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 occupant information on a condition of an occupant in the vehicle; and a control unit 12 for determining whether the occupant suffers from visually induced motion sickness on the basis of the occupant information acquired by the information acquisition unit 11, and controlling the display unit 2 so as to reduce the display size of the video content when determining that the occupant suffers from the visually induced motion sickness.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 occupant 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, the occupant is likely to get motion sickness.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] A vehicle video display device according to one 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 occupant information regarding the state of an occupant of the vehicle, and a control unit configured to determine whether the occupant is suffering from motion sickness based on the occupant information acquired by the information acquisition unit, and control the display unit to reduce the display size of the video content when it is determined that the occupant is suffering from motion sickness.

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

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. 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, passengers are 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 it is possible to suppress motion sickness of passengers 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 a passenger 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. Hereinafter, for convenience, the front-rear direction and the up-down direction as shown in the drawing 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. For convenience, FIG. 1 shows one front seat (driver's seat or passenger seat).

[0010] Inside the vehicle 1, a display unit 2 capable of displaying video content on a large screen is provided. 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 ensured, 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 the instrument panel, the back of the front seat, the ceiling, etc., or may be configured as an aerial display that forms an aerial image of the video in the vehicle interior 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 left and right two seats 4 of the front seats and the rear seats. The projector 2a can be arranged at an arbitrary location 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 occupant. Note that only the center console (rear center console) 5 provided between the rear seats is shown in FIG. 1, and an example of arranging the projector 2a on the rear center console 5 is shown.

[0013] Once the positions 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, with the seats 4 of all the seats reclined while the vehicle 1 is stopped, the projection range is suitable for each occupant to view the test still image. In the initial setting, in addition to the projection range for displaying a single large screen (full screen display) that all the occupants view, the projection range for displaying a plurality of screens (multi-display display) at positions corresponding to each seat can be set.

[0014] FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing the main configuration of a vehicle video display device (hereinafter, referred to as the 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 that controls the display unit 2, a user terminal 6 capable of outputting video content, a camera 7 capable of photographing the occupants of the vehicle 1, and a sensor 8 capable of detecting the running state of the vehicle 1. The controller 10 is connected to each of the display unit 2 (projector 2a), the user terminal 6, the camera 7, and the sensor 8 by wire or wirelessly.

[0015] As the user terminal 6 capable of outputting video content, for example, portable devices such as smartphones, portable game machines, and video cameras carried by the occupants can be used. The entertainment system installed in 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 occupant who is 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 occupant 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] As the camera 7 capable of photographing the occupants of the vehicle 1, for example, an in-vehicle camera provided on the instrument panel or the like of the vehicle 1 and determining whether the driver is awake by photographing the driver's face can be used. Such a camera 7 can also photograph the faces of the occupants in the passenger seat and the rear seat. In this case, the controller 10 is connected to an electronic control unit mounted on the vehicle 1 and into which a signal from the camera 7 is input, and is connected to the camera 7 via the electronic control unit.

[0018] As the sensor 8 capable of detecting the running state of the vehicle 1, for example, a vehicle speed sensor mounted on the vehicle 1 can be used as the sensor 8. In this case, the controller 10 is connected to an electronic control unit mounted on the vehicle 1 and into which a signal from the vehicle speed sensor (sensor 8) is input, and is connected to the sensor 8 via the electronic control unit. It is also possible to use a positioning sensor such as GPS mounted on a smartphone or a wearable device carried by the occupant. In this case, the moving speed of the vehicle 1 can be estimated based on the time-series position information detected by the positioning sensor (sensor 8).

[0019] 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.

[0020] The information acquisition unit 11 acquires passenger information regarding the state of the passengers in the vehicle 1 photographed by the camera 7 and travel information regarding the traveling state of the vehicle 1 detected by the sensor 8. Specifically, the passenger information is image information including the faces of the passengers in the vehicle 1 photographed by the camera 7, and includes information regarding the direction of the line of sight of each passenger, information regarding the complexion of each passenger, information regarding the expression of each passenger, and the like. Specifically, the travel information is information on the moving speed of the vehicle 1 detected by a vehicle speed sensor (sensor 8) or time-series position information detected by a positioning sensor (sensor 8).

[0021] 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 passenger information and the travel information acquired by the information acquisition unit 11. More specifically, the state of the passengers before the start of travel of the vehicle 1 or before the start of display of the video content is compared with the state of the passengers after the start of travel of the vehicle 1 and after the start of display of the video content, and based on the comparison result, it is determined whether the passengers are suffering from motion sickness due to the video. Then, when it is determined that the passengers are suffering from motion sickness due to the video, the display unit 2 is controlled to reduce (shrink) the display size of the video content.

[0022] The control unit 12 monitors the moving speed of the vehicle 1 included in the driving information to determine whether the vehicle 1 has started running, that is, whether the operation of the vehicle 1 in the current driving cycle (the movement from one point to another point, including running and temporary stops) has started. Then, when the display of video content by the display unit 2 is started and the vehicle 1 starts running, it monitors the changes in the states of each occupant and determines whether each occupant is suffering from motion sickness due to the video. If the vehicle 1 starts running after the display of video content by the display unit 2 is started, it determines whether the occupant is suffering from motion sickness due to the video by comparing the state of the occupant (initial state) when the vehicle 1 starts running with the current state of the occupant. If the display of video content by the display unit 2 is started after the vehicle 1 starts running, it determines whether the occupant is suffering from motion sickness due to the video by comparing the state of the occupant (initial state) when the display of video content by the display unit 2 is started with the current state of the occupant.

[0023] Based on the occupant information (image information), the control unit 12 determines whether the line of sight of the occupant is directed towards the predetermined display unit 2 (screen 2b). When the time or frequency of the occupant's line of sight deviating from the video content increases, it determines that the occupant is suffering from motion sickness due to the video. The time for the occupant's line of sight to deviate from the video content is calculated every predetermined time and can be calculated as the length of the time during which the direction of the occupant's line of sight is outside the range where the video content displayed on the display unit 2 can be viewed within the predetermined time. The frequency of the occupant's line of sight deviating from the video content is calculated every predetermined time and can be calculated as the number of times the direction of the occupant's line of sight is outside the range where the video content displayed on the display unit 2 can be viewed within the predetermined time.

[0024] Also, based on the occupant information, the control unit 12 identifies the color of the occupant's face and determines that the occupant is suffering from motion sickness due to the video when the color of the occupant's face approaches white. The color of the occupant's face can be quantified, for example, as brightness. When the value of the brightness increases, it can be determined that the color of the occupant's face approaches white.

[0025] Further, based on the passenger information, the control unit 12 identifies the expression of the passenger, and when the expression of the passenger becomes an expression indicating pain or when the expressionless state continues for a predetermined time or more, it determines that the passenger is suffering from motion sickness due to viewing a video. The expression of the passenger (such as the corners of the mouth) can be classified by matching it to either a pattern of expressions corresponding to a plurality of predetermined emotions or a pattern of expressionless. When the expression of the passenger is classified as an expression indicating pain, it is determined that the passenger is suffering from motion sickness due to viewing a video. When the expression of the passenger is classified as expressionless, the calculation of the duration of the expressionless state is started, and when the duration of the expressionless state becomes a predetermined time or more, it is determined that the passenger is suffering from motion sickness due to viewing a video.

[0026] Motion sickness due to viewing a video 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 become disordered. Therefore, when viewing video content on a large screen while the vehicle 1 is in motion, it is easier to suffer from motion sickness due to viewing a video. When a passenger suffers from motion sickness due to viewing video content while the vehicle 1 is in motion, by reducing the display size of the video content being displayed, the ratio of the video content occupying the passenger's field of view can be reduced. In this case, by suppressing the deviation between the motion information entering the eyes and the motion information felt by the body, it is possible to recover from the state of motion sickness due to viewing a video and suppress further motion sickness due to viewing a video.

[0027] When it is determined that any of the passengers is suffering from video sickness, the control unit 12 immediately controls the display unit 2 to reduce the display size of the video content. More specifically, when the display unit 2 is a projector system, the control unit 12 controls the display unit 2 (projector 2a) to reduce the size of the projection range initially set during the stop of the vehicle 1 to a predetermined display size (e.g., 90%) with the size of the projection range initially set during the stop of the vehicle 1 as the 100% display size. When the display unit 2 is a display, the control unit 12 controls the display unit 2 to reduce the size of the entire display to a predetermined display size (e.g., 90%) with the size of the entire display as the 100% display size. After reducing the display size of the video content to the predetermined display size, the control unit 12 continues to determine video sickness based on the passenger state, and if the video sickness of the passenger does not disappear, the control unit 12 may further reduce the display size of the video content.

[0028] Figure 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the process executed by the controller 10. The process shown in this flowchart starts, for example, when the controller 10 is activated and is repeated at a predetermined cycle until the controller 10 is stopped. As shown in Figure 3, first, in step S1, passenger information and driving information are acquired. Next, in step S2, based on the driving information acquired in step S1, it is determined whether the vehicle 1 is in motion while video content is being displayed by the display unit 2. If the determination in step S2 is negative, the process proceeds to step S3, where the current state of the current passenger (the time or frequency of looking away from the video content, the brightness of the facial color, the facial expression (such as the corners of the mouth, etc.)) is determined based on the passenger information acquired in step S1, recorded and updated in the memory of the controller 10 as the initial state of the passenger, and then the process returns to step S1. If the determination in step S2 is positive, the process proceeds to step S4, where the current state of the current passenger is determined based on the passenger information acquired in step S1 and compared with the initial state of the passenger stored in the memory of the controller 10. Next, in step S5, based on the comparison result in step S4, it is determined whether there is a passenger suffering from video sickness. If the determination in step S5 is negative, the process ends. If the determination in step S5 is positive, the process proceeds to step S6, where the display size of the video content is reduced.

[0029] That is, when video content is being displayed and vehicle 1 is in motion, the state of the occupant is constantly monitored. When an occupant suffering from motion sickness due to the video is detected, the display size of the video content is immediately reduced (steps S1 to S6). This enables early recovery even if an occupant suffers from motion sickness due to the video, and can suppress motion sickness of the occupant caused by viewing video content even when viewing video content on a large screen in the limited space inside the vehicle.

[0030] According to the present embodiment, the following operational effects can be achieved. (1) The device 100 is mounted on the vehicle 1, and includes a display unit 2 that displays video content, an information acquisition unit 11 that acquires occupant information regarding the state of the occupant of the vehicle 1, and a control unit 12 that determines whether the occupant is suffering from motion sickness due to the video based on the occupant information acquired by the information acquisition unit 11, and controls the display unit 2 to reduce the display size of the video content when it is determined that the occupant is suffering from motion sickness due to the video (FIGS. 1 and 2). This enables recovery even if an occupant suffers from motion sickness due to the video, and can suppress motion sickness of the occupant caused by viewing video content even when viewing video content on a large screen in the limited space inside the vehicle.

[0031] (2) The information acquisition unit 11 further acquires driving information regarding the driving state of the vehicle 1. The control unit 12 compares the state of the occupant before the start of driving of the vehicle 1 or before the start of display of the video content with the state of the occupant after the start of driving of the vehicle 1 and after the start of display of the video content based on the occupant information and the driving information acquired by the information acquisition unit 11, and determines whether the occupant is suffering from motion sickness due to the video based on the comparison result. This enables constant monitoring of the state of the occupant when the video content is being displayed and the vehicle 1 is in motion, and enables immediate reduction of the display size of the video content for recovery when an occupant suffering from motion sickness due to the video is detected.

[0032] (3) The passenger information includes information regarding the direction of the passenger's line of sight. When the time or frequency at which the passenger diverts their line of sight from the video content increases based on the direction of the passenger's line of sight, the control unit 12 determines that the passenger is suffering from motion sickness due to the video. Thereby, it is possible to accurately determine whether or not the passenger is suffering from motion sickness due to the video.

[0033] (4) The passenger information includes information regarding the complexion of the passenger. When the complexion of the passenger approaches white, the control unit 12 determines that the passenger is suffering from motion sickness due to the video. Thereby, it is possible to accurately determine whether or not the passenger is suffering from motion sickness due to the video.

[0034] (5) The passenger information includes information regarding the expression of the passenger. When the expression of the passenger becomes an expression indicating pain, or when the expressionless state continues for a predetermined time or more, the control unit 12 determines that the passenger is suffering from motion sickness due to the video. Thereby, it is possible to accurately determine whether or not the passenger is suffering from motion sickness due to the video.

[0035] (6) The display unit 2 has a projector 2a that projects video content toward the upper space of the passenger (Fig. 1). When projecting video content toward the upper space of the passenger using the projector 2a, 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 suffer from motion sickness due to the video. By monitoring the state of the passenger and immediately reducing the display size of the video content and restoring it when the passenger suffers from motion sickness due to the video, it is possible to suppress the motion sickness of the passenger due to viewing the video content even when viewing the video content on a large screen in the limited space inside the vehicle.

[0036] In the above embodiment, a 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 the 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.

[0037] The above description is merely an example, and the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modifications 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 modifications, and it is also possible to combine the modifications with each other.

Explanation of Signs

[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, 7 Camera, 8 Sensor, 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 passenger information regarding the state of a passenger in the vehicle; A control unit that determines whether the passenger is suffering from video sickness based on the passenger information acquired by the information acquisition unit, and controls the display unit to reduce the display size of the video content when it is determined that the passenger is suffering from video sickness. A vehicle video display device characterized by comprising:

2. In the vehicle video display device according to Claim 1, The information acquisition unit further acquires driving information regarding the driving state of the vehicle, The control unit compares the state of the passenger before the start of driving of the vehicle or before the start of display of the video content with the state of the passenger after the start of driving of the vehicle and after the start of display of the video content based on the passenger information and the driving information acquired by the information acquisition unit, and determines whether the passenger is suffering from video sickness based on the comparison result. A vehicle video display device characterized by comprising:

3. In the vehicle video display device according to Claim 2, The passenger information includes information regarding the direction of the passenger's line of sight, The control unit determines that the passenger is suffering from video sickness when the time or frequency of the passenger looking away from the video content increases based on the direction of the passenger's line of sight. A vehicle video display device characterized by comprising:

4. In the vehicle video display device according to Claim 2, The passenger information includes information regarding the complexion of the passenger, The control unit determines that the passenger is suffering from video sickness when the complexion of the passenger approaches white. A vehicle video display device characterized by comprising:

5. In the vehicle video display device according to Claim 2, The passenger information includes information regarding the expression of the passenger, The control unit determines that the passenger is suffering from video sickness when the expression of the passenger becomes an expression indicating pain or when a blank expression continues for a predetermined time or more. A vehicle video display device characterized by comprising:

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 passenger. A vehicle video display device characterized by comprising:

Images