Vehicular video display device

Abstract

To suppress visually induced motion sickness of an occupant.SOLUTION: A vehicular video display device 100 includes: a display unit 2 mounted on a vehicle, for displaying a video content; an information acquisition unit 11 for acquiring video information on the video content; and a control unit 12 for controlling the display unit 2 so as to adjust the display size of the video content on the basis of the video information acquired by the information acquisition unit 11.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle video display device for displaying video content inside a vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as this type of device, a device that projects an image from a projector onto a wall surface of a vehicle has been known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the device described in Patent Document 1, the projection angle of the image by the projector is adjusted according to the reclining angle of the rear seat on which the passenger watching the image is seated.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in recent years, the need to enjoy video content on a large screen inside a vehicle has been increasing. However, when watching video content on a large screen in the limited space inside a vehicle, passengers are likely to experience motion sickness.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] A vehicle video display device according to an aspect of the present invention includes a display unit mounted on a vehicle and configured to display video content, an information acquisition unit configured to acquire video information regarding the video content, and a control unit configured to control the display unit to adjust a display size of the video content based on the video information acquired by the information acquisition unit.

Effects of the Invention

[0006] According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress motion sickness of passengers.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. In recent years, the need to enjoy video content on a large screen inside a vehicle has been increasing. However, when viewing video content on a large screen in the limited space inside a vehicle, the occupant is likely to experience motion sickness. That is, generally, the optimal distance from the viewer to the screen (optimal viewing distance) is about three times the height of the screen. However, when viewing video content on a large screen in the limited space inside a vehicle, it is difficult to ensure the optimal viewing distance. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the vehicle video display device is configured as follows so that motion sickness of the occupant can be suppressed even when viewing video content on a large screen in the limited space inside the vehicle.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which an occupant of a vehicle 1 equipped with a vehicle video display device according to an embodiment of the present invention is viewing video content, with a part of the vehicle 1 cut away. In the following, for convenience, the front-rear direction and the up-down direction as shown in the figure are defined, and the configuration of each part will be described according to this definition. As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 1 is a two-row seat vehicle having a front seat located in front of the vehicle and a rear seat located behind the front seat, and the front seat is composed of a driver's seat and a passenger seat. In FIG. 1, for convenience, one front seat (driver's seat or passenger seat) is shown.

[0010] A display unit 2 capable of displaying video content on a large screen is provided inside the vehicle 1. In the example of FIG. 1, the display unit 2 is configured as a projector system including a projector 2a and a screen 2b. The projector 2a has a pan-tilt mechanism and a zoom mechanism, and is configured to be able to change the projection range. The screen 2b is attached to an arbitrary location inside the vehicle, for example, the ceiling 1a of the vehicle 1, using a fixture 3 such as a clip. When the screen 2b is attached to the ceiling 1a of the vehicle 1, a wide projection range can be secured, and video content can be viewed on a large screen. Note that the display unit 2 may be configured as a liquid crystal display or the like attached to an instrument panel, the back of the front seat, the ceiling, etc., or may be configured as an aerial display that forms an image of video in the vehicle space.

[0011] The seat 4 of each seat in the vehicle 1 has a seat cushion portion 4a that supports the occupant's buttocks, a seat back portion 4b that supports the occupant's back, and a headrest portion 4c that is provided at the upper part of the seat back portion 4b and supports the occupant's head. The seat cushion portion 4a has a front-rear position adjustment mechanism that can slide in the front-rear direction and can be fixed at an arbitrary position. The seat back portion 4b has a reclining mechanism that can fix the inclination angle with respect to the seat cushion portion 4a at an arbitrary angle. The headrest portion 4c has an up-down position adjustment mechanism that can move upward from the upper end portion of the seat back portion 4b and can be fixed at a predetermined position.

[0012] A center console 5 is provided between the two left and right seats 4 of the front seats and the rear seats. The projector 2a can be arranged at any place inside the vehicle. When the screen 2b is attached to the ceiling 1a of the vehicle 1, the projector 2a can be arranged, for example, on the center console 5 so as to project video content in the direction of the screen 2b, that is, toward the upper space of the passengers. Note that in FIG. 1, only the center console (rear center console) 5 provided between the rear seats is shown, and an example of arranging the projector 2a on the rear center console 5 is shown.

[0013] When the arrangements of the projector 2a and the screen 2b are determined, the initial setting of the projection range can be performed using the pan-tilt mechanism and the zoom mechanism of the projector 2a. The initial setting is performed so that in a state where the seats 4 of all the seats are reclined while the vehicle 1 is stopped, the projection range is suitable for each passenger to view the test still image. In the initial setting, in addition to the projection range for displaying a single large screen that all passengers view (full screen display), the projection range for displaying a plurality of screens at positions corresponding to each seat (multi-display display) can be set.

[0014] FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing the main configuration of a vehicle video display device (hereinafter, device) 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, the device 100 includes a display unit 2 (projector 2a), a controller 10 for controlling the display unit 2, and a user terminal 6 capable of outputting video content. The controller 10 is connected to each of the display unit 2 (projector 2a) and the user terminal 6 by wire or wirelessly.

[0015] As the user terminal 6 capable of outputting video content, for example, portable devices such as a smartphone carried by a passenger, a portable game machine, and a video camera can be used. The entertainment system mounted on the vehicle 1 can also be used as the user terminal 6. The user terminal 6 outputs a video signal corresponding to the video content selected according to the operation by the passenger, the user, to the projector 2a via the controller 10.

[0016] The user terminal 6 may transmit (output) a video file corresponding to the video content selected according to the operation by the passenger to the controller 10. The video file transmitted from the user terminal 6 to the controller 10 is stored in the memory of the controller 10. Video files and image files are stored in advance in the memory of the controller 10. The video file transmitted from the user terminal 6 to the controller 10 may be stored together with the files stored in advance in the memory of the controller 10, or may be stored after deleting the files stored in advance.

[0017] When the user terminal 6 outputs a video signal or a video file corresponding to the video content, it transmits video information regarding the video content to the controller 10. The video information includes information regarding the type of the video content and information regarding the number of times the video content has been played. The information regarding the type of the video content is information regarding whether the video content is a game, a video other than a game, or a still image. The number of times the video content has been played is the number of times the game has been played if the video content is a game, and the number of times the still image has been viewed if the video content is a still image. The number of times the video content has been played is counted, for example, as the number of times the same video content has been repeatedly played since the user terminal 6 and the controller 10 were connected during the current ride.

[0018] The controller 10 includes a computer having a processor such as a CPU, memories such as a ROM and a RAM, and other peripheral circuits, and is built into, for example, the projector 2a. The controller 10 may include an independent computer not built into the projector 2a, or a user terminal such as a smartphone carried by a passenger may be used as the controller 10. The processor of the controller 10 functions as the information acquisition unit 11 and the control unit 12 by executing a program stored in the memory in advance.

[0019] The information acquisition unit 11 acquires video information transmitted from the user terminal 6. The control unit 12 controls the display unit 2 to display video content by transmitting a video signal to the display unit 2, and controls the display unit 2 to adjust the display size of the video content based on the video information acquired by the information acquisition unit 11. More specifically, when the display unit 2 is a projector system, the size of the projection range initially set while the vehicle 1 is stopped is set as the display size of 100%, and the display unit 2 (projector 2a) is controlled according to the video information. When the display unit 2 is a display, the size of the entire display is set as the display size of 100%, and the display unit 2 is controlled according to the video information.

[0020] Motion sickness occurs when there is a deviation between the motion information (information regarding the magnitude of the moving speed, the direction and magnitude of the acceleration, etc.) entering the viewer's eyes and the motion information felt by the body such as the inner ear, muscles, and joints, causing the brain to become confused and the autonomic nerves to be disrupted. Therefore, when a passenger in the vehicle 1 views video content, the more the video content requires the viewer (passenger) to move their viewpoint, the easier it is for a deviation to occur between the motion information entering the eyes and the motion information felt by the body, and the easier it is to experience motion sickness.

[0021] FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 are diagrams for explaining the adjustment of the display size of video content by the control unit 12. FIG. 3 shows an example of adjusting the display size according to the type of video content, and FIG. 4 shows an example of adjusting the display size according to the number of times the video content is played.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 3, when the video content is a game that particularly requires a lot of viewpoint movement of the viewer (occupant), for example, the control unit 12 controls the display unit 2 so as to have a display size of 80%. When the video content is a video other than a game that does not require as much viewpoint movement as a game but requires a lot of viewpoint movement, for example, the control unit 12 controls the display unit 2 so as to have a display size of 90%. When the video content is a still image that hardly requires viewpoint movement, the control unit 12 controls the display unit 2 so as to have a display size of 100%. In this way, by reducing the display size of the video content that requires a lot of viewpoint movement and reducing the proportion of the video content occupying the occupant's field of view, the deviation between the movement information that enters the eyes and the movement information that is felt by the body can be suppressed, and motion sickness can be suppressed.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 12 controls the display unit 2 so that the display size of the video content increases as the number of playback times increases. More specifically, when the display size should be less than 100% according to the type of video content, the display size is enlarged up to 100% according to the number of playback times. For example, at the time of playback after the second time, with 100% as the upper limit of the display size, the display size is enlarged by a predetermined ratio (for example, 10%) compared to the previous playback. In this case, for the video content of the game, it is displayed with a display size of 80% for the first time, 80% for the second time, and 100% for the third time and later.

[0024] Even for video content that requires a lot of viewpoint movement, by watching the same video content several times, the brain learns the movement pattern (movement information that enters the eyes) in the video content, and the confusion of the brain is suppressed, so it becomes difficult for motion sickness to occur. By adjusting the display size of the video content according to the number of playback times, it is possible to suppress motion sickness while maximizing the merit of the large screen.

[0025] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing executed by the controller 10. The processing shown in this flowchart is started, for example, when the controller 10 is activated, and is repeated at a predetermined cycle until the controller 10 is stopped. As shown in FIG. 5, first in step S1, it is determined whether or not the display unit 2 starts displaying video content. If it is affirmed in step S1, the process proceeds to step S2, and if it is negated in step S1, the process ends. In step S2, the video information transmitted from the user terminal 6 is acquired.

[0026] Next, in step S3, based on the video information acquired in step S2, it is determined whether or not the type of the video content for which the display is to start is a game. If it is affirmed in step S3, the process proceeds to step S4, and the display size of the video content is tentatively determined to be 80%. If it is negated in step S3, the process proceeds to step S5, and it is determined whether or not the type of the video content is a video other than a game. If it is affirmed in step S5, the process proceeds to step S6, and the display size of the video content is tentatively determined to be 90%. If it is negated in step S5, the process proceeds to step S7, and the display size of the video content is determined to be 100%.

[0027] Next, in step S8, it is determined whether or not the display size determined (tentatively determined) in steps S4, S6, and S7 is less than 100%. If it is affirmed in step S8, the process proceeds to step S9, and if it is negated in step S8, the process ends. In step S9, based on the video information acquired in step S2, depending on the number of times the video content for which the display is to start is played, with the 100% display size as the upper limit, the current display size is determined to be a display size enlarged by a predetermined ratio (for example, 10%) more than at the previous playback compared to the previous playback.

[0028] When starting to display video content, check its type and the number of times it has been played, and adjust the display size according to the type, so that even when viewing video content on a large screen in the limited space inside the vehicle, it is possible to suppress motion sickness of the passengers (Steps S1 to S7). That is, video content with few requirements for viewpoint movement is displayed on a large screen, and video content with many requirements for viewpoint movement and a high possibility of causing motion sickness has its display size reduced, so that it is possible to suppress motion sickness while enjoying the merits of a large screen. In addition, by adjusting the display size according to the number of times of playback, it is possible to enjoy the merits of a large screen to the maximum while suppressing motion sickness (Steps S8 to S9).

[0029] According to this embodiment, the following effects can be achieved. (1) The device 100 is mounted on the vehicle 1 and includes a display unit 2 for displaying video content, an information acquisition unit 11 for acquiring video information regarding the video content, and a control unit 12 for controlling the display unit 2 to adjust the display size of the video content based on the video information acquired by the information acquisition unit 11 (FIGS. 1 and 2). By adjusting the display size of the video content according to the type and the number of times of playback of the video content, it is possible to suppress motion sickness of the passengers even when viewing video content on a large screen in the limited space inside the vehicle.

[0030] (2) The video information includes information regarding the type of video content, i.e., whether the video content is a game, a video other than a game, or a still image. When the video content is a game, the control unit 12 controls the display unit 2 to make the display size of the video content smaller than when the video content is a video other than a game, and also smaller than when the video content is a still image (Fig. 3). When a passenger in the vehicle 1 watches video content, the more the video content requires the viewer (passenger)'s viewpoint to move, the more likely it is that a deviation will occur between the motion information entering the eyes and the motion information felt by the body, and the more likely it is to cause motion sickness. By reducing the display size only for video content that requires a lot of viewpoint movement and is likely to cause motion sickness, it is possible to appropriately suppress the passenger's motion sickness while enjoying the merits of a large screen.

[0031] (3) The video information includes information regarding the number of times the video content has been played. The control unit 12 controls the display unit 2 to make the display size of the video content larger as the number of times played increases. Even for video content that requires a lot of viewpoint movement, by watching the same video content several times, the brain learns the motion pattern in that video content, and the confusion in the brain is suppressed, so it becomes less likely to cause motion sickness. By adjusting the display size of the video content according to the number of times played, it is possible to suppress motion sickness while maximizing the merits of a large screen.

[0032] (4) The display unit 2 has a projector 2a that projects video content toward the upper space of the passenger in the vehicle 1 (Fig. 1). When using the projector 2a to project video content toward the upper space of the passenger, a wide projection range can be secured on the ceiling 1a of the vehicle 1, and the video content can be displayed on a large screen. In this case, while the viewing experience of the video content by the passenger can be improved, the passenger is more likely to get motion sickness. By adjusting the display size of the video content according to the type and number of times played of the video content, it is possible to suppress the passenger's motion sickness even when watching video content on a large screen in the limited space inside the vehicle.

[0033] In the above embodiment, the specific arrangement example of the display unit 2 (the projector 2a and the screen 2b) is shown and described with reference to FIG. 1 and the like. However, the display unit mounted on the vehicle and displaying video content is not limited to such a configuration. For example, the projector 2a may be arranged on the floor of the vehicle 1 or the like, or may be attached to the ceiling 1a or the like.

[0034] In the above embodiment, games, videos other than games, and still images are exemplified as the types of video content with reference to FIG. 3 and the like. However, the video information is not limited to such content. The video information may include, for example, information on game genres such as shooting games and role-playing games, and video genres such as action movies and healing videos. In this case, the display size may be adjusted according to a more detailed classification based on the genre.

[0035] In the above embodiment, an example where the information acquisition unit 11 of the controller 10 acquires the video information transmitted from the user terminal 6 is described. However, the information acquisition unit that acquires the video information is not limited to such a configuration. For example, by performing image processing on the controller 10 side, the amount of movement in the video content being played may be analyzed, and the analysis result may be acquired as video information. In this case, the amount of movement in the video content being displayed may be analyzed every predetermined time, and the display size may be adjusted every predetermined time according to the analysis result.

[0036] In the above embodiment, an example where the display size of the video content is enlarged by 10% according to the number of reproductions is described with reference to FIG. 4 and the like. However, the adjustment of the display size of the video content based on the number of reproductions is not limited to such a method. For example, the display size may be enlarged at different ratios for the second and third reproductions. The enlargement of the display size may not be performed until a predetermined number of reproductions is reached.

[0037] The above description is merely an example, and the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modified examples as long as the features of the present invention are not impaired. It is also possible to arbitrarily combine one or more of the above embodiments and modified examples, and it is also possible to combine the modified examples with each other.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0038] 1 Vehicle, 2 Display unit, 2a Projector, 2b Screen, 3 Fixture, 4 Seat, 4a Seat cushion part, 4b Seat back part, 4c Headrest part, 5 Center console, 6 User terminal, 10 Controller, 11 Information acquisition unit, 12 Control unit, 100 Vehicle video display device (device)

Claims

1. A display unit mounted on a vehicle and displaying video content; An information acquisition unit that acquires video information regarding the video content; A control unit that controls the display unit to adjust the display size of the video content based on the video information acquired by the information acquisition unit. A vehicle video display device characterized by comprising:

2. In the vehicle video display device according to Claim 1, The video information includes information regarding whether the video content is a game, a video other than a game, or a still image. A vehicle video display device characterized by this.

3. In the vehicle video display device according to Claim 2, When the video content is the game, the control unit controls the display unit to make the display size of the video content smaller than when the video content is a video other than the game, and also makes the display size of the video content smaller than when the video content is the still image. A vehicle video display device characterized by this.

4. In the vehicle video display device according to Claim 1, The video information includes information regarding the number of times the video content has been played. A vehicle video display device characterized by this.

5. In the vehicle video display device according to Claim 4, The control unit controls the display unit to make the display size of the video content larger as the number of times of playback increases. A vehicle video display device characterized by this.

6. In the vehicle video display device according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, The display unit has a projector that projects the video content toward the space above the vehicle occupant. A vehicle video display device characterized by this.

Images