Information processing unit

Abstract

To make a passenger of a vehicle feel a speed based upon display details of a display section.SOLUTION: An information processing unit comprises a control section which causes a display section to display a circumference image showing a circumferential state of a vehicle and a vehicle image simulating the vehicle based upon the circumference information related to the circumferential state, and also causes the display section to display a background image of the circumference of the vehicle image in the form of an animation moving in the opposite direction from a traveling direction of the vehicle.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 technique in which an image showing the state of the surroundings of a vehicle is displayed on a display unit. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7086798 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the technology of Patent Document 1 cannot give the occupants of the vehicle a sense of speed based on the content displayed on the display unit, and there is room for improvement in the content displayed on the display unit.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide an information processing device that can give a vehicle occupant a sense of speed based on the display content of a display unit. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The information processing device of claim 1 includes a control unit that causes a display unit to display a surrounding image showing the surrounding situation and a vehicle image that resembles the vehicle based on surrounding information regarding the surrounding situation of the vehicle, and also causes the display unit to display a background image of the surroundings of the vehicle image as an animation that moves in the opposite direction to the direction of travel of the vehicle.

[0007] In the information processing device according to claim 1, the control unit causes the display unit to display a surrounding image showing the surrounding situation and a vehicle image simulating the vehicle based on surrounding information relating to the surrounding situation of the vehicle.The control unit then causes the display unit to display a background image around the vehicle image as an animation moving in the opposite direction to the vehicle's traveling direction.As a result, according to the information processing device, by displaying the background image on the display unit as an animation moving in the opposite direction to the vehicle's traveling direction, it is possible to express that the vehicle is traveling, and to give the vehicle occupants a sense of speed based on the display content of the display unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The information processing device according to the present disclosure can give the occupants of the vehicle a sense of speed based on the display content of the display unit. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [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] 10 is a display example displayed on a monitor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] 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 (Electronic Control Unit) 20. The meter ECU 20 is an example of an "information processing device."

[0011] 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.

[0012] 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.

[0013] The ROM 22 stores various programs and various data. The RAM 23 serves as a working area for temporarily storing programs or data.

[0014] 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.

[0015] 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.

[0016] The input / output I / F 26 is an interface for communicating with an in-vehicle device 40 mounted on the vehicle 10 .

[0017] 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.

[0018] 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, as well as a plurality of cameras for capturing images of the surroundings of the vehicle 10. The sensor group 42 outputs the detection results of the respective sensors and the images captured by the respective cameras to the meter ECU 20, the ECU 30, etc.

[0019] 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."

[0020] 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).

[0021] 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.

[0022] The acquisition unit 21A acquires various types of information. For example, the acquisition unit 21A acquires, as the various types of information, surrounding information related to the surrounding conditions of the vehicle 10. The surrounding information includes detection results by each sensor constituting the sensor group 42, images captured by each camera, and the like.

[0023] The control unit 21B performs display control regarding the display on the monitor 44. For example, as the display control, the control unit 21B causes the monitor 44 to display a surrounding image showing the surrounding situation of the vehicle 10 as seen from a virtual viewpoint and a host vehicle image 10A (see FIG. 3) that simulates the vehicle 10, based on the surrounding information acquired by the acquisition unit 21A. The host vehicle image 10A is an example of a "vehicle image."

[0024] The peripheral image includes a road image 10B (see FIG. 3) showing the road on which the vehicle 10 is traveling, and target images (not shown) showing targets other than the vehicle 10, such as other vehicles and pedestrians. The virtual viewpoint is set in a three-dimensional virtual space with the position of the host vehicle image 10A as the origin, and is defined by viewpoint coordinates and a viewpoint angle (orientation) in the virtual space. As an example, the virtual viewpoint is a viewpoint seen from a specific viewpoint coordinate above the host vehicle image 10A in the virtual space at a specific viewpoint angle.

[0025] 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.

[0026] 2, the CPU 21 acquires peripheral information, and then the CPU 21 proceeds to step S11.

[0027] In step S11, the CPU 21 updates the display content of the monitor 44 based on the surrounding information acquired in step S10. For example, when the CPU 21 detects another vehicle traveling ahead of the vehicle 10 based on the surrounding information, the CPU 21 displays a target image indicating the other vehicle on the road image 10B. Then, the CPU 21 proceeds to step S12.

[0028] In step S12, based on the surrounding information acquired in step S10, the CPU 21 displays an animation in which a background image 10C (see FIG. 3) around the host vehicle image 10A moves in the opposite direction to the traveling direction of the vehicle 10. Then, the CPU 21 ends the identification process.

[0029] Next, an example of movement of the background image 10C on the monitor 44 will be described with reference to FIG. 3(A) shows an example of a display displayed in the display area X of the monitor 44 at time P1. The display area X is a partial area of ​​the monitor 44, and is visible to a passenger seated in the driver's seat through an opening in the steering wheel.

[0030] In Fig. 3(A), a host vehicle image 10A, a road image 10B as a surrounding image, and a background image 10C are displayed. An icon resembling the vehicle 10 shown in the host vehicle image 10A is arranged on the road image 10B with the upward direction in the figure being the traveling direction of the vehicle 10. The background image 10C in Fig. 3(A) is made up of six streamlines extending to the left and right of the road image 10B. Hereinafter, the streamline located at the bottom of the background image 10C in the figure will be referred to as the downward line 15. In Fig. 3(A), the downward line 15 is displayed above the host vehicle image 10A.

[0031] 3(B) shows an example of a display displayed in the display area X of the monitor 44 at time P2, a predetermined time after time P1. In FIG. 3(B), the background image 10C has moved from FIG. 3(A) in the opposite direction to the traveling direction of the vehicle 10, specifically, in the direction indicated by the arrow D in the figure. As a result, in FIG. 3(B), a lower line 15 is displayed on the side of the host vehicle image 10A.

[0032] Although not shown in the figure, on the monitor 44, display control by the CPU 21 displays an animation in which the background image 10C moves in the direction indicated by the arrow D, and the background image 10C gradually moves from the state shown in Figure 3(A) to the state shown in Figure 3(B).

[0033] Here, CPU 21 may change the movement speed of background image 10C depending on the vehicle speed of vehicle 10 detected by a vehicle speed sensor included in sensor group 42. For example, CPU 21 may move background image 10C at a slow first movement speed when the vehicle speed is 20 km / h, and may move background image 10C at a second movement speed that is faster than the first movement speed when the vehicle speed is 60 km / h.

[0034] As described above, in the meter ECU 20, the CPU 21 displays the surrounding image and the host vehicle image 10A on the monitor 44 based on the acquired surrounding information. Then, the CPU 21 displays the background image 10C around the host vehicle image 10A on the monitor 44 as an animation facing in the opposite direction to the traveling direction of the vehicle 10. In this way, the meter ECU 20 can express that the vehicle 10 is traveling by displaying the background image 10C on the monitor 44 as an animation facing in the opposite direction to the traveling direction of the vehicle 10, and can allow the occupants of the vehicle 10 to sense a sense of speed based on the display content of the monitor 44.

[0035] (others) In the above embodiment, the background image 10C is represented by flow lines, but the display content of the background image 10C is not limited to this. For example, the background image 10C may be an image showing landmarks such as roadside trees and buildings detected based on surrounding information.

[0036] In the above embodiment, the monitor 44 is an example of the "display unit," but the example of the "display unit" is not limited to this. For example, the "display unit" may be a multimedia display provided above the center console or a head-up display (HUD). When the "display unit" is a display other than the monitor 44, an example of the information processing device is an ECU that controls the other display.

[0037] In the above embodiment, the meter ECU 20 executes the specific processing shown in Fig. 2. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the specific processing may be executed by the meter ECU 20 in cooperation with another ECU. For example, the acquisition of peripheral information in step S10 may be executed by another ECU, and the display control of the monitor 44 in steps S11 and S12 may be executed by the meter ECU 20.

[0038] 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.

[0039] 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]

[0040] 10 vehicles 10C background image 20 Meter ECU (information processing unit) 21B Control section 44 Monitor (display)

Claims

[Claim 1] a control unit that displays, on a display unit, a surrounding image showing the surrounding situation and a vehicle image simulating the vehicle based on surrounding information relating to the surrounding situation of the vehicle, and also displays, on the display unit, a background image of the surroundings of the vehicle image as an animation moving in a direction opposite to the traveling direction of the vehicle; Information processing device.

Images