Vehicular display device

Abstract

To provide a vehicular display device that can display a virtual image having a sense of depth.SOLUTION: A vehicular display device comprises a display device that is configured to display a virtual image Vi for a driver by projecting display light of an image onto a reflection plane in front of the driver in a vehicle and to make an upper part of the virtual image Vi appear far-distantly in comparison with a lower part of the virtual image in a view of the driver, and a control part that controls the display device. The virtual image Vi displayed by the display device includes a predetermined image, where the predetermined image includes a plurality of images 51, 52 and 53 arranged in a dept direction based on a vanishing point Vp and partially overlapped with one another.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle display device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is a device for displaying a virtual image. Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle display device including a first display that emits first display light and a second display that emits second display light, and projecting the first display light and the second display light onto a windshield to display a virtual image.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In a vehicle display device, it is desirable to be able to display a virtual image with a sense of depth. If a virtual image with a sense of depth can be displayed, three-dimensional information can be provided to the driver.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle display device capable of displaying a virtual image with a sense of depth.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The vehicle display device of the present invention includes a display device configured to project display light of an image onto a reflection surface in front of a driver in a vehicle to display a virtual image for the driver, and the upper part of the virtual image is configured to be seen farther from the driver than the lower part of the virtual image, and a control unit configured to control the display device, wherein the virtual image displayed by the display device includes a predetermined image, and the predetermined image has a plurality of images arranged in a depth direction based on a vanishing point and partially overlapping.

Advantages of the Invention

[0007] The vehicle display device according to the present invention includes a display device configured such that the upper part of the virtual image appears farther from the driver than the lower part of the virtual image. The virtual image displayed by the display device includes a predetermined image, and the predetermined image has a plurality of images arranged in the depth direction based on the vanishing point and partially overlapping. According to the vehicle display device of the present invention, in the virtual image where the upper part appears farther from the driver than the lower part, by having a plurality of images arranged in the depth direction based on the vanishing point and partially overlapping, an effect of being able to display a virtual image with a sense of depth is achieved.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, a vehicle display device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited by this embodiment. Further, the constituent elements in the following embodiment include those that can be easily assumed by those skilled in the art or those that are substantially the same.

[0010] [Embodiment] Embodiments will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 29. This embodiment relates to a vehicle display device. FIG. 1 is a view of a vehicle equipped with the vehicle display device of the embodiment, FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of the vehicle display device according to the embodiment, FIG. 3 is a view of a virtual image according to the embodiment, FIG. 4 is a view showing the scenery in front of the vehicle and the virtual image, FIG. 5 is a view showing a virtual image of route guidance according to the embodiment, FIG. 6 is a view showing a first image that appears in the virtual image, FIG. 7 is a view showing a second image that appears in the virtual image, FIG. 8 is a view showing a third image that appears in the virtual image, and FIGS. 9 to 15 are views showing virtual images of route guidance according to the embodiment.

[0011] FIG. 16 is a view showing the scenery in front of the vehicle and the virtual image, FIG. 17 is a view showing a virtual image at the time of a left turn according to the embodiment, FIG. 18 is a view showing a virtual image before the start of ACC control in the embodiment, FIG. 19 is a view showing a virtual image during ACC control according to the embodiment, FIG. 20 is a view showing a first image that appears in the virtual image, FIG. 21 is a view showing a second image that appears in the virtual image, FIGS. 22 and 23 are views showing a virtual image during ACC control according to the embodiment, FIG. 24 is a view showing the scenery in front of the vehicle and the virtual image, FIGS. 25 to 27 are views showing a virtual image during ACC control according to the embodiment, and FIGS. 28 and 29 are views showing an example of the display device.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle display device 1 is a device that displays a virtual image Vi for the driver 200. As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle display device 1 displays the virtual image Vi for the driver 200 by projecting display light Lt of an image onto a reflection surface 110a in front of the driver 200 in the vehicle 100. The reflection surface 110a in the present embodiment is the inner surface of the windshield 110. The reflection surface 110a may be provided with a coating for reflection.

[0013] As will be described later, the vehicle display device 1 of the present embodiment displays an inclined virtual image Vi. As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle display device 1 is configured such that the upper part Vu of the virtual image Vi appears farther from the driver 200 than the lower part Vd of the virtual image Vi.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle display device 1 includes a housing 2, a display device 3, and a control unit 10. The housing 2 is disposed below the windshield 110 of the vehicle 100. The housing 2 is housed, for example, below the dashboard 120. The display device 3 and the control unit 10 are housed in the housing 2.

[0015] The display device 3 includes an image display unit 4, a first mirror 5, and a second mirror 6. The image display unit 4 includes, for example, a liquid crystal display device such as a TFT-LCD (Thin Film Transistor-Liquid Crystal Display). The image display unit 4 has a display surface 4a for displaying an image. The display light Lt of the image is emitted from the display surface 4a. The image display unit 4 has, for example, a backlight unit disposed on the back side with respect to the display surface 4a. In this case, the display light Lt is generated by the light of the backlight unit.

[0016] The first mirror 5 reflects the display light Lt output from the image display unit 4 toward the second mirror 6. The first mirror 5 has a reflection surface 5r for reflecting light. The illustrated shape of the reflection surface 5r is a convex aspherical surface. The shape of the reflection surface 5r is a shape that corrects the distortion of the image generated in the second mirror 6 and the windshield 110.

[0017] The second mirror 6 reflects the display light Lt incident from the side of the first mirror 5 toward the windshield 110. The housing 2 has a transparent cover 2a. The cover 2a faces the opening of the dashboard 120. The display light Lt passes through the cover 2a from the side of the second mirror 6 toward the side of the windshield 110. The reflecting surface 110a of the windshield 110 reflects the display light Lt toward the eye point EP of the vehicle 100. The driver 200 visually recognizes the virtual image Vi by the display light Lt. The position of the virtual image Vi as seen from the driver 200 is in front of the windshield 110 in the vehicle longitudinal direction X.

[0018] The second mirror 6 of the present embodiment is configured to display a virtual image Vi inclined with respect to the driver 200. The second mirror 6 has a concave reflecting surface 6r. The shape of the reflecting surface 6r is an aspherical curved shape and is a shape that enlarges an image. The reflecting surface 6r has a first end portion 6u and a second end portion 6d in the image vertical direction.

[0019] The first end portion 6u is an end portion corresponding to the upper portion Vu of the virtual image Vi. That is, the first end portion 6u reflects the light that is visually recognized as the upper portion Vu of the virtual image Vi among the display light Lt. The second end portion 6d is an end portion corresponding to the lower portion Vd of the virtual image Vi. That is, the second end portion 6d reflects the light that is visually recognized as the lower portion Vd of the virtual image Vi among the display light Lt.

[0020] The shape of the reflecting surface 6r is set such that the magnification of the first end portion 6u is higher than the magnification of the second end portion 6d. Also, the shape of the reflecting surface 6r is set such that the magnification increases from the second end portion 6d toward the first end portion 6u. When the magnification on the reflecting surface 6r is high, the position of the virtual image Vi as seen from the driver 200 becomes farther away. Therefore, the display device 3 of the present embodiment can display an inclined virtual image Vi as shown in FIG. 1 to the driver 200.

[0021] The virtual image Vi has an image vertical direction Gv when viewed from the driver 200. The virtual image Vi has an upper part Vu and a lower part Vd in the image vertical direction Gv. In the virtual image Vi displayed by the display device 3 of the present embodiment, the upper part Vu appears farther from the driver 200 than the lower part Vd. That is, when viewed from the driver 200, the upper part Vu of the virtual image Vi is located in front in the vehicle longitudinal direction X with respect to the lower part Vd. The distance from the position where the upper part Vu of the virtual image Vi is imaged to the eye point EP is longer than the distance from the position where the lower part Vd of the virtual image Vi is imaged to the eye point EP. The shape of the virtual image Vi viewed from the vehicle width direction is substantially linear. That is, the display device 3 is configured such that the distance from the driver 200's eyes to the virtual image Vi gradually increases as it goes from the lower part Vd to the upper part Vu of the virtual image Vi.

[0022] The inclined virtual image Vi as described above can give the driver 200 a sense of perspective. The convergence angle of the driver 200 when viewing the upper part Vu of the virtual image Vi is different from the convergence angle of the driver 200 when viewing the lower part Vd, so that the driver 200 experiences a sense of depth of the virtual image Vi.

[0023] The inclination angle θ of the virtual image Vi with respect to the vehicle longitudinal direction X may be, for example, 5 degrees, 15 degrees, or any angle between 5 degrees and 15 degrees. The inclination angle θ may be an angle of 45 degrees or less. The distance Lu from the driver 200's eyes to the position where the upper part Vu of the virtual image Vi is imaged may be, for example, 6 m. The distance Ld from the driver 200's eyes to the position where the lower part Vd of the virtual image Vi is imaged may be, for example, 4 m. The distance Lu may be 1.5 times the value of the distance Ld.

[0024] The control unit 10 shown in FIG. 2 controls the display device 3. More specifically, the control unit 10 commands the image display unit 4 to display an image to be displayed on the display surface 4a. The control unit 10 may generate an image to be displayed and output this image to the image display unit 4. The control unit 10 controls the image display unit 4 based on, for example, a program stored in the memory or the like of the display device 3.

[0025] The control unit 10 acquires various information regarding the vehicle 100 from a vehicle ECU or the like that controls the vehicle 100. The information acquired by the control unit 10 includes, for example, the traveling speed of the vehicle 100, the shift position of the vehicle 100, route guidance information by the navigation system, the position information of the vehicle 100, information regarding the battery of the vehicle 100, and information regarding driving control such as ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control).

[0026] As described below, the virtual image Vi displayed by the vehicle display device 1 of the present embodiment includes a predetermined image in which depth is expressed. Thereby, the vehicle display device 1 of the present embodiment can display the virtual image Vi with a sense of perspective and depth to the driver 200.

[0027] FIG. 3 shows an example of the displayed virtual image Vi. The shape of the image displayed on the display surface 4a of the image display unit 4 is, for example, the same as the shape of the virtual image Vi shown in FIG. 3. Note that the image displayed on the display surface 4a may be an image obtained by performing warping processing on the image to be displayed as the virtual image Vi. The warping processing is, for example, correction processing according to the shape of the windshield 110, the shape of the second mirror 6, or the like.

[0028] The virtual image Vi in FIG. 3 includes an aerial view image 20 of the vehicle, a speed image 21, and a line image 30. The aerial view image 20 is an image simulating the vehicle and is an image of the vehicle viewed from above from behind. The shape of the aerial view image 20 may be based on the shape of the vehicle 100. The speed image 21 is an image of characters indicating the traveling speed of the vehicle 100. The line image 30 is an image representing the boundary of the lane in which the vehicle 100 travels. The line image 30 in FIG. 3 is an image of a line extending toward a predetermined vanishing point Vp. The illustrated virtual image Vi includes two line images 30. The two line images 30 are arranged on the left and right with respect to the aerial view image 20.

[0029] In the virtual image Vi of the present embodiment, the vanishing point Vp is set outside the image. The illustrated vanishing point Vp is located above the virtual image Vi as viewed from the driver 200. That is, the line image 30 of the present embodiment extends toward the vanishing point Vp located above in the vertical direction Gv of the image. The position of the vanishing point Vp in the horizontal direction Gh of the image is, for example, at the center. Note that the position of the vanishing point Vp is not limited to the illustrated position. For example, the vanishing point Vp may be set inside the virtual image Vi.

[0030] The depth perception of the virtual image Vi is produced by the line image 30 extending toward the vanishing point Vp. The width of the line image 30 becomes narrower as it goes toward the vanishing point Vp. Thereby, the depth perception is expressed. Also, the luminance of the line image 30 becomes lower as it goes toward the vanishing point Vp. Thereby, the depth perception is expressed.

[0031] The speed image 21 is displayed at a position that does not overlap with either the bird's-eye view image 20 or the line image 30. In other words, the speed image 21 is displayed independently of the other display elements in the virtual image Vi. In this case, to the driver 200, the speed image 21 appears to be displayed on a vertical plane along the vehicle vertical direction Z. Therefore, the vehicle display device 1 of the present embodiment can ensure the visibility of the speed image 21 while tilting the virtual image Vi.

[0032] FIGS. 4 and 5 show the virtual image Vi when route guidance is provided to the driver 200. As shown in FIG. 4, the virtual image Vi of the present embodiment is displayed superimposed on the scenery Sc in front of the vehicle 100. The illustrated virtual image Vi is displayed so as to overlap the road surface in front of the vehicle 100. In this case, the display device 3 projects an image on the lower part of the windshield 110.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 5, the virtual image Vi of the route guidance includes the bird's-eye view image 20, the speed image 21, the line image 30, and at least one guidance image 50. The virtual image Vi in FIG. 5 includes three guidance images 50 that are displayed partially overlapping. The guidance image 50 is an example of a predetermined image and has a plurality of images 51, 52, 53 arranged in the depth direction based on the vanishing point Vp and partially overlapping.

[0034] The guidance image 50 in FIG. 5 has a first image 51, a second image 52, and a third image 53. Each guidance image 50 is an image that guides the traveling direction at a forward branching point. The guidance image 50 in FIG. 5 is an image that guides the route so that the driver 200 turns left at the third branching point from the current position.

[0035] The three guidance images 50 are arranged side by side along a line toward the vanishing point Vp. For example, a virtual line L1 connecting the upper left corners of the plurality of guidance images 50 extends toward the vanishing point Vp. In this way, the three images 51, 52, 53 are arranged side by side in the depth direction based on the vanishing point Vp. Therefore, the plurality of guidance images 50 can give a sense of depth to the virtual image Vi.

[0036] The illustrated guidance images 50 are arranged side by side along the left line image 30. The first image 51 is arranged at the frontmost position along the line image 30 among the three guidance images 50. The third image 53 is arranged at the rearmost position along the line image 30 among the three guidance images 50. The three guidance images 50 are arranged at equal intervals along the line image 30, for example. In the line image 30, the portion overlapping the guidance image 50 is hidden by the guidance image 50.

[0037] The first image 51 is an image that guides the traveling direction of the vehicle 100 at the first branch point. The first image 51 in FIG. 5 has an arrow mark indicating straight-ahead travel. The second image 52 is an image that guides the traveling direction of the vehicle 100 at the second branch point. The second image 52 in FIG. 5 has an arrow mark indicating straight-ahead travel. The third image 53 is an image that guides the traveling direction of the vehicle 100 at the third branch point. The third image 53 in FIG. 5 has an arrow mark indicating a left turn.

[0038] One guidance image 50 is superimposed on a part of another guidance image 50 so as not to hide the traveling direction indicated by the other guidance image 50. For example, the second image 52 is superimposed on the third image 53 in such a manner that the left-turn arrow of the third image 53 is visible. That is, the second image 52 overlaps the third image 53 so as not to cover the tip of the arrow that the third image 53 has. The first image 51 is superimposed on the second image 52 in such a manner that the straight-ahead arrow of the second image 52 is visible. That is, the first image 51 overlaps the second image 52 so as not to cover the tip of the arrow that the second image 52 has. Accordingly, the plurality of guidance images 50 can provide a sense of depth while fulfilling the function of route guidance.

[0039] In addition, a shadow by another guidance image 50 is displayed on the guidance image 50. For example, the second image 52 has a shadow 52s by the first image 51. The shadow 52s imitates a shadow generated by light irradiated from behind in the vehicle longitudinal direction X with respect to the first image 51. The shadow 52s has a substantially L shape so as to wrap around the edge of the first image 51. Similarly, the third image 53 has a shadow 53s by the second image 52.

[0040] Among the plurality of guidance images 50, the guidance image 50 displayed closest to the front is larger than the other guidance images 50. Among the plurality of guidance images 50, the guidance image 50 displayed farthest to the back is smaller than the other guidance images 50. Further, when three or more guidance images 50 are displayed, the guidance images 50 become smaller as they go from the front side toward the vanishing point Vp on the back side.

[0041] Among the plurality of guidance images 50, the guidance image 50 displayed closest to the viewer is displayed with higher brightness than the other guidance images 50. Among the plurality of guidance images 50, the guidance image 50 displayed farthest to the rear is displayed with lower brightness than the other guidance images 50. Further, when three or more guidance images 50 are displayed, as the guidance images 50 move away from the vanishing point Vp from the rear side to the front side, the brightness of the guidance images 50 increases.

[0042] When the plurality of guidance images 50 are displayed partially overlapping or when the guidance images 50 have shadows 52s, 53s, to the driver 200, the guidance images 50 appear to be displayed on a vertical plane along the vehicle up-and-down direction Z. In other words, to the driver 200, the guidance images 50 appear like signboards standing on the road surface.

[0043] When starting to display the guidance images 50, the control unit 10 may cause the plurality of guidance images 50 to appear in order. In this case, the control unit 10 may cause the first image 51 to first appear in the virtual image Vi and the third image 53 to last appear in the virtual image Vi. The control unit 10 of the present embodiment executes an appearance animation in which the plurality of guidance images 50 overlap while appearing in order.

[0044] FIG. 6 shows the first image 51 that has appeared in the virtual image Vi. The first image 51 appears, for example, at a position along the line image 30 by fading in. The appeared first image 51 moves to the front side along the line image 30 as indicated by the dashed arrow AR1. The moving first image 51 is semi-transparent. That is, the first image 51 is displayed so that the line image 30 behind the first image 51 can be seen through. The brightness of the first image 51 increases as it moves away from the vanishing point Vp. Also, the transmittance of the first image 51 decreases as it moves away from the vanishing point Vp.

[0045] While the first image 51 is moving, the second image 52 fades in. The position where the second image 52 appears is a position on the side of the vanishing point Vp with respect to the first image 51 and does not overlap the first image 51.

[0046] Figure 7 shows the moving second image 52. The second image 52 moves forward along the line image 30. The moving second image 52 is translucent. That is, the second image 52 is displayed so that the line image 30 behind the second image 52 can be seen through. The luminance of the second image 52 becomes higher as it moves away from the vanishing point Vp. Also, the transmittance of the second image 52 becomes lower as it moves away from the vanishing point Vp. The second image 52 moves to the position shown in Figure 5, that is, the position where a part of the first image 51 overlaps the second image 52. The second image 52 becomes opaque before it moves to the position shown in Figure 5.

[0047] Figure 8 shows the third image 53 that appears in the virtual image Vi. The third image 53, for example, fades in while the second image 52 is moving. The position where the third image 53 appears is on the side of the vanishing point Vp with respect to the second image 52 and does not overlap the second image 52.

[0048] The third image 53 moves forward along the line image 30. The moving third image 53 is translucent. That is, the third image 53 is displayed so that the line image 30 behind the third image 53 can be seen through. The luminance of the third image 53 becomes higher as it moves away from the vanishing point Vp. Also, the transmittance of the third image 53 becomes lower as it moves away from the vanishing point Vp. The third image 53 moves to the position shown in Figure 5, that is, the position where a part of the second image 52 overlaps the third image 53. The third image 53 becomes opaque before it moves to the position shown in Figure 5.

[0049] As described above, a plurality of guide images 50 appear continuously, and while moving along the line image 30 and overlapping each other, a sense of depth is produced. The guide image 50 that appears later appears on the back side of the already appeared guide image 50 and moves along the depth direction to a position where it overlaps the already appeared guide image 50, thereby producing the expansion of the space in the depth direction.

[0050] Next, the virtual image Vi after a plurality of guide images 50 appear will be described. The control unit 10 changes the virtual image Vi according to the current position of the vehicle 100. FIG. 9 shows the virtual image Vi when the vehicle 100 approaches the first branch point. The first branch point is an intersection. In this case, the virtual image Vi includes a line image 32 indicating the intersecting roads. The intersection point Cr1 where the line images 30 and 32 intersect corresponds to the first branch point. The control unit 10 moves the line image 32 downward in the image vertical direction Gv as the vehicle 100 moves forward.

[0051] FIG. 10 shows the virtual image Vi when the vehicle 100 passes through the first branch point. The line image 32 of the intersecting roads is displayed on the side of the bird's-eye view image 20. The first image 51 is displayed until the vehicle 100 passes through the first branch point.

[0052] FIG. 11 shows the virtual image Vi after the vehicle 100 passes through the first branch point. When the vehicle 100 passes through the first branch point, the control unit 10 ends the display of the first image 51. At this time, the first image 51 slides out to the lower end of the virtual image Vi while moving along, for example, the line image 30. At this time, the first image 51 may fade out.

[0053] When the display of the first image 51 ends, as shown in FIG. 11, the second image 52 and the third image 53 are displayed as the guide image 50. The second image 52 is displayed partially overlapping the third image 53. The second image 52 in FIG. 11 is displayed, for example, at the same position and the same size as the first image 51 in FIG. 5. The third image 53 in FIG. 11 is displayed, for example, at the same position and the same size as the second image 52 in FIG. 5. The second image 52 is displayed with higher brightness than the third image 53.

[0054] The control unit 10 changes the virtual image Vi according to the current position of the vehicle 100. For example, when the vehicle 100 approaches the second branch point, a line image similar to the line image 32 in FIG. 9 is displayed.

[0055] When the vehicle 100 passes the second branch point, the control unit 10 ends the display of the second image 52. At this time, the second image 52 slides out to the lower end of the virtual image Vi while moving along the line image 30, for example. At this time, the second image 52 may fade out.

[0056] When the display of the second image 52 ends, as shown in FIG. 12, only the third image 53 is displayed as the guidance image 50. The third image 53 is displayed superimposed on the line image 30. A shadow 30s by the third image 53 is displayed on the line image 30.

[0057] FIGS. 13 and 14 show the virtual image Vi when the vehicle 100 approaches the third branch point. The third branch point is an intersection where the vehicle 100 should turn left. When approaching a branch point where a left turn or a right turn is to be made, the control unit 10 displays the line images 30 and 32 viewed from a high altitude in a bird's-eye view. At this time, the control unit 10 raises the position of the eyes in the bird's-eye view as the vehicle 100 approaches the branch point.

[0058] FIG. 14 shows the virtual image Vi when approaching the branch point even closer than in FIG. 13. The position of the eyes in the bird's-eye view of FIG. 14 is higher than the position of the eyes in the bird's-eye view of FIG. 13. The driver 200 can easily confirm the road shape of the front branch point from the line images 30 and 32 viewed from a high position.

[0059] In FIG. 14, an arrow image 54 is displayed instead of the third image 53. The arrow image 54 has a shape along the traveling direction at the branch point. The arrow image 54 has a portion 54a along the line image 30 of the currently traveling road and a portion 54b along the line image 32 of the road after a left turn. The driver 200 can grasp the shape of the branch point in advance from the line images 30 and 32 and the arrow image 54. The arrow image 54 is an image in which the depth based on the vanishing point Vp is expressed. For example, the width of the portion 54a becomes narrower as it goes toward the vanishing point Vp.

[0060] FIG. 15 shows a virtual image Vi when reaching immediately before a branch point. The position of the eyes in the bird's-eye view of FIG. 15 is the same as the position of the eyes in the bird's-eye view of FIG. 12, for example. That is, before reaching the branch point, the control unit 10 lowers the position of the eyes in the bird's-eye view from the raised position to the original position. When the vehicle 100 reaches immediately before the branch point, the traveling direction is guided by the arrow image 54.

[0061] The arrow image 54 extends upward on the image from the bird's-eye image 20 toward the vanishing point Vp, and the tip is bent toward the direction in which the vehicle should travel. As the vehicle 100 moves forward, the line image 32 approaches the bird's-eye image 20. In other words, as the vehicle 100 approaches the branch point, the line image 32 moves downward on the image. In response to the movement of the line image 32, the arrow image 54 becomes shorter.

[0062] As shown in FIG. 16, the shapes of the line images 30 and 32 at this time are the same as the actual shape of the road 300 that the driver 200 sees. Therefore, the driver 200 can easily identify the branch point where the vehicle should turn on the road 300. Also, as seen from the driver 200, the upper part Vu in the virtual image Vi appears farther away from the lower part Vd. The inclined virtual image Vi is likely to be felt as being displayed along the road surface of the actual road 300. Therefore, the vehicle display device 1 according to the present embodiment can produce a natural sense of depth in the virtual image Vi.

[0063] FIG. 17 shows a virtual image Vi when the vehicle 100 is turning left at a branch point. The control unit 10 rotates the line images 30 and 32 according to the change in the direction of the vehicle 100. The control unit 10 determines the position and angle of the line images 30 and 32 based on, for example, the detection result of the yaw rate sensor of the vehicle 100.

[0064] The control unit 10 changes the arrow image 54 according to the progress of the left turn. More specifically, the arrow image 54 becomes shorter as the left turn progresses. The control unit 10 shortens the portion 54b along the line image 32 in the arrow image 54. When the left turn is completed, the control unit 10 ends the display of the arrow image 54.

[0065] Next, the virtual image Vi when ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control) control is performed in the vehicle 100 will be described. FIG. 18 shows the virtual image Vi before the ACC control is started. The vehicle 100 is traveling on a highway. The virtual image Vi in FIG. 18 has an aerial image 20, a speed image 21, and a line image 30.

[0066] FIG. 19 shows the virtual image Vi when the ACC control is started. The virtual image Vi in FIG. 19 has an aerial image 20, a speed image 21, a line image 33, a set value image 22, and a plurality of graphic images 60.

[0067] The set value image 22 is the set value of the traveling speed in the ACC control. In the following description, the set value of the traveling speed in the ACC control is simply referred to as the set speed. The set speed is set by the driver 200, for example. The set speed in FIG. 19 is 120 [km / h]. The set value image 22 is displayed in a color different from that of the speed image 21. The color of the speed image 21 is white, for example. The color of the set value image 22 is green, for example. The set value image 22 is arranged above the speed image 21 in the image vertical direction Gv. The set value image 22 is displayed in smaller characters than the speed image 21.

[0068] The color of the line image 33 when the ACC control is being executed is different from the color of the line image 30 when the ACC control is not being executed. The color of the line image 30 before the start of the ACC control is white, for example. The color of the line image 33 during the execution of the ACC control is light blue or blue, for example. By displaying the line image 33 in a color different from before, the driver 200 recognizes that the vehicle has shifted to the ACC control.

[0069] The graphic image 60 is an image that three-dimensionally represents changes in the inter-vehicle distance in ACC control, etc. The shape of the graphic image 60 in the present embodiment is rectangular. The graphic image 60 in FIG. 19 has a first image 61, a second image 62, and a third image 63. The three graphic images 60 are displayed partially overlapping. The relative positions of the three graphic images 60 change according to the target value of the inter-vehicle distance, etc.

[0070] The three graphic images 60 are arranged side by side along a line heading towards the vanishing point Vp. The graphic image 60 is arranged on the back side closer to the vanishing point Vp with respect to the bird's-eye view image 20. The first image 61 is arranged at the most front position in the depth direction based on the vanishing point Vp among the three graphic images 60. The third image 63 is arranged at the most back position among the three graphic images 60. The three graphic images 60 are arranged at equal intervals, for example, along the depth direction based on the vanishing point Vp.

[0071] One graphic image 60 is overlapped with a part of another graphic image 60. For example, the second image 62 is overlapped with the lower part of the third image 63. The first image 61 is overlapped with the lower part of the second image 62. The plurality of graphic images 60 overlapped with each other can make the driver 200 feel a sense of depth. The graphic image 60 constitutes a predetermined image having a plurality of images arranged in the depth direction based on the vanishing point Vp and partially overlapping.

[0072] Among the plurality of graphic images 60, the graphic image 60 displayed at the most front is larger than the other graphic images 60. Among the plurality of graphic images 60, the graphic image 60 displayed at the most back is smaller than the other graphic images 60. Also, when three or more graphic images 60 are displayed, the graphic images 60 become smaller as they go from the front side towards the vanishing point Vp on the back side.

[0073] Among the plurality of graphic images 60, the graphic image 60 displayed closest to the viewer is displayed with a higher brightness than the other graphic images 60. Among the plurality of graphic images 60, the graphic image 60 displayed farthest to the back is displayed with a lower brightness than the other graphic images 60. Also, when three or more graphic images 60 are displayed, as the graphic images 60 move away from the vanishing point Vp from the back side to the front side, the brightness of the graphic images 60 increases. In one graphic image 60, the brightness of the contour line is the highest.

[0074] When starting to display the graphic images 60, the control unit 10 may display the plurality of graphic images 60 in order. In this case, the control unit 10 may cause the first image 61 to appear first and the third image 63 to appear last. The control unit 10 of the present embodiment executes an appearance animation in which the plurality of graphic images 60 appear in order.

[0075] FIG. 20 shows the first image 61 that has appeared in the virtual image Vi. The first image 61 appears, for example, by fading in. The first image 61 appears, for example, at a position similar to the position in FIG. 19. That is, the bird's-eye view image 20 overlaps a part of the appearing first image 61. Thereby, it is expressed that the first image 61 has appeared in the space behind the vehicle 100. The set value image 22 may appear at the same time as the first image 61.

[0076] FIG. 21 shows the second image 62 that has appeared in the virtual image Vi. The second image 62 appears, for example, by fading in. The second image 62 appears, for example, at a position similar to the position in FIG. 19. That is, the first image 61 overlaps a part of the appearing second image 62. Thereby, it is expressed that the second image 62 has appeared in the space behind the first image 61.

[0077] Similarly, the third image 63 appears behind the second image 62. The third image 63 appears, for example, by fading in. The third image 63 appears, for example, at a position similar to the position in FIG. 19. That is, the second image 62 overlaps a part of the appearing third image 63. Thereby, it is expressed that the third image 63 has appeared in the space behind the second image 62.

[0078] As described above, a plurality of graphic images 60 appear continuously and are arranged in the depth direction based on the vanishing point Vp, thereby producing a sense of depth. In addition, the plurality of graphic images 60 overlap each other, and one graphic image 60 covers a part of another graphic image 60, so that the order of arrangement in the depth direction can be intuitively and easily understood.

[0079] The first image 61 of the present embodiment is displayed so that the bird's-eye view image 20 overlaps a part of the first image 61. That is, a part of the first image 61 is hidden by the bird's-eye view image 20. With such a display, it is easy for the driver 200 to understand that the plurality of graphic images 60 indicate virtual objects or segments in front of the vehicle 100.

[0080] Next, the virtual image Vi after the plurality of graphic images 60 appear will be described. In ACC control, when the preceding vehicle is not detected or when there is a sufficient distance between the preceding vehicle and the vehicle 100, control is executed to drive the vehicle 100 at a set speed. In this case, the target speed is equal to the set speed. The vehicle ECU mounted on the vehicle 100 executes a driving control to drive the vehicle 100 at the target speed.

[0081] The traveling speed of the vehicle 100 when the virtual image Vi in FIG. 19 is displayed is 100 [km / h]. Therefore, the vehicle ECU executes control to accelerate the vehicle 100 to the set speed of 120 [km / h].

[0082] The relative positions of the plurality of graphic images 60 are determined according to the target value of the inter-vehicle distance or the like. In the following description, the target value of the inter-vehicle distance is simply referred to as the target distance Dt. When no preceding vehicle is detected in front of the vehicle 100 or when the inter-vehicle distance from the vehicle 100 to the preceding vehicle is sufficiently large, the interval between the graphic images 60 is set to the initial interval. FIG. 19 shows the graphic images 60 arranged at the initial interval D1.

[0083] FIG. 22 shows a virtual image Vi during acceleration by ACC control. When the vehicle 100 is accelerating toward the target vehicle speed, the control unit 10 displays a plurality of mark images 34 superimposed on the line image 33. The illustrated mark image 34 is a circular or oval image and is displayed in a color different from that of the line image 33. The color of the mark image 34 is, for example, white.

[0084] When the vehicle 100 is accelerating by ACC control, the control unit 10 executes an acceleration animation for moving the mark image 34. FIG. 23 shows the direction of movement of the mark image 34 in the acceleration animation by a dashed arrow. In the acceleration animation, the mark image 34 moves away from the vanishing point Vp along the line image 33. That is, the mark image 34 moves away from the vanishing point Vp along the depth direction based on the vanishing point Vp. The size of the mark image 34 increases as it moves away from the vanishing point Vp. By displaying the acceleration animation, the driver 200 recognizes that the current acceleration of the vehicle 100 is the intended acceleration by ACC control. The mark image 34 is an image in which the depth based on the vanishing point Vp is expressed.

[0085] In the acceleration animation, the control unit 10 increases the moving speed of the mark image 34 as the traveling speed increases. By changing the moving speed of the mark image 34 in conjunction with the traveling speed of the vehicle 100, an animation that matches the driver 200's sense is obtained.

[0086] When the traveling speed of the vehicle 100 reaches the target speed, the vehicle ECU ends the acceleration and shifts to the control of constant-speed traveling. When the acceleration of the vehicle 100 ends, the control unit 10 ends the acceleration animation. As a result, the display of the mark image 34 ends.

[0087] FIGS. 24 and 25 show a virtual image Vi when the vehicle 100 is trying to catch up with the preceding vehicle 400. The inter-vehicle distance Ds from the vehicle 100 to the preceding vehicle 400 at this time is larger than the target distance Dt.

[0088] As shown in FIG. 25, when the vehicle 100 is about to catch up with the preceding vehicle 400, the virtual image Vi includes the vehicle image 65. The vehicle image 65 is an image showing the preceding vehicle 400 and is displayed on the side of the vanishing point Vp relative to the graphic image 60. The position of the vehicle image 65 changes according to the detected inter-vehicle distance Ds. As the inter-vehicle distance Ds decreases, the position of the vehicle image 65 approaches the bird's-eye view image 20.

[0089] When starting to display the vehicle image 65, the control unit 10 changes the relative position of the graphic image 60. More specifically, the control unit 10 changes the position of the graphic image 60 so as to widen the interval between the two graphic images 60. The interval between the graphic images 60 in FIG. 25 is the second interval D2. The second interval D2 is larger than the initial interval D1. The control unit 10 moves the second image 62 and the third image 63 toward the vanishing point Vp to display the three graphic images 60 at the second interval D2.

[0090] FIG. 26 shows the virtual image Vi when the inter-vehicle distance Ds has decreased to a value close to the target distance Dt. As the inter-vehicle distance Ds approaches the target distance Dt, the third image 63 overlaps the vehicle image 65. As a result, the driver 200 can intuitively know that the vehicle 100 has approached the preceding vehicle 400. In other words, the driver 200 can know that the vehicle 100 has shifted to the following mode with respect to the preceding vehicle 400 by the ACC control. The vehicle ECU executes deceleration control so that the inter-vehicle distance Ds does not fall below the target distance Dt.

[0091] The virtual image Vi in FIG. 26 is the virtual image Vi during deceleration by the ACC control. When the vehicle 100 is decelerating by the ACC control, the control unit 10 displays a plurality of mark images 34 superimposed on the line image 33. The mark image 34 during deceleration has, for example, the same shape and color as the mark image 34 during acceleration.

[0092] When the vehicle 100 is decelerating by ACC control, the control unit 10 executes a deceleration animation that moves the mark image 34. The direction of movement of the mark image 34 in the deceleration animation is the direction shown in FIG. 23. That is, the mark image 34 moves along the line image 33 so as to move away from the vanishing point Vp. Here, the moving speed of the mark image 34 in the deceleration animation is slower than the moving speed of the mark image 34 in the acceleration animation.

[0093] By executing the deceleration animation, the driver 200 recognizes that the current deceleration of the vehicle 100 is an intended deceleration by ACC control. The control unit 10 decreases the moving speed of the mark image 34 as the traveling speed decreases in the deceleration animation. By changing the moving speed of the mark image 34 in conjunction with the traveling speed of the vehicle 100, an animation that matches the driver 200's sense is obtained.

[0094] The target value of the inter-vehicle distance changes according to the target speed in the ACC control. When the vehicle 100 decelerates due to approaching the preceding vehicle 400, the target distance Dt also decreases. FIG. 27 shows a virtual image Vi when the vehicle 100 further decelerates with respect to FIG. 26. In FIG. 27, the vehicle image 65 approaches the bird's-eye view image 20 with respect to FIG. 26, and the interval of the graphic images 60 becomes narrower. Due to such a change in the graphic images 60, an effect is produced as if a plurality of graphic images 60 maintain the space between vehicles as a buffer material.

[0095] The change in the interval of the graphic images 60 may be fast at the start of deceleration and slow at the end of deceleration. In this case, it can be made to appear as if a plurality of graphic images 60 are compressed by the approaching vehicle image 65 to generate a repulsive force.

[0096] When the deceleration by ACC control ends, the control unit 10 ends the deceleration animation. As a result, the display of the mark image 34 ends. The driver 200 recognizes that the vehicle has shifted to a constant-speed driving in accordance with the preceding vehicle 400 as the mark image 34 disappears.

[0097] Note that the scene where the graphic image 60 is displayed is not limited to during the execution of ACC control. For example, when automatic braking control for collision avoidance is performed, the control unit 10 may display a virtual image Vi including a plurality of graphic images 60. When the driver 200 is operating the vehicle 100, the control unit 10 may display a virtual image Vi including a plurality of graphic images 60 in order to prompt the driver to ensure a sufficient inter-vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle 400.

[0098] As described above, the vehicle display device 1 of the present embodiment includes a display device 3 and a control unit 10 that controls the display device 3. The display device 3 projects the display light Lt of the image onto the reflecting surface 110a in front of the driver 200 in the vehicle 100 to display the virtual image Vi to the driver 200. The display device 3 is configured such that the upper part Vu of the virtual image Vi appears farther from the driver 200 than the lower part Vd of the virtual image Vi.

[0099] The virtual image Vi displayed by the display device 3 includes a predetermined image. The predetermined image has a plurality of images arranged in the depth direction based on the vanishing point Vp and partially overlapping. The vehicle display device 1 of the present embodiment can display a virtual image Vi with a sense of depth by combining the virtual image Vi in which the upper part Vu appears farther from the driver 200 than the lower part Vd and the predetermined image.

[0100] The predetermined image has, for example, a plurality of guidance images 50 arranged in the depth direction and partially overlapping. The guidance image 50 is an image for route guidance to the driver 200. By displaying the guidance images 50 partially overlapping, it is possible to provide three-dimensional information regarding route guidance to the driver 200.

[0101] The guidance image 50 of the present embodiment has an arrow indicating the traveling direction at a branch point in front of the vehicle 100. One guidance image 50 overlaps another guidance image 50 so as not to cover the tip of the arrow that the other guidance image 50 has. Thereby, it is possible to display a sense of depth without impairing the function of route guidance.

[0102] The predetermined image has, for example, a plurality of graphic images 60 arranged in the depth direction and partially overlapping. The control unit 10 changes the degree of overlap of the plurality of graphic images 60 according to the inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle 100 and the preceding vehicle 400. The plurality of graphic images 60 with the changing degree of overlap can three-dimensionally represent the change in the inter-vehicle distance.

[0103] The graphic image 60 of the present embodiment is displayed when vehicle control (for example, ACC control) for automatically controlling the inter-vehicle distance is being executed. The plurality of graphic images 60 are displayed between the bird's-eye view image 20 and the vehicle image 65. The bird's-eye view image 20 is an example of an image showing the vehicle 100. The vehicle image 65 is an example of an image showing the preceding vehicle 400. By displaying the plurality of graphic images 60 partially overlapping between the image showing the vehicle 100 and the image showing the preceding vehicle 400, the positional relationship between the vehicle 100 and the preceding vehicle 400 is three-dimensionally represented.

[0104] Note that the means for tilting the virtual image Vi is not limited to the magnification of the second mirror 6. For example, as shown in FIG. 28, it is also possible to tilt the virtual image Vi according to the posture of the image display unit 4. In the image display unit 4 shown in FIG. 28, the display surface 4a is tilted with respect to the optical axis of the display light Lt from the display surface 4a toward the first mirror 5. More specifically, the display surface 4a is tilted such that the optical path length of the display light Lt toward the first end portion 6u of the second mirror 6 is longer than the optical path length of the display light Lt toward the second end portion 6d. Therefore, the virtual image Vi is tilted with respect to the vehicle vertical direction Z so that the upper portion Vu of the virtual image Vi appears farther from the driver 200 than the lower portion Vd of the virtual image Vi.

[0105] The display device 3 can also tilt the virtual image Vi by both the tilted display surface 4a and the second mirror 6. The display device 3 may have a mechanism for adjusting the degree of tilt of the display surface 4a. FIG. 29 shows a rotatable image display unit 4. The image display unit 4 in FIG. 29 is rotatable about a rotation axis 4b. The central axis of the rotation axis 4b is a straight line passing through the central portion of the display surface 4a. The display device 3 has a motor 11 for rotating the image display unit 4. The control unit 10 controls the motor 11 to set the angle of the display surface 4a to a target angle. With such a configuration, the tilt angle of the virtual image Vi can be changed.

[0106] [Modification of the Embodiment] In addition, in a predetermined image, the number of partially overlapping images is not limited to the number exemplified in the embodiment. For example, the predetermined image may have four or more partially overlapping images. For example, the predetermined image may have four or more guide images 50 that partially overlap. For example, the predetermined image may have four or more graphic images 60 that partially overlap.

[0107] The content displayed on the guide image 50 is not limited to the arrow for route guidance. The guide image 50 may include character information. The shape of the graphic image 60 is not limited to a rectangle. The shape of the graphic image 60 may be circular, oval, or other shapes. The display position of the virtual image Vi is not limited to the position exemplified in the embodiment. For example, the virtual image Vi may be displayed superimposed on an object to be noted in front of the vehicle 100. The object to be noted may be, for example, another vehicle such as a preceding vehicle 400 or a pedestrian, or other objects. The reflecting surface that reflects the display light Lt toward the driver 200 is not limited to the surface of the windshield 110. The reflecting surface may be, for example, the reflecting surface of a combiner or the surface of other reflecting members.

[0108] The content disclosed in the above embodiment can be executed in appropriate combination.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0109] 1: Vehicle display device 2: Housing, 3: Display device, 4: Image display section, 4a: Display surface 5: First mirror 6: Second mirror, 6r: Reflective surface, 6u: First end, 6d: Second end 10: Control unit 20: Bird's-eye view image, 21: Speed image, 22: Set value image 30, 33: Line image, 31: Position image, 32: Line image 34: Mark image 50: Guidance image, 51: First image, 52: Second image, 53: Third image 54: Arrow image 60: Graphic image, 61: First image, 62: Second image, 63: Third image 65: Vehicle image 100: Vehicle, 110: Windshield, 110a: Reflective surface 120: Dashboard 200: Driver 300: Road 400: Leading vehicle Ds: Inter-vehicle distance, Dt: Target distance EP: Eye point Gh: Horizontal direction of image, Gv: Vertical direction of image L1: Virtual line Lt: Display light Sc: Scenery Vi: Virtual image, Vd: Lower part, Vu: Upper part Vp: Vanishing point X: Vehicle longitudinal direction, Z: Vehicle vertical direction

Claims

1. A display device configured to project display light of an image onto a reflecting surface in front of a driver in a vehicle to display a virtual image for the driver, and configured such that the upper part of the virtual image appears farther from the driver than the lower part of the virtual image; A control unit that controls the display device; comprising; The virtual image displayed by the display device includes a predetermined image, The predetermined image has a plurality of images arranged in the depth direction based on a vanishing point and partially overlapping; A vehicle display device characterized by the above.

2. The predetermined image has a plurality of guiding images arranged in the depth direction and partially overlapping, The guiding image is an image for route guidance for the driver; The vehicle display device according to claim 1.

3. The guiding image has an arrow indicating a traveling direction at a branch point in front of the vehicle, One of the guiding images overlaps another guiding image so as not to cover the tip of the arrow of the other guiding image; The vehicle display device according to claim 2.

4. The predetermined image has a plurality of graphic images arranged in the depth direction and partially overlapping, The control unit changes the degree of overlap of the plurality of graphic images according to the inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle; The vehicle display device according to claim 1.

5. The plurality of graphic images are displayed when vehicle control for automatically controlling the inter-vehicle distance is being executed, The plurality of graphic images are displayed between an image showing the vehicle and an image showing the preceding vehicle; The vehicle display device according to claim 4.

Images