Vehicle display control device, vehicle display control method, and vehicle display control program

Abstract

To provide a vehicle display control device which can clearly show which vehicle a tracking mark indicates when the tracking mark for tracking a movable body other than the own vehicle is shown, and to provide a vehicle display control method and a vehicle display control program.SOLUTION: A vehicle display control device (20) includes a display processing part (54) which displays a tracking mark (100) which tracks a movable body other than the own vehicle in a display area. The tracking mark clearly shows the movable body indicated by the tracking mark with a sandwiching part (101) which sandwiches the movable body. The display processing part moves a display position of at least the sandwiching part of the tracking mark so that the display position tracks movement of the movable body.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle display control device, a vehicle display control method, and a vehicle display control program. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, vehicles have been considered to have a function of displaying a mark following another vehicle superimposed on a display area of ​​the front windshield, that is, a so-called head-up display function. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for displaying a mark superimposed on another vehicle traveling ahead of the vehicle in the traveling direction. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6536855 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses bar-shaped, crescent-shaped, and arc-shaped marks. However, when such bar-shaped, crescent-shaped, and arc-shaped marks are used, for example, when there are multiple other vehicles, it is difficult to know which vehicle is being pointed to, and therefore there is a risk that the vehicle being pointed to by the mark will not match the vehicle recognized by the driver.

[0005] The present disclosure provides a vehicle display control device, a vehicle display control method, and a vehicle display control program that, when displaying a following mark that follows a moving body other than one's own vehicle, makes it easy to understand which vehicle the following mark is pointing to. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The vehicle display control device of the present disclosure includes a display processing unit 54 that displays a following mark 100 in a display area that follows a moving object other than the vehicle itself, and the following mark clearly indicates the moving object that the following mark is pointing to by a clamping unit 101 that clamps the moving object, and the display processing unit moves the display position of at least the clamping unit of the following mark so as to follow the movement of the moving object.

[0007] The vehicle display control method according to the present disclosure is a method including a display process for displaying a following mark 100 in a display area that follows a moving object other than the vehicle itself, and in the display process, a following mark is used that clearly indicates the moving object that the following mark is pointing to using a clamping portion 101 that clamps the moving object, and at least the display position of the clamping portion of the following mark is moved so as to follow the movement of the moving object.

[0008] The vehicle display control program of the present disclosure is a program that causes a computer to execute a display process for displaying a following mark 100 in a display area that follows a moving object other than the vehicle itself, and in the display process, a following mark is used that clearly indicates the moving object that the following mark is pointing to using a clamping portion 101 that clamps the moving object, and at least the display position of the clamping portion of the following mark is moved so as to follow the movement of the moving object.

[0009] According to the present disclosure, the moving object indicated by the following mark is clearly indicated by the clamping portion that clamps the moving object, and at least the display position of the clamping portion of the following mark moves to follow the movement of the moving object. This makes it possible to clearly indicate the moving object indicated by the following mark, even when, for example, multiple other vehicles are present. Therefore, when a following mark that follows a moving object other than the own vehicle is displayed, it is possible to easily understand which vehicle the following mark is indicating. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a vehicle system according to the present disclosure. [Diagram 2]FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration example of a head-up display according to the present disclosure. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the arrangement of display regions according to the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a control system of a vehicle display control device according to the present disclosure. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a configuration of a tracking mark according to the present disclosure; [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a diagram (part 1) showing an example of a display mode within the angle of view according to the present disclosure; [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram (part 2) showing an example of a display mode within the angle of view according to the present disclosure; [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a diagram (part 1) showing an example of a display mode outside the angle of view according to the present disclosure; [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a diagram (part 2) showing an example of a display mode outside the angle of view according to the present disclosure; [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic shape of a follow-up mark when traveling on a straight road according to the present disclosure; [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic shape of a follow-up mark when driving on a curved road or in the left lane according to the present disclosure; [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a relationship between the amount of movement of another vehicle and the amount of movement and rotation of a following mark according to the present disclosure; [Figure 13] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a manner in which a follow-up mark is displayed while being moved or rotated within a display area according to the present disclosure; [Figure 14] FIG. 1 is a diagram (part 1) illustrating a schematic display mode of a follow-up mark according to a modified example of the present disclosure; [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a diagram (part 2) illustrating a schematic display mode of a follow-up mark according to a modified example of the present disclosure; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] An embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. A vehicle system 1 illustrated in Fig. 1 is used in a moving object such as a vehicle traveling on a road, and includes an HMI system 2 (HMI: Human Machine Interface), an ADAS locator 3 (ADAS: Advanced Driver Assistance Systems), a surroundings monitoring sensor 4, a vehicle control ECU 5 (ECU: Electronic Control Unit), a driving assistance ECU 6 (ECU: Electronic Control Unit), etc. The HMI system 2, the ADAS locator 3, the surroundings monitoring sensor 4, the vehicle control ECU 5, and the driving assistance ECU 6 are each connected to, for example, an in-vehicle LAN (LAN: Local Area Network) mounted in the vehicle.

[0012] The ADAS locator 3 includes a GNSS receiver 30 (GNSS: Global Navigation Satellite System), an inertial sensor 31, a map database 32, and the like. Hereinafter, the map database 32 may be referred to as a map DB 32. The GNSS receiver 30 receives positioning signals from a plurality of artificial satellites. The inertial sensor 31 is composed of, for example, a gyro sensor and an acceleration sensor. The ADAS locator 3 sequentially measures the position of the vehicle on which the vehicular system 1 is mounted by combining the positioning signal received by the GNSS receiver 30 with the sensing result by the inertial sensor 31. Then, the ADAS locator 3 outputs the measured position of the vehicle via an in-vehicle LAN. In this case, the position of the vehicle is represented by a coordinate system consisting of latitude and longitude, and in this coordinate system, for example, the X-axis indicates longitude and the Y-axis indicates latitude. The position of the vehicle can be determined based on various configurations, such as information on the distance traveled obtained based on the sensing results of a vehicle speed sensor installed in the vehicle, as long as the configuration is capable of identifying the position of the vehicle.

[0013] The map DB 32 is composed of, for example, a non-volatile memory, and stores map data including various data such as link data, node data, and road shape data. The link data includes various data such as link identification data that identifies links constituting a road on the map, link length data that indicates the length of the link, link orientation data that indicates the orientation of the link, link travel time data that indicates the time required to travel the link, node coordinate data that indicates the coordinates of nodes constituting the start point and end point of the link, and link attribute data that indicates the attributes of the road. The node data includes various data such as node identification data that identifies a node present on the map, node coordinate data that indicates the coordinates of the node, node name data that indicates the name of the node, node type data that indicates the type of node such as an intersection, and connection link data that identifies a link connected to the node. The road shape data is data that indicates the shape of a road present on the map. The road shape data includes data that indicates the altitude of the road, the cross slope of the road, the longitudinal slope of the road, and the like.

[0014] The map data may be acquired from outside the vehicle, for example, via a communication module mounted on the vehicle. As the map data, three-dimensional map data including a point cloud such as characteristic points of road shapes and characteristic points of structures existing on a map may be used. When three-dimensional map data is used, the ADAS locator 3 may be configured to identify the position of the vehicle using the three-dimensional map data and a sensing result by a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging / Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging) that detects a point cloud.

[0015] The perimeter monitoring sensor 4 is a sensor that monitors the environment around the vehicle, and in this case, is provided as an autonomous sensor that operates autonomously. The perimeter monitoring sensor 4 can detect various objects present around the vehicle, such as moving objects moving around the vehicle, such as humans such as pedestrians, non-human animals, and vehicles other than the vehicle, i.e., other vehicles, and stationary objects that are stationary around the vehicle, such as objects that have fallen on the road, guardrails, curbs, and trees that are present around the road. The perimeter monitoring sensor 4 can also detect road markings such as lane lines, stop lines, and pedestrian crossings, and instruction signs that read, for example, "Stop," that are provided on the road around the vehicle. The perimeter monitoring sensor 4 sequentially outputs the obtained sensing data to the in-vehicle LAN. The perimeter monitoring sensor 4 is composed of, for example, a perimeter monitoring camera that captures a predetermined range around the vehicle, and a millimeter wave radar, sonar, LIDAR, and other search wave sensors that output search waves to a predetermined range around the vehicle.

[0016] The search wave sensor sequentially outputs the scanning results based on the received signal obtained by receiving the reflected wave reflected by the object as sensing data to the in-vehicle LAN. More specifically, the search wave sensor measures the distance from the search wave sensor to the object based on the time from transmitting the search wave to receiving the reflected wave reflected by the object. The search wave sensor measures the orientation of the object relative to the search wave sensor based on the angle at which the reflected wave is received. The orientation can be expressed, for example, by an azimuth angle, and for example, a clockwise azimuth angle can be expressed as a positive azimuth angle and a counterclockwise azimuth angle can be expressed as a negative azimuth angle based on the front direction of the vehicle as a reference.

[0017] The periphery monitoring sensor 4 is configured to include at least a front camera 41 having an imaging range that is a predetermined range in the area in front of the vehicle in the traveling direction, and a millimeter wave radar 42 having a search range that is a predetermined range in the area in front of the vehicle in the traveling direction. The front camera 41 may be provided, for example, on the rearview mirror or the upper surface of the instrument panel of the vehicle. The millimeter wave radar 42 may be provided, for example, on the front grill or front bumper of the vehicle. The millimeter wave radar 42 transmits millimeter waves or quasi-millimeter waves while scanning a sensing range in front of the vehicle, and receives reflected waves reflected by the object, thereby measuring the distance and direction to the object relative to the millimeter wave radar 42. The sensing range of the front camera 41 and the sensing range of the millimeter wave radar 42 may or may not be the same. The sensing range of the front camera 41 and the sensing range of the millimeter wave radar 42 may at least partially overlap, or may not overlap. A plurality of periphery monitoring sensors 4 may be provided at different locations on the host vehicle.

[0018] The vehicle control ECU5 is an electronic control unit for controlling, for example, the acceleration and deceleration, steering, and braking of the vehicle. The vehicle control ECU5 includes a power unit control ECU for controlling the acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle, a steering control ECU for controlling the steering of the vehicle, and a brake control ECU for controlling the braking of the vehicle. The vehicle control ECU5 outputs control signals to various driving control devices such as an electronically controlled throttle, a brake actuator, and an EPS motor (EPS: Electric Power Steering) based on detection signals output from various sensors such as an accelerator position sensor, a brake pedal force sensor, a steering angle sensor, and a wheel speed sensor mounted on the vehicle. The vehicle control ECU5 can output detection signals obtained from various sensors to an in-vehicle LAN.

[0019] The driving assistance ECU 6 assists the driver in driving operations by, for example, working in cooperation with the vehicle control ECU 5. The assistance provided by the driving assistance ECU 6 includes an automatic driving function that automatically controls the driving of the vehicle. The driving assistance ECU 6 recognizes the driving environment of the vehicle based on the position of the vehicle acquired from the ADAS locator 3, map data stored in the map DB 32, sensing data acquired from the periphery monitoring sensor 4, and the like. To explain in more detail, the driving assistance ECU 6 can recognize the position, shape, moving state, and the like of objects present around the vehicle based on the sensing data acquired from the periphery monitoring sensor 4, and can recognize the position, size, and content, and the like of road markings present around the vehicle. The driving assistance ECU 6 can generate a virtual space that reproduces the actual driving environment around the vehicle in three dimensions by combining the information recognized in this way with various information such as the map data and the position of the vehicle.

[0020] The driving assistance ECU 6 can generate a driving plan for automatically driving the vehicle by the automatic driving function based on the recognized driving environment. As the driving plan, a long-term driving plan, a medium-term driving plan, a short-term driving plan, and the like can be generated. In the short-term driving plan, for example, acceleration / deceleration control for maintaining a target inter-vehicle distance from a preceding vehicle, steering control for lane following and lane changing, braking control for collision avoidance, and the like are determined using the generated virtual space around the vehicle. In the long-term driving plan or the medium-term driving plan, a recommended route and a driving schedule for the vehicle to reach a destination are determined. The driving assistance ECU 6 may generate any one of the short-term driving plan, the medium-term driving plan, and the long-term driving plan, for example, only the short-term driving plan.

[0021] An example of the automatic driving function executed by the driving assistance ECU 6 is an ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control) function that controls the traveling speed of the host vehicle so as to maintain a target inter-vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle by adjusting the driving force and braking force. An example of the automatic driving function executed by the driving assistance ECU 6 is an AEB (Autonomous Emergency Braking) function that forcibly decelerates the host vehicle by generating a braking force based on the sensing result in front of the host vehicle. The ACC function and the AEB function are merely examples, and the driving assistance ECU 6 may be configured to include other functions.

[0022] The HMI system 2 includes an HCU 20 (Human Machine Interface Control Unit), an operation device 21, a DSM 22 (Driver Status Monitor), a display device 23, and the like. The HMI system 2 accepts input operations by the driver of the vehicle and presents various information to the driver of the vehicle. The operation device 21 includes various switches operated by the driver of the vehicle. The operation device 21 is used to perform various settings and the like. Specifically, the operation device 21 is composed of a steering switch provided on the spoke of the steering wheel of the vehicle, and the like.

[0023] The DSM 22 includes, for example, a light source that generates near-infrared light, a near-infrared camera that detects the near-infrared light, and a control unit that controls them. The DSM 22 is arranged, for example, on a steering column cover or an upper surface of an instrument panel, with the near-infrared camera facing the driver's seat of the vehicle. The DSM 22 uses the near-infrared camera to capture an image of the driver's head irradiated with near-infrared light from a near-infrared light source. The image captured by the near-infrared camera is analyzed by a control unit (not shown). For example, the control unit extracts the driver's eyes from the captured image and detects the position of the driver's eyes relative to a reference position set in the vehicle cabin as a viewpoint position. The reference position can be set, for example, to the installation position of the near-infrared camera. The DSM 22 outputs information representing the detected viewpoint position of the driver to the HCU 20. The control unit can identify or estimate the driver's line of sight, that is, the direction in which the driver's eyes are facing, by analyzing the image captured by the near-infrared camera. The DSM 22 outputs to the HCU 20 gaze direction information indicating the identified or estimated direction of the driver's gaze.

[0024] The display device 23 is configured as a so-called head-up display (HUD) 230. Hereinafter, the head-up display 230 may be referred to as the HUD 230. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the HUD 230 is provided, for example, on the instrument panel 12 of the vehicle. The HUD 230 forms a display image based on image data output from the HCU 20 by a projector 231, for example, a liquid crystal type or a scanning type. The display image may be, for example, an image showing information related to route guidance for the vehicle, a following mark 100, which will be described later, or the like.

[0025] The HUD 230 projects a display image formed by a projector 231 onto the front windshield 10, which is an example of a projection unit, via an optical system 232 having, for example, a concave mirror. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the front windshield 10 is provided with a display area R, and the display image formed by the projector 231 is projected, that is, displayed, within the angle of view of the display area R. The display area R is provided so as to be located in front of the driver's seat on the front windshield 10, particularly in front of the driver seated in the driver's seat. In this case, the display area R is a rectangular shape that is long in the horizontal direction, but may also be a rectangular shape that is long in the vertical direction, or may be a shape other than a rectangular shape, for example, a circular shape, an elliptical shape, a polygonal shape, or the like.

[0026] The light beam of the display image projected on the windshield 10 is perceived, i.e., visually recognized, by the driver seated in the driver's seat. The windshield 10 is made of, for example, a translucent glass material, and the light beam of the scenery, i.e., the foreground, existing in front of the vehicle is also perceived, i.e., visually recognized, by the driver seated in the driver's seat. This allows the driver to visually recognize a virtual image of the display image formed in front of the windshield 10, superimposed as virtual image content C on a part of the foreground. In other words, the HUD 230 realizes a so-called AR display (AR: Augmented Reality) by superimposing and displaying the virtual image content C on the actual foreground of the vehicle.

[0027] The virtual image content C is at least information related to the driving support of the vehicle, that is, content that visually represents driving support related information. As the driving support related information, various information can be applied as long as it is useful for driving support of the vehicle, such as route guidance related information indicating the traveling direction of the vehicle on the guide route, automatic driving related information indicating the route when the vehicle is controlled to be driven automatically, lane information indicating the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, curve notification information notifying the driver of a curve existing ahead of the vehicle's traveling direction, pedestrian information notifying the driver of a pedestrian existing ahead of the vehicle's traveling direction, and stop line information notifying the driver of a stop line existing ahead of the vehicle's traveling direction. Furthermore, the virtual image content C includes a following mark 100 that follows a moving body other than the vehicle.

[0028] The projection unit onto which the HUD 230 projects the virtual image content C is not limited to the front windshield 10, and may be, for example, a translucent combiner. The display device 23 may be, for example, a combination meter, a CUD (Center Information Display), or the like.

[0029] The HCU 20 is mainly configured with a microcomputer including, for example, a processor, a volatile memory, a non-volatile memory, an input / output circuit, and a bus connecting these. The HCU 20 is connected to the HUD 230 and an in-vehicle LAN. The HCU 20 is an example of a vehicle display control device according to the present disclosure, and controls display by a display unit such as the HUD 230 by executing a control program stored in a storage medium such as a non-volatile memory. The control program includes a vehicle display control program according to the present disclosure. The HCU 20 can perform the vehicle display control method according to the present disclosure by executing the control program. The memory is, for example, a non-transitory tangible storage medium that non-temporarily stores programs and data that can be read by a computer. The non-transitory tangible storage medium can be realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory or a magnetic disk.

[0030] 4, the HCU 20 executes a vehicle display control program to virtually realize a superimposed content projection unit 51, a non-superimposed content projection unit 52, a detection processing unit 53, and a display processing unit 54 by software. The HCU 20 may configure these processing units by hardware, or may configure them by a combination of software and hardware.

[0031] The superimposed content projection unit 51 executes a superimposed content projection process. The superimposed content projection process is a process of projecting a superimposed content, which is an example of a virtual image content C, within the angle of view of the display region R of the front windshield 10 so as to superimpose the superimposed content on an object included in the foreground of the vehicle. The superimposed content is a virtual image content C that is projected so as to be actively attached to an object included in the foreground of the vehicle, and is different from a virtual image content C that is not projected so as to be actively attached to an object included in the foreground of the vehicle, for example, a non-superimposed content described later when the non-superimposed content is projected at a position where it accidentally superimposes on an object included in the foreground of the vehicle.

[0032] Specifically, the superimposed content includes virtual image content C that is projected along the road, virtual image content C that extends in the depth direction of the front windshield 10 as seen by the driver, i.e., toward the front in the direction of travel of the vehicle, virtual image content C that is superimposed and projected onto an object in the foreground of the vehicle, such as a stop line that actually exists in front of the vehicle in the direction of travel, and this state is maintained regardless of the movement of the vehicle, and virtual image content C in which a predetermined positional relationship is maintained between the driver's viewpoint, the actual scene in front of the vehicle, and the projection position within the angle of view of the display area R.

[0033] The non-overlapping content projection unit 52 executes a non-overlapping content projection process. The non-overlapping content projection process is a process of projecting a non-overlapping content, which is an example of a virtual image content C, within the angle of view of the display region R of the front windshield 10 without superimposing it on an object included in the foreground of the vehicle. The non-overlapping content is a virtual image content C that is not projected so as to be actively attached to an object included in the foreground of the vehicle, but may be projected accidentally in a state where it is superimposed on an object included in the foreground of the vehicle.

[0034] The detection processing unit 53 executes a detection process. The detection process is a process for detecting a moving object existing around the vehicle. In this case, the detection processing unit 53 can detect a moving object existing around the vehicle, for example, another vehicle traveling ahead in the traveling direction of the vehicle, mainly by using the periphery monitoring sensor 4.

[0035] The display processing unit 54 executes a display process. The display process is a process of displaying, within the angle of view of the display region R of the HUD 230, a moving object detected by the detection processing unit 53, for example, a following mark 100 that follows another vehicle traveling ahead in the traveling direction of the host vehicle.

[0036] As illustrated in FIG. 5, the following mark 100 is generally formed in a ring shape with a portion cut out. The following mark 100 has a clamping portion 101 and a cutout portion 102. The clamping portion 101 cuts out a portion of the following mark 100 on the other vehicle side, and the following mark 100 is displayed so as to clamp the following other vehicle. The following mark 100 is displayed so that the center of the preceding other vehicle in the left-right direction and the center of the clamping portion 101 in the left-right direction coincide with each other. Since the following mark 100 is partially cut out by the clamping portion 101, the following mark 100 is not a ring shape that surrounds the entire other vehicle, but a ring shape that is displayed so as to clamp the side of the other vehicle. The cutout portion 102 cuts out a portion of the following mark 100 on the vehicle side. The cutout portion 102 faces the clamping portion 101 across the center of the following mark 100, which is generally ring-shaped.

[0037] The following mark 100 is divided into two arc-shaped parts 100A and 100B by cutting out the other vehicle side by a clamping portion 101 and cutting out the host vehicle side by a notch portion 102. The parts 100A and 100B each have a constant brightness area A1 and a gradation area A2. The constant brightness area A1 is provided in the center of the parts 100A and 100B. In the constant brightness area A1, the brightness of the display color is constant. The gradation area A2 extends in an arc shape from the constant brightness area A1 toward the clamping portion 101 side and the notch portion 102 side, respectively. In the gradation area A2, the color gradually becomes lighter toward the clamping portion 101 and the notch portion 102.

[0038] In this case, the brightness indicates the brightness of the following mark 100 displayed in the display area R when viewed from the driver's seat of the vehicle. It is preferable that the brightness of the constant brightness area A1 of the following mark 100 is as high as possible. This makes it easier to recognize the following mark 100, and therefore makes it easier to recognize the other vehicle pointed to by the following mark 100.

[0039] In the configuration example of FIG. 5, for convenience of explanation, the clamping portion 101 side is defined as the upper side, the cutout portion 102 side is defined as the lower side, and the direction perpendicular to the direction connecting the center of the clamping portion 101 and the center of the cutout portion 102 is defined as the left-right direction. The entire length D1 of the following mark 100 in the up-down direction is a predetermined multiple, for example, about 1.5 times, of the apparent length in the front-rear direction, left-right direction, or up-down direction of the other vehicle viewed within the angle of view of the display area R. The entire length D2 of the clamping portion 101 in the left-right direction is a predetermined amount longer than the apparent length in the left-right direction of the other vehicle viewed within the angle of view of the display area R. This predetermined amount can be changed and set as appropriate. The entire length D3 of the cutout portion 102 in the left-right direction is a predetermined amount shorter than the apparent length in the left-right direction of the other vehicle viewed within the angle of view of the display area R. This predetermined amount can be changed and set as appropriate. The overall length D2 of clip portion 101 in the left-right direction is longer than the overall length D3 of cutout portion 102 in the left-right direction.

[0040] The display processing unit 54 may be configured to estimate the apparent length in the front-rear direction of another vehicle viewed within the angle of view of the display area R, for example, by executing image analysis processing. The display processing unit 54 may be configured to estimate the apparent length in the left-right direction of another vehicle viewed within the angle of view of the display area R, for example, by executing image analysis processing. The display processing unit 54 may be configured to estimate the apparent length in the up-down direction of another vehicle viewed within the angle of view of the display area R, for example, by executing image analysis processing.

[0041] Alternatively, the display processing unit 54 may be configured to be able to identify the vehicle type of the other vehicle viewed within the angle of view of the display area R, for example, by executing an image analysis process. The display processing unit 54 may be configured to be able to access a vehicle model database in which information such as the actual length of each vehicle model in the front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions is stored. The display processing unit 54 may be configured to acquire information such as the actual length of the identified vehicle model in the front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions from the vehicle model database, and to estimate the apparent length of the other vehicle viewed within the angle of view of the display area R in the front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions based on the acquired actual length.

[0042] In the gradation area A2, near the boundary with the clamping portion 101, the transparency is close to 100%, that is, the surrounding portion of the clamping portion 101 of the following mark 100 is almost transparent. Furthermore, the clamping portion 101 of the following mark 100 is transparent. This makes it possible to prevent the clamping portion 101 of the following mark 100 and its surrounding portion from overlapping with another vehicle within the angle of view of the display area R.

[0043] In the gradation area A2, near the boundary with the cutout 102, the transparency is close to 100 percent, meaning that the surrounding portion of the cutout 102 of the following mark 100 is almost transparent. Furthermore, the cutout 102 of the following mark 100 is transparent. This makes it possible to prevent the cutout 102 of the following mark 100 and its surrounding portion from overlapping with road markings such as a center line on the road within the angle of view of the display area R.

[0044] As illustrated in FIG. 6, the following mark 100 has a shape that clearly indicates the other vehicle pointed to by the following mark 100 using a clamping portion 101 that clamps the other vehicle. The display processing unit 54 displays the following mark 100 so that the tips of the arc-shaped parts 100A and 100B are apparently located at the center of the other vehicle in the front-rear direction within the angle of view of the display area R. The display processing unit 54 displays the following mark 100 so that the tips of the arc-shaped parts 100A and 100B are apparently located at the height of the upper end of the bumper of the other vehicle within the angle of view of the display area R. When the position of the other vehicle moves within the angle of view of the display area R, the display processing unit 54 moves the display position of the following mark 100 so as to follow the movement of the other vehicle. At this time, the display processing unit 54 moves the display position of the entire following mark 100 including the clamping portion 101 and the cutout portion 102 so as to follow the movement of the other vehicle.

[0045] The following mark 100 has a clamping portion 101 and its surrounding area that are almost transparent, and is configured to clamp another vehicle in the clamping portion 101. Therefore, the driver can fully recognize the other vehicle that the following mark 100 is pointing to.

[0046] As illustrated in FIG. 7, when the position of the other vehicle moves within the angle of view of the display area R, the display processing unit 54 moves the display position of the entire following mark 100 so as to follow the other vehicle after the movement. The display processing unit 54 moves the display position of the clamping portion 101 so as to follow the other vehicle after the movement. The display processing unit 54 makes the movement amount Q2 of the display position of the clamping portion 101 on the other vehicle side larger than the movement amount Q1 of the display position of the notch 102 on the host vehicle side of the following mark 100. Therefore, in the following mark 100, as the other vehicle moves, the clamping portion 101 rotates in the moving direction of the other vehicle and the notch portion 102 rotates in the opposite direction to the moving direction of the other vehicle.

[0047] As illustrated in FIG. 8, when the whole of the other vehicle is completely outside the display area R, the display processing unit 54 fastens the tip of the clamping unit 101 to the end of the display area R. At this time, at the end of the display area R, the clamping unit 101 is oriented toward the position of the other vehicle outside the angle of view of the display area R. When the whole of the other vehicle is completely outside the display area R, a part of the following mark 100 may extend beyond the angle of view of the display area R. In such a case, the display processing unit 54 may hide or display the part of the following mark 100 that extends beyond the angle of view of the display area R. Alternatively, the display processing unit 54 may adjust the curvature of the ring shape or the rotation angle of the whole following mark 100 so that the whole following mark 100 fits within the angle of view of the display area R.

[0048] As illustrated in FIG. 9, when another vehicle moves outside the angle of view of the display area R, the display processing unit 54 moves the entire following mark 100 in the up-down direction with the clamping unit 101 in contact with the end of the display area R. At this time, the display processing unit 54 moves and rotates the entire following mark 100 up and down so that the clamping unit 101 points to the position of the other vehicle. In FIG. 9, the other vehicle moves downward outside the angle of view of the display area R. Therefore, the display processing unit 54 moves the entire following mark 100 downward, which is the moving direction of the other vehicle. Although detailed illustration is omitted, even when the other vehicle moves to the left outside the angle of view of the display area R, the display processing unit 54 moves the entire following mark 100 downward according to the movement of the other vehicle. When the other vehicle moves upward outside the angle of view of the display area R, the display processing unit 54 moves the entire following mark 100 upward, which is the moving direction of the other vehicle. When the other vehicle moves to the right outside the angle of view of the display region R, the display processing unit 54 moves the entire following mark 100 upward in accordance with the movement of the other vehicle.

[0049] There are various possible cases in which the entire other vehicle may completely leave the display area R, such as when the other vehicle leaves the display area R while driving around a curve, when the other vehicle changes lanes to the left or right of the vehicle's driving lane and leaves the display area R, or when the other vehicle leaves the display area R due to a change in road gradient.

[0050] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the shape of the following mark 100 from above when the vehicle and the other vehicle are traveling on a straight road, for example. In this case, the other vehicle is located directly in front of the vehicle, and the connecting line L3 connecting the center of the vehicle and the center of the other vehicle is along the traveling direction of the vehicle. The following mark 100 is in a state where the center of the clamping portion 101 and the center of the notch portion 102 are arranged on the connecting line L3. The following mark 100 has a line-symmetrical circular shape with the connecting line L3 as the axis of symmetry. The circular shape of the following mark 100 illustrated in FIG. 10 is a regular circle shape or a perfect circle shape, and can be defined as the basic shape of the following mark 100.

[0051] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the shape of the following mark 100 from above when the vehicle and the other vehicle are traveling on a curved road or when the other vehicle is traveling in a lane to the left of the vehicle. In this case, the other vehicle is located at a position shifted to the left side from directly in front of the vehicle, and the connecting line L3 connecting the center of the vehicle and the center of the other vehicle is inclined to the left side with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle. The following mark 100 is in a state where the center of the clamping portion 101 and the center of the cutout portion 102 are arranged on the connecting line L3, and the clamping portion 101 is directed diagonally forward to the left, that is, toward the other vehicle. In other words, when the other vehicle deviates to the left or right from directly in front of the vehicle, the following mark 100 rotates so that the clamping portion 101 is directed in the direction of the deviation. Also, the display position of the following mark 100 as a whole moves toward the moving direction of the other vehicle.

[0052] 12 shows an example of the relationship between the amount of leftward movement of another vehicle and the amount of movement and rotation of the following mark 100. That is, the greater the amount of leftward movement of the other vehicle, the greater the amount of leftward movement of the entire following mark 100. The greater the amount of leftward movement of the other vehicle, the greater the amount of leftward rotation of the clamping portion 101. Although not shown, the greater the amount of rightward movement of the other vehicle, the greater the amount of rightward movement of the entire following mark 100. The greater the amount of rightward movement of the other vehicle, the greater the amount of rightward rotation of the clamping portion 101.

[0053] In Figures 10 to 12, for ease of explanation, the following mark 100 is shown between the vehicle itself and the other vehicle. In reality, however, as illustrated in Figure 13, within the display area R, the following mark 100, which is shaped like a hula hoop with a portion cut out, is displayed while being moved or rotated so that the clamping portion 101, which is the cut-out portion, appears to sandwich the other vehicle.

[0054] According to this embodiment, the HCU 20 includes a display processing unit 54 that displays a following mark 100 that follows another vehicle traveling ahead in the traveling direction of the host vehicle in a display area R. The following mark 100 clearly indicates the other vehicle that the following mark 100 points to by a clamping portion 101 that clamps the other vehicle, and the display processing unit 54 moves the display position of at least the clamping portion 101 of the following mark 100 so as to follow the movement of the other vehicle.

[0055] According to this configuration example, the other vehicle pointed to by the following mark 100 is clearly indicated by the clamping portion 101 that clamps the other vehicle, and the display position of at least the clamping portion 101 of the following mark 100 moves so as to follow the movement of the other vehicle. This makes it possible to clearly indicate the other vehicle pointed to by the following mark 100, even if, for example, multiple other vehicles exist within the angle of view of the display area R. Therefore, when displaying the following mark 100 that follows another vehicle, it is possible to easily see which vehicle the following mark 100 is pointing to.

[0056] The following mark 100 is generally ring-shaped with a portion thereof cut out by the clip portion 101. The following mark 100 having such a simple ring shape allows the driver to easily recognize which portion of the following mark 100 is the clip portion 101, and therefore allows the driver to easily recognize the other vehicle that the following mark 100 is pointing to by the clip portion 101.

[0057] The display processing unit 54 increases the amount of movement of the display position of the clamping portion 101 on the other vehicle side more than the amount of movement of the display position of the portion of the following mark 100 on the host vehicle side. That is, the display processing unit 54 decreases the amount of movement and rotation of the portion of the following mark 100 on the host vehicle side, and increases the amount of movement and rotation of the portion of the following mark 100 on the other vehicle side. According to the following mark 100 that moves and rotates in this way, even if it moves and rotates with the movement of the other vehicle, it is possible to maintain a ring shape that sandwiches the other vehicle with the host vehicle side as the starting point. Therefore, even if the position of the other vehicle within the angle of view of the display area R changes, it is possible to continue to clearly indicate the other vehicle that the following mark 100 is pointing to.

[0058] When the other vehicle leaves the display area R, the display processing unit 54 moves the display position of the clip portion 101 at the end of the display area R. According to this configuration example, the driver can easily recognize that the other vehicle pointed to by the following mark 100 is outside the angle of view of the display area R, since the clip portion 101 of the following mark 100 moves on the end of the display area R.

[0059] The display processing unit 54 may move the display position of the clamping portion 101 at the end of the display area R not only when the entire other vehicle is completely outside the display area R, but also when part of the other vehicle is outside the display area R.

[0060] The manner in which the entire following mark 100 is displayed while moving and rotating within the angle of view of the display area R can be defined as a display manner in a state in which another vehicle is present within the angle of view of the display area R, i.e., an within-angle-of-view display manner. The manner in which the clamping portion 101 of the following mark 100 moves at the end of the display area R can be defined as a display manner in a state in which another vehicle is present outside the angle of view of the display area R, i.e., an outside-angle-of-view display manner.

[0061] The color of the following mark 100 gradually fades toward the clamping portion 101, which is the portion on the other vehicle side. According to this configuration example, a visual effect can be achieved in which the following mark 100 appears to extend toward the other vehicle clamped by the clamping portion 101, and the following mark 100 can be displayed naturally within the angle of view of the display region R.

[0062] The clamping portion 101 of the following mark 100 is transparent. According to this configuration example, it is possible to prevent the clamping portion 101, which is the portion of the following mark 100 that points out other vehicles, from overlapping with the other vehicles. This makes it possible to clearly indicate other vehicles with the following mark 100 while avoiding the other vehicles being hidden by the following mark 100.

[0063] The color of the following mark 100 gradually fades toward the cutout 102, which is the portion on the vehicle's side. This configuration example produces a visual effect in which the following mark 100 appears to extend toward the cutout 102, and the following mark 100 can be displayed naturally within the angle of view of the display area R.

[0064] The cutout portion 102 of the following mark 100 is transparent. This configuration example makes it possible to prevent the cutout portion 102 of the following mark 100 from overlapping with road markings such as a center line on the road. This makes it possible to prevent the following mark 100 from hiding road markings such as a center line on the road while still clearly indicating other vehicles with the following mark 100.

[0065] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and extensions can be made without departing from the gist of the present disclosure. For example, the display processing unit 54 may move and rotate at least the display position of the clip portion 101 of the following mark 100, rather than the entire following mark 100, so as to follow the movement of the other vehicle. More specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 14, the display processing unit 54 may keep the display position of the notch portion 102 of the following mark 100 immobile, and move and rotate the display position of the clip portion 101 so as to follow the movement of the other vehicle.

[0066] As illustrated in FIG. 15, in the out-of-view display mode, the following mark 200 may be displayed in a form completely different from the ring shape. The following mark 200 illustrated in FIG. 15 is a form that combines a vehicle-shaped icon 200a displayed at a height position that points toward the position of another vehicle that exists outside the view angle of the display area R and an icon 200b that virtually indicates the shape of the road on which the vehicle is traveling. The following mark 200 is shaped such that the icon 200a that virtually indicates the position of the preceding vehicle is sandwiched between the icon 200b that virtually indicates the road shape. Therefore, the tip of the icon 200b that virtually indicates the road shape can be defined as a sandwiching portion. The following mark displayed in the out-of-view display mode is not limited to the form of the following mark 200 illustrated in FIG. 15, and may be in other forms.

[0067] The configuration example of the following mark 100 is not limited to the configuration example illustrated in Fig. 5, and may be modified as appropriate. The length D1 of the entire following mark 100 in the vertical direction, the length D2 of the clamping portion 101 in the horizontal direction, and the length D3 of the notch portion 102 in the horizontal direction may not be based on the apparent length in the front-rear direction or the apparent length in the horizontal direction of the other vehicle visually recognized within the angle of view of the display region R, but may be set based on, for example, the actual length of the host vehicle in the front-rear direction, the horizontal direction, and the vertical direction, the apparent length of the other vehicle in the vertical direction, the actual length of the other vehicle in the front-rear direction, the horizontal direction, and the vertical direction, the running speed of the host vehicle, the running speed of the other vehicle, the type of road on which the vehicle is traveling, the weather during traveling, etc.

[0068] The following mark 100 may be configured such that the clip portion 101 is not transparent. In this case, by performing a masking process, that is, a process of hiding the clip portion 101, on the clip portion 101 of the following mark 100, it is possible to prevent the clip portion 101 from overlapping with another vehicle. Note that it is preferable to limit the area on which the masking process is performed to an area that allows the driver to virtually recognize the position indicated by the clip portion 101. It is preferable to limit the area on which the masking process is performed to an area that does not cover all or part of another vehicle.

[0069] The following mark 100 may be configured such that the cutout 102 is not transparent. In this case, by performing a masking process on the cutout 102 of the following mark 100, that is, a process for hiding the cutout 102, it is possible to prevent the cutout 102 from overlapping the road. Note that it is preferable to limit the area on which the masking process is performed to an area that allows the driver to virtually recognize the position indicated by the cutout 102. It is preferable to limit the area on which the masking process is performed to an area that does not cover road markings such as a center line on the road.

[0070] The tracking mark 100 may be configured without the gradation area A2, that is, the entire mark may be configured as a constant luminance area A1.

[0071] The display processing unit 54 may be configured to change the display color of the following mark 100, for example, when the other vehicle being followed by the following mark 100 accelerates or decelerates. More specifically, the display processing unit 54 may be configured to change the display color of the following mark 100, for example, to a blue color when the inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle and the other vehicle is maintained at a predetermined target inter-vehicle distance, and to change the display color of the following mark 100, for example, to a red color when the other vehicle accelerates or decelerates or the predetermined target inter-vehicle distance is no longer maintained. The display processing unit 54 may be configured to change the display color depending on whether the other vehicle accelerates or decelerates.

[0072] The display processing unit 54 may be configured, for example, to start displaying the following mark 100 when information about other vehicles is obtained by the ADAS locator 3, and to end displaying the following mark 100 when information about other vehicles is no longer obtained by the ADAS locator 3.

[0073] The display processing unit 54 may be configured to constantly display the following mark 100 in the display region R from when the ignition switch of the vehicle is turned on to when it is turned off. In this case, the display processing unit 54 may be configured to make the following mark 100 wait at a predetermined waiting position set within the angle of view of the display region R, for example, when there is no other vehicle for the following mark 100 to follow.

[0074] The display processing unit 54 may be configured to start displaying the following mark 100 when a predetermined change occurs as a trigger. Examples of the predetermined change include when another vehicle is detected ahead of the host vehicle in the traveling direction, when the other vehicle that the host vehicle is to follow is changed due to a cut-in, when the other vehicle traveling ahead of the host vehicle in the traveling direction accelerates or decelerates, and various other cases are assumed.

[0075] The display processing unit 54 may be configured to change the shape and display mode of the following mark 100 depending on whether the other vehicle has deviated from the top end of the display area R or the left or right end of the display area R. The display processing unit 54 may be configured to change the shape and display mode of the following mark 100 depending on whether the other vehicle has deviated from the left end of the display area R or the right end of the display area R.

[0076] The display processing unit 54 may be configured to leave or erase the following mark 100 when the other vehicle moves out of the display area R. The display processing unit 54 may be configured to leave or erase the following mark 100 differently depending on whether the other vehicle moves out of the top end of the display area R or the left end or the right end of the display area R. The display processing unit 54 may be configured to leave or erase the following mark 100 differently depending on whether the other vehicle moves out of the left end of the display area R or the right end.

[0077] The following mark 100 may be displayed so as to be sandwiched by the clamping portion 101 at a position a predetermined distance behind the other vehicle. In this case, the following mark 100 may be displayed so that a position a predetermined distance behind the center of the other vehicle in the left-right direction coincides with the center of the clamping portion 101 in the left-right direction. The following mark 100 may be deformed, for example, into an elliptical shape when the distance between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle becomes shorter and the mark can no longer maintain a perfect circular ring shape.

[0078] The display processing unit 54 may switch the display mode of the following mark 100 from a display mode within the field of view to a display mode outside the field of view when the relative angle between the vehicle and another vehicle ahead, the steering angle of the vehicle, the curvature of the road ahead in the direction of travel, etc. exceed a predetermined threshold value.

[0079] The moving object is not limited to another vehicle traveling ahead of the host vehicle in the traveling direction, but may be, for example, another vehicle traveling around the host vehicle, such as to the left, right, or rear of the host vehicle. The moving object may be, for example, a motorcycle, a bicycle, a pedestrian, or the like.

[0080] Although the present disclosure has been described based on the embodiment, it is understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiment or structure. 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.

[0081] The control unit and the method described in the present disclosure may be realized by a dedicated computer provided by configuring a processor and a memory programmed to execute one or more functions embodied in a computer program. Alternatively, the control unit and the method described in the present disclosure may be realized by a dedicated computer provided by configuring a processor with one or more dedicated hardware logic circuits. Alternatively, the control unit and the method described in the present disclosure may be realized by one or more dedicated computers configured by a combination of a processor and a memory programmed to execute one or more functions and a processor configured with one or more hardware logic circuits. Furthermore, the computer program may be stored in a computer-readable non-transitory tangible recording medium as instructions executed by a computer. [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] In the drawings, 20 denotes an HCU (vehicle display control device), 54 denotes a display processing unit, 100 denotes a tracking mark, 101 denotes a clamping portion, and 102 denotes a cutout portion.

Claims

1. A display processing unit (54) is provided for displaying a following mark (100) that follows a moving object other than the vehicle itself in a display area; The tracking mark clearly indicates the moving object that the tracking mark points to by using a clamping portion (101) that clamps the moving object, The display processing unit is a display control device for a vehicle that moves a display position of at least the clip portion of the following mark so as to follow the movement of a moving object.

2. The display control device for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the following mark has a ring shape with a portion thereof cut out by the clamping portion.

3. The display control device for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the display processing unit makes a movement amount of a display position of the clamping portion on the other vehicle side larger than a movement amount of a display position of a portion of the following mark on the host vehicle side.

4. The display control device for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the display processing unit moves a display position of the clip portion at an end of the display area when a moving object moves out of the display area.

5. The display control device for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the color of the tracking mark becomes lighter toward the clip portion.

6. The display control device for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the clip portion is transparent.

7. The display control device for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the following mark has a notch (102) in a portion facing the vehicle.

8. The display control device for a vehicle according to claim 7 , wherein the color of the tracking mark becomes lighter toward the notch.

9. The display control device for a vehicle according to claim 7 , wherein the cutout portion is transparent.

10. A method including a display process for displaying a following mark (100) that follows a moving object other than a vehicle in a display area, In the display process, a following mark is used that clearly indicates the moving object that the following mark is pointing to using a clamping portion (101) that clamps the moving object, and the display position of at least the clamping portion of the following mark is moved so as to follow the movement of the moving object.

11. A program for causing a computer to execute a display process for displaying a following mark (100) that follows a moving object other than the vehicle in a display area, In the display process, a following mark is used that clearly indicates the moving object that the following mark is pointing to using a clamping portion (101) that clamps the moving object, and a display control program for a vehicle is provided that moves at least the display position of the clamping portion of the following mark so as to follow the movement of the moving object.

Images