Control device, control method, program and recording medium

Abstract

To provide a control device that provides a user with information on a distance between own vehicle and a peripheral vehicle intuitively.SOLUTION: A control device controls so as to output at least any one of an image and a sound in a pattern in accordance with a distance between own vehicle and a peripheral vehicle, and on the basis of the control, outputs at least any one of an image and a sound in order to make a user recognize a distance between own vehicle and a peripheral vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 15

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a control device, a control method, a program, and a recording medium. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art There are known devices that display the distance to an object as a bar graph or numbers on an instrument panel or display while a vehicle is traveling.

[0003] Patent Document 1 also discloses an information providing device that changes the driver's perceived distance due to motion parallax for driver-provided information images in accordance with movement information and position information of a moving object, and displays navigation images such as a driving lane indication image 711, an inter-vehicle distance presentation image 712, a route designation image 721, a remaining distance image 722, and an intersection name image 723 in the upper display region of a display area 700 under the control of an image control device 250.

[0004] Patent document 2 also discloses an in-vehicle display device in which three blocks 40a to 40c that can be switched between a display state and a non-display state and three sub-blocks 41a to 41c that are always displayed are arranged in correspondence with each other between the host vehicle symbol 39a and the preceding vehicle symbol 39b, and the inter-vehicle distance is indicated as "long," "medium," or "short" depending on the number of lit blocks 40a to 40c. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-203850 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-63401 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, the technology described in Patent Document 1 leaves room for improvement in terms of informing passengers of the distance between their own vehicle and surrounding vehicles in an easily understandable manner. Furthermore, in the technology described in Patent Document 2, the preceding vehicle symbol, sub-blocks, etc. are always displayed, which causes a problem of being annoying to the driver, etc. The above-mentioned problems are examples of the problems that the present invention aims to solve.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the problems cited as examples above, and its main purpose is to provide a control device, control method, program, and recording medium that intuitively present distance information between the vehicle and surrounding vehicles to the user. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] One or more embodiments of the present invention are characterized in that they include an output unit that outputs at least one of an image or sound to allow a user to recognize the distance between the vehicle and surrounding vehicles, and a control unit that controls the output unit, wherein the control unit is a control device that controls the output unit to output at least one of an image or sound in a pattern according to the distance.

[0009] One or more embodiments of the present invention are characterized in that they include an output unit that outputs at least one of an image or sound to allow a user to recognize the distance between the user's vehicle and surrounding vehicles, and a control unit that controls the output unit, wherein the control unit is a control device that controls the output unit to output at least one of an image or sound in a pattern that corresponds to the time required for the user's vehicle to reach the position of the surrounding vehicles at a predetermined timing.

[0010] One or more embodiments of the present invention are characterized by a control method in a control device having a control unit and an output unit, including: a first step of controlling the output of the output unit to output at least one of an image or sound in a pattern according to the distance between the host vehicle and a surrounding vehicle; and a second step of outputting at least one of an image or sound based on the control of the first step to allow a user to recognize the distance between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicle.

[0011] One or more embodiments of the present invention are characterized in that they are programs for causing a computer to execute the above control method.

[0012] One or more embodiments of the present invention are characterized by a recording medium on which the above-mentioned program is recorded. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a system and a control device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a circuit block of a control device according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of an image display output by an output unit in the control device according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of output timing of an output unit in the control device according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] 5 is a diagram showing more specifically the output timing of the output unit in the control device of FIG. 4. FIG. [Figure 6] 5 is a diagram showing more specifically the output timing of the output unit in the control device of FIG. 4. FIG. [Figure 7] 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of an image display position output by an output unit in the control device according to the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of image display position adjustment output by an output unit in the control device according to the embodiment. [Figure 9]10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of timing of image display and audio output output by an output unit during high-speed driving in the control device according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing an example of timing of image display and audio output output by an output unit during medium to low speed driving in the control device according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of timing of image display and audio output output by an output unit when an interrupt occurs in the control device according to the embodiment. [Figure 12] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of timing of position control of image display and audio output output by an output unit according to position information and a steering angle in a control device according to an embodiment. [Figure 13] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing a modified example of an image display method in the control device according to the embodiment. [Figure 14] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing a modified example of an image display method in the control device according to the embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 3 is a process flow diagram in the control device according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] <Embodiment> A control device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

[0015] A control device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes an output unit and a control unit. The output unit displays only an image, outputs only an audio, or displays both an image and outputs an audio to allow the user to recognize the distance between the vehicle and surrounding vehicles. The control unit controls the output unit. More specifically, the control unit controls the output unit to display only images, output only audio, or display both images and audio, in a pattern according to the distance between the host vehicle and surrounding vehicles. Note that displaying only images, outputting only audio, or displaying both images and audio may be selected by the user, or may be performed automatically according to, for example, the driving conditions of the host vehicle or the surrounding environment.

[0016] With the above configuration, the output unit, via the control unit, displays only images, outputs only audio, or displays both images and audio in an individual pattern according to the distance between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicles, so that the user can recognize the distance between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicles. Here, the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicles include manually driven vehicles and autonomously driven vehicles. The image may also be displayed on the windshield, meter panel, display panel, etc. Furthermore, there are no particular limitations on the output format that allows the user to recognize the distance between the vehicle and surrounding vehicles, but a format that allows the user to intuitively recognize the distance between the vehicle and surrounding vehicles is preferred.

[0017] Therefore, the output unit displays only images, outputs only audio, or displays both images and audio so that the user can recognize the distance between the vehicle and the surrounding vehicles in an individual pattern according to the distance between the vehicle and the surrounding vehicles. This makes it possible to intuitively present distance information between the vehicle and the surrounding vehicles to the user.

[0018] In addition, a control unit of a control device according to another embodiment of the present invention controls an output unit to display only an image, output only an audio, or display both an image and an audio, in a pattern according to the time required for the host vehicle to reach the position of a nearby vehicle at a predetermined timing. Note that displaying only an image, outputting only an audio, or displaying both an image and an audio may be selected by a user, or may be performed automatically according to, for example, the driving conditions of the host vehicle or the surrounding environment.

[0019] With the above configuration, the output unit, through the control unit, displays only images, outputs only audio, or displays both images and outputs audio so that the user can recognize the distance between the vehicle and surrounding vehicles in an individual pattern corresponding to the time required for the vehicle to reach the position of the surrounding vehicles at a specified timing. There are no particular limitations on the output format that allows the user to recognize the distance between the vehicle and surrounding vehicles, but a format that allows the user to intuitively recognize the distance between the vehicle and surrounding vehicles is preferred.

[0020] Therefore, the output unit displays only images, outputs only audio, or displays both images and audio so that the user can recognize the distance between the vehicle and the surrounding vehicles in a pattern that corresponds to the time required for the vehicle to reach the position of the surrounding vehicles at a predetermined timing. This makes it possible to intuitively present information about the distance between the vehicle and the surrounding vehicles to the user.

[0021] In another embodiment of the present invention, a control method includes a first step of controlling the output of an output unit to output at least one of an image or sound in a pattern according to the distance between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicles, and a second step of outputting at least one of an image or sound based on the control of the first step to allow a user to recognize the distance between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicles. This makes it possible to intuitively present distance information between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicles to the user.

[0022] In another embodiment of the present invention, a program executed by a computer causes the computer to execute a first step of controlling the output of the output unit to output at least one of an image or sound in a pattern according to the distance between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicles, and a second step of outputting at least one of an image or sound based on the control of the first step to allow a user to recognize the distance between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicles. This makes it possible to intuitively present distance information between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicles to the user.

[0023] In another embodiment of the present invention, a recording medium having a program recorded thereon to cause a computer to execute the following steps: a first step of controlling the output of an output unit to output at least one of an image or sound in a pattern according to the distance between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicles; and a second step of outputting at least one of an image or sound based on the control of the first step to allow a user to recognize the distance between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicles. This allows distance information between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicles to be presented to the user intuitively.

[0024] <Example> An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 15. Note that, although the following mainly describes various controls performed using time as a measure, various controls can also be performed using the distance between the vehicle and surrounding vehicles as a measure.

[0025] <System configuration> As shown in FIG. 1, the system including the control device according to this embodiment includes a control device 100, a vehicle information acquisition device 200, and a display device 300.

[0026] The control device 100 includes a control unit 110 and an output unit 120. The control unit 110 controls the output unit 120, which will be described later, to display only images, output only audio, or both display images and output audio, in a pattern according to the distance between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicles. Under the control of the control unit 110, the output unit 120 executes processing to display only images, output only audio, or both processing to display images and output audio, in order to allow a user (hereinafter referred to as a passenger) to recognize the distance between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicles. In the following, the case of only an image will be referred to as "display," the case of only audio will be referred to as "output," and the case where both an image and audio, or both an image and audio are possible, will be referred to as "presentation."

[0027] The control unit 110 includes a metrical time setting unit 111 and a presentation information control unit 112. The presentation information control unit 112 includes a presentation information metrical control unit 113, a notice presentation ON / OFF unit 114, a warning presentation ON / OFF unit 115, and a presentation information ON / OFF unit 116.

[0028] The meter time setting unit 111 sets the meter time for displaying or outputting at least one of an image and a sound at a predetermined point based on the arrival time of the vehicle. Furthermore, the points determined in advance based on the arrival time of the vehicle, specific beat times, image display patterns, and audio output patterns will be described in detail later.

[0029] The presentation information meter control unit 113 determines the presentation target based on information about the time it takes for the host vehicle to reach a peripheral vehicle, which information is obtained from a peripheral vehicle position arrival time acquisition unit 204 in the vehicle information acquisition device 200 (described later), and information about the relative speed between the host vehicle and a peripheral vehicle, which information is obtained from a peripheral vehicle relative speed acquisition unit 206. Then, the presentation information meter control unit 113 controls the caution presentation ON / OFF unit 114 and the warning presentation ON / OFF unit 115 so that the presentation target is presented according to the meter time set in the meter time setting unit 111.

[0030] The warning presentation ON / OFF unit 114, for example, based on the control of the presentation information cadence control unit 113, presents a predetermined range (warning presentation range) among the points predetermined based on the arrival time of the vehicle set by the cadence time setting unit 111 as a target range for warning the occupants of the vehicle regarding approaching nearby vehicles. The warning presentation ON / OFF unit 115, under the control of the presentation information rhythm control unit 113, presents information (presents a warning) to the occupants of the vehicle, for example, informing them of an abnormal approach between the vehicle and a surrounding vehicle. The presentation information ON / OFF unit 116 controls the output unit 120 to turn on / off the presentation information output.

[0031] The output unit 120 includes an audio processing unit 121 , an image processing unit 122 , and a presentation position adjustment unit 123 .

[0032] The audio processing unit 121 outputs an audio signal to the audio output unit 403 at a predetermined timing for a predetermined period based on a control signal input from the presentation information beat control unit 113 in the control unit 110, in order to output audio from the audio output unit 403 (described later) to make the occupants of the vehicle aware of the distance between the vehicle and surrounding vehicles. The audio output unit 403, which is configured with an audio output device such as a speaker, outputs audio based on the audio signal from the audio processing unit 121. Here, "period" means a time length. The same applies to images (described later).

[0033] The image processing unit 122 outputs an image signal to the display device 300 at a predetermined timing for a predetermined period of time based on a control signal input from the presentation information rhythm control unit 113 in the control unit 110, in order to display an image on the display device 300 described later to allow the occupants of the vehicle to recognize the distance between the vehicle and surrounding vehicles. The presentation position adjustment unit 123 outputs a control signal to the display angle control unit 306 in the display device 300 to adjust the display position of the image based on the speed and position of the vehicle acquired from the vehicle speed acquisition unit 201 or the vehicle position acquisition unit 202 in the vehicle information acquisition device 200 described later, and the output signal of the tilt sensor 308 in the display device 300.

[0034] The vehicle information acquisition device 200 is composed of a host vehicle speed acquisition unit 201, a host vehicle position acquisition unit 202, a surrounding vehicle position acquisition unit 203, a surrounding vehicle position arrival time acquisition unit 204, a surrounding vehicle speed acquisition unit 205, and a surrounding vehicle relative speed acquisition unit 206.

[0035] The host vehicle speed acquisition unit 201 acquires the speed of the host vehicle from the output pulse signal from the vehicle speed pulse generator 401, and outputs the acquired host vehicle speed information to the presentation position adjustment unit 123 in the output unit 120, a surrounding vehicle position arrival time acquisition unit 204 (described later), a surrounding vehicle speed acquisition unit 205, and a surrounding vehicle relative speed acquisition unit 206. The vehicle speed pulse generator 401 generates a pulse signal, for example, by using a magnet fixed to a wheel or the like of the vehicle and a sensor such as a Hall element provided opposite the magnet.

[0036] The vehicle position acquisition unit 202 acquires the position information of the vehicle from, for example, a sensor such as a gyro sensor or a geomagnetic sensor, or a signal from a GPS satellite. The surrounding vehicle position acquisition unit 203 acquires the position information of surrounding vehicles, for example, from sensor information from a surrounding vehicle positioning sensor 402. The surrounding vehicle positioning sensor 402 may be an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, or the like. The surrounding vehicle positioning sensor 402 may also be a distance measurement sensor that uses electromagnetic waves. In this case, the surrounding vehicle positioning sensor 402 emits electromagnetic waves in a predetermined direction (for example, the traveling direction of the vehicle), receives the electromagnetic waves reflected by the surrounding vehicles, and analyzes the received light signal to acquire distance information between the surrounding vehicle positioning sensor 402 and the surrounding vehicles that reflected the electromagnetic waves (i.e., distance information between the vehicle and the surrounding vehicles). The acquired distance information may be output to the presentation position adjustment unit 123.

[0037] The surrounding vehicle position arrival time acquisition unit 204 acquires the time required for the host vehicle to reach the surrounding vehicles based on the position information of the host vehicle from the host vehicle position acquisition unit 202, the position information of the surrounding vehicles from the surrounding vehicle position acquisition unit 203, and the relative speed information between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicles from the surrounding vehicle relative speed acquisition unit 206 described below, and outputs the acquired surrounding vehicle position arrival time to the presentation information beat control unit 113 in the control unit 110. The surrounding vehicle speed acquisition unit 205 acquires speed information of the surrounding vehicles from the speed information of the host vehicle from the host vehicle speed acquisition unit 201 and the position information of the surrounding vehicles from the surrounding vehicle position acquisition unit 203, and outputs the acquired speed information of the surrounding vehicles to the surrounding vehicle relative speed acquisition unit 206. Note that the surrounding vehicle speed acquisition unit 205 may acquire the speed information of the surrounding vehicles by, for example, performing inter-vehicle communication with the surrounding vehicles, and is not limited to the acquisition method described above. The surrounding vehicle relative speed acquisition unit 206 acquires relative speed information between the subject vehicle and surrounding vehicles using the speed information of the subject vehicle from the subject vehicle speed acquisition unit 201 and the speed information of surrounding vehicles from the surrounding vehicle speed acquisition unit 205, and outputs the acquired relative speed information to the presentation information beat control unit 113 in the control unit 110.

[0038] The display device 300 is composed of a projector 301, a light diverging member 302, a first lens 303, a second lens 304, a concave mirror 305, a display angle control unit 306, a motor 307, and an inclination sensor 308.

[0039] The projector 301 is a so-called light source unit, and optical elements including, for example, a laser light source (not shown) are unitized by an optical housing. The light diverging member 302 is, for example, a microlens array, and an intermediate image is formed on its surface. The first lens 303 and the second lens 304 are so-called light reflecting members, and guide the light emitted from the projector 301 to the concave mirror 305. The concave mirror 305 is a so-called projection mirror, and reflects the incident light and projects it onto the front windshield 404. As a result, an enlarged image of the intermediate image is visually recognized as a virtual image G by the occupants of the vehicle.

[0040] Furthermore, display angle control unit 306 outputs a signal to motor 307 to adjust the display angle of the image based on a control signal output from presentation position adjustment unit 123 in control device 100. Motor 307 drives concave mirror 305 to rotate in order to adjust the angle of concave mirror 305. Tilt sensor 308 is a sensor for detecting the tilt of display device 300.

[0041] The display device 300 according to this embodiment projects an image output by the image processing unit 122, which is used to allow the occupants of the vehicle to recognize the distance between the vehicle and the surrounding vehicles, as a virtual image G onto the front windshield 404 via an optical system including the projector 301. That is, the display device 300 superimposes this virtual image G on the surrounding vehicles, which are viewed as real objects by the occupants of the vehicle, and displays it as an AR image. An example of the virtual image G is an image made up of individual patterns according to the distance between the vehicle and surrounding vehicles. An AR image may be displayed by superimposing an image of the surrounding vehicle captured by an imaging device on the virtual image G projected onto the front windshield 404.

[0042] <Controller circuit block configuration> As shown in FIG. 2, the circuit block of the presentation information control unit 112 in the control device 100 includes a presentation information cadence control unit 113, a caution presentation ON / OFF unit 114, and a warning presentation ON / OFF unit 115. The presentation information beat control unit 113 is composed of seven comparators (CMP1 to CMP7), one OR circuit (OR1), three XOR circuits (XOR1 to XOR3), two AND circuits (AND5, AND7), and a presentation information timing counter 113a. The attention presentation ON / OFF unit 114 is made up of four AND circuits (AND1 to AND4). The warning presentation ON / OFF unit 115 is made up of one AND circuit (AND6).

[0043] Comparator CMP1 of the presentation information metric control unit 113 receives arrival time information from the surrounding vehicle position arrival time acquisition unit 204 at one terminal (negative terminal) and b presentation time information from the metric time setting unit 111 at the other terminal (positive terminal), compares them, and outputs the result to AND6 of the warning presentation ON / OFF unit 115. CMP2 receives a presentation time information from the metric time setting unit 111 at one terminal (negative terminal) and the count value of the presentation information timing counter 113a at the other terminal (positive terminal), compares them, and outputs the result to XOR1. CMP3 receives b presentation time information from the metric time setting unit 111 at one terminal (negative terminal) and the count value of the presentation information timing counter 113a at the other terminal (positive terminal), compares them, and outputs the result to XOR1, XOR2, and AND5.

[0044] CMP4 receives the c presentation time information from the metrical time setting unit 111 at one terminal (negative terminal) and the count value of the presentation information timing counter 113a at the other terminal (positive terminal), compares them, and outputs the result to XOR2 and XOR3. CMP5 receives the d presentation time information from the metrical time setting unit 111 at one terminal (negative terminal) and the count value of the presentation information timing counter 113a at the other terminal (positive terminal), compares them, and outputs the result to XOR3 and AND4 of the attention presentation ON / OFF unit 114. CMP6 receives the presentation upper limit time information from the metrical time setting unit 111 at one terminal (negative terminal) and the count value of the presentation information timing counter 113a at the other terminal (positive terminal), compares them, and outputs the result to OR1. CMP7 inputs arrival time information from the surrounding vehicle position arrival time acquisition unit 204 to one terminal (negative terminal) and inputs the count value of the presentation information timing counter 113a to the other terminal (positive terminal), compares these, and outputs the result to AND7.

[0045] The AND circuit AND5 receives the output signals of CMP1 and CMP3, performs an AND operation on them, and outputs the result to OR1. AND7 receives the output signal of CMP1 via a NOT circuit, and performs an AND operation on the output signal of CMP7, and outputs the result to OR1. OR circuit OR1 performs an OR operation on the output signals of CMP6, AND5, and AND7, and outputs the result to the presentation information timing counter 113a as a reset signal.

[0046] XOR1 receives the comparison result of CMP2 and the comparison result of CMP3, performs an exclusive OR operation, and outputs the operation result to AND1 of the warning presentation ON / OFF unit 114. XOR2 receives the comparison result of CMP3 and the comparison result of CMP4, performs an exclusive OR operation, and outputs the operation result to AND2 of the warning presentation ON / OFF unit 114. XOR3 receives the comparison result of CMP4 and the comparison result of CMP5, performs an exclusive OR operation, and outputs the operation result to AND3 of the warning presentation ON / OFF unit 114. In addition, the presentation information timing counter 113a acquires relative speed information between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicles from the surrounding vehicle relative speed acquisition unit 206 of the vehicle information acquisition device 200. Then, if the relative speed information from the surrounding vehicle relative speed acquisition unit 206 indicates that the inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicles does not reach, for example, the warning presentation range, the presentation information timing counter 113a of the presentation information beat control unit 113 executes a count-up process.

[0047] AND1 of the warning presentation ON / OFF unit 114 performs an AND operation on the signal resulting from XOR1 and the signal input via a NOT circuit to the comparison result of CMP1. If the operation result is "1," AND1 outputs a control signal for outputting a presentation signal a, which is a warning signal, to the output unit 120. AND2 performs an AND operation on the signal resulting from XOR2 and the signal input via a NOT circuit to the comparison result of CMP1. If the operation result is "1," AND2 outputs a control signal for outputting a presentation signal b, which is a warning signal, to the output unit 120. AND3 performs an AND operation on the signal resulting from XOR3 and the signal input via a NOT circuit to the comparison result of CMP1. If the operation result is "1," AND3 outputs a control signal for outputting a presentation signal c, which is a warning signal, to the output unit 120. AND4 performs an AND operation on the signal resulting from the comparison of CMP5 and the signal input via a NOT circuit to the comparison result of CMP1. If the calculation result is "1", AND4 outputs a control signal for outputting the ad presentation signal, which is an attention signal, to the output unit 120.

[0048] AND6, which constitutes the warning presentation ON / OFF unit 115, performs an AND operation on the comparison result of CMP1 and the signal input via a NOT circuit to the calculation result of XOR1. If the calculation result is "1", AND6 outputs a control signal for outputting an x ​​presentation signal, which is a warning signal, to the output unit 120.

[0049] <Examples of image display and audio output> An example of image display and an example of audio output according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0050] FIG. 3 shows an example of an image display according to this embodiment. Here, the vehicle S shown in this figure is a real image of a surrounding vehicle that is viewed as a real object by the occupants of the vehicle, and the others are virtual images G output by the output unit 120.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 3, a virtual image G is displayed in the upper center of the display area (enclosed by a dashed line in the figure), and furthermore, a d presentation line, a c presentation line, a b presentation line, and an a presentation line are set. Each of the a presentation line to the d presentation line indicates a position where the host vehicle is predicted to arrive after predetermined times a to d have elapsed. In the example of FIG. 3, the predetermined times are a=1 second later, b=2 seconds later, c=2.5 seconds later, and d=2.75 seconds later, respectively. That is, for example, the a presentation line indicates a position where the host vehicle is predicted to arrive after 1 second has elapsed. With this configuration, the occupant can intuitively judge the distance between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicles based on the positional relationship between the real images of the surrounding vehicles and the above lines. The display area A is divided into an attention area and a warning area above and below. As shown in Figure 3, flashing bar-type display areas (La, Lb, Lc, Ld) are also provided on the lines for displaying a to d to visually indicate each display.

[0052] While the blinking display areas are shown in a bar format in Fig. 3, each blinking display area may be a linear array of multiple dots. In this case, the blinking pattern may be, for example, a pattern in which the dots at one end of the line blink sequentially to the dots at the other end of the line. Alternatively, the multiple dots may be divided into two, and the dots may be controlled to blink sequentially from the center of the line toward both ends simultaneously, or conversely, the dots may be controlled to blink sequentially from both ends of the line toward the center simultaneously.

[0053] The presentation timing of each blinking presentation area in FIG. 3 is determined as shown in FIG. That is, the presentation upper limit time is set to 3 seconds, and when a nearby vehicle is ahead of presentation d as shown in FIG. 3, presentation a is made 1 second after the current time (0 seconds), presentation b is made after presentation a ends (2 seconds after presentation a), presentation c is made after presentation b ends (2.5 seconds after presentation b ends), and presentation d is made after presentation c ends (2.75 seconds after presentation c ends). In addition, in the case of audio, audio output is performed at the same timing as above. Here, the presentation timing will be explained based on FIG. 3, and the presentation modes and the rhythms of each presentation when a nearby vehicle approaches the host vehicle will be described later using FIG. 5, etc.

[0054] 5 and 6 show the presentation state depending on the distance between the host vehicle and surrounding vehicles. In the following, the situations in Fig. 5(A) to Fig. 5(C) are referred to as Condition 1 to Condition 3, and the patterns output when each condition is met are explained in correspondence with Pattern 1 to Pattern 3 in Fig. 6. The presentation process will be described in detail later.

[0055] For example, as shown in Fig. 5(A), if the time required for the host vehicle to reach the position of the peripheral vehicle at the current time is between 2.75 seconds and 3 seconds (condition 1), a display is made as shown in pattern 1 in Fig. 6. In other words, condition 1 indicates that a peripheral vehicle exists between a position where the host vehicle is predicted to reach in 2.75 seconds and a position where the host vehicle is predicted to reach in 3 seconds at the current time. In other words, condition 1 indicates that the position of the peripheral vehicle estimated from the distance information (information on the distance from the host vehicle to the other vehicle) obtained by the peripheral vehicle positioning sensor 402 is between a position that is separated from the current position by the distance traveled by the host vehicle in 2.75 seconds and a position that is separated from the current position by the distance traveled by the host vehicle in 3 seconds. Specifically, when condition 1 is satisfied, presentation a is presented for 1 second after 1 second has elapsed from the current time (0 seconds), followed by presentation b for 0.5 seconds after presentation a ends, presentation c for 0.25 seconds after presentation b ends, and presentation d for 0.125 seconds after presentation c ends. When presentation a is the only image, presentations are presented in the above-mentioned order, i.e., the flashing presentation area for presentation a is lit during presentation a, and when the flashing presentation area for presentation a goes out, the flashing presentation area for presentation b is lit during presentation b, and so on up to presentation d. Also, when presentation is audio only, audio is output at the same timing and for the same presentation period. Furthermore, when both images and audio are presented, the image and audio are displayed and output at the same timing and for the same presentation period. In addition, if it takes more than 3 seconds for the vehicle to reach the position of the surrounding vehicle (in other words, if there are other vehicles further away than the position where the vehicle is predicted to reach in 3 seconds), neither display may be made.

[0056] 5(B), if the time required for the host vehicle to reach the position of the peripheral vehicle at the current time (3 seconds after the timing in FIG. 5(A) described above) is between 2 and 2.5 seconds (condition 2), a display is made as in pattern 2 in FIG. 6. In other words, condition 2 indicates that a peripheral vehicle exists between a position where the host vehicle is predicted to reach in 2 seconds and a position where the host vehicle is predicted to reach in 2.5 seconds at the current time. In further other words, condition 2 indicates that the position of the peripheral vehicle relative to the host vehicle estimated from the distance information (information on the distance from the host vehicle to the other vehicle) obtained by peripheral vehicle positioning sensor 402 is between a position that is separated from the current position by the distance traveled by the host vehicle in 2 seconds and a position that is separated from the current position by the distance traveled by the host vehicle in 2.5 seconds. Specifically, assuming that the time 3 seconds later is the current time (0 seconds), after 1 second has elapsed, display a is displayed for 1 second, and then, after display a ends, display b is displayed for 0.5 seconds, with display c and display d not displayed. In other words, in this case, the flashing areas of display c and display d are not displayed because they overlap with the surrounding vehicles as seen by the occupant. In other words, since the time required for the host vehicle to reach the surrounding vehicles has become shorter than in the situation shown in FIG. 5(A) above (in other words, the distance between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicles has decreased), the display pattern is switched to one in which some of the displays (in this case, display c and display d) that overlap with the surrounding vehicles as seen by the occupant are not displayed.

[0057] Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 5(C), if the time required for the host vehicle to reach the surrounding vehicle at the current time (5.5 seconds after the timing of Fig. 5(A) above) is 2 seconds or less (condition 3), a message is displayed as shown in pattern 3 of Fig. 6. In other words, condition 3 indicates that a surrounding vehicle is located closer (towards the host vehicle) than the position where the host vehicle is predicted to reach in 2 seconds. Specifically, all presentations from a to d are not performed, and a warning image is displayed as x presentation.

[0058] In this way, multiple patterns are displayed according to the distance between the vehicle and surrounding vehicles, displaying only images, outputting only audio, or displaying images and outputting audio. Each of the multiple patterns is an output pattern using intermittent images or audio, and the output period for the intermittent images or audio differs. For example, the shorter the distance, the shorter the output cycle. Therefore, the audio output changes, for example, from "ping" at presentation a, "beep" at presentation b, "beep" at presentation c, and "beep" at presentation d. When audio is output, the pitch may be increased or decreased, or the volume may be changed, from presentation a to presentation d. Here, "period" refers to a "fixed period" during which the exact same phenomenon is repeated in the exact same way at regular intervals.

[0059] The image is composed of multiple images, each of which shows a position where the vehicle is estimated to arrive after a different time has elapsed. The image is an AR image in which an image constituting a pattern is superimposed on a surrounding vehicle perceived as a real vehicle by the occupant. When the surrounding vehicle perceived as a real vehicle by the occupant overlaps with a part of the image constituting the pattern in the AR image, the pattern is switched to a pattern that does not overlap with the surrounding vehicle.

[0060] <Setting and adjusting the image display position> Setting and adjusting the image display position will be described with reference to FIGS. The image display positions θa to θd are calculated from the distance from the ground to the occupant's viewpoint (Leye) and the respective distances (La, Lb, Lc, Ld) from presentation position a to presentation position d, which are determined by the vehicle's moving speed, and the display positions of the images are set so that the images constituting each pattern (i.e., all images from presentation a to presentation d) fit within a specified display area (for example, display area A in Figure 3). Specifically, the depression angle from presentation position a to presentation position d changes depending on the traveling speed of the host vehicle, as shown in Figure 8. In the example of Figure 8, when the traveling speed of the host vehicle is 60 km / h or less, presentation position a exceeds the display bottom angle, so curve a shown by the dotted line is changed to adjusted curve a shown by the solid line.

[0061] In the example of Fig. 8, the b presentation position may be further adjusted in the direction of the display upper end angle. By adjusting the position in this way, it is possible to set the margin of safety when driving at high speeds to a smaller value. Furthermore, the display interval from the a presentation position to the d presentation position may be fixed within the range of the display bottom angle and the display top angle for the entire range of the vehicle's expected traveling speed. In this case, the preset beat may be adjusted. By doing so, it is possible to prevent the display interval from the a presentation position to the c presentation position from narrowing when traveling at high speeds.

[0062] <Examples of image display and audio output according to the situation> Examples of image display and audio output according to the situation will be described using Figures 9 to 12. In the following, the situations in Figures 9 to 12 (for example, high-speed driving in Figure 9) are used as conditions, and the output modes that are output when each condition is met are described as patterns (for example, the output mode when a caution is presented and the output mode when a warning is presented in Figure 9). Each figure shows the case of a caution display range and the case of a warning display range. Display area A is divided, for example, into a lower area that displays first position information and an upper area that displays second position information. The first position information is display a and a warning, and the second position information is display b to d. The lower area of ​​the display area also displays the vehicle's traveling speed and the distance to the right or left turn point. Also, with the horizon at infinity as the vanishing point, the width of the flashing display area is set to become longer in the order of display d, display c, display b, and display a.

[0063] FIG. 9 illustrates an example of an output mode, that is, an example of a pattern of image display and audio output, when the vehicle is traveling at a high speed of, for example, 100 km / h. When a nearby vehicle is within the warning range of the own vehicle, after 1 second has passed, message a is displayed for 1 second, then message b is displayed for 0.5 seconds after message a ends, message c is displayed for 0.25 seconds after message b ends, and message d is displayed for 0.125 seconds after message c ends, as shown in the upper part of Figure 9. In the case of audio, audio is output at the same timing as above.

[0064] On the other hand, as shown in the lower part of Fig. 9, when a nearby vehicle is within the warning presentation range of the own vehicle, for example, when the time required for the own vehicle to reach the position of the nearby vehicle becomes less than 2 seconds, presentations b to d (second position information group) are turned off, and warning information (warning presentation) is displayed as the first position information in place of presentation a, for example, by flashing at 2-second intervals. In the case of audio, audio output is also performed at the same timing as above.

[0065] FIG. 10 illustrates an example of an output mode, that is, an example of a pattern of image display and audio output, when the vehicle is traveling at a medium to low speed of, for example, 60 km / h. When a nearby vehicle is within the warning range of the vehicle, after one second has elapsed, display a is displayed for one second, then after display a ends, display b is displayed for 0.5 seconds, after display b ends, display c is displayed for 0.25 seconds, and after display c ends, display d is displayed for 0.125 seconds, as shown in the upper part of Figure 10. The display format when a nearby vehicle is within the warning range is the same as in Figure 9, but is characterized by the fact that the display position of the nearby vehicle is variable depending on the speed.

[0066] On the other hand, as shown in the lower part of Fig. 10, when a nearby vehicle is within the warning presentation range of the own vehicle, for example, when the time required for the own vehicle to reach the position of the nearby vehicle becomes less than 2 seconds, presentations b to d (second position information group) are turned off, and warning information (warning presentation) is displayed as the first position information in place of presentation a, for example, by flashing at 2-second intervals. In the case of audio, audio output is also performed at the same timing as above.

[0067] FIG. 11 illustrates an example of the output mode, i.e., an example of a pattern of image display and audio output, when the condition is that the vehicle is traveling at a medium to low speed of, for example, 60 km / h and a nearby vehicle cuts in. Before a nearby vehicle cuts in, the situation is the same as when the nearby vehicle is within the caution display range of the vehicle. Therefore, as shown in the upper part of Figure 11, after 1 second has passed, display a is displayed for 1 second, and then, after display a ends, display b is displayed for 0.5 seconds, after display b ends, display c is displayed for 0.25 seconds, and after display c ends, display d is displayed for 0.125 seconds. In the case of audio, audio output is also performed at the same timing as above.

[0068] On the other hand, as shown in the lower part of Fig. 11, when a nearby vehicle cuts in within the warning presentation range of the vehicle, the display of indicators b to d (second position information group) is turned off, and instead of the display of indicator a, the warning information (warning presentation) is displayed as the first position information, for example, by flashing at a 2-second cycle. In the case of audio, audio output is also performed at the same timing as above.

[0069] 12 illustrates an example of an output mode, i.e., an example of a pattern of image display and audio output, when the vehicle is traveling at a medium to low speed, for example, 60 km / h. In this example, the display position of the surrounding vehicles is changed depending on the position information of the vehicle acquired by the vehicle position acquisition unit 202, the steering angle, etc. Therefore, unlike the above example, the vanishing point changes, and the display position from presentation b to presentation d is also changed.

[0070] In this case, if a nearby vehicle is within the warning range of the own vehicle, after 1 second has passed, display a is displayed for 1 second, then after display a ends, display b is displayed for 0.5 seconds, after display b ends, display c is displayed for 0.25 seconds, and after display c ends, display d is displayed for 0.125 seconds, as shown in the upper part of Fig. 12. In the case of audio, audio is output at the same timing as above.

[0071] On the other hand, as shown in the lower part of Fig. 12, when a nearby vehicle is within the warning presentation range of the own vehicle, for example, when the time required for the own vehicle to reach the position of the nearby vehicle becomes less than 2 seconds, presentations b to d (second position information group) are turned off, and warning information (warning presentation) is displayed as the first position information in place of presentation a, for example, by flashing at 2-second intervals. In the case of audio, audio output is also performed at the same timing as above.

[0072] As an image display method, the depression angle may be changed according to the vehicle speed so that the first position information and the second position information fit within the display range, as shown in Fig. 13. Specifically, the depression angle during medium to low speed driving may be changed based on the depression angle during high speed driving. This change allows the occupant to accurately and intuitively visually recognize the first position information and the second position information at any time, regardless of the vehicle speed.

[0073] The first position information and the second position information may be displayed separately in the depth direction. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 14, the second position information may be displayed at position Z1, and the first position information may be displayed at position Z2. By using such a display method, the occupant can easily grasp the distance to the surrounding vehicle.

[0074] <Controller processing> The processing of the control device according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 15 and FIG.

[0075] First, the control unit 110 acquires the speed information of the host vehicle from the host vehicle speed acquisition unit 201 in the vehicle information acquisition device 200, and determines the display position of the ad presentation line (step S101). Next, the control unit 110 acquires the time required for the host vehicle to reach the position of the nearby vehicle, which is obtained from the nearby vehicle position arrival time acquisition unit 204 in the vehicle information acquisition device 200 (step S102).

[0076] The control unit 110 determines whether the time required for the host vehicle to reach the position of the surrounding vehicle, which is obtained from the surrounding vehicle position arrival time acquisition unit 204 in the vehicle information acquisition device 200, is longer than the presentation upper limit time (step S103). At this time, if the control unit 110 determines that the time required for the host vehicle to reach the position of the surrounding vehicle is longer than the presentation upper limit time ("Yes" in step S103), it does not display a virtual image (step S104) and returns to the original process.

[0077] On the other hand, when the control unit 110 determines that the time required for the host vehicle to reach the position of the nearby vehicle is shorter than the presentation upper limit time ("No" in step S101), it activates the image processing unit 122 in the output unit 120 and causes the display device 300 to output data for displaying the virtual image G. The virtual image G at this time is made up of, for example, first position information, vehicle information, and second position information as shown in the upper part of Fig. 9, and further, the second position information is an image having, for example, a 3-second line and a 2-second line indicating the host vehicle's arrival time, and the first position information is an image having, for example, a 1-second line indicating the host vehicle's arrival time.

[0078] Next, the control unit 110 determines whether the time required for the host vehicle to reach the position of the nearby vehicle is shorter than the presentation upper limit time and longer than the presentation time d (step S105). If the control unit 110 determines that the time required for the host vehicle to reach the position of the nearby vehicle is shorter than the presentation upper limit time and longer than the presentation time d (for example, the arrival time of the host vehicle is 3 seconds) ("Yes" in step S105), the control unit 110 causes the presentation information beat control unit 113 of the control unit 110 to execute presentation control from presentation a to presentation d (step S106).

[0079] Specifically, in step S106, when the count value of the presentation information timing counter 113a in the presentation information beat control unit 113 reaches the a presentation time, the output signal of CMP2 becomes "1." This signal is output to one input terminal of XOR1. At this time, since "0" is input to the other input terminal of XOR1, XOR1 outputs "1," and this signal is input to one input terminal of AND1. The output signal of CMP1 is input to the other input terminal of AND1 via a NOT circuit. However, since the output of CMP1 is "0," "1" is also input to the other input terminal of AND1. As a result, AND1 outputs "1," and the a presentation begins. This a presentation continues until the output of XOR1 becomes "0," that is, until the b presentation begins when the output of CMP3 becomes "1."

[0080] Furthermore, when the count value of the presentation information timing counter 113a in the presentation information beat control unit 113 reaches the b presentation time, the output signal of CMP3 becomes "1." This signal is output to one input terminal of XOR2. At this time, "0" is input to the other input terminal of XOR2, so XOR2 outputs "1," and this signal is input to one input terminal of AND2. The output signal of CMP1 is input to the other input terminal of AND2 via a NOT circuit. However, at this time, the output of CMP1 is "0," so "1" is also input to the other input terminal of AND2. As a result, AND2 outputs "1," and b presentation begins. This b presentation continues until the output of XOR2 becomes "0," that is, until the output of CMP4 becomes "1," and c presentation begins.

[0081] Furthermore, when the count value of the presentation information timing counter 113a in the presentation information beat control unit 113 reaches the c presentation time, the output signal of CMP4 becomes "1." This signal is output to one input terminal of XOR3. At this time, since "0" is input to the other input terminal of XOR3, XOR3 outputs "1," and this signal is input to one input terminal of AND3. The output signal of CMP1 is input to the other input terminal of AND3 via a NOT circuit. However, since the output of CMP1 is "0," "1" is also input to the other input terminal of AND3. As a result, AND3 outputs "1," thereby starting the c presentation. This c presentation continues until the output of XOR3 becomes "0," that is, until the output of CMP5 becomes "1," which is the start of the d presentation.

[0082] Furthermore, when the count value of the presentation information timing counter 113a in the presentation information beat control unit 113 reaches the d presentation time, the output signal of CMP5 becomes "1." This signal is output to one input terminal of AND4. The output signal of CMP1 is input to the other input terminal of AND4 via a NOT circuit. However, at this time, the output of CMP1 is "0," so "1" is also input to the other input terminal of AND4. As a result, AND4 outputs "1," and d presentation is initiated. This d presentation continues until the presentation information timing counter 113a is reset, that is, until the count value of the presentation information timing counter 113a reaches the presentation upper limit time, the output signal of CMP6 becomes "1," is output to OR1, and a reset signal is output to the presentation information timing counter 113a.

[0083] On the other hand, if the control unit 110 determines that the time required for the host vehicle to reach the position of the peripheral vehicle is shorter than the presentation upper limit time and shorter than the presentation time d ("No" in step S105), it determines whether the time required for the host vehicle to reach the position of the peripheral vehicle is shorter than the presentation time d and longer than the presentation time c (step S107). At this time, if the control unit 110 determines that the time required for the host vehicle to reach the position of the peripheral vehicle is shorter than the presentation time d and longer than the presentation time c (for example, the arrival time is 2.75 seconds) ("Yes" in step S107), it causes the presentation information beat control unit 113 of the control unit 110 to execute presentation control from presentation a to presentation c (step S108).

[0084] Specifically, in step S108, when the count value of the presentation information timing counter 113a in the presentation information beat control unit 113 reaches the a presentation time, the output signal of CMP2 becomes "1." This signal is output to one input terminal of XOR1. At this time, since "0" is input to the other input terminal of XOR1, XOR1 outputs "1," and this signal is input to one input terminal of AND1. The output signal of CMP1 is input to the other input terminal of AND1 via a NOT circuit. However, since the output of CMP1 is "0," "1" is also input to the other input terminal of AND1. As a result, AND1 outputs "1," and the a presentation begins. This a presentation continues until the output of XOR1 becomes "0," that is, until the b presentation begins when the output of CMP3 becomes "1."

[0085] Furthermore, when the count value of the presentation information timing counter 113a in the presentation information beat control unit 113 reaches the b presentation time, the output signal of CMP3 becomes "1." This signal is output to one input terminal of XOR2. At this time, "0" is input to the other input terminal of XOR2, so XOR2 outputs "1," and this signal is input to one input terminal of AND2. The output signal of CMP1 is input to the other input terminal of AND2 via a NOT circuit. However, at this time, the output of CMP1 is "0," so "1" is also input to the other input terminal of AND2. As a result, AND2 outputs "1," and b presentation begins. This b presentation continues until the output of XOR2 becomes "0," that is, until the output of CMP4 becomes "1," and c presentation begins.

[0086] Furthermore, when the count value of the presentation information timing counter 113a in the presentation information beat control unit 113 reaches the c presentation time, the output signal of CMP4 becomes "1". This signal is output to one input terminal of XOR3. At this time, since "0" is input to the other input terminal of XOR3, XOR3 outputs "1", and this signal is input to one input terminal of AND3. The output signal of CMP1 is input to the other input terminal of AND3 via a NOT circuit. However, since the output of CMP1 is "0" at this time, "1" is also input to the other input terminal of AND3. As a result, "1" is output from AND3, and c presentation begins. This c presentation continues until the presentation information timing counter 113a is reset, that is, until the count value of the presentation information timing counter 113a reaches the d presentation time, the output signal of CMP7 becomes "1", the output signal of AND7 becomes "1" (at this time, "1" is also input to the other input terminal of AND7 because the output of CMP1 is "0"), it is output to OR1, and a reset signal is output to the presentation information timing counter 113a.

[0087] On the other hand, if the control unit 110 determines that the time required for the host vehicle to reach the position of the peripheral vehicle is shorter than the presentation time d and shorter than the presentation time c ("No" in step S107), it determines whether the time required for the host vehicle to reach the position of the peripheral vehicle is shorter than the presentation time c and longer than the presentation time b (step S109). At this time, if the control unit 110 determines that the time required for the host vehicle to reach the position of the peripheral vehicle is shorter than the presentation time c and longer than the presentation time d (for example, the arrival time is 2.5 seconds) ("Yes" in step S109), it causes the presentation information beat control unit 113 of the control unit 110 to execute presentation control up to presentation of a and presentation of b (step S110).

[0088] Specifically, in step S110, when the count value of the presentation information timing counter 113a in the presentation information beat control unit 113 reaches the a presentation time, the output signal of CMP2 becomes "1." This signal is output to one input terminal of XOR1. At this time, since "0" is input to the other input terminal of XOR1, XOR1 outputs "1," and this signal is input to one input terminal of AND1. The output signal of CMP1 is input to the other input terminal of AND1 via a NOT circuit. However, since the output of CMP1 is "0," "1" is also input to the other input terminal of AND1. As a result, AND1 outputs "1," and the a presentation begins. This a presentation continues until the output of XOR1 becomes "0," that is, until the b presentation begins when the output of CMP3 becomes "1."

[0089] Furthermore, when the count value of the presentation information timing counter 113a in the presentation information beat control unit 113 reaches the b presentation time, the output signal of CMP3 becomes "1". This signal is output to one input terminal of XOR2. At this time, "0" is input to the other input terminal of XOR2, so XOR2 outputs "1", and this signal is input to one input terminal of AND2. The output signal of CMP1 is input to the other input terminal of AND2 via a NOT circuit. However, at this time, the output of CMP1 is "0", so "1" is also input to the other input terminal of AND2. As a result, "1" is output from AND2, and presentation of b begins. This b presentation continues until the presentation information timing counter 113a is reset, that is, until the count value of the presentation information timing counter 113a reaches the c presentation time, the output signal of CMP7 becomes "1", the output signal of AND7 becomes "1" (at this time, "1" is also input to the other input terminal of AND7 because the output of CMP1 is "0"), it is output to OR1, and a reset signal is output to the presentation information timing counter 113a.

[0090] On the other hand, when the control unit 110 determines that the time required for the host vehicle to reach the position of the nearby vehicle is shorter than the presentation time c and shorter than the presentation time d ("No" in step S109), it determines whether the time required for the host vehicle to reach the position of the nearby vehicle is shorter than the presentation time b (step S111), and if it determines that the time required for the host vehicle to reach the position of the nearby vehicle is shorter than the presentation time b ("Yes" in step S111), it executes warning presentation control (step S112) and ends the processing.

[0091] Here, in step S110, the arrival time of the host vehicle is equal to or shorter than the b presentation time, so the output of CMP1 becomes "1." This output signal of CMP1 is input to AND6. At this time, both input signals of XOR1 are "1," so the output signal becomes "0," and "1" is also input to the other terminal of AND6, so the output of AND6 becomes "1," and a warning is presented. On the other hand, if it is determined that the arrival time of the host vehicle is not the b presentation time ("No" in step S111), the process returns to step S103.

[0092] As described above, according to this embodiment, the control unit 110 controls the output unit 120 to display only an image, output only audio, or display both an image and audio, in a pattern according to the distance between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicles. Then, under the control of the control unit 110, the output unit 120 displays only an image, outputs only audio, or displays both an image and audio to allow the occupant to recognize the distance between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicles. Therefore, distance information between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicles can be presented to the occupant intuitively.

[0093] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, for example, if the arrival time of the host vehicle is longer than the presentation upper limit time, the virtual image G is not displayed. In other words, the virtual image G is not displayed all the time, but is displayed when the arrival time of the host vehicle is equal to or shorter than the presentation upper limit time. In other words, the virtual image G is displayed only when the inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicle is within the warning range, i.e., when the occupant's attention should be alerted, and is not displayed when there is no need to alert the occupant. Therefore, the occupant does not feel annoyed as compared to when the virtual image G is always displayed.

[0094] According to this embodiment, the control unit 110 further controls the output unit 120 to display only images, output only audio, or display both images and audio, using a plurality of patterns according to the distance between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicles. That is, instead of using only one unique pattern according to the distance between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicles, as exemplified above, image display and audio output, for example, from presentation a to presentation d, are performed according to the distance between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicles. Therefore, the occupant can intuitively recognize distance information between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicles through unique image display and audio output according to the distance between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicles.

[0095] According to this embodiment, the control unit 110 controls the output unit 120 to output a plurality of patterns, each of which is an output pattern of intermittent images or intermittent sounds. That is, as exemplified above, for example, after a pattern in which only display a is displayed, patterns in which display b to display d are displayed independently are sequentially displayed intermittently according to the distance between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicles, and image display and sound output are performed. Therefore, the occupant can more intuitively recognize the distance information between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicles by seeing the intermittent images or listening to the intermittent sounds.

[0096] According to this embodiment, the control unit 110 controls the output unit 120 to output intermittent images or intermittent sounds, and the output periods during which the intermittent images or sounds are output vary. That is, images are displayed and sounds are output at a unique rhythm according to the distance between the vehicle and the surrounding vehicles. Therefore, the output periods during which the intermittent images or sounds are output vary, and the difference in rhythm allows the occupant to more intuitively recognize the distance information between the vehicle and the surrounding vehicles. Furthermore, the occupant does not feel an excessive sense of urgency.

[0097] According to this embodiment, the image is further comprised of a plurality of images, each of which represents a position where the host vehicle is estimated to arrive after a different time has elapsed. Therefore, by visually recognizing the plurality of images and the surrounding vehicles, the occupant can accurately and intuitively recognize distance information between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicles.

[0098] According to this embodiment, the output period of the plurality of patterns is set to be shorter for patterns corresponding to shorter distances. That is, as illustrated above, for example, from the output period of presentation a to the output period of presentation d, the output periods become shorter in sequence, and the rhythms are different. That is, the longer the arrival time of the host vehicle, the shorter the rhythm, and vice versa. Therefore, the difference in rhythm allows the occupant to more intuitively recognize the distance information between the host vehicle and surrounding vehicles. Furthermore, the occupant does not feel an excessive sense of urgency.

[0099] According to this embodiment, the image is an AR image in which an image constituting a pattern is superimposed on a surrounding vehicle perceived by the occupant as a real vehicle. When the surrounding vehicle perceived by the occupant as a real vehicle overlaps with a portion of the image constituting the pattern in the AR image, the control unit 110 switches the pattern to one that does not include a pattern in which the surrounding vehicle perceived by the occupant as a real vehicle overlaps with a portion of the image constituting the pattern. That is, as illustrated above, the initial state in which display a through display d is sequentially presented changes to a state in which display a through display c is sequentially presented, and then to a state in which display a through display b is sequentially presented. This allows the occupant to more intuitively recognize the distance information between the vehicle and the surrounding vehicles. Furthermore, the occupant does not feel an excessive sense of urgency.

[0100] According to this embodiment, when the distance falls within a predetermined threshold range, the control unit 110 outputs a warning image instead of the intermittent image output pattern. That is, as illustrated above, the initial state in which indications a through d are presented sequentially transitions to a state in which indications a through c are presented sequentially, and then to a state in which indications a through b are presented sequentially. Then, when the distance falls within the predetermined threshold range, all display and audio output of indications a through d is stopped, and a warning image is displayed. This allows the occupant to be notified of the danger promptly and accurately.

[0101] In this embodiment, the output period of presentations a to d is set to be shorter the shorter the distance they correspond to, but the output period may be set to be longer the longer the distance they correspond to.

[0102] Furthermore, in this embodiment, it has been described that a warning (indication x) is issued when the arrival time of the vehicle reaches indication b, but in reality, the timing at which the warning is issued varies depending on factors such as speed, road conditions, tire wear, and weather conditions. For this reason, a function capable of detecting changing factors such as speed, road conditions, tire wear, and weather conditions may be added to the control device 100, and the timing at which the warning (indication x) is issued may be determined taking into account the above changing factors as well as the condition that the arrival time of the vehicle reaches indication b. With this configuration, a more realistic warning can be issued to the occupant.

[0103] In addition, in this embodiment, the presentation information timing counter 113a is illustrated as a counter that counts up. However, the presentation information timing counter 113a may be configured to acquire arrival time information and presentation upper limit time information from the surrounding vehicle position arrival time acquisition unit 204, and the shorter of the arrival time information and the presentation upper limit time information may be set as a default value, and the presentation information timing counter 113a may count down from this default value. By configuring the presentation information timing counter 113a as described above, for example, if the default value is set to 2.4 seconds, when a surrounding vehicle is approaching, the transition from presentation a to presentation b in the embodiment can be transitioned from presentation b to presentation a. In other words, in the embodiment, the transition from the host vehicle side to the surrounding vehicle side can be transitioned from the surrounding vehicle side to the host vehicle side, so that the occupant can more intuitively recognize the inter-vehicle distance to the surrounding vehicle.

[0104] In addition, in this embodiment, it has been explained that a warning (x presentation) is given when the arrival time of the host vehicle reaches b presentation, but it is also conceivable that a warning should be given for reasons other than the distance between vehicles, such as approaching a fallen object on the road or approaching a large crack in the road surface, etc. Therefore, the control device 100 may take in a warning signal from an external source, and when this warning signal is received, a warning may be given regardless of the distance between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicle.

[0105] <Variation 1> In this embodiment, the warning range is used as a range for urging occupants to be careful. Alternatively, this warning range may be used as a range for urging occupants to maintain a safe distance between vehicles when traveling at the current speed. Specifically, an image may be displayed or an audio guide may be given saying, "Please stay within the warning range." Furthermore, if the vehicle is about to deviate from the warning range, an image may be displayed or an audio guide may be given again to warn the occupants.

[0106] Furthermore, although the present embodiment has been described primarily with reference to a manually driven vehicle, the present invention can also be applied to an automatically driven vehicle. In other words, while the present embodiment presents the distance between the host vehicle and surrounding vehicles to the occupant by displaying a to d, the present invention may also be applied to a vehicle control device that controls the host vehicle so as to maintain a safe inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and surrounding vehicles. For example, as described above, the warning range is set as a range that urges the driver to maintain a safe inter-vehicle distance when traveling at the current speed. In other words, the inter-vehicle distance when the above-described virtual image warning is initiated (when condition 1 is satisfied) is set as the inter-vehicle distance for safe driving. Then, when a surrounding vehicle cuts in or approaches this set warning range (within the inter-vehicle distance), the traveling speed of the host vehicle may be automatically controlled so that the surrounding vehicle is outside the warning range (i.e., so as to maintain the set inter-vehicle distance).

[0107] Furthermore, in the case of a manually driven vehicle, even when the vehicle approaches the warning range, the driver is still driving the vehicle by himself, so there is no need to display a large warning until the vehicle approaches the warning range. On the other hand, in the case of an automatically driven vehicle, the vehicle is controlled regardless of the occupant's intentions, so a larger inter-vehicle distance than in a manually driven vehicle can give the occupant a sense of security. Therefore, in the case of an automatically driven vehicle, it is preferable to control the speed of the vehicle so that the inter-vehicle distance is larger than the warning range.

[0108] Furthermore, in this embodiment, both image display and audio output are mainly illustrated, but image display and audio output may be selectively switched. In this case, in an autonomous vehicle, it is assumed that the occupant may be doing something other than driving (for example, watching television or reading a book). Therefore, even if an image is displayed, there is a high possibility that the occupant will not notice the display. Therefore, when the vehicle switches from manual driving mode to autonomous driving mode, the image display may be automatically switched to audio output. Furthermore, in the autonomous driving mode, if it is detected that an occupant is listening to music (for example, if it is detected that an audio device is turned on, or that a microphone is collecting music), even if audio is output, it may not be heard by the occupant. For this reason, it may be possible to switch to image display without audio output.

[0109] Furthermore, when the inter-vehicle distance is automatically controlled as described above, there may be cases where it is considered unnecessary to display an image or output audio regarding the inter-vehicle distance. On the other hand, when the inter-vehicle distance is automatically controlled and the occupant is interested in "when will we reach our destination" or "where are we currently traveling," the control of the inter-vehicle distance may be processed in the background without using an image display or audio output, and, for example, a navigation image may be displayed or audio guidance may be provided at the occupant's option.

[0110] <Variation 2> In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the display from display a to display d is executed only when a nearby vehicle enters or approaches the warning range. However, it is also assumed that the occupant may want to check the distance between vehicles ahead even when the nearby vehicle has not entered or approached the warning range. For example, on expressways, there are sections where the distance between vehicles can be checked, but these sections are not set at short intervals. Therefore, the occupant may not always be able to travel through a section where the distance between vehicles can be checked at the time when the occupant wants to check the distance between vehicles. Furthermore, some occupants may want to check the distance between vehicles at all times while driving.

[0111] Therefore, an operation unit that enables the display of warnings a to d to be executed by the occupant's operation even when the surrounding vehicle has not entered or approached the warning range may be added to the control device 100. Specifically, when the occupant operates the operation unit, the process described in the above embodiment is forcibly executed. It is also assumed that the distance that a driver feels is safe varies from one occupant to another. For this reason, when the operation unit is operated, a selection screen that allows the driver to customize the image display and audio output may be displayed. By displaying the selection screen, the driver can change the maximum presentation time from 3 seconds to 5 seconds and select the type of audio. Furthermore, as shown in Modification 1, when the vehicle is a manually driven vehicle, the warning range set by the occupant may be used as a warning range to encourage the driver to maintain a safe distance between vehicles when driving at the current speed. For example, an image may be displayed or an audio guide may be given saying, "Please drive within the warning range." Furthermore, if the driver is about to deviate from the warning range, the driver may be warned again by an image display or audio guide.

[0112] By adding such a function, it becomes possible to display the warning range at the driver's will, even when there are no surrounding vehicles ahead. By using this display while driving, the driver can develop a sense of a safe following distance according to speed, i.e., what position in the field of vision is a safe following distance.

[0113] The control device of the present invention can be realized by recording the processing of the control device on a recording medium readable by a computer system, and having the control device read and execute the program recorded on this recording medium. The computer system here includes hardware such as an OS and peripheral devices.

[0114] Furthermore, if a WWW (World Wide Web) system is used, the "computer system" also includes the homepage provision environment (or display environment). The above program may be transmitted from a computer system that stores the program in a storage device or the like to another computer system via a transmission medium or by transmission waves in the transmission medium. Here, the "transmission medium" that transmits the program refers to a medium that has the function of transmitting information, such as a network (communication network) like the Internet or a communication line (communication line) like a telephone line.

[0115] The program may also be a program for realizing some of the above-mentioned functions, or may be a so-called differential file (differential program) that can realize the above-mentioned functions in combination with a program already recorded in the computer system.

[0116] The embodiments and examples of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, but the specific configurations are not limited to these embodiments or examples, and designs within the scope of the present invention are also included. [Explanation of symbols]

[0117] 100;Control device 110; control unit 111: Beat time setting section 112: Presentation information control unit 113; Presentation information beat control section 114; Caution display ON / OFF section 115;Warning display ON / OFF section 116: Presentation information ON / OFF section 120: Output section 121;Audio processing unit 122; Image processing unit 123: Presentation position adjustment unit

Claims

[Claim 1] an output unit that outputs at least one of an image and a sound so as to allow a user to recognize the distance between the vehicle and a surrounding vehicle; A control unit that controls the output unit; Equipped with The control unit is a control device that controls the output unit to output at least one of an image and a sound in a pattern according to the distance.

Images