Information presentation device

Abstract

To provide an information presentation device which makes an occupant intuitively recognize posture which a vehicle can take from now on.SOLUTION: An information presentation device 1 provided in a vehicle is configured to comprise: a road surface shape recognition unit 10 which recognizes a road surface shape in front of the vehicle; a vehicle posture prediction unit 20 which predicts posture which the vehicle can take when the vehicle passes through the road surface shape recognized by the road surface shape recognition unit; and image display units 30, 31 which project and display an image of a three-dimensional object 100 which expresses the posture of the vehicle predicted by the vehicle posture prediction unit on a front screen FS of the vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information presentation device provided in a vehicle such as an automobile. [Background technology]

[0002] As a technology relating to an information presentation device mounted on a vehicle, for example, Patent Document 1 describes an in-vehicle display system that includes an image projection unit that projects a light beam including an image having a display object toward one eye of a viewer, and an angle information acquisition unit that acquires at least one of vehicle angle information related to at least one of the angles of the attitude and orientation of the vehicle in which the viewer is riding, and external field angle information related to the angle of background objects at the position of a target of the display object in the background outside the vehicle, and the image projection unit changes the angle of the image of the display object based on at least one of the vehicle angle information and the external field angle information acquired by the angle information acquisition unit. Patent Document 2 describes that in a driving assistance device, an ECU outputs driving assistance information to a display unit so that the driving assistance information is projected and displayed in an area of ​​the windshield within the driver's field of vision, which is an area directly above an accelerator pedal and a brake pedal, which are operating members provided on a vehicle. Here, the driving assistance information includes the amount of operation of the accelerator pedal that the driver actually performs and a recommended amount of operation of the accelerator pedal. It is also described that the ECU outputs the driving assistance information to the display unit so that the driving assistance information is projected and displayed between the driver and the front window of the vehicle in the driver's line of sight. The document describes that the driving support information includes a bowl-shaped receiving portion having a concave surface and a spherical portion that is virtually movable on the receiving portion in response to changes in gravitational acceleration occurring in the front-rear and left-right directions of the vehicle. The document describes that the ECU outputs to the display portion so that the spherical portion moves on the receiving portion based on behavior information input from the behavior sensor. Patent Document 3 describes that in a display control device mounted on a vehicle, when the road ahead of the vehicle is curved and there is a possibility that the vehicle may deviate from the driving lane due to the limit of the lane keeping control function that keeps the vehicle within the driving lane, an image having a deviation notification content, which is image content indicating that, is generated, and the image having the deviation notification content is provided to a head-up display for display. It also describes that the image content is composed of image content showing the steering wheel of the vehicle and image content showing the steering direction of the steering wheel necessary for the vehicle to drive without deviating from the driving lane. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2010-156608 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2020-93590 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2021-30776 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When driving on rough roads, it is necessary for the driver to grasp road surface information just in front of the vehicle, which is a blind spot due to a part of the vehicle body (for example, the front overhang), and to recognize the posture the vehicle may take in the future. In response to this, it is conceivable to present information via a center display, for example, but in this case the driver would have to look away from the direct field of vision in front of the vehicle, and there is a concern that this may result in a lack of visibility in the direct field of vision, especially when staring to grasp the situation. There is a demand for technology that allows drivers to recognize the vehicle's possible future behavior without taking their eyes off the driving environment ahead. In view of the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an information display device that allows an occupant to intuitively recognize the posture that the vehicle may take in the future. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an information presentation device according to one embodiment of the present invention is an information presentation device provided in a vehicle, and is characterized in that it includes a road surface shape recognition unit that recognizes the road surface shape ahead of the vehicle, a vehicle attitude prediction unit that predicts the attitude that the vehicle may take when passing over the road surface shape recognized by the road surface shape recognition unit, and an image display unit that projects and displays an image of a three-dimensional object representing the attitude of the vehicle predicted by the vehicle attitude prediction unit onto a front screen of the vehicle. According to this, the vehicle attitude predicted by the vehicle attitude prediction unit is represented as a three-dimensional image and projected and displayed on the vehicle's front screen, allowing the driver to intuitively recognize the attitude the vehicle may take in the future without taking his or her eyes off the situation in front of the vehicle.

[0006] In the present invention, the three-dimensional object may be configured to imitate a shape of a driving operation member through which an occupant of the vehicle performs driving operations. This makes it possible to effectively obtain the above-mentioned effects. In addition, by changing the display mode of the driving operation members, it is possible to encourage the driver to perform driving operations.

[0007] In the present invention, the image display unit can be configured to represent a situation in which localized unevenness exists at one of the points where the left and right wheels pass when the vehicle passes over the road surface shape by twisting the three-dimensional object. In the present invention, the image display unit may be configured to represent an inclination of the vehicle body in a pitch direction when the vehicle passes over the road surface shape by an inclination of the three-dimensional object in the pitch direction. In the present invention, the image display unit may be configured to represent the inclination of the vehicle body in the roll direction when the vehicle passes over the road surface shape by the inclination of the three-dimensional object in the roll direction. According to each of these inventions, it is possible to allow the occupant to intuitively recognize the behavior that the vehicle may take in the future. Effect of the Invention

[0008] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an information display device that allows an occupant to intuitively recognize the posture that the vehicle may take in the future. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram illustrating a system configuration of an embodiment of an information presentation device to which the present invention is applied. [Diagram 2] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating an example of a display mode of a head-up display device when a vehicle is traveling on flat ground. [Diagram 3] 1 is a diagram showing an example of a display mode of a head-up display device when a vehicle is traveling on an uphill road; [Figure 4] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing various display modes of the head-up display device when the vehicle is traveling on a banked road. [Diagram 5] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating an example of a display mode of a head-up display device when a vehicle is traveling on a road having a recessed portion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of an information display device to which the present invention is applied will be described. The information presentation device according to the embodiment is mounted on an automobile such as an SUV. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a system configuration of an information presentation device according to an embodiment. The information presentation device 1 includes an environment recognition unit 10, a vehicle behavior prediction unit 20, an image generation unit 30, and the like.

[0011] The environment recognition unit 10 recognizes the environment around the host vehicle (particularly, the environment in front of the host vehicle) using various sensors. The environment recognition unit 10 is connected to a stereo camera device 11, a millimeter wave radar device 12, a laser scanner device 13, a navigation device 14, and the like.

[0012] The stereo camera device 11 has a pair of left and right cameras that capture images of the area ahead of the vehicle. The left and right cameras are disposed so as to be spaced apart from each other in the vehicle width direction by a predetermined base line length. The stereo camera device 11 recognizes the shape of the road ahead of the host vehicle (the shape of the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling) by performing stereo image processing on image data captured by the left and right cameras. Here, the road shape includes the curvature of the planar shape, the inclination of the road surface in the left-right direction and the front-rear direction, and the like.

[0013] The millimeter wave radar device 12 is a radar that recognizes obstacles and the like ahead of the vehicle by using electromagnetic waves having a wavelength of, for example, 1 to 10 mm and a frequency of, for example, 30 to 300 GHz. The laser scanner device 13 is a range finder (LiDAR) that irradiates laser light with a wavelength close to visible light and recognizes obstacles and the like ahead of the vehicle based on the upward reflected light. The millimeter wave radar device 12 and the laser scanner device 13 measure the size and shape of an obstacle, as well as the distance, speed, angle, etc. of the obstacle relative to the vehicle. Here, the obstacles include, for example, projections and fallen objects on the road surface, as well as holes and grooves formed by depressions in the road surface.

[0014] The navigation device 14 includes, for example, a satellite positioning device such as a GPS, and a storage medium that stores high-precision three-dimensional map data. The navigation device 14 is capable of recognizing the shape of the roads around the vehicle based on the current position of the vehicle acquired by a satellite positioning device and high-precision three-dimensional map data.

[0015] The environment recognition unit 10 recognizes in three dimensions the road surface shape of the road that the vehicle will pass over in the future, based on information obtained from the stereo camera device 11, the millimeter wave radar device 12, the laser scanner device 13, and the navigation device 14. The recognized road surface shape is transmitted to the vehicle behavior prediction unit 20.

[0016] The vehicle behavior prediction unit 20 is a vehicle attitude prediction section that predicts the vehicle body behavior that may occur in the future of the host vehicle based on the road surface shape ahead of the host vehicle acquired from the environment recognition unit 10. Here, the vehicle body behavior includes, for example, pitch behavior in which the vehicle body oscillates in a forward or backward tilt direction, roll behavior in which the vehicle body oscillates in a left / right tilt direction, and behaviors that combine these.

[0017] The image generation unit 30 generates an image to be projected onto the front screen FS based on the output of the vehicle behavior prediction unit 20. A head-up display device 31 is connected to the image generating unit 30 . The head-up display device 31 is an image display device that projects an image onto a front screen FS of the vehicle and presents the image to the driver. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a display mode of the head-up display device when the vehicle is traveling on flat ground. The head-up display device 31 displays an image of a three-dimensional object 100 in an area in front of a steering wheel SW on a windscreen FS provided at the front of the vehicle interior. The three-dimensional object 100 has a shape that imitates, for example, a shift paddle, which is a gear shift operation member with which the driver performs a gear shift operation.

[0018] The three-dimensional object 100 has a right paddle portion 110, a left paddle portion 120, a connecting portion 130, and the like. The right paddle portion 110 is shaped like a right paddle used by a driver to perform an upshift operation with the fingers of his right hand. The left paddle portion 120 is shaped like a left paddle used by the driver to perform a downshift operation with the fingers of his left hand. The connecting portion 130 is a box-shaped portion that extends in the vehicle width direction and connects the right paddle portion 110 and the left paddle portion 120 together. A protrusion 131 that protrudes toward the front side of the vehicle is provided at the center of the connecting portion 130 in the vehicle width direction.

[0019] In the example shown in FIG. 2, a road R1 ahead of the vehicle has a gentle curve and a flat road surface. In this case, the three-dimensional object 100 is displayed with the right paddle portion 110 and the left paddle portion 120 disposed at the same height, and each paddle portion is displayed in a horizontal state, neither tilted forward nor tilted backward.

[0020] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a display mode of the head-up display device when the vehicle is traveling on an uphill road. 3 to 5, the steering wheel SW, the front screen FS, etc. are omitted. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the road R2 ahead of the vehicle is a relatively narrow mountain road that goes uphill. In this case, the three-dimensional object 100 is displayed in a state in which it is tilted (tilted backward) in the pitch direction (front-back direction) so that the front side rises relative to the rear side. The rearward inclination angle of the three-dimensional object 100 increases as the gradient of the uphill road ahead of the vehicle increases.

[0021] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing one display mode of the head-up display device when the vehicle is traveling on a banked road. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the road R3 ahead of the vehicle has a slope (cant) such that the left shoulder is lower than the right shoulder. When a vehicle passes over this road R3, the vehicle rolls to the left. In this case, the three-dimensional object 100 is displayed tilted in the roll direction (left-right direction) so that the left paddle section 120 is lower than the right paddle 110.

[0022] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a display mode of the head-up display device when a vehicle is traveling on a road having a recessed portion. In the example shown in FIG. 5, a road R4 ahead of the host vehicle has a recess C1 in the right half of the driving lane. When the right front wheel passes through this recess C1, the vehicle exhibits a pitch behavior in which the front side of the vehicle body drops while rolling to the right. In this case, the three-dimensional object 100 is displayed in a twisted state, with the right paddle portion 110 rotating in a forward tilt direction relative to the left paddle portion 120.

[0023] In addition, when it is preferable to encourage the driver to upshift or downshift due to the road conditions ahead of the vehicle, the display mode of the right paddle portion 110 or the left paddle portion 120 in the display of the three-dimensional object 100 may be changed to encourage the driver to upshift or downshift. For example, if the road ahead of the vehicle recognized by the environment recognition unit 10 is a downhill road with a gradient equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, it may be preferable to improve the effectiveness of the engine brake by downshifting, and the display color of the left paddle portion 120 may be changed or made to flash to prompt the driver to downshift.

[0024] According to the embodiment described above, the following effects can be obtained. (1) The vehicle posture predicted by the vehicle behavior prediction unit 20 is represented by an image of a three-dimensional object 100 and projected and displayed on the front screen FS of the vehicle, thereby enabling the driver to intuitively recognize the posture that the vehicle may take in the future without taking his or her eyes off the situation in front of the vehicle. (2) The three-dimensional object 100 imitates the shape of a gear shift paddle with which a vehicle occupant changes gears, and thus the above-mentioned effects can be effectively obtained. In addition, by changing the display state of the left and right paddle portions, it is possible to prompt the driver to perform a gear shift operation. (3) The image generation unit 30 represents a situation in which localized unevenness exists on one of the points where the left and right wheels pass as the vehicle passes over the road surface shape by twisting the three-dimensional object 100, thereby allowing the occupants to intuitively recognize the behavior that the vehicle may take in the future. (4) The image generation unit 30 represents the pitch inclination of the vehicle body when the vehicle passes over the road surface shape by the pitch inclination of the three-dimensional object 100, thereby enabling the occupants to intuitively recognize the behavior that the vehicle may take in the future. (5) The image generation unit 30 represents the roll direction inclination of the vehicle body when the vehicle passes over the road surface shape by the roll direction inclination of the three-dimensional object, thereby enabling the occupants to intuitively recognize the behavior that the vehicle may take in the future.

[0025] (Modification) The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and variations are possible, which are also within the technical scope of the present invention. (1) The configuration and functions of the information display device are not limited to the above-described embodiment and can be modified as appropriate. (2) In the embodiment, the image of the three-dimensional object presented to the occupant resembles, for example, a gear shift paddle. However, the present invention is not limited to this and may be configured to display a three-dimensional object of another type. For example, it may be a driving operation member other than a gear shift operation member, or may have another three-dimensional shape unrelated to a driving operation member. [Explanation of symbols]

[0026] 1 Information display device 10 Environmental recognition unit 11 Stereo camera device 12 Millimeter wave radar device 13 Laser scanner device 14 Navigation device 20 Vehicle behavior prediction unit 30 Image generation unit 31 Head-up display device 100 Solid object 110 Right paddle 120 Left paddle section 130 Connection section 131 Protrusion R1~R4 Road FS Front screen SW Steering wheel

Claims

1. An information presentation device provided in a vehicle, a road surface shape recognition unit that recognizes a road surface shape ahead of the vehicle; a vehicle attitude prediction unit that predicts an attitude that the vehicle may take when the vehicle passes over the road surface shape recognized by the road surface shape recognition unit; an image display unit that projects and displays an image of a three-dimensional object that represents the attitude of the vehicle predicted by the vehicle attitude prediction unit on a front screen of the vehicle; An information presentation device comprising:

2. The three-dimensional object imitates the shape of a driving operation member that is used by a driver of the vehicle.

2. The information presentation device according to claim 1,

3. The image display unit expresses a situation where local unevenness exists at one of the points where the left and right wheels pass when the vehicle passes over the road surface shape by twisting the three-dimensional object.

3. The information presentation device according to claim 1 or 2,

4. The image display unit expresses a pitch-direction inclination of a vehicle body when the vehicle passes over the road surface shape by a pitch-direction inclination of the three-dimensional object.

3. The information presentation device according to claim 1 or 2,

5. The image display unit expresses the inclination of the vehicle body in the roll direction when the vehicle passes over the road surface shape by the inclination of the three-dimensional object in the roll direction.

3. The information presentation device according to claim 1 or 2,

Images