Display control device for vehicle and program

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a display control device for a vehicle and a program. Provided is a display control device for a vehicle capable of optimizing display of an image of another vehicle and reducing discomfort to a driver. The display control device for a vehicle provides a display control device for a vehicle capable of optimizing display of an image of another vehicle. The display control device for a vehicle includes an identification unit configured to identify a travel lane in a periphery of a host vehicle and a relative position of another vehicle with respect to the travel lane, and a control unit configured to cause a display unit to display a target object image of the another vehicle, with a display position and an inclination of the target object image of the another vehicle with respect to the travel lane being corrected based on a reliability of identification of the relative position of the another vehicle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to display control devices and programs for vehicles. Background Technology

[0002] Conventionally, in display control devices that include sensor systems for autonomous driving of automobiles (for example, see Patent Document 1), various objects around the vehicle are detected as targets, and the type of the target object is further detected and displayed as an image of the target object on the display unit. In addition, the position of the vehicle's driving lane and lane is detected, and images of the driving lane and lane are also displayed on the display unit.

[0003] However, due to variations in the sensor's sensing accuracy and differences in the vehicle's surroundings, the displayed position of the detected target image of other vehicles may sometimes differ from the actual scenery (real scene), which can sometimes cause discomfort to the driver.

[0004] Existing technical documents

[0005] Patent documents

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2022-149449 Summary of the Invention

[0007] The problem the invention aims to solve

[0008] In view of the above-mentioned problems, this disclosure provides a vehicle display control device that can optimize the display of images of other vehicles and reduce discomfort to the driver.

[0009] Solution for solving the problem

[0010] One aspect of the vehicle display control device disclosed herein includes: a recognition unit that recognizes the driving lanes around the vehicle and the relative positions of other vehicles with respect to the driving lanes; and a control unit that displays the target images of the other vehicles relative to the driving lanes, after correction based on the reliability of the recognition of the relative positions of the other vehicles. According to this method, the display position and tilt of the target images of the other vehicles can be corrected and displayed based on the reliability of the recognition of the relative positions of the other vehicles with respect to the driving lanes, thereby optimizing the display of the images of other vehicles and reducing discomfort to the driver.

[0011] In this vehicle display control device, it can be configured to further include: a setting unit that sets the reliability of recognizing the relative position of the other vehicle; and a correction unit that corrects the display position and tilt based on the reliability, wherein the setting unit sets the reliability based on the recognition result in the recognition unit. According to this structure, the reliability can be set based on the recognition result, including methods for recognizing the position of other vehicles, thus reducing driver discomfort. In this case, the setting unit can also change the reliability based on whether the lane in which the object of recognition is located is in front of or behind the other vehicle. According to this structure, the reliability is changed based on the positional relationship between the lane in which the object of recognition is located and other vehicles, thus allowing for a more appropriate setting of the reliability and reducing driver discomfort. It should be noted that in this case, the setting unit can fix the reliability while the other vehicle is traveling on the lane in which the object of recognition is located. This prevents frequent changes in reliability and thus frequent changes in the display position of other vehicles while they are traveling on the same lane, further reducing driver discomfort.

[0012] Furthermore, in this vehicle display control device, the correction unit can be configured to correct the display position and tilt of the target image of other vehicles based on the curvature of the driving line and the relative distance of other vehicles to the vehicle. In this manner, the display position of the target image of other vehicles can be controlled more appropriately, reducing discomfort to the driver. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 This is a block diagram illustrating the hardware structure of the vehicle 10 including the display control device according to the first embodiment.

[0014] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the method for determining reliability in the reliability setting unit 213 of the first embodiment.

[0015] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of displaying an image of the target object on the monitor 44 based on the result of a reliability determination in the first embodiment.

[0016] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the first embodiment.

[0017] Figure 5 This is a block diagram illustrating the hardware structure of the vehicle 10 including the display control device according to the second embodiment.

[0018] Figure 6This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of displaying an image of the target object on the monitor 44 in the second embodiment.

[0019] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the second embodiment.

[0020] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram (graph) illustrating the method for determining whether to display the target image of other vehicles in the center of the lane or at its actual location in the second embodiment.

[0021] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0022] 10…vehicle; 21A…acquisition unit; 21B…control unit; 40…onboard equipment; 42…sensor group; 44…monitor. Detailed Implementation

[0023] Hereinafter, one or more embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings illustrate embodiments that follow the principles of this disclosure, but these are for the purpose of understanding this disclosure and are in no way intended to limit the interpretation of this disclosure. The descriptions in this specification are merely typical examples and do not limit the claims or applications of this disclosure in any way. The drawings are all schematic, and the dimensional relationships and ratios of the elements shown in the drawings may not necessarily correspond to reality. Furthermore, the dimensional relationships and ratios of the elements may not be consistent between the various drawings.

[0024] In this embodiment, the description has been provided in sufficient detail by those skilled in the art for the purpose of implementing this disclosure. However, other installations and methods are also possible, and it should be understood that structural and constructional changes and substitutions of various elements can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the technical concept of this disclosure. Therefore, the following description should not be interpreted as limited to this.

[0025] [First Implementation]

[0026] Reference Figure 1 The vehicle 10 including the display control device according to the first embodiment will be described. Figure 1 This is a block diagram representing the hardware structure of vehicle 10.

[0027] like Figure 1 As shown, vehicle 10 includes an instrument cluster ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 20. Vehicle 10 is an example of a "vehicle" in this disclosure, and instrument cluster ECU 20 is an example of a "vehicle display control device" in this disclosure.

[0028] The instrument cluster ECU 20 is configured to include a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 21, ROM (Read-Only Memory) 22, RAM (Random Access Memory) 23, storage 24, in-vehicle communication I / F (Interface) 25, input / output I / F 26, and wireless communication I / F 27. These components are connected to each other via an internal bus 28 in a manner that enables them to communicate with each other.

[0029] CPU 21 is the central processing unit, which executes various programs or controls various parts. That is, CPU 21 reads programs from ROM 22 or memory 24 and uses RAM 23 as the working area to execute the programs. CPU 21 performs control and various arithmetic operations on the above-mentioned structures according to the programs recorded in ROM 22 or memory 24.

[0030] ROM 22 stores various programs and data. RAM 23 serves as a temporary operating area for storing programs or data. Storage 24, composed of storage media such as eMMC (embedded Multi Media Card) or UFS (Universal Flash Storage), stores various programs and data. Storage 24 stores an information processing program 24A. Information processing program 24A is a program used to cause CPU 21 to perform specific processes described later.

[0031] The in-vehicle communication I / F25 is an interface for connecting with other ECUs 30, using a communication standard based on the CAN (Controller Area Network) protocol. The in-vehicle communication I / F25 connects to the external bus 29. It should be noted that, although not shown in the diagram, the ECU is not limited to ECU 30; multiple ECUs may be provided depending on the various functions within the vehicle 10. The input / output I / F26 is an interface for communicating with the on-board equipment 40 installed in the vehicle 10.

[0032] The vehicle-mounted equipment 40 refers to various devices installed in the vehicle 10. As an example of the vehicle-mounted equipment 40, the vehicle 10 includes a sensor group 42 (sensor unit) and a monitor 44. The sensor group 42 is configured to include various sensors and camera components for detecting the state of the vehicle 10 and the surrounding environment of the vehicle 10. Specifically, the sensor group 42 includes, for example, various sensors such as 3D-LiDAR sensors, millimeter-wave sensors, infrared sensors, turn signal sensors, accelerometer position sensors, vehicle speed sensors, steering angle sensors, angular velocity sensors, GPS (Global Positioning System) sensors, illuminance sensors, gyroscope sensors, steering angle sensors, and acceleration sensors, as well as multiple cameras that capture images of the surrounding environment of the vehicle 10. The sensor group 42 outputs the detection results of each sensor and the image captured by each camera to predetermined electronic control units such as the instrument cluster ECU 20 and ECU 30.

[0033] Monitor 44 is disposed on the instrument panel located in front of the driver's seat of vehicle 10, and is an instrument display used to display suggestions for operation related to the functions of vehicle 10 and images related to the explanation of the functions. Monitor 44 is an example of a "display unit" in this disclosure.

[0034] The I / F27 wireless communication module is a wireless communication module used for communicating with external devices. This wireless communication module uses communication standards such as 5G, LTE, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), and Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0035] Furthermore, the CPU 21 of the instrument ECU 20 has an acquisition unit 21A and a control unit 21B as its functional structures. Each functional structure is implemented by the CPU 21 reading and executing the information processing program 24A stored in the memory 24. The acquisition unit 21A acquires various information that can be acquired in the vehicle 10. Specifically, the acquisition unit 21A acquires detection information such as the detection results of various sensors constituting the sensor group 42 and the image captured by each camera as various information.

[0036] The control unit 21B performs display control related to the display on the monitor 44. For example, as part of this display control, the control unit 21B, based on the detection information acquired by the acquisition unit 21A, causes the monitor 44 to display an image of the surrounding conditions (driving lanes, etc.) of the vehicle 10 as viewed from a virtual viewpoint, a vehicle image representing the vehicle 10, and an image of the identified object (other vehicles, etc.). The object image is displayed in a display manner corresponding to the category of the identified object (e.g., displaying an icon of the category). Here, "virtual viewpoint" refers to a viewpoint set in a three-dimensional virtual space with the position of the vehicle icon representing the vehicle 10 as the origin, defined by predetermined viewpoint coordinates and viewpoint angle (orientation) in the virtual space. As an example, this virtual viewpoint is a viewpoint overlooking the vehicle 10 and its surroundings from a specific viewpoint coordinate located above the vehicle icon in the virtual space at a specific viewpoint angle. The control unit 21B is an example of a "control unit" in this disclosure.

[0037] Specifically, as an example, the control unit 21B may include a lane recognition unit 211, an other vehicle position recognition unit 212, a reliability setting unit 213, a reliability determination unit 214, a calibration unit 215, and a display control unit 216.

[0038] The lane recognition unit 211 recognizes lanes that exist on the road surface where the vehicle and other vehicles travel and which define the driving lanes.

[0039] The other vehicle position recognition unit 212 identifies the relative positions of other vehicles around the vehicle relative to the vehicle itself, and the relative positions of other vehicles relative to the traffic lane (distance from the vehicle in the vertical direction, the traffic lane, and / or the distance from the vehicle in the horizontal direction, etc.) based on the detection signals obtained from the sensor group 42. The other vehicle position recognition unit 212 uses various methods to identify the relative positions of other vehicles relative to the traffic lane. For example, the other vehicle position recognition unit 212 uses the following methods to identify the positions of other vehicles relative to the traffic lane: a horizontal position edge method that performs edge detection along a direction extending from the other vehicle towards the traffic lane; a nearby approximate curve method that uses a group of data points detected in a local area around the other vehicle to generate an approximate curve; a global approximate curve method that uses the detected data points as a whole to generate an approximate curve; and a boundary extrapolation method that adds extrapolated data to the boundary line obtained from the detected data to identify the positions of other vehicles relative to the traffic lane. These methods are merely illustrative; other methods can be applied, and alternative methods not illustrated can be used. Alternatively, multiple methods can be combined to identify other vehicles relative to their lanes. The choice of which method to use can be determined based on the amount and distribution of the acquired data.

[0040] The reliability setting unit 213 sets the reliability of the recognition of the relative positions of other vehicles in the other vehicle position recognition unit 212 with respect to the traffic lane. Here, reliability refers to an index that indicates the extent to which the recognition of the position of other vehicles relative to the recognized traffic lane might differ from the actual position of the other vehicles. As an example, the reliability setting unit 213 can set the reliability of the recognition of the position of other vehicles based on the method used in the other vehicle position recognition unit 212 to recognize the relative positions of other vehicles with respect to the traffic lane, the traffic lane, and the results of the recognition of the positions of other vehicles.

[0041] Figure 2This example illustrates the relationship between the method and reliability used in the other vehicle position recognition unit 212 to identify the relative position of other vehicles relative to the traffic line, assuming other conditions (e.g., horizontal distance, vertical distance, curvature of the traffic line, etc.) are consistent. As an example, when the horizontal position edge method is used to identify the relative position of other vehicles relative to the traffic line, a "reliability 1" with the highest reliability is assigned. When the nearest approximation curve method is used to identify the position of other vehicles relative to the traffic line, and the data density is also high (dense), a "reliability 2" with high reliability is assigned, following "reliability 1". Even when using the same nearest approximation curve method, when the data density is low (sparse), a "reliability 3" with lower reliability than "reliability 2" is assigned. Figure 2 In the example, when the reliability of "Reliability 9" is the lowest and the recognition of the lane recognition unit 211 is invalid, "Reliability 0" is assigned.

[0042] The assigned reliability can be changed if the method used to identify the relative positions of other vehicles changes. Furthermore, even if the method used to identify the relative positions of other vehicles is the same, the reliability can be changed if other conditions change. For example, the set reliability can be changed if the relative position of another vehicle relative to its lane changes. Additionally, the reliability can be changed if, for example, the identified lane is in front of the other vehicle versus behind it. In the former case, the positional relationship between the lane and other vehicles can be more clearly determined, thus allowing for a higher reliability setting than in the latter case.

[0043] The reliability determination unit 214 determines the reliability of the position recognition result of other vehicles in the other vehicle position recognition unit 212 based on the method used in the other vehicle position recognition unit 212 to determine the relative position of other vehicles, the distance of other vehicles from the current vehicle (horizontal and / or vertical direction), and data on the surrounding conditions of other vehicles. The correction unit 215 corrects the displayed position and tilt of other vehicles based on the reliability determined by the reliability determination unit 214. The display control unit 216 controls the display of target images of other vehicles, images of other surrounding conditions, etc., on the monitor 44 (display unit) in a form reflecting the correction result of the correction unit 215. It should be noted that the reliability determination in the reliability determination unit 214 can be performed when the distance of other vehicles being judged from the current vehicle is a predetermined value or higher (e.g., 100m or higher). When the distance is less than the predetermined value, the reliability can be fixed at the highest level, "Reliability 1".

[0044] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 4 The steps for controlling the display of other vehicle images (target object images) in the control unit 21B are explained. Figure 3 This is an example of the display screen on monitor 44. Figure 4 It is a flowchart illustrating the various decisions and display control steps related to the display.

[0045] Reference Figure 3 This section provides an overview of the control for displaying images 51A and 51B of other vehicles. Figure 3 In the example, the monitor 44 displays the vehicle image 50 representing the vehicle itself, images of other vehicles 51A or 51B, and images of traffic lanes 61a to 61d representing the traffic lanes.

[0046] The lane images 61a to 61d are displayed based on the recognition results in the lane recognition unit 211. When the lane has curves, the lane images 61a to 61d are drawn based on the size (curvature, etc.) of the recognized curves.

[0047] When depicting lane images 61a-61d, the reliability of the positions of other vehicles relative to the lane images 61a-61d, as determined by the reliability setting unit 213 and the reliability determination unit 214, is related to the recognition in the other vehicle position recognition unit 212. Then, based on the determined reliability, the display position and tilt of the other vehicle images 51A or 51B relative to the lane images 61a-61d are controlled. In cases of low reliability (e.g., in the case of "reliability 9"), for example... Figure 3 As shown in (A), even if the other vehicle involved in the other vehicle image 51A is determined by the other vehicle position recognition unit 212 to be traveling across the driving lane, due to low reliability, the other vehicle image 51A is displayed on the monitor 44 in a manner that is at the center of the driving lane between the driving lanes and has an angle along the direction of the driving lane (see reference). Figure 3 (B) That is, based on the determination result of the reliability determination unit 214, the correction unit 215 performs correction on the recognition result of the other vehicle position recognition unit 212. As a result, the corresponding other vehicle image 51A is corrected to be located at the center of the driving lane and tilted in the direction of the driving lane before being displayed. This is because, in the case of low reliability, from the viewpoint of reducing driver confusion, it is desirable to display it at the center of the driving lane.

[0048] On the other hand, in the case of high reliability (e.g., in the case of "reliability 2"), the image 51B of other vehicles involved in the driving lanes involved in the driving lane is displayed relative to the driving lane images 61a to 61d according to the recognition results (position, tilt) of the other vehicle position recognition unit 212 (without correction).

[0049] Reference Figure 4 The flowchart describes the specific steps for controlling the display of images 51A and 51B of other vehicles. When a lane is identified in the lane recognition unit 211 (step S1), and the lanes of other vehicles and the positions of other vehicles relative to the vehicle are identified in the other vehicle position recognition unit 212 (step S2), the reliability of the identification of the other vehicle positions in step S12 is determined in the reliability determination unit 214 with reference to the reliability setting unit 213, based on the type of recognition method applied, the distance from the vehicle to the other vehicle, etc. (step S3).

[0050] Subsequently, if it is determined that another vehicle whose reliability has been determined is within its corresponding driving lane (Yes in step S4), the image of the other vehicle involved is displayed at the position corresponding to the reliability set in step S3. It should be noted that regarding the temporarily determined reliability, while it is determined that the other vehicle continues to travel in the driving lane specified by the identified lane, the reliability determined in step S3 remains fixed (step S5). This suppresses frequent changes in the display position of the other vehicle image, preventing discomfort to the driver. If it is determined that the vehicle has deviated from the driving lane (object lane) specified by the identified other vehicle's lane (Yes in step S6), the display control step ends, and the same operation is repeated thereafter.

[0051] As explained above, the vehicle display control device according to this embodiment determines the reliability of the identification when it identifies the position of other vehicles relative to the lane. If the reliability is low, the image of the other vehicle is corrected so that it is centered in the identified lane and aligned with the lane (without tilt) and displayed on the monitor 44. In cases where the identification of other vehicles relative to the lane is inaccurate, or where the other vehicle is far from the vehicle, even if the image of the other vehicle is displayed based on the detection signal from the sensor group 42, it not only fails to provide accurate information to the driver but also causes confusion. In cases of low reliability, displaying the corrected image of the other vehicle as described above can alleviate the confusion for the driver.

[0052] [Second Implementation]

[0053] Next, refer to Figure 5 The vehicle 10 including the display control device according to the second embodiment will be described. Figure 5 This is a block diagram showing the hardware structure of vehicle 10. Regarding the first embodiment (… Figure 1 The same constituent elements, in Figure 5 The same reference symbols are also marked in the text, so repeated descriptions are omitted. The difference between this second embodiment and the first embodiment is that the control unit 21B has a curvature determination unit 221, a threshold table storage unit 222, and a fixation / deactivation determination unit 223 instead of a reliability setting unit 213 and a reliability determination unit 214 (or based thereon).

[0054] The curvature determination unit 221 determines the curvature of the driving line identified by the driving line recognition unit 211. The threshold table storage unit 222 is a storage unit that stores a threshold for switching between fixing the display position of the image of the other vehicle representing that other vehicle in the center of the driving lane or displaying it in the position determined by the other vehicle position recognition unit 212 (de-fixing) in a table relating the curvature of the driving line to the distance of the driving line from the vehicle. Details will be described later. By using the threshold, it is possible to determine whether the recognition result of the other vehicle position recognition unit 212 is reliable. In this sense, the threshold table storage unit 222 is one aspect of the reliability setting unit 213 of the first embodiment.

[0055] The fixation / de-fixation determination unit 223 determines whether to display the other vehicles being detected as fixed relative to the traffic line or to display them as identified by the other vehicle position recognition unit 212 (de-fixation) based on whether the distance in the combination of the obtained curvature of the traffic line and the distance of other vehicles from the vehicle is above a threshold specified by the threshold table storage unit 222. If the fixation / de-fixation determination unit 223 determines that the display is fixed, the correction unit 215 corrects the recognition result in the other vehicle position recognition unit 212 by displaying the other vehicle image in the center of the traffic lane. The display control unit 216 controls the display of other vehicle images and other images on the monitor 44 based on the correction results from the other vehicle position recognition unit 212 and the correction unit 215.

[0056] Reference Figure 6 This section provides an overview of the control for displaying images 51A and 51B of other vehicles. Figure 6 middle, Figure 6 (A) represents the method for measuring the horizontal distance Xc and vertical distance Yc from this vehicle (corresponding to this vehicle image 50) to other vehicles (corresponding to other vehicle images 51 (51A, 51B)). Figure 6 (B) describes the control for switching the display positions of other vehicle images 51A and 51B based on the curvature of the driving line and the measured distance. Figure 6 In the example of (B), the monitor 44 displays the vehicle image 50 representing the vehicle, other vehicle images 51 (51A, 51B), and lane images 61a, 61b representing the lanes.

[0057] The lane images 61a and 61b are displayed based on the recognition results in the lane recognition unit 211. When the lane has curves, the lane images 61a and 61b are drawn based on the size of the recognized curve (radius of curvature, etc.).

[0058] The curvature of the driving lane is determined in the curvature determination unit 221, and then the horizontal distance Xc and vertical distance Yc of other vehicles from this vehicle are determined in the other vehicle position recognition unit 212. The horizontal distance Xc can be measured, for example, as the length of a perpendicular line drawn from a line segment along the length direction of this vehicle toward the center of gravity of the other vehicle. In addition, the vertical distance Yc can be measured as the average (or median) distance between the positions y1, y2, y3, y4 of the intersection points of the perpendicular lines drawn from the rear left end and rear right end of the other vehicle toward the driving lanes 61a, 61b and one of the front ends of this vehicle.

[0059] If the curvature of traffic lanes 61a and 61b is measured, and the vertical distance Yc to other vehicles is measured, then based on the relationship between curvature and vertical distance Yc, the fix / deactivation determination unit 223 determines whether to fix the display position of the other vehicle image representing other vehicles in the center of the driving lane defined by traffic lanes 61a and 61b, or to display it according to the recognition result of the other vehicle position recognition unit 212 (set to fix / deactivate). If fixed, the correction unit 215 corrects the recognition result of the other vehicle position recognition unit 212 so that the other vehicle image is located in the center of the driving lane. If set to fix / deactivate, the other vehicle image is displayed according to the recognition result of the other vehicle position recognition unit 212 (without correction).

[0060] Reference Figure 7The flowchart describes the specific steps for controlling the display of images of other vehicles 51 representing other vehicles. If a lane is identified in the lane recognition unit 211, and the curvature of the lane is determined in the curvature determination unit 221 (step S11), and the relative position (including distance) of other vehicles relative to the lane and the vehicle itself is identified in the other vehicle position recognition unit 212 (step S12), then based on the curvature determination in step S11 and the vertical distance Yc, the fix / de-fix determination unit 223 determines whether to display the image of the other vehicle fixedly relative to the center of the driving lane or to display it at a position as determined by the other vehicle position recognition unit 212 (fixing de-fixing) (step S13), based on the comparison result of the vertical distance Yc with a threshold. Then, according to the decision in step S13, the image of the other vehicle representing other vehicles is displayed (step S14).

[0061] Figure 8 This is a diagram representing an example of threshold data stored in the threshold table storage unit 222. Figure 8 The illustrated threshold table storage unit 222 stores two thresholds: a fixed threshold and a release threshold. The fixed threshold is used to determine whether to switch from a fixed release state to a fixed state when a fixed release state is obtained, in which the image of another vehicle representing another vehicle is displayed as identified by the other vehicle position recognition unit 212. On the other hand, the release threshold is used to determine whether to switch from a fixed state to a fixed release state when a fixed state is obtained, in which the image of another vehicle representing another vehicle is fixed in the center of the driving lane defined by the driving lane, regardless of the result identified by the other vehicle position recognition unit 212.

[0062] For example, in setting Figure 8 In the case of the threshold table storage unit 222, if the curvature of the driving lane is 0.020 [1 / m] and the vertical distance Yc of other vehicles exceeds 40m, the fix / deactivation determination unit 223 sets a state in which the image of the other vehicle is fixedly displayed in the center of the driving lane. However, if the other vehicle approaches the vehicle, for example, if the vertical distance Yc is less than 30m and less than the deactivation threshold, the fixation state is deactivated and a fixation deactivation state is obtained, indicating that the image of the other vehicle is displayed in the position as identified by the other vehicle position recognition unit 212.

[0063] Conversely, in the setting Figure 8In the case of the threshold table storage unit 222, if the curvature of the driving lane is 0.020 [1 / m] and the vertical distance Yc of other vehicles is less than 30m, the fix / deactivation determination unit 223 sets the state to fix the image of the other vehicle in the center of the driving lane. However, if the other vehicle is far away from the vehicle, for example, if the vertical distance Yc exceeds 40m and exceeds the fixation threshold, the fixation deactivation state is deactivated and a fixation state is obtained, indicating that the image of the other vehicle is fixedly displayed in the center of the driving lane regardless of the result identified by the other vehicle position recognition unit 212.

[0064] like Figure 8 As shown, in this embodiment, two thresholds, a fixed threshold and a release threshold, are set. When the vertical distance Yc exceeds the fixed threshold, correction by the correction unit 215 begins; when the relative distance Yc is less than the release threshold, correction by the correction unit 215 stops. When the relative distance Yc is above the release threshold and below the fixed threshold, the operation of the correction unit 215 (fixed state, fixed-release state) remains unchanged. This prevents frequent switching between the fixed state and the fixed-release state of images of other vehicles, thereby reducing confusion for the driver. It should be noted that the difference between the fixed threshold and the release threshold can be set to, for example, around 10m. The difference between the fixed threshold and the release threshold can be set to a constant independent of the curvature of the driving lane, or it can vary with the curvature.

[0065] As explained above, the vehicle display control device according to this embodiment, after recognizing the driving lane and the positions of other vehicles, appropriately switches between a fixed state (where the image of the other vehicle representing that vehicle is fixedly displayed in the center of the driving lane defined by the driving lane) and a fixed-de-status state (where the image is displayed as determined by the position recognition) based on the curvature of the driving lane and the vertical distance from the vehicle to the other vehicle. This prevents driver confusion caused by frequent changes in the display position of other vehicle images. By setting different thresholds (fixed threshold, de-status threshold) as thresholds for switching between the fixed and fixed-de-status states, the display of other vehicle images can be further optimized.

[0066] [other]

[0067] The control unit and method described in this disclosure can also be implemented by a special-purpose computer configured with a processor programmed to perform one or more functions embodied in a computer program. Alternatively, the apparatus and method described in this disclosure can also be implemented by a special-purpose computer with a processor composed of special-purpose hardware logic circuits. Alternatively, the apparatus and method described in this disclosure can also be implemented by one or more special-purpose computers configured with a combination of a processor executing a computer program and one or more hardware logic circuits. Furthermore, the computer program can also be stored as instructions executed by the computer on a computer-readable, non-transient tangible recording medium.

[0068] This invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and includes various modifications. For example, the embodiments described above are examples given in detail for the purpose of easily understanding and illustrating the invention, and are not necessarily limited to having all the described structures. Furthermore, a portion of the structure of one embodiment can be replaced with the structure of another embodiment, and it is also possible to add structures of other embodiments to the structure of one embodiment. Additionally, for a portion of the structure of each embodiment, other structures can be added, deleted, or replaced.

Claims

1. A display control device for a vehicle, comprising: The identification unit identifies the surrounding lanes of the vehicle and the relative positions of other vehicles with respect to the lanes; and The control unit, after correcting the display position and tilt of the target image of the other vehicle relative to the driving lane based on the reliability of the identification of the relative position of the other vehicle, causes the display unit to display the target image of the other vehicle.

2. The vehicle display control device according to claim 1, further comprising: The setting unit sets the reliability of identifying the relative positions of the other vehicles; and The calibration unit corrects the display position and tilt based on the reliability. The setting unit sets the reliability based on the recognition result in the recognition unit.

3. The vehicle display control device according to claim 2, wherein, The setting unit changes the reliability based on whether the driving lane of the object being identified in the identification unit is in front of or behind the other vehicles.

4. The vehicle display control device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein, The setting unit fixes the reliability during the period when other vehicles are identified as objects in the identification unit on the driving line.

5. The vehicle display control device according to claim 2, wherein, The correction unit corrects the display position and tilt of the target image of the other vehicles based on the curvature of the driving line and the relative distance of the other vehicles to the vehicle.

6. A display control program for a vehicle, characterized in that, Make at least one processor perform the following steps: Identify the lanes surrounding this vehicle and the relative positions of other vehicles with respect to the lanes; and The display unit displays the target image of the other vehicle relative to the driving lane, after the display position and tilt of the target image of the other vehicle are corrected based on the reliability of the identification of the relative position of the other vehicle.

Images