Display control device, display control method, and program

Abstract

A display control device, a display control method, and a program that facilitate the recognition of surrounding target objects displayed on a screen. The display control device implements display control that displays surrounding target objects of a host vehicle detected by a target object detection unit mounted on the host vehicle on a display device at a predetermined scale. The display control device includes a control section configured to acquire a vehicle speed of the host vehicle and set a threshold distance, which is a distance from the host vehicle used to determine whether to display a surrounding target object on the display device, based on the acquired vehicle speed. The control section controls so that a first surrounding target object, which is a surrounding target object detected by the target object detection unit and has a distance from the host vehicle that is equal to or less than the threshold distance, is displayed on the display device at the predetermined scale, and a second surrounding target object, which is a surrounding target object detected by the target object detection unit and has a distance from the host vehicle that is greater than the threshold distance, is not displayed on the display device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to display control devices, display control methods, and procedures. Background Technology

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a display control device for perimeter monitoring that displays objects around a vehicle detected by an in-vehicle camera or the like on a display device inside the vehicle. The display control device described in Patent Document 1 changes the display range (scale) of the image according to the vehicle's speed.

[0003] Existing technical documents

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-051346 Summary of the Invention

[0006] In the display control device described in Patent Document 1, since the display range changes according to the vehicle speed, the size of the graphic (polygon) schematically representing the vehicle and surrounding objects displayed on the screen also changes. Therefore, after switching screen displays due to the change in display range, the vehicle's occupants (e.g., the driver) need to reconfirm the vehicle's position or the correspondence between the displayed position and the actual visually perceived position of the surrounding objects, resulting in a time-consuming identification process. In other words, there is room for improvement in facilitating the identification of surrounding objects displayed on the screen.

[0007] This disclosure was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to facilitate the identification of surrounding objects displayed on the screen.

[0008] The disclosed technology is a display control device that implements display control for displaying peripheral objects of the vehicle detected by a target object detection unit mounted on the vehicle at a predetermined scale on a display device. The display control device includes a control unit configured to acquire the vehicle speed and, based on the acquired speed, set a threshold distance for determining whether to display the peripheral objects on the display device, the threshold distance being the distance from the vehicle. The control unit controls the display to show a first peripheral object detected by the target object detection unit at a distance from the vehicle less than or equal to the threshold distance at the predetermined scale, and not to show a second peripheral object at a distance greater than the threshold distance. Attached Figure Description

[0009] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of the vehicle according to this embodiment.

[0010] Figure 2 (A) is a schematic diagram showing the software configuration of the control device in this embodiment. Figure 2 (B) is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of an overhead view.

[0011] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of an overhead view displayed when an additional object with follow-driving control is present.

[0012] Figure 4 This is an illustration of an example of an overhead view displayed when a direction indicator flashes.

[0013] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of an overhead view displayed when there is no additional object for follow-drive control.

[0014] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating the routine for display control processing in this embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0015] The display control device, display control method, and program of this embodiment are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0016] [Hardware Components]

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of the vehicle VH1 according to this embodiment. Hereinafter, vehicle VH1 may be referred to as "this vehicle" when it is necessary to distinguish it from other vehicles.

[0018] Vehicle VH1 has an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 10. The ECU 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, and an interface (I / F) device 14. The CPU 11 is a processor that executes various programs stored in the ROM 12. The ROM 12 is non-volatile memory that stores data required by the CPU 11 to execute various programs. The RAM 13 is volatile memory that provides the operating area when the CPU 11 executes various programs. The interface device 14 is a communication device for communicating with external devices.

[0019] ECU 10 is the central device for driving assistance functions such as Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC). Driving assistance includes the concept of autonomous driving. ECU 10 is communicatively connected to drive unit 20, steering unit 21, braking unit 22, interior sensor unit 30, exterior sensor unit 40, position information acquisition unit 50, map database 60, communication unit 70, ACC control unit 80, direction indicator switch (SW) 85, display unit 90, etc.

[0020] The drive unit 20 generates a driving force that is transmitted to the drive wheels of the vehicle VH1. Examples of drive units 20 include electric motors and engines. The steering unit 21 applies a steering force to the wheels of the vehicle VH1. The braking unit 22 applies a braking force to the wheels of the vehicle VH1.

[0021] The internal sensor device 30 is a type of sensor that obtains the state of the vehicle VH1. The internal sensor device 30 includes a wheel speed sensor 31, an acceleration sensor 32, a braking sensor 33, a steering angle sensor 34, a yaw rate sensor 35, and an acceleration sensor 36.

[0022] Vehicle speed sensor 31 detects the vehicle speed (V) of vehicle VH1. Acceleration sensor 32 detects the amount of driver input to the accelerator pedal (not shown). Brake sensor 33 detects the amount of driver input to the brake pedal (not shown). Steering angle sensor 34 detects the rotation angle (steering angle) of the steering wheel or steering shaft (not shown). Yaw rate sensor 35 detects the yaw rate of vehicle VH1. Acceleration sensor 36 detects the acceleration of vehicle VH1. The internal sensor unit 30 sends the status of vehicle VH1 detected by each sensor 31-36 to the ECU 10 at predetermined intervals.

[0023] The external sensor device 40 is a type of sensor used to identify targets (surrounding targets) existing in the vicinity of the vehicle VH1. The external sensor device 40 includes a radar sensor 41, a camera sensor 42, etc. The external sensor device 40 is an example of a target detection unit of this disclosure.

[0024] Radar sensor 41 includes millimeter-wave radar and / or lidar. The millimeter-wave radar emits millimeter-wave radio waves and receives millimeter waves reflected by surrounding objects within its emission range. Based on the phase difference between the emitted and received millimeter waves, the attenuation level of the reflected waves, and the time from emission to reception, the millimeter waves can obtain the relative distance and relative speed between the vehicle VH1 and surrounding objects. The lidar sequentially scans pulsed laser light with wavelengths shorter than millimeter waves in multiple directions and receives reflected light from surrounding objects, thereby obtaining the relative distance, relative speed, and shape of the surrounding objects between the vehicle VH1 and them. Camera sensor 42 captures images of the area surrounding the vehicle VH1. For example, a digital camera with imaging elements such as CMOS or CCD can be used as the camera sensor 42. By processing the captured image data, the camera sensor 42 can obtain the relative distance, relative speed, and type of the surrounding objects between the vehicle VH1 and them. External sensor device 40 sends detection results to ECU 10 at predetermined intervals. Furthermore, the external sensor device 40 does not necessarily need to have both a radar sensor 41 and a camera sensor 42; for example, it may only have a camera sensor 42.

[0025] The location information acquisition device 50 acquires the current location information of the vehicle VH1. For example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) or GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) device (not shown) can be used as the location information acquisition device 50. The location information acquisition device 50 transmits the acquired current location information of the vehicle VH1 to the ECU 10 at predetermined intervals. The location information acquisition device 50 is an example of the target detection unit of this disclosure.

[0026] Map database 60 is a database of map information stored on a storage device (hard drive, flash memory, etc.) provided by vehicle VH1. Map information includes, for example, the location information of road signs, traffic signals, etc. Alternatively, map database 60 can be stored on an external server capable of communicating with vehicle VH1. In this case, vehicle VH1 can retrieve the map information from the external server via communication device 70. Map database 60 is an example of the object detection unit of this disclosure.

[0027] Communication device 70 performs V2X communication. Specifically, communication device 70 performs V2V (Vehicle-to-Vehicle) communication between the vehicle VH1 and other vehicles, and V2I (Vehicle-to-Infrastructure) communication between the vehicle VH1 and infrastructure. Communication device 70 can obtain or provide information about the surroundings of the vehicle VH1 through V2X communication. Communication device 70 transmits the obtained surrounding information to ECU 10 at predetermined intervals. Communication device 70 is an example of the target detection unit of this disclosure.

[0028] The ACC operation unit 80 includes, for example, a start switch for the driver to select whether to start or stop ACC, a setting switch for setting the target vehicle speed and target time (target distance) of ACC, a cancel switch for temporarily disabling ACC, and a resume switch for restarting ACC.

[0029] The direction indicator stalk 86 is a driver's control for flashing the left and right direction indicators (not shown). The direction indicator switch 85 detects the driver's direction of operation on the direction indicator stalk 86. If the driver operates the direction indicator stalk 86, the direction indicator switch 85 sends a flashing indication signal corresponding to the operating direction to the ECU 10. Upon receiving the flashing indication signal, the ECU 10 causes the direction indicator corresponding to the operating direction of the direction indicator stalk 86 to flash.

[0030] The display device 90 is, for example, an instrument panel or similar display installed in front of the steering wheel inside the vehicle VH1. Furthermore, the display device 90 can be a central display, a head-up display, or a horizontally oriented display that integrates the instrument panel and central display, as long as it is located in a position that the occupants (mainly the driver) of the vehicle VH1 can visually confirm its location. Moreover, the technology disclosed herein does not preclude application to other display devices installed inside the vehicle VH1.

[0031] [Software Composition]

[0032] Figure 2 (A) is a schematic diagram showing the software configuration of the control device in this embodiment.

[0033] like Figure 2As shown in (A), the ECU 10 includes lane recognition unit 100, surrounding object recognition unit 110, ACC control unit 120, and display control unit 130 as functional elements. These functional elements 100-130 are implemented by the CPU 11 of the ECU 10 reading programs stored in the ROM 12 into the RAM 13 and executing them. Furthermore, all or part of each functional element 100-130 can also be installed in other ECUs separate from the ECU 10, or in an information processing device of a facility (such as a management center) capable of communicating with the vehicle's VH1.

[0034] The lane recognition unit 100 identifies the lane in which the vehicle VH1 is traveling (hereinafter referred to as the vehicle lane), the lane adjacent to the vehicle lane (hereinafter referred to as the adjacent lane), the lane adjacent to the adjacent lane on the opposite side of the vehicle lane (hereinafter referred to as the adjacent adjacent lane), the shoulder, and the sidewalk. Here, adjacent lanes and adjacent adjacent lanes may also include acceleration lanes, oncoming lanes, etc. The lane recognition unit 100 identifies the boundary lines of the vehicle lane, adjacent lanes, and shoulder, for example, based on images of the surrounding area of ​​the vehicle VH1 obtained by the external sensor device 40. Boundary lines include not only white and yellow lines drawn on the road surface, but also curbs, guardrails, etc. The lane recognition unit 100 identifies the vehicle lane, adjacent lanes, adjacent adjacent lanes, shoulder, and sidewalk based on the identified boundary lines.

[0035] The surrounding object recognition unit 110 identifies surrounding objects existing around the vehicle VH1 based on the detection results of the external sensor device 40. The surrounding object recognition unit 110 identifies the types of surrounding objects based on images of the surrounding area of ​​the vehicle VH1 obtained by the external sensor device 40. The surrounding object recognition unit 110 identifies the relative distance and relative speed between the vehicle VH1 and the surrounding objects based on the detection results of the external sensor device 40. Examples of surrounding object types include leading vehicles, vehicles prior to leading vehicles, adjacent vehicles, pedestrians, road signs, and traffic signals. Leading vehicles, vehicles prior to leading vehicles, and adjacent vehicles include vehicle categories (passenger cars, trucks, motorcycles, etc.). The types and categories of surrounding objects can be determined using machine learning methods such as pattern matching. Hereinafter, the types, categories, relative distances, and relative speeds of surrounding objects identified by the surrounding object recognition unit 110 will also be referred to as object information.

[0036] Furthermore, target information such as road signs and traffic signals can also be identified by referring to the map database 60 based on the current location information of the vehicle VH1 obtained by the location information acquisition device 50. Alternatively, the communication device 70 can also obtain target information such as road signs and traffic signals from the infrastructure side via V2I communication. In addition, target information of other vehicles such as preceding vehicles and adjacent vehicles can also be obtained from other vehicles via V2V communication through the communication device 70.

[0037] The ACC control unit 120 executes ACC based on a target vehicle speed or a target inter-vehicle time (target inter-vehicle distance). ACC itself is well-known, so it will be explained simply below. ACC includes two types of control: constant speed control and follow-travel control. Constant speed control is control that allows the vehicle VH1 to travel at a constant speed according to a target speed without requiring the driver's acceleration or braking. Follow-travel control is control that allows the vehicle VH1 to follow a preceding vehicle without requiring the driver's acceleration or braking, ensuring that the actual inter-vehicle distance between the preceding vehicle and the preceding vehicle is the target inter-vehicle time (target inter-vehicle distance). The preceding vehicle is the vehicle directly in front of the vehicle VH1, located in the area in front of the preceding vehicle VH1.

[0038] If the start switch of the ACC operation unit 80 is turned on, the ACC control unit 120 retrieves the preceding vehicle that is the target to be followed based on the recognition result of the surrounding target object recognition unit 110. If there is no preceding vehicle, the ACC control unit 120 performs constant speed driving control. In this case, the ACC control unit 120 controls the operation of the drive unit 20 and the braking unit 22 based on the target acceleration calculated from the deviation between the vehicle speed V and the target vehicle speed. The vehicle speed V can be obtained based on the detection result of the vehicle speed sensor 31. On the other hand, if there is a preceding vehicle, the ACC control unit 120 performs following driving control. In this case, the ACC control unit 120 controls the operation of the drive unit 20 and the braking unit 22 based on the target acceleration calculated from the deviation between the actual vehicle distance and the target vehicle distance (target vehicle distance). The actual vehicle distance VH1 between this vehicle and the preceding vehicle can be obtained based on the recognition result of the surrounding target object recognition unit 110.

[0039] In this embodiment, during the execution of follow-the-car control, the ACC control unit 120 retrieves the preceding vehicle (vehicle traveling in front of the preceding vehicle) based on the recognition result of the surrounding object recognition unit 110. For example, if a preceding vehicle exists and decelerates during the execution of follow-the-car control, the ACC control unit 120 performs deceleration control to slow down the vehicle VH1 before the preceding vehicle decelerates. Furthermore, during the execution of constant speed control or follow-the-car control, if another vehicle (vehicle cutting in front of the preceding vehicle) attempts to change lanes from an adjacent lane towards the vehicle's lane (the lane in front of the preceding vehicle), the ACC control unit 120 also performs deceleration control to slow down the vehicle VH1. Whether another vehicle is cutting in front can be identified, for example, by obtaining the flashing of the other vehicle's direction indicator based on the image from the camera sensor 42, or by obtaining the lateral speed (moving speed in the lane width direction) of the other vehicle based on the recognition result of the surrounding object recognition unit 110. Alternatively, the communication device 70 can also receive lane change information from other vehicles via V2V communication for identification.

[0040] During the execution of ACC by ACC control unit 120, display control unit 130 implements display control of displaying a top-down image obtained from observing the area in front of vehicle VH1 from a virtual viewpoint (imaginary viewpoint) above vehicle VH1 onto display device 90. Figure 2 (B) is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of an overhead view image G. The overhead view image G is an image generated based on the recognition results of the lane recognition unit 100 and the surrounding object recognition unit 110. Figure 2 In (B), label L1 indicates the lane of the vehicle in question, and labels L2 and L3 indicate adjacent lanes. In addition, label VH1 represents a schematic diagram of the vehicle in question (polygon), label VH2 represents a schematic diagram of the preceding vehicle (polygon), label VH3 represents a schematic diagram of the preceding vehicle (polygon), and label VH4 represents a schematic diagram of the adjacent vehicle (polygon).

[0041] In this embodiment, the display control unit 130 preferably displays a graphic corresponding to the vehicle category (passenger car, truck, two-wheeled vehicle, etc.) identified by the surrounding object recognition unit 110. For example, if the surrounding object recognition unit 110 identifies the preceding vehicle VH2 and the preceding-first vehicle VH3 as passenger cars, the display control unit 130 displays the preceding vehicle VH2 and the preceding-first vehicle VH3 using a graphic that mimics the shape of a passenger car. Similarly, if the surrounding object recognition unit 110 identifies the adjacent vehicle VH4 as a truck, the display control unit 130 displays the adjacent vehicle VH4 using a graphic that mimics the shape of a truck.

[0042] However, if the scale (display range) of the overhead image G displayed on the display device 90 changes according to the vehicle speed V of the vehicle VH1, the driver must reconfirm the correspondence between the vehicle VH1 and the positions of other vehicles with each screen display switch, which takes time. Furthermore, if all surrounding objects identified by the surrounding object recognition unit 110 are included in the overhead image G, unnecessary information is provided to the driver of the vehicle VH1, causing annoyance. Additionally, the detection accuracy of the external sensor device 40 decreases in areas far from the vehicle VH1, thus reducing the reliability of the object (an index indicating the probability of the object's actual existence). Therefore, when an area extending from the vehicle VH1 to a distance is included in the overhead image G, incorrect information may be provided to the occupants of the vehicle VH1.

[0043] In this embodiment, even if the vehicle speed V of the vehicle VH1 changes during the execution of ACC by the ACC control unit 120, the display control unit 130 does not change the scale of the overhead view image G displayed on the display device 90. That is, the scale of the overhead view image G is fixed. As a result, the driver does not need to reconfirm the image due to changes in the scale of the overhead view image G, effectively reducing the hassle of image recognition.

[0044] Furthermore, the display control unit 130 displays the surrounding targets identified by the surrounding target identification unit 110 that are objects of follow-drive control or deceleration control, or targets with a high probability of becoming objects (hereinafter referred to as control target targets) on the overhead view G, while not displaying targets that are not objects of follow-drive control or deceleration control (hereinafter referred to as non-control target targets) on the overhead view G. That is, only control target targets are extracted and displayed in a manner included in the overhead view G. This effectively prevents unnecessary information from being provided to the driver of the vehicle VH1 via the display device 90.

[0045] Furthermore, the display control unit 130 assigns priorities to the surrounding targets identified by the surrounding target identification unit 110, extracts surrounding targets with a predetermined priority or higher, and displays them in the overhead view G to avoid unnecessarily displaying low-reliability targets located far from the vehicle VH1. As an example, the display control unit 130 assigns priorities to the surrounding targets identified by the surrounding target identification unit 110 in order of distance from the vehicle VH1, from closest to farthest. For example, if the surrounding target identification unit 110 identifies n targets (where n is an integer greater than or equal to 2), the display control unit 130 ranks the surrounding target closest to the vehicle VH1 as number 1, the surrounding target second closest as number 2, and the surrounding target farthest as number n. The display control unit 130 divides these n ranked surrounding targets, for example, based on the time headway. The time headway Th can be calculated by dividing the inter-vehicle distance D between the vehicle VH1 and the surrounding target by the vehicle speed V of the vehicle VH (Th = D / V). The vehicle distance D can be obtained based on the recognition results of the surrounding target recognition unit 110, and the vehicle speed V can be obtained based on the detection results of the vehicle speed sensor 31.

[0046] The display control unit 130 extracts the surrounding targets whose head-on time is below a predetermined threshold time Thv from among the n surrounding targets and displays them in a manner that includes them in the overhead view G. For example, if the head-on time Th of the third surrounding target is below the threshold time Thv and the head-on time Th of the fourth surrounding target exceeds the threshold time Thv, the display control unit 130 displays the first to third surrounding targets in the overhead view G, but does not display the fourth to nth surrounding targets in the overhead view G.

[0047] This effectively prevents the provision of unreliable information about surrounding targets located far from the vehicle (VH1), which could be erroneous and differ from reality. The threshold time Thv can be a fixed value, or it can be a variable value that is set longer as the vehicle speed (VH1) increases.

[0048] Here, when there is a preceding vehicle that is the target of following driving control ahead of this vehicle VH1, the preceding vehicle that is ahead of the preceding vehicle can become the target of deceleration control, but adjacent vehicles traveling in front of the preceding vehicle will not cut in front of this vehicle VH1. Therefore, it can be said that there is little need to display adjacent vehicles traveling in front of the preceding vehicle in the overhead view G. When there is a preceding vehicle that is the target of following, the display control unit 130 sets the threshold time Thv used for determining the headway Th for adjacent vehicles to the target interval time set by ACC.

[0049] Therefore, during the execution of follow-up control, for the current vehicle's lane, the preceding vehicle and the preceding vehicle are displayed in the overhead view G, and for adjacent lanes, only adjacent vehicles existing between the current vehicle VH1 and the preceding vehicle are displayed in the overhead view G. That is, it effectively prevents the unnecessary provision of information about distant, low-reliability adjacent vehicles to the driver. Hereinafter, the threshold time Thv used in the execution of follow-up control will be referred to as "the first threshold time Thv1".

[0050] On the other hand, if there is no preceding vehicle that is the target of the following control in front of vehicle VH1, there is a possibility that an adjacent vehicle traveling in an adjacent lane may cut in front of vehicle VH1. Therefore, it is preferable to display adjacent vehicles that are further away when there is no preceding vehicle to follow, compared to when there is a preceding vehicle. When there is no preceding vehicle to follow, the display control unit 130 extends the threshold time Thv used for determining the headway time Th compared to when there is a preceding vehicle.

[0051] Specifically, when the threshold time Thv is set to "second threshold time Thv2" in the case where there is no preceding vehicle, the second threshold time Thv2 is set to be a longer time than the threshold time Thv1 in the case where there is a preceding vehicle (Thv1 < Thv2). Thus, in the case where there is no preceding vehicle to be followed, the driver can be effectively provided with information about adjacent vehicles that may cut in front of the vehicle VH1.

[0052] Furthermore, the division of surrounding objects is not limited to the method based on the vehicle headway Th. For example, it can also be based on the distance (relative distance) from the vehicle VH1 to the surrounding objects. Specifically, surrounding objects whose distance from the vehicle VH1 is less than a threshold distance can be displayed in the overhead view G, while surrounding objects whose distance from the vehicle VH1 is greater than the threshold distance can be omitted. In this case, when the vehicle speed V of the vehicle VH1 is high, the threshold distance can be set larger compared to when the vehicle speed V is low. Alternatively, when there is no preceding vehicle that is a subject of follow control, the threshold distance for adjacent lanes can be extended compared to when there is a preceding vehicle that is a subject of follow control, thereby effectively displaying adjacent vehicles that may cut in front of the vehicle VH1.

[0053] Next, based on Figures 3-5 The pattern of the overhead view G displayed on the display device 90 by the display control unit 130 during ACC execution will be explained. Additionally, Figures 3-5This is an example of an overhead image G, but it may also include other patterns. For convenience, descriptions of road shoulders, sidewalks, pedestrians, road signs, traffic signals, etc., identified by the lane recognition unit 100 and by the surrounding object recognition unit 110 are omitted.

[0054] [Pattern 1]

[0055] Figure 3 This is an example of the overhead view G displayed on the display device 90 by the display control unit 130 during the execution of follow-traffic control by the ACC control unit 120. When the ACC control unit 120 executes follow-traffic control, the display control unit 130 displays the preceding vehicle VH2, which is the follower of the follow-traffic control, on the overhead view G. Additionally, although in Figure 3 The image is represented by a dashed line. However, if the peripheral object recognition unit 110 recognizes a preceding vehicle VH3 traveling in lane L1 ahead of the preceding vehicle VH2, the display control unit 130 will also display the preceding vehicle VH3, which can be the target of deceleration control, in the overhead view G.

[0056] Here, among the adjacent vehicles VH4 and VH5 traveling in adjacent lanes L2 and L3, the adjacent vehicle VH5 traveling in front of the preceding vehicle VH2, i.e., the adjacent vehicle VH5 whose headway Th exceeds the first threshold time Thv1, can be considered a non-control target with extremely low probability of becoming the target of deceleration control. On the other hand, among the adjacent vehicles VH4 and VH5 traveling in adjacent lanes L2 and L3, the adjacent vehicle VH4 existing between the current vehicle VH1 and the preceding vehicle VH2 has a headway Th below the first threshold time Thv1. When such an adjacent vehicle VH4 cuts in front of the current vehicle VH1 in lane L1 by changing lanes, the adjacent vehicle VH4 will become the target of deceleration control. In this case, the display control unit 130 performs the following division: for the adjacent vehicle VH4 traveling between the current vehicle VH1 and the preceding vehicle VH2 in the adjacent lane L2 (or adjacent lane L3), it is displayed in the overhead view G; for the adjacent vehicle VH5 traveling in front of the preceding vehicle VH2, it is not displayed in the overhead view G.

[0057] [Pattern 2]

[0058] Figure 4 Is Figure 3In the example shown, the surrounding object recognition unit 110 identifies an adjacent vehicle VH5 that is approximately parallel to the preceding vehicle VH2 in adjacent lane L3, and the current vehicle VH1 flashes its right-side turn indicator in order to change lanes to adjacent lane L3. While the current vehicle VH1 is traveling in its own lane L1, the adjacent vehicle VH5 parallel to the preceding vehicle VH2 is not subject to follow-up control or deceleration control. However, if the current vehicle VH1 changes lanes to adjacent lane L3, the adjacent vehicle VH5 will be subject to follow-up control or deceleration control. Therefore, when the current vehicle VH1 flashes its right-side turn indicator, the display control unit 130 displays the adjacent vehicle VH5 traveling in adjacent lane L3 in the overhead view G. The flashing of the turn indicator can be obtained based on the flashing indication signal sent from the turn indicator switch 85. In addition, when the adjacent vehicle VH5 is displayed in the overhead view G by the flashing of the right-side turn indicator, the adjacent vehicle VH4 traveling in the adjacent lane L2 to the left of the current vehicle lane L1 may not be displayed in the overhead view G.

[0059] [Pattern 3]

[0060] Figure 5 This is an example of an overhead view G displayed on the display device 90 by the display control unit 130 during the execution of cruise control by the ACC control unit 120. When the ACC control unit 120 is performing cruise control, there is no preceding vehicle in the vehicle's lane L1 that could be followed. Therefore, based on the recognition results of the surrounding object recognition unit 110, the display control unit 130 searches for other vehicles in adjacent lanes L2 and L3 that could be subject to deceleration control. For example... Figure 5 As shown, for example, if there are two adjacent vehicles VH4 and VH6 in the adjacent lane L2 on the left, and one adjacent vehicle VH5 in the adjacent lane L3 on the right, the display control unit 130 divides these three adjacent vehicles VH4 to VH6 based on the headway time Th.

[0061] Specifically, let's assume that the headway Th of adjacent vehicle VH6 (one of the three adjacent vehicles VH4 to VH6) exceeds the second threshold time Thv2, while the headway Th of adjacent vehicles VH3 and VH4 is below the second threshold time Thv2. In this case, the display control unit 130 displays adjacent vehicles VH4 and VH5 in the overhead view G, but does not display adjacent vehicle VH6 in the overhead view G. Furthermore, if there is no preceding vehicle in lane L1 that this vehicle is following, and the vehicle VH1 flashes its direction indicator to change lanes to adjacent lanes L2 or L3, it becomes a following vehicle. Figure 4 The example shown follows the same process, so the explanation is omitted.

[0062] In this embodiment, other vehicles that will be subject to follow-up control and deceleration control (target objects of control) are appropriately displayed on the overhead view G, while other vehicles that are not subject to follow-up control and deceleration control (non-target objects of control) are not displayed on the overhead view G. This filtering allows the display device 90 to provide only the necessary information to the driver of the vehicle VH. Consequently, the hassle of the driver having to scrutinize unnecessary information from the overhead view G displayed on the display device 90 is effectively reduced.

[0063] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating the routine of display control processing executed by the CPU 11 of ECU 10. This routine begins, for example, by driving the vehicle VH1.

[0064] In step S100, ECU10 determines whether ACC is being executed. If ACC is being executed (Yes), ECU10 proceeds to step S110. On the other hand, if ACC is not being executed (No), ECU10 returns to the current routine.

[0065] In step S110, ECU10 determines whether there is a preceding vehicle ahead of the vehicle VH1 that is subject to follow-by driving control. If there is a preceding vehicle that is subject to follow (Yes), ECU10 proceeds to step S120. On the other hand, if there is no preceding vehicle that is subject to follow (No), ECU10 proceeds to step S150.

[0066] In step S120, ECU10 sets the threshold time Thv used for determining the headway time Th to a first threshold time Thv1. On the other hand, in step S150, ECU10 sets the threshold time Thv used for determining the headway time Th to a second threshold time Thv2, which is longer than the first threshold time Thv1.

[0067] When the process proceeds from step S120 to step S130, in step S130, the ECU 10 views the overhead image G (e.g., referring to the case where there is a preceding vehicle that is being followed) in the situation where there is a preceding vehicle. Figure 3 (An example) is displayed. Specifically, the leading vehicle is displayed in the overhead view G, and if there is a preceding vehicle, the preceding vehicle is displayed in the overhead view G. In addition, regarding adjacent lanes, adjacent vehicles whose headway time Th is less than or equal to the first threshold time Thv1 are displayed in the overhead view G. In step S130, when the overhead view G is displayed, ECU10 returns to this routine.

[0068] When the process proceeds from step S150 to step S160, in step S160, the ECU 10 views the overhead image G (e.g., referring to the case where there is no preceding vehicle to be followed) in the absence of a preceding vehicle. Figure 5 (An example) is displayed. Specifically, among adjacent vehicles traveling in adjacent lanes, adjacent vehicles whose head-on time Th is below the second threshold time Thv2 are displayed in the overhead view G, while adjacent vehicles whose head-on time Th exceeds the second threshold time Thv2 are not displayed in the overhead view G. In step S160, after displaying the overhead view G, ECU10 returns to the current routine.

[0069] The display control device, display control method and program involved in this embodiment have been described above, but this disclosure is not limited to the above embodiment. Various modifications can be made as long as they do not depart from the purpose of this disclosure.

[0070] For example, it was described that the display control unit 130 displays the overhead view G on the display device 90 during ACC execution, but it can also be configured to continuously display the overhead view G on the display device 90 during manual driving when ACC is not being executed. Furthermore, the technology disclosed herein can also be applied to fully or partially automated driving vehicles. If the overhead view G is displayed on the display device 90 during automated driving, the surrounding conditions identified by the vehicle side can be communicated to the occupants of the vehicle VH1 in real time.

Claims

1. A display control device for implementing display control that displays surrounding targets of the vehicle, detected by a target detection unit mounted on the vehicle, at a predetermined scale on the display device. The display control device is characterized in that it includes a control unit. The control unit is configured such that, The vehicle speed is obtained, and a threshold distance is set based on the obtained vehicle speed to determine whether to display the surrounding target object on the display device, the threshold distance being the distance from the vehicle. The control is performed such that the first surrounding target detected by the target detection unit, whose distance from the vehicle is less than the threshold distance, is displayed on the display device at the predetermined scale, and the second surrounding target, whose distance from the vehicle is greater than the threshold distance, is not displayed on the display device.

2. The display control device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control unit displays the first surrounding target on the display device in a manner that, when the vehicle speed is high, the threshold distance is set larger than when the vehicle speed is low, and the predetermined scale is not changed.

3. The display control device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The vehicle is configured to perform following control, which causes the vehicle to follow a preceding vehicle traveling in front of it. When the target detection unit detects the preceding vehicle as the target to be followed by the execution of the following driving control, the control unit sets the threshold distance based on the relative distance between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle.

4. A display control method for displaying surrounding targets of the vehicle, detected by a target detection unit mounted on the vehicle, on a display device at a predetermined scale. The display control method is characterized in that... The vehicle speed is obtained, and a threshold distance is set based on the obtained vehicle speed to determine whether to display the surrounding target object on the display device. The threshold distance is the distance from the vehicle. The control is performed such that the first surrounding target detected by the target detection unit, whose distance from the vehicle is less than the threshold distance, is displayed on the display device at the predetermined scale, and the second surrounding target, whose distance from the vehicle is greater than the threshold distance, is not displayed on the display device.

5. A program, characterized in that, The computer of the display control device, which implements the display control of displaying the surrounding targets of the vehicle detected by the target detection unit mounted on the vehicle at a predetermined scale, performs the following processing: The vehicle speed is obtained, and a threshold distance is set based on the obtained vehicle speed to determine whether to display the surrounding target object on the display device. The threshold distance is the distance from the vehicle. The control is performed such that the first surrounding target detected by the target detection unit, whose distance from the vehicle is less than the threshold distance, is displayed on the display device at the predetermined scale, and the second surrounding target, whose distance from the vehicle is greater than the threshold distance, is not displayed on the display device.

Images