Display control device for vehicle, display device for vehicle, vehicle, display control method for vehicle, and storage medium

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a display control device for a vehicle, a display device for a vehicle, a vehicle, a display control method for a vehicle, and a storage medium. The processor of the present invention is configured to: when another vehicle traveling in an adjacent lane adjacent to a travel lane in which the host vehicle is traveling performs a merge operation of moving from the adjacent lane to a merge position in front of the host vehicle in the travel lane, control a display portion capable of displaying a travel lane image representing the travel lane, an adjacent lane image representing the adjacent lane, a lane boundary line image representing a lane boundary line of the boundary between the travel lane and the adjacent lane, and an other vehicle image representing the other vehicle, so that the display portion discontinuously moves the other vehicle image from a first position on the adjacent lane image to a second position on the lane boundary line image.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a display control device for vehicles, a display device for vehicles, a vehicle, a display control method for vehicles, and a storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-37895 discloses an invention in which a head-up display shows the expected trajectory of another vehicle when another vehicle traveling in an adjacent lane is likely to merge into the driving lane.

[0003] The invention disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-37895 has room for improvement in enabling drivers to recognize lane-changing actions performed by other vehicles traveling in adjacent lanes. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Considering the above facts, the purpose of this disclosure is to provide a vehicle display control device, a vehicle display device, a vehicle, a vehicle display control method, and a storage medium that enable a driver to easily identify lane-changing actions performed by other vehicles traveling in adjacent lanes.

[0005] The vehicle display control device according to the first aspect of this disclosure includes a processor configured to: when another vehicle traveling in an adjacent lane adjacent to the driving lane of the vehicle performs a lane-changing operation, moving from the adjacent lane to the driving lane at a position ahead of the vehicle, the processor performs a lane-changing operation to display a driving lane image representing the driving lane, an adjacent lane image representing the adjacent lane, a lane boundary line image representing a lane boundary line defining the boundary between the driving lane and the adjacent lane, and an image of the other vehicle, so that the display unit discontinuously moves the image of the other vehicle from a first position on the adjacent lane image to a second position on the lane boundary line image.

[0006] In the vehicle display control device according to the first aspect of this disclosure, when another vehicle traveling in an adjacent lane adjacent to the vehicle's driving lane performs a lane-changing maneuver, moving from the adjacent lane to the driving lane, the display unit controlled by the processor displays an image of the other vehicle that moves discontinuously from a first position on the adjacent lane image to a second position on the lane boundary line image representing the boundary between the defined driving lane and the adjacent lane. Therefore, a driver observing the image of the other vehicle can easily identify that another vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane is performing a lane-changing maneuver. That is, compared to the case where the image of the other vehicle is displayed moving continuously from the first position to the second position, a driver observing the image of the other vehicle can more easily identify that another vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane is performing a lane-changing maneuver.

[0007] The vehicle display control device according to the second aspect of this disclosure is configured such that, based on the first aspect of this disclosure, when the other vehicle performs the lane-changing action, the processor controls the display unit to cause the image of the other vehicle to move discontinuously from the second position to the third position corresponding to the lane-changing position on the image of the driving lane.

[0008] In the second embodiment of this disclosure, when another vehicle performs a lane-changing maneuver, the display unit controlled by the processor displays an image of the other vehicle in a discontinuous manner, moving it from a second position to a third position corresponding to the lane-changing position on the driving lane image. Therefore, a driver observing the image of another vehicle can more easily identify that another vehicle is performing a lane-changing maneuver. That is, compared to the case where the image of another vehicle is displayed in a manner that moves continuously from the second position to the third position, a driver observing the image of another vehicle can more easily identify that another vehicle is performing a lane-changing maneuver.

[0009] The vehicle display control device according to the third aspect of this disclosure is configured such that, based on the first aspect of this disclosure, when it is determined that the other vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane may perform the lane-changing action, the processor causes the image of the other vehicle to be displayed on the display unit.

[0010] In the third embodiment of this disclosure, when it is determined that another vehicle may be attempting to change lanes based on the behavior of other vehicles traveling in adjacent lanes, the processor displays images of the other vehicles on the display unit. Since only images of the other vehicles corresponding to those determined to be likely to change lanes are displayed on the display unit, the driver is less likely to experience boredom compared to displaying images of all other vehicles traveling in adjacent lanes.

[0011] The vehicle display control device according to the fourth aspect of this disclosure is configured such that, based on any of the first to third aspects of this disclosure, the processor controls the display unit to display an image of another vehicle located in front of the present vehicle in the adjacent lane at one of a plurality of positions arranged in a longitudinal direction on the adjacent lane image.

[0012] In the fourth aspect of this disclosure, images of other vehicles representing other vehicles located in the adjacent lane ahead of the vehicle are displayed at one of a plurality of positions on the adjacent lane image arranged in a longitudinal direction. Therefore, a driver observing the images of other vehicles can identify the longitudinal position of the images representing other vehicles that may be performing a lane-changing maneuver.

[0013] The vehicle display control device according to the fifth aspect of this disclosure is configured such that, based on the fourth aspect of this disclosure, when the other vehicle image located at a specific position further behind the predetermined position among the plurality of positions is located at at least one of the first position and the second position, the processor controls the display unit to display the other vehicle image located at the specific position in a form different from the other vehicle image located at a position different from the specific position.

[0014] In the fifth aspect of this disclosure, when an image of another vehicle located at a specific position further behind a predetermined position among a plurality of positions is located at at least one of the first and second positions, the image of the other vehicle at the specific position is displayed in a form different from that of other vehicle images located at positions different from the specific position. Since the distance between the other vehicle corresponding to this image and the vehicle in the longitudinal direction is relatively short, sufficient attention needs to be paid to lane-changing actions performed by this other vehicle. Because the image of the other vehicle corresponding to this other vehicle is displayed in this form, it is possible to draw sufficient attention from the driver observing the image of the other vehicle to the lane-changing action performed by that other vehicle.

[0015] The vehicle display control device according to the sixth aspect of this disclosure is configured such that, based on any of the first to fifth aspects of this disclosure, when it is determined that the other vehicle moving from the adjacent lane to the driving lane is the preceding vehicle for the vehicle performing follow control, the processor controls the display unit to display the image of the other vehicle that is determined to be the preceding vehicle in a form different from the image of the other vehicle that is not determined to be the preceding vehicle.

[0016] In the sixth aspect of this disclosure, when the processor determines that another vehicle moving from the adjacent lane into the driving lane is a vehicle ahead of the vehicle performing follow control, the display unit displays images of the other vehicles determined to be ahead in a different format than images of other vehicles not determined to be ahead. Therefore, the driver observing the images of other vehicles can identify whether the other vehicles corresponding to the other vehicle images are ahead of the vehicle.

[0017] The vehicle display device according to the seventh aspect of this disclosure includes a display unit and the aforementioned vehicle display control device of any of the first to sixth aspects of this disclosure.

[0018] The vehicle according to the eighth aspect of this disclosure is equipped with the vehicle display device according to the seventh aspect of this disclosure.

[0019] The vehicle display control method according to the ninth aspect of this disclosure is configured such that when another vehicle traveling in an adjacent lane adjacent to the driving lane of the vehicle performs a lane-changing action by moving from the adjacent lane to the driving lane at a position ahead of the vehicle, the processor controls a display unit capable of displaying an image of the driving lane representing the driving lane, an image of the adjacent lane representing the adjacent lane, an image of a lane boundary line representing a lane boundary line defining the boundary between the driving lane and the adjacent lane, and an image of the other vehicle representing the other vehicle, so that the display unit causes the image of the other vehicle to move discontinuously from a first position on the adjacent lane image to a second position on the lane boundary line image.

[0020] The storage medium disclosed in the tenth aspect is a storage medium that stores a program and is readable by a computer. When the program is executed by a processor, the following steps are performed: when another vehicle traveling in an adjacent lane adjacent to the driving lane of the vehicle performs a lane-changing maneuver from the adjacent lane to the driving lane at a position ahead of the vehicle, the display unit that can display an image of the driving lane, an image of the adjacent lane, an image of the lane boundary line that defines the boundary between the driving lane and the adjacent lane, and an image of the other vehicle are controlled so that the display unit causes the image of the other vehicle to move discontinuously from a first position on the adjacent lane image to a second position on the lane boundary line image.

[0021] As explained above, the vehicle display control device, vehicle display device, vehicle, vehicle display control method, and storage medium disclosed herein have the excellent effect of making it easy for the driver to identify lane-changing actions performed by other vehicles traveling in adjacent lanes. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the following figures, wherein,

[0023] Figure 1 This is a diagram showing the interior of a vehicle equipped with the vehicle display control device according to the embodiment.

[0024] Figure 2 It means Figure 1 The diagram shows the hardware structure of the vehicle.

[0025] Figure 3 This is a functional block diagram of the vehicle's display control ECU.

[0026] Figure 4 This is a functional block diagram of the vehicle's ADAS-ECU.

[0027] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram representing an image formed on a display and display area.

[0028] Figure 6 It is the movement of other vehicles to position 2. Figure 5 Same diagram.

[0029] Figure 7 It is when other vehicles move to position 3 and Figure 5 Same diagram.

[0030] Figure 8 This is a flowchart showing the processes executed by the vehicle's display control ECU. Detailed Implementation

[0031] Hereinafter, embodiments of the vehicle display control device, vehicle display device, vehicle 10, vehicle display control method, and storage medium involved in this disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0032] like Figure 1 As shown, the vehicle (this vehicle) 10 of this embodiment includes a windshield 14 and an instrument panel 16. A display (display unit) (vehicle display device) 18 and a driver assistance switch 24 are provided on the instrument panel 16. A sensor group 20 is provided on the upper part of the interior side of the windshield 14. The sensor group 20 includes at least one of a camera, a laser imaging detection and ranging sensor, a positioning camera, and a millimeter-wave radar sensor. The driver assistance switch 24 is a switch for enabling the vehicle 10 to perform the driver assistance controls described later.

[0033] like Figure 2As shown, in addition to the display 18, sensor group 20 and driver assistance switch 24, the vehicle 10 also has a display control ECU (vehicle display control device) 26, a head-up display (hereinafter referred to as HUD) (display unit) (vehicle display device) 28, a vehicle navigation ECU 32, a GPS device 34 and an ADAS-ECU 36 as hardware structures.

[0034] The display control ECU 26 is configured to include a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 26A, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 26B, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 26C, a storage mechanism 26D, a wireless communication I / F (Interface) 26E, an in-vehicle communication I / F 26F, and an input / output I / F 26G. The CPU 26A, ROM 26B, RAM 26C, storage mechanism 26D, wireless communication I / F 26E, in-vehicle communication I / F 26F, and input / output I / F 26G are communicatively connected to each other via an internal bus 26Z.

[0035] CPU26A is the central processing unit, which executes various programs and controls various components. CPU26A reads programs from ROM26B or storage device 26D and uses RAM26C as the working area to execute the programs. CPU26A performs control of various components and various arithmetic operations based on the programs recorded in ROM26B or storage device 26D.

[0036] ROM26B stores various programs and data. RAM26C serves as a temporary storage area for programs or data. Storage unit 26D consists of storage devices such as HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or SSD (Solid State Drive) to store various programs and data.

[0037] The Wireless Communication I / F26E is an interface for wireless communication with various devices. For example, the Wireless Communication I / F26E can communicate wirelessly with the wireless communication devices of other vehicles 70A and 70B described later. The Wireless Communication I / F26E uses communication standards such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) and Wi-Fi (registered trademark).

[0038] The in-vehicle communication I / F26F is an interface used to connect to the vehicle navigation ECU32 and ADAS-ECU36 via the external bus 26H. This interface uses, for example, a communication standard based on the CAN protocol.

[0039] The input / output I / F26G is an interface used for communication with the display 18 and HUD28.

[0040] exist Figure 3 The block diagram illustrates an example of the functional structure of the display control ECU 26. The display control ECU 26 has a display control unit 261 and a communication control unit 262 as its functional structure. The display control unit 261 and the communication control unit 262 are implemented by the CPU 26A reading and executing a program stored in the ROM 26B.

[0041] The display control unit 261 controls the display 18 and HUD 28 as described later.

[0042] The communication control unit 262 controls the wireless communication I / F26E and the in-vehicle communication I / F26F.

[0043] The HUD28 has a projection device 30. The image projected from the projection device 30 is reflected forward by a reflector (not shown), thereby displaying the image in the display area HA (see reference) formed on the windshield 14. Figure 1 It displays various images.

[0044] The vehicle navigation ECU32 and ADAS-ECU36 are configured to include a CPU (processor), ROM, RAM, storage mechanism, wireless communication I / F, in-vehicle communication I / F, and input / output I / F. The CPU, ROM, RAM, storage mechanism, wireless communication I / F, in-vehicle communication I / F, and input / output are communicatively connected to each other via an internal bus.

[0045] The vehicle navigation ECU 32 controls the vehicle navigation system. Map data is recorded in the ROM or storage mechanism of the vehicle navigation ECU 32. A GPS device 34 is connected to the vehicle navigation ECU 32. The GPS device 34 has a GPS antenna (not shown) that receives signals from GPS satellites.

[0046] The ADAS-ECU36 is connected to a sensor group 20 and a driver assistance switch 24. Additionally, the ADAS-ECU36 is connected to various actuators used to drive the braking system, steering system, and internal combustion engine (drive source). The ADAS-ECU36 can also be connected to an electric motor (drive source).

[0047] exist Figure 4 The block diagram illustrates an example of an ADAS-ECU 36. The ADAS-ECU 36 has a functional structure comprising a driver assistance control unit 361 and a lane change determination unit 362. The driver assistance control unit 361 and the lane change determination unit 362 are implemented by the CPU reading and executing programs stored in ROM.

[0048] The driver assistance control unit 361 has the function of enabling the vehicle 10 to perform driver assistance controls by controlling the aforementioned actuator group (and electric motor). "Driver assistance control" in this specification includes driver assistance controls at levels 1 to 5 as defined by the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers). Driver assistance controls include, for example, ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control) and CACC (Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control). The initial state of the driver assistance switch 24 is OFF. If the driver assistance switch 24 becomes ON, the vehicle 10 can perform driver assistance controls. If the occupant further operates the ON driver assistance switch 24, the occupant can enable the vehicle 10 to perform any of the levels 1 to 5 of driver assistance controls.

[0049] Furthermore, during the execution of follow control (ACC or CACC), the driver assistance control unit 361 determines whether the vehicle traveling in front of vehicle 10 is equivalent to the vehicle in front. And when the driver assistance control unit 361 automatically activates the aforementioned braking device during the execution of follow control, such as... Figure 1 As shown, display 18 shows an image 18A representing the braking action.

[0050] The lane change determination unit 362 has the ability to determine whether the vehicle 10 is on the road 60 (refer to) currently being traveled by the vehicle based on information obtained from the sensor group 20. Figure 1 The system detects the presence of other vehicles 70A and 70B in any of the lanes included in the system. Furthermore, the lane change determination unit 362 calculates the positions of the other vehicles 70A and 70B in the lane width direction and the lane extension direction based on information obtained from the sensor group 20.

[0051] Furthermore, the lane change determination unit 362 has the following function: based on the information obtained by the sensor group 20, it determines whether the vehicle 10 is traveling in the lane 61 (refer to the lane 61) in which it is traveling. Figure 1 Adjacent lanes 62A and 62B (refer to) Figure 1 Other vehicles 70A and 70B (refer to) Figure 1 The determination unit 362 determines whether it is possible to perform a lane-changing operation by moving to a lane-changing position in front of the vehicle 10, which is the driving lane 61, and whether a lane-changing operation is currently being performed. Furthermore, the lane-changing determination unit 362 can also make this determination based on the determination logic disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-37895.

[0052] ADAS-ECU36 sends information related to the driver assistance control selected via driver assistance switch 24 to display control ECU26.

[0053] Next, use Figures 5-7 The image displayed on monitor 18 and display area HA will be described. Furthermore, Figures 5-7 The image shown is a schematic representation of the driver D of vehicle 10 (reference). Figure 1 Images of landscapes recognized visually. For ease of explanation, these landscapes (images) are depicted as images viewed from a position higher than the driver's eye level (D).

[0054] Displayed in monitor 18 and display area HA Figures 5-7 The road image shown is 40. Figures 5-7 The arrow DR indicates the rear side of vehicle 10, and the arrow DF indicates the front side (direction of travel) of vehicle 10. Road image 40 is an image based on the aforementioned map data recorded in the storage mechanism of the vehicle navigation ECU 32. For example, as... Figure 1 As shown, when the road 60 currently being traveled by vehicle 10 includes a driving lane 61 and two adjacent lanes 62A and 62B adjacent to the driving lane 61, the road image 40 includes a driving lane image 41 and two adjacent lane images 42A and 42B. The driving lane image 41 is the image corresponding to the driving lane 61, the adjacent lane image 42A is the image corresponding to the adjacent lane 62A, and the adjacent lane image 42B is the image corresponding to the adjacent lane 62B.

[0055] For example, when the display control unit 261 of the display control ECU 26 identifies that the vehicle 10 is traveling in the driving lane 61 based on information obtained from the vehicle navigation ECU 32 (GPS device 34), the display control unit 261 controls the display 18 and HUD 28 to display the vehicle image 55 on the driving lane image 41. The driving lane image 41 includes a first line L1, a second line L2, a third line L3, and a fourth line L4 located in front of the vehicle image 55. The first line L1, the second line L2, the third line L3, and the fourth line L4 each represent a position in front of the vehicle 10 (the vehicle image 55). The distance from the vehicle 10 to the second line L2 is longer than the distance from the vehicle 10 to the first line L1, the distance from the vehicle 10 to the third line L3 is longer than the distance from the vehicle 10 to the second line L2, and the distance from the vehicle 10 to the fourth line L4 is longer than the distance from the vehicle 10 to the third line L3.

[0056] For example, when the lane change determination unit 362 determines, based on information obtained from the sensor group 20, that another vehicle 70A is traveling in adjacent lane 62A and another vehicle 70B is traveling in adjacent lane 62B, the determination result is sent from the ADAS-ECU 36 to the display control ECU 26. Consequently, the display control unit 261 of the display control ECU 26 controls the display 18 and the HUD 28 to display the images 50A and 50B of the other vehicles corresponding to the other vehicles 70A and 70B respectively, overlapping them on the display 18 and the adjacent lane images 42A and 42B in the display area HA. ​​Furthermore, the lane change determination unit 362 calculates the distance between vehicle 10 and other vehicles 70A and 70B based on information obtained from the sensor group 20 and the location information obtained from the GPS device 34. Information regarding this distance is then sent from the ADAS-ECU 36 to the display control ECU 26. Upon receiving distance information, the display control unit 261 of the display control ECU 26 adjusts the positions of other vehicle images 50A on the adjacent lane image 42A and other vehicle images 50B on the adjacent lane image 42B. For example, when the distance from vehicle 10 to other vehicle 70A is a predetermined short distance, such as... Figure 5 As shown, images of other vehicles 50A are displayed with their rear ends positioned at the same location as line L1. When the distance from vehicle 10 to other vehicles 70B is a predetermined long distance, such as... Figure 5 As shown, other vehicle images 50B are displayed in a manner where the front and rear positions of their rear ends are the same as those of line L3.

[0057] (Functions and Effects)

[0058] Next, the function and effects of this implementation method will be explained.

[0059] Next, use Figure 8 The flowchart illustrates the processing performed by the display control ECU 26 of vehicle 10. The display control ECU 26 repeatedly executes this process at predetermined intervals. Figure 8 The flowchart shown illustrates the processing.

[0060] In step S10, the display control unit 261 of the display control ECU 26 determines whether other vehicles 70A and 70B are driving in adjacent lanes 62A and 62B based on information received from the ADAS-ECU 36.

[0061] If the display control ECU26 determines "yes" in step S10, it proceeds to step S11, where it determines whether other vehicles 70A and 70B are performing lane-changing actions based on the information received from ADAS-ECU36.

[0062] If the display control ECU 26 determines "yes" in step S11, it proceeds to step S12, where it determines whether other vehicles 70A and 70B are in the first position based on the information received from the ADAS-ECU 36. The first position is the position of other vehicles 70A and 70B in the lane width direction when, from a top-down view, the center point of their vehicle width direction coincides with the center of adjacent lanes 62A and 62B in the lane width direction. The lane width dimension of the center of adjacent lanes 62A and 62B has a certain length. That is, the first position is not a specific point. When other vehicles 70A and 70B are in the first position, they are far from lane boundary lines 63A and 63B.

[0063] When it is determined that other vehicles 70A and 70B are located in the first position on adjacent lanes 62A and 62B, the display control ECU 26 proceeds to step S13, as follows. Figure 5 As shown, the display control unit 261 displays other vehicle images 50A and 50B overlaid on adjacent lane images 42A and 42B. At this time, other vehicle image 50A is far from lane boundary line image 43A, and other vehicle image 50B is far from lane boundary line image 43B.

[0064] And at this time, for example, such as Figure 5 As shown, other vehicle images 50A and 50B are displayed such that the rear end of other vehicle image 50A is positioned at the same position as the first line L1, and the rear end of other vehicle image 50B is positioned at the same position as the third line L3.

[0065] After completing step 13, the display control ECU 26 proceeds to step S14, which determines whether the rear end of any other vehicle 70A or 70B is located behind the position corresponding to line 1 L1 (specific position) of line 1 L1, which is further back than the position corresponding to line 2 L2 (prescribed position).

[0066] If the display control ECU 26 determines "yes" in step S14, it proceeds to step S15, whereby the other vehicle image 50A corresponding to the other vehicle 70A determined "yes" in step S14 is displayed in a color different from the other vehicle image 50B. For example, the other vehicle image 50B corresponding to the other vehicle 70B determined "no" in step S14 is displayed in gray, and the other vehicle image 50A corresponding to the other vehicle 70A determined "yes" in step S14 is displayed in yellow. Regarding the color of the other vehicle image 50A corresponding to the other vehicle 70A determined "yes" in step S14, compared to the color of the other vehicle image 50B corresponding to the other vehicle 70B determined "no", a color that provides greater visual stimulation to the driver D is preferred.

[0067] Furthermore, when the rear end of another vehicle image 50A, displayed in yellow, is located at the position corresponding to the first line L1 and moves to the second position described later, the other vehicle image 50A can also remain displayed in yellow. Additionally, when the rear end of another vehicle image 50A, displayed in yellow, is located at the position corresponding to the first line L1 and moves to the second position, the other vehicle image 50A can also be displayed in gray.

[0068] After completing step S15, the display control ECU 26 proceeds to step S16, determining whether other vehicles 70A and 70B are located in the second position based on the information received from the ADAS-ECU 36. The second position is the position of other vehicles 70A and 70B in the lane width direction when their central portion in the vehicle width direction coincides with adjacent lanes 62A and 62B in a top-down view. The central portion of other vehicles 70A and 70B has a certain length in the vehicle width direction. That is, the second position is not a specific point.

[0069] When it is determined that other vehicles 70A and 70B are located in the second position on adjacent lanes 62A and 62B, the display control ECU 26 proceeds to step S17, as follows: Figure 6 As shown, the display control unit 261 displays other vehicle images 50A and 50B overlaid on lane boundary line images 43A and 43B.

[0070] At this time, the display control unit 261 displays the images of other vehicles 50A and 50B on the display 18 and the display area HA in a manner that indicates that the images of other vehicles 70A and 70B move discontinuously from the first position to the second position. In this specification and claims, "the images of other vehicles 50A and 50B move discontinuously from the first position to the second position" means that once the images of other vehicles 50A and 50B displayed at the position corresponding to the first position of the adjacent lane images 42A and 42B disappear from the display 18 and the display area HA, the images of other vehicles 50A and 50B will be overlaid and displayed at the position corresponding to the second position of the lane boundary line images 43A and 43B.

[0071] Furthermore, in step S17, the display control unit 261 references the longitudinal positions of other vehicles 70A and 70B and displays the images of other vehicles 50A and 50B overlapping on the adjacent lane images 42A and 42B. For example, the display control unit 261 displays the images of other vehicles 50A and 50B overlapping on the lane boundary line images 43A and 43B such that the rear end of the image of other vehicle 50A is located at a position corresponding to the first line L1 and the rear end of the image of other vehicle 50B is located at a position corresponding to the third line L3.

[0072] After completing step S17, the display control ECU 26 proceeds to step S18. Based on the information received from the ADAS-ECU 36, it determines whether other vehicles 70A and 70B are located in the third position (lane-merging position) on the driving lane 61. The third position refers to the position of other vehicles 70A and 70B in the direction of lane width, between lane boundary lines 63A and 63B, and away from lane boundary lines 63A and 63B in a top-down view. That is, the third position is not a specific point.

[0073] When it is determined that other vehicles 70A and 70B are located in the third position on the driving lane 61, the display control ECU 26 proceeds to step S19. For example... Figure 7 As shown, the display control unit 261 references the longitudinal positions of other vehicles 70A and 70B and displays the images of other vehicles 50A and 50B overlapping on the driving lane image 41. For example, the display control unit 261 displays the images of other vehicles 50A and 50B overlapping on the driving lane image 41 such that the rear end of the image of other vehicle 50A is located at a position corresponding to the first line L1 and the rear end of the image of other vehicle 50B is located at a position corresponding to the third line L3.

[0074] At this time, the display control unit 261 displays other vehicle images 50A and 50B, representing other vehicles 70A and 70B, in a manner that indicates they move discontinuously from the second position to the third position. In this specification and claims, "other vehicle images 50A and 50B moving discontinuously from the second position to the third position" means that once the other vehicle images 50A and 50B, which were overlapping and displayed at the second position corresponding to the lane boundary lines 63A and 63B, disappear from the display 18 and display area HA, the other vehicle images 50A and 50B will be overlapping and displayed at the third position corresponding to the driving lane image 41.

[0075] After completing step S19, the display control ECU26 proceeds to step S20, where it determines whether the ADAS-ECU36 is performing follow control (ACC or CACC) based on the information received from the ADAS-ECU36.

[0076] If the display control ECU 26 determines that it is yes in step S20, it proceeds to step S21. Based on the information received from ADAS-ECU 36, it determines whether any of the other vehicles 70A and 70B corresponding to the other vehicle images 50A and 50B displayed in the driving lane image 41 are equivalent to the vehicle in front of vehicle 10.

[0077] If the display control ECU 26 determines "yes" in step S21, it proceeds to step S22, whereby the other vehicle image 50A corresponding to the other vehicle 70A determined "yes" in step S21 is displayed in a different color than the other vehicle image 50B. For example, the other vehicle image 50B corresponding to the other vehicle 70B determined "no" in step S21 is displayed in gray, and the other vehicle image 50A corresponding to the other vehicle 70A determined "yes" in step S21 is displayed in white. Regarding the color of the other vehicle image 50A corresponding to the other vehicle 70A determined "yes" in step S21, compared to the color of the other vehicle image 50B corresponding to the other vehicle 70B determined "no", a color that provides greater visual stimulation to the driver D is preferred.

[0078] When the determination in steps S10, S11, S12, S16, S18, S20, or S21 is negative, or when step S22 is completed, the display control ECU 26 temporarily ends. Figure 8 The processing of flowcharts.

[0079] As explained above, when other vehicles 70A and 70B traveling in adjacent lanes 62A and 62B perform a lane-changing maneuver by moving from adjacent lanes 62A and 62B to the lane 61, the display 18 and HUD 28 display the images of other vehicles 50A and 50B in a discontinuous manner, moving from a first position on the adjacent lane images 42A and 42B to a second position on the lane boundary line images 43A and 43B. Therefore, the driver D, observing the images of other vehicles 50A and 50B, can easily identify that other vehicles 70A and 70B traveling in adjacent lanes 62A and 62B are performing a lane-changing maneuver. For example, compared to displaying the images of other vehicles 50A and 50B in a manner that moves continuously from the first position to the second position, the driver D can more easily identify that other vehicles 70A and 70B are performing a lane-changing maneuver.

[0080] Furthermore, when other vehicles 70A and 70B are performing lane-changing maneuvers, the display 18 and HUD 28 display the images of other vehicles 50A and 50B in a discontinuous manner, moving from the second position to the third position corresponding to the lane-changing position on the driving lane image 41. Therefore, the driver D, observing the images of other vehicles 50A and 50B, can easily identify that other vehicles 70A and 70B traveling in adjacent lanes 62A and 62B are performing lane-changing maneuvers. For example, compared to displaying the images of other vehicles 50A and 50B in a manner that moves continuously from the second position to the third position, driver D can more easily identify that other vehicles 70A and 70B are performing lane-changing maneuvers.

[0081] Furthermore, the displays 18 and HUD 28 only show images of other vehicles 70A and 70B that the ADAS-ECU 36 (lane change determination unit 362) determines are likely to perform a lane change (in progress). Therefore, compared to the displays 18 and HUD 28 showing images of all other vehicles traveling in adjacent lanes 62A and 62B, the driver D is less likely to become bored.

[0082] Furthermore, images 50A and 50B representing other vehicles 70A and 70B located in adjacent lanes 62A and 62B are displayed at one of several positions corresponding to lines 1 L1, 2 L2, 3 L3, and 4 L4, which are arranged in a longitudinal direction (the extension direction of adjacent lane images 42A and 42B) on adjacent lane images 42A and 42B. Therefore, driver D, observing images 50A and 50B, can identify the longitudinal position of other vehicles 70A and 70B that may be performing a lane-changing maneuver.

[0083] Furthermore, other vehicle images 50A and 50B, located in lanes 2 (L2) to 4 (L4) and corresponding to lane 1 (L1), are displayed in yellow, representing other vehicles 70A and 70B. Since these other vehicles 70A and 70B are relatively close to vehicle 10 in the longitudinal direction, drivers must pay close attention to lane-changing maneuvers performed by them. Because the other vehicle images 50A and 50B are displayed in yellow, drivers D observing these other vehicle images can gain sufficient attention to lane-changing maneuvers performed by them.

[0084] Furthermore, when the ADAS-ECU36 (Driver Assist Control Unit 361) determines that other vehicles 70A and 70B moving from adjacent lanes 62A and 62B to the driving lane 61 are the vehicles in front of the vehicle 10 which is performing follow control, the display 18 and HUD28 display the other vehicle images 50A and 50B in a different form (white) than the other vehicle images 50A and 50B that are not in front. Therefore, the driver D who observes the other vehicle images 50A and 50B can identify whether the other vehicles 70A and 70B corresponding to the other vehicle images 50A and 50B are the vehicles in front of the vehicle 10.

[0085] The vehicle display control device, vehicle display device, vehicle, vehicle display control method, and storage medium involved in the embodiments have been described above. However, the vehicle display control device, vehicle display device, vehicle, vehicle display control method, and storage medium can be appropriately modified without departing from the spirit of this disclosure.

[0086] For example, the vehicle 10 may be configured such that it does not have at least one of the display 18 and the display area HA.

[0087] It can also be configured such that only the display 18 and the display area HA display the road image 40, other vehicle images 50A and 50B, and the vehicle image 55.

[0088] It can also be configured such that at least one of the display 18 and the display area HA displays the road image 40 and other vehicle images 50A, 50B in the shape of the road and other vehicles in a top-down view.

[0089] Alternatively, it can be configured such that when other vehicles 70A and 70B are in position 1, the images of other vehicles 50A and 50B are not displayed in yellow; and when other vehicles 70A and 70B move to position 2, the images of other vehicles 50A and 50B are displayed in yellow.

[0090] Alternatively, the images 50A and 50B of other vehicles located at positions corresponding to lane 1 L1 on adjacent lanes 62A and 62B may be displayed in a manner different from the yellow color and different from the images 50A and 50B of other vehicles located on lanes 2 L2 to 4 L4. For example, such images 50A and 50B may also be displayed in a flashing manner.

[0091] It can also be configured such that the "specific position" in the claims is the position corresponding to the first line L1 and the second line L2 respectively, or the position corresponding to the first line L1, the second line L2 and the third line L3 respectively.

[0092] It can also be configured such that the number of lines displayed in the driving lane image 41 is more than 4.

[0093] Alternatively, the images 50A and 50B of other vehicles that are preceding vehicles may be displayed in a form different from white and different from images 50A and 50B of other vehicles that are not preceding vehicles. For example, such images 50A and 50B of other vehicles may be displayed in a flashing manner.

Claims

1. A display control device for a vehicle, wherein, The vehicle display control device includes a processor. The processor is configured as follows: When another vehicle traveling in an adjacent lane (which is the lane in which this vehicle is traveling) performs a lane-changing maneuver, moving from the adjacent lane to the driving lane at a position ahead of this vehicle, the display unit that displays an image of the driving lane, an image of the adjacent lane, an image of the lane boundary line defining the boundary between the driving lane and the adjacent lane, and an image of the other vehicle is controlled so that the display unit causes the image of the other vehicle to move discontinuously from a first position on the adjacent lane image to a second position on the lane boundary line image before the lane-changing maneuver is completed. The discontinuous movement of other vehicle images from the first position to the second position means that, once other vehicle images originally displayed at the position corresponding to the first position of the adjacent lane image disappear from the display unit, they will be overlaid and displayed at the position corresponding to the second position of the lane boundary line image.

2. The vehicle display control device according to claim 1, wherein, When the other vehicle performs the lane-changing action, the processor controls the display unit to move the image of the other vehicle discontinuously from the second position to the third position corresponding to the lane-changing position on the driving lane image.

3. The vehicle display control device according to claim 1, wherein, When the processor determines that another vehicle is likely to perform the lane-changing maneuver based on the behavior of the other vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane, the processor causes the display unit to display an image of the other vehicle.

4. The vehicle display control device according to claim 1, wherein, The processor controls the display unit to display an image of another vehicle, representing another vehicle located in the adjacent lane in front of the vehicle, at one of a plurality of locations arranged in a front-rear direction on the adjacent lane image.

5. The vehicle display control device according to claim 4, wherein, When the image of another vehicle located at a specific position further back than a predetermined position among the plurality of positions is located at at least one of the first position and the second position, the processor controls the display unit to display the image of the other vehicle located at the specific position in a form different from that of the image of the other vehicle located at a position different from the specific position.

6. The vehicle display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, When the processor determines that the other vehicle moving from the adjacent lane to the driving lane is the vehicle in front of the vehicle performing the follow control, the processor controls the display unit to display the image of the other vehicle that is determined to be the vehicle in front in a different form than the image of the other vehicle that is not determined to be the vehicle in front.

7. A display device for a vehicle, wherein, The vehicle display device includes: The display unit; and The vehicle display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A vehicle, wherein, The vehicle is equipped with the vehicle display device as described in claim 7.

9. A display control method for a vehicle, wherein, When another vehicle traveling in an adjacent lane (which is the lane in which the vehicle is traveling) performs a lane-merging maneuver, moving from the adjacent lane to the driving lane at a position ahead of the vehicle, the processor controls a display unit capable of displaying a driving lane image, an adjacent lane image, a lane boundary line image (defining the boundary between the driving lane and the adjacent lane), and an image of the other vehicle, so that the display unit causes the image of the other vehicle to move discontinuously from a first position on the adjacent lane image to a second position on the lane boundary line image before the lane-merging maneuver is completed. The discontinuous movement of other vehicle images from the first position to the second position means that, once other vehicle images originally displayed at the position corresponding to the first position of the adjacent lane image disappear from the display unit, they will be overlaid and displayed at the position corresponding to the second position of the lane boundary line image.

10. A storage medium that stores a program and is readable by a computer, wherein, When the processor executes the program, the following steps are performed: When another vehicle traveling in an adjacent lane (which is the lane in which this vehicle is traveling) performs a lane-changing maneuver, moving from the adjacent lane to the driving lane at a position ahead of this vehicle, the display unit that displays an image of the driving lane, an image of the adjacent lane, an image of the lane boundary line defining the boundary between the driving lane and the adjacent lane, and an image of the other vehicle is controlled so that the display unit causes the image of the other vehicle to move discontinuously from a first position on the adjacent lane image to a second position on the lane boundary line image before the lane-changing maneuver is completed. The discontinuous movement of other vehicle images from the first position to the second position means that, once other vehicle images originally displayed at the position corresponding to the first position of the adjacent lane image disappear from the display unit, they will be overlaid and displayed at the position corresponding to the second position of the lane boundary line image.

Images