvature estimating unit 126 sequentially estimates the curvature of the lane in which the host vehicle M is traveling. In other words, even when the host vehicle M is traveling on a straight road, the curvature estimating unit 126 continuously estimates the curvature of the lane in which the host vehicle M is traveling based on the information on the center positions output by the road dividing line recognition unit 122. The curvature estimating unit 126 may also estimate the curvature of the lane in which the host vehicle M is traveling based on, for example, map information indicating a route to a destination set by the driver of the host vehicle M in a navigation device (not shown) provided in the host vehicle M. The curvature estimating unit 126 outputs information indicating the estimated curvature of the front lane to the display processing unit 140. The curvature estimating unit 126 is an example of an "estimating unit" in the technical claims.

[0039] return Figure 1 The vehicle recognition unit 128 recognizes the other vehicle V traveling in front of the host vehicle M based on the image data output by the recognition device 10. More specifically, the vehicle recognition unit 128 recognizes the other vehicle V captured in the image data based on the image data output by the recognition device 10. The vehicle recognition unit 128 may also recognize the other vehicle V based on the bird's-eye view data generated by the road dividing line recognition unit 122. The vehicle recognition unit 128 outputs information about the other vehicle V including the position (direction, distance, etc.) of the other vehicle V recognized with respect to the host vehicle M to the display processing unit 140. The information about the other vehicle V output by the vehicle recognition unit 128 to the display processing unit 140 may also include information indicating the model of the other vehicle V (e.g., passenger car, truck, motorcycle, etc.).

[0040] The display processing unit 140 generates a surrounding situation display image showing the surrounding situation of the host vehicle M based on the information on the curvature of the forward driving lane output by the curvature estimating unit 126. The display processing unit 140 may also generate a surrounding situation display image including other vehicles V based on the information on other vehicles V output by the vehicle identifying unit 128. The display processing unit 140 outputs the generated surrounding situation display image to the display device 20 for display.

[0041] Here, an example of a surrounding situation display image that the display processing unit 140 causes the display device 20 to display will be described. Figure 3 1 is a diagram showing an example of a surrounding situation display image generated by the display processing unit 140 and displayed on the display device 20 . Figure 3 , an example of the information image IM displayed on the entire display area of ​​the display device 20 is shown. As described above, the display device 20 displays various information presented to the driver of the vehicle M. Figure 3 In the example of the information image IM shown, a rotational speedometer image Ma-1 is displayed on the left side of the display area, a speedometer image Ma-2 is displayed on the right side, and a surrounding condition display image is displayed between them. If the host vehicle M is an electric vehicle such as an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle that runs using power supplied to an electric motor, the rotational speedometer image Ma-1 may be replaced with other information or omitted. Figure 3 In the information image IM shown, various information and icons representing the information are also displayed. Figure 3 In the information image IM shown, information other than the surrounding conditions display image, namely, the rotation speedometer image Ma-1, the speedometer image Ma-2, and various other information, are pre-defined in positions and areas within the information image IM. The rotation speedometer image Ma-1 and the speedometer image Ma-2 are examples of the "driving status display image" in the technical proposal.

[0042] The surrounding situation display image has, as a basic configuration, a vehicle icon Im representing the vehicle M, positioned at the center. To indicate the lane in which the vehicle M is traveling, images of road dividing lines imitating road dividing lines L1 and road dividing lines Lr are positioned. The position of the vehicle icon Im within the surrounding situation display image is predetermined, but the shapes of the images of the road dividing lines L1 and road dividing lines Lr (hereinafter referred to simply as road dividing lines L1 and road dividing lines Lr) are determined based on information on the curvature of the traveling lane output by the curvature estimating unit 126 included in the recognition unit 120. Figure 3The surrounding situation display image shown shows an example of a situation in which the host vehicle M is traveling on a straight road. More specifically, the image shows an example of a situation in front (in the depth direction) with the host vehicle M as a reference, by making the road dividing lines L1 and Lr into straight lines with the distance between the road dividing lines L1 and Lr decreasing as the distance from the host vehicle M increases.

[0043] and, Figure 3 In an example of a surrounding situation display image within the information image IM shown, another vehicle icon Iv-1 indicating another vehicle V-1 traveling in front of the vehicle M, which is recognized by the vehicle recognition unit 128, and another vehicle icon Iv-2 indicating another vehicle V-2 traveling in the adjacent driving lane (adjacent lane) on the left are arranged at positions corresponding to the positions of the respective other vehicles V. The surrounding situation display image does not include information on intersections existing in front of the vehicle M, or other vehicles V that pass through the intersection, i.e., cross the front of the vehicle M. Figure 3 The illustrated surrounding situation display image shows an example in which other vehicle icons 1v representing passenger cars are arranged. However, the shapes of the other vehicle icons 1v may be changed based on the information about the other vehicles V output by the vehicle recognition unit 128. In other words, the other vehicle icons 1v may be changed to the shape representing a truck or a motorcycle.

[0044] Moreover, in Figure 3 In the example of the surrounding situation display image shown, the following icon It is positioned behind the other vehicle V-1 (more specifically, below the other vehicle icon Iv-1) to indicate that the host vehicle M is following the other vehicle V-1 while using the ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control) driving support function. The surrounding situation display image may also display different depth distances of the host vehicle M when ACC driving support is being executed and when it is not. For example, the depth direction may be displayed up to 150 [m] when ACC driving support is not being executed, and up to 200 [m] when ACC driving support is being executed, or the imageable range (i.e., the acquisition range) of the acquisition device 10 may be displayed.

[0045] The display device 20 presents various information related to the driving of the host vehicle M to the driver of the host vehicle M by displaying an information image such as the information image IM. Information other than the surrounding situation display image included in the information image IM may be generated by a display processing unit (not shown) separate from the display processing unit 140, or may be generated by the display processing unit 140 along with the surrounding situation display image. In other words, the display processing unit 140 may generate the entire information image for display on the display device 20, rather than just the surrounding situation display image.

[0046] return Figure 1The display area determination unit 142 determines the area to display the surrounding situation display image based on the information on the curvature of the driving lane output by the curvature estimation unit 126. Therefore, the display area determination unit 142 sets predetermined conditions for determining the area to display the surrounding situation display image and determines the display area of ​​the surrounding situation display image based on whether the conditions are met. The predetermined conditions are met when the shapes of the road dividing lines L1 and Lr are determined based on the curvature of the driving lane output by the curvature estimation unit 126, and the road dividing lines L1 and Lr overlap with the rotation speedometer image Ma-1 or the speedometer image Ma-2. More specifically, if the vehicle M is traveling on a straight road, the curvature of the driving lane output by the curvature estimation unit 126 is low. Therefore, even if the road dividing lines L1 and Lr are determined based on the curvature of the driving lane, the display area of ​​the surrounding situation display image does not overlap with the display areas of the rotation speedometer image Ma-1 and the speedometer image Ma-2 arranged to the left and right of the information image IM. On the other hand, if the vehicle M subsequently travels on a curved road, the curvature of the driving lane output by the curvature estimation unit 126 increases. If the road dividing lines L1 and Lr are determined based on the curvature of the driving lane, there is a possibility that the display area of ​​the surrounding situation display image overlaps with the display areas of the rotation speedometer image Ma-1 and the speedometer image Ma-2. Therefore, the display area determination unit 142 sets a threshold value, a predetermined value, for determining the curvature of the driving lane. Furthermore, if the other vehicle icon Iv-1 and the following icon It are positioned in the surrounding situation display image, there is a possibility that the other vehicle icon Iv and the following icon It overlap with the display areas of the rotation speedometer image Ma-1 and the speedometer image Ma-2. Therefore, the display area determination unit 142 may set different thresholds for determining the curvature of the driving lane when the other vehicle icon Iv-1 and the following icon It are positioned in the surrounding situation display image and when the other vehicle icon Iv-1 and the following icon It are not positioned (i.e., when ACC driving support is not being provided). Specifically, the display area determination unit 142 may set a stricter threshold when placing the other vehicle icon Iv-1 or the following icon It in the surrounding situation display image. When the curvature of the driving lane output by the curvature estimation unit 126 is greater than the threshold, the display area determination unit 142 determines that a predetermined condition is satisfied and outputs information indicating this (hereinafter referred to as "determination information") to the display information generation unit 144. The determination information output by the display area determination unit 142 to the display information generation unit 144 also includes information indicating whether the display area overlaps with the display area of ​​the rotation speedometer image Ma-1 or the display area of ​​the speedometer image Ma-2, and information indicating the amount of overlap.The information indicating the amount of overlap may include information indicating the amount of overlap among the road dividing line L1, the road dividing line Lr, the other vehicle icon Iv-1, and the following icon It.

[0047] The display information generation unit 144 generates a surrounding situation display image based on the curvature information of the driving lane output by the curvature estimation unit 126, the information on other vehicles V output by the vehicle recognition unit 128, and the determination information output by the display area determination unit 142. If the determination information output by the display area determination unit 142 indicates that the curvature of the driving lane is not equal to or greater than a threshold value (is less than the threshold value), the display information generation unit 144 determines the shapes of the road dividing lines L1 and Lr representing the curvature of the driving lane output by the curvature estimation unit 126, and generates a surrounding situation display image that includes the determined road dividing lines L1 and Lr. On the other hand, if the determination information output by the display area determination unit 142 indicates that the curvature of the driving lane is equal to or greater than the threshold value, the display information generation unit 144 determines a shape that reduces the base curvature of the road dividing lines L1 and Lr compared to the curvature of the driving lane output by the curvature estimation unit 126, and generates a surrounding situation display image that includes the determined road dividing lines L1 and Lr. The reference curvature is a curvature that prevents the road dividing lines L1 and Lr from overlapping the display area of ​​the rotation speedometer image Ma-1 or the speedometer image Ma-2 displayed in the direction indicated by the curvature of the driving lane output by the curvature estimating unit 126. This curvature can be set based on the amount of overlap included in the determination information. In this case, even when the display information generating unit 144 arranges the other vehicle icon Iv and the following icon It in the surrounding situation display image, it moves (offsets) the other vehicle icon Iv and the following icon It so that they do not overlap with the rotation speedometer image Ma-1 and the speedometer image Ma-2, and sets the reference curvature in accordance with the moved other vehicle icon Iv and the following icon It. The display information generating unit 144 may also set a reference curvature so that a predetermined gap (interval) is left between the rotation speedometer image Ma-1 and the speedometer image Ma-2 to more clearly indicate the boundaries between the rotation speedometer image Ma-1 and the speedometer image Ma-2 and the road dividing line L1, the road dividing line Lr, the other vehicle icon Iv, and the following icon It. Here, if the determination information includes information indicating the amount of overlap between the other vehicle icon Iv-1 and the following icon It, the display information generating unit 144 may set the reference curvature based on the amount of overlap included in the determination information.

[0048] Here, an example of a process in which the display information generating unit 144 reduces the curvature of the road dividing line L1 and the road dividing line Lr when the display area determining unit 142 determines that a predetermined condition is satisfied will be described. Figure 41 and 2 are diagrams for explaining an example of a process of changing the curvature of the road dividing lines (road dividing line L1, road dividing line Lr) by the display information generating unit 144. Figure 4 , an example of a situation in which the vehicle M is traveling on a straight road and the following vehicle V-1 enters a curve to the right, and the surrounding situation display image is superimposed on the speedometer image Ma-2. In this case, if the display information generating unit 144 determines the road dividing lines L1 and Lr to be shapes representing the curvature of the driving lane output by the curvature estimating unit 126, then Figure 4 As shown on the left side of the image, the other vehicle icon Iv-1 and the following icon It overlap with the speedometer image Ma-2. In this case, the display area determination unit 142 outputs determination information indicating that the curvature of the driving lane is greater than the threshold value and that the display area overlaps with the speedometer image Ma-2, and including information indicating the overlap amount of the road dividing lines L1 and Lr and the overlap amount of the other vehicle icon Iv-1 and the following icon It to the display information generation unit 144. As a result, the display information generation unit 144 outputs determination information indicating that the curvature of the driving lane is greater than the threshold value and that the display area overlaps with the speedometer image Ma-2. Figure 4 As shown on the right side of the image, a shape is determined that reduces the curvature of the road dividing lines L1 and Lr. Consequently, the road dividing lines L1 and Lr no longer overlap the speedometer image Ma-2. Furthermore, the display information generation unit 144 moves the other vehicle icon Iv-1 and the following icon It to positions that match the determined shapes of the road dividing lines L1 and Lr. Consequently, the other vehicle icon Iv-1 and the following icon It also no longer overlap the speedometer image Ma-2. Alternatively, the display information generation unit 144 may first move the other vehicle icon Iv-1 and the following icon It, and then, in conjunction with this, reduce the curvature of the road dividing lines L1 and Lr.

[0049] In this manner, the display information generation unit 144 generates a surrounding situation display image based on the determination information output by the display area determination unit 142, so that the display area representing the curvature of the driving lane output by the curvature estimation unit 126 and the surrounding situation display image of the other vehicle V output by the vehicle identification unit 128 does not overlap at least with the rotation speedometer image Ma-1 and the speedometer image Ma-2. In the vehicle display control device 100, the curvature estimation unit 126 estimates the curvature of the driving lane of the host vehicle M even when the host vehicle M is traveling on a straight road. In other words, the vehicle display control device 100 estimates the curvature of the driving lane from a point before the host vehicle M enters a curve. Therefore, the vehicle display control device 100 can preliminarily lower the reference curvature of the road dividing lines L1 and Lr from a point before the host vehicle M approaches the curve, i.e., the curve exists. As a result, when the vehicle M travels on a curved road, the curvatures of the road dividing lines L1 and Lr indicating the travel lanes in the surrounding situation display image are not changed, and the driver of the vehicle M does not feel unnatural or uncomfortable.

[0050] exist Figure 4 The right side of the is an example of preventing the road dividing line Lr, the other vehicle icon Iv-1, and the following icon It from overlapping the speedometer image Ma-2. However, the display information generating unit 144 may also reduce the curvature of the road dividing line Ll and the road dividing line Lr and move the other vehicle icon Iv-1 and the following icon It so that at least the other vehicle icon Iv-1 does not overlap the speedometer image Ma-2 while the following icon It (partially included in the surrounding situation display image) can be confirmed. In this case, the specified condition in the display area determining unit 142 may also be that the other vehicle icon Iv included in the surrounding situation display image does not overlap the rotation speedometer image Ma-1 or the speedometer image Ma-2.

[0051] [Example of Processing by Vehicle Display Control Device]

[0052] Next, the processing in the vehicle display control device 100 will be described. Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the flow of processing executed by the vehicle display control device 100. In the following description, it is assumed that each component of the vehicle display control device 100 appropriately performs corresponding processing. However, in the following description, it is assumed that other vehicles V traveling around the host vehicle M are not identified. The processing in this flowchart is repeatedly executed at predetermined time intervals when the acquisition device 10 captures images of the surrounding area of ​​the host vehicle M while the host vehicle M is traveling (moving).

[0053] When the acquisition device 10 captures the surroundings of the host vehicle M, the vehicle display control apparatus 100 acquires image data from the acquisition device 10 (step S100 ).

[0054] The road dividing line recognition unit 122 recognizes road dividing lines based on the acquired image data (step S102). The road dividing line recognition unit 122 outputs the recognized road dividing line information to the lane center detection unit 124. At this time, the vehicle recognition unit 128 may also recognize other vehicles V traveling ahead of the host vehicle M based on the acquired image data and output the recognized other vehicle V information to the display processing unit 140.

[0055] The lane center detection unit 124 detects the center position of the lane in which the host vehicle M is traveling at predetermined intervals based on the road dividing line information output by the road dividing line recognition unit 122 (step S104 ). The lane center detection unit 124 outputs information indicating each detected center position to the curvature estimation unit 126 .

[0056] The curvature estimating unit 126 estimates the curvature of the lane in which the host vehicle M is traveling based on the information of each center position outputted by the lane center detecting unit 124 (step S106 ). The curvature estimating unit 126 outputs information indicating the estimated curvature of the lane to the display processing unit 140 .

[0057] The display area determination unit 142 determines whether the display area of ​​the surrounding situation display image satisfies predetermined conditions based on the curvature information of the driving lane output by the curvature estimation unit 126 (step S108). Here, the display area determination unit 142 determines whether the curvature of the driving lane is greater than a set threshold. If the vehicle identification unit 128 outputs information about a detected other vehicle V, the display area determination unit 142 determines whether predetermined conditions, including the other vehicle icon Iv displayed in the surrounding situation display image, are met. Furthermore, if ACC-based driving support is being performed in the host vehicle M, the display area determination unit 142 determines whether predetermined conditions, including the follow-up icon It, are met. If it is determined in step S108 that the display area of ​​the surrounding situation display image does not meet the predetermined conditions (here, the curvature of the driving lane is less than the threshold), that is, if the surrounding situation display image does not overlap with the rotation speedometer image Ma-1 or the speedometer image Ma-2, the display area determination unit 142 outputs determination information indicating this to the display information generation unit 144.

[0058] When the display information generating unit 144 receives the judgment information indicating that the specified conditions are not satisfied from the display area judging unit 142, it determines the road dividing line Ll and the road dividing line Lr of the shape that does not reduce the curvature serving as the benchmark, that is, the shape of the driving lane representing the curvature estimated by the curvature estimating unit 126 (step S110).

[0059] On the other hand, when it is determined in step S108 that the display area of ​​the surrounding condition display image satisfies the specified conditions (here, the curvature of the driving lane is greater than the threshold), that is, when the surrounding condition display image overlaps with the rotation speed meter image Ma-1 and the speed meter image Ma-2, the display area determination unit 142 outputs the determination information indicating this situation to the display information generation unit 144.

[0060] When the display information generating unit 144 receives the determination information indicating that the predetermined condition is satisfied from the display area determining unit 142, it determines the road dividing line L1 and the road dividing line Lr in the shape of the curvature estimated by the curvature estimating unit 126 after the curvature is reduced (step S112). At this time, when displaying the other vehicle icon Iv and the following icon It in the surrounding situation display image, the display information generating unit 144 also determines the shape of the road dividing line L1 and the road dividing line Lr, including the movement amount (offset amount) of the other vehicle icon Iv and the following icon It to be displayed.

[0061] The display information generation unit 144 generates a surrounding situation display image that includes the road dividing lines L1 and Lr in the determined shapes (step S114). At this point, if the other vehicle icons Iv and the following icon It are displayed in the surrounding situation display image, the display information generation unit 144 generates a surrounding situation display image that also includes the other vehicle icons Iv and the following icon It. The display information generation unit 144 outputs the generated surrounding situation display image to the display device 20 for display, thereby notifying the driver of the surrounding conditions of the vehicle M. The vehicle display control device 100 then completes the processing of this flowchart for the image data acquired this time.

[0062] Based on this configuration and processing, the vehicle display control device 100 acquires image data captured by the acquisition device 10 and estimates the curvature of the curve on the road on which the host vehicle M will next travel. The vehicle display control device 100 then determines whether the display area of ​​the surrounding situation display image, including the road dividing lines L1 and Lr representing the curve in a shape indicating the estimated curvature, overlaps with at least the display area of ​​the driving status display image (here, the rotation speedometer image Ma-1 or the speedometer image Ma-2) displayed on the display device 20, which shows the driving status of the host vehicle M. If the display area of ​​the surrounding situation display image overlaps with the display area of ​​the driving status display image, the vehicle display control device 100 generates a surrounding situation display image in which the curvature of the road dividing lines L1 and Lr included in the surrounding situation display image is reduced (including the movement of the other vehicle icons Iv and the following icon It), and displays the image on the display device 20. That is, the vehicle display control device 100 can cause the display device 20 to constantly display the road dividing lines L1 and Lr (including the other vehicle icon Iv and the following icon It). This prevents the surrounding situation display image of the vehicle M equipped with the vehicle display control device 100 from overlapping (hiding) the driving status display image, indicating the shape of the road the vehicle M will travel on and the fact that the vehicle M is following another vehicle V. This allows the driver of the vehicle M equipped with the vehicle display control device 100 to drive the vehicle M while maintaining the vehicle's recognition status. Although not shown, the display area of ​​the surrounding situation display image may also be a circle, rectangle, or the like, with a blank area at the center, and a limited area such as the display area of ​​the surrounding situation display image. Even in this case, the same determination can be made to prevent overlapping of the driving status display image.

[0063] According to the embodiment described above, the vehicle display control device 100 includes: a curvature estimating unit 126 that estimates the curvature of the road on which the host vehicle M is traveling based on at least the output of a detection device 10 that detects objects (road dividing lines, other vehicles V) present in the direction of travel of the host vehicle M; and a display processing unit 140 that causes the display device 20 to display a surrounding situation display image including a vehicle icon Im representing the host vehicle M and images of road dividing lines (road dividing lines L1 and road dividing lines Lr) whose shapes are determined by curvature. When predetermined conditions are met, the display processing unit 140 reduces the reference curvature of the images of the road dividing lines included in the surrounding situation display image, thereby enabling the driver to recognize the relative positional relationship with the surrounding area of ​​the host vehicle M and other vehicles V. Consequently, the driver of the host vehicle M equipped with the vehicle display control device 100 can drive the host vehicle M while confirming the vehicle's recognition status without compromising information on the relative positional relationship with other vehicles V present in the surrounding area of ​​the host vehicle M and the positional relationship with other vehicles V currently following the host vehicle M.

[0064] The above-described embodiment can be expressed as follows.

[0065] A display control device for a vehicle, comprising:

[0066] Hardware processor; and

[0067] a storage device storing a program,

[0068] The vehicle display control device is configured to perform the following processing by having the hardware processor read and execute a program stored in the storage device:

[0069] estimating a curvature of a road on which the host vehicle is traveling based on at least an output of a detection device that detects an object existing in a direction of travel of the host vehicle;

[0070] When the display device displays a surrounding condition display image including a vehicle icon representing the vehicle and an image of a road dividing line whose shape is determined by the curvature, the curvature serving as a reference of the image of the road dividing line included in the surrounding condition display image is reduced when specified conditions are met.

[0071] While specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments at all, and various modifications and substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A display control device for a vehicle, wherein: The vehicle display control device includes: an estimating unit that estimates the curvature of the road on which the host vehicle is traveling based on at least an output of a detecting device that detects an object existing in the traveling direction of the host vehicle; as well as a display processing unit that causes a display device to display a surrounding situation display image including an own vehicle icon representing the own vehicle and an image of a road dividing line whose shape is determined by the curvature; When a predetermined condition is satisfied, the display processing unit reduces a reference curvature of the image of the road dividing line included in the surrounding situation display image. The display device displays a driving status display image on at least one of the left and right sides of the surrounding situation display image. The predetermined condition is that the estimated curvature is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, and when the shape of the image of the road dividing line is determined based on the estimated curvature, the image of the road dividing line is superimposed on the driving state display image. When the predetermined condition is satisfied, the display processing unit reduces the curvature so that the image of the road dividing line does not overlap with the traveling state display image.

2. The vehicle display control device according to claim 1, wherein: The display device displays the two driving status display images on the left and right of the surrounding situation display image. The display processing unit displays the surrounding situation display image at a position between the two driving state display images.

3. The vehicle display control device according to claim 1, wherein: further comprising a detection unit that detects the center position of a road in the direction in which the host vehicle is traveling based on the output of the acquisition device, The estimating unit estimates the curvature of the road based on a center line connecting the center positions.

4. The vehicle display control device according to claim 1, wherein: The estimating unit further estimates the curvature of the road based on map information indicating a route along which the host vehicle travels.

5. The vehicle display control device according to claim 1, wherein: The estimating unit estimates the curvature of the road at a time when the host vehicle is traveling on a straight road having a curvature less than a predetermined value and a curve having a curvature greater than the predetermined value exists on the traveling direction side. The display processing unit reduces a curvature serving as a reference of the image of the road dividing line included in the surrounding situation display image, starting from a point before a point where the curve exists.

6. The vehicle display control device according to claim 1, wherein: The target object also includes another vehicle traveling in front of the host vehicle. The display processing unit causes the display device to display as follows: An other vehicle icon representing the other vehicle is included at a position in the surrounding situation display image corresponding to the position where the other vehicle is present. When the host vehicle follows the other vehicle, a following icon indicating that the host vehicle is following the other vehicle is further included at a position around the other vehicle icon.

7. The vehicle display control device according to claim 6, wherein: The predetermined condition further includes that, when the surrounding situation display image includes the follow icon, at least a portion of the other vehicle icon overlaps with the driving state display image. When the specified conditions are met, the display processing unit moves the other vehicle icon and the following icon to a position where they do not overlap with the driving status display image, and reduces the curvature of the image of the road dividing line in coordination with the moved other vehicle icon and the following icon.

8. The vehicle display control device according to claim 7, wherein: The display processing unit moves the other vehicle icon and the follow icon so that at least the entire other vehicle icon included in the surrounding situation display image does not overlap with the driving state display image and a portion of the follow icon is included in the surrounding situation display image.

9. A method for controlling a display control device for a vehicle, wherein: The control method of the vehicle display control device causes the computer to perform the following processing: estimating the curvature of the road on which the host vehicle is traveling based on at least an output of a detection device that detects an object existing in the direction of travel of the host vehicle; as well as When a display device displays a surrounding situation display image including a vehicle icon representing the vehicle and an image of a road dividing line whose shape is determined by the curvature, the curvature serving as a reference of the image of the road dividing line included in the surrounding situation display image is lowered if a predetermined condition is satisfied. The display device displays a driving status display image on at least one of the left and right sides of the surrounding situation display image. The predetermined condition is that the estimated curvature is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, and when the shape of the image of the road dividing line is determined based on the estimated curvature, the image of the road dividing line is superimposed on the driving state display image. When the predetermined condition is satisfied, the curvature is reduced to such an extent that the image of the road dividing line does not overlap with the traveling state display image.

10. A storage medium storing a program, wherein: The program causes the computer to perform the following processing: estimating the curvature of the road on which the host vehicle is traveling based on at least an output of a detection device that detects an object existing in the direction of travel of the host vehicle; as well as When a display device displays a surrounding situation display image including a vehicle icon representing the vehicle and an image of a road dividing line whose shape is determined by the curvature, the curvature serving as a reference of the image of the road dividing line included in the surrounding situation display image is lowered if a predetermined condition is satisfied. The display device displays a driving status display image on at least one of the left and right sides of the surrounding situation display image. The predetermined condition is that the estimated curvature is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, and when the shape of the image of the road dividing line is determined based on the estimated curvature, the image of the road dividing line is superimposed on the driving state display image. When the predetermined condition is satisfied, the curvature is reduced to such an extent that the image of the road dividing line does not overlap with the traveling state display image.

11. A display control device for a vehicle, wherein: The vehicle display control device includes: an estimating unit that estimates the curvature of the road on which the host vehicle is traveling based on at least an output of a detecting device that detects an object existing in the traveling direction of the host vehicle; as well as a display processing unit that causes a display device to display a surrounding situation display image including an own vehicle icon representing the own vehicle and an image of a road dividing line whose shape is determined by the curvature; When a predetermined condition is satisfied, the display processing unit reduces a reference curvature of the image of the road dividing line included in the surrounding situation display image. The target object also includes another vehicle traveling in front of the host vehicle. The display processing unit causes the display device to display as follows: An other vehicle icon representing the other vehicle is included at a position in the surrounding situation display image corresponding to the position where the other vehicle is present. When the host vehicle follows the other vehicle, a following icon indicating that the host vehicle is following the other vehicle is further included at a position around the other vehicle icon. The predetermined condition is that, when the surrounding situation display image includes the follow icon, at least a portion of the other vehicle icon overlaps with the driving state display image, When the specified conditions are met, the display processing unit moves the other vehicle icon and the following icon to a position where they do not overlap with the driving status display image, and reduces the curvature of the image of the road dividing line in coordination with the moved other vehicle icon and the following icon.

12. A method for controlling a display control device for a vehicle, wherein: The control method of the vehicle display control device causes the computer to perform the following processing: estimating the curvature of the road on which the host vehicle is traveling based on at least an output of a detection device that detects an object existing in the direction of travel of the host vehicle; as well as When a display device displays a surrounding situation display image including a vehicle icon representing the vehicle and an image of a road dividing line whose shape is determined by the curvature, the curvature serving as a reference of the image of the road dividing line included in the surrounding situation display image is lowered if a predetermined condition is satisfied. The target object also includes another vehicle traveling in front of the host vehicle. The display device is caused to display as follows: An other vehicle icon representing the other vehicle is included at a position in the surrounding situation display image corresponding to the position where the other vehicle is present. When the host vehicle follows the other vehicle, a following icon indicating that the host vehicle is following the other vehicle is further included at a position around the other vehicle icon. The predetermined condition is that, when the surrounding situation display image includes the follow icon, at least a portion of the other vehicle icon overlaps with the driving state display image, When the specified conditions are met, the other vehicle icon and the follow icon are moved to a position where they do not overlap with the driving status display image, and the curvature of the road dividing line image is reduced in coordination with the moved other vehicle icon and the follow icon.

13. A storage medium storing a program, wherein: The program causes the computer to perform the following processing: estimating the curvature of the road on which the host vehicle is traveling based on at least an output of a detection device that detects an object existing in the direction of travel of the host vehicle; as well as When a display device displays a surrounding situation display image including a vehicle icon representing the vehicle and an image of a road dividing line whose shape is determined by the curvature, the curvature serving as a reference of the image of the road dividing line included in the surrounding situation display image is lowered if a predetermined condition is satisfied. The target object also includes another vehicle traveling in front of the host vehicle. The display device is caused to display as follows: An other vehicle icon representing the other vehicle is included at a position in the surrounding situation display image corresponding to the position where the other vehicle is present. When the host vehicle follows the other vehicle, a following icon indicating that the host vehicle is following the other vehicle is further included at a position around the other vehicle icon. The predetermined condition is that, when the surrounding situation display image includes the follow icon, at least a portion of the other vehicle icon overlaps with the driving state display image, When the specified conditions are met, the other vehicle icon and the follow icon are moved to a position where they do not overlap with the driving status display image, and the curvature of the road dividing line image is reduced in coordination with the moved other vehicle icon and the follow icon.

Images