Video display device

Abstract

To provide a video display device that can reduce discomfort of a scene that is seen from a vehicle of a driving simulator.SOLUTION: A video display device has: a video display unit that displays a plurality of videos respectively on a plurality of screens arranged around a vehicle of a driving simulator; and a video processing unit that processes the plurality of videos so that the video displayed on the second screen of the plurality of screens closer to a driver's seat of the vehicle than the first screen is clearer than the video displayed on the first screen.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a video display device. [Background technology]

[0002] Around the vehicle of the driving simulator, a screen onto which images of scenery are projected from a plurality of projectors is provided (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-3923 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Since the image projected onto the screen has uniform image quality overall, the user inside the vehicle may feel uncomfortable with the scenery.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and has as its object to provide an image display device that can reduce the sense of incongruity in the scenery seen from the vehicle of a driving simulator. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The video display device of the present invention comprises a video display unit that displays multiple images on multiple screens arranged around the vehicle of a driving simulator, and a video processing unit that processes the multiple images so that the image displayed on a second screen, which is closer to the driver's seat of the vehicle than the first screen, is clearer than the image displayed on the first screen. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the sense of incongruity in the scenery seen from the vehicle of a driving simulator. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a top view of an example of a driving simulator system. [Figure 2] FIG. 2(a) is an example of the view from the driver's seat window, and FIG. 2(b) is an example of the view from the passenger's seat window. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] (Driving simulator system configuration) 1 is a top view of an example of a system for a driving simulator S. The driving simulator S is used, for example, to practice driving, evaluate driving ability, or as a game. The driving simulator S includes a video display device 1, a screen 2, projectors 3L, 3R, and 3F, and a vehicle V.

[0010] The screen 2 has, for example, a generally cylindrical shape with a sector-shaped portion cut out over a predetermined angle range from the center. When viewed from above, the screen 2 is divided into three generally sector-shaped display areas 20L, 20R, and 20F. The display areas 20L, 20R, and 20F are an example of multiple screens, onto which images are projected from the projectors 3L, 3R, and 3F, respectively.

[0011] A vehicle V having a body simulating an actual automobile is placed approximately in the center of the screen 2. A user sits in the driver's seat D of the vehicle V and operates a simulated steering wheel, accelerator pedal, brake pedal, shift lever (not shown), and the like. From the driver's seat D, the user can view images displayed in the surrounding display areas 20L, 20R, and 20F. A passenger seat A is also provided to the left of the driver's seat D. In this example, the seat on the right side of the front seats of the vehicle V is the driver's seat D, but this is not limited to this.

[0012] Projectors 3L, 3R, and 3F are attached, for example, to the ceiling above vehicle V. When viewed from above, projector 3L is located on the right side of vehicle V, projector 3R is located on the left side of vehicle V, and projector 3F is located near the rear of vehicle V.

[0013] Projector 3R projects an image onto display area 20R on the right side of vehicle V, projector 3L projects an image onto display area 20L on the left side of vehicle V, and projector 3F projects an image onto display area 20F in front of vehicle V. The user can view the image in display area 20R from the window on the driver's seat D side (right side), the image in display area 20L from the window on the passenger seat A side (left side), and the image in display area 20F from the windshield. The images change in response to the user's driving operations, allowing the user to experience a simulated driving experience.

[0014] The image display device 1 outputs image data to the projectors 3L, 3R, and 3F to display images in the display areas 20L, 20R, and 20F, respectively. The image display device 1 is a computer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and a RAM (Random Access Memory). For example, the image display device 1 may be realized by one or more servers. The image display device 1 operates the CPU in accordance with a program stored in the ROM.

[0015] The image display device 1 has a vehicle position determination unit 10, an image acquisition unit 11, an image processing unit 12, and an image display unit 13 as software functions formed by program operation. Note that the vehicle position determination unit 10, the image acquisition unit 11, the image processing unit 12, and the image display unit 13 may each be realized by hardware such as an integrated circuit. The image display device 1 also has an image database (image DB) 14 pre-stored in a non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM).

[0016] The vehicle position determination unit 10 acquires the user's operation amount during the simulation from various sensors C inside the vehicle V. Examples of the operation amount include the steering angle, gear position, and accelerator opening. The vehicle position determination unit 10 determines the position of the vehicle V in a virtual driving map from the operation amount. Examples of the position include virtual latitude and longitude.

[0017] The image acquisition unit 11 acquires image data from the image DB 14 based on the position determined by the vehicle position determination unit 10. The image DB 14 stores images of scenery at various locations within a driving map that have been created in advance using computer graphics technology.

[0018] The image processor 12 performs image processing on the images from each of the projectors 3L, 3R, and 3F. The image processor 12 processes each image so that the image displayed in the display area 20R, which is closer to the driver's seat D of the vehicle V than the display area 20L, is clearer than the image displayed in the display area 20L. This allows the user to see the view from the window on the driver's seat D side more clearly than the view from the window on the passenger seat A side. Note that the display area 20L is an example of a first screen, and the display area 20R is an example of a second screen.

[0019] For example, the image processor 12 adjusts the resolutions Ra and Rb of the images displayed in the display regions 20R and 20L, respectively, based on the distance La between the driver's seat D and the display region 20R in the width direction (left-right direction) W of the vehicle V, and the distance Lb (>La) between the driver's seat D and the display region 20L. In this case, the ratio (Ra / Rb) of the resolution Ra of the image in the display region 20R to the resolution Rb of the image in the display region 20L is equal to the ratio (Lb / La) of the distance Lb to the distance La. For example, when the distances La = 4 m and Lb = 5 m, the resolutions Ra = 125 dpi and Rb = 100 dpi. Thus, the relationships Lb > La and Ra > Rb are established. Note that the image processor 12 does not process the image data in the display region 20F, and leaves the resolution at a predetermined value (initial value).

[0020] Video display unit 13 outputs video data to each of projectors 3L, 3R, and 3F, thereby displaying the video in display areas 20L, 20R, and 20F, respectively. Note that in this example, projectors 3L, 3R, and 3F and screen 2 are given as video display means, but this is not limiting. For example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display can also be used as the display means.

[0021] 2(a) is an example of a view from the window on the driver's seat D side, and FIG. 2(b) is an example of a view from the window on the passenger's seat A side. Here, a view of a grassland area is given as an example.

[0022] As described above, the image in display area 20R can be seen from the window on the driver's seat D side, and the image in display area 20L can be seen from the window on the passenger's seat A side. Image processor 12 processes the image data so that the resolution of the image in display area 20R is higher than the resolution of the image in display area 20L.

[0023] Therefore, the user can see the scenery closer to the driver's seat D more clearly than the scenery further from the driver's seat D. This reduces the sense of incongruity of the scenery seen from the vehicle V, and increases the user's sense of immersion during the driving simulation.

[0024] In this example, the image processor 12 performs image processing to adjust the resolution of the image data, but is not limited to this. For example, the image processor 12 may set focus adjustment values ​​(focus adjustment values) of the projectors 3L and 3R to make the image in the display area 20R clearer than the image in the display area 20L. In this case, the same ratio relationship as above is established between the distances La and Lb and the focus adjustment values ​​of the projectors 3L and 3R.

[0025] The above-described embodiment is a preferred example of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to this and can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0026] 1 image display device, 2 screen, 3R, 3L, 3F projectors, 20L display area (first screen), 20R display area (second screen), 12 image processing unit, 13 image display unit, S driving simulator, V vehicle, D driver's seat

Claims

[Claim 1] a video display unit that displays a plurality of videos on a plurality of screens arranged around the vehicle of the driving simulator; and an image processing unit that processes the images so that the image displayed on a second screen, which is closer to the driver's seat of the vehicle than the first screen, is clearer than the image displayed on the first screen. Video display device.

Images