Information processing device

Abstract

To display specific information of vehicle information related to a vehicle which is displayed in a display part in a highlighted manner, compared to other vehicle information.SOLUTION: An information processing device includes a control unit configured to increase a brightness of an in-vehicle display part provided in front of a driver seat and display, overlaid on the display part, a specific layer in which, among vehicle information related to a vehicle displayed on the display part, an opacity of a specific portion at which specific information is displayed is lowered than an opacity of the other portion at which other vehicle information is displayed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a meter display device that can improve the visibility of information obtained from the position of the pointer. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-57568 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, there are cases where it is desired to improve the visibility of some information displayed on a display unit inside a vehicle such as that disclosed in Patent Document 1. For example, if the brightness of the entire display unit is simply increased in this case, information other than the part of the information for which visibility is desired to be improved will also be emphasized, and the displayed content of the display unit will be bothersome to the driver.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide an information processing device that can highlight specific information among vehicle information related to a vehicle displayed on a display unit in comparison with other vehicle information. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The information processing device of claim 1 is equipped with a control unit that increases the brightness of a display unit inside the vehicle located in front of the driver's seat and superimposes a specific layer on the display unit, in which the opacity of a specific part of the vehicle information about the vehicle displayed on the display unit, in which specific information is displayed, is lower than the opacity of other parts in which other vehicle information is displayed.

[0007] In the information processing device according to claim 1, the control unit increases the brightness of the display unit and displays a specific layer on the display unit in which the opacity of a specific portion where the specific information is displayed is lower than the opacity of other portions where other vehicle information is displayed. As a result, according to the information processing device, by increasing the brightness of the specific information displayed on the display unit relatively compared to the brightness of the other vehicle information, it is possible to display the specific information among the vehicle information displayed on the display unit in a more emphasized manner than the other vehicle information.

[0008] The information processing device according to claim 2 is the device of claim 1, wherein the control unit causes the display unit to display the specific information based on the establishment of a permission condition for changing the driving performance of the vehicle.

[0009] In the information processing device according to claim 2, the control unit causes the display unit to display the specific information when a permission condition for changing the vehicle's driving performance is satisfied. As a result, according to the information processing device, in an environment where the vehicle's driving performance can be changed, the specific information can be displayed in a more emphasized manner than other vehicle information among the vehicle information displayed on the display unit.

[0010] The information processing device of claim 3 is in claim 1 or 2, wherein the specific information is a shift-up indicator that notifies the driver of the vehicle of the timing to shift up, and the control unit displays the shift-up indicator at the top of the vehicle information displayed on the display unit.

[0011] In the information processing device according to claim 3, the specific information is a shift-up indicator that notifies the driver of the timing to shift up. The control unit also displays the shift-up indicator at the top of the vehicle information displayed on the display unit. This allows the information processing device to highlight the shift-up indicator compared to the other vehicle information by increasing the brightness of the shift-up indicator displayed on the display unit relatively compared to the brightness of the other vehicle information. Furthermore, by displaying the shift-up indicator at the top of the vehicle information displayed on the display unit, the information processing device allows the driver to know the timing to shift up without having to look down too much while the vehicle is moving.

[0012] The information processing device of claim 4 is in claim 3, wherein the shift-up indicator includes a plurality of gauges arranged in a predetermined direction on the display unit, which are lit up as the engine speed of the vehicle increases, and the control unit gradually lights up the gauges from both ends toward the center in the predetermined direction as the engine speed increases, and changes the lighting color of the gauges according to the engine speed.

[0013] In the information processing device according to claim 4, the up-shift indicator includes a plurality of gauges arranged in a predetermined direction on the display unit, which light up as the engine speed increases. The control unit gradually lights up the gauges from both ends toward the center in the predetermined direction as the engine speed increases, and changes the color of the gauges according to the engine speed. This allows the information processing device to inform the driver that the time to up-shift is approaching by changing the color of the gauges according to the engine speed.

[0014] The information processing device of claim 5 is in claim 4, wherein when all of the multiple gauges are lit, the control unit changes the lighting color of all of the gauges to a color dedicated to lighting all of the gauges.

[0015] In the information processing device according to claim 5, when all of the gauges are illuminated, the control unit changes the illumination color of all of the gauges to a color dedicated to illuminating all of the gauges. Thus, according to the information processing device, by lighting all of the gauges in a dedicated color, the driver can know that it is time to upshift. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] As described above, in the information processing device according to the present disclosure, among the vehicle information related to the vehicle displayed on the display unit, specific information can be displayed in a more emphasized manner than other vehicle information. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a vehicle. [Figure 2] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a specification process. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a specific layer. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a first explanatory diagram illustrating changes in the lighting color of a gauge. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a second explanatory diagram illustrating changes in the lighting color of the gauge. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a third explanatory diagram illustrating changes in the lighting color of the gauge. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] The vehicle 10 according to this embodiment will be described below. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a vehicle 10. As shown in Fig. 1, the vehicle 10 includes a meter ECU 20. The meter ECU 20 is an example of an "information processing device."

[0019] The meter ECU 20 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 21, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 22, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 23, a storage 24, an in-vehicle communication I / F (Interface) 25, an input / output I / F 26, and a wireless communication I / F 27. The CPU 21, the ROM 22, the RAM 23, the storage 24, the in-vehicle communication I / F 25, the input / output I / F 26, and the wireless communication I / F 27 are connected to each other via an internal bus 28 so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0020] The CPU 21 is a central processing unit that executes various programs and controls each part. That is, the CPU 21 reads programs from the ROM 22 or the storage 24 and executes the programs using the RAM 23 as a work area. The CPU 21 controls each of the above components and performs various arithmetic processing in accordance with the programs recorded in the ROM 22 or the storage 24.

[0021] The ROM 22 stores various programs and various data. The RAM 23 serves as a working area for temporarily storing programs or data.

[0022] The storage 24 is configured with a storage device such as an eMMC (embedded multi media card) or a UFS (universal flash storage), and stores various programs and various data. An information processing program 24A is stored in the storage 24. The information processing program 24A is a program for causing the CPU 21 to execute specific processing (see FIG. 2), which will be described later.

[0023] The in-vehicle communication I / F 25 is an interface for connecting to other ECUs 30. The interface uses a communication standard based on the CAN protocol. The in-vehicle communication I / F 25 is connected to an external bus 29. Although not shown, in addition to the ECU 30, multiple ECUs are provided for each function of the vehicle 10.

[0024] The input / output I / F 26 is an interface for communicating with an in-vehicle device 40 mounted on the vehicle 10 .

[0025] The on-vehicle devices 40 are various devices mounted on the vehicle 10. The vehicle 10 includes a sensor group 42 and a monitor 44 as examples of the on-vehicle devices 40.

[0026] The sensor group 42 includes sensors for detecting the state of the vehicle 10 and the surrounding circumstances, such as a 3D-LiDAR, a millimeter wave sensor, an infrared sensor, a blinker sensor, an accelerator position sensor, a vehicle speed sensor, a steering angle sensor, an angular velocity sensor, a GPS (Global Positioning System) sensor, an illuminance sensor, a gyro sensor, and an acceleration sensor. The sensor group 42 outputs the detection results of each sensor to the meter ECU 20, the ECU 30, etc.

[0027] The monitor 44 is provided on an instrument panel located in front of the driver's seat of the vehicle 10, and is a liquid crystal monitor for displaying operation suggestions related to the functions of the vehicle 10 and images related to explanations of the functions. The monitor 44 is an example of a "display unit."

[0028] The wireless communication I / F 27 is a wireless communication module for communicating with external devices, and uses communication standards such as 5G, LTE, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), and Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0029] The CPU 21 of the meter ECU 20 has, as functional components, an acquisition unit 21A and a control unit 21B. Each functional component is realized by the CPU 21 reading and executing an information processing program 24A stored in the storage 24.

[0030] The acquisition unit 21A acquires various types of information. For example, the acquisition unit 21A acquires, as the various types of information, data input from the ECU 30 via the in-vehicle communication I / F 25, data input from the sensor group 42 via the input / output I / F 26, and the like.

[0031] The control unit 21B performs display control relating to the display on the monitor 44. For example, the control unit 21B appropriately changes the display content on the monitor 44 and adjusts the brightness of the monitor 44 as the display control.

[0032] 2 is a flowchart showing the flow of the identification process executed by the meter ECU 20. The CPU 21 reads the information processing program 24A from the storage 24, loads it into the RAM 23, and executes it, thereby performing the identification process. As an example, the identification process is automatically and repeatedly performed at regular intervals.

[0033] In step S10 shown in FIG. 2, the CPU 21 determines whether or not a permission condition for changing the driving performance of the vehicle 10 is met. If the CPU 21 determines that the permission condition is met (step S10: YES), the CPU 21 proceeds to step S11. On the other hand, if the CPU 21 determines that the permission condition is not met (step S10: NO), the CPU 21 ends the specific processing. In this embodiment, the permission condition is, as an example of a change in the driving performance of the vehicle 10, a condition for increasing the vehicle speed at which the speed limiter of the vehicle 10 is activated. As an example, the CPU 21 determines that the permission condition is met when the current location of the vehicle 10 measured by a GPS sensor included in the sensor group 42 belongs to a predetermined driving area. The predetermined driving area is, for example, a circuit where motorsports are held, a rally course, or the like.

[0034] In step S11, the CPU 21 displays, on the monitor 44, a shift-up indicator 54 (see FIG. 3, etc.) that notifies the driver of the vehicle 10 of the timing to shift up, as vehicle information related to the vehicle 10. Then, the CPU 21 proceeds to step S12. The shift-up indicator 54 is an example of "specific information." Here, in the vehicle 10, based on the CPU 21 having displayed the shift-up indicator 54 on the monitor 44, the other ECU 30 changes the driving performance of the vehicle 10. As a result, in the vehicle 10, for example, turbo lag is reduced, the upper limit vehicle speed at which the speed limiter of the vehicle 10 is activated is raised, or the output of the cooling fan is maximized.

[0035] In step S12, the CPU 21 increases the brightness of the monitor 44. As an example, the CPU 21 increases the brightness value of the entire monitor 44 by a predetermined amount. Then, the CPU 21 proceeds to step S13.

[0036] In step S13, the CPU 21 displays, on the monitor 44, a specific layer 60 (see FIG. 3(B)) in which the opacity of a specific portion 62 (see FIG. 3(B)) in which the shift-up indicator 54 is displayed is made lower than the opacity of another portion 64 (see FIG. 3(B)) in which other vehicle information is displayed, of the vehicle information displayed on the monitor 44. Then, the CPU 21 ends the specific processing.

[0037] Next, an example in which a specific layer 60 is superimposed on the monitor 44 will be described with reference to FIG. Fig. 3(A) shows vehicle information displayed on the monitor 44. In Fig. 3(A), gear position information 50, rotation speed information 52, and a shift-up indicator 54 are displayed as vehicle information.

[0038] The gear position information 50 indicates the gear position of the vehicle 10. In Fig. 3(A), "3" is displayed as the gear position information 50, indicating that the gear position is third speed.

[0039] The rotation speed information 52 indicates the engine rotation speed of the vehicle 10. In Fig. 3(A), "4000 r / min" is displayed as the rotation speed information 52, indicating that the engine rotation speed is 4000 rotations per minute.

[0040] The shift-up indicator 54 includes multiple gauges 55 arranged in the left-right direction on the monitor 44, which light up as the engine speed of the vehicle 10 increases. In FIG. 3(A), a total of 14 rectangular gauges 55 are shown, with seven on the left side and seven on the right side, with the center of the monitor 44 as the dividing line. Hereinafter, the group of seven gauges 55 on the left side of the shift-up indicator 54 may be referred to as a left gauge group 56, and the group of seven gauges 55 on the right side may be referred to as a right gauge group 58. The left-right direction is an example of a "predetermined direction." Note that the multiple gauges 55 do not necessarily need to be arranged in the left-right direction on the monitor 44, but may also be arranged in the up-down direction. In this case, the up-down direction is an example of a "predetermined direction."

[0041] In addition, in FIG. 3(A), all the gauges 55 are depicted in white, indicating that none of the gauges 55 are lit.

[0042] Fig. 3(B) shows a specific layer 60. The specific layer 60 has the same dimensions and shape as the monitor 44 shown in Fig. 3(A). The specific layer 60 is a layer for reducing the transmittance of light emitted by the monitor 44. The specific layer 60 is generated by combining, for example, three elements of color: hue, lightness, and saturation.

[0043] 3(B), the specific layer 60 is configured to include a rectangular specific portion 62 and another portion 64 other than the specific portion 62. The specific portion 62 is a portion that covers the display area of ​​the shift up indicator 54 on the monitor 44 when the specific layer 60 is overlaid on the monitor 44. The specific portion 62 is formed with dimensions and a shape that allow it to cover the display area of ​​the shift up indicator 54.

[0044] Here, the opacity of the specific portion 62 is lower than the opacity of the other portion 64. In the present embodiment, the specific layer 60 is set to an overall opacity that reduces the transmittance of light emitted by the monitor 44 by a predetermined amount, and then the specific portion 62 is generated by drilling a hole in the portion that covers the display area of ​​the shift up indicator 54 when the specific layer 60 is overlaid on the monitor 44. As a result, the opacity of the specific portion 62 becomes "0," and the transmittance of light emitted from the display area of ​​the shift up indicator 54 is not reduced when the specific layer 60 is overlaid on the monitor 44.

[0045] FIG. 3(C) shows a display example in which the specific layer 60 shown in FIG. 3(B) is overlaid on the monitor 44 shown in FIG. 3(A). As shown in FIG. 3(C), the specific layer 60 and the monitor 44 are overlaid so that their respective edges, specifically, their four corners, are aligned. As a result, in the monitor 44 shown in FIG. 3(C), the specific portion 62 covers the display area of ​​the shift up indicator 54, and thus the transmittance of the light emitted from the display area of ​​the monitor 44 is not reduced. In addition, in the monitor 44, the other portion 64 overlaps an area other than the display area, and thus the transmittance of the light emitted from the area is reduced. Note that in FIG. 3(C), the area surrounding the shift up indicator 54 is depicted in white, and the other areas are depicted in color, which indicates that only the transmittance of the light emitted from the display area of ​​the shift up indicator 54 on the monitor 44 is not reduced.

[0046] Next, changes in the lighting color of gauge 55 will be described with reference to FIGS. Fig. 4 is a first explanatory diagram illustrating changes in the lighting color of the gauge 55. As in Fig. 3, the monitor 44 shown in Figs. 4 to 6 displays gear position information 50, rotation speed information 52, and a shift-up indicator 54 as vehicle information.

[0047] In FIG. 4 , the rotation speed information 52 displays "6000 r / min," indicating that the engine rotation speed is 6000 rotations per minute. In FIG. 4 , as the engine rotation speed increases, the fourth gauge 55 from the left in the left gauge group 56 and the fourth gauge 55 from the right in the right gauge group 58 are illuminated. At this time, the CPU 21, as a function of the control unit 21B, gradually illuminates the gauges 55 from both ends of the monitor 44 toward the center in the left-right direction. In the example shown in FIG. 4 , the CPU 21 first illuminates the first gauge 55 from the left in the left gauge group 56 and the first gauge 55 from the right in the right gauge group 58. Next, the CPU 21 further illuminates the second gauge 55 from the left in the left gauge group 56 and the second gauge 55 from the right in the right gauge group 58. Next, the CPU 21 further illuminates the third gauge 55 from the left in the left gauge group 56 and the third gauge 55 from the right in the right gauge group 58. Finally, CPU 21 further lights up the fourth gauge 55 from the left in left gauge group 56 and the fourth gauge 55 from the right in right gauge group 58, resulting in the lighting state shown in FIG.

[0048] Also, in Figure 4, the first four gauges 55 from the left in the left gauge group 56 and the first four gauges 55 from the right in the right gauge group 58 are represented by vertical hatching, indicating that these gauges 55 are lit in green.

[0049] FIG. 5 is a second explanatory diagram illustrating the change in the lighting color of the gauge 55. 5, "6500 r / min" is displayed as rotation speed information 52, indicating that the engine rotation speed is 6500 rotations per minute. In addition, in FIG. 5, as the engine rotation speed increases, the fifth and sixth gauges 55 from the left in left gauge group 56 and the fifth and sixth gauges 55 from the right in right gauge group 58 are illuminated in a different color than the fourth gauges 55 from the left in left gauge group 56 and the fourth gauges 55 from the right in right gauge group 58.

[0050] In the case of FIG. 5, the CPU 21 first lights up the fifth gauge 55 from the left in the left gauge group 56 and the fifth gauge 55 from the right in the right gauge group 58, starting from the lighting state shown in FIG. 4. Then, the CPU 21 further lights up the sixth gauge 55 from the left in the left gauge group 56 and the sixth gauge 55 from the right in the right gauge group 58, resulting in the lighting state shown in FIG. 5. At this time, the CPU 21, as a function of the control unit 21B, changes the lighting color of the gauges 55 in accordance with the engine speed. Specifically, the CPU 21 lights up the fifth and sixth gauges 55 from the left in the left gauge group 56 and the fifth and sixth gauges 55 from the right in the right gauge group 58 in orange. Note that in FIG. 5, the fifth and sixth gauges 55 from the left in the left gauge group 56 and the fifth and sixth gauges 55 from the right in the right gauge group 58 are represented by grid-like hatching, indicating that these gauges 55 are lit in a different color from the other gauges 55 represented by vertical hatching.

[0051] FIG. 6 is a third explanatory diagram illustrating the change in the lighting color of the gauge 55. 6, "6800 r / min" is displayed as rotation speed information 52, indicating that the engine rotation speed is 6800 rotations per minute. In addition, in FIG. 6, as the engine rotation speed increases, all of the gauges 55 in left gauge group 56 and right gauge group 58 light up.

[0052] In the example shown in FIG. 6, the CPU 21 changes the illumination state shown in FIG. 5 to illuminate all of the gauges 55 in the left gauge group 56 and the right gauge group 58, resulting in the illumination state shown in FIG. 6. At this time, when illuminating all of the gauges 55, the CPU 21, as a function of the control unit 21B, changes the illumination color of all of the gauges 55 to a color dedicated to illuminating all of the gauges 55. Specifically, the CPU 21 illuminates all of the gauges 55 in blue, a color not used in the previous illumination state. In this manner, the monitor 44 shown in FIG. 6 indicates that it is time to upshift from third gear to fourth gear by illuminating all of the gauges 55 included in the upshift indicator 54. Note that in FIG. 6, all of the gauges 55 in the left gauge group 56 and the right gauge group 58 are depicted in black, indicating that these gauges 55 are illuminated in blue.

[0053] As described above, in the meter ECU 20, the CPU 21 increases the brightness of the monitor 44 and displays the specific layer 60, in which the opacity of the specific portion 62 in which the shift up indicator 54 is displayed is lower than the opacity of the other portion 64 in which other vehicle information is displayed, superimposed on the monitor 44. In this way, the meter ECU 20 makes the brightness of the shift up indicator 54 displayed on the monitor 44 relatively higher than the brightness of the other vehicle information, so that the shift up indicator 54, among the vehicle information displayed on the monitor 44, can be displayed in a more emphasized manner than the other vehicle information.

[0054] Furthermore, in the meter ECU 20, the CPU 21 displays the shift-up indicator 54 on the monitor 44 based on the establishment of a permission condition for changing the driving performance of the vehicle 10. As a result, the meter ECU 20 can display the shift-up indicator 54, among the vehicle information displayed on the monitor 44, in an environment in which the driving performance of the vehicle 10 can be changed, in a manner that is emphasized compared to other vehicle information.

[0055] Furthermore, in the meter ECU 20, the CPU 21 displays the up-shift indicator 54 at the top of the vehicle information displayed on the monitor 44. Thus, according to the meter ECU 20, by displaying the up-shift indicator 54 at the top of the vehicle information displayed on the monitor 44, the driver can know the timing to up-shift without having to look down too much while the vehicle 10 is traveling.

[0056] The upshift indicator 54 also includes a plurality of gauges 55 that light up as the engine speed increases. In the meter ECU 20, the CPU 21 gradually lights up the gauges 55 from both ends of the monitor 44 in the left-right direction toward the center as the engine speed increases, and changes the lighting color of the gauges 55 according to the engine speed. Thus, the meter ECU 20 changes the lighting color of the gauges 55 according to the engine speed, allowing the driver to know that the time to upshift is approaching.

[0057] Furthermore, in the meter ECU 20, when all of the gauges 55 are to be illuminated, the CPU 21 changes the illumination color of all of the gauges 55 to a color dedicated to illuminating all of the gauges 55. Thus, the meter ECU 20 allows the driver to know that it is time to upshift by lighting all of the gauges 55 in a dedicated color.

[0058] (others) In the above embodiment, the CPU 21 determines that the permission condition is met when the current location of the vehicle 10 measured by the GPS sensor included in the sensor group 42 belongs to a predetermined driving area. However, the timing at which the CPU 21 determines that the permission condition is met is not limited to this. For example, the CPU 21 may determine that the permission condition is met when a predetermined input operation for changing the driving performance of the vehicle 10 is performed on the vehicle 10.

[0059] In the above embodiment, the specific portion 62 is generated by punching a hole in the portion of the specific layer 60 that covers the display area of ​​the shift up indicator 54 when the specific layer 60 is overlaid on the monitor 44. However, the specific portion 62 is not limited to being generated by punching a hole in the specific layer 60. For example, the specific portion 62 may be generated by applying a gradation of color shading, brightness, etc. that is different from that of other portions to the portion of the specific layer 60 that covers the display area of ​​the shift up indicator 54 when the specific layer 60 is overlaid on the monitor 44.

[0060] In the above embodiment, the brightness value set for the entire monitor 44 may be set in a plurality of stages, and the CPU 21 may change the degree to which the brightness of the monitor 44 is increased in accordance with the driver's selection.

[0061] In the above embodiment, the CPU 21 may change at least one of the brightness of the monitor 44 and the opacity of the specific layer 60 based on environmental information indicating the environment outside the vehicle 10. For example, the CPU 21 may increase the brightness of the monitor 44 and decrease the opacity of the specific layer 60 when the amount of light received by an illuminance sensor included in the sensor group 42 becomes less than a predetermined amount.

[0062] The lighting colors of the gauge 55 described in the above embodiment are merely examples, and the lighting colors are not particularly limited.

[0063] In the above embodiment, the up-shift indicator 54 is an example of specific information, but the specific information is not limited to this. For example, the specific information may be, in addition to the up-shift indicator 54, vehicle information related to the vehicle displayed on the monitor 44, such as gear position information 50, information related to telltales that warn the driver (not shown), and information related to predetermined instruments (not shown). Furthermore, the specific information is not limited to one piece of vehicle information, but may be a plurality of pieces of vehicle information, such as the gear position information 50 and the up-shift indicator 54. When the specific information is a plurality of pieces of vehicle information, the specific portions 62 are provided in the specific layer 60 in accordance with the number of pieces of specific information. In other words, the specific layer 60 may have two or more portions whose opacity is lower than that of the other portions 64.

[0064] In the above embodiment, the area that becomes the specific portion 62 in the specific layer 60 may dynamically change as the engine speed of the vehicle 10 increases. For example, the CPU 21 may expand the area that becomes the specific portion 62 in the specific layer 60 in accordance with the number of lit gauges 55 in the shift-up indicator 54. In this case, in the example shown in FIG. 4, the CPU 21 defines the portion that covers the fourth gauge 55 from the left in the left gauge group 56 and the fourth gauge 55 from the right in the right gauge group 58 as the specific portion 62. Thereafter, when the fifth and sixth gauges 55 from the left in the left gauge group 56 and the fifth and sixth gauges 55 from the right in the right gauge group 58 light up as the engine speed increases, as in the example shown in FIG. 5, the CPU 21 may expand the specific portion 62 to the portion that covers the sixth gauge 55 from the left in the left gauge group 56 and the sixth gauge 55 from the right in the right gauge group 58.

[0065] In the above embodiment, the specific process executed by the CPU 21 after reading the software (program) may be executed by various processors other than a CPU. Examples of such processors include programmable logic devices (PLDs) (such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs)) whose circuit configuration can be changed after fabrication, and dedicated electrical circuits such as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) that are processors with circuit configurations specifically designed to execute specific processes. The specific process may be executed by one of these processors, or by a combination of two or more processors of the same or different types (e.g., multiple FPGAs, or a combination of a CPU and an FPGA). The hardware structure of these processors is, more specifically, an electrical circuit that combines circuit elements such as semiconductor devices.

[0066] In the above embodiment, the information processing program 24A is pre-stored (installed) in the storage 24, but the present invention is not limited to this. The information processing program 24A may be provided in a form recorded on a recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read Only Memory), a DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disk Read Only Memory), or a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory. The information processing program 24A may also be downloaded from an external device via a network. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] 10 vehicles 20 Meter ECU (information processing unit) 21B Control section 44 Monitor (display) 54 Shift-up indicator (specific information) 55 gauge 60 Specific Layers 62 Specific parts 64 Other parts

Claims

1. a control unit that increases the brightness of a display unit in the vehicle provided in front of the driver's seat, and that superimposes a specific layer on the display unit, in which the opacity of a specific portion of vehicle information relating to the vehicle displayed on the display unit, in which specific information is displayed, is lower than the opacity of other portions in which other vehicle information is displayed; Information processing device.

2. the control unit causes the display unit to display the specific information based on the establishment of a permission condition for changing the driving performance of the vehicle. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. the specific information is an up-shift indicator that notifies the driver of the vehicle of the timing of up-shifting, The control unit displays the shift-up indicator at the top of the vehicle information displayed on the display unit. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

4. the shift-up indicator includes a plurality of gauges arranged in a predetermined direction on the display unit, the gauges lighting up as the engine revolutions of the vehicle increase, the control unit gradually lights up the gauge from both ends toward the center in the predetermined direction as the engine rotation speed increases, and changes the lighting color of the gauge according to the engine rotation speed. The information processing device according to claim 3 .

5. When all of the plurality of gauges are to be illuminated, the control unit changes the illumination colors of all of the gauges to colors dedicated to illuminating all of the gauges. The information processing device according to claim 4 .

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