Display control device and display control program

Abstract

A display control device performs the following control: in a case where a hill hold control function mounted on a vehicle is switched from a non-operation state to an operation state, causing a display to transition from a first screen to a second screen indicating that the hill hold control function is in the operation state, and displaying the second screen on a display section for a prescribed period; and after the display of the second screen ends, adding a set speed of the vehicle in the hill hold control function to the first screen and displaying it on the display section.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a display control device and a display control program. Background Technology

[0002] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-120059 describes a crawl control function as a driving assistance feature for vehicles. Summary of the Invention

[0003] However, with the creep control function in operation, there is room for improvement from the perspective of enabling vehicle occupants to control the vehicle's set speed within the creep control function.

[0004] The present invention was made in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a display control device and display control program that enables vehicle occupants to control the set speed of the vehicle in the crawl control function.

[0005] The display control device of the first type includes a display control unit, which performs the following control: When the crawl control function installed in the vehicle switches from a non-operating state to an operating state, the display transitions from the first screen to a second screen indicating that the crawl control function has switched to an operating state, and the second screen is displayed on the display unit for a predetermined period; and After the second screen finishes displaying, the set speed of the vehicle in the crawl control function is added to the first screen and displayed on the display unit.

[0006] According to the display control device of the first method, when the crawling control function switches from a non-operating state to an operating state, during the specified period of the second screen display, after the second screen display ends, the vehicle's set speed in the crawling control function is added to the first screen and displayed. Thus, the vehicle occupants can monitor the vehicle's set speed in the crawling control function.

[0007] The second type of display control device is in the first type of display control device. The display control unit performs the following controls: When the crawling control function switches from a non-operating state to an operating state, the second screen is displayed on the display unit by overlaying the display layer of the vehicle's set speed in the crawling control function and the display layer of the second screen on the display layer of the first screen; and After the specified period has elapsed since the control to display the second screen was initiated, the display layer of the second screen is deleted, and the set speed of the vehicle in the crawl control function is added to the first screen and displayed on the display unit.

[0008] According to the display control device of the second method, by deleting the display layer of the second screen, the vehicle's set speed in the crawl control function is added to the first screen and displayed. Thus, through simple drawing processing, the vehicle occupants can grasp the vehicle's set speed in the crawl control function.

[0009] The third type of display control device is in the second type of display control device. When the display control unit receives an input that the crawling control function is set to a non-working state via a switch operation, it deletes the display layer of the vehicle's set speed in the crawling control function.

[0010] According to the display control device of the third method, upon receiving an input that the crawl control function has been deactivated via a switch operation, the display layer showing the vehicle's set speed in the crawl control function is deleted. Thus, vehicle occupants can easily restore the normal screen display through a simple operation.

[0011] The fourth method of display control program causes the computer to perform the following control processes: When the crawl control function installed in the vehicle switches from a non-operating state to an operating state, the display transitions from the first screen to a second screen indicating that the crawl control function has switched to an operating state, and the second screen is displayed on the display unit for a predetermined period; and After the second screen finishes displaying, the set speed of the vehicle in the crawl control function is added to the first screen and displayed on the display unit.

[0012] According to the present invention, the occupants of the vehicle can control the set speed of the vehicle in the crawl control function. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, the features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described, in which the same reference numerals denote the same elements, and wherein: Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram showing the state of the front of the vehicle's cabin when viewed from the rear.

[0014] Figure 2 This is a block diagram illustrating an example of the hardware structure of a display control device.

[0015] Figure 3 This is a block diagram illustrating an example of the functional structure of a display control device.

[0016] Figure 4 This is an example of the first screen.

[0017] Figure 5 This diagram illustrates how the second screen is displayed.

[0018] Figure 6 This is an example of the second scene.

[0019] Figure 7 This is an example of what is shown in the third frame.

[0020] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of display control processing. Detailed Implementation

[0021] Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, examples of embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail.

[0022] The driving assistance functions of the vehicle 12 in this embodiment include various driving assistance functions, but in this embodiment, the following driving assistance function will be used as an example for explanation.

[0023] (1) Crawl Control. This function is an auxiliary function that can be performed solely through steering wheel operation without requiring the driver to operate the accelerator and brake pedals. This function assists the vehicle in maintaining a very low speed on rough terrains such as off-road surfaces, slippery surfaces, and steep slopes. In this manual, this function is referred to as "Crawl Control".

[0024] First, refer to Figure 1 The structure of the vehicle 12 to which the display control device 10 according to this embodiment is applied will be described. Figure 1 As shown, an instrument panel 14 is provided at the front of the vehicle interior in vehicle 12. The instrument panel 14 extends along the width direction of the vehicle, and a steering wheel 16 is provided on the right side of the instrument panel 14. That is, in this embodiment, as an example, it is set as a right-hand drive vehicle with the steering wheel 16 provided on the right side, and the driver's seat is set on the right side of the vehicle.

[0025] A windshield 18 is provided at the front end of the instrument panel 14. The windshield 18 extends along the vertical direction and the width direction of the vehicle to separate the interior of the vehicle from the exterior of the vehicle.

[0026] The windshield 18 is fixed to the right front pillar 20 of the vehicle. The front pillar 20 extends vertically along the vehicle, and the windshield 18 is fixed to the inner end of the front pillar 20 in the vehicle width direction. Furthermore, the front end of the front side glass 22 is fixed to the outer end of the front pillar 20 in the vehicle width direction. Additionally, the left side of the windshield 18 is fixed to the left front pillar (not shown).

[0027] A first display unit 24 is provided on the windshield 18. The first display unit 24 is connected via a head-up display device 23 (see reference). Figure 2 . Figure 2 In this configuration, a projection surface labeled "HUD" (Head-Up Display) is provided. Specifically, a head-up display device 23 is provided on the front side of the vehicle, further forward than the instrument panel 14. Furthermore, it is configured to project images from the head-up display device 23 toward the first display unit 24 on the windshield 18.

[0028] A second display unit 26 is provided on the lower side of the vehicle than the first display unit 24. The second display unit 26 displays on the instrument panel 25 (reference). Figure 2 The instrument panel 25 is located in front of the driver's seat in the instrument panel 14. The first display unit 24 and the second display unit 26 are positioned in a position that the driver can visually recognize. The second display unit 26 is an example of a display unit disclosed in the art.

[0029] refer to Figure 2 The hardware structure of the display control device 10 will be described below. The display control device 10 is a device that controls the display to the second display unit 26. For example... Figure 2 As shown, the display control device 10 includes an Electronic Control Unit (ECU) 28. ECU 28 is an example of a computer.

[0030] ECU28 includes a Central Processing Unit (CPU) 30 and a Read-Only Memory (ROM) 32. Furthermore, ECU28 includes Random Access Memory (RAM) 34, a storage device 36, and an Input / Output Interface (I / F) 38. The CPU 30, ROM 32, RAM 34, storage device 36, and I / F 38 are communicatively connected to each other via an internal bus 39.

[0031] CPU 30 is the central processing unit, which executes various programs or controls various parts. That is, CPU 30 reads programs from ROM 32 or storage device 36 and uses RAM 34 as the working area to execute the programs. Furthermore, CPU 30 performs control and various arithmetic operations on the aforementioned structures according to the programs recorded in ROM 32 or storage device 36.

[0032] ROM 32 stores various programs and data. RAM 34 serves as a temporary storage area for programs or data. Storage device 36 is composed of a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), or flash memory. Storage device 36 is a non-temporary recording medium that stores various programs, including the operating system, and various data. In this embodiment, display control programs for display control processing are stored in ROM 32 or storage device 36. Furthermore, various input / output devices are connected to input / output I / O 38.

[0033] ECU28 is electrically connected to the autonomous driving ECU40. Like ECU28, the autonomous driving ECU40 includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, storage devices, and input / output (I / F) components (not shown).

[0034] The autonomous driving ECU 40 is connected to a sensor group 42 for detecting the current status of the vehicle 12 and an actuator group 44 for controlling the movement of the vehicle 12. The sensor group 42 includes various sensors such as cameras and radar. Furthermore, the sensor group 42 includes various sensors such as LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging or Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging) and Global Positioning System (GPS) sensors. The camera captures images of the surroundings of the vehicle 12. The radar detects the distance and direction of objects around the vehicle 12 using radio waves. The LiDAR detects the distance and direction of objects around the vehicle 12 using laser beams. The GPS sensor detects the current position of the vehicle 12.

[0035] The actuator assembly 44 includes an acceleration / deceleration actuator for adjusting the acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle 12 and a steering actuator for driving the steering mechanism of the vehicle 12. The autonomous driving ECU 40 controls the operation of the actuator assembly 44 based on the current status of the vehicle 12 detected by the sensor assembly 42 to perform autonomous driving of the vehicle 12. Furthermore, the autonomous driving ECU 40 stores a predetermined path representing a planned route for the vehicle 12 in its storage unit, and the autonomous driving ECU 40 causes the vehicle 12 to travel along the predetermined path stored in the storage unit.

[0036] A throttle position sensor 46 and a steering sensor 48 are connected to the ECU 28. The throttle position sensor 46 is a sensor that detects the position of the accelerator pedal (not shown) located under the driver's seat. The steering sensor 48 is a sensor that detects the load applied to the steering wheel 16 by the occupant.

[0037] The vehicle 12 described in this embodiment is equipped with the aforementioned crawling control function. The crawling control function switches to the working state when all of the following conditions (1) to (5) are met. In addition, the conditions for the crawling control function to switch to the working state are not limited to the conditions (1) to (5).

[0038] (1) The switch for switching the crawling control function on and off is in the on state.

[0039] (2) The engine is in operation.

[0040] (3) The position of the gear shift lever is neither the parking position nor the neutral position.

[0041] (4) The transfer case switch is on the low speed side.

[0042] (5) The driver's seat door is closed.

[0043] In the vehicle 12 according to this embodiment, when the crawl control function is in operation, the set speed of the vehicle 12 can be set within a predetermined range. When the crawl control function is in operation, the vehicle 12 maintains this set speed while traveling.

[0044] In the vehicle 12 according to this embodiment, when the crawl control function changes from a non-operating state to an operating state, information indicating that the crawl control function has changed to an operating state (hereinafter referred to as "operating information") is output from the autonomous driving ECU 40 to the ECU 28. Furthermore, in the vehicle 12 according to this embodiment, when the crawl control function is in an operating state, if the switch for toggling the on / off state of the crawl control function is switched off, the crawl control function changes to a non-operating state. In this case, information indicating that the crawl control function has changed to a non-operating state (hereinafter referred to as "non-operating information") is output from the autonomous driving ECU 40 to the ECU 28. In other words, when an input is received indicating that the crawl control function has been set to a non-operating state by a switch operation performed by an occupant of the vehicle 12, non-operating information is output from the autonomous driving ECU 40 to the ECU 28.

[0045] refer to Figure 3 The functional structure of the display control device 10 according to this embodiment will be described. For example... Figure 3 As shown, the display control device 10 includes a receiving unit 60 and a display control unit 62. The CPU 30 executes a display control program stored in the ROM 32 or storage device 36, thus functioning as the receiving unit 60 and the display control unit 62.

[0046] The receiving unit 60 receives operating information output from the autonomous driving ECU 40. Furthermore, the receiving unit 60 receives non-operating information output from the autonomous driving ECU 40.

[0047] When the crawling control function is not in operation, the display control unit 62 controls the display of the second display unit 26, which displays the first screen as an example of the display unit. Figure 4 The image shown is an example of the first screen. For example... Figure 4 As shown, the first screen includes a display area 70 that displays the current speed of vehicle 12. Furthermore, the first screen includes an image of the simulated vehicle 12 and an image of the road surface of the lane in which the simulated vehicle 12 is traveling. Additionally, the first screen includes a display area 72 that displays images of simulated vehicles traveling in front of vehicle 12 and images of vehicles traveling in adjacent lanes, showing the conditions around vehicle 12. The first screen is a typical display screen shown when the driver of vehicle 12 is manually driving.

[0048] When the receiving unit 60 receives working information, the display control unit 62 performs the following control: transitions the display from the first screen to the second screen indicating that the crawl control function has switched to the working state, and displays the second screen on the second display unit 26 for a predetermined period (e.g., 6 seconds). Then, after the display of the second screen ends, the display control unit 62 controls the addition of the set speed of the vehicle 12 in the crawl control function to the first screen and displays it on the second display unit 26. The receiving unit 60 receiving working information refers to the situation where the crawl control function switches from a non-working state to a working state.

[0049] As an example, such as Figure 5 As shown, the display control unit 62 overlays the display layer 76 (showing the set speed of the vehicle 12 in the crawl control function) and the display layer 78 (showing the second screen) on the display layer 74 of the first screen. Therefore, the display control unit 62 controls the display of the second screen on the second display unit 26. Figure 5 As shown, display layer 76 displays a string indicating that the vehicle 12 is under crawl control and the set speed of the crawl control function. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the display control unit 62 controls the display of the second screen by overlapping display layer 76 on display layer 74 and display layer 78 on display layer 76. Therefore, display layers 74 and 76 are hidden behind display layer 78, and thus the second screen is displayed on the second display unit 26.

[0050] Figure 6 The image shown is an example of the second screen. For example... Figure 6As shown, the second screen includes a display area 80 showing a display of the vehicle 12 driving on an off-road course and a display area 82 showing the set speed of the vehicle 12 in the crawl control function. Furthermore, the display area 82 also displays an image indicating that the set speed can be increased or decreased by rotating a knob used to adjust the set speed of the vehicle 12 in the crawl control function.

[0051] Then, after controlling the display of the second screen, the display control unit 62 deletes the display layer 78 of the second screen after a predetermined period. By doing so, the control is performed to add the set speed of the vehicle 12 in the crawl control function to the first screen and display it on the second display unit 26. That is, the second screen is a screen temporarily displayed on the second display unit 26 as a performance indicating that the crawl control function has switched to the working state.

[0052] Figure 7 The image shows an example of a third screen where the set speed of vehicle 12, which incorporates the crawl control function, is added to the first screen. For example... Figure 7 As shown, in the third screen according to this embodiment, by overlaying the display layer 76 on the display layer 74, the set speed of the vehicle 12 in the crawl control function is displayed in addition to the first screen. For example, if the display layer 76 is not present and the screen temporarily transitions from the first screen to the second screen and then back to the first screen, the occupants of the vehicle 12 can only grasp the set speed of the vehicle 12 in the crawl control function during the display of the second screen. In this case, after the crawl control function has been continuously in operation, when the crawl control function is deactivated, the occupants of the vehicle 12 do not know the set speed. Therefore, the occupants of the vehicle 12 cannot know the extent of speed change of the vehicle 12 when the crawl control function is deactivated, such as the degree of deceleration. In contrast, in this embodiment, the occupants of the vehicle 12 can continuously grasp the set speed of the vehicle 12 in the crawl control function even when the crawl control function is in operation.

[0053] Furthermore, when the receiving unit 60 receives a non-working message, the display control unit 62 deletes the display layer 76. As a result, the screen displayed on the second display unit 26 returns to the first screen. The receiving unit 60 receiving a non-working message means receiving an input that sets the crawling control function to a non-working state via a switch operation.

[0054] refer to Figure 8 The operation of the display control device 10 according to this embodiment will be explained. The CPU 30 executes the display control program stored in the ROM 32 or storage device 36, and performs... Figure 8The display control process is shown. This process is executed when the ignition switch of vehicle 12 is turned on, etc. In this embodiment, the example will be described where the crawl control function is not active at the start of the display control process.

[0055] exist Figure 8 In S10, the display control unit 62 controls the display of the first screen on the second display unit 26. In S12, the receiving unit 60 waits to receive operating information output from the automatic driving ECU 40. When the crawl control function switches from a non-operating state to an operating state, the determination in S12 is positive, and the processing is transferred to S14.

[0056] In S14, as described above, the display control unit 62 performs the following control: transitions the display from the first screen to the second screen indicating that the crawl control function has switched to the working state, and displays the second screen on the second display unit 26. In S16, the display control unit 62 waits for a predetermined period. In S14, if the predetermined period has elapsed since the display of the second screen, the process moves to S18. In S18, the display control unit 62, by deleting the display layer 78 of the second screen, controls the addition of the set speed of the vehicle 12 in the crawl control function to the first screen and displays it on the second display unit 26.

[0057] In S20, the receiving unit 60 waits to receive non-operational information output from the automatic driving ECU 40. If an input is made to set the crawl control function to a non-operational state via a switch operation, the determination in S20 is positive, and the process moves to S22. In S22, the display control unit 62 deletes the display layer 76. If the processing in S22 ends, the process returns to S12.

[0058] As explained above, according to this embodiment, even after the second screen is temporarily displayed, the set speed of vehicle 12 in the crawl control function is still displayed. Therefore, even when the crawl control function is continuously operating, the occupants of vehicle 12 can monitor the set speed of vehicle 12 in the crawl control function.

[0059] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, when the set speed of the vehicle 12 in the crawl control function is changed by rotating the knob, the display control unit 62 can overlay the display layer 76 on the display layer 74. Thus, the display control unit 62 can control the display to add the set speed of the vehicle 12 in the crawl control function to the first screen and display it.

[0060] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the display control unit 62 was described in the case of controlling the display of each of the first, second, and third frames on the second display unit 26, but the disclosed technology is not limited to this method. The display control unit 62 can control the display of each frame on the first display unit 24, or it can control the display of each frame on both the first display unit 24 and the second display unit 26.

[0061] Furthermore, in the above embodiments, the processing implemented by the CPU reading software (program) can also be implemented by various processors other than the CPU. Examples of processors in this case include field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and programmable logic devices (PLDs) whose circuit structure can be changed after manufacturing. Examples of processors include application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and other processors with circuit structures specifically designed for implementing specific processes, i.e., dedicated circuits. Each process can be implemented by one of these various processors, or by a combination of two or more processors of the same or different types (e.g., multiple FPGAs and a combination of a CPU and an FPGA). More specifically, the hardware structure of these various processors is a circuit composed of combined semiconductor elements and other circuit elements.

[0062] Furthermore, while the above embodiments describe a structure that stores various data in a ROM or storage device, it is not limited to this. For example, recording media such as compact discs (CDs), digital versatile discs (DVDs), and universal serial bus (USB) memory can be used as storage units. In this case, various programs and data are stored in these recording media.

[0063] Furthermore, the program of the present invention can be provided as a program product. A program product includes products for providing the program in various ways. For example, a program product includes a program provided via a network such as the Internet, and a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM or DVD containing the program.

[0064] The vehicle 12 described above is an example of the embodiments, but it can be implemented in various ways without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A display control device, characterized in that, Includes a display control unit, which performs the following control: When the crawl control function installed in the vehicle switches from a non-operating state to an operating state, the display transitions from the first screen to a second screen indicating that the crawl control function has switched to an operating state, and the second screen is displayed on the display unit for a predetermined period; and After the second screen finishes displaying, the set speed of the vehicle in the crawl control function is added to the first screen and displayed on the display unit.

2. The display control device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The display control unit performs the following controls: When the crawling control function switches from a non-operating state to an operating state, the second screen is displayed on the display unit by overlaying the display layer of the vehicle's set speed in the crawling control function and the display layer of the second screen on the display layer of the first screen; and After the specified period has elapsed since the control to display the second screen was initiated, the display layer of the second screen is deleted, and the set speed of the vehicle in the crawl control function is added to the first screen and displayed on the display unit.

3. The display control device according to claim 2, characterized in that, When the display control unit receives an input that the crawling control function is set to a non-working state via a switch operation, it deletes the display layer of the vehicle's set speed in the crawling control function.

4. A display control program for causing a computer to perform processing, characterized in that it performs the following controls: When the crawl control function installed in the vehicle switches from a non-operating state to an operating state, the display transitions from the first screen to a second screen indicating that the crawl control function has switched to an operating state, and the second screen is displayed on the display unit for a predetermined period; and After the second screen finishes displaying, the set speed of the vehicle in the crawl control function is added to the first screen and displayed on the display unit.

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