Display system for vehicle

Abstract

To propose a display system for a vehicle which can achieve a display form with utilization value never seen before.SOLUTION: The side window glass 5 of vehicle 2 and the moveable display panel 6 are configured with a transparent display. Images of the four seasons and images of history / future or the like are stored in the image database 34 of system server 3. The image requested by the operation of the crewman's operation switch 26 is acquired from the image database 34 and on the side window glass 5 and a display panel 6, the image is displayed in the form of overlapping the outside of the vehicle penetrating through the side window glass 5 and the display panel 6 as the background. Thereby, a display system of the vehicle can achieve display form which includes value of utilization never before.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a display system for a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] A known example of a conventional vehicular display system is a head-up display (HUD) that provides various information to the driver by projecting an image onto the vehicle's front windshield, as disclosed in Patent Document 1. The HUD disclosed in Patent Document 1 captures an image of the outside of the vehicle, generates vehicle exterior information from the captured image, and projects the HUD information generated based on the vehicle exterior information as an image onto the front windshield. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-193706 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Incidentally, conventional vehicle display systems have provided information to the driver that contributes to safe driving and information about the vehicle's surroundings as images projected onto the front windshield.

[0005] The inventors of the present invention have considered new forms of vehicle display systems, and have come to the realization that if information different from the information provided to the driver that contributes to safe driving can be provided to occupants in the form of images, a vehicle display system can be realized as a highly useful information providing means different from conventional methods, and have arrived at the present invention.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and its purpose is to propose a vehicle display system that can realize a display form that has never before been available. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The solution of the present invention for achieving the above object is based on a vehicle display system for providing information to occupants through images. The vehicle display system includes a display means, an image acquisition unit, and a display control unit. The display means is composed of a transparent display constituting at least one of the glass separating the interior and exterior of the vehicle cabin and a display panel movable within the vehicle cabin. The image acquisition unit acquires an image corresponding to at least one of vehicle position information, vehicle traveling speed information, occupant line of sight information, and occupant request information. The display control unit can display the image acquired by the image acquisition unit in a form in which the image is superimposed on the background of the outside of the vehicle, which is transmitted through the display means.

[0008] This specification allows the display means to display an image corresponding to at least one of vehicle position information, vehicle speed information, occupant line-of-sight information, and occupant request information superimposed on the background of the vehicle exterior. If the display means is glass (e.g., a side window glass) separating the interior and exterior of the vehicle cabin, the glass (transparent display) can provide the occupants with an image that adds value to the actual background (e.g., giving the occupants a sense of surprise or providing content tailored to the occupants' preferences). If the display means is a movable display panel within the vehicle cabin, the display panel can be positioned between the front and rear seats to provide images to rear seat occupants. Furthermore, if the display panel is transparent, it can create a sense of openness in the rear seat space. If the display panel is opaque, it can function as a partition, helping to protect the privacy of rear seat occupants. In addition, the display panel can be moved to a position (a position that is easy for rear seat passengers to see) according to the request of the rear seat passengers, so for example, it can be stored along the ceiling surface of the vehicle interior, or in a vehicle equipped with a moon roof, the display panel can be placed over the moon roof and images can be displayed superimposed on the background (sky). In this case, images can be presented in a form that is easy for rear seat passengers to see when the rear seat backs are tilted backward (when the rear seat passengers are lying down). [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] In the present invention, an image corresponding to at least one of vehicle position information, vehicle speed information, occupant line of sight information, and occupant request information can be displayed on a display means made of a transparent display in a form superimposed on the background of the outside of the vehicle that is visible through the display means, thereby realizing a display form with unprecedented utility value. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle display system according to an embodiment; [Figure 2] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an image display state on a side window glass and a movement mode of a display panel in the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the procedure of image display processing on the side window glass. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, a vehicle side window glass (a glass separating the inside and outside of the vehicle cabin in this invention) and a display panel for rear seat passengers are each configured with a transparent display.

[0012] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicular display system 1 according to this embodiment. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the interior of a vehicle 2 according to this embodiment, illustrating the image display state of a side window glass 5 and the movement of a display panel 6.

[0013] As shown in Fig. 1, the vehicular display system 1 includes a vehicle 2 and a system server 3. The vehicle 2 and the system server 3 are configured to be able to communicate with each other using a predetermined communication network 4. Although Fig. 1 shows a configuration in which only one vehicle 2 can communicate with the system server 3 via the communication network 4, a configuration in which multiple vehicles 2 can communicate with the system server 3 via the communication network 4 may also be used.

[0014] The following describes the vehicle 2 that constitutes the vehicular display system 1. Fig. 1 shows the configuration of the parts of the vehicle 2 that are related to the vehicular display system 1.

[0015] The vehicle 2 is equipped with an IG switch 21, a GPS (Global Positioning System) module 22, a vehicle speed sensor 23, an eyepoint sensor 24, a DCM (Data Communication Module) 25, an operation switch 26, a side window glass display controller (hereinafter referred to as SW display controller) 27, and a display panel controller 28. These devices are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via an in-vehicle network such as a CAN.

[0016] The IG switch 21 is operated when a system start request or system stop request is made for the vehicle 2. The GPS module 22 receives GPS signals transmitted from three or more satellites above the vehicle 2 and determines the position of the vehicle (host vehicle) 2. The vehicle speed sensor 23 detects the traveling speed (vehicle speed) of the vehicle 2 by detecting the rotation speed of the wheels or the rotation speed of the drive shaft of the vehicle 2. The eyepoint sensor 24 recognizes the eye position of the occupant and detects the gaze direction of the occupant by analyzing an interior image (such as a facial recognition image of the occupant) from a camera (not shown) installed inside the vehicle. Specifically, the eyepoint sensor 24 calculates the face direction of the occupant and the position of the pupil in the eye from the interior image, and detects the gaze direction of the occupant based on the face direction and pupil position. It is preferable that the occupants (target occupants) whose eye positions are recognized by the eyepoint sensor 24 are all occupants. The DCM 25 is a communication device that communicates with the system server 3 via the communication network 4 (for example, a mobile phone network having many base stations, the Internet, a dedicated communication network, etc.). The operation switch 26 is a switch that is operated by the occupant when displaying an image on the side window glass 5 (described later) or when moving or displaying an image on the display panel 6 (described later). The operation switch 26 is a collection of multiple switches, and is configured, for example, with a switch for starting the vehicular display system 1, a switch for selecting whether the image is to be displayed on the side window glass 5 or the display panel 6, a switch for selecting which side window glass 5 the image is to be displayed on when displaying an image on the side window glass 5, a switch for selecting the type of image to be displayed, and a switch for setting the position and attitude of the display panel 6. Not all of these switches are essential, and other switches may also be provided.

[0017] The output signal of the IG switch 21 (IG-ON signal and IG-OFF signal), the output signal of the GPS module 22 (position information of the vehicle 2), the output signal of the vehicle speed sensor 23 (information on the driving speed), the output signal of the eye point sensor 24 (information on the direction of the occupant's line of sight), and the output signal of the operation switch 26 (information on display requests from the occupant, etc.) are output to the SW display controller 27 and the display panel controller 28, respectively, via CAN communication.

[0018] The SW display controller 27 controls the display of images on the side window glass 5, which is configured as a transparent display. Here, the transparent display will be described. The transparent display constituting each side window glass 5 of the vehicle 2 according to this embodiment is capable of transmitting light when not energized. Furthermore, the transparent display is capable of displaying an image when energized. That is, when no image is displayed on the transparent display, the occupant can see the scenery outside the vehicle through the side window glass 5. On the other hand, when an image is displayed on the transparent display, the image can be displayed in a form superimposed on the scenery outside the vehicle through the side window glass 5 as a background. Note that the side window glass 5 may be configured such that the side window glass 5 itself is a transparent display, or may be configured by superimposing a sheet-like transparent display on ordinary glass (well-known side window glass).

[0019] The SW display controller 27 includes a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read-Only Memory) that stores a control program, a RAM (Random-Access Memory) that temporarily stores data, an input / output port, etc. The SW display controller 27 includes, as functional units realized by the control program, an information input unit 27a, an information output unit 27b, and an AR (Augmented Reality) processing unit (display control unit) 27c.

[0020] The information input unit 27a receives the IG-ON signal and IG-OFF signal from the IG switch 21, the position information of the vehicle 2 from the GPS module 22, the driving speed information from the vehicle speed sensor 23, the information on the occupant's line of sight from the eye point sensor 24, and the operation information from the operation switch 26 via CAN communication.

[0021] The information output unit 27b has a function of outputting, to the DCM 25, information to be transmitted to the system server 3, and a function of outputting, to the side window glass 5, image information (AR display image information) generated by processing image information received by the DCM 25 from the system server 3 by an AR processing unit 27c (described later). Note that the image information received by the DCM 25 from the system server 3 will be described later.

[0022] The AR processing unit 27c acquires image information received by the DCM 25 from the system server 3, and performs processing to display the image information on the side window glass 5. This processing will be described later.

[0023] Display panel controller 28 also includes a processor such as a CPU, a ROM for storing a control program, a RAM for temporarily storing data, an input / output port, etc. Display panel controller 28 includes, as functional units implemented by the control program, information input unit 28a, information output unit 28b, panel movement control unit 28c, and AR processing unit (display control unit) 28d.

[0024] Like the information input unit 27a provided in the above-mentioned SW display controller 27, the information input unit 28a receives signals from the IG switch 21, the GPS module 22, the vehicle speed sensor 23, the eyepoint sensor 24, and the operation switch 26 via CAN communication.

[0025] The information output unit 28b has the function of outputting information to the DCM 25 to be transmitted to the system server 3, and the function of outputting image information generated by the AR processing unit 28d (described later) that is generated by processing image information received by the DCM 25 from the system server 3 to the display panel 6.

[0026] When panel movement control unit 28c receives switch information from operation switch 26 for setting the position and attitude of display panel 6, it outputs command signals to multiple motors (not shown) that serve as power sources for display panel 6 to set the position and attitude of display panel 6. These motors include a rotation motor disposed at one end of display panel 6 (the upper end when display panel 6 is hanging down from the ceiling surface) and a slide motor that enables front-rear movement of display panel 6 (movement along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle). These motors enable display panel 6 to rotate between a position in which it hangs down from the ceiling surface between front seat FS and rear seat RS and a position in which it extends along the ceiling surface, as shown in FIG. 2 (see the positions indicated by the solid line and the dashed-dotted line in FIG. 2). When in this position in which it extends along the ceiling surface, display panel 6 can slide between a position closer to the front and a position closer to the rear (see the positions indicated by the dashed-dotted line and the dashed-two-dot line in FIG. 2). Furthermore, in the case of a vehicle 2 equipped with a moon roof MR as shown in FIG. 2, if the display panel 6 is positioned so as to extend in a direction along the ceiling surface, an image can be displayed in a form in which the outside of the vehicle (e.g., the sky) is superimposed on the background through the display panel 6.

[0027] The AR processing unit 28d acquires image information received by the DCM 25 from the system server 3, and performs processing to display this image information on the display panel 6.

[0028] The system server 3 has, as its functional units, an information receiving unit 31, an image acquiring unit 32, and an information transmitting unit 33. The system server 3 is also connected to an image database 34 that stores various images, and is capable of transmitting and receiving information about various images to and from the image database 34.

[0029] The information receiving unit 31 receives the information transmitted by the DCM 25 via the communication network 4 .

[0030] The image acquisition unit 32 analyzes the information received by the information reception unit 31, and acquires an image corresponding to the analysis result from the image database .

[0031] Examples of images stored in the image database 34 include the following:

[0032] First, there are images of the four seasons. That is, images of each of the four seasons at a pre-specified location (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a specific location) are stored in the image database 34. Specifically, spring images (e.g., images of cherry blossoms in full bloom), summer images (e.g., images of fresh greenery), autumn images (e.g., images of autumn leaves), and winter images (e.g., images of snow) at this specified location are stored.

[0033] Examples of images stored in the image database 34 include images of the past or the future. That is, past images and imaginary future images of a pre-specified location (for example, a streetscape) are stored in the image database 34. Specifically, an image of the specified location from the Meiji era and an imaginary image of the location 50 years from now are stored.

[0034] Examples of images stored in the image database 34 include images of objects and images of information related to objects (such as guide information images of tourist facilities, etc.). In other words, guide information images of pre-registered objects such as tourist facilities (such as buildings, shrines, temples, restaurants, and landscapes) are stored in the image database 34. Other information such as the history, events, ratings, and prices of the facilities may also be stored. Furthermore, information related to facilities such as zoos and theme parks may also be stored.

[0035] The images stored in the image database 34 do not necessarily have to be all of the above-mentioned images, and images other than these may also be stored.

[0036] Next, a description will be given of the operation of the vehicular display system 1. Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing the procedure of image display processing on the side window glass 5. Note that the procedure of image display processing on the display panel 6 is performed in substantially the same manner.

[0037] First, in step ST1, it is determined whether the ignition is turned on (whether the system of the vehicle 2 is activated). If the ignition is not turned on and the determination is NO in step ST1, the process returns.

[0038] If IG-ON is performed and the determination in step ST1 is YES, then in step ST2 it is determined whether the vehicle has arrived at or passed through one of the specific points of the various images stored in the image database 34. If the determination in step ST2 is NO, then the process proceeds to step ST3, where no power is applied to either the side window glass 5 or the display panel 6, and the transparent state of both the side window glass 5 and the display panel 6 is maintained.

[0039] If the determination in step ST2 is YES, the process proceeds to step ST4, where it is determined whether the vehicular display system 1 has been activated by operating the operation switch 26. If the determination in step ST4 is NO, the process proceeds to step ST3, where the side window glass 5 and the display panel 6 are maintained in their transparent states.

[0040] If the determination in step ST4 is YES, the process proceeds to step ST5, where information on the image (requested image) requested by the occupant by operating the operation switch 26 is transmitted from the DCM 25, and the requested image is received by the system server 3. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step ST6, where it is determined whether the received requested image is a seasonal image. If the received requested image is a seasonal image, the determination in step ST6 is YES, and the process proceeds to step ST7, where the image acquisition unit 32 acquires the requested seasonal image from the image database 34. For example, if images of each of the four seasons at the specific location are stored in the image database 34, an image of the requested season (for example, if the specific location is a famous cherry blossom viewing spot and a spring image is requested, an image of cherry blossoms in full bloom at the specific location) is acquired. The acquired image is then transmitted to the vehicle 2 and input to the SW display controller 27.

[0041] In step ST8, an AR display image is generated based on the position information of the vehicle 2 from the GPS module 22, the traveling speed information from the vehicle speed sensor 23, and the information on the occupant's line of sight from the eyepoint sensor 24. That is, an AR display image is generated with the size and position of the image adjusted as a seasonal image to be superimposed on the scenery outside the vehicle currently viewed by the occupant. For example, when a spring image is requested as described above, if the scenery outside the vehicle currently viewed by the occupant includes a cherry tree without flowers, an AR display image is generated that allows an image of cherry blossoms in full bloom to be superimposed on the cherry tree. The reason for using the information on the traveling speed and the occupant's line of sight described above is to prevent misalignment between the scenery currently viewed by the occupant (the scenery that forms the background of the image) and the image to be superimposed on that scenery.

[0042] In step ST9, the AR display image thus generated is output to the specified side window glass 5 (specified by operating the operation switch 26), thereby displaying the acquired image in a form superimposed on the background transmitted through the side window glass 5.

[0043] If the determination in step ST6 is NO, the process proceeds to step ST10, where it is determined whether the received requested image is a historical / future image. If the received requested image is a historical / future image, the determination in step ST10 is YES, and the process proceeds to step ST11, where the image acquisition unit 32 acquires the requested historical / future image from the image database 34. For example, if historical images or future images of the specific location are stored in the image database 34, the requested historical / future image (for example, if the specific location is a shopping district and a past image is requested, an image of the shopping district from the Meiji era, etc.) will be acquired. Then, this acquired image will be transmitted to the vehicle 2 and input to the SW display controller 27.

[0044] After the historical / future image is acquired in this manner, in step ST8, AR image information is generated as described above. That is, an AR display image is generated in which the size and position of the image is adjusted as the historical / future image to be superimposed on the scenery outside the vehicle that the occupant is currently viewing. For example, when a historical image is requested as described above, if the scenery outside the vehicle that the occupant is currently viewing includes a building, an AR display image is generated that allows an image of the historical building to be superimposed on this building. In this case, in step ST9, the AR display image generated in this manner is output to the side window glass 5, thereby displaying the historical image superimposed on the background that is transmitted through the side window glass 5.

[0045] If the determination in step ST10 is NO, the process proceeds to step ST12, where it is determined whether the received requested image is an object information image. If the received requested image is an object information image, the determination in step ST12 is YES, and the process proceeds to step ST13, where an object around the vehicle 2 is photographed by the onboard camera and the object is recognized. In step ST14, the image acquisition unit 32 acquires an image of the recognized object or an image of information related to the object from the image database 34. Then, in step ST15, an AR display image is generated and a display area for the AR display image on the side window glass 5 is set by the same process as described above. For example, an area where the AR display image does not obscure the object is set as the display area. Then, in step ST9, the AR display image generated in this manner is output to the side window glass 5, whereby the AR display image related to the object is displayed superimposed on the background visible through the side window glass 5.

[0046] As described above, in this embodiment, images corresponding to the position information of the vehicle 2, the traveling speed information of the vehicle 2, the line of sight information of the occupant, and the occupant's request information can be displayed on the side window glass 5 or the display panel 6 in a form superimposed on the background of the outside of the vehicle transmitted through the side window glass 5 or the display panel 6. This makes it possible to realize a display form with unprecedented utility value. That is, when an image is displayed on the side window glass 5, it is possible to provide the occupant with an image that adds value to the actual background on the side window glass 5 (for example, to give the occupant a sense of surprise or to provide content tailored to the occupant's preferences). Furthermore, when an image is displayed on the display panel 6, not only can the image be provided to the occupant in the rear seat RS when the display panel 6 is disposed between the front seat FS and the rear seat RS, but also, when the display panel 6 is made transparent, it can create a sense of openness in the rear seat space. Furthermore, when the display panel 6 is made opaque, it can function as a partition, thereby helping to protect the privacy of the occupant in the rear seat RS. For example, by employing a relatively large display panel 6 of about 30 inches, this effect can be significantly achieved. In this case, images on the display panel 6 can be viewed while blocking light from the front (sunlight, light from oncoming vehicle headlights, light from street lamps, etc.). The display panel 6 can also be moved to a position (a position that is easily visible to the rear seat RS occupants) according to the passenger's request. For example, the display panel 6 can be stored along the ceiling surface of the vehicle interior, or it can be superimposed on the moon roof MR to display images superimposed on a background (sky). For example, at night, images (information images such as the names of constellations) can be displayed superimposed on a background of a starry sky, fireworks, a lunar eclipse, etc.; during the day, images (information images such as the names of skyscrapers) can be displayed superimposed on a background of a solar eclipse, a blue sky, skyscrapers, birds, or other living creatures. In this case, images can be provided in a format that is easy for the passengers in the rear seat RS to see when the seatbacks of the rear seat RS are tilted backward (when the passengers in the rear seat RS are lying down).

[0047] -Other embodiments- The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and all modifications and applications within the scope of the claims and equivalents thereto are possible.

[0048] For example, in the above embodiment, the side window glass 5 and the display panel 6 are provided as display means in the vehicular display system 1. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the vehicular display system 1 may be configured to include only one of the side window glass 5 and the display panel 6 as display means. Furthermore, images may be displayed on the front window glass or the rear window glass.

[0049] In the above embodiment, images are acquired that have been stored in advance in the image database 34. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and images that exist on a network (so-called free images) may also be acquired. [Industrial Applicability]

[0050] The present invention is applicable to a vehicle display system that displays images on a transparent display when the display panel for a vehicle's side window glass or rear seat passengers is made up of a transparent display. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 1... Vehicle display system 2... Vehicle 27c, 28d... AR processing unit (display control unit) 32...Image acquisition unit 5...Side window glass (display means) 6...Display panel (display means)

Claims

[Claim 1] A vehicle display system for providing information to an occupant by means of images, a display means including a transparent display constituting at least one of a glass separating the inside and outside of the vehicle compartment and a display panel movable within the vehicle compartment; an image acquisition unit that acquires an image according to at least one of vehicle position information, vehicle speed information, occupant line of sight information, and occupant request information; A vehicular display system characterized by comprising a display control unit that enables the image acquired by the image acquisition unit to be displayed on the display means in a form in which the image acquired by the image acquisition unit is superimposed on the background of the outside of the vehicle that is transmitted through the display means.

Images