Driver interface device of vehicle

Abstract

To provide a driver interface device 10 of a vehicle 1 that can suppress driving operation by a driver from being disordered during operation of a commander switch 12.SOLUTION: A driver interface device of a vehicle comprises a display part 11 that displays a presentation screen 200 that is presented to a driver and a commander switch 12 that receives manual operation by the driver to the presentation screen 200 displayed on the display part 11, and further comprises display control means that changes the presentation screen 200 displayed on the display part 11 to a response screen 201 responding to operation by the driver, when a predetermined response waiting time Tr elapses after the commander switch 12 receives the manual operation by the driver. The display control means sets the response waiting time shorter so that a relation between increase of vehicle speed and the response waiting time is an inverse correlation, on the basis of the increase of the vehicle speed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a driver interface device for a vehicle that accepts an operation by a driver on a presentation screen displayed on a display unit of the vehicle, for example, and displays a response screen to the driver's operation on the display unit. [Background technology]

[0002] In vehicles such as automobiles, a driver interface device is known that includes, for example, a display unit (liquid crystal monitor) provided on the instrument panel and a screen operation reception unit (commander) provided on the center console between the driver's seat and the passenger seat (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] More specifically, Patent Document 1 displays a presentation screen to be presented to the driver on a display unit, accepts the driver's operations on the presentation screen in a screen operation acceptance unit, and displays a response screen corresponding to the accepted operations on the display unit.

[0004] Recently, in such vehicles, the types of screens displayed on the display unit have become more diverse, such as audio operation screens, navigation operation screens, air conditioning operation screens, and vehicle information screens showing the vehicle's status, and drivers may need to operate the screen operation reception unit while driving the vehicle.

[0005] Therefore, in Patent Document 1, an operation reaction force is applied to the screen operation acceptance section so as to give the driver a sense of moderation, thereby making it easier to operate the screen operation acceptance section while driving. Incidentally, when it is detected that the screen operation reception unit has been operated by a driver while driving, the response waiting time before starting to change the presented screen to a response screen is often set to a predetermined length of time.

[0006] However, as a result of various experiments and verifications conducted by the applicant, it was found that the response waiting time that a driver feels is optimal varies depending on the vehicle speed, even for the same driver. As a result, some drivers may feel that the timing of the response screen display is significantly different from their own prediction.

[0007] In this case, when a driver operates the screen operation reception unit while driving, the driver's attention is likely to be directed to operating the screen operation reception unit or checking the display unit, which could result in unconscious disruption of driving operations such as accelerator operation. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6481699 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] In view of the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a driver interface device for a vehicle that can suppress disruption of the driver's driving operation while operating a screen operation reception unit. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The present invention is a driver interface device for a vehicle comprising a display unit that displays a presentation screen to be presented to the driver, and a screen operation receiving unit that receives manual operations by the driver on the presentation screen displayed on the display unit, and further comprising vehicle speed calculation means that calculates vehicle speed, and display control means that, when a predetermined response waiting time has elapsed since the screen operation receiving unit received the manual operation of the driver, changes the presentation screen displayed on the display unit to a response screen that corresponds to the operation of the driver, and is characterized in that the display control means sets the response waiting time to be shortened based on an increase in vehicle speed, so that an increase in vehicle speed and the response waiting time have an inverse relationship.

[0011] The presentation screen is a screen that prompts the driver to operate the screen operation reception unit, and may be an operation screen for in-vehicle equipment such as audio, navigation, or air conditioning, a vehicle information screen that shows the vehicle speed and vehicle status, or a menu screen for transitioning to an operation screen for in-vehicle equipment or a vehicle information screen.

[0012] The display unit refers to a display unit provided on an instrument panel, a display unit provided on a meter panel, or the like. The screen operation acceptance unit may be, for example, a rotary type screen operation acceptance unit, a joystick type screen operation acceptance unit, a touchpad type screen operation acceptance unit, or a button type screen operation acceptance unit, and accepts, for example, an operation to select, move, or switch a display element displayed on the presentation screen. Note that, when the screen operation acceptance unit is configured to accept movement of a display element, the display element refers to, for example, a cursor.

[0013] The response screen refers to, for example, a screen to which the cursor has moved within the presentation screen, or a screen with a different configuration from the presentation screen. The change to the response screen means that the display screen starts to change to the response screen, or that the display of the response screen corresponding to the driver's operation is completed. The response waiting time is a time length of 0 ms or more. Note that the response waiting time does not include response delays due to various information processing.

[0014] The anti-phase relationship is a relationship in which the predetermined response waiting time gradually shortens as the vehicle speed increases, and the function indicating the anti-phase relationship may be a curve expressed by a linear function, a quadratic function, a polynomial function, or the like, or may be a stepped, bent straight line expressed by a step function.

[0015] According to this invention, the driver can concentrate on operating the main operation system operation acceptance section such as the accelerator pedal while operating the screen operation acceptance section for operating in-vehicle devices and the like.

[0016] In more detail, the applicant has conducted various experiments and verified that the response waiting time that a driver feels is optimal changes depending on the vehicle speed, and more specifically, it tends to be shorter when the vehicle speed is fast than when it is slow, and conversely, it tends to be longer when the vehicle speed is slow than when it is fast.

[0017] Therefore, the driver interface device of the present invention reduces the response wait time as the vehicle speed increases, thereby preventing the driver from feeling uncomfortable about the timing at which the response screen is displayed in response to an operation of the screen operation receiving unit. In other words, the driver interface device reduces the response wait time as the vehicle speed decreases, thereby preventing the driver from feeling uncomfortable about the timing at which the response screen is displayed in response to an operation of the screen operation receiving unit. As a result, the driver interface device of the present invention can direct the driver's attention to driving the vehicle, regardless of whether the vehicle speed is fast or slow.

[0018] Therefore, the driver interface device of the present invention allows the driver, who is operating the screen operation reception unit, to concentrate on operating the main operation system operation unit, such as the accelerator pedal for maintaining a safe distance between vehicles, and therefore can suppress disruptions in the driver's driving operations, such as accelerator jerk (accelerator pedal flapping), while operating the screen operation reception unit, thereby stabilizing vehicle behavior.

[0019] Furthermore, by stabilizing the vehicle behavior, the driver interface device of the vehicle can give the driver the feeling that he is operating the vehicle as he wishes.

[0020] As an aspect of the present invention, the inverse phase relationship may indicate a relationship in which the response waiting time gradually shortens as the vehicle speed increases in a predetermined medium speed range, and the display control means may be configured to set the response waiting time to a value in the inverse phase relationship in which the vehicle speed corresponds to the lower limit value of the medium speed range when the vehicle speed is in a low speed range that is lower than the medium speed range.

[0021] The medium speed range is the speed range when traveling on suburban roads or main roads, and refers to a speed range above 30 km / h and below 80 km / h, for example. The low speed range is the speed range when driving slowly or in a city, and refers to a speed range below 30 km / h, for example.

[0022] According to this configuration, when the vehicle speed is in the low speed range, the response standby time can be set to a value that does not cause excessive delay by uniformly setting the response standby time to a value that corresponds to the lower limit of the medium speed range in the reverse phase relationship. In other words, the response standby time can be set to a value that does not cause the driver to feel uncomfortable with the display timing in response to an operation of the screen operation accepting unit.

[0023] In another aspect of the present invention, the inverse phase relationship indicates a relationship in which the response waiting time gradually becomes shorter as the vehicle speed increases in a predetermined medium speed range, and when the vehicle speed is in a high speed range indicating a speed range higher than the medium speed range, the display control means may set the response waiting time to a value in the inverse phase relationship where the vehicle speed corresponds to the upper limit value of the medium speed range.

[0024] The high speed range is, for example, a speed range when traveling on a highway, such as a speed range of 80 km / h or more.

[0025] According to this configuration, when the vehicle speed is in the low speed range, the response waiting time is uniformly set to a value corresponding to the upper limit value of the medium speed range in the reverse phase relationship, so that the response waiting time can be set to a value that allows the driver to feel a sense of ownership of the operation by the driver himself / herself, by shortening the response waiting time too much. In other words, the response waiting time can be set to a value that does not cause the driver to feel uncomfortable with the display timing in response to the operation of the screen operation accepting unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0026] The present invention can provide a driver interface device for a vehicle that can prevent the driver from being disturbed in driving operations while operating a screen operation reception unit. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0027] [Figure 1] FIG. 2A is a front view showing the exterior of the driver interface device as seen from inside the vehicle, and FIG. 2B is a plan view showing a vehicle ahead and the vehicle itself traveling while maintaining a safe distance from the vehicle ahead. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of a driver interface device. [Figure 3] 10 is a graph showing the relationship between response waiting time and vehicle speed. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart showing the processing operation of the ECU in response to the operation of the commander switch. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams illustrating an example of a presentation screen and a response screen. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a response waiting time. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing the processing operation of a selection process. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the results of an experiment conducted at a specified vehicle speed to verify the relationship between the degree of concentration on driving operations and response waiting time, and the relationship between the degree of discomfort with screen transitions in response to commander switch operations and response waiting time. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0028] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, a driver interface device 10 of a vehicle 1 that suppresses disturbances in the driver's driving operation while the commander switch 12 is being rotated will be described with reference to FIGS. Note that Figure 1(a) shows a front view of the driver interface device 10 as seen from inside the vehicle 1, Figure 1(b) shows a plan view of a vehicle ahead traveling at a constant speed and the vehicle itself as the vehicle 1 traveling while maintaining a distance from the vehicle ahead, and Figure 2 shows a block diagram of the driver interface device 10.

[0029] First, as shown in FIG. 1(a), the interior of vehicle 1 is equipped with an instrument panel 2 extending in the vehicle width direction (reference numerals omitted), a center console 3 extending from approximately the center of the instrument panel 2 in the vehicle width direction toward the rear of the vehicle, and a driver's seat 4 and a passenger seat 5 arranged side by side in the vehicle width direction on either side of the center console 3.

[0030] Furthermore, inside the vehicle 1, a steering wheel 6 that is operated by the driver is disposed in front of the driver's seat 4. Spokes (reference numerals omitted) extending to the left and right of the steering wheel 6 are provided with a left-side operation switch 6a and a right-side operation switch 6b that accept various operations by the driver.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 1(a), the driver interface device 10 of such a vehicle 1 includes a display unit 11 provided at approximately the center of the instrument panel 2 in the vehicle width direction, and a cylindrical commander switch 12 provided on the top surface of the center console 3.

[0032] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2, the driver interface device 10 is equipped with an accelerator pedal 13, the details of which are not shown, and a vehicle speed sensor 14 for detecting the speed of the vehicle 1.

[0033] In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, the driver interface device 10 includes a navigation unit 15, an audio unit 16, and an air conditioning unit 17, which are on-board equipment of the vehicle 1, and an electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as "ECU") 18 that controls the operation of these units.

[0034] More specifically, the display unit 11 is configured with, for example, a liquid crystal display, and has the function of displaying various information based on control signals from the ECU 18 to a passenger such as a driver seated in the driver's seat 4.

[0035] The commander switch 12 is a switch configured to be able to accept operations in different input directions, and has a function of accepting an input operation by the driver and a function of outputting an operation signal corresponding to the input operation to the ECU 18. The commander switch 12 has three input directions: a depression direction along an axis center substantially parallel to the vehicle vertical direction; a tilt direction relative to the axis center; and a rotation direction around the axis center as the rotation axis.

[0036] Specifically, the commander switch 12 is equipped with a push button mechanism (not shown) that descends when pressed by the driver and applies a reaction force to the driver against the pressing operation, and a pressing detection sensor 12a (see FIG. 2) that is provided in the push button mechanism and detects the pressing operation by the driver.

[0037] Furthermore, the commander switch 12 is tilted by a tilting operation by the driver and is equipped with a tilting mechanism (not shown) that applies a reaction force to the driver in response to the tilting operation, and a tilt displacement sensor 12b (see Figure 2) that is provided in the tilting mechanism and detects the amount of displacement of the commander switch 12 in the tilting direction.

[0038] In addition, the commander switch 12 is rotated by a rotation operation by the driver and is equipped with a rotation mechanism (not shown) that applies a reaction force to the rotation operation, and a rotation displacement sensor 12c (see Figure 2) that is provided in the rotation mechanism and detects the amount of displacement of the commander switch 12 in the rotation direction.

[0039] The reaction force to the rotation operation is set to gradually increase from the start of rotation to give the driver a sense of gradual control, and to reach a maximum at a division angle obtained by dividing 360 degrees by a predetermined rotation angle.

[0040] The accelerator pedal 13 is, for example, an organ-type pedal unit, and has a function of receiving, at its tread surface, a depression operation by the driver to adjust the vehicle speed. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2, accelerator pedal 13 is equipped with accelerator opening sensor 13a that detects the amount of displacement of the pedal surface due to the driver's operation as the depression amount and outputs the detected depression amount to ECU 18 as an accelerator opening signal.

[0041] The vehicle speed sensor 14 also has a function of detecting the rotation speed of a drive shaft connected to the wheels, for example, and a function of outputting the detected rotation speed to the ECU 18 as a rotation speed signal. Further, although detailed illustration is omitted, the navigation unit 15 is composed of a GNSS antenna that receives GNSS signals from the Global Navigation Satellite System, and a navigation main body that performs various information processing based on the GNSS signals.

[0042] Examples of global navigation satellite systems include the Global Positioning System and the quasi-zenith satellite system.

[0043] This navigation unit 15 has the function of detecting location information indicating the current location of the vehicle, the function of storing map information, and the function of outputting to the ECU 18 an operation screen that prompts the driver to select various information and various functions based on the map information and location information.

[0044] Although detailed illustrations are omitted, the audio unit 16 is composed of a radio antenna that receives radio signals, an audio unit that performs various information processing related to radio and music playback, and a speaker that outputs audio data as sound.

[0045] This audio unit 16 has the functions of converting radio signals into audio data, storing the audio data, reading a storage medium on which the audio data is stored, playing the audio data, and outputting to the ECU 18 an operation screen that prompts the driver to select various functions.

[0046] Although not shown in detail, the air conditioning unit 17 is composed of an interior temperature sensor, a compressor, an evaporator, a floor fan, etc. The air conditioning unit 17 has the functions of detecting the interior temperature, outputting a signal indicating the detected interior temperature to the ECU 18, operating based on a control signal from the ECU 18, and outputting to the ECU 18 an operation screen that prompts the driver to select various functions.

[0047] The ECU 18 is made up of hardware components such as a CPU, a memory, and a storage unit for storing various types of information, and software components such as programs and data. This ECU 18 has the function of acquiring various signals output by the commander switch 12, accelerator pedal 13, vehicle speed sensor 14, navigation unit 15, audio unit 16, and air conditioning unit 17, the function of performing various information processing based on the acquired various signals, and the function of controlling the operation of the display unit 11.

[0048] Furthermore, the ECU 18 has a function of outputting control signals corresponding to the driver's input operation received by the commander switch 12 to the navigation unit 15 , the audio unit 16 and the air conditioning unit 17 .

[0049] In addition, ECU 18 has the function of acquiring signals from sensors installed in various parts of vehicle 1 (not shown), the function of outputting vehicle information indicating the state of vehicle 1 based on the acquired signals to display unit 11, and the function of outputting an operation screen to display unit 11 that prompts the driver to select various functions. The vehicle information includes, for example, the driving status of the motor in an electric vehicle and the charging status of the battery.

[0050] Furthermore, the ECU 18 realizes an accelerator opening calculation means that cooperates with the accelerator opening sensor 13a to calculate the accelerator opening based on the amount of depression of the accelerator pedal 13, and a vehicle speed calculation means that cooperates with the vehicle speed sensor 14 to calculate the vehicle speed of the vehicle 1 based on the rotation speed signal. The ECU 18 includes a database 18a that sequentially registers accelerator opening, vehicle speed, etc. The storage unit of the ECU 18 also stores information 40 relating to an inverse phase relationship 40 shown in the graph of Fig. 3 as the relationship between an increase in vehicle speed and response standby time.

[0051] FIG. 3 is a graph showing the relationship between the response waiting time Tr and the vehicle speed Vm, and the ECU 18 controls the response waiting time Tr based on the relationship shown in FIG. 3 so that the higher the vehicle speed Vm, the shorter the response waiting time Tr becomes.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 3, the response waiting time Tr is set according to whether the vehicle speed Vm is in the low speed range (30 km / h or less), the medium speed range (above 30 km / h and below 80 km / h), or the high speed range (above 80 km / h).

[0053] Waveform L in FIG. 3 is a linear waveform showing the relationship between response waiting time Tr and vehicle speed Vm when vehicle speed Vm is in the medium speed range, and is set, for example, to Tr = 0.1 - (Vm - 30) x 0.001 (sec). As shown in FIG. 3, when the vehicle speed is in the low speed range, the response waiting time Tr is set to 0.1 sec so that it coincides with the response waiting time corresponding to 30 km / h, which is the lower limit of the medium speed range in the relationship shown by waveform L, and when the vehicle speed is in the high speed range, the response waiting time Tr is set to 0.05 sec so that it coincides with the response waiting time corresponding to 80 km / h, which is the upper limit of the medium speed range in the relationship shown by waveform L.

[0054] Next, the processing operation of the ECU 18 in the driver interface device 10 of the vehicle 1 configured as described above will be described with reference to FIGS. In this embodiment, the processing operations when the driver presses and rotates the commander switch 12 are explained, and a detailed explanation of the processing operations when the driver tilts the commander switch 12 is omitted.

[0055] 4 shows a flowchart of the processing operation of the ECU 18 in response to the operation of the commander switch 12, and FIG. 5 shows an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of a presentation screen 200 and a response screen 201. In FIG. Furthermore, FIG. 6 shows an explanatory diagram for explaining the response waiting time Tr, and FIG. 7 shows a flowchart of the selection process.

[0056] When the driver turns on the vehicle's power (ignition) switch (not shown), power is supplied from the battery to the ECU 18 and the driver interface device 10 of this embodiment is started up. As a result, the ECU 18 executes a predetermined program stored therein and starts processing operations in response to the operation of the commander switch 12. The ECU 18, which has started processing operations in response to the operation of the commander switch 12, displays a presentation screen 200 on the display unit 11 to be presented to the driver seated in the driver's seat 4, as shown in FIG. 4 (step S101).

[0057] The presentation screen 200 is a selection screen on which a cursor C indicating the currently selected item is displayed, and in this embodiment, as an example, it is a menu screen for transitioning to an operation screen for in-vehicle equipment or a vehicle information screen as shown in Figure 5(a).

[0058] Specifically, as shown in Figure 5(a), the presentation screen 200 displays the title "Main Menu" at the top, and below that five selection items are displayed: "1. Navigation," "2. Audio," "3. Air Conditioning," "4. Vehicle Information," and "5. Various Settings." Furthermore, on the presentation screen 200 (menu screen), a substantially rectangular cursor C indicating the currently selected item is displayed so as to surround "1. Navigation."

[0059] After the presentation screen 200 is displayed on the display unit 11, the ECU 18 determines whether or not an operation of the commander switch 12 by the driver has been detected, as shown in FIG. 4 (step S102). If the ECU 18 has not detected the operation of the commander switch 12 (step S102: No), the ECU 18 waits for the process to finish until the ECU 18 detects the operation of the commander switch 12.

[0060] On the other hand, if the ECU 18 detects an operation of the commander switch 12 (step S102: Yes), the ECU 18 determines whether the detected driver operation is a rotation operation of the commander switch 12 (step S103).

[0061] If the detected driver operation is not a rotation operation of the commander switch 12 but a pressing operation of the commander switch 12 (step S103: No), the ECU 18 determines that it has received a confirmation operation by the driver to confirm the selection item surrounded by the cursor C. For example, if the menu screen of FIG. 5(a) is displayed on the display unit 11 as the presentation screen 200, the ECU 18 determines in step S104 that "1. Navigation" surrounded by the cursor C has been selected by the driver.

[0062] If this determination is made, the ECU 18 executes a decision process to change to a response screen corresponding to the selected item as a response process to the pressing operation, that is, the decision operation (step S104).

[0063] For example, in the determination process of step S104, the ECU 18 changes the above-mentioned menu screen as the presentation screen 200 to a navigation screen as the response screen, and displays the navigation screen on the display unit 11. Although not shown in the figure, the navigation screen is different from the above-mentioned menu screen and is a new presentation screen that presents selection items related to navigation to the driver.

[0064] Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 4, the ECU 18 repeatedly performs the processes from step S101 to step S105, which will be described later, until the power supply from the battery is cut off, for example by turning off the power (ignition) switch of the vehicle. On the other hand, in the above-mentioned step S103, if the detected driver operation is a rotation operation of the commander switch 12 (step S103: Yes), the ECU 18 determines that it has received the driver's selection operation to change the currently selected item on the presentation screen 200, and starts a selection process to change the current position of the cursor C to a position corresponding to the rotation operation by the driver as a response process to the rotation operation (step S105).

[0065] As shown in FIG. 6(a), the ECU 18 determines that the rotational operation of the commander switch 12 has been detected when the rotational angle θ of the commander switch 12 detected by the rotational displacement sensor 12c reaches a reaction force generation angle θ1 that generates an operation reaction force that can be perceived by the driver.

[0066] As shown in FIG. 7, the ECU 18, which has started the selection process, determines the time when the rotation angle θ of the commander switch 12 reaches the reaction force generation angle θ1 as the acceptance time t1 (see FIG. 6(a)) at which the rotation operation of the commander switch 12 is accepted, and sets the response waiting time Tr from the acceptance time t1 to "0 ms" (step S111).

[0067] As shown in FIG. 6(b), the response waiting time Tr is the length of time that does not include response delays associated with various information processing, and is the length of time from the reception time t1 to the movement start time t2 at which the cursor C on the presentation screen 200 starts moving.

[0068] When the response waiting time Tr is set to "0 ms", the ECU 18 starts measuring the elapsed time from the reception time t1 (step S112), and then acquires the current vehicle speed calculated in cooperation with the vehicle speed sensor 14 (step S113). Then, the ECU 18 determines whether the current vehicle speed is in the low speed range (step S114).

[0069] In this embodiment, for example, the upper limit of the low speed range is set to 30 km / h, and the ECU 18 determines whether the current vehicle speed is equal to or lower than the upper limit of the low speed range (30 km / h) (step S114). If the current vehicle speed is equal to or lower than 30 km / h (step S114: Yes), the ECU 18 sets the response waiting time Tr to 0.1 sec based on the reverse phase relationship 40 shown in the graph of FIG. 3 (step S115).

[0070] After setting the response waiting time Tr corresponding to the low speed range, the ECU 18 determines whether the elapsed time measured at step S112 is equal to or longer than the response waiting time Tr (step S116), as shown in FIG.

[0071] If the elapsed time is less than the response waiting time Tr (step S116: No), the ECU 18 waits for the processing to finish until the elapsed time becomes equal to or greater than the response waiting time Tr. On the other hand, if the elapsed time is equal to or greater than the response waiting time Tr (step S116: Yes), the ECU 18 starts displaying the response screen 201 in response to the rotation operation of the commander switch 12 by the driver (step S117).

[0072] This response screen 201 is a screen in which the cursor C indicating the currently selected item on the presentation screen 200 has been moved to another selected item. For example, the response screen 201 will be explained using a menu screen, which is an example of the presentation screen 200 shown in Figure 5(a), as shown in Figure 5(b), where the cursor C surrounding "1. Navigation" on the presentation screen 200 has moved to a position surrounding "3. Air Conditioner." That is, in step S118 described above, starting to display the response screen 201 means that the cursor C on the presentation screen 200 starts to move.

[0073] When the display of the response screen 201 is completed in step S117, the ECU 18 ends the selection process, and then returns the process to step S102 in FIG. 3, and repeats the processes of steps S102 to S105 until the supply of power is interrupted.

[0074] On the other hand, in step S114, if the current vehicle speed is higher than 30 km / h (step S114: No), the ECU 18 determines whether the current vehicle speed is in the high speed range (step S118).

[0075] In this embodiment, the lower limit of the high-speed range of the vehicle speed is set to 80 km / h as an example, and the ECU 18 determines whether the current vehicle speed acquired in step S113 is equal to or greater than the lower limit of the high-speed range (80 km / h) (step S118). If the current vehicle speed is equal to or greater than 80 km / h (step S118: Yes), the ECU 18 sets the response waiting time Tr to 0.05 seconds based on the reverse phase relationship 40 shown in the graph of FIG. 3 (step S119). When the response waiting time Tr is set to 0.05 seconds, the ECU 18 performs the processes from step S116 onwards as in the case where the response waiting time Tr is 0.1 seconds, and then ends the selection process.

[0076] Furthermore, if the current vehicle speed exceeds 30 km / h (step S114: No) and is lower than 80 km / h (step S118: No), the ECU 18 determines that the current vehicle speed is in the medium speed range. If the current vehicle speed is in the medium speed range (step S118: No), the ECU 18 sets the response waiting time Tr to a value corresponding to the current vehicle speed when traveling in the medium speed range, based on the linear waveform L in the inverse phase relationship 40 shown in the graph of FIG. 3 and the current vehicle speed (step S120). Specifically, when the current vehicle speed is 50 km / h, which is in the medium speed range, the ECU 18 sets the response waiting time Tr based on the function represented by the waveform L so that Tr=0.1-(50-30)×0.001=0.08 sec. When the response waiting time Tr is set to a value corresponding to the vehicle speed, the ECU 18 performs the processes from step S116 onwards as described above, in the same way as when the response waiting time Tr is 0.1 seconds, and then ends the selection process.

[0077] When the selection process is completed, the ECU 18 repeatedly performs the processes from step S102 to step S105 as described above until the power supply from the battery is cut off, for example by turning off the vehicle's power (ignition) switch.

[0078] In this way, the driver interface device 10 of the vehicle 1 controls the response waiting time Tr until the response screen 201 is displayed in response to operation of the commander switch 12, which serves as a secondary operation system operating unit for operating on-board equipment that is not directly related to driving operations, so that the response waiting time Tr becomes shorter as the vehicle speed increases, thereby directing the driver's attention to driving operations while operating the commander switch 12.

[0079] Incidentally, when a vehicle is traveling in a city or on a highway, the driver often drives while maintaining a distance D from the vehicle ahead 1F as shown in Figures 1(a) and 1(b). If a deviation occurs in the distance D while traveling, the driver drives while correcting the deviation in the distance D by adjusting the main operation system operating unit such as the accelerator pedal 13.

[0080] However, when a driver is driving, their attention may be drawn to operating the secondary operation system components such as the audio, navigation system, and air conditioning, which may unconsciously interfere with their ability to operate the main operation system components, i.e., their concentration on driving. In such a state, deviations in the inter-vehicle distance D are likely to occur, and if the driver tries to correct this deviation, the accelerator jerk (hereinafter referred to as accelerator jerk), which is the rate of change in acceleration of the accelerator operation, may increase, causing disruptions in the operation of the main operation system components, which may have a negative impact on vehicle behavior.

[0081] After conducting various experiments and verification, the applicant has found that there is a significant relationship between irregular accelerator operation to maintain the distance D from the vehicle in front 1F and the timing to switch the display on the display unit 11 after operating the commander switch 12.

[0082] Specifically, the applicant has experimentally found that the screen display delay time (i.e., response waiting time Tr) when the commander switch 12 is operated has a negative impact on the driver's level of concentration on driving (hereinafter also referred to simply as "level of concentration") and the level of discomfort the driver feels about the timing of the screen response (hereinafter also referred to simply as "level of discomfort").Furthermore, the applicant has experimentally found that the optimum value of the screen display delay time that can suppress such adverse effects changes depending on the vehicle speed.The applicant then utilized this finding to attempt to eliminate deviations from the optimum value of the screen display delay time that unconsciously hinder the driver's concentration on driving.

[0083] Fig. 8 is a box plot showing one of the experimental results from which the above-mentioned experimental findings were obtained, with Fig. 8(a), (b), and (c) showing the relationship between the concentration level and the response waiting time Tr, and Fig. 8(d), (e), and (f) showing the relationship between the discomfort level and the response waiting time Tr. Fig. 8(a) and (d) show the case where the vehicle speed band is 30 km / h, Fig. 8(b) and (e) show the case where the vehicle speed band is 50 km / h, and Fig. 8(c) and (f) show the case where the vehicle speed band is 80 km / h.

[0084] In this experiment, the driver drives vehicle 1 while maintaining a distance D from the vehicle 1F ahead at three constant vehicle speeds of 30 km / h (low vehicle speed range), 50 km / h (medium vehicle speed range), and 80 km / h (high vehicle speed range), respectively, in a city, suburban, and highway environment. During this time, as described above, the driver operates commander switch 12 to move cursor C from "1. Navigation" to "3. Air Conditioning" on the menu screen displayed on the display unit. The degree of concentration and the degree of discomfort were verified according to the response waiting time Tr from when the driver operates commander switch 12 until cursor C starts to move. Note that the number of samples required to obtain experimental results is taken at a statistically valid level.

[0085] As shown in Fig. 8(a), in the low vehicle speed range of 30 km / h, the degree of concentration was higher when the response waiting time Tr was 0.05 sec, 0.1 sec, and 0.15 sec compared to when it was 0 sec, 0.2 sec, and 0.25 sec (see area Ra in Fig. 8(a)).

[0086] Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 8(d), in the low vehicle speed range of 30 km / h, the degree of discomfort was lower when the response waiting time Tr was 0 sec, 0.05 sec, and 0.1 sec compared to when it was 0.15 sec, 0.2 sec, and 0.25 sec (see region Rd in Fig. 8(d)). Among these, the degree of discomfort was lowest when the response waiting time Tr was 0.1 sec (see region Rd in Fig. 8(d)). Therefore, based on the experimental results shown in FIGS. 8(a) and 8(d), in the driver interface device 10 of this embodiment, the response waiting time Tr is set to 0.1 sec so that the adverse effects on the operation of the main operation system operating unit are reduced when the vehicle speed is 30 km / h.

[0087] As shown in Fig. 8(b), in the medium vehicle speed range of 50 km / h, the degree of concentration was higher when the response waiting time Tr was 0.05 sec and 0.1 sec compared to when it was 0 sec, 0.15 sec, 0.2 sec, and 0.25 sec (see region Rb in Fig. 8(b)).

[0088] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8(e), the degree of discomfort was lower when the response waiting time Tr was 0.05 sec and 0.1 sec compared to when it was 0 sec, 0.15 sec, 0.2 sec, and 0.25 sec (see area Re in Figure 8(e)).

[0089] Therefore, based on the experimental results shown in FIGS. 8(b) and 8(e), in the driver interface device 10 of this embodiment, the response waiting time Tr is set to 0.08 seconds so that the adverse effects on the operation of the main operation system operating unit are reduced when the vehicle speed is 50 km / h.

[0090] As shown in Fig. 8(c), in the high vehicle speed range of 80 km / h, the degree of concentration was higher when the response waiting time Tr was 0.05 sec and 0.1 sec compared to when it was 0 sec, 0.15 sec, 0.2 sec, and 0.25 sec (see region Rc in Fig. 8(c)).

[0091] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8(f), the degree of discomfort was lower when the response waiting time Tr was 0 sec and 0.05 sec compared to when it was 0.1 sec, 0.15 sec, 0.2 sec, and 0.25 sec (see region Rf in Figure 8(f)).

[0092] Therefore, based on the experimental results shown in Figures 8(c) and 8(f), in the driver interface device 10 of this embodiment, the response waiting time Tr is set to 0.05 seconds so that the adverse effects on the operation of the main operation system operating unit are reduced when the vehicle speed is 80 km / h.

[0093] Furthermore, area Ra in Fig. 8(a), area Rb in Fig. 8(b), and area Rc in Fig. 8(c) move to the left side of the paper in this order in Fig. 8. Furthermore, area Rd in Fig. 8(d), area Re in Fig. 8(e), and area Rf in Fig. 8(f) move to the left side of the paper in this order in Fig. 8. From these, it can be seen that the preferable response waiting time Tr that can suppress a decrease in concentration on the main operation system becomes shorter as the vehicle speed increases.

[0094] By utilizing the above-described experimental results, the driver interface device 10 of this embodiment controls the response waiting time Tr to be shorter as the vehicle speed increases, thereby allowing the driver to concentrate on operating the main operation system operating unit.

[0095] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 8(c), the degree of concentration is higher when the response waiting time Tr is 0.05 seconds compared to when it is 0 seconds, which clearly shows that shortening the response waiting time Tr at a vehicle speed of 80 km / h does not necessarily result in better results.

[0096] This is because, in general, drivers unconsciously take into account response delays due to various information processing based on their past experience of operating an operation input unit when operating the device. Therefore, if the actual response time for cursor C to start moving in response to an operation is too short compared to the predicted response time, the driver will lose the sense of actually operating the device himself, meaning that he will not be able to get a sense of agency over the movement, which is thought to be why he will feel uncomfortable operating the device.

[0097] Therefore, in the driver interface device 10 of this embodiment, as described above, the response waiting time Tr is set to 0.05 seconds instead of 0 seconds when the vehicle speed is 80 km / h.

[0098] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 8(d), the degree of discomfort is lower when the response waiting time Tr is 0.1 seconds compared to when it is 0.15 seconds, which is clear from the fact that extending the response waiting time Tr at a vehicle speed of 30 km / h does not necessarily result in a good outcome.

[0099] This is presumably because if the response waiting time Tr is set too long, the user's attention is drawn too much to the operation of the sub-operation system operation unit, and the user ends up neglecting the operation of the main operation system operation unit.

[0100] Therefore, in the driver interface device 10 of this embodiment, as described above, the response waiting time Tr is set to 0.1 seconds when the vehicle speed is 30 km / h, rather than 0.15 seconds or more.

[0101] As described above, the driver interface device 10 of the vehicle 1 in this embodiment is provided with a main operation system operation reception unit (accelerator pedal 13) that increases or decreases the vehicle speed by the driver's depression operation of the vehicle 1, and a vehicle speed detection unit (vehicle speed sensor 14) that detects the vehicle speed, and is also provided with a display unit 11 that displays a presentation screen 200 to be presented to the driver, and a screen operation reception unit (commander switch 12 and ECU 18) that receives manual operations by the driver on the presentation screen 200 displayed on the display unit 11.

[0102] Furthermore, the driver interface device 10 of the vehicle 1 is equipped with a display control means (ECU 18) that changes the presentation screen 200 displayed on the display unit 11 to a response screen 201 corresponding to the driver's operation when a predetermined response waiting time Tr has elapsed since the commander switch 12 received a manual operation from the driver. The display control means sets the response waiting time Tr to be shorter as the vehicle speed increases, so that the relationship between the increase in vehicle speed and the response waiting time is inverse (the relationship shown in the graph of FIG. 3). According to this configuration, the driver who is operating the commander switch 12 for operating the in-vehicle devices can concentrate on operating the accelerator pedal 13 or other main operation system operation reception section.

[0103] More specifically, when the driver operates the commander switch 12, if the driver feels uncomfortable with the screen response of the display unit 11 in response to the operation of the commander switch 12, the driver's concentration on driving operations will be unconsciously impaired.

[0104] The applicant has conducted various experiments and verified that the response waiting time Tr that a driver feels is optimal varies depending on the vehicle speed, and more specifically, the higher the vehicle speed, the shorter the response waiting time Tr tends to be, while the lower the vehicle speed, the longer the response waiting time Tr tends to be.

[0105] Therefore, by shortening the response waiting time Tr as the vehicle speed increases, the display control means can prevent the driver from feeling uncomfortable about the timing at which the response screen 201 is displayed in response to the operation of the commander switch 12. In other words, by delaying the response waiting time Tr as the vehicle speed decreases, the display control means can prevent the driver from feeling uncomfortable about the timing at which the response screen 201 is displayed in response to the operation of the commander switch 12. This allows the driver to focus on driving the vehicle 1 regardless of the vehicle speed.

[0106] Therefore, even when the driver is driving while operating the commander switch 12, the driver can be given a margin to ensure, for example, the distance D between the vehicles, and therefore, disturbances in the driver's driving operation, such as flapping of the accelerator pedal 13 while operating the commander switch 12, can be suppressed, and vehicle behavior can be stabilized.

[0107] Furthermore, the correlation data indicates a correlation in which the response waiting time Tr gradually shortens as the vehicle speed increases within a predetermined medium speed range, and the display control means is configured to set the response waiting time Tr to a value in the inverse phase relationship where the vehicle speed corresponds to the lower limit value of the medium speed range when the vehicle speed is in a low speed range lower than the medium speed range. According to this configuration, the response waiting time Tr can be set to a level that will not cause the driver to feel uncomfortable due to excessive delay.

[0108] In detail, as mentioned above, experimental findings have been obtained that the response waiting time Tr during which the driver can concentrate on operating the main operating system tends to be longer as the vehicle speed is lower, but at the same time, experimental findings have also been obtained that this does not necessarily apply when the response waiting time Tr is delayed more than necessary in the low vehicle speed range.

[0109] Therefore, when the vehicle speed is in the low speed range, the response waiting time Tr is uniformly set to a value (0.1 sec) in the reverse phase relationship where the vehicle speed corresponds to the lower limit value of the medium speed range, thereby allowing the driver to concentrate on driving when the vehicle 1 is traveling in the low speed range.

[0110] Furthermore, the correlation data indicates a correlation in which the response waiting time Tr gradually shortens as the vehicle speed increases within a predetermined medium speed range, and the display control means is configured to set the response waiting time Tr to a value (0.05 sec) in the inverse phase relationship where the vehicle speed corresponds to the upper limit value of the medium speed range when the vehicle speed is in a high speed range higher than the medium speed range. According to this configuration, the response waiting time Tr can be set to a level that does not cause the driver to feel uncomfortable if it is shortened too much.

[0111] Specifically, as mentioned above, experimental findings have been obtained that the response waiting time Tr during which the driver can concentrate on operating the main operating system tends to be shorter as the vehicle speed increases, but at the same time, experimental findings have also been obtained that this does not necessarily apply if the response waiting time Tr is shortened more than necessary in the high vehicle speed range.

[0112] Therefore, when the vehicle speed is in the high-speed range, the response waiting time Tr is uniformly set to a value corresponding to the upper limit value of the medium-speed range in the reverse phase relationship, so that the driver can concentrate on driving when the vehicle 1 is traveling in the high-speed range.

[0113] In correspondence between the configuration of this invention and the above-mentioned embodiment, The screen operation receiving unit of the present invention corresponds to the commander switch 12 of the embodiment, Similarly, The vehicle speed calculation means corresponds to the vehicle speed sensor 14 and the ECU 18. The display control means corresponds to the ECU 18, The inverse phase relationship between the increase in vehicle speed and the response waiting time corresponds to the inverse phase relationship 40 shown in the graph of FIG. The mid-speed range corresponds to the range above 30km / h and below 80km / h. The low speed range corresponds to 30km / h or less, The high speed range corresponds to 80km / h or more, The present invention is not limited to the configurations of the above-described embodiments, and many other embodiments can be obtained.

[0114] For example, in the above embodiment, the display unit 11 is provided on the instrument panel 2, but the present invention is not limited to this and may be provided on a meter panel, for example. Furthermore, the rotary commander switch 12 has been used as the screen operation reception unit that receives the driver's operation on the presentation screen 200 in the above description, but the present invention is not limited to this and may be a screen operation reception unit of any suitable configuration. For example, the screen operation reception unit may be a joystick type, a touchpad type, or a button type.

[0115] Alternatively, the screen operation receiving unit that receives the driver's operation on the presentation screen 200 may be a left operation switch 6a or a right operation switch 6b provided on the steering wheel 6.

[0116] Furthermore, while the operation screen for in-vehicle equipment or the menu screen for transitioning to the vehicle information screen have been given as examples of the presentation screen 200, the present invention is not limited to this, and the presentation screen 200 may be any appropriate screen, such as an operation screen for in-vehicle equipment such as the audio unit 16, navigation unit 15, and air conditioning unit 17, or a vehicle information screen that displays various information about the vehicle 1.

[0117] For example, in step S104 shown in FIG. 4, the ECU 18 displays a navigation screen as a response screen as a new presentation screen on the display unit 11 after receiving a decision operation by the driver using the commander switch 12. However, the response waiting time Tr may be controlled so as to become shorter as the current vehicle speed is higher, based on the inverse phase relationship 40 shown in the graph of FIG. 3, as in the case of the selection processing of step S105 described above.

[0118] Furthermore, the screen on which the cursor C on the presentation screen 200 is moved to another selection item is referred to as the response screen 201, but this is not limitative, and a screen different from the presentation screen 200 may be used as the response screen.

[0119] Furthermore, the configuration is such that the selection process is started when the driver's rotation operation of the commander switch 12 is received, but this is not limited to this, and the configuration may be such that the selection process is started when the driver's tilt operation of the commander switch 12 is received.

[0120] Furthermore, although the selected items on the presentation screen 200 are changed by rotating the commander switch 12, this is not limiting, and for example, the presentation screen may be enlarged or reduced by rotating the commander switch 12. In this case, the same processes as those from step S111 to step S118 in Fig. 6 are performed, and a response screen obtained by enlarging or reducing the presentation screen is displayed on the display unit 11.

[0121] Although not mentioned in the embodiment, the cursor C surrounding "1. Navigation" is moved to a position surrounding "3. Air Conditioner" on the menu screen by rotating the commander switch 12, but in this case, the cursor C may be moved in stages by rotating the commander switch 12 in two stages, for example, by first moving it to a position surrounding "2. Audio" by the driver's rotation of the commander switch 12, and then by further rotating it to a position surrounding "3. Air Conditioner."

[0122] In this case, ECU 18 can move cursor C from "1. Navigation" to "2. Audio" when the response waiting time Tr has elapsed since the first rotation operation, and can further move cursor C from "2. Audio" to "3. Air Conditioning" when the response waiting time Tr has elapsed since the second rotation operation.

[0123] Furthermore, in step S111 of FIG. 7, the response waiting time Tr is set to 0 ms, but this is not limitative, and the response waiting time Tr may be any appropriate length of time as long as it is 0 ms or more. Also, as shown in FIG. 7, in step S114, the vehicle speed in the low speed range is set to a speed range of 30 km / h or less, and in step S118, the vehicle speed in the high speed range is set to a speed range of 80 km / h or more, and the vehicle speed in the medium speed range is set to a speed range above 0 km / h and below 80 km / h, but this is not limited to this and each may be set to a different speed range.

[0124] Also, as shown in FIG. 7, in step S115, the response waiting time Tr is set to 0.1 sec, in step S119, the response waiting time Tr is set to 0.05 sec, and in step S120, the response waiting time Tr is set to 0.08 sec, but other values may also be used.

[0125] For example, when the vehicle speed Vm is in the medium speed range, the inverse phase relationship 40 showing the relationship between the response waiting time Tr and the vehicle speed Vm is not limited to a proportional relationship such as the waveform L shown in the graph of FIG. 3, but may be, for example, a proportional relationship showing another waveform, a relationship in which the response waiting time Tr shows a constant value regardless of changes in the vehicle speed Vm in the medium speed range, or a relationship in which the response waiting time Tr increases quadratically.

[0126] The display control means may be configured to set the response waiting time Tr in stages according to the vehicle speed in a predetermined medium speed range, a high speed range higher than the medium speed range, or a low speed range lower than the medium speed range. For example, when the vehicle speed is in the medium speed range above 0 km / h and below 80 km / h, the response waiting time Tr may be set to 0.08 seconds.

[0127] In this case, the display control means can be set to have the response waiting time Tr shortened in the order of high speed range, medium speed range, and low speed range, thereby enabling simple control. This shortens the response delay due to information processing associated with control by the display control means, which begins after receiving a manual operation by the driver using the commander switch 12, and improves the accuracy of control by the display control means.

[0128] Furthermore, the information regarding the reverse phase relationship 40 shown in the graph of Figure 3 is not limited to information stored in the memory unit as map data, as described above, but may also be information written into a program that executes processing operations in response to the operation of the commander switch 12.

[0129] 6 is a processing operation of the ECU 18, the selection process is not limited to this, and may be a processing operation performed by the navigation main body of the navigation unit 15 or the audio main body of the audio unit 16, for example. [Explanation of symbols]

[0130] 1...Vehicle 10...Driver interface device 11...Display section 12...Commander switch 12c...Rotational displacement sensor 14...Vehicle speed sensor 18...ECU 200…Presentation screen 201...Response screen Tr...Response waiting time 40...The reverse phase relationship shown in the graph in Figure 3

Claims

1. a display unit that displays a presentation screen to be presented to the driver; a screen operation receiving unit that receives a manual operation by the driver on the presentation screen displayed on the display unit, a vehicle speed calculation means for calculating a vehicle speed; a display control means for changing the presentation screen displayed on the display unit to a response screen corresponding to the operation of the driver when a predetermined response waiting time has elapsed since the screen operation acceptance unit accepted the manual operation of the driver, The display control means The response waiting time is set to be shorter as the vehicle speed increases, so that the relationship between the increase in vehicle speed and the response waiting time is inverse. A driver interface device for a vehicle.

2. the reverse phase relationship indicates a relationship in which the response waiting time gradually shortens as the vehicle speed increases in a predetermined medium speed range, When the vehicle speed is in a low speed range indicating a speed range lower than the medium speed range, the display control means sets the response waiting time to a value in the reverse phase relationship where the vehicle speed corresponds to a lower limit value of the medium speed range.

10. The vehicle driver interface device according to claim 1.

3. the reverse phase relationship indicates a relationship in which the response waiting time gradually shortens as the vehicle speed increases in a predetermined medium speed range, When the vehicle speed is in a high speed range indicating a speed range higher than the medium speed range, the display control means sets the response waiting time to a value in the reverse phase relationship in which the vehicle speed corresponds to an upper limit value of the medium speed range.

3. The driver interface device of a vehicle according to claim 1 or 2.

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