Display control device

Abstract

To provide a display control device 10 capable of performing appropriate display according to a positional relationship between an own vehicle and the other vehicle.SOLUTION: A display control device 10 includes a virtual viewpoint determination unit 11 and a video creation unit 12. The virtual viewpoint determination unit 11 calculates a viewpoint position, an angle of view, and a gaze direction of a video image displayed on a display 50 so that at least a part of an own vehicle and at least a part of the other vehicle are displayed, and determines a virtual viewpoint. The video creation unit 12 creates the video image of a display range viewed from the virtual viewpoint by synthesizing videos captured by a camera 20. Then, the virtual viewpoint determination unit 11 determines the virtual viewpoint to be a higher position so that the display range is narrowed and enlarged as a position of the other vehicle detected by an other vehicle position detection unit 30 is closer to the own vehicle. In addition, the virtual viewpoint determination unit 11 determines the virtual viewpoint to be a lower position so that the display range is widened and reduced and displayed as the position of the other vehicle detected by the other vehicle position detection unit 30 is farther from the own vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a display control device mounted on a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART A display control device is known that synthesizes images captured by one or more cameras mounted on a vehicle to create an image viewed from a virtual viewpoint in the sky and displays the image on a display.

[0003] The display control device described in Patent Document 1 changes the display range of the image displayed on the display in accordance with the vehicle speed. Specifically, the display control device described in Patent Document 1 calculates the viewpoint position, angle of view, and gaze direction to determine the virtual viewpoint so that the faster the vehicle speed, the more scenery farther away from the vehicle is included in the display range. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6990248 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the display area of ​​a display mounted on a vehicle is limited. Within that area, the parts of the positional relationship between the vehicle and other vehicles that the driver should pay attention to (i.e., the parts that should be displayed as images) will vary depending on the situation. However, the display control device described in Patent Document 1 does not display in a way that allows the driver to easily check the parts of the positional relationship between the vehicle and other vehicles that the driver should pay attention to.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a display control device that is capable of providing an appropriate display according to the positional relationship between the subject vehicle and other vehicles. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To achieve the above object, according to the invention of claim 1, a display control device is mounted on a vehicle together with one or more cameras (20) that capture images of the surroundings of the host vehicle (M1), an other vehicle position detection unit (30) that detects the positions of other vehicles (M2) present around the host vehicle, and a display (50) that displays the images. The display control device includes a virtual viewpoint determination unit (11) and an image creation unit (12). The virtual viewpoint determination unit calculates the viewpoint position, angle of view, and gaze direction of the image to be displayed on the display, and determines a virtual viewpoint (VP) so that at least a portion of the host vehicle and at least a portion of the other vehicles are displayed. The image creation unit creates an image of the display range viewed from the virtual viewpoint by combining images captured by the cameras. The virtual viewpoint determination unit determines the virtual viewpoint to be at a higher position so that the display range is narrowed and enlarged as the position of the other vehicle detected by the other vehicle position detection unit is closer to the host vehicle, and also determines the virtual viewpoint to be at a lower position so that the display range is widened and reduced as the position of the other vehicle detected by the other vehicle position detection unit is farther from the host vehicle.

[0008] According to this, the display control device narrows the display range and enlarges the display of the host vehicle and the other vehicle as the inter-vehicle distance (hereinafter simply referred to as "inter-vehicle distance") becomes shorter. Therefore, the driver of the host vehicle (hereinafter simply referred to as "driver") can simultaneously see the host vehicle and the other vehicle and easily check the risk of contact and the sense of distance. On the other hand, the display control device widens the display range and reduces the display of the host vehicle and the other vehicle as the inter-vehicle distance becomes longer. Therefore, the driver can simultaneously see the other vehicle and its surrounding environment and easily check the dangers around the other vehicle as well. Therefore, this display control device can provide appropriate display so that the driver can easily check areas requiring attention depending on the positional relationship between the host vehicle and the other vehicle.

[0009] The reference symbols in parentheses attached to each component indicate an example of the correspondence between the component and the specific components described in the embodiments described below. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram of a vehicle system including a display control device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a situation in which another vehicle is present far from the host vehicle. [Figure 3] 3 is a diagram showing an example of an image displayed on a display in the situation shown in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a situation in which another vehicle is present near the host vehicle. [Figure 5] 5 is a diagram showing an example of an image displayed on a display in the situation shown in FIG. 4. FIG. [Figure 6] 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a control process executed by a vehicle system including a display control device. [Figure 7] 7 is a flowchart illustrating in detail the "detection of another vehicle" in FIG. 6. [Figure 8] 7 is a flowchart illustrating in detail the "determination of an optimal virtual viewpoint" in FIG. 6. [Figure 9] 10 is a graph showing the relationship between the inter-vehicle distance and the height of the virtual viewpoint. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart illustrating in detail "determining an optimal virtual viewpoint" in a display control device according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following embodiments, identical or equivalent parts are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0012] (First embodiment) A first embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Fig. 1, a display control device 10 of this embodiment constitutes a vehicle system 100 together with a camera 20, sensors 21 to 27, various control devices 30, 40, and a display 50 mounted on a vehicle. These devices and apparatuses are connected by an in-vehicle LAN using, for example, CAN communication, a wire harness, wireless communication, or the like. CAN is an abbreviation for Controller Area Network, and LAN is an abbreviation for Local Area Network.

[0013] One or more cameras 20 are mounted on the vehicle and capture images of the surroundings of the vehicle. In this embodiment, for example, four cameras 20 are mounted on the vehicle, and the four cameras 20 capture images of the front, right, left, and rear of the vehicle, respectively. The number of cameras 20 mounted on the vehicle is not limited to four, and may be one or more. The camera 20 is, for example, a digital camera using a solid-state imaging element such as a CCD or CMOS. CCD stands for Charge Coupled Device, and CMOS stands for Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor.

[0014] The vehicle is equipped with distance measuring devices that detect the distance between the vehicle and objects, including other vehicles, around the vehicle, such as a LiDAR sensor 21, a radar sensor 22, a sonar sensor 23, and a vehicle-to-vehicle communication device 28. LiDAR is an abbreviation for Light Detection and Ranging or Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging. The vehicle is required to be equipped with at least one of the distance measuring devices described above, and may also be equipped with other distance measuring devices.

[0015] The LiDAR sensor 21 measures scattered light in response to laser irradiation to detect the distance to an object, etc. The radar sensor 22 detects the distance to an object, etc. by emitting radio waves such as millimeter waves and measuring the radio waves reflected by the object (i.e., reflected waves). The sonar sensor 23 detects the distance to an object, etc. by using ultrasonic waves. The vehicle-to-vehicle communication device 28 wirelessly transmits and receives information such as the position and speed between the vehicle and other vehicles.

[0016] The video data captured by the camera 20 and the information detected by each of the distance measuring devices are input to the other vehicle position detection unit 30. The other vehicle position detection unit 30 is an electronic control device mainly composed of a computer having a processor, memory, etc. The other vehicle position detection unit 30 detects the positions of other vehicles present around the host vehicle based on the video data input from the camera 20 or the information input from each distance measuring device. Specifically, the other vehicle position detection unit 30 can identify the positions and directions of other vehicles present in front of, to the side of, or behind the host vehicle. The other vehicle position detection unit 30 may also be configured to identify the position and direction of the other vehicle nearest to the host vehicle. Information such as the position and direction of other vehicles identified by the other vehicle position detection unit 30 is output to the display control device 10.

[0017] The cruise control device 40 is an electronic control device mainly composed of a computer having a processor, memory, etc. Vehicle speed information is input to the cruise control device 40 from, for example, a vehicle speed sensor 24 that detects the vehicle speed of the host vehicle. In addition, the cruise control device 40 may also receive acceleration information from, for example, an acceleration sensor 25 that detects the acceleration of the host vehicle, angular velocity information from a yaw rate sensor 26 that detects the angular velocity around the vertical axis of the host vehicle, or direction information from a direction sensor 27 that detects the direction of the host vehicle. The information including the vehicle speed of the host vehicle input to the cruise control device 40 is output to the display control device 10.

[0018] The display control device 10 is an electronic control device mainly composed of a computer having a processor, memory, etc. The display control device 10 includes a virtual viewpoint determination unit 11 and an image creation unit 12. Specifically, the display control device 10 functions as the virtual viewpoint determination unit 11 and the image creation unit 12 by the processor executing each program stored in the memory. The display control device 10 receives inputs such as image data captured by a camera 20, information such as the position and direction of other vehicles identified by an other vehicle position detection unit 30, and vehicle speed information of the host vehicle from a cruise control device 40. Based on this information, the display control device 10 generates and outputs an image to be displayed on a display 50 using the virtual viewpoint determination unit 11 and the image creation unit 12.

[0019] The virtual viewpoint determination unit 11 calculates the viewpoint position, field angle, and gaze direction of the image to be displayed on the display 50 so that at least a part of the own vehicle and at least a part of the other vehicle are displayed, and determines the virtual viewpoint. In other words, the virtual viewpoint includes the viewpoint position, field angle, and gaze direction.

[0020] The image creation unit 12 creates an image of the display range viewed from a virtual viewpoint by synthesizing images captured by the cameras 20. Specifically, the image creation unit 12 identifies one or more cameras 20 that have captured images of other vehicles, and synthesizes the images from the identified cameras 20 to create an image to be displayed on the display 50. The image data created by the image creation unit 12 is output to the display 50. Note that if the image of the host vehicle is not sufficiently visible in the image captured by the camera 20 that captured the other vehicle, the image of the host vehicle may be displayed using CG. CG stands for computer graphics.

[0021] Here, Fig. 2 shows a situation where another vehicle (e.g., an oncoming vehicle) is present far from the host vehicle, and Fig. 4 shows a situation where another vehicle (e.g., an oncoming vehicle) is present near the host vehicle. In Figs. 2 to 5 and their explanations, the virtual viewpoint (more specifically, the viewpoint position) is denoted by the symbol VP, the host vehicle is denoted by the symbol M1, and the other vehicle is denoted by the symbol M2. In addition, the dashed lines extending from the virtual viewpoint VP indicate the angle of view and the gaze direction.

[0022] 2, the virtual viewpoint determination unit 11 determines the virtual viewpoint VP to be at a lower position so that the display range is expanded and reduced as the position of the other vehicle M2 detected by the other vehicle position detection unit 30 becomes farther from the host vehicle M1. Note that a low position refers to a relatively low vertical height from the ground. The image creation unit 12 creates an image viewed from the virtual viewpoint VP and outputs the image data to the display 50 for display.

[0023] Fig. 3 shows an example of an image displayed on the display 50 in the situation shown in Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 3, the display control device 10 widens the display range and displays the host vehicle M1 and the other vehicle M2 in a smaller size as the inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle M1 and the other vehicle M2 (hereinafter simply referred to as "inter-vehicle distance") increases. As a result, the display 50 displays a wide view of the surrounding environment in addition to the host vehicle M1 and the other vehicle M2. Therefore, the driver of the host vehicle M1 (hereinafter simply referred to as "driver") can visually recognize the surrounding environment including the other vehicle M2 and easily confirm dangers in addition to the other vehicle M2.

[0024] 4, the virtual viewpoint determination unit 11 determines the virtual viewpoint VP to be higher so that the display range is narrowed and enlarged as the position of the other vehicle M2 detected by the other vehicle position detection unit 30 becomes closer to the host vehicle M1. Note that a high position refers to a relatively high vertical height from the ground. The image creation unit 12 creates an image viewed from the virtual viewpoint VP and outputs the image data to the display 50 for display.

[0025] Fig. 5 shows an example of an image displayed on the display 50 in the situation shown in Fig. 4. As shown in Fig. 5, the display control device 10 narrows the display range and enlarges the display of the host vehicle M1 and the other vehicle M2 as the inter-vehicle distance becomes shorter. As a result, a part of the host vehicle M1 and a part of the other vehicle M2 (more specifically, the front part of the other vehicle) are enlarged and displayed on the display 50. This allows the driver to simultaneously view the host vehicle M1 and the other vehicle M2, and easily confirm the risk of contact and the sense of distance.

[0026] 2 to 5, the control processing executed by the display control device 10 in relation to the host vehicle M1 and an oncoming vehicle has been described, but the control processing executed by the display control device 10 is the same whether the other vehicle M2 is a leading vehicle, a vehicle running alongside, a following vehicle, or a stopped vehicle. Note that an oncoming vehicle refers to the other vehicle M2 traveling from in front of the host vehicle M1 toward the host vehicle M1, and the terms "leading vehicle," "parallel vehicle," and "following vehicle" refer to the other vehicle M2 traveling in the same traveling direction as the host vehicle M1, ahead of, to the side of, and behind the host vehicle M1, respectively.

[0027] Next, the control processing executed by the vehicle system 100 including the display control device 10 of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowcharts shown in Figures 6 to 8. In the following description and Figures 6 to 8, steps are simply represented as "S".

[0028] The control process shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. 6 to 8 starts at the same time that the vehicle's running switch is turned on. First, in S10 of FIG. 6, the cruise control device 40 acquires the speed of the host vehicle from the vehicle speed sensor 24.

[0029] Next, in S20, the other vehicle position detection unit 30 detects other vehicles present in the vicinity of the host vehicle. The processing executed by the other vehicle position detection unit 30 in S20 is shown in detail in FIG. 7. As shown in FIG. 7, in S21, the other vehicle position detection unit 30 acquires camera video (i.e., video data) captured by the camera 20. Next, in S22, the other vehicle position detection unit 30 detects the position, direction, etc. of the other vehicle contained in the camera video using video recognition technology, and then in S25, determines the inter-vehicle distance.

[0030] In S23, the other vehicle position detection unit 30 may acquire information input from a distance measurement sensor such as the LiDAR sensor 21, the radar sensor 22, or the sonar sensor 23, instead of or in addition to the video data captured by the camera 20. In this case, too, in S25, the other vehicle position detection unit 30 determines the inter-vehicle distance based on the information.

[0031] Alternatively, in S24, the other vehicle position detection unit 30 may acquire information input from another technology, such as the inter-vehicle communication device 28, instead of or in addition to the video data captured by the camera 20 or the information input from the distance measurement sensor. In this case, too, in S25, the other vehicle position detection unit 30 determines the inter-vehicle distance based on that information.

[0032] Next, in S30 of Fig. 6, the display control device 10 determines whether the vehicle speed of the host vehicle is within a specified vehicle speed range based on the vehicle speed information obtained by the cruise control device 40 from the vehicle speed sensor 24. This specified vehicle speed range is stored in the memory of the display control device 10. For example, when the display control device 10 is used on a highway, this specified vehicle speed range is set to the vehicle speed range when the vehicle is generally traveling on the highway. Alternatively, for example, when the display control device 10 is used on an ordinary road, this specified vehicle speed range is set to the vehicle speed range when the vehicle is generally traveling on an ordinary road.

[0033] If the display control device 10 determines in S30 that the vehicle speed is outside the specified vehicle speed range, the process proceeds to S70. In S70, the display control device 10 outputs video data of the default viewpoint to the display 50 and causes it to be displayed. On the other hand, if the display control device 10 determines in S30 that the vehicle speed of the subject vehicle is within the specified vehicle speed range, the process proceeds to S40.

[0034] In S40, the display control device 10 determines whether the inter-vehicle distance is within a specified distance range. This specified vehicle speed range is stored in the memory of the display control device 10. For example, when the display control device 10 is used on a highway, this specified distance range is generally set to a vehicle-to-vehicle distance at which the vehicle should pay attention to other vehicles when traveling on the highway. Also, for example, when the display control device 10 is used on an ordinary road, this specified vehicle speed range is generally set to a vehicle-to-vehicle distance at which the vehicle should pay attention to other vehicles when traveling on an ordinary road.

[0035] If the display control device 10 determines in S40 that the inter-vehicle distance is outside the specified distance range, the process proceeds to S70. In S70, the display control device 10 outputs video data of the default viewpoint to the display 50 and causes it to be displayed. On the other hand, if the display control device 10 determines in S40 that the inter-vehicle distance is within the specified distance range, the process proceeds to S50.

[0036] At S50, the display control device 10 determines an optimal virtual viewpoint depending on the inter-vehicle distance. The processing executed by the display control device 10 at S50 is shown in detail in Fig. 8. As shown in Fig. 8, at S51, the virtual viewpoint determination unit 11 included in the display control device 10 determines a display range to be displayed on the display 50 based on the inter-vehicle distance. Specifically, the virtual viewpoint determination unit 11 widens the display range as the inter-vehicle distance increases, thereby reducing the display of the host vehicle and other vehicles. On the other hand, the virtual viewpoint determination unit 11 narrows the display range as the inter-vehicle distance decreases, thereby enlarging the display of the host vehicle and other vehicles.

[0037] Next, in S52, virtual viewpoint determination unit 11 calculates the viewpoint position, angle of view, and gaze direction that will allow the display range to fit within the video display area, and determines the optimal virtual viewpoint. Specifically, virtual viewpoint determination unit 11 determines a lower virtual viewpoint as the display range becomes wider, and determines a higher virtual viewpoint as the display range becomes narrower.

[0038] Next, in S53, the image creating unit 12 included in the display control device 10 creates an image of the display range viewed from the optimal virtual viewpoint determined in S53.

[0039] 6, the display control device 10 outputs video data of the display range viewed from the optimal virtual viewpoint to the display 50, and causes the video to be displayed on the display 50. The vehicle system 100 including the display control device 10 repeatedly executes the above-described processes of S10 to S70 at a predetermined control cycle.

[0040] Next, the relationship between the inter-vehicle distance and the height of the virtual viewpoint will be described with reference to the graph of FIG.

[0041] In the graph of Fig. 9, the horizontal axis represents the inter-vehicle distance, and the vertical axis represents the height of the virtual viewpoint determined by the virtual viewpoint determination unit 11. Solid line A represents the relationship between the inter-vehicle distance and the virtual viewpoint when the inter-vehicle distance tends to decrease over time. Solid line B represents the relationship between the inter-vehicle distance and the virtual viewpoint when the inter-vehicle distance remains constant over time. Solid line C represents the relationship between the inter-vehicle distance and the virtual viewpoint when the inter-vehicle distance tends to increase over time.

[0042] In any of the solid lines A to C, the virtual viewpoint determination unit 11 determines a lower position for the virtual viewpoint as the inter-vehicle distance increases. This enables the display control device 10 to widen the display range and display a reduced image of the host vehicle and other vehicles as the inter-vehicle distance increases. On the other hand, the virtual viewpoint determination unit 11 determines a higher position for the virtual viewpoint as the inter-vehicle distance decreases. This enables the display control device 10 to narrow the display range and display a larger image of the host vehicle and other vehicles as the inter-vehicle distance decreases.

[0043] Furthermore, for all of the solid lines A to C, the virtual viewpoint determination unit 11 decreases the amount of change by which the virtual viewpoint is raised as the inter-vehicle distance increases. This is because, when the virtual viewpoint is relatively low, even a small change in the virtual viewpoint relative to the inter-vehicle distance can significantly change the display range. On the other hand, the virtual viewpoint determination unit 11 increases the amount of change by which the virtual viewpoint is raised as the inter-vehicle distance decreases. This is because, when the virtual viewpoint is relatively high, the display range can be appropriately changed by increasing the amount of change in the virtual viewpoint relative to the inter-vehicle distance.

[0044] Furthermore, as shown by solid lines A and B, the virtual viewpoint determination unit 11 sets the position of the virtual viewpoint when the inter-vehicle distance is decreasing, as indicated by solid line A, higher than the position of the virtual viewpoint when the inter-vehicle distance is constant, as indicated by solid line B, for any inter-vehicle distance. Accordingly, when the inter-vehicle distance is decreasing, i.e., when the host vehicle and the other vehicle are approaching each other, the virtual viewpoint determination unit 11 sets the position of the virtual viewpoint relatively higher. This narrows the display range of the image on the display 50, and the host vehicle and the other vehicle are displayed enlarged. Therefore, the driver can simultaneously view the host vehicle and the other vehicle from the image, and can reliably confirm the risk of contact with the other vehicle approaching the host vehicle and the sense of distance.

[0045] On the other hand, as shown by solid lines B and C, the virtual viewpoint determination unit 11 lowers the position of the virtual viewpoint when the inter-vehicle distance is increasing, as shown by solid line C, compared to the position of the virtual viewpoint when the inter-vehicle distance is constant, as shown by solid line B, regardless of the inter-vehicle distance. Accordingly, when the inter-vehicle distance is increasing, i.e., when the host vehicle and the other vehicle are moving away from each other, the virtual viewpoint determination unit 11 lowers the position of the virtual viewpoint relatively. This widens the display range of the image on the display 50, and the host vehicle and the other vehicle are displayed in a reduced size. Therefore, the driver can simultaneously view the other vehicle and its surrounding environment through the image, and can reliably identify the other vehicle moving away from the host vehicle as well as any dangers in the surrounding area.

[0046] The display control device 10 of the first embodiment described above provides the following advantageous effects. (1) In the first embodiment, the virtual viewpoint determination unit 11 included in the display control device 10 narrows the display range as the position of the other vehicle detected by the other vehicle position detection unit 30 gets closer to the host vehicle, and determines the virtual viewpoint to be at a higher position so that at least a part of the host vehicle and at least a part of the other vehicle are enlarged and displayed. Also, the virtual viewpoint determination unit 11 widens the display range as the position of the other vehicle detected by the other vehicle position detection unit 30 gets farther from the host vehicle, and determines the virtual viewpoint to be at a lower position so that at least a part of the host vehicle and at least a part of the other vehicle are displayed in a reduced size.

[0047] According to this, the closer the inter-vehicle distance, the narrower the display range of the image on display 50 and the enlarged display of the host vehicle and the other vehicle, allowing the driver to simultaneously view the host vehicle and the other vehicle and easily confirm the risk of contact and the sense of distance. On the other hand, the farther the inter-vehicle distance, the wider the display range of the image on display 50 and the enlarged display of the host vehicle and the other vehicle, allowing the driver to simultaneously view the other vehicle and its surrounding environment and easily confirm the dangers around the other vehicle as well. Therefore, this display control device 10 can provide appropriate display so that the driver can easily view areas requiring attention depending on the positional relationship between the host vehicle and the other vehicle.

[0048] (2) In the first embodiment, the other vehicle position detection unit 30 can identify the position and direction of other vehicles present in front of, to the side of, or behind the vehicle. The image creation unit 12 identifies one or more cameras 20 that have captured images of the other vehicles, and creates an image to be displayed on the display 50 by combining images from the identified cameras 20. According to this, the image creation unit 12 can create an image of the display range seen from the virtual viewpoint determined by the virtual viewpoint determination unit 11 (i.e., the image to be displayed on the display 50) by combining images from one or more cameras 20.

[0049] (3) In the first embodiment, the virtual viewpoint determination unit 11 sets the position of the virtual viewpoint when the inter-vehicle distance tends to decrease over time to be higher than the position of the virtual viewpoint when the inter-vehicle distance tends to increase over time. According to this, when the inter-vehicle distance tends to decrease over time, i.e., when the host vehicle and the other vehicle are getting closer, the virtual viewpoint determination unit 11 sets the position of the virtual viewpoint relatively high. As a result, the display range of the image on the display 50 is narrowed, and the host vehicle and the other vehicle are displayed in an enlarged manner. Therefore, the driver can simultaneously view the host vehicle and the other vehicle from the image, and can reliably confirm the risk of contact with the approaching other vehicle and the sense of distance. On the other hand, when the inter-vehicle distance tends to increase over time, i.e., when the host vehicle and the other vehicle are moving away from each other, the virtual viewpoint determination unit 11 sets the position of the virtual viewpoint relatively low. This widens the display range of the image on the display 50, and the host vehicle and the other vehicle are displayed in a smaller size. This allows the driver to simultaneously view the other vehicle and its surrounding environment through the image, and to reliably confirm not only the other vehicle moving away from the host vehicle but also any dangers in the surrounding area.

[0050] (4) In the first embodiment, the virtual viewpoint determination unit 11 increases the amount of change by which the virtual viewpoint is elevated as the inter-vehicle distance decreases. According to this, when the inter-vehicle distance is long and the virtual viewpoint is relatively low, the display range can be changed significantly even if the amount of change in the virtual viewpoint relative to the inter-vehicle distance is small. On the other hand, when the inter-vehicle distance is short and the virtual viewpoint is relatively high, the display range can be changed appropriately by increasing the amount of change in the virtual viewpoint relative to the inter-vehicle distance. Therefore, this display control device 10 can provide appropriate display so that the driver can easily see areas that require attention depending on the positional relationship between the host vehicle and other vehicles.

[0051] (Second embodiment) A second embodiment will be described. The second embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment in that some of the control processing executed by the vehicle system 100 is changed, and the rest is the same as the first embodiment, so only the differences from the first embodiment will be described. In detail, the second embodiment is a modification of the processing of S50 "Determining an optimal virtual viewpoint" in FIG. 6 referred to in the first embodiment.

[0052] In the second embodiment, the process of "determining an optimal virtual viewpoint" at S50 in Fig. 6 is shown in detail in Fig. 10. As shown in Fig. 10, in S55, the virtual viewpoint determination unit 11 included in the display control device 10 determines the display range to be displayed on the display 50 based on the inter-vehicle distance. Specifically, the virtual viewpoint determination unit 11 widens the display range as the inter-vehicle distance increases, thereby reducing the display of the host vehicle and the other vehicle. On the other hand, the virtual viewpoint determination unit 11 narrows the display range as the inter-vehicle distance decreases, thereby enlarging the display of the host vehicle and the other vehicle.

[0053] Next, in S56, the virtual viewpoint determination unit 11 determines a virtual viewpoint from a group of virtual viewpoints prepared in advance according to the display range. That is, in the second embodiment, a plurality of virtual viewpoints according to the display range are stored in advance in the memory of the display control device 10. The plurality of virtual viewpoints are set to lower positions as the display range becomes wider, and are set to higher positions as the display range becomes narrower. The virtual viewpoint determination unit 11 selects and determines an appropriate virtual viewpoint according to the display range from the plurality of virtual viewpoints (i.e., the group of virtual viewpoints).

[0054] Next, in S57, the image creating unit 12 included in the display control device 10 creates an image of the display range viewed from the optimum virtual viewpoint determined in S53.

[0055] The control process described in the second embodiment can also achieve the same effects as those of the first embodiment.

[0056] (Other embodiments) In the above embodiments, the vehicle is described as being equipped with a distance measuring device such as the LiDAR sensor 21, the radar sensor 22, the sonar sensor 23, the camera 20, the vehicle-to-vehicle communication device 28, etc., but this is not limited to this. As long as the other vehicle position detection unit 30 can detect the positions of other vehicles present around the vehicle using video data captured by the camera 20, the distance measuring device, the vehicle-to-vehicle communication device 28, etc. may not be equipped on the vehicle.

[0057] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the claims. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments and portions thereof are not unrelated to each other and can be combined as appropriate unless the combination is clearly impossible. It goes without saying that, in each of the above embodiments, the elements constituting the embodiments are not necessarily essential unless specifically stated as essential or clearly considered essential in principle. Furthermore, in each of the above embodiments, when numerical values ​​such as the number, values, amounts, and ranges of components of the embodiments are mentioned, they are not limited to the specific numbers unless specifically stated as essential or clearly limited to a specific number in principle. Furthermore, in each of the above embodiments, when the shape, positional relationship, etc. of components are mentioned, they are not limited to the shape, positional relationship, etc., unless specifically stated or limited to a specific shape, positional relationship, etc. in principle.

[0058] The control unit and the method described in the present invention may be implemented by a special-purpose computer provided by configuring a processor and memory programmed to perform one or more functions embodied in a computer program. Alternatively, the control unit and the method described in the present invention may be implemented by a special-purpose computer provided by configuring a processor with one or more dedicated hardware logic circuits. Alternatively, the control unit and the method described in the present invention may be implemented by one or more special-purpose computers configured by a combination of a processor and memory programmed to perform one or more functions and a processor configured with one or more hardware logic circuits. Furthermore, the computer program may be stored in a computer-readable non-transitory tangible recording medium as instructions executed by a computer.

[0059] The features of the present invention are as follows. [Claim 1] A display control device mounted on a vehicle together with one or more cameras (20) that capture images of the surroundings of the vehicle (M1), an other vehicle position detection unit (30) that detects the positions of other vehicles (M2) that exist around the vehicle (M1), and a display (50) that displays images, a virtual viewpoint determination unit (11) that calculates a viewpoint position, a field angle, and a gaze direction of an image to be displayed on the display and determines a virtual viewpoint (VP); an image creation unit (12) that creates an image of the display range viewed from the virtual viewpoint by combining images captured by the camera, The virtual viewpoint determination unit determining the virtual viewpoint to a higher position so that the display range is narrowed and enlarged as the position of the other vehicle detected by the other vehicle position detection unit approaches the host vehicle; A display control device configured to determine the virtual viewpoint to be at a lower position so that the display range is widened and reduced as the position of the other vehicle detected by the other vehicle position detection unit becomes farther from the host vehicle. [Claim 2] the other vehicle position detection unit is capable of identifying the position and direction of the other vehicle that is present in front of, behind, or to the side of the host vehicle; 2. The display control device according to claim 1, wherein the image creation unit identifies one or more of the cameras that captured the other vehicle, and creates an image to be displayed on the display by combining images from the identified cameras. [Claim 3] 3. The display control device according to claim 1, wherein the virtual viewpoint determination unit sets the position of the virtual viewpoint when the inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the other vehicle tends to decrease over time to be higher than the position of the virtual viewpoint when the inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the other vehicle tends to increase over time. [Claim 4] 4. The display control device according to claim 1, wherein the virtual viewpoint determination unit increases the amount of change by which the virtual viewpoint is elevated as the inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the other vehicle decreases. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 10 Display control device 11 Virtual viewpoint determination unit 12 Video Production Department 20 Camera 30 Other vehicle position detection unit 50 displays

Claims

1. A display control device mounted on a vehicle together with one or more cameras (20) that capture images of the surroundings of a vehicle (M1), an other vehicle position detection unit (30) that detects the positions of other vehicles (M2) that exist around the vehicle (M1), and a display (50) that displays images, a virtual viewpoint determination unit (11) that calculates a viewpoint position, a field angle, and a gaze direction of an image to be displayed on the display and determines a virtual viewpoint (VP); an image creation unit (12) that creates an image of the display range viewed from the virtual viewpoint by combining images captured by the camera, The virtual viewpoint determination unit determining the virtual viewpoint to a higher position so that the display range is narrowed and enlarged as the position of the other vehicle detected by the other vehicle position detection unit approaches the host vehicle; A display control device configured to determine the virtual viewpoint to be at a lower position so that the display range is widened and reduced as the position of the other vehicle detected by the other vehicle position detection unit becomes farther from the host vehicle.

2. the other vehicle position detection unit is capable of identifying the position and direction of the other vehicle present in front of, behind, or to the side of the host vehicle; The display control device according to claim 1 , wherein the image creation unit identifies one or more of the cameras that have captured the other vehicle, and creates an image to be displayed on the display by combining images from the identified cameras.

3. 3. The display control device according to claim 1, wherein the virtual viewpoint determination unit sets the position of the virtual viewpoint when the inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the other vehicle tends to decrease over time to be higher than the position of the virtual viewpoint when the inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the other vehicle tends to increase over time.

4. The display control device according to claim 1 , wherein the virtual viewpoint determination unit increases the amount of change by which the virtual viewpoint is elevated as the inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the other vehicle decreases.

Images