Visibility determining system, visibility determining method, and program

Abstract

To provide a visibility determining system, a visibility determining method, and a program that can accurately determine visibility of a display object.SOLUTION: When a panel 2 on which a display object 3 is formed is irradiated with light from a light source 10, from a rear surface, the light transmitted through the display object 3 causes the display object 3 to be displayed, with a pattern of the panel 2 as a background. Factors influencing visibility of the display object 3 include, for example, clarity of the pattern of the panel 2. Design elements relating to the clarity of the pattern of the panel 2 include, for example, design of the panel 2, reflectance of the panel 2, and the like. A visibility determining system 13 includes a determining unit 17 for determining the visibility of the display object 3 on the basis of a feature quantity representing the clarity of the pattern of the panel 2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a visibility determination system, a visibility determination method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known an automobile instrument that displays a display pattern of the instrument using light from a light source, as disclosed in Patent Document 1. This automobile instrument ensures visibility of the display pattern by correcting the characteristics of the light irradiated onto the display pattern according to the degree of dimming of the light from the light source. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2004-271258 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] From a design perspective, a display device has been considered that displays a display pattern on a patterned background by irradiating a panel with a pattern from the back with light from a light source. However, if the background pattern is too dark, for example, the outline of the display pattern becomes difficult to see, and sufficient visibility may not be ensured. Therefore, there is a need for technology development that can determine how to display the display pattern while taking the background pattern into consideration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The visibility assessment system that solves the above problem is configured to assess the visibility of a display object when light from a light source is irradiated onto the back of a panel on which a display object is formed, and the light that passes through the display object causes the display object to be displayed against the background of a pattern on the panel, and is equipped with a assessment unit that assesses the visibility of the display object based on a feature that represents the clarity of the pattern on the panel.

[0006] The visibility assessment method that solves the above problem is a method used in a visibility assessment system that assesses the visibility of a display object when light is irradiated from a light source onto the back of a panel on which a display object is formed, and the light that passes through the display object causes the display object to be displayed against the background of the pattern of the panel, and the visibility assessment system is caused to acquire a feature that represents the clarity of the pattern of the panel, and to assess the visibility of the display object based on the feature of the clarity of the pattern of the panel.

[0007] The program that solves the above problem is a program used in a visibility determination system that determines the visibility of a display object when light is irradiated from a light source onto the back of a panel on which a display object is formed, and the light that passes through the display object causes the display object to be displayed against the background of the pattern of the panel, and causes a computer to acquire features that represent the clarity of the pattern of the panel, and to perform a determination of the visibility of the display object based on the features of the clarity of the pattern of the panel. Effect of the Invention

[0008] The present invention can determine the visibility of an object with high accuracy. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B show a panel of a first embodiment, in which (a) is a front view when a display object is illuminated, and (b) is a front view when a display object is not illuminated. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a display device showing a cross section of a panel. [Diagram 3] FIG. 13 is a characteristic diagram showing an image of a luminance histogram when the pattern is clear. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 is a characteristic diagram showing an image of a luminance histogram when the pattern is unclear. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing how to obtain mark vision. [Figure 6]FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing how to find the chromaticity difference between a panel and a display object. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a visibility determination system. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a configuration diagram of a visibility determination system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a configuration diagram of a visibility determination system according to a third embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is an operational diagram of the visibility determination system. [Figure 11] 13 is a schematic diagram showing an example of notification of a result of visibility determination. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] (First embodiment) The first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below. (Overview of Display Device 1) As shown in FIG. 1(a), the display device 1 includes a panel 2 having a pattern, and an object 3 formed on the panel 2. The display device 1 displays the object 3 by illumination, with the pattern of the panel 2 as a background. The panel 2 has, for example, a wood grain pattern. The object 3 is formed, for example, by a hole 4 penetrating the panel 2. The object 3 is invisible when not illuminated (as in FIG. 1(b)), and is displayed on the panel 2 when illuminated (as in FIG. 1(a)). Examples of the object 3 include symbols, letters, numbers, and pictures.

[0011] As shown in FIG. 2, the panel 2 has a surface layer 7 with a pattern, a black printed layer 8 provided on the back surface of the surface layer 7, and a transparent plate 9 provided on the back surface of the printed layer 8. The surface layer 7 is, for example, a resin layer with a wood grain pattern formed thereon. The printed layer 8 is, for example, a colored resin layer (which may be a light shielding plate). The transparent plate 9 is, for example, provided on the entire back surface of the printed layer 8. A hole 4 representing the display object 3 is formed across both the surface layer 7 and the printed layer 8. The hole 4 may be, for example, a simple space, or may be filled with a transparent (semi-transparent) material.

[0012] The display device 1 includes a light source 10 that illuminates the display object 3 from the rear of the panel 2. The light source 10 is, for example, an LED. The light source 10 may be one or more. The display device 1 illuminates the display object 3 against the background of the pattern of the panel 2 by transmitting light (illumination light R1) from the light source 10 arranged on the rear of the panel 2 through holes 4 in the panel 2. The user sees the illumination light R1 that transmits through the display object 3 as the display object 3. In addition, sunlight R2 reflected by the panel 2 also reaches the user.

[0013] The display device 1 is, for example, for in-vehicle use. In this case, the display device 1 is arranged, for example, in a center cluster, a center console, a steering wheel, etc. The display device 1 displays, for example, an operation icon of an in-vehicle device as a display object 3. The operation icon can be, for example, an icon for selecting or determining an operating state of the in-vehicle device. The display device 1 displays the display object 3 on the panel 2 by, for example, driving the light source 10 when the vehicle power supply is turned on.

[0014] (Factors affecting the visibility of display 3) As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, factors affecting the visibility of the display object 3 include, for example, the clarity of the pattern of the panel 2, C L1,L1+SD Clarity of the pattern in Panel 2 C L1,L1+SD Examples of design factors related to the above include the design of the panel 2 and the reflectance of the panel 2. For example, if the pattern is too dark, the clarity of the pattern of the panel 2 may be reduced. L1,L1+SD This deteriorates the visibility of the display object 3.

[0015] Factors affecting the visibility of the display object 3 include, for example, the clarity C of the display object 3, L1,L2 Clarity of display 3 C L1,L2 Examples of design factors related to the above include the luminance of the light source 10 of the display object 3, the transmittance of the display object 3, and the reflectance of the panel 2. For example, when the luminance difference between the panel 2 and the display object 3 is small, the clarity C of the display object 3 is low. L1,L2 This deteriorates the visibility of the display object 3.

[0016] 5, factors that affect the visibility of the display object 3 include, for example, mark visual a, which visually represents the size of the display object 3. Design elements related to mark visual a include, for example, the design of the size of the display object 3, the mounting position, and the eye point. For example, if the size of the display object 3 is small, the mark visual a deteriorates, and the visibility of the display object 3 deteriorates.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 6, factors affecting the visibility of the display object 3 include, for example, the chromaticity difference D between the panel 2 and the display object 3. L1,L2 There is a chromaticity difference D between the panel 2 and the display. L1,L2 The design elements include, for example, the light source color of the display object 3, the transmission characteristics of the display object 3, and the design of the panel 2. The transmission characteristics of the display object 3 include, for example, whether or not there is color conversion from the display object 3 to the panel 2. For example, when the colors of the panel 2 and the display object 3 are close to each other, the chromaticity difference D L1,L2 This deteriorates the visibility of the display object 3.

[0018] Although not shown, factors affecting the visibility of the display object 3 include, for example, the similarity of the pattern of the panel 2 and the shape of the display object 3. An example of a design element that causes the pattern of the panel 2 and the shape of the display object 3 to be similar is the design of the panel 2. For example, if the pattern of the panel 2 and the shape of the display object 3 are similar, it becomes difficult to distinguish between them, and the visibility of the display object 3 deteriorates.

[0019] (Overview of Visibility Assessment System 13) 7, the visibility determination system 13 determines the visibility of an object 3 displayed by the display device 1. Determining the visibility of the object 3 means, for example, determining how easily the object 3 is seen when displayed on a patterned panel 2. The visibility determination system 13 may, for example, perform visibility determination at all times, or may perform visibility determination when an operation to start the visibility determination is performed.

[0020] The visibility determination system 13 includes an image acquisition unit 15 for acquiring an image of a visual target 14. The image acquisition unit 15 is, for example, an optical device that acquires an image using characteristics of light. An example of the optical device is a luminance meter. The image acquisition unit 15 acquires, for example, an image of a panel 2 (including a display object 3) as the visual target 14. In this way, the visual target 14 is, for example, a panel 2 including a display object 3.

[0021] The visibility determination system 13 includes a feature amount calculation unit 16 that calculates a feature amount used to determine the visibility of the display object 3. In this embodiment, the feature amount calculation unit 16 is provided in, for example, the image acquisition unit 15. The feature amount calculation unit 16 calculates, for example, the clarity C of the pattern of the panel 2 based on the captured image. L1,L1+SD , Clarity of display 3 C L1,L2 , Mark visual a, chromaticity difference D L1,L2 Each feature amount such as the above is calculated.

[0022] The visibility judgment system 13 judges the clarity of the pattern of the panel 2. L1,L1+SD In this embodiment, the determination unit 17 determines the visibility of the display object 3 based on the feature amount representing the clarity C of the pattern of the panel 2. L1,L1+SD In addition, clarity of display 3 C L1,L2 , mark visual a, and chromaticity difference D between panel 2 and display object 3 L1,L2 , and judge the visibility of the display object 3 using at least one of them.

[0023] (How visibility is judged) The visibility determination system 13 performs visibility determination, for example, at the actual installation location of the display device 1. That is, the visibility determination system 13 determines the visibility of the display object 3 based on an image (image data) in which the panel 2 and the display object 3 are reflected in the display device 1 mounted on an actual vehicle.

[0024] 7, the feature amount calculation unit 16 calculates each feature amount necessary for determining visibility from the image acquired by the image acquisition unit 15. Specifically, the feature amount calculation unit 16 calculates the clarity C of the pattern of the panel 2 based on the image acquired by the image acquisition unit 15. L1,L1+SD, Clarity of display 3 C L1,L2 , mark visual a [deg], and chromaticity difference D between panel 2 and display object 3 L1,L2 , is calculated.

[0025] After calculating these feature amounts, the determination unit 17 determines the visibility of the display object 3 by using the following determination formula (1).

[0026]

number

[0027] In this way, the determination unit 17 adds the clarity C of the pattern of the panel 2 to the determination formula (1) for determining the visibility of the display object 3. L1,L1+SD The determination value p is calculated by substituting the feature quantity representing the pattern of the panel 2, and the visibility of the display object 3 is determined based on the determination value p. L1,L1+SD , Clarity of display 3 C L1,L2 , mark visual a, and chromaticity difference D L1,L2 The feature quantity of the following is used. The judgment formula (1) is a formula using logistic regression analysis that predicts the quality of visibility by regression analysis of multiple explanatory variables.

[0028] The judgment value p is, for example, a value within the range of "0" to "1" (0≦p≦1). If the judgment value p is equal to or greater than a specified value, it can be said that the visibility of the display object 3 satisfies the standard, and conversely, if the judgment value p is less than the specified value, it can be said that the visibility needs to be improved. Note that "k0" in formula (1) is a constant term. Also, "k1", "k2", "k3", and "k4" in formula (1) are coefficients.

[0029] (Clarity of pattern in Panel 2 C L1,L1+SD (How to calculate) As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the feature amount calculation unit 16 calculates the clarity C L1,L1+SD When calculating the average luminance L1 [cd / m 2 ] and the standard deviation SD of luminance in Panel 2 [cd / m 2] and the judgment unit 17 judges the clarity of the pattern of the panel 2, C L1,L1+SD is calculated by the following formula (2): The standard deviation SD represents the deviation on the panel luminance histogram, that is, the degree of variation in the luminance distribution within the panel 2.

[0030]

number

[0031] Thus, the clarity of the pattern in Panel 2 C L1,L1+SD is the luminance difference between "L1" and "L1+SD", expressed as the ratio of "L1+SD" to "L1". L1,L1+SD takes a value greater than or equal to "0".

[0032] As shown in FIG. 3, when the pattern on panel 2 is clear, the luminance distribution of each pixel on panel 2 has a parabolic waveform characteristic with a gentle slope and a low apex. Therefore, the standard deviation SD is a large value, and the clarity of the pattern on panel 2 C L1,L1+SD The feature value of is large. Thus, the clarity of the pattern of panel 2, C L1,L1+SD The larger the value, the clearer the pattern.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 4, when the pattern on panel 2 is not clear, the luminance distribution of each pixel on panel 2 has the waveform characteristics of a parabola with a steep slope and a high apex. Therefore, the standard deviation SD is a small value (SD' shown in FIG. 4), and the clarity of the pattern on panel 2 C L1,L1+SD Thus, the feature value of the pattern clarity of panel 2, C L1,L1+SD The smaller the value of C, the less clear the pattern is. L1,L1+SD When it is "0", it represents a solid pattern.

[0034] (Clarity of display 3 C L1,L2 (How to calculate) The feature amount calculation unit 16 calculates the clarity C L1,L2is calculated by the following formula (3). In formula (3), the average luminance L1 of the panel 2 and the average luminance L2 [cd / m 2 ] and, are used.

[0035]

number

[0036] Thus, the clarity of display 3 C L1,L2 is the luminance difference between "L1" and "L2" expressed as the ratio of "L2" to "L1" (luminance contrast). L1,L2 is also called the contrast ratio between the panel 2 and the display 3. L1,L2 The larger the value, the greater the visibility of the display object 3.

[0037] (How to calculate mark visual alpha) 5, when calculating the mark visual α, the feature calculation unit 16 uses the diameter φ [mm] of the smallest circle into which the display object 3 fits and the visible distance d [mm], which is the physical distance between the display object 3 and the eye point. Then, the feature calculation unit 16 calculates the mark visual α using the following formula (4). As can be seen from formula (4), the larger the value of the mark visual α, the higher the visibility of the display object 3.

[0038]

number

[0039] (Chromaticity difference D L1,L2 How to find As shown in FIG. 6, the feature calculation unit 16 calculates the chromaticity difference D L1,L2 When calculating the average chromaticity of panel 2 (u' L1 , v' L1 ) and the average chromaticity of display 3 (u' L2 , v' L2 ) and the average chromaticity of panel 2 (u' L1 , v' L1) is the coordinate value when the average chromaticity of panel 2 is expressed in u'-v' chromaticity. L2 , v' L2 ) is a coordinate value when the average chromaticity of the display object 3 is expressed in u'-v' chromaticity. L1,L2 is calculated using the following formula (5).

[0040]

number

[0041] Chromaticity difference D L1,L2 is the linear distance between the coordinates on the u'-v' chromaticity scale. And the chromaticity difference D L1,L2 The larger the value, the higher the visibility of the display object 3. (Visibility determination operation) 7, the determination unit 17 determines the visibility of the display object 3 based on the feature amount calculated by the feature amount calculation unit 16. Specifically, the feature amount calculation unit 16 uses the above-mentioned formulas (2) to (5) to determine the clarity C L1,L1+SD and clarity of display 3 C L1,L2 , mark visual a and chromaticity difference D L1,L2 The determination unit 17 then substitutes these feature amounts into the determination formula (1) to calculate a determination value p for determining the visibility of the display object 3.

[0042] At this time, the determination unit 17 determines the validity of the visibility of the display object 3 by comparing the calculated determination value p with a specified value. Specifically, if the determination value p is equal to or greater than the specified value, the determination unit 17 determines that the visibility of the display object 3 is good. On the other hand, if the determination value p is less than the specified value, the determination unit 17 determines that the visibility of the display object 3 is poor. Then, the determination unit 17 notifies the operator of the determination result of the validity of the visibility, for example, by displaying it on a display unit (not shown) of the visibility determination system 13.

[0043] If the visibility of the displayed object 3 is poor, the worker changes the illumination pattern of the displayed object 3 by adjusting design elements related to the visibility of the displayed object 3. Then, by repeating this process, the visibility of the displayed object 3 is optimized. In this example, the visibility judgment result is output in a binary pattern of "good" or "poor." This makes it easy for the worker to judge the validity of the visibility of the displayed object 3.

[0044] (Effects of the first embodiment) According to the visibility determination system 13 (visibility determination method, program) of the above embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0045] (1-1) By irradiating light from a light source 10 onto the back surface of a panel 2 on which an object 3 is formed, the object 3 is displayed against the background of the pattern of the panel 2 by the light passing through the object 3. At this time, a visibility determination system 13 determines the visibility of the object 3. Specifically, the visibility determination system 13 determines the clarity C of the pattern of the panel 2. L1,L1+SD The apparatus further includes a determination unit 17 for determining the visibility of the display object 3 based on the feature amount representing the above.

[0046] According to this configuration, the clarity of the pattern of panel 2, C L1,L1+SD The visibility of the displayed object 3 is judged using the feature amount representing the difference as an index. This makes it possible to judge with high accuracy how the displayed object 3 appears against the pattern of the panel 2. In other words, it becomes possible to judge whether the displayed object 3 is easily visible against the pattern of the background. This makes it possible to judge with high accuracy the visibility of the displayed object 3.

[0047] (1-2) Clarity of the pattern in Panel 2 C L1,L1+SD The feature amount of panel 2 is calculated based on the average luminance L1 of panel 2 and the standard deviation SD of the luminance of panel 2. According to this configuration, the clarity of the pattern of panel 2 is calculated based on the average luminance L1 of panel 2 and the standard deviation SD of the luminance of panel 2. L1,L1+SD can be easily obtained.

[0048] (1-3) The judgement unit 17 judges the clarity of the pattern of the panel 2. L1,L1+SDIn addition, clarity of display 3 C L1,L2 , a visual mark α representing the size of the display object 3, and a chromaticity difference D between the panel 2 and the display object 3. L1,L2 , is used to determine the visibility of the display object 3. According to this configuration, the visibility of the display object 3 is determined using a plurality of indices, which further contributes to obtaining an optimal determination result.

[0049] (1-4) The determination unit 17 determines the visibility of the display object 3 at the actual installation location of the display device 1 that displays the display object 3 on the panel 2. According to this configuration, the visibility of the display object 3 is determined in the environment of the installation location where the display device 1 is actually installed. Therefore, the visibility of the display object 3 can be set to an optimal visibility that matches the installation environment.

[0050] (1-5) The judgment unit 17 judges the visibility of the display object 3 by the judgment formula (1) by adding the clarity C of the pattern of the panel 2 to the judgment formula (1). L1,L1+SD The feature value representing the L1,L2 "," "α", "D L1,L2 " is also included in the judgment formula (1) to obtain a judgment value p, and the visibility of the displayed object 3 is judged based on the judgment value p. According to this configuration, the appearance of the displayed object 3 can be judged by a simple method of judging the visibility based on the judgment value p obtained by substituting the feature amount into the judgment formula (1).

[0051] (1-6) The judgment formula (1) is a formula using logistic regression analysis that predicts the quality of visibility by regression analysis of multiple explanatory variables. With this configuration, it is possible to judge the quality of visibility by comparing the judgment value p with a specified value. Therefore, it is possible to easily judge the quality of visibility, making the judgment work easier.

[0052] Second embodiment Next, a second embodiment will be described. The second embodiment is an example in which an additional function is added to the first embodiment. Therefore, the same parts as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and the description is omitted, and only the different parts will be described in detail.

[0053] (Overview of automatic adjustment of visibility of display object 3) 8, the visibility determination system 13 has a function (feedback function) of automatically adjusting the light source 10 based on the determination result of the determination unit 17. In this case, the visibility determination system 13 has an adjustment unit 21 that adjusts the operation of the light source 10 based on the determination result of the determination unit 17. The adjustment unit 21 controls the light source 10 based on the determination result of the determination unit 17 so as to improve the visibility of the display object 3.

[0054] (How to automatically adjust the visibility of display 3) In this example, the adjustment unit 21 obtains a judgment value p from the judgment unit 17 as a judgment result of visibility. When the judgment value p is less than a specified value, the adjustment unit 21 executes adjustment of the light source 10. Specifically, the adjustment unit 21 adjusts the illumination pattern of the light source 10 by changing, for example, the output luminance of the light source 10, the number of light sources 10 turned on, the chromaticity of the light source 10, or a combination thereof. Then, the adjustment unit 21 repeats this series of adjustments until the judgment value p becomes equal to or greater than the specified value. This makes it possible to automatically optimize the visibility of the display object 3.

[0055] (Effects of the second embodiment) According to the visibility determination system 13 (visibility determination method, program) of the above embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0056] (2-1) The adjustment unit 21 of the visibility determination system 13 adjusts the operating state of the light source 10 so as to improve the visibility of the display object 3 based on the determination result of the determination unit 17. According to this configuration, the adjustment unit 21 can automatically adjust the visibility of the display object 3 to an optimal state.

[0057] Third embodiment Next, a third embodiment will be described. In the third embodiment, only the differences from the first and second embodiments will be described.

[0058] (Configuration of the optical simulation device 30) As shown in FIG. 9, an optical simulation device 30 that performs illumination of a display object 3 in a virtual space includes, for example, a simulation control unit 31, an input unit 32, and a display unit 33. The input unit 32 is used when inputting simulation conditions. The simulation conditions include, for example, the state of the ambient light, the light reflection characteristics of a material, and the characteristics of the human eye. The state of the ambient light is set by, for example, specifying outdoors, indoors, inside a tunnel, and the like. The light reflection characteristics of a material are set by, for example, inputting the light reflection characteristics of a material of a member on which the display object 3 is displayed. The characteristics of the human eye are set by, for example, inputting the color of the eye, color vision characteristics, and the like.

[0059] The simulation control unit 31 executes a simulation process based on the simulation conditions input by the input unit 32. The simulation process is, for example, a process executed in a virtual space to see how the display object 3 looks when the display object 3 is illuminated under the simulation conditions. The display unit 33 displays, for example, various screens in the simulation process.

[0060] (Overview of Visibility Assessment System 13) As shown in FIG. 9, the feature amount calculation unit 16 is provided in an optical simulation device 30. In this embodiment, the feature amount calculation unit 16 calculates feature amounts necessary for determining visibility based on the simulation results obtained by a simulation control unit 31. That is, the feature amount calculation unit 16 calculates "C L1,L1+SD ", "C L1,L2 "," "α", "D L1,L2 In this example, the feature amount calculation unit 16 obtains these feature amounts by, for example, reading the numerical values ​​of the simulation results.

[0061] The determination unit 17 determines the visibility of the display object 3 based on the feature amount calculated by the feature amount calculation unit 16. In this manner, the determination unit 17 of this example executes the determination of the visibility of the display object 3 using the optical simulation device 30. In this example as well, the determination unit 17 determines the determination value p using the determination formula (1), and determines the validity of the visibility of the display object 3 based on this determination value p.

[0062] (Visibility determination operation) When judging the visibility of the display object 3 using the optical simulation device 30, first, the simulation conditions for displaying the display object 3 in the virtual space are set. That is, the operator sets, in the optical simulation device 30, the state of the ambient light, the material light reflection characteristics, the characteristics of the human eye, and the like.

[0063] After the simulation conditions are set, when a simulation start operation is executed, the simulation control unit 31 creates a state in which the display object 3 is illuminated in the optical simulation space based on the set simulation conditions. If there are multiple display objects 3 in the simulation space, each of these display objects 3 is simulated. Then, the simulation control unit 31 outputs the obtained simulation results to the feature calculation unit 16.

[0064] The simulation result may be displayed, for example, on the display unit 33 of the optical simulation device 30. At this time, for example, how the displayed object 3 looks when illuminated is displayed on the display unit 33. Therefore, for example, the size, luminance (clarity), brightness, and chromaticity difference of the displayed object 3 calculated by the simulation can be visually recognized from the image of the displayed object 3 displayed on the display unit 33.

[0065] The feature amount calculation unit 16 calculates the feature amount used to judge the visibility of the display object 3 based on the simulation result obtained from the simulation control unit 31. L1,L1+SD ", "C L1,L2 "," "α", "D L1,L2The feature amount calculation unit 16 outputs the obtained feature amounts to the determination unit 17.

[0066] The judgment unit 17 judges the visibility of the display object 3 based on the feature amount input from the feature amount calculation unit 16. In this example, the judgment unit 17 substitutes the feature amount into the above-mentioned judgment formula (1) to obtain a judgment value p, and judges the validity of the visibility from this judgment value p. If there are multiple display objects 3 in the simulation space, the judgment unit 17 judges the visibility of each of these display objects 3. In this example as well, if the judgment value p is equal to or greater than a specified value, the judgment unit 17 judges that the visibility is valid.

[0067] 10, the optical simulation device 30 may visually notify the operator of the determination result of the determination unit 17. Specifically, the simulation control unit 31 acquires the determination result from the determination unit 17, and displays the determination result on the display unit 33 as an image that can be visually notified.

[0068] 11 illustrates an example of notification of the visibility judgment result. The simulation control unit 31 displays the judgment result of the visibility of the display object 3, for example, using characters, figures, colors, etc. For example, a display object 3 with appropriate visibility may display the character "OK", or a larger figure surrounding the character or the character itself may be displayed in green. On the other hand, a display object 3 with inappropriate visibility may display, for example, the character "NG", or a smaller figure surrounding the character or the character itself may be displayed in red.

[0069] (Effects of the third embodiment) According to the visibility determination system 13 (visibility determination method, program) of the above embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0070] (3-1) The determination unit 17 uses an optical simulation device 30 that performs illumination of the display object 3 in a virtual space to perform a determination of the visibility of the display object 3. According to this configuration, it is possible to determine the visibility of the display object 3 in an optical simulation environment, so that it is possible to grasp what kind of visibility the display object 3 will have without actually manufacturing the display device 1.

[0071] (Other embodiments) This embodiment can be modified as follows: This embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other to the extent that no technical contradiction occurs.

[0072] In each embodiment, the pattern of the panel 2 is not limited to a wood grain pattern, and may be, for example, a striped pattern, a checked pattern, a geometric pattern, a woven pattern, a tile pattern, a brick pattern, a stone pattern, a floral pattern, a plant pattern, or the like.

[0073] In each embodiment, the layer structure of the panel 2 may be changed to a structure other than that in the embodiment. In each embodiment, a switch paired with the display object 3 may be provided on the panel 2 . In each embodiment, the display object 3 may have a touch switch function. Specifically, a sensor (e.g., a sensor sheet) may be provided on the rear surface of the display object 3 in the panel 2, and the touch operation on the display object 3 may be detected by this sensor.

[0074] In each embodiment, a plurality of display objects 3 may be displayed on the panel 2. In each embodiment, the judgment formula (1) is not limited to a formula using logistic regression analysis, and other types of formulas, such as a formula using multiple regression analysis, may be used.

[0075] In each embodiment, the visibility determination system 13 may be a system permanently installed in a vehicle, or may be a portable mobile system. If the system is permanently installed in a vehicle, the visibility can be determined at any time. If the system is mobile, one system can be shared by multiple vehicles.

[0076] In each embodiment, the visibility determination system 13 is not limited to being mounted on a vehicle, and may be used in other devices or apparatuses. In each embodiment, the phrase "at least one" used in this disclosure means "one or more" of the desired options. As an example, the phrase "at least one" used in this disclosure means "only one option" or "both of two options" if the number of options is two. As another example, the phrase "at least one" used in this disclosure means "only one option" or "any combination of two or more options" if the number of options is three or more.

[0077] In each embodiment, the feature calculation unit 16, the determination unit 17, and the adjustment unit 21 may be configured by [1] one or more processors that operate according to a computer program (software), or [2] a combination of such a processor and one or more dedicated hardware circuits such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) that executes at least some of the various processes. The processor includes a CPU and memories such as RAM and ROM, and the memories store program codes or instructions that are configured to cause the CPU to execute the processes. The memory (computer-readable medium) includes any available medium that can be accessed by a general-purpose or dedicated computer. Alternatively, instead of a computer including the above processor, a processing circuit configured by one or more dedicated hardware circuits that execute all of the various processes may be used.

[0078] In each embodiment, the feature calculation unit 16, the determination unit 17, and the adjustment unit 21 may be configured from independent processors, or may be constructed from a processor that shares some of the functions. In this way, the feature calculation unit 16, the determination unit 17, and the adjustment unit 21 are not limited to being independent functional blocks, and may be configured from one functional block, or may be configured from a functional block that shares some of the functions.

[0079] In each embodiment, the present disclosure has been described based on the examples, but it is understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the examples or structures. The present disclosure also includes various modifications and modifications within the equivalent range. In addition, various combinations and forms, and other combinations and forms including only one element, more than one element, or less than one element, are also within the scope and concept of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0080] 1... display device, 2... panel, 3... display object, 10... light source, 13... visibility determination system, 17... determination unit, 21... adjustment unit, 30... optical simulation device, C L1,L1+SD …Clarity of the panel pattern, C L1,L2 …Clarity of display, α…Mark visibility, D L1,L2 ...chromaticity difference between panel and displayed object, L1...average luminance of panel, L2...average luminance of displayed object, SD...standard deviation of panel luminance, (1)...judgment formula, p...judgment value.

Claims

1. 1. A visibility determination system for determining visibility of a display object when a back surface of a panel on which a display object is formed is irradiated with light from a light source, and the display object is displayed against a pattern of the panel as a background by the light passing through the display object, comprising: A visibility determination system comprising a determination unit that determines the visibility of the display object based on a feature that represents the clarity of the pattern of the panel.

2. The feature of the clarity of the pattern of the panel is calculated based on the average luminance of the panel and the standard deviation of the luminance of the panel. The visibility determination system according to claim 1 .

3. The determination unit determines the visibility of the display object using at least one of the clarity of the pattern of the panel, the clarity of the display object, a mark visual representing the size of the display object, and a chromaticity difference between the panel and the display object. The visibility determination system according to claim 1 .

4. and an adjustment unit that adjusts the operating state of the light source based on the judgment result of the judgment unit so as to improve the visibility of the display object. The visibility determination system according to claim 1 .

5. The determination unit determines visibility of the display object at a location where a display device that displays the display object on the panel is actually attached. The visibility determination system according to claim 1 .

6. The determination unit performs a determination of visibility of the display object using an optical simulation device that performs illumination of the display object in a virtual space. The visibility determination system according to claim 1 .

7. The determination unit obtains a determination value by substituting a feature amount representing clarity of a pattern of the panel into a determination formula for determining the visibility of the display object, and determines the visibility of the display object based on the determination value. The visibility determination system according to claim 1 .

8. The judgment formula is a formula using logistic regression analysis that predicts the quality of visibility by regression analysis of multiple explanatory variables. The visibility determination system according to claim 7 .

9. A visibility determination method for use in a visibility determination system that determines visibility of a display object when a back surface of a panel on which a display object is formed is irradiated with light from a light source, and the display object is displayed against a background of a pattern of the panel by the light that passes through the display object, comprising: acquiring a feature value representative of clarity of a pattern on the panel; and determining visibility of the display object based on a feature of clarity of the pattern of the panel. A visibility determination method executed by the visibility determination system.

10. A program used in a visibility determination system that determines visibility of a display object when a back surface of a panel on which a display object is formed is irradiated with light from a light source, and the display object is displayed against a pattern of the panel as a background by the light passing through the display object, the program comprising: acquiring a feature value representative of clarity of a pattern on the panel; and determining visibility of the display object based on a feature of clarity of the pattern of the panel. A program that a computer runs.

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