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 traveling direction a guide mark guides at a branch point and a shape of the branch point when the guide mark which guides the traveling direction of the own vehicle at the branch point, such as an intersection, is displayed, 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 guide mark (100) which guides a traveling direction of the own vehicle at a branch point in a display area. The display processing part causes the guide mark to include a branch point shape part (101) which shows a shape of the branch point; and an arrow part (102) which indicates the travel direction of the own vehicle at the branch point.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 various marks superimposed on a display area of ​​a front windshield, i.e., a so-called head-up display function. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for displaying marks that guide the vehicle in the traveling direction at an intersection. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6528139 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses an arrow-shaped mark that guides the vehicle's traveling direction at an intersection. However, with only such an arrow-shaped mark, it is difficult to understand which traveling direction is being guided at the intersection of a certain shape, and therefore there is a risk that the traveling direction guided by the mark and the traveling direction recognized by the driver will not match.

[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 guidance mark that guides the vehicle's travel direction at a branching point such as an intersection, can clearly indicate the shape of the branching point and the direction of travel that the guidance mark is guiding. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The vehicle display control device of the present disclosure includes a display processing unit 54 that displays in a display area a guidance mark 100 that provides guidance on the travel direction of the vehicle at a branch point, and the display processing unit causes the guidance mark to include a branch point shape portion 101 that indicates the shape of the branch point, and an arrow portion 102 that indicates the travel direction of the vehicle at the branch point.

[0007] The vehicle display control method according to the present disclosure is a method including a display process for displaying in a display area a guidance mark 100 that provides guidance on the travel direction of the vehicle at a branching point, and in the display process, the guidance mark includes a branching point shape portion 101 that indicates the shape of the branching point, and an arrow portion 102 that indicates the travel direction of the vehicle at the branching point.

[0008] The vehicle display control program of the present disclosure is a program that causes a computer to execute a display process for displaying in a display area a guidance mark 100 that provides guidance on the travel direction of the vehicle at a branching point, and in the display process, the guidance mark includes a branching point shape portion 101 that indicates the shape of the branching point, and an arrow portion 102 that indicates the travel direction of the vehicle at the branching point.

[0009] According to the present disclosure, a guidance mark 100 that guides the traveling direction of the vehicle at a branching point includes a branching point shape portion 101 that indicates the shape of the branching point, and an arrow portion 102 that indicates the traveling direction of the vehicle at the branching point. Such a guidance mark 100 makes it easy to understand what shape of the branching point the guidance mark 100 is guiding and what traveling direction it is guiding. [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 diagram showing an example of a display mode outside the angle of view 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. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a road shape having a plurality of successive branching points 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 guide mark 100 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 vehicle of a curve existing ahead of the vehicle's traveling direction, pedestrian information notifying the vehicle of a pedestrian existing ahead of the vehicle's traveling direction, and stop line information notifying the vehicle of a stop line existing ahead of the vehicle's traveling direction. Furthermore, the virtual image content C includes a guide mark 100 that guides the vehicle's traveling direction at a branch point such as an intersection.

[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 various objects present around the vehicle. In this case, the detection processing unit 53 can detect various objects present around the vehicle, for example, a branch point present ahead in the traveling direction of the vehicle, mainly by using the periphery monitoring sensor 4. Branch points include a wide variety of shapes and aspects, such as an intersection where a traffic light or a crosswalk is installed, an intersection where a traffic light or a crosswalk is not installed, an intersection with a simple shape where two roads intersect, and an intersection with a complex shape where three or more roads intersect.

[0035] The display processing unit 54 executes a display process, which is a process of displaying, within the angle of view of the display region R of the HUD 230, a guidance mark 100 that provides guidance on the traveling direction of the vehicle at the branch point detected by the detection processing unit 53.

[0036] 5, when a target branch point P ahead in the traveling direction of the vehicle is outside the angle of view of the display region R, the display processing unit 54 displays the guidance mark 100 in the outside-of-angle-of-view display mode. In the outside-of-angle-of-view display mode, the display processing unit 54 causes the guidance mark 100 to include a branch point shape portion 101, an arrow portion 102, and a road shape portion 103.

[0037] The branch point shape portion 101 indicates the shape of a target branch point P. The branch point shape portion 101 may be in a form that faithfully indicates the shape of the target branch point P, or may be in a form that indicates the shape of the target branch point P in a simplified or outlined form.

[0038] The arrow portion 102 indicates the traveling direction of the host vehicle at the target branch point P. The arrow portion 102 has an arrow shape that extends from the road on which the host vehicle is traveling just before the target branch point P, so as to bend toward the traveling direction to be guided.

[0039] The road shape unit 103 indicates the road shape from the current position of the vehicle to the target branch point P. The road shape unit 103 may be configured to faithfully indicate the road shape from the current position of the vehicle to the target branch point P, or may be configured to indicate the road shape from the current position of the vehicle to the target branch point P in a simplified or approximate manner.

[0040] In the outside-of-view angle display mode, the target branch point P that exists ahead in the traveling direction of the vehicle exists outside the view angle of the display region R. Therefore, the display processing unit 54 displays the branch point shape portion 101 without superimposing it on the target branch point P. The display processing unit 54 displays the arrow portion 102 without superimposing it on the target branch point P. The display processing unit 54 displays the road shape portion 103 without superimposing it on the road from the current position of the vehicle to the target branch point P.

[0041] The display processing unit 54 displays the arrow portion 102 in a predetermined display color, for example, blue. The display color of the arrow portion 102 can be changed and set as appropriate. The end of the arrow portion 102 on the host vehicle side is located closer to the branch point shape portion 101 than the end of the road shape portion 103 on the host vehicle side. In other words, the guidance mark 100 is configured to have a space S at the end on the host vehicle side. By providing such a space S, the guidance mark 100 is configured to clarify the portion of the guidance mark 100 that is on the host vehicle side.

[0042] The display processing unit 54 displays the road shape portion 103 in a predetermined default color. The display processing unit 54 changes the display color of the portion of the road shape portion 103 through which the vehicle has passed from the default color to a predetermined non-default color. In FIG. 5, the portion of the road shape portion 103 through which the vehicle has not passed is indicated by a solid line, and the portion through which the vehicle has passed is indicated by a dashed line. For example, white can be set as the default color. For example, a color different from the default color can be set as the non-default color, and yellow or green can be set as the non-default color. The default color and the non-default color can be appropriately changed and set, but it is preferable to set a color different from the display color of at least the arrow portion 102. The display processing unit 54 erases the display of the portion of the road shape portion 103 that is outside the angle of view of the display area R.

[0043] 6, when the target junction P comes within the angle of view of the display area R as the vehicle travels, the display processing unit 54 displays the guide mark 100 in the within-angle-of-view display mode. In the within-angle-of-view display mode, the target junction P is within the angle of view of the display area R. Therefore, the display processing unit 54 displays the junction shape portion 101 by superimposing it on the target junction P. The display processing unit 54 displays the arrow portion 102 by superimposing it on the target junction P. If there is a portion of the road shape portion 103 that has not been erased and remains, the display processing unit 54 displays that portion by superimposing it on the road from the current position of the vehicle to the target junction P.

[0044] In both the outside-of-field-of-view display mode and the inside-of-field-of-view display mode, the length of the portion of the arrow portion 102 on the vehicle's side relative to the bend gradually becomes shorter as the vehicle progresses, while the length of the portion on the tip side relative to the bend gradually becomes longer.

[0045] 7, when the vehicle enters a target branch point P, the display processing unit 54 erases the branch point shape portion 101 and the road shape portion 103 from the guidance mark 100. In other words, the display processing unit 54 displays the guidance mark 100 with only the arrow portion 102.

[0046] The display processing unit 54 displays the guidance mark 100 in a manner that gives a sense of depth, that is, in a manner that extends forward in the traveling direction of the vehicle, in both the outside-of-view-angle display manner illustrated in Fig. 5 and the inside-of-view-angle display manner illustrated in Fig. 6 and Fig. 7. This provides a visual effect that makes the guidance mark 100 appear as if it is placed on the surface of the road on which the vehicle is traveling, in both the outside-of-view-angle display manner and the inside-of-view-angle display manner.

[0047] According to this embodiment, the HCU 20 includes a display processing unit 54, which displays a guidance mark 100, which provides guidance on the traveling direction of the host vehicle at a branch point P present ahead in the traveling direction of the host vehicle, within the angle of view of the display region R. The display processing unit 54 causes the guidance mark 100 to include a branch point shape portion 101 which indicates the shape of the target branch point P, and an arrow portion 102 which indicates the traveling direction of the host vehicle at the target branch point P.

[0048] According to such a guide mark 100, it is possible to clearly indicate which traveling direction the guide mark 100 is guiding at which branch point P and what shape it has.

[0049] The display processing unit 54 causes the guidance mark 100 to further include a road shape portion 103 that indicates the road shape from the current position of the vehicle to the target branch point P. Such a guidance mark 100 can clearly indicate the road shape from the current position to the target branch point P, and can smoothly guide the vehicle to the target branch point P.

[0050] The display processing unit 54 changes the display color of the portion of the road shape unit 103 through which the vehicle has passed. This makes it possible to visually or intuitively display the progress of the vehicle just before the target branch point P, the distance to the target branch point P, the required time, and the like.

[0051] When the target junction P is outside the angle of view of the display region R, the display processing unit 54 displays the guide mark 100 in an outside-angle-of-view display mode in which the junction shape portion 101 is displayed without being superimposed on the target junction P. Such an outside-angle-of-view display mode makes it possible to visually and easily indicate that the target junction P is located far away and does not fit within the angle of view of the display region R.

[0052] When the target branch point P is within the angle of view of the display region R, the display processing unit 54 displays the guide mark 100 in an within-angle-of-view display mode in which the branch point shape portion 101 is displayed superimposed on the target branch point P. According to such an within-angle-of-view display mode, the target branch point P can be visually emphasized.

[0053] When the vehicle enters the target junction P, the display processing unit 54 erases the junction shape portion 101 and the road shape portion 103 from the guide mark 100, and displays the guide mark 100 with only the arrow portion 102. This display mode makes it possible to visually clearly indicate that the vehicle is passing through the target junction P. This display mode makes it possible to visually emphasize the traveling direction of the vehicle at the junction P.

[0054] 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, when the vehicle is traveling on a road with multiple lanes in parallel, the display processing unit 54 may display the road shape unit 103 showing only the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, or may display the road shape unit 103 showing not only the lane in which the vehicle is traveling but also lanes in which the vehicle is not traveling. When showing not only the lane in which the vehicle is traveling but also lanes in which the vehicle is not traveling, for example, the width of the lane in which the vehicle is traveling may be displayed wider than the width of the lane in which the vehicle is not traveling, or the display color of the lane in which the vehicle is traveling may be displayed in a color different from the display color of the lane in which the vehicle is not traveling. This makes it possible to visually emphasize the lane in which the vehicle is traveling among multiple lanes.

[0055] The display processing unit 54 may display the road shape portion 103 which is a simplified or generalized version of the shape of the actual road, or may display the road shape portion 103 which is a faithful reproduction of the shape of the actual road.

[0056] The display processing unit 54 may be configured to switch between the outside-angle-of-view display mode and the inside-angle-of-view display mode based on whether the target branch point P is outside or inside the angle of view of the display area R, but may also be configured to switch between the outside-angle-of-view display mode and the inside-angle-of-view display mode based on whether a predetermined condition is met.

[0057] For example, the display processing unit 54 may display the guidance mark 100 in the outside-of-view display mode when the remaining distance from the current position of the vehicle to the target branch point P exceeds a predetermined distance, and may display the guidance mark 100 in the inside-of-view display mode when the remaining distance from the current position of the vehicle to the target branch point P falls short of the predetermined distance. The predetermined distance that serves as a criterion for switching between the outside-of-view display mode and the inside-of-view display mode can be set as appropriate, for example, to 100 meters. The predetermined distance may be changed as appropriate depending on various conditions, such as the shape of the target branch point P, whether the road on which the vehicle is traveling is a straight road or a curved road, the traveling speed of the vehicle, and the weather during traveling.

[0058] When the vehicle is traveling on a curved road, the display processing unit 54 may switch from an outside-of-field-of-view display mode to an inside-field-of-view display mode as the target branch point P enters the field of view of the display area R as the vehicle progresses.

[0059] 8, in a traffic scene in which multiple branch points P1, P2 exist in succession, first, as illustrated in "Situation A," the branch point P1 is within the angle of view of the display area R of the vehicle. Therefore, the display processing unit 54 displays a guide mark 100 that provides guidance on the traveling direction of the vehicle at the branch point P1 within the angle of view of the display area R. However, thereafter, as illustrated in "Situation B," if the vehicle enters the branch point P1 and turns toward the traveling direction, there is a risk that the next branch point P2 will enter the angle of view of the display area R during the turn.

[0060] In such a case, that is, when the vehicle is traveling through a junction P1, if the guidance mark 100 that guides the vehicle's traveling direction at a junction P2 other than the junction P1 is displayed, the traveling direction at the other junction P2 is displayed even though the vehicle is traveling through the junction P1, which may confuse the driver of the vehicle. Therefore, when the vehicle enters a certain junction, the display processing unit 54 may continue to display the guidance mark 100 that guides the traveling direction at the junction being passed, even if the other junction comes within the angle of view of the display area R, until the vehicle exits the junction.

[0061] For example, if the vehicle continues to travel straight without changing its traveling direction at the target branch point P, or if the vehicle travels in a wrong traveling direction, that is, in a direction different from the traveling direction guided by the guide mark 100, the display processing unit 54 may continue to display the guide mark 100 consisting of only the arrow portion 102. This allows the arrow portion 102 to continue to point to the direction in which the vehicle should turn, even if the vehicle travels in a wrong direction. Therefore, the driver of the vehicle can correct the course to the direction indicated by the arrow portion 102.

[0062] If the vehicle travels in a wrong direction at a target junction P, that is, in a direction different from the direction of travel guided by the guidance mark 100, the display processing unit 54 may stop displaying the guidance mark 100. In this case, the display processing unit 54 may gradually erase a predetermined portion of the guidance mark 100, for example, a lower portion, or may erase the entire guidance mark 100 at once. If the vehicle travels in a wrong direction at a target junction P, that is, in a direction different from the direction of travel guided by the guidance mark 100, the display processing unit 54 may highlight the guidance mark 100 by, for example, flashing the guidance mark 100 or changing the display color.

[0063] The shape of the tip of the arrow portion 102 can be changed as appropriate, for example, into an arrowhead shape attached to the tip of an arrow. The brightness of the display color of the arrow portion 102 as a whole may be constant, or the display color may be gradually lightened from the base end side on the vehicle side toward the tip end side, or from the tip end side toward the base end side on the vehicle side, that is, a so-called gradation mode. In this case, the brightness indicates the brightness of the arrow portion 102 displayed in the display area R when viewed from the driver's seat of the vehicle.

[0064] The branch point shape portion 101 and the road shape portion 103 may also have a constant brightness of the overall display color, or may have a gradation pattern in which the display color gradually becomes lighter in a predetermined direction.

[0065] The display processing unit 54 may display the guidance mark 100 so as to be located on the center line of the driver's seat of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction. In this case, the display processing unit 54 may display the guidance mark 100, particularly the arrow portion 102, so as to be located on the center line of the driver's seat of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction. In other words, the display processing unit 54 may display the guidance mark 100, particularly the arrow portion 102 which mainly indicates the traveling direction at the branch point P, so as to be located directly in front of the driver of the vehicle.

[0066] The configuration example of the display mode of the guidance mark 100 outside the angle of view is not limited to the configuration example shown in Fig. 5, and can be modified as appropriate. The configuration example of the display mode of the guidance mark 100 within the angle of view is not limited to the configuration example shown in Fig. 6 and Fig. 7, and can be modified as appropriate.

[0067] The display processing unit 54 may be configured to constantly display the guidance 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 guidance 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 branch point P at which the guidance mark 100 is to be displayed.

[0068] 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.

[0069] 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]

[0070] In the drawing, 20 denotes an HCU (a vehicle display control device), 54 denotes a display processing unit, 100 denotes a guide mark, 101 denotes a branch point shape unit, 102 denotes an arrow unit, and 103 denotes a road shape unit.

Claims

1. a display processing unit (54) for displaying in a display area a guide mark (100) for guiding the traveling direction of the vehicle at a branch point; The display processing unit displays the following on the guide mark: A branch point shape portion (101) showing the shape of the branch point; An arrow portion (102) indicating the traveling direction of the vehicle at the branch point; A display control device for a vehicle comprising:

2. The display control device for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the display processing unit causes the guidance mark to include a road shape portion (103) that indicates a road shape from a current position of the vehicle to the branch point.

3. The vehicle display control device according to claim 2 , wherein the display processing unit changes a display color of a portion of the road shape portion through which the host vehicle has passed.

4. The display processing unit is When the branch point is outside the angle of view of the display area, the guide mark is displayed in an outside-angle-of-view display mode in which the branch point shape portion is not superimposed on the branch point; 2. The vehicle display control device according to claim 1, wherein, when the branch point is present within the angle of view of the display area, the guidance mark is displayed in an within-angle of view display mode in which the branch point shape portion is superimposed on the branch point.

5. The vehicle display control device according to claim 1 , wherein the display processing unit erases the branch point shape portion from the guidance mark when the host vehicle enters the branch point.

6. A method including a display process for displaying a guidance mark (100) that guides a vehicle's traveling direction at a branch point in a display area, the method comprising: In the display process, the guide mark is A branch point shape portion (101) showing the shape of the branch point; An arrow portion (102) indicating the traveling direction of the vehicle at the branch point; A display control method for a vehicle comprising:

7. A program for causing a computer to execute a display process for displaying in a display area a guide mark (100) for guiding a vehicle's traveling direction at a branch point, the program comprising: In the display process, the guide mark is A branch point shape portion (101) showing the shape of the branch point; An arrow portion (102) indicating the traveling direction of the vehicle at the branch point; A display control program for a vehicle.

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