Vehicle image projection system

Abstract

To provide a vehicle image projection system which can inhibit overlooking a notification.SOLUTION: A vehicle image projection system 1 generally comprises: a sight line detection unit 3 which detects a sight line 93 of an occupant 9; a projector 4 which projects a projection image 46 to a projectable area 45 in a vehicle 8; and a control unit 5 which projects the projection image 46 for guiding the detected sight line 93 of the occupant 9 to a guide area 10 onto a projection area 450 in the projectable area 45 including the sight line 93 of the occupant 9.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle image projection system. [Background technology]

[0002] As a conventional technique, an image display device is known that includes a projection means for projecting an image related to image data, a location determination means for determining a location within a vehicle where the image is to be projected, and a control means for causing the projection means to project the image onto the location determined by the location determination means (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] This image display device can display captured images of the vehicle's surroundings at a location desired by the driver, without the need to install an additional monitor. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-248918 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In recent vehicles, notifications from automatic driving functions, driving assistance functions, etc. are displayed on a main monitor or a sub-monitor. Conventional image display devices display captured images of the vehicle's surroundings in a location desired by the driver, but do not display notifications, so they cannot prevent the driver from overlooking the notifications.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle image projection system that can reduce the risk of overlooking notifications. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One aspect of the present invention provides a vehicle image projection system that includes a gaze detection unit that detects the gaze of an occupant, a projection unit that projects a projection image onto a projection area within the vehicle, and a control unit that projects the projection image that guides the detected gaze of the occupant to a guidance area onto a projection area within the projection area that includes the occupant's gaze. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent notifications from being overlooked. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1(a) is a diagram showing an example of the layout of the vehicle image projection system according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 1(b) is a diagram for explaining an example of a projectable area. [Figure 2] FIG. 2(a) is a diagram showing an example of a handle portion of the vehicle image projection system according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 2(b) is an example of a block diagram of the vehicle image projection system. [Figure 3] Figures 3(a) and 3(b) are diagrams for explaining an example of the relationship between the line of sight and the field of view area in the first embodiment, and Figure 3(c) is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the line of sight and the field of view area in a vehicle. [Figure 4] 4(a) and 4(b) are diagrams for explaining an example of line-of-sight guidance by the vehicle image projection system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] 5(a) and 5(b) are diagrams for explaining an example of line-of-sight guidance by the vehicle image projection system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining an example of setting of a visual field area and a guidance area according to a modified example. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the vehicle image projection system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an example of a block diagram of a vehicle image projection system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 9]FIG. 9(a) is a diagram showing an example of a vehicle equipped with a vehicle image projection system according to the third embodiment, viewed from above, and FIG. 9(b) is an example of a block diagram of the vehicle image projection system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] (Summary of the embodiment) The vehicle image projection system according to the embodiment is generally configured to include a gaze detection unit that detects the gaze of an occupant, a projection unit that projects a projection image onto a projection area within the vehicle, and a control unit that projects the projection image that guides the detected gaze of the occupant to a guidance area onto a projection area within the projection area that includes the occupant's gaze.

[0011] This vehicle image projection system projects the image into a projection area that includes the occupant's line of sight, making it less likely that notifications from autonomous driving functions, driving assistance functions, etc. will be overlooked compared to when this configuration is not adopted.

[0012] [First embodiment] (Overview of Vehicle Image Projection System 1) FIG. 1(a) is a diagram showing an example of the layout of a vehicle image projection system according to a first embodiment, and FIG. 1(b) is a diagram illustrating an example of a projectable area. FIG. 2(a) is a diagram showing an example of a handle portion of a vehicle image projection system according to a first embodiment, and FIG. 2(b) is an example of a block diagram of a vehicle image projection system. FIG. 3(a) and FIG. 3(b) are diagrams illustrating an example of the relationship between the line of sight and the visual field area according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 3(c) is a diagram illustrating an example of the relationship between the line of sight and the visual field area in a vehicle. Note that in each diagram according to the embodiments described below, the ratios and shapes between figures may differ from the actual ratios and shapes. Also, in FIG. 2(b), FIG. 8, and FIG. 9(b), arrows indicate the flow of main signals and information. Furthermore, "A to B" indicating a numerical range is used to mean A or more and B or less.

[0013] As shown in FIGS. 1(a) to 3(c), the vehicle image projection system 1 is generally configured to include a line-of-sight detection unit 3 that detects the line of sight 93 of the occupant 9, a projector 4 as a projection unit that projects a projection image 46 onto a projectable area 45 within the vehicle 8, and a control unit 5 that projects the projection image 46, which guides the detected line of sight 93 of the occupant 9 to the guidance area 10, onto a projection area 450 within the projectable area 45 that includes the line of sight 93 of the occupant 9. This projection area 450 is determined, for example, based on the detected line of sight 93 of the occupant 9. However, there is a possibility that the line of sight 93 of the occupant 9 may fluctuate during the short time between the detection of the line of sight 93 and the setting of the projection area 450. Therefore, the projection area 450 is set in consideration of the time lag between the detection and the setting so that the line of sight 93 of the occupant 9 is included in the projection area 450 even if it fluctuates. Therefore, the occupant 9 can view the projection image 46 even if the line of sight 93 fluctuates between the detection and the setting.

[0014] (Configuration of gaze detection unit 3) 2(b), the line-of-sight detection unit 3 is electrically connected to the imaging unit 2 and the control unit 5. The imaging unit 2 is disposed in a position where it can capture an image of at least the head 90 of the occupant 9. As an example, the imaging unit 2 is disposed on the ceiling 89 of the vehicle 8 as shown in FIG. 1(a), but is not limited to this, and may be disposed on the steering column 88 of the steering wheel 87 or on a panel 874a in front of the occupant 9 seated in the driver's seat 80.

[0015] The imaging unit 2 includes an imaging element such as a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) or a CCD (Charge Coupled Device), etc. The imaging unit 2 outputs information about the captured image to the gaze detection unit 3 as image information S1.

[0016] The gaze detection unit 3 detects the gaze 93 of the occupant 9 based on the image information S1. The gaze 93 is detected by, for example, image processing using a Purkinje image, but is not limited to this and may be detected by other methods. The gaze detection unit 3 detects the gaze 93 by, for example, using artificial intelligence (AI) technology as image processing.

[0017] The gaze detection unit 3 outputs information relating to the detected gaze 93 to the control unit 5 as gaze information S2.

[0018] (Projector 4 configuration) As an example, as shown in FIG. 1(a), the projector 4 is disposed on the ceiling 89 of the vehicle 8, but is not limited to this and may be located anywhere as long as it is able to project the projection image 46 onto the projection area 45. As an example, as shown in FIG. 1(b), the projection area 45 is, but is not limited to, the ceiling 89, a door trim 871 of a right door 870, a door trim 873 of a left door 872, an instrument panel 874, a right front pillar 875, a left front pillar 876, and a windshield 877. In this embodiment, a configuration for projecting onto the instrument panel 874 will be described. First, an overview of the projector 4 will be described below.

[0019] The projector 4 includes a pattern portion 42 having a pattern to be projected, and a light source portion 40 that irradiates the pattern with projection light. The projector 4 changes the projected image 46 formed in the projection area 450 by switching the area of ​​the pattern onto which the projection light is irradiated, or by changing the angle of the in-plane direction of the pattern. The pattern portion 42 of the present embodiment has, as an example, patterns 42a to 42f as shown in FIG. 2(c), but is not limited to this.

[0020] Note that changing the angle of the pattern in the in-plane direction means rotating or moving the pattern. When changing the angle of the pattern in the in-plane direction, the projector 4 has a mechanism for driving the pattern portion 42.

[0021] The light source unit 40 has a plurality of light sources, each of which is made up of at least one light-emitting element. The control unit 5 independently changes the light emission states of the plurality of light sources included in the light source unit 40, thereby switching the pattern area onto which the projection light is irradiated.

[0022] 2(b), the pattern regions in this embodiment are, for example, a first region 421 in which pattern 42a is formed, a second region 422 in which pattern 42b is formed, and a third region 423 in which pattern 42c is formed. If pattern portion 42 has a continuous pattern, for example, the projected image 46 can be changed by changing the region onto which the projection light is irradiated. In pattern portion 42 of this embodiment, a pattern is provided in each of first region 421 to third region 423.

[0023] Although the light source in this embodiment is configured with one light emitting element, it is not limited to this and may be configured to project one pattern using multiple light emitting elements, and these multiple light emitting elements may be configured to turn on and off independently.

[0024] The projector 4 has a projection lens unit 43 having a projection lens that enlarges the pattern in the area irradiated with the projection light and projects it onto the projection area 450 to form the projection image 46. The projection lens unit 43 projects a plurality of projection images 46 onto the plurality of projection areas 450. The control unit 5 then switches the projection images 46 by continuously controlling the on / off of the light source, and projects a dynamic projection image 46 onto the projection area 450. In other words, the control unit 5 displays the dynamic projection image 46, i.e., an animation of the projection image 46, so as to guide the line of sight 93 to the guidance area 10.

[0025] Furthermore, the projector 4 has a condenser lens unit 41, as shown in FIG. 2(c), for example.

[0026] The light source unit 40 has a light emitting element 40a that outputs projection light 401 for projecting pattern 42a, a light emitting element 40b that outputs projection light 402 for projecting pattern 42b, a light emitting element 40c that outputs projection light 403 for projecting pattern 42c, a light emitting element 40d that outputs projection light 404 for projecting pattern 42d, a light emitting element 40e that outputs projection light 405 for projecting pattern 42e, and a light emitting element 40f that outputs projection light 406 for projecting pattern 42f. These light emitting elements 40a to 40f are arranged in a straight line at equal intervals on the substrate 400.

[0027] As an example, the light emitting elements 40a to 40f are LED (Light Emission Diode) elements that output white projection light 401 to 406, but are not limited to this and may be LD (Laser Diode) elements, etc. Furthermore, as an example, the light emitting elements 40a to 40f output projection light 401 to 406 of the same color, but are not limited to this and at least one of them may output projection light of a different color.

[0028] The condenser lens section 41 has a condenser lens 41a that condenses projection light 401, a condenser lens 41b that condenses projection light 402, a condenser lens 41c that condenses projection light 403, a condenser lens 41d that condenses projection light 404, a condenser lens 41e that condenses projection light 405, and a condenser lens 41f that condenses projection light 406. In the condenser lens section 41, the condenser lenses 41a to 41f are integrally formed, but this is not limitative and they may be formed separately.

[0029] The pattern portion 42 has, for example, a transparent substrate 420 on which patterns 42a to 42f are formed. Patterns 42a to 42f are formed by light-transmitting regions that transmit light and light-shielding regions that block light. For example, the light-transmitting regions and light-shielding regions are formed on a surface 420a of the transparent substrate 420, as shown in FIG. 2(b). The surface 420a of the transparent substrate 420 faces the projection lens portion 43, and the back surface 420b faces the condenser lens portion 41.

[0030] 2(b), the surface 420a of the transparent substrate 420 is divided into a first region 421, a second region 422, a third region 423, a fourth region 424, a fifth region 425, and a sixth region 426. Note that the patterns 42a to 42f are formed by dividing one transparent substrate 420 into six regions, but this is not limiting, and a transparent substrate may be prepared for each pattern.

[0031] Patterns 42a to 42c are formed as arrows with their tips pointing left on the paper surface of Fig. 2(b). These patterns 42a to 42c are projected by projection light 401 irradiated from the rear surface 420b of transparent substrate 420. Therefore, when patterns 42a to 42c are projected, they are inverted and projected as projection image 46 with the tips of the arrows pointing from left to right. Note that the patterns are not limited to figures, and may be letters or a combination of figures and letters.

[0032] The patterns 42a to 42c are used to guide the occupant 9 seated in the driver's seat 80 to the guidance area 10 on the right side as viewed from the driver's seat 80. The patterns 42a to 42c are projected onto different projection areas 450, for example.

[0033] In this embodiment, as an example, the line of sight 93 is guided to a notification 96 related to the blind spot monitor using the right outer mirror 83a and the left outer mirror 83b. Therefore, the right guidance area 10 is an area set based on the right outer mirror 83a for which the notification 96 is provided. The left guidance area 10 is an area set based on the left outer mirror 83b for which the notification 96 is provided.

[0034] The vehicle image projection system 1 of the present embodiment is configured, as an example, to guide the line of sight 93 to a notification 96 related to a blind spot monitor, but is not limited to this and may be configured to guide the line of sight 93 to another notification 96. The vehicle control device 7, as an example, issues a notification 96 related to an occurred malfunction, a notification 96 related to a driving assistance function, a notification 96 related to an autonomous driving function, etc.

[0035] As an example, the pattern 42a to the pattern 42c are projected in a projection area 450 close to the occupant 9, the pattern 42c is projected in a projection area 450 close to the guidance area 10, and the pattern 42b is projected in an intermediate projection area 450.

[0036] As shown in Figures 1(a) and 1(b), the vehicle 8 has a main display 84, a sub-display 85, and a room mirror 86 that can display a notification 96. The room mirror 86 is configured as a display that displays the area behind the vehicle 8 and also displays the surroundings of the vehicle 8 when reversing, etc. When a notification 96 is displayed on one of the main display 84, the sub-display 85, and the room mirror 86, the guidance area 10 becomes an area that includes the display on which the notification 96 is displayed.

[0037] Patterns 42d to 42f are patterns in which the tips of the arrows point to the right on the paper surface of Figure 2(b). Patterns 42d to 42f are projected by projection light 402 irradiated from the rear surface 420b of transparent substrate 420. Therefore, when pattern 42b is projected, it is projected as a projection image 46 in which the tips of the arrows point from right to left.

[0038] The patterns 42d to 42f are used to guide the passenger 9 to the guidance area 10 on the left side as seen from the passenger 9 seated in the driver's seat 80. The patterns 42d to 42f are projected onto different projection areas 450, for example.

[0039] Specifically, as an example, pattern 42d to pattern 42f are projected in a projection area 450 close to the occupant 9, pattern 42f is projected in a projection area 450 close to the guidance area 10, and pattern 42e is projected in a projection area 450 in between.

[0040] The projection lens unit 43 has a projection lens 43a that enlarges and projects the pattern 42a, a projection lens 43b that enlarges and projects the pattern 42b, a projection lens 43c that enlarges and projects the pattern 42c, a projection lens 43d that enlarges and projects the pattern 42d, a projection lens 43e that enlarges and projects the pattern 42e, and a projection lens 43f that enlarges and projects the pattern 42f. The projection lens unit 43 is formed with the projection lenses 43a to 43f integrated together, but is not limited to this and may be formed separately.

[0041] (Configuration of control unit 5) 4(a) to 5(b) are diagrams for explaining an example of line-of-sight guidance by the vehicle image projection system according to the first embodiment. 4(a) to 5(a) are diagrams relating to guidance of line-of-sight 93 by a first projected image and a second projected image. 5(b) is a diagram showing an example in which guidance area 10 is included in field-of-view area 95 as a result of guidance.

[0042] The control unit 5 is a microcomputer including, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that performs calculations and processing on acquired data according to stored programs, and semiconductor memories such as RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory). For example, the ROM stores programs for operating the control unit 5. The RAM is used as a storage area for temporarily storing calculation results, etc. First, an overview of the processing in the control unit 5 will be described below.

[0043] As shown in Figure 3(c), when the guidance area 10 is not included in the field of view 95 determined based on the line of sight 93 of the occupant 9, the control unit 5 projects a projection image 46 that guides the line of sight 93 of the occupant 9 onto a projection area 450 at least a portion of which is included in the field of view 95.

[0044] If the field of view 95 based on the detected line of sight 93 of the occupant 9 does not include at least a portion of the guidance area 10 after the control unit 5 projects a first projection image onto the projection area 450 to guide the line of sight 93 of the occupant 9 to the guidance area 10, the control unit 5 repeatedly projects a second projection image that is the same as or different from the first projection image onto the projection area 450 or a projection area different from the projection area 450 until at least a portion of the guidance area 10 is included in the field of view 95.

[0045] The control unit 5 projects the second projection image repeatedly until the guidance area 10 is included in the field of view 95, by projecting a panel located in front of the occupant 9 as the projection area 450 or a different projection area. This panel is, for example, the instrument panel 874.

[0046] The control unit 5 acquires notification information S6 regarding the notification 96 from the vehicle control device 7 of the vehicle 8, determines the guidance area 10 based on the notification information S6, and projects the projection image 46 regarding the notification 96.

[0047] 2(b), the control unit 5 is electrically connected to the light emitting elements 40a to 40f. The control unit 5 is configured to control the turning on and off of the light emitting elements 40a to 40f of the projector 4 by outputting a first lighting control signal S3 to a sixth lighting control signal S8.

[0048] The light emitting elements 40a to 40f of the projector 4 are turned on by, for example, input of the first lighting control signal S3 to the sixth lighting control signal S8, and are turned off when no such signal is input. The first lighting control signal S3 to the sixth lighting control signal S8 are, for example, PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) signals, but are not limited to this.

[0049] The control unit 5 selects the patterns 42a to 42f to be turned on and off based on the notification information S9 acquired from the vehicle control device 7, and outputs a lighting control signal for the light-emitting elements to be turned on.

[0050] About the visual field of 95 The occupant 9 has a visual field of 180° or more with his right eye 91 and left eye 92. This visual field can be roughly divided into central vision, which allows the occupant 9 to recognize signs and the like, and peripheral vision, which is located around the central vision and allows the occupant 9 to recognize general movements. This central vision is a visual field centered on the line of sight 93, and is about 30 to 40°.

[0051] 3(a) and 3(b), the visual field region 95 is an area ranging from θ1 in the left-right direction, θ2 in the upward direction, and θ3 in the downward direction, and is defined as an area mainly within the range of central vision. Because the visual field region 95 has a wide field of view in the downward direction, the angle θ1 is set to 30°, the angle θ2 to 20°, and the angle θ3 to 30°, for example, but is not limited to these.

[0052] The control unit 5 has area information 50 related to the field of view 95 and the guidance area 10. The control unit 5 determines the guidance area 10 based on the notification information S9 and area information 50 acquired from the vehicle control device 7, and determines the field of view 95 based on the line-of-sight information S2 and area information 50 acquired from the line-of-sight detection unit 3.

[0053] For example, as shown in Figure 4(a), the control unit 5 determines the left outer mirror 83b as the guidance area 10 based on the notification information S9, and determines the field of view area 95 including the line of sight 93 based on the line of sight information S2 detected by the line of sight detection unit 3.

[0054] The following describes an example of the operation of the control unit 5 when a notification 96 indicating that another vehicle is approaching on the left side is sent to the left outer mirror 83b and the line of sight 93 of the occupant 9 gradually moves to the left.

[0055] 4(a), when the guidance area 10 is not included in the field of view 95, the control unit 5 projects a first projection image 46a onto the projection area 450 of the projectable area 45 included in the field of view 95. This first projection image 46a projects a pattern with an arrow tip pointing left, because the guidance area 10 is on the left side as seen from the occupant 9. As an example, this first projection image 46a is a projected pattern 42d.

[0056] 4(b), if the guidance area 10 is not included in the field of view 95 based on the line of sight 93 detected again, the control unit 5 projects a second projection image 46b onto the projection area 450 of the projectable area 45 included in the field of view 95. As an example, this second projection image 46b is a projection of a pattern 42e.

[0057] 5(a), if the guidance area 10 is not included in the field of view 95 based on the further detected line of sight 93, the control unit 5 projects a third projection image 46c onto the projection area 450 of the projectable area 45 included in the field of view 95. As an example, this third projection image 46c is a projection of a pattern 42f.

[0058] As an example, the second projection image 46b and the third projection image 46c are the same projection images as the first projection image 46a but with different projection areas, but are not limited to this and may be projection images different from the first projection image 46a.

[0059] Then, as shown in FIG. 5(b), if the guidance area 10 is further included in the visual field area 95 based on the detected line of sight 93, the control unit 5 ends the projection of the third projection image 46c.

[0060] In a modified example, the control unit 5 terminates projection when the guidance area 10 is included in the field of view 95, but this is not limiting and the control unit 5 may be configured to terminate projection when only a portion of the guidance area 10 is included. Furthermore, the control unit 5 may be configured to further set a small area that includes the line of sight 93 in the field of view 95 and terminate projection when at least a portion of this area is included, or when the entire area is included. Furthermore, the control unit 5 may be configured to terminate projection when the line of sight 93 is included in the guidance area 10.

[0061] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of setting a field of view area and a guidance area according to a modified example. As a modified example, the control unit 5 has area information 50 that divides the interior of the vehicle 8 into multiple unit areas 950 of the same size, as shown in FIG. 6. As an example, as shown in FIG. 6, when the detected line of sight 93 is located in the third unit area 950a from the left and the second unit area 950a from the top, the control unit 5 determines this unit area 950a as the field of view area 95. Then, based on the notification information S9, the control unit 5 determines the unit area 950b including the left outer mirror 83b as the guidance area 10, and guides the line of sight 93. Note that in FIG. 6, the left outer mirror 83b spans two unit areas 950, so these two unit areas 950 may be the guidance area 10, or only the unit area 950b to which the notification 96 is issued may be the guidance area 10.

[0062] An example of the operation of the vehicle image projection system 1 will be described below with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0063] (operation) When the control unit 5 of the vehicle image projection system 1 determines that "Yes" in step 1 is true, that is, that notification information S9 is input from the vehicle control device 7 and a notification 96 is present (Step 1: Yes), it sets the guidance area 10 based on the notification information S9 (Step 2).

[0064] When the control unit 5 acquires the line-of-sight information S2 from the line-of-sight detection unit 3, the control unit 5 sets the visual field area 95 according to the line of sight 93 based on the line-of-sight information S2 (Step 3).

[0065] If the guidance area 10 is not included in the field of view 95, that is, if guidance is required (Step 4: Yes), the control unit 5 projects the projection image 46 onto the projection area 450 included in the field of view 95 (Step 5). Then, the control unit 5 proceeds to step 2. Steps 2 to 4 are repeated until notification is no longer required or the field of view 95 includes the guidance area 10.

[0066] In step 4, if the visual field area 95 includes the guidance area 10, that is, if guidance is no longer necessary (Step 4: No), the control unit 5 ends the projection of the projection image 46 (Step 6), and ends the process related to guiding the line of sight 93.

[0067] (Effects of the first embodiment) The vehicle image projection system 1 according to this embodiment can reduce overlooking of the notification 96. Specifically, the vehicle image projection system 1 projects a projection image 46 that guides the line of sight 93 of the occupant 9 to the guidance area 10 where the notification 96 is displayed based on the line of sight 93 of the occupant 9, that is, projects the projection image 46 at the location where the occupant 9 is looking, and therefore can reduce overlooking of the notification 96 compared to when no guidance is provided.

[0068] The vehicle image projection system 1 sets a field of view 95 according to the line of sight 93, and repeatedly projects the projection image 46 until the guidance area 10 is included in this field of view 95, so that it can encourage the line of sight 93 to be guided from the viewing location to the location of the notification 96 that the driver wants to see, compared to when this configuration is not adopted.

[0069] In the vehicle 8, it is difficult to turn the entire surface of the instrument panel 874 into a display because an airbag is disposed therein. It is also difficult to place a display in a location where there is another structure inside the vehicle 8. However, the vehicle image projection system 1 can project the projection image 46 that guides the user to the notification 96 without turning the instrument panel 874 into a display, and can also project the projection image 46 that guides the user to the notification 96 in a location where there is another structure inside, thereby preventing the user from overlooking the notification 96.

[0070] When notifications are made by sound, there is a possibility that the occupant may miss the notification because they do not hear or do not hear the sound. The vehicle image projection system 1 guides the occupant 9 to the notification 96 using the projection image 46 projected onto the projection area 450 within the field of view 95 of the occupant 9, thereby reducing the likelihood of the notification 96 being overlooked and increasing the effectiveness of the notification 96.

[0071] The vehicle image projection system 1 displays the projection image 46 in animation, so the occupant 9 can intuitively recognize the notification 96 more easily than in a case where this configuration is not adopted.

[0072] [Second embodiment] The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that a projector is driven.

[0073] 8 is an example of a block diagram of a vehicle image projection system according to the second embodiment. In the embodiments described below, parts having the same functions and configurations as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment, and their description will be omitted.

[0074] 8, the vehicle image projection system 1 includes a drive unit 6 that drives the projector 4. As an example, the drive unit 6 drives the projector 4 up, down, left, and right.

[0075] The control unit 5 outputs the drive signal S 10 By driving the projector 4 based on the above, it is possible to project the projection image 46 onto any area of ​​the projection area 45. Furthermore, by driving the projector 4, the control unit 5 can perform a dynamic display, that is, an animation display, without switching the pattern.

[0076] The driving unit 6 is not limited to driving the projector 4, but may be configured to drive at least one of the light source unit 40, the condenser lens unit 41, the handle unit 42, and the projection lens unit 43 so as to change the projection position. The driving unit 6 may also be configured to drive the handle unit 42 to switch the handle.

[0077] (Effects of the second embodiment) In the vehicle image projection system 1 of this embodiment, the projector 4 can be driven by the drive unit 6 to change the projection area 450 of the projection image 46, which improves the degree of freedom in the area onto which the projection image 46 is projected compared to a case where this configuration is not adopted. Therefore, the vehicle image projection system 1 can further reduce the possibility of overlooking the notification 96.

[0078] [Third embodiment] The third embodiment differs from the other embodiments in that the other occupants are notified of a physical abnormality of an occupant.

[0079] FIG. 9(a) is a diagram showing an example of a vehicle equipped with a vehicle image projection system according to the third embodiment, viewed from above, and FIG. 9(b) is an example of a block diagram of the vehicle image projection system.

[0080] When the control unit 5 receives a notification 96 indicating that there is an occupant whose biological information is abnormal based on the notification information S6, the control unit 5 determines the area including the abnormal occupant as the guidance area 10.

[0081] As shown in FIG. 9(b), the vehicle control device 7 is generally configured to include a biosensor 70. The biosensor 70 is configured to detect bioinformation of the occupant, such as pulse, blood pressure, and exhaled breath. The biosensor 70 outputs the detected bioinformation of the occupant as detected bioinformation S 11 to the vehicle control device 7.

[0082] The vehicle control device 7 detects the biological information S acquired from the biological sensor 70. 11 Based on the result, notification information S9 relating to the occupant showing a physical abnormality is output to the control unit 5 of the vehicle image projection system 1.

[0083] In the following, as an example, it is assumed that an abnormality has been detected in the body of occupant 9b seated in the rear seat 82 on the passenger seat 81 side, but this is not limited to this and it may also be an occupant seated in another seat or a child seated in a child seat.

[0084] The control unit 5 sets the guidance area 10 including the occupant 9b based on the notification information S9, and also sets the field of view area 95 based on the line of sight 93 of the occupant 9a seated in the driver's seat 80. Here, if the vehicle image projection system 1 is configured so that the imaging unit 2 can capture images of the occupant seated in the passenger seat 81 and the occupant seated in the rear seat 82 and detect their respective lines of sight, the vehicle image projection system 1 may notify people other than the occupant 9a seated in the driver's seat 80.

[0085] The control unit 5 uses the projection image 46 to guide the line of sight 93 of the occupant 9a until the guidance area 10 is included in the visual field 95 of the occupant 9a. Fig. 9(a) shows an example in which the projection image 46 is projected onto an armrest 878 as the projection area 450. This projection image 46 is an arrow pointing backward.

[0086] The projectable area 45 is the area onto which projection can be performed by driving the projector 4, and includes the door trim 871, door trim 873, instrument panel 874, right front pillar 875, left front pillar 876, and windshield 877 shown in Figure 1(b), as well as the armrest 878 of the floor console separating the driver's seat 80 and the passenger seat 81, the rear seat 82, etc.

[0087] (Effects of the third embodiment) The vehicle image projection system 1 of this embodiment guides the gaze 93 of other occupants to an occupant with a physical abnormality as a guidance area 10, so that occupants with a physical abnormality can be detected earlier than in a case where this configuration is not adopted.

[0088] According to at least one of the above-described embodiments of the vehicle image projection system 1, it is possible to prevent notifications from being overlooked.

[0089] The vehicle image projection system 1 according to the above-described embodiment and modified example may be partially realized by a computer-executed program, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), etc., depending on the application.

[0090] Although several embodiments and modifications of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments and modifications are merely examples and do not limit the scope of the invention as claimed. These novel embodiments and modifications may be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, modifications, etc. may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, not all combinations of features described in these embodiments and modifications are necessarily essential to solving the problems of the invention. Furthermore, these embodiments and modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents as defined in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0091] 1...vehicle image projection system, 2...imaging unit, 3...gaze detection unit, 4...projector, 5...control unit, 6...drive unit, 7...vehicle control device, 8...vehicle, 9, 9a, 9b...occupant, 10...guidance area, 40...light source unit, 40a to 40f...light-emitting element, 41...condensing lens unit, 41a to 41f...condensing lens, 42...handle unit, 42d to 42f...handle, 43...projection lens unit, 43a to 43f...projection lens, 45...projectable area, 46...projected image, 46a to 46c...first projected image to third projected image, 50...area information, 70...biometric sensor, 80...driver's seat, 81...passenger seat, 82...rear seat, 83a...right outer mirror, 83b...left outer mirror, 84...main display, 85...sub-display, 86...room mirror, 87...steering, 88...steering column, 89...ceiling, 93...line of sight, 95...field of view, 96...notification, 401-406...projected light, 421-426...first area to sixth area, 450...projection area, 950, 950a, 950b...unit area

Claims

1. a gaze detection unit that detects the gaze of a vehicle occupant; a projection unit that projects a projection image onto a projection-enabled area inside the vehicle; a control unit that projects the projection image that guides the detected line of sight of the occupant to a guidance area onto a projection area within the projectable area that includes the line of sight of the occupant; A vehicle image projection system comprising:

2. When the guidance area is not included in a visual field area determined based on the line of sight of the occupant, the control unit projects the projection image for guiding the line of sight of the occupant onto the projection area at least a part of which is included in the visual field area. The vehicle image projection system of claim 1 .

3. When at least a part of the guidance area is not included in the field of view based on the detected line of sight of the occupant after projecting a first projection image onto the projection area, the control unit repeatedly projects a second projection image that is the same as or different from the first projection image onto the projection area or onto a projection area different from the projection area until at least a part of the guidance area is included in the field of view. The vehicle image projection system of claim 2 .

4. the control unit projects the second projection image repeatedly until the guidance area is included in the field of view, using a panel located in front of the occupant as the projection area or the different projection area. The vehicle image projection system according to claim 3 .

5. The control unit acquires notification information related to a notification from a vehicle control device of the vehicle, determines the guidance area based on the notification information, and projects the projection image related to the notification.

5. The vehicle image projection system according to claim 4.

6. When the control unit receives the notification indicating that an occupant whose biological information is abnormal is present based on the notification information, the control unit determines an area including the occupant whose biological information is abnormal as the guidance area.

6. The vehicle image projection system according to claim 5.

7. the projection unit includes a pattern unit having a pattern to be projected, and a light source unit that irradiates the pattern with projection light; The projected image formed on the projection area is changed by switching the area of ​​the pattern onto which the projection light is irradiated or by changing the angle of the pattern in an in-plane direction.

7. The vehicle image projection system according to claim 1.

8. the light source unit has a plurality of light sources each including at least one light-emitting element; the control unit switches the area of ​​the pattern onto which the projection light is irradiated by independently changing the light emission states of the plurality of light sources included in the light source unit.

8. The vehicle image projection system of claim 7.

9. the projection unit includes a projection lens unit having a projection lens that enlarges the pattern in the area irradiated with the projection light and projects the enlarged pattern onto the projection area to form the projected image; the projection lens unit projects the plurality of projection images onto the plurality of projection areas; the control unit continuously controls turning on and off of the light source to switch the projection image, and projects the dynamic projection image onto the projection area.

9. The vehicle image projection system of claim 8.

Images