Display device and method implemented in a display device

Abstract

In a display system comprising a display module and a tool for measuring a user's gaze direction, the following steps are envisaged: - receiving movement information from a vehicle; - defining at least one characteristic of an indicator based on the received movement information; - displaying the indicator with said characteristic at a position dependent on the measured gaze direction. Figure for the abbreviation: Fig. 3

Description

Title of the invention: Display device and method implemented in a display device. Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates generally to the field of display systems, and in particular to display systems for use on board a vehicle.

[0002] It relates more particularly to a display device and a method implemented in a display device. Technological background

[0003] Display devices are being used more and more frequently on board vehicles, especially motor vehicles.

[0004] For the user, the apparent movements of the displayed objects can then be very different from the movements of the vehicle, especially when the display device shows an animated scene (for example from a film or a video game), which very frequently causes motion sickness in the user. Summary of the invention

[0005] In this context, a display device is proposed comprising:

[0006] - a display module;

[0007] - a tool for measuring the direction of a user's gaze;

[0008] - a module for receiving information about the movement of a vehicle; and

[0009] - a control unit configured to define at least one characteristic of a indicator based on received movement information and to command the display module to display the indicator with said characteristic at a position dependent on the measured gaze direction.

[0010] Thus, the display module shows the user an indicator whose characteristic (for example, its shape or color) depends on the (instantaneous or anticipated) movement of the vehicle, thereby giving the user an indication of this movement and reducing the risk of motion sickness. Furthermore, the indicator is displayed in a position that depends on the user's direction of gaze, which may allow, for example, the indicator to be constantly displayed in the user's field of vision and / or to be displayed in a position that does not obstruct the user's observation of another element (object or information) displayed by the display module.

[0011] The movement information can indeed be information representing the instantaneous movement or information representing the expected movement of the vehicle, as explained in the description that follows.

[0012] For example, the position of the indicator can be located, relative to the user's eye, in a direction forming an angle of between 10° and 40° with the direction of gaze. In other conceivable embodiments, this direction can form an angle with the direction of gaze that can vary between a first angle of between 4° and 20°, and a second angle of between 20° and 40°. The indicator is thus visible to the user by means of their parafoveal or peripheral vision and therefore does not interfere with the user's observation (by means of their foveal vision) of another element (object of interest or information) displayed by the display module.

[0013] The display module can be designed to display a three-dimensional scene, for example by stereoscopy.

[0014] The displayed indicator can then exhibit an extension in each of the three dimensions of the three-dimensional scene.

[0015] In this case, it can be foreseen that the extension of the indicator displayed along a direction of observation of the three-dimensional scene is greater than the extension of the indicator displayed in a plane perpendicular to said direction of observation, which gives a great deal of freedom in the definition of the indicator and its possible movement.

[0016] The control unit can also be configured to control the display, by the display module, of an object or information at a distance (as seen by the user) different from the display distance of the indicator (as seen by the user) in the three-dimensional scene. This can allow the indicator to be displayed more or less visibly relative to the aforementioned object or information.

[0017] The control unit can also be configured to control the display, by the display module, of the indicator at a variable distance (as seen by the user) depending on the movement information or other movement information received by the receiver module. This allows the indicator to be displayed more or less visibly depending on the vehicle's movements. For example, the indicator could be displayed at a decreasing distance (as seen by the user) with increasing intensity of the vehicle's movements so that the user can see the indicator better when the vehicle's movements are likely to cause discomfort or even motion sickness.

[0018] The control module can also be designed to control the display, by the display module and in an overlap area of ​​the indicator and a displayed element, of at least one pixel mixing a pixel of the indicator and a corresponding pixel of the displayed element with a coefficient that varies according to the movement information or other movement information received by the Reception module. The relative perception of the indicator and the displayed element can therefore vary depending on the vehicle's movements. For example, the indicator can be displayed more prominently than the displayed element when the vehicle's movements risk causing discomfort or even motion sickness for the user.

[0019] The receiving module can receive movement information from a communication unit fitted to the vehicle, for example via a wireless link (or connection). Alternatively, however, for example when the display module is part of an on-board vehicle system, the receiving module can receive information from an on-board computer or a navigation system via a computer bus fitted to the vehicle.

[0020] The movement information can be, for example, vehicle speed information, or vehicle acceleration information, or vehicle braking force information, or vehicle steering angle information.

[0021] It can be envisaged that at least the display module and the measuring tool will be part of a virtual reality headset. In this case, the display device will include means for mounting it on a user's head. Alternatively, however, the display module could be a touchscreen tablet or, as already mentioned, part of an embedded vehicle system.

[0022] The invention also proposes a method implemented in a display device comprising a display module and a tool for measuring a user's gaze direction, said method comprising the following steps:

[0023] - receiving information about the movement of a vehicle;

[0024] - definition of at least one characteristic of an indicator as a function of the movement information received;

[0025] - display of the indicator with said characteristic at a position dependent on the measured gaze direction.

[0026] The optional features presented above relating to the display device can also be applied, separately or in combination, to this method.

[0027] Of course, the various features, variants, and embodiments of the invention can be combined with one another in various ways, provided they are not incompatible or mutually exclusive. Brief description of the figures

[0028] The following description with regard to the attached drawings, given by way of non-limiting examples, will make it clear what the invention consists of and how it can be carried out.

[0029] On the attached drawings:

[0030] [Fig-1] represents a system in which the invention can be implemented;

[0031] [Fig.2] represents an example of a three-dimensional scene displayed by a module display of the system of the [Fig.l];

[0032] [Fig.3] represents a side view of a display presented to the user; and

[0033] [Fig.4] represents another example of a three-dimensional scene displayed by the display module.

[0034] Fig. 1 schematically represents the main elements of a system in which the invention can be implemented.

[0035] Such a system includes a vehicle 10 and a device 20 for displaying information to a user.

[0036] The vehicle 10 can be a driver-driven vehicle or, alternatively, an autonomous vehicle.

[0037] The vehicle 10 includes an on-board computer 12, a navigation system 14 and a communication unit 16.

[0038] The on-board computer 12 provides information relating to the operation of the vehicle and in particular to the instantaneous movement of the vehicle: the on-board computer 12 provides, for example, information on the instantaneous speed of the vehicle, information on the instantaneous acceleration of the vehicle, information on the instantaneous braking force of the vehicle, information on the instantaneous steering angle of the vehicle, etc.

[0039] The instantaneous acceleration information for the vehicle can be positive or negative, and can relate to acceleration along the direction of travel, or acceleration along a direction transverse to the direction of travel, or acceleration along a vertical direction. The on-board computer 12 can provide several of the aforementioned instantaneous acceleration information.

[0040] The navigation system 14 is designed to determine a route for the vehicle to a destination (for example, previously entered by the user). The navigation system 14 can therefore estimate a prediction of the vehicle's movement over a future period of predetermined duration (for example, 10 seconds) and can thus provide information relating to the predicted movement of the vehicle: the navigation system can provide, for example, information on the vehicle's predicted speed, the vehicle's predicted acceleration, the vehicle's predicted braking force, the vehicle's predicted steering angle, etc.

[0041] As with information relating to instantaneous motion, the expected acceleration information of the vehicle can be positive or negative, and can relate to acceleration along the direction of travel of the vehicle, or acceleration along a direction transverse to the direction of travel, or acceleration along a direction vertical. The navigation system 14 can deliver several of the aforementioned instantaneous acceleration information.

[0042] The on-board computer 12, the navigation system 14 and the communication unit 16 are connected by a bus 18 and can thus exchange information.

[0043] The communication unit 16 can thus in particular receive at least some of the information relating to the instantaneous movement of the vehicle (produced by the on-board computer 12 as indicated above) and / or at least some of the information relating to the planned movement of the vehicle (produced by the navigation system 14 as indicated above).

[0044] The communication unit 16 is designed to establish a connection (or link) with another electronic device and to exchange data with that other electronic device (via the established connection). For example, the communication unit 16 and the other electronic device can participate in the same wireless local area network and exchange data via that wireless local area network. Alternatively, a direct connection (wired or wireless) can be established between the communication unit 16 and the other electronic device; the communication unit 16 and the other electronic device can then exchange data through this direct connection.

[0045] The communication unit 16 can thus transmit to another electronic device (such as the display device 20 described below) information relating to the instantaneous movement of the vehicle 10 and / or information relating to the planned movement of the vehicle 10.

[0046] The display device 20 is, for example, a virtual reality headset. It could be an augmented reality headset or a mixed reality headset. In this case, the display device 20 includes means for positioning it on the user's head. Other types of display devices could, however, be used; for example, the display device 20 could be a touchscreen tablet.

[0047] Furthermore, an example is described here in which the display device 20 is not an equipment of the vehicle 10. Alternatively, however, the display device 20 could be an equipment of the vehicle 10, for example a screen mounted in the vehicle 10.

[0048] The display device 20 includes a control unit 22, a display module 24, a tool 26 for measuring the user's gaze direction and a communication module 28.

[0049] In the example described here, the display module 24 includes two optical assemblies (respectively intended for each of the user's eyes) so as to be able to display a three-dimensional scene to the user by stereoscopy.

[0050] The tool 26 for measuring the user's gaze direction is, for example, implemented by using an image sensor located (here within the reality headset) virtual) so that the field of view of the image sensor covers the user's eyes. Thus, by detecting the position of the user's pupils within the image taken by the image sensor, the tool 26 is able to determine the direction of the user's gaze (relative in particular to the three-dimensional scene displayed to the user).

[0051] The communication module 28 is designed to establish a connection (or link) with another electronic device (here in particular with the communication unit 16) and to exchange data with that other electronic device (via the established connection). The communication module 28 and the other electronic device can, for example, participate in the same wireless local area network and exchange data via that wireless local area network. Alternatively, a direct connection (wired or wireless) can be established between the communication module 28 and the other electronic device; the communication module 28 and the other electronic device can then exchange data through this direct connection.

[0052] The communication module 28 can thus receive (from the vehicle 10 by means of the communication unit 16) information relating to the instantaneous movement of the vehicle 10 (produced by the on-board computer 12) and / or information relating to the planned movement of the vehicle 10 (produced by the navigation system 14).

[0053] In the variant mentioned above where the display device is equipment (for example a screen) of the vehicle 10, the display device includes for example a connection module to the bus 18. Such a connection module can thus form a receiving module for movement information from the vehicle 10 (from the on-board computer 12 or the navigation system 14).

[0054] As schematically represented in [Fig.1], the control unit 22 is connected to the communication unit 28 (in particular in order to receive information relating to the instantaneous movement of the vehicle 10 and / or information relating to the planned movement of the vehicle 10), to the tool 26 (in order to receive the determined gaze direction of the user) and to the display module 24 (in order to control the display to the user of a three-dimensional scene including an indicator as well as information or an object of interest to the user as described below).

[0055] The following describes the display of an indicator I in the three-dimensional scene displayed to the user by the display module 24 controlled by the control unit 22 in order to inform the user of the instantaneous or expected movement of the vehicle 10 and thus reduce user discomfort and prevent motion sickness.

[0056] In the example described here, as shown in [Fig. 2], the indicator I displayed by the display module 24 is three-dimensional. In other words, denoting (Ox), (Oy), (Oz) the three directions of the three-dimensional scene displayed by the display module 24, the indicator I displayed by the display module 24 extends in each of the three directions (Ox), (Oy) and (Oz).

[0057] By denoting (Oz) as the user's observation direction, it is further assumed here that the extension of the displayed indicator I along the (Oz) direction is greater than the extension of the displayed indicator I projected onto the (xOy) plane. In other words, the displayed indicator I extends primarily along the observation direction (Oz). This can allow for a realistic display and / or good user understanding.

[0058] As indicated above, the control unit 22 receives information relating to the movement (instantaneous or planned) of the vehicle 10 and can thus define one or more characteristics of the indicator I according to one or more of these pieces of information relating to the movement.

[0059] For example, the control unit 22 defines the indicator I in the form of a cylinder when the steering angle information (instantaneous or predicted) is zero and in the form of a portion of a torus when the steering angle information (instantaneous or predicted) is greater (in absolute value) than a predefined threshold.

[0060] It can also be foreseen in this case that the curvature of the torus is variable (here increases) according to the information of the angle (instantaneous or predicted) of turning.

[0061] In practice, other characteristics of the indicator I (such as the color of the indicator and / or the display luminance of the indicator and / or the extent of the indicator, in particular according to the direction (Oz)) can be variable respectively according to a movement information (instantaneous or expected) of the vehicle 10, for example according to the acceleration information (instantaneous or expected) of the vehicle 10 (here according to the direction of advancement of the vehicle 10).

[0062] It is provided here that the control unit 22 controls the display module 24 so as to display the indicator I thus defined at a position (in the three-dimensional scene) dependent on the measured gaze direction R.

[0063] For example, as illustrated in [Fig. 3], the control unit 22 controls the display module 24 so that the display position P of the indicator I is located, relative to the user's eye, in a direction D forming, with the viewing direction R, an angle [3] between a first predetermined angle ôi and a second predetermined angle ô2. For example, a first angle ôi between 4° and 20° (here ôi = 10°) and a second angle ô2 between 20° and 40° (here ô2 = 40°) are used.

[0064] The indicator I is therefore located for the user in an angular sector distinct from the angular sector containing a displayed element (such as the object of interest O represented in [Fig.3]) observed by the user and therefore located in the direction of view R.

[0065] The indicator I is thus visible to the user (in parafoveal vision) without interfering with what the user observes (particularly in foveal vision), regardless of the user's gaze direction (i.e., regardless of the object in the three-dimensional scene observed by the user). It is also provided here that, when the user's gaze direction R changes, the control unit 22 commands the display module 24 to move the position P of the indicator I so as to satisfy the condition indicated above, namely that the direction D (defined by the user's eye and the position P of the indicator I) forms an angle with the gaze direction R between the first angle ai and the second angle a2.

[0066] As seen in [Fig.2], it is further provided here that the display module 24 displays (here again under the control of the control unit 22) an object of interest O (or information intended for the user) at a distance (seen by the user) different from a display distance (for the user) of the indicator I in the three-dimensional scene.

[0067] Thus, in the example described here, the projection of the position of the object O (or of the information) on the (Oz) axis is different from the projection of the position P of the indicator I on this same (Oz) axis.

[0068] It can also be provided that the indicator I is displayed at a variable distance (seen by the user) (that is to say here at a variable position in projection on the (Oz) axis) depending on one of the motion information received.

[0069] For example, when the relevant motion information satisfies a condition (here, when the absolute value of the instantaneous or predicted acceleration of the vehicle is less than a threshold, or when the instantaneous or predicted speed is less than a threshold, for example, 30 km / h), the indicator I is displayed at a first distance (as seen by the user) in the three-dimensional scene. This first distance may be greater than the display distance (for the user) of the object of interest O (or the aforementioned information) in the three-dimensional scene, so that the indicator I will appear behind the object of interest O (or the aforementioned information), as shown in [Fig. 4]. The display of the indicator I is thus not intrusive for the user.

[0070] In other words, if we take z0 as the coordinate of object O along the (Oz) axis and zi as the coordinate (of position P) of indicator I along the (Oz) axis when indicator I is displayed at the first distance mentioned above, we have here: z0 < zb

[0071] Conversely, when the relevant motion information does not satisfy said condition (and / or satisfies another condition), the indicator I is displayed (for the user) at a second distance in the three-dimensional scene (the second distance being different from the first distance and, in this case, less than the first distance). Thus, in the case described here, when the relevant motion information does not satisfy the condition defined above (i.e., here when the value (absolute of the instantaneous or predicted acceleration of the vehicle is greater than the aforementioned threshold), the indicator I appears in front of the object of interest O (or the aforementioned information), as shown in [Fig.2] and will be clearly visible to the user.

[0072] Denoting z2 the coordinate of (the position P of) the indicator I when the indicator I is displayed at the second distance mentioned above, we have on the one hand z2 < zl, and here in addition: z2 < zo.

[0073] This allows the indicator I to be made more clearly visible to the user for certain predefined movements of the vehicle (in particular when these movements are likely to cause motion sickness).

[0074] It is also possible to provide, as an alternative or in addition to the above, to display, in an area of ​​overlap of the indicator and a displayed element (object of interest or information intended for the user), at least one pixel mixing a pixel of the indicator and a corresponding pixel of the displayed element with a coefficient that varies according to one of the motion information received.

[0075] To do this, the control unit 22 can determine a coefficient a based on the relevant motion information (for example, based on the instantaneous or predicted acceleration information of the vehicle, or based on the instantaneous or predicted braking force information of the vehicle). In the example described here, the coefficient a increases, for example, as a function of the absolute value of the instantaneous or predicted acceleration (or braking force) information of the vehicle.

[0076] For each pixel p of the overlap area of ​​the indicator and the displayed element (as seen in the three-dimensional scene by the user), the control unit 22 can thus determine a value Vp associated with this pixel p by mixing the corresponding pixel of the indicator and the corresponding pixel of the displayed element, i.e. by performing the following calculation:

[0077] Vp = a.Vi + (1-a).Ve

[0078] where V! is the value associated with the corresponding pixel in the indicator I and Ve is the value associated with the corresponding pixel in the displayed element.

[0079] The control unit 22 can then command the display module 24 to display the different pixels p of the overlap area by assigning to each pixel p the value Vp determined for that pixel p.

Claims

Demands

1. Display device comprising: - a display module; - a tool for measuring a user's gaze direction; - a module for receiving movement information from a vehicle; and - a control unit configured to define at least one characteristic of an indicator based on the received movement information and to command the display module to display the indicator with said characteristic at a position dependent on the measured gaze direction in which said position is located, relative to the user's eye, in a direction forming, with the gaze direction, an angle between 10° and 40°.

2. Display device according to claim 1, wherein the display module is designed to display a three-dimensional scene and wherein the displayed indicator has an extension in each of the three dimensions of the three-dimensional scene.

3. Display device according to claim 2, wherein the extension of the displayed indicator along a direction of observation of the three-dimensional scene is greater than the extension of the displayed indicator in a plane perpendicular to said direction of observation.

4. Display device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the control unit is configured to control the display, by the display module, of an object or information at a distance different from a display distance of the indicator in the three-dimensional scene.

5. Display device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the control unit is configured to control the display, by the display module, of the indicator at a variable distance as a function of the motion information or other motion information received by the receiving module.

6. A display device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the control module is designed to control the display, by the display module and in an overlapping area of ​​the indicator and a displayed element, of at least one pixel mixing a pixel of the indicator and a corresponding pixel of the displayed element with a coefficient that varies depending on the motion information or other motion information received by the receiving module.

7. Display device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the receiving module is designed to receive movement information from a communication unit fitted to the vehicle.

8. Display device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the motion information is vehicle speed information, or vehicle acceleration information, or vehicle braking force information, or vehicle steering angle information.

9. Display device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising means for arranging on the head of a user.

10. Display device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein at least the display module and the measuring tool are part of a virtual reality headset.

11. Control unit configured to implement a method in a display device comprising a display module and a tool for measuring a user's gaze direction, said method comprising the following steps: - receiving movement information from a vehicle; - defining at least one characteristic of an indicator based on the received movement information; - controlling the display of the indicator with said characteristic at a position dependent on the measured gaze direction.

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