Head-up display device for a motor vehicle, method, device and computer-readable storage medium with instructions for controlling a display of a head-up display device

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a method, a device, and a computer-readable storage medium with instructions for controlling a display of a head-up display device for a motor vehicle. The invention further relates to a head-up display device for a motor vehicle and a motor vehicle in which such a head-up display device, a method according to the invention, or a device according to the invention is used.

[0002] A head-up display (HUD) is a display system that allows the user to maintain their line of sight by projecting the content into their field of vision. While such systems were initially used primarily in aviation due to their complexity and cost, they are now also being installed in large-scale production in the automotive sector.

[0003] Head-up displays generally consist of an imaging unit, an optical module, and a projection surface. The imaging unit generates the image. The optical module projects the image onto the projection surface. This surface is a partially reflective, translucent screen. The user thus sees the content displayed by the imaging unit and, at the same time, the real world behind the screen. In the automotive sector, the windshield often serves as the projection surface, as its curved shape must be taken into account in the display. Alternatively, an additional plastic screen is sometimes used, positioned on the dashboard between the driver and the windshield.

[0004] Typically, both static and contact-analog information are displayed. Static information is information that is always in the same location in the driver's field of vision. Examples include vehicle speed, speed limits, or engine speed. Contact-analog information is displayed in the driver's field of vision in such a way that it appears to be a permanent part of the environment. For example, a navigation arrow appears directly on the road.

[0005] Against this background, the publication DE 10 2014 001 270 A1 describes a head-up display for a motor vehicle in which certain reproduction properties of the displayed objects depend on the driver's viewing direction. A first sensor detects objects in the vehicle's surroundings. A second sensor determines the driver's viewing direction. The detected objects are then superimposed on the display in such a way that they appear essentially identical to the actual objects to the driver, thus achieving a contact-analog display.

[0006] The publication DE 10 2014 226 860 A1 describes a method for operating a head-up display of a motor vehicle in which the properties of the display depend on the driver's line of sight. The driver's line of sight is determined using a sensor system. When the driver looks toward the head-up display, the display is changed so that the information displayed is easily legible for the driver. Otherwise, the head-up display is in a standby state in which the driver hardly or not at all perceives the head-up display.

[0007] Document DE 10 2010 013 532 A1 describes a method for selectively projecting graphic images onto a transparent windshield head-up display of a vehicle based on a need for improved visibility. The method monitors information inputs describing an operating environment for the vehicle. The information inputs are processed to generate display requests. During processing, the need for improved visibility is determined based on the information inputs. The display requests are generated based on the information inputs and the need for improved visibility. Based on the display requests, the graphic images to be projected are generated. These are then projected onto the transparent windshield head-up display.

[0008] EP 1 783 531 A1 describes a projection display for generating a virtual image in a vehicle. The projection display comprises an image generation unit, a projection surface, an imaging optics system for projecting the virtual image onto the projection surface, the projection surface being the vehicle's windshield, and a detection unit for determining a viewing direction of a driver of the vehicle. The detection unit monitors the driver via the imaging optics system.

[0009] The document DE 10 2005 035 412 A1 describes a driver assistance device in a vehicle. The driver assistance device comprises a detection device for determining the course of a roadway and / or lane in front of the vehicle and a display for displaying the course of the roadway and / or lane. The roadway and / or lane is displayed in the display at a predetermined level closer than the course of the determined actual roadway and / or lane.

[0010] The document DE 198 13 300 A1 describes a display device for motor vehicles. The display device comprises a head-up display for projecting a virtual image onto a windshield of the motor vehicle. The position of the virtual image onto the windshield can be changed depending on at least one driving condition parameter. A potential problem with the use of a head-up display device in a motor vehicle is that, by looking at the displayed content, the driver may be unconsciously prompted to steer the vehicle in the direction of their gaze.

[0011] It is an object of the invention to provide improved solutions for a head-up display device for a motor vehicle and for controlling a display of a head-up display device for a motor vehicle, which result in greater safety and greater comfort for the driver of the motor vehicle.

[0012] This object is achieved by a method having the features of claim 1, by a device having the features of claim 6, by a computer-readable storage medium with instructions according to claim 11, by a head-up display device for a motor vehicle according to claim 12, and by a motor vehicle according to claim 13. Preferred embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0013] The term "computer" should be understood broadly. In particular, it also includes control units and other processor-based data processing devices.

[0014] According to a further aspect of the invention, a method according to the invention or a device according to the invention is used in a head-up display device for a motor vehicle.

[0015] According to the invention, the displayed content, i.e. the displayed image, is shifted laterally or vertically, i.e. horizontally or vertically, in accordance with the course of the road in front of the motor vehicle. Instead of remaining stationary relative to the windshield, the image is dynamically shifted when cornering in order to keep the information in the driver's field of vision. The head-up display device changes the target point of its projection according to the curve to be negotiated, when driving uphill or downhill, and during other driving maneuvers in which the driver's line of sight does not coincide with a stationary projection on the windshield. In head-up display devices according to the prior art, the projected image appears fixed at a certain distance in front of the motor vehicle. The image fixed in front of the motor vehicle, for example, appearsto hover over the precipice when cornering in the mountains, while the driver should actually be looking into the corner in order to steer the vehicle in a targeted manner. The projection onto a fixed position in front of the vehicle, even when cornering, can actually tempt the driver to continue driving straight ahead while looking at the displayed content instead of following the curve. When using the solution according to the invention, the driver always looks in the future direction of travel, even when looking at the displayed content, which leads to increased safety. According to the invention, the course of the road in front of the vehicle is determined from the driver's eye movements. Assuming that the driver is looking in the planned direction of travel, the position of the displayed content can be adjusted according to the direction of gaze. A filter is used to suppress faster, short-term eye movements.Head-up display devices are now often coupled with sensors for detecting eye or head movements, so that the existing sensors can be used.

[0016] According to one aspect of the invention, the content shown by the head-up display device is shifted in such a way that the content appears to the driver to be centered in their lane. In this way, the driver's gaze is essentially directed into the lane. The driver is therefore looking exactly in the direction they need to go, allowing them to devote their full attention to the road ahead. The user can preferably set a maximum value for the shift. It is also possible for the user to specify the dependence of the shift on the course of the road or to switch the shifting off completely. If, for example, the user finds larger shifts unpleasant, they can set the displayed content to generally follow the course of the road, but only to a lesser extent. In this case, the displayed content does not appear to be centered in relation to the lane.Nevertheless, the driver's gaze is still directed into the lane, at least to a certain extent.

[0017] According to one aspect of the invention, the content displayed by the head-up display device is shifted by rotating a mirror or a prism of a projection unit of the head-up display device. In a head-up display device, the displayed content is generated by a projection unit and projected onto the windshield with the help of mirrors or prisms. As a rule, at least one of these optical components is movably mounted in order to be able to adjust the position of the displayed content on the windshield. This circumstance can be used to position the displayed content according to the course of the road by rotating the optical component. Alternatively, the shifting can also occur by shifting the displayed content on an image generation unit of the head-up display device. The image generation unit can be a component of the projection unit of the head-up display device, e.g.B. in the form of a matrix display. However, the image generation unit can also be integrated into the windshield or a display surface of the vehicle, for example in the form of a flexible screen film. One example of such a flexible screen film is OLED display films (OLED: Organic Light-Emitting Diode). Here, the content is shifted vertically or horizontally and optimized directly on the display integrated into the windshield.

[0018] Preferably, a method according to the invention, a device according to the invention or a head-up display device according to the invention are used in an autonomously or manually controlled vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle.

[0019] Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and the appended claims taken in conjunction with the figures. Fig. 1 schematically shows a head-up display device for a motor vehicle; Fig. 2 schematically shows a method for controlling a display of a head-up display device for a motor vehicle; Fig. 3 shows the content displayed by the head-up display device from the driver's perspective without a shift corresponding to the course of the road; Fig. 4 shows the content displayed by the head-up display device from the driver's perspective with a shift corresponding to the course of the road; Fig. 5 shows the content generated by an image generation unit of the head-up display device when driving straight ahead; Fig. 6 shows the content generated by an image generation unit of the head-up display device when cornering; Fig. 7 shows a first embodiment of a device for controlling a display of a head-up display device for a motor vehicle; Fig.Fig. 8 shows a second embodiment of a device for controlling a display of a head-up display device for a motor vehicle; and Fig. 9 schematically illustrates a motor vehicle in which a solution according to the invention is implemented.

[0020] To better understand the principles of the present invention, embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the figures. It is understood that the invention is not limited to these embodiments and that the described features may also be combined or modified without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

[0021] Fig. 1shows a schematic of a head-up display device 2 for a motor vehicle 1, with the aid of which content 3 can be displayed on a windshield 8 of the motor vehicle. The displayed content 3 is generated by a projection unit 4 and projected onto the windshield 8 with the aid of mirrors 5. As a rule, one of the mirrors 5 is movably mounted in order to be able to adjust the position of the displayed content on the windshield 8. Typically, the projection takes place in an area of ​​the windshield 8 above the steering wheel 7. The projection unit 4 comprises an image generation unit 6, for example a combination of an LED matrix (LED: light-emitting diode) and a TFT color display (TFT display: thin-film transistor display, display with thin-film transistor control). The head-up display device 2 is installed in a dashboard 9 of the motor vehicle 1.

[0022] Fig. 2shows a schematic of a method for controlling a display of a head-up display device for a motor vehicle. In a first step, the course of the road in front of the motor vehicle is determined 10 from the driver's eye movements, with faster, short-term eye movements being suppressed with the help of a filter. The content shown by the head-up display device is then shifted 11 according to the determined course of the road. The shifting takes place in such a way that at least some content that has no direct reference to the environment is displayed shifted in the direction of the curve when cornering. Preferably, the displayed content is shifted in such a way that the content that has no direct reference to the environment appears to the driver to be centered in their lane, thus virtually directing their gaze into the lane.The content displayed by the head-up display device can be shifted, for example, by rotating a mirror or a prism of the head-up display device's projection unit or by shifting the displayed content on an image generation unit of the head-up display device. The image generation unit can be integrated into a windshield or a display surface of the motor vehicle or be part of the head-up display device's projection unit.

[0023] Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 illustrate the effects of shifting the contents 3 shown by the head-up display device on the windscreen 8 of the motor vehicle according to the road course from the driver's perspective. Fig. 3) there is no shift of the contents 3 according to the course of the road, ie the projected image is fixed at a certain distance in front of the motor vehicle 1. As can be seen, the displayed contents 3 appear offset from the road, which can unconsciously cause the driver to continue driving straight ahead when looking at the displayed contents instead of following the curve. Fig. 4 ), however, the contents 3 are shifted according to the course of the road, as shown in Fig. 4 indicated by the displacement vectors 50 shown. In this case, the displayed content 3 appears essentially centered on the lane, thereby increasing driving safety. Preferably, the size of the space available for the displayed content 3 is taken into account during the displacement. Fig. 4You can see that the displayed content 3 just barely fits on the front panel 8. Moving it further to the left would result in the displayed content 3 being partially cut off. To prevent this, the shift can be limited to a maximum value.

[0024] Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 show examples of the contents generated by the image generation unit 6 of the head-up display device 3. Fig. 5 shows the contents 3 when driving straight ahead, Fig. 6 the contents 3 when cornering. The image generation unit 6 is, for example, the one already described in connection with Fig. 1The combination of an LED matrix and a TFT color display, which is installed in the projection unit of the head-up display device, or an image generation unit 6, e.g. a flexible screen foil, integrated into the windscreen or a display surface of the motor vehicle. While driving straight ahead, the generated content 3 in the present example is arranged centrally on the image generation unit 6. When the road curves in front of the vehicle, the generated content 3 is arranged off-center on the image generation unit 6. The direction and size of the displacement, which in Fig. 6 are indicated by the displacement vectors 50 shown, depend on the course of the road and, if applicable, on the optical beam path within the head-up display device.

[0025] Fig. 7shows a simplified schematic representation of a first embodiment of a device 20 for controlling a display of a head-up display device for a motor vehicle. The device 20 has an input 21 for receiving data that allows a determination of the course of the road in front of the motor vehicle. This is, in particular, information about the driver's eye movements. From the received data, an evaluation unit 22 determines the course of the road in front of the motor vehicle, with faster, short-term eye movements being suppressed with the aid of a filter. A control unit 23 then shifts the content displayed by the head-up display device according to the determined course of the road. The shifting takes place in such a way that the content is displayed shifted in the direction of the curve when cornering.The content displayed by the head-up display device can be shifted, for example, by rotating a mirror or a prism of the projection unit of the head-up display device or by shifting the displayed content on an image generation unit of the head-up display device. The image generation unit can be integrated into a windshield or a display surface of the motor vehicle or be part of the projection unit of the head-up display device. The data required for the shifting is provided via an output 25 of the device 20. The evaluation unit 22 and the control unit 23 can be controlled by a monitoring unit 24. Settings of the evaluation unit 22, the control unit 23, or the monitoring unit 24 can be changed if necessary via a user interface 27.The data generated in the device 20 can also be stored in a memory 26 of the device 20, for example, for later evaluation. The evaluation unit 22, the control unit 23, and the monitoring unit 24 can be implemented as dedicated hardware, for example, as integrated circuits.

[0026] Of course, they can also be partially or completely combined, or implemented as software running on a suitable processor. Input 21 and output 25 can be implemented as separate interfaces or as a combined bidirectional interface.

[0027] Fig. 8shows a simplified schematic representation of a second embodiment of a device 30 for controlling a display of a head-up display device for a motor vehicle. The device 30 has a processor 32 and a memory 31. For example, the device 30 is a computer or a control unit. Instructions are stored in the memory 31 which, when executed by the processor 32, cause the device 30 to carry out the steps according to one of the described methods. The instructions stored in the memory 31 thus embody a program executable by the processor 32 which implements the method according to the invention. The device has an input 33 for receiving information. Data generated by the processor 32 are provided via an output 34. Furthermore, they can be stored in the memory 31.The input 33 and the output 34 can be combined to form a bidirectional interface.

[0028] The processor 32 may include one or more processor units, such as microprocessors, digital signal processors, or combinations thereof.

[0029] The memories 26, 31 of the described embodiments can have both volatile and non-volatile memory areas and can comprise a wide variety of storage devices and storage media, for example hard disks, optical storage media or semiconductor memories.

[0030] Fig. 9schematically illustrates a motor vehicle 1 in which a solution according to the invention is implemented. The motor vehicle has a head-up display device 2, with which information is displayed on the windshield 8 of the motor vehicle 1 or on an additional pane (not shown) arranged between the driver and the windshield 8. The head-up display device 2 is controlled by a device 20 for controlling the display of the head-up display device. In addition, the motor vehicle 1 has a navigation system 40 and an environmental sensor system 41, for example a camera system. From information on the driver's eye movements, the device 20 determines the course of the road in front of the motor vehicle 1 and controls the head-up display device 2 accordingly. The data is transmitted within the motor vehicle 1 with the aid of a network 43, to which further control units 42 can be connected. List of reference symbols

[0031] 1Motor vehicle 2Head-up display device 3Displayed content 4Projection unit 5Mirror 6Image generation unit 7Steering wheel 8Windscreen 9Dashboard 10Determining a road course in front of the motor vehicle 11Displacing the displayed content according to the road course 20Device 21Input 22Evaluation unit 23Control unit 24Control unit 25Output 26Memory 27User interface 30Device 31Memory 32Processor 33Input 34Output 40Navigation system 41Environmental sensors 42Control unit 43Network 50Displacement vector

Claims

1. Method for controlling a display on a head-up display device (2) for a motor vehicle (1), comprising the steps of: - generating content (3) for a presentation by the head-up display device (2), the generated content (3) containing at least one piece of static information; and - determining (10) a road profile in front of the motor vehicle (1); - shifting (11) the content (3) presented by the head-up display device (2) in accordance with the determined road profile; characterized in that the road profile is determined (10) from eye movements of the driver, a filter being used to reject faster, brief eye movements; and in that the presented content (3) is shifted in such a way that it is presented in a manner shifted in the direction of the bend during cornering.

2. Method according to Claim 1, wherein the content (3) presented by the head-up display device (2) is shifted in such a way that the static information appears to the driver in a manner centred on their lane.

3. Method according to Claim 1, wherein the driver can stipulate a maximum value for the shift.

4. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the content (3) presented by the head-up display device (2) is shifted as a result of a rotation of a mirror (5) or a prism of a projection unit (4) of the head-up display device (2) or as a result of the presented content being shifted on an image generation unit (6) of the head-up display device (2).

5. Method according to Claim 4, wherein the image generation unit (6) is integrated in a windscreen (8) or a display panel of the motor vehicle (1) or is part of the projection unit (4) of the head-up display device (2) .

6. Device (20) for controlling a display on a head-up display device (2) for a motor vehicle (1), wherein the device (20) comprises: - an image generation unit (6) for generating content (3) for a presentation by the head-up display device (2), the generated content (3) containing at least one piece of static information; and - an evaluation unit (22) for determining (10) a road profile in front of the motor vehicle (1); and - a control unit (23) for shifting (11) the content (3) presented by the head-up display device (2) in accordance with the determined road profile; characterized in that the evaluation unit (22) is configured to determine (10) the road profile from eye movements of the driver, a filter being used to reject faster, brief eye movements; and in that the control unit (23) is configured to shift the presented content (3) in such a way that it is presented in a manner shifted in the direction of the bend during cornering.

7. Device (20) according to Claim 6, wherein the control unit (23) is configured to shift the content (3) presented by the head-up display device (2) in such a way that the static information appears to the driver in a manner centred on their lane.

8. Device (20) according to Claim 6, wherein the driver can stipulate a maximum value for the shift.

9. Device (20) according to one of Claims 6 to 8, wherein the control unit (23) is configured to produce the shift in the content (3) presented by the head-up display device (2) as a result of a rotation of a mirror (5) or a prism of a projection unit (4) of the head-up display device (2) or as a result of the presented content being shifted on an image generation unit (6) of the head-up display device (2).

10. Device (20) according to Claim 9, wherein the image generation unit (6) is integrated in a windscreen (8) or a display panel of the motor vehicle (1) or is part of the projection unit (4) of the head-up display device (2) .

11. Computer readable storage medium containing instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the steps of a method according to one of Claims 1 to 5 to control a display on a head-up display device (2) for a motor vehicle (1).

12. Head-up display device (2) for a motor vehicle (1), characterized in that it comprises a device (20) according to one of Claims 6 to 10 or is configured to carry out a method according to one of Claims 1 to 5 to control a display on the head-up display device (2).

13. Motor vehicle (40), characterized in that it comprises a head-up display device (2) according to Claim 12 or a device (20) according to one of Claims 6 to 10 or is configured to carry out a method according to one of Claims 1 to 5 to control a display on a head-up display device (2).