Display control device, display control method and display control program

Abstract

To provide a display control device, a display control method and a display control program which enable an occupant of a vehicle to easily assess operational states of a plurality of operation support functions mounted on a vehicle.SOLUTION: A display control device performs control to display a surrounding situation of a vehicle on a display device in a manner that differentiates display forms depending on an operation state of each of a plurality of operation support functions.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a display control device, a display control method, and a display control program. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent document 1 discloses a technology that changes and displays background information about the vehicle's surroundings when the vehicle's driving mode is in autonomous driving mode and when intervention by the occupant in driving operations is detected. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-041285 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Recent vehicles may be equipped with multiple driving assistance functions that assist the vehicle's driving. In a vehicle equipped with multiple driving assistance functions, it is preferable that the occupant can easily grasp the operating status of the multiple driving assistance functions. The technology described in Patent Document 1 allows the occupant to grasp that an intervention in driving operation by the occupant has been detected when the vehicle's driving mode is in autonomous driving mode, but there is room for improvement in grasping the operating status of the driving assistance functions.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a display control device, a display control method, and a display control program that allow vehicle occupants to easily understand the operating status of multiple driving assistance functions installed in the vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A first aspect of the display control device is a display control device that controls the display of the situation around the vehicle on a display device, and includes a display control unit that controls the display of the situation around the vehicle in different display modes depending on the operating states of each of a plurality of driving assistance functions.

[0007] According to the display control device of the first aspect, the display mode of the situation around the vehicle is displayed differently depending on the operation status of each of the driving support functions, thereby enabling the vehicle occupants to easily grasp the operation status of the driving support functions installed in the vehicle.

[0008] A second aspect of the display control device is the display control device of the first aspect, in which the display control unit changes the display mode of at least one of an image of the road surface of the lane on which the vehicle is traveling and an image of the lane boundary line as the situation around the vehicle.

[0009] According to the second aspect of the display control device, the display mode of at least one of the image of the road surface of the lane on which the vehicle is traveling and the image of the lane boundary lines as the situation around the vehicle is different, which makes it easier for the vehicle occupants to grasp the operating status of multiple driving assistance functions installed in the vehicle.

[0010] A third aspect of the display control device is the display control device of the second aspect, in which the display control unit changes the display mode of the image of the road surface depending on the operating state of a vehicle distance control function that maintains the distance between the vehicle and a preceding vehicle traveling in front of the vehicle.

[0011] According to the display control device of the third aspect, the display mode of the image of the road surface changes depending on the operation state of the inter-vehicle distance control function, thereby enabling the vehicle occupants to easily understand the operation state of the inter-vehicle distance control function.

[0012] A fourth aspect of the display control device is the display control device of the third aspect, further including a detection unit that detects accelerator operation by an occupant of the vehicle, and the display control unit changes the display mode of the image of the road surface when accelerator operation is detected by the detection unit while the inter-vehicle distance control function is operating.

[0013] According to the fourth aspect of the display control device, when the detection unit detects accelerator operation while the inter-vehicle distance control function is operating, the display mode of the road surface image changes, thereby enabling the vehicle occupants to know that the accelerator operation was performed while the inter-vehicle distance control function was operating.

[0014] A fifth aspect of the display control device is a display control device of any one of the second to fourth aspects, in which the display control unit controls the color of the image of the road surface to a specific color when conditions defined as conditions for issuing a warning are met.

[0015] According to the display control device of the fifth aspect, when a condition defined as a condition for issuing a warning is satisfied, the color of the image of the road surface becomes a specific color, which makes it easier for vehicle occupants to notice the warning.

[0016] A sixth aspect of the display control device is a display control device of any one of the second to fifth aspects, which changes the display mode of the boundary line image depending on the operating state of a center driving assistance function that assists the vehicle in driving in the center of the lane.

[0017] According to the display control device of the sixth aspect, the display mode of the boundary line image differs depending on the operation state of the centering driving support function, thereby enabling the vehicle occupants to easily grasp the operation state of the centering driving support function.

[0018] A seventh aspect of the display control device is a display control device of any one of the second to sixth aspects, wherein the display control unit changes the display mode of the image of the road surface and the image of the boundary line when a vehicle distance control function that maintains a distance between the vehicle and a preceding vehicle traveling in front of the vehicle and a center driving assistance function that assists the vehicle in traveling in the center of the lane are operating normally and conditions defined as conditions indicating that the vehicle is in a traffic jam are met.

[0019] According to the seventh aspect of the display control device, when the following distance control function and the centering driving support function are operating normally and a condition defined as a condition indicating a traffic jam is satisfied, the display mode of the road surface image and the boundary line image is changed, thereby enabling the vehicle occupants to easily understand that the function for supporting driving in a traffic jam has been activated.

[0020] In the eighth aspect of the display control method, a computer that controls the display of the situation around the vehicle on a display device executes a process to control the display of the situation around the vehicle in a different display manner depending on the operating state of each of a plurality of driving assistance functions.

[0021] A display control program of a ninth aspect causes a computer that controls the display of the situation around the vehicle on a display device to execute a process that controls the display of the situation around the vehicle in a different display manner depending on the operating state of each of a plurality of driving assistance functions. [Effects of the Invention]

[0022] According to the present invention, a vehicle occupant can easily grasp the operating states of a plurality of driving assistance functions installed in the vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating a state in which the front part of the passenger compartment of the vehicle is viewed from the rear side of the vehicle. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a display control device. [Figure 3]FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a display control device. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a display control process. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen according to a modified example. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen according to a modified example. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen according to a modified example. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0024] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0025] First, the configuration of a vehicle 12 to which a display control device 10 according to this embodiment is applied will be described with reference to Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 1, an instrument panel 14 is provided in the front part of the cabin of the vehicle 12. The instrument panel 14 extends in the vehicle width direction, and a steering wheel 16 is provided on the right side of the instrument panel 14. That is, in this embodiment, as an example, the vehicle is a right-hand drive vehicle in which the steering wheel 16 is provided on the right side, and the driver's seat is located on the right side of the vehicle.

[0026] A windshield glass 18 is provided at the front end of the instrument panel 14. The windshield glass 18 extends in the vertical and lateral directions of the vehicle, and separates the interior of the vehicle from the exterior of the vehicle.

[0027] The right end of the windshield glass 18 is fixed to a front pillar 20 on the right side of the vehicle. The front pillar 20 extends in the vertical direction of the vehicle, and the windshield glass 18 is fixed to the inner end of the front pillar 20 in the vehicle width direction. In addition, the front ends of front side windows 22 are fixed to the outer end of the front pillar 20 in the vehicle width direction. The left end of the windshield glass 18 is fixed to a front pillar on the left side of the vehicle (not shown).

[0028] A first display unit 24 is provided on the windshield glass 18. The first display unit 24 is configured by a projection surface onto which an image is projected by a head-up display device 23 (see FIG. 2, indicated as "HUD" (Head Up Display) in FIG. 2). Specifically, the head-up display device 23 is provided further forward than the instrument panel 14 of the vehicle, and an image is projected from the head-up display device 23 onto the first display unit 24 of the windshield glass 18.

[0029] A second display unit 26 is provided below the first display unit 24. The second display unit 26 is a display unit displayed on a meter 25 (see FIG. 2), which is located in front of the driver's seat on the instrument panel 14. The first display unit 24 and the second display unit 26 are provided in positions visible to the driver. The second display unit 26 is an example of a display device according to the disclosed technology.

[0030] The hardware configuration of the display control device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. The display control device 10 is a device that controls displaying the situation around the vehicle on a second display unit 26. As shown in Fig. 2, the display control device 10 includes an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 28. The ECU 28 is an example of a computer.

[0031] The ECU 28 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 30, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 32, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 34, a storage 36, and an input / output I / F (Interface) 38. The CPU 30, the ROM 32, the RAM 34, the storage 36, and the input / output I / F 38 are connected to each other via an internal bus 39 so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0032] The CPU 30 is a central processing unit that executes various programs and controls each part. That is, the CPU 30 reads programs from the ROM 32 or storage 36 and executes the programs using the RAM 34 as a work area. The CPU 30 also controls the above-mentioned components and performs various arithmetic processing in accordance with the programs recorded in the ROM 32 or storage 36.

[0033] The ROM 32 stores various programs and various data. The RAM 34 temporarily stores programs or data as a working area. The storage 36 is configured with an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), or a flash memory, and is a non-temporary recording medium that stores various programs including an operating system and various data. In this embodiment, the ROM 32 or the storage 36 stores a display control program for performing display control processing, etc. Furthermore, various input / output devices are connected to the input / output I / F 38.

[0034] The ECU 28 is electrically connected to the automatic driving ECU 40. Like the ECU 28, the automatic driving ECU 40 includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, a storage, an input / output I / F, and the like, all of which are not shown.

[0035] The autonomous driving ECU 40 is connected to a group of sensors 42 that detects the current situation of the vehicle 12 and a group of actuators 44 that control the traveling of the vehicle 12. The group of sensors 42 includes various sensors such as a camera, radar, LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging or Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging), and a GPS (Global Positioning System) sensor. The camera captures images of the surroundings of the vehicle 12. The radar uses radio waves to detect the distance and direction to objects around the vehicle 12. The LIDAR uses laser light to detect the distance and direction to objects around the vehicle 12. The GPS sensor detects the current position of the vehicle 12. In addition, the group of sensors 42 may include a sensor that detects the state of an occupant. For example, the group of sensors 42 may include a biosensor that detects the heart rate, alertness, etc. of the occupant.

[0036] The actuator group 44 includes an acceleration / deceleration actuator that adjusts the acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle 12, and a steering actuator that drives the steering device of the vehicle 12. The autonomous driving ECU 40 controls the operation of the actuator group 44 in accordance with the current situation of the vehicle 12 detected by the sensor group 42, thereby performing autonomous driving of the vehicle 12. Note that a planned route indicating the route along which the vehicle 12 is planned to travel is stored in a memory unit of the autonomous driving ECU 40, and the autonomous driving ECU 40 causes the vehicle 12 to travel along the planned route stored in the memory unit.

[0037] An accelerator position sensor 46 and a steering sensor 48 are connected to the ECU 28. The accelerator position sensor 46 is a sensor that detects the position of an accelerator pedal (not shown) that is provided below the driver's seat. The steering sensor 48 is a sensor that detects the load applied to the steering wheel 16 by the occupant.

[0038] The vehicle 12 according to this embodiment is equipped with a plurality of driving assistance functions. In this embodiment, the driving assistance functions will be described by way of example, in which a following distance control function that maintains a set distance between the vehicle 12 and a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of the vehicle 12, a centering assistance function that assists the vehicle 12 in traveling in the center of a lane, and a traffic congestion assistance function that assists the vehicle 12 in traveling in a traffic jam are applied. The following distance control function and centering assistance function according to this embodiment can be switched on and off by a button provided on the right side of the vehicle on the instrument panel 14 or on the steering wheel 16, etc.

[0039] These driving assistance functions are realized by the autonomous driving ECU 40. In this embodiment, when there is a change in the operation state of each of the driving assistance functions, the autonomous driving ECU 40 outputs the operation state of the driving assistance function to the ECU 28. The ECU 28 performs control to display the operation state of each of the driving assistance functions in an identifiable manner.

[0040] The functional configuration of the display control device 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. 3, the display control device 10 includes an acquisition unit 60, a detection unit 62, and a display control unit 64. The CPU 30 executes a program stored in the ROM 32 or the storage 36, thereby functioning as the acquisition unit 60, the detection unit 62, and the display control unit 64.

[0041] The acquisition unit 60 acquires the operation status of the driving assistance function output from the autonomous driving ECU 40. The detection unit 62 detects accelerator operation by an occupant of the vehicle 12. In this embodiment, the detection unit 62 detects accelerator operation by an occupant of the vehicle 12 by detecting that the accelerator pedal has moved from its initial position based on a signal from the accelerator position sensor 46.

[0042] The display control unit 64 performs control to display the surroundings of the vehicle 12 on the second display unit 26 in different display modes depending on the operation states of each of the multiple driving assistance functions. In this embodiment, the display control unit 64 performs this control to change the display mode of at least one of an image of the road surface of the lane in which the vehicle 12 is traveling (hereinafter referred to as the "traveling lane") and an image of the boundary line of the traveling lane, as the surroundings of the vehicle 12. The operation states here include an off state in which the function is turned off by a button, and an on state in which the function is turned on by a button. Furthermore, the on state here includes at least one of a first operation state in which the function is operating normally, a second operation state in which the function is not operating normally, and a third operation state in which the function is operating normally and alerts the occupants of the vehicle 12. The display control unit 64 controls the display of the image of the road surface of the driving lane and the image of the boundary line of the driving lane in different display modes, thereby controlling the display so that each driving assistance function is clearly displayed as being in an off state (i.e., a non-operating state), a first operating state, a second operating state, or a third operating state.

[0043] Specific examples of screens displayed on the second display unit 26 under the control of the display control unit 64 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0044] Fig. 4 shows an example of a display screen when the inter-vehicle distance control function and the centering support function are both in the first operating state. As shown in Fig. 4, in this embodiment, the second display unit 26 displays an own vehicle image M1 that resembles the own vehicle 12, a leading vehicle image M2 that resembles a leading vehicle traveling in front of the vehicle 12, a road surface image M3 that resembles the road surface of the traveling lane, and a boundary line image M4 that resembles the left and right boundary lines of the traveling lane.

[0045] The road surface image M3 is displayed in the shape of a strip extending from bottom to top in the center of the second display unit 26 in the left-right direction. The road surface image M3 is displayed so that its width gradually narrows from bottom to top of the second display unit 26. The boundary line image M4 is displayed on each side of the road surface image M3. The boundary line image M4 is also displayed in the shape of a strip extending from bottom to top of the second display unit 26. The boundary line image M4 is also displayed so that its width gradually narrows from bottom to top of the second display unit 26. The width of the boundary line image M4 is displayed narrower than the width of the road surface image M3. The host vehicle image M1 is displayed at the bottom of the second display unit 26, superimposed on the road surface image M3. The leading vehicle image M2 is displayed at a position above the host vehicle image M1, superimposed on the road surface image M3 at a position corresponding to the inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle 12 and the leading vehicle.

[0046] When the vehicle distance control function and the center driving support function are each in a first operating state, the display control unit 64 controls the display of the road surface image M3 and the boundary line image M4 to be filled in with a first color (e.g., green).

[0047] 5 shows an example of a display screen when the inter-vehicle distance control function is in a first operating state and the centering support function is in a second operating state. For example, when the centering support function is in the second operating state, the autonomous driving ECU 40 cannot recognize the boundary line of the driving lane, and the centering support function is in an on state but is not operating normally. Also, when the centering support function is in the second operating state, the occupant of the vehicle 12 operates the steering wheel 16, and the centering support function is in an on state but is temporarily stopped. When the inter-vehicle distance control function is in the first operating state and the centering support function is in the second operating state, the display control unit 64 controls the display so that the road surface image M3 is filled in with a first color and the boundary line image M4 is filled in with a second color (e.g., gray).

[0048] FIG. 6 shows an example of a display screen when the inter-vehicle distance control function changes from the state shown in FIG. 4 to the second operating state. For example, if the detection unit 62 detects an accelerator operation while the inter-vehicle distance control function is operating in the first operating state, the inter-vehicle distance control function is temporarily stopped, i.e., the function changes to the second operating state where the function is not operating normally. In this case, the display control unit 64 controls the display of the road surface image M3 so that it is filled in with a third color (e.g., silver). Note that in the example of FIG. 6, since the centering assist function is in the first operating state, the boundary line image M4 is filled in with the first color. In other words, when the detection unit 62 detects an accelerator operation while the inter-vehicle distance control function is operating, the display control unit 64 changes the display mode of the image of the road surface of the driving lane.

[0049] 7 shows an example of a display screen when the following distance control function and the centering driving support function are both in an OFF state. In this case, the display control unit 64 performs control to display the road surface image M3 filled with the second color and not to display the boundary line image M4.

[0050] 8 shows an example of a display screen when the inter-vehicle distance control function is off and the centering support function is in the second operating state. In this case, the display control unit 64 controls to display the road surface image M3 and the boundary line image M4 filled in with the second color. Note that when the inter-vehicle distance control function is off and the centering support function is in the first operating state, the display control unit 64 may also control to display the road surface image M3 filled in with the second color and the boundary line image M4 filled in with the first color.

[0051] 9 shows an example of a display screen when the traffic congestion assistance function is in the first operating state. In the vehicle 12 according to this embodiment, the traffic congestion assistance function is in the first operating state when the vehicle distance control function and the driving assistance function are in the first operating state, i.e., when a condition defined as a condition indicating that the vehicle is in a traffic jam is satisfied while operating normally. Examples of the condition in this case include a condition that the speed of the vehicle 12 is equal to or lower than a certain speed, and a condition that the eyes of an occupant seated in the driver's seat of the vehicle 12 are facing forward. When the traffic congestion assistance function is in the first operating state, the occupant seated in the driver's seat of the vehicle 12 is allowed to take their hands off the steering wheel 16, i.e., to be in a so-called hands-off state.

[0052] When the traffic congestion assistance function is in a first operating state, the display control unit 64 controls to display the road surface image M3 and the boundary line image M4 in a state where they are filled in with a fourth color (e.g., blue). That is, when the following distance control function and the centering assistance function are operating normally and a condition defined as a condition indicating a traffic jam is met, the display control unit 64 changes the display mode of the image of the road surface of the driving lane and the image of the boundary line of the driving lane. Furthermore, when the traffic congestion assistance function is in the first operating state, the display control unit 64 also controls to display a trajectory image M5 indicating the planned driving route of the vehicle 12 and a speed mark M6 corresponding to the speed of the vehicle 12. The trajectory image M5 is displayed superimposed on the road surface image M3. Furthermore, the trajectory image M5 is displayed in a strip shape from the host vehicle image M1 to the leading vehicle image M2. The width of the trajectory image M5 is displayed narrower than the width of the road surface image M3. Furthermore, the speed mark M6 is elliptical, and is displayed with its major axis narrower than the width of the trajectory image M5. Furthermore, the speed marks M6 are displayed superimposed on the trajectory image M5 and spaced apart in the vertical direction of the second display unit 26, and Fig. 9 shows an example in which five speed marks M6 are displayed. The interval between adjacent speed marks M6 is displayed to change depending on the speed of the vehicle 12. Specifically, the slower the speed of the vehicle 12, the narrower the interval between adjacent speed marks M6.

[0053] If the central driving assist function changes to a second operating state while the traffic congestion assistance function is in the first operating state, the display control unit 64 may perform control to display the road surface image M3 filled in with a fourth color and the boundary line image M4 filled in with a second color. Also, if the vehicle distance control function changes to a second operating state while the traffic congestion assistance function is in the first operating state, the display control unit 64 may perform control to display the road surface image M3 filled in with a third color and the boundary line image M4 filled in with a fourth color.

[0054] FIG. 10 shows an example of a display screen when the vehicle distance control function and the centering assist function are both in the first operating state and the conditions for issuing a warning are satisfied. An example of the conditions for issuing a warning is when another vehicle cuts in between the vehicle 12 and the preceding vehicle, causing the distance between the vehicle 12 and the newly-cutting preceding vehicle to become equal to or less than a threshold. M7 in FIG. 10 is a preceding vehicle image that simulates a new preceding vehicle that has cut in between the vehicle 12 and the preceding vehicle corresponding to the preceding vehicle image M2. The state shown in FIG. 10 indicates that the operating state of the vehicle distance control function has changed from the first operating state to the third operating state by satisfying the above conditions. In this case, the display control unit 64 controls the display so that the road surface image M3 is filled in with a specific color (e.g., amber) and the boundary line image M4 is filled in with a first color. That is, when the vehicle distance control function is operating normally and the conditions for issuing a warning are satisfied, the display control unit 64 controls the display so that the color of the road surface image of the driving lane is changed to a specific color. This specific color is a color different from the first to fourth colors. Examples of conditions defined as conditions for issuing a warning include a condition that an object has fallen in front of the vehicle 12, and a condition that a pedestrian or a motorcycle has suddenly appeared in front of the vehicle 12. Another example of a condition defined as a condition for issuing a warning is a condition that the vehicle 12 changes lanes and the distance between the vehicle 12 and a new preceding vehicle becomes equal to or less than a threshold.

[0055] Furthermore, the display control unit 64 may control the display of the image of the boundary line of the driving lane in a specific color when the centering assist function is operating normally and a condition defined as a condition for issuing a warning is met. In this case, it means that the operation state of the centering assist function has changed from the first operation state to the third operation state by satisfying the above condition. In this case, for example, the display control unit 64 controls the display of the boundary line image M4 in a state where it is filled in with a specific color. An example of a condition defined as a condition for issuing a warning in this case is when, while the centering assist function is in the first operation state, an occupant seated in the driver's seat of the vehicle 12 takes their hands off the steering wheel 16 for a certain period of time or longer.

[0056] As described above, the display control unit 64 changes the display mode of the image of the road surface of the driving lane depending on the operation state of the following distance control function. Also, the display control unit 64 changes the display mode of the image of the boundary line of the driving lane depending on the operation state of the centering support function.

[0057] The operation of the display control device 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 11. The CPU 30 executes a program stored in the ROM 32 or the storage 36, thereby performing the display control process shown in Fig. 11.

[0058] 11, the acquisition unit 60 acquires the operation status of the driving assistance function output from the autonomous driving ECU 40. In step S12, the display control unit 64 determines whether there has been a change in the operation status of the driving assistance function. If this determination is negative, the processing returns to step S10. That is, in this case, the colors of the road surface image M3 and boundary line image M4 displayed on the second display unit 26 do not change.

[0059] If the determination in step S12 is positive, the process proceeds to step S14. In step S14, the display control unit 64 controls the display of the road surface image M3 and the boundary line image M4 in a display mode corresponding to the operation state of each of the multiple driving assistance functions, as described above. When the process in step S14 ends, the process returns to step S10.

[0060] As described above, according to this embodiment, the occupant of the vehicle 12 can identify the operation states of multiple driving assistance functions by looking at one screen. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the occupant of the vehicle 12 can easily understand the operation states of multiple driving assistance functions installed in the vehicle 12.

[0061] In the above embodiment, the display control unit 64 controls the display of the situation around the vehicle 12 on the second display unit 26, but the disclosed technology is not limited to this. The display control unit 64 may control the display of the situation around the vehicle 12 on the first display unit 24, or may control the display of the situation on both the first display unit 24 and the second display unit 26.

[0062] In the above embodiment, the display control unit 64 has been described as changing the display mode of the image of the road surface of the driving lane and the image of the boundary line of the driving lane as the situation around the vehicle 12. However, the disclosed technology is not limited to this. For example, the display control unit 64 may change the display mode of at least one of the image of the road surface of the driving lane, the image of the boundary line of the driving lane, the image of the background other than the road surface and boundary line, and the image of the leading vehicle as the situation around the vehicle 12.

[0063] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the display control unit 64 has been described as varying the color of the image of the road surface of the driving lane and the color of the image of the boundary lines of the driving lane as a display mode, but the disclosed technology is not limited to this. The display control unit 64 may also vary the hatching of the image of the road surface of the driving lane and the hatching of the image of the boundary lines of the driving lane as a display mode. The display control unit 64 may also vary the color density of the image of the road surface of the driving lane and the color density of the image of the boundary lines of the driving lane as a display mode. The display control unit 64 may also vary the line thickness of the outer frame of the image of the road surface of the driving lane and the line thickness of the outer frame of the image of the boundary lines of the driving lane as a display mode. The display control unit 64 may also vary the line type of the outer frame of the image of the road surface of the driving lane and the line type of the outer frame of the image of the boundary lines of the driving lane as a display mode.

[0064] In the above embodiment, a lane departure prevention function that prevents the vehicle 12 from deviating from the driving lane may be applied as the driving assistance function. FIGS. 12 to 15 show examples of a display screen when the lane departure prevention function is in a first operating state and a condition defined as a condition for the lane departure prevention function to issue a warning is met. In this case, the display control unit 64 performs control to display a warning image M8 filled in with a specific color on the side opposite the driving lane of the boundary line that the lane departure prevention function is warning about, one of the left and right boundary lines of the driving lane. The warning image M8 is displayed in a strip shape extending from the bottom to the center in the vertical direction of the second display unit 26. The width of the warning image M8 is displayed wider than the width of the boundary line image M4 and narrower than the width of the road surface image M3. An example of a condition defined as a condition for the lane departure prevention function to issue a warning is when the vehicle 12 is about to deviate from the driving lane and is returned to the center of the driving lane. In addition, the conditions under which the lane departure prevention function will issue a warning include a condition in which the vehicle 12 cannot be returned to the center of the driving lane and the vehicle 12 is warned to deviate from the driving lane.

[0065] 12 to 15 show an example of a case where the vehicle 12 is about to deviate from the boundary line on the right. Also, FIG. 12 shows an example of a display screen when the following distance control function and the central driving assist function are both in a first operating state and the lane departure prevention function satisfies the conditions defined as the conditions for issuing a warning. Also, FIG. 13 shows an example of a display screen when the following distance control function is in a first operating state, the central driving assist function is in a second operating state, and the lane departure prevention function satisfies the conditions defined as the conditions for issuing a warning. Also, FIG. 14 shows an example of a display screen when the following distance control function is in an off state, the central driving assist function is in a second operating state, and the lane departure prevention function satisfies the conditions defined as the conditions for issuing a warning. Also, FIG. 15 shows an example of a display screen when the following distance control function and the central driving assist function are both in an off state and the lane departure prevention function satisfies the conditions defined as the conditions for issuing a warning.

[0066] Furthermore, the processes performed by the CPU in the above embodiments by reading software (programs) may be performed by various processors other than the 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 perform specific processes. Each process may be performed by one of these various 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 various processors is, more specifically, an electrical circuit that combines circuit elements such as semiconductor devices.

[0067] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, various data are stored in a ROM or storage, but this is not limiting. For example, a recording medium such as a CD (Compact Disk), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), or a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory may be used as the storage unit. In this case, various programs and data are stored in these recording media.

[0068] The vehicle 12 according to the embodiment has been described above, but it goes without saying that the present invention can be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] 10 Display control device 12 vehicles 26 Second display section 30 CPU 60 Acquisition Department 62 Detection unit 64 Display control unit

Claims

1. A display control device that controls displaying a situation around a vehicle on a display device, a display control unit that controls the display of the surroundings of the vehicle in different display modes depending on the operation states of each of the plurality of driving assistance functions; A display control device including:

2. The display control unit changes a display mode of at least one of an image of a road surface of a lane on which the vehicle is traveling and an image of a boundary line of the lane as a situation around the vehicle. The display control device according to claim 1 .

3. The display control unit changes the display mode of the image of the road surface depending on an operation state of a vehicle distance control function that maintains a distance between the vehicle and a leading vehicle traveling ahead of the vehicle. The display control device according to claim 2 .

4. The vehicle further includes a detection unit that detects an accelerator operation by an occupant of the vehicle, The display control unit changes a display mode of the image of the road surface when the detection unit detects an accelerator operation while the inter-vehicle distance control function is operating. The display control device according to claim 3 .

5. The display control unit controls the image of the road surface to have a specific color when a condition defined as a condition for issuing a warning is satisfied. The display control device according to claim 2 .

6. The display mode of the image of the boundary line is changed depending on the operation state of a centering support function that supports the vehicle to run in the center of the lane. The display control device according to claim 2 .

7. The display control unit changes the display manner of the image of the road surface and the image of the boundary line when a vehicle distance control function that maintains a distance between the vehicle and a preceding vehicle traveling in front of the vehicle and a centering support function that supports the vehicle to travel in the center of a lane are operating normally and a condition defined as a condition indicating that the vehicle is in a traffic jam is satisfied. The display control device according to claim 2 .

8. A computer that controls the display of the situation around the vehicle on a display device, Control is performed to display the situation around the vehicle in different ways depending on the operating status of each of the multiple driving assistance functions. A display control method that performs processing.

9. A computer that controls the display of the situation around the vehicle on a display device, Control is performed to display the situation around the vehicle in different ways depending on the operating status of each of the multiple driving assistance functions. A display control program for executing the process.

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