Image display apparatus

Abstract

To provide an image display apparatus capable of reducing a sense of discomfort in a rearward image of a vehicle in a driving simulator.SOLUTION: An image display apparatus includes a display unit that displays a partial region within an image of a virtual scenery behind a vehicle in a driving simulator on an electronic mirror of the vehicle; an estimation unit that estimates a viewpoint position of a driver riding in the vehicle; and a control unit that controls a range of the partial region in the image in accordance with a relationship between a position of the electronic mirror and a line-of-sight direction corresponding to the viewpoint position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 describes that in a driving simulator, when it is determined that the driver is looking backward through the vehicle's mirror, an image with the viewpoint centered on the reflective surface of the mirror is projected onto a predetermined area of ​​a screen behind the vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-323001 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in view of the above, regardless of the driver's posture, the mirror reflects an image of the screen behind the driver looking directly at it, which may cause discomfort.

[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 felt in the image behind the vehicle in a driving simulator. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The image display device of the present invention includes a display unit that displays a partial area within an image of a virtual scene behind a vehicle of a driving simulator on the electronic mirror of the vehicle, an estimation unit that estimates the viewpoint position of a driver in the vehicle, and a control unit that controls the range of the partial area in the image in accordance with the relationship between the position of the electronic mirror and the line of sight direction corresponding to the viewpoint position. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the sense of incongruity felt in the image behind the vehicle in 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 a top view showing an example of the display area before the driver changes his / her posture, and Fig. 2(b) is a top view showing an example of the display area after the driver changes his / her posture. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the video display process. 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, for practicing driving, evaluating driving ability, or as a game. The driving simulator S includes a video display device 1, a vehicle 2, a projector 3, and a screen 4.

[0010] An image of a virtual landscape ahead of the vehicle 2 is projected onto the screen 4 from the projector 3. The screen 4 has, for example, a substantially semi-cylindrical shape. The projector 3 is attached to, for example, the ceiling above the vehicle 2.

[0011] Vehicle 2 has a body simulating an actual automobile and is placed in front of screen 4. Inside vehicle 2, a driver's seat D, an electronic rearview mirror 20, electronic side mirrors 21 and 22 on the left and right sides of the body, an in-vehicle camera 23, a sensor 24, a speaker 25, and a vibration generator 26 are provided.

[0012] The electronic rearview mirror 20 and the electronic side mirrors 21 and 22 are examples of electronic mirrors. The electronic rearview mirror 20 and the electronic side mirrors 21 and 22 display a partial area of ​​an image of a virtual scene behind the vehicle 2.

[0013] The sensor 24 detects the amount of operation of the steering wheel, shift lever, accelerator, brake, etc. (not shown) by the driver of the vehicle 2. The speaker 25 generates pseudo sound effects according to the amount of operation by the driver, etc. The vibration generator 26 is provided under the vehicle body and generates vibrations in the vehicle body according to the amount of operation by the driver, etc.

[0014] The in-vehicle camera 23 captures an image of the driver while he is in the vehicle 2. The image of the driver is used by the image display device 1 to estimate the driver's viewpoint position.

[0015] The image display device 1 outputs image data to the projector 3, thereby displaying images on the screen 4, the electronic rearview mirror 20, and the electronic side mirrors 21 and 22. The image display device 1 is a computer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. 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.

[0016] The image display device 1 has, as software functions formed by program operation, a vehicle position determination unit 10, an image acquisition unit 11, a front image display unit 12, a rear image display unit 13, a viewpoint position estimation unit 14, and a display area control unit 15. Note that the vehicle position determination unit 10, the image acquisition unit 11, the front image display unit 12, the rear image display unit 13, the viewpoint position estimation unit 14, and the display area control unit 15 may each be realized by hardware such as an integrated circuit. The image display device 1 also has an image database (image DB) 16 pre-stored in a non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM).

[0017] The vehicle position determination unit 10 acquires the amount of operation by the user during the simulation from the sensor 24 of the vehicle 2. Examples of the amount of operation include the angle of the steering wheel, the gear position, and the accelerator opening. The vehicle position determination unit 10 determines the position of the vehicle 2 in a virtual driving map from the amount of operation. Examples of the position include virtual latitude and longitude.

[0018] The image acquisition unit 11 acquires image data from the image DB 16 based on the position determined by the vehicle position determination unit 10. The image data includes an image of a virtual scene ahead of the vehicle 2 projected onto the screen 4, and an image of a virtual scene behind the vehicle 2. The image DB 16 stores images of the scenery at various locations within a driving map that has been created in advance using computer graphics technology.

[0019] The front image display unit 12 displays an image on the screen 4 by outputting image data of the area in front of the vehicle 2 to the projector 3. The rear image display unit 13 is an example of a display unit, and displays an image on the electronic rearview mirror 20 and the electronic side mirrors 21 and 22 by outputting image data of a partial area (hereinafter, display area) of the image behind the vehicle 2 to each of them. The electronic rearview mirror 20 and the electronic side mirrors 21 and 22 display individual images according to their respective positions.

[0020] The viewpoint position estimation unit 14 is an example of an estimation unit, and estimates the viewpoint position of the driver aboard the vehicle 2. The viewpoint position estimation unit 14 acquires video of the driver inside the vehicle from the in-vehicle camera 23, and estimates the viewpoint position by detecting the position of the driver's head from the video using, for example, motion capture technology. Note that the motion capture may be a method of optically detecting a marker attached to the driver in advance. Furthermore, instead of motion capture, the viewpoint position estimation unit 14 may detect the position of the driver's head from the video using a displacement meter or the like.

[0021] The display area control unit 15 is an example of a control unit, and controls the range of the display area of ​​the electronic rearview mirror 20 and the electronic side mirrors 21, 22 in the image behind the vehicle 2 according to the relationship between the positions of the electronic rearview mirror 20 and the electronic side mirrors 21, 22 and the line of sight direction according to the viewpoint position. The display area control unit 15 controls the display area of ​​each of the electronic rearview mirror 20 and the electronic side mirrors 21, 22 individually. A method for controlling the display area will be described below using the electronic side mirror 22 on the right side of the vehicle body as an example.

[0022] (Display area control method) Fig. 2(a) is a top view showing an example of a display area 50 before the driver DR changes his / her posture. Fig. 2(b) is a top view showing an example of a display area 51 after the driver DR changes his / her posture. Figs. 2(a) and 2(b) show a schematic diagram of the driver's seat D of the vehicle 2 viewed from above, and a front view of an overall image 5 of the right rear of the vehicle 2. As an example, in the front view of Figs. 2(a) and 2(b), trees are reflected on the left side of the image 5, and flowers are reflected on the right side of the image 5.

[0023] The in-vehicle camera 23 transmits an image of the driver DR to the image display device 1. The viewpoint position estimation unit 14 detects the head H of the driver DR from the image of the driver DR, for example, by using motion capture technology, and estimates viewpoint positions Pa, Pb from the head H. The viewpoint position estimation unit 14 estimates, for example, the three-dimensional coordinates of the centers of the left and right eyeballs of the head H as the viewpoint positions Pa, Pb.

[0024] The display area control unit 15 calculates the virtual angles of incidence αin, βin and angles of reflection αrf, βrf of the image 5 with respect to the mirror surface of the electronic side mirror 22, assuming that the electronic side mirror 22 is a normal mirror, from the viewing directions La, Lb corresponding to the viewing positions Pa, Pb. The viewing directions La, Lb are calculated as directions from the viewing positions Pa, Pb toward the center of the electronic side mirror 22.

[0025] For example, the incident angle αin and the reflection angle αrf are angles at the outer edge of the electronic side mirror 22, and the incident angle βin and the reflection angle βrf are angles at the inner edge of the electronic side mirror 22. Note that the incident angle αin and the reflection angle αrf are the same, and the incident angle βin and the reflection angle βrf are the same.

[0026] The display area control unit 15 calculates the range of display areas 50, 51 in the image 5 as the field of view according to the line-of-sight directions La, Lb from the incident angles αin, βin and the reflection angles αrf, βrf. For example, when the driver DR is sitting in the driver's seat D in a normal posture, the right-side display area 50, which includes the flowers in the image 5, is obtained as the field of view according to the line-of-sight direction La. Furthermore, when the driver DR is sitting in the driver's seat D in an inclined posture due to vibration of the vehicle body or the like, the left-side display area 51, which includes the trees in the image 5, is obtained as the field of view according to the line-of-sight direction Lb.

[0027] Therefore, display areas 50, 51 within the image 5 are displayed on the electronic side mirror 22 according to the line-of-sight directions La, Lb of the driver DR. Therefore, the driver DR can view the rearward image 5 that changes depending on the driver's posture, similar to a normal mirror, from the electronic side mirror 22. Therefore, the image display device 1 can reduce the sense of incongruity felt by the driver DR regarding the image 5.

[0028] In this example, the incident angles αin, βin and reflection angles αrf, βrf are shown in a two-dimensional coordinate system when viewed from above the vehicle 2, but in reality, they are calculated using a three-dimensional coordinate system. Also, while the electronic side mirror 22 is shown in this example, similar calculation processing can be used to display images with reduced sense of discomfort for the other electronic side mirrors 21 and the electronic rearview mirror 20. In this way, the image display device 1 can individually calculate and display images for the electronic side mirrors 21, 22 and the electronic rearview mirror 20, thereby not only reducing the sense of discomfort in the images but also increasing the sense of immersion for the driver DR. Also, a screen for displaying rearward images can be eliminated.

[0029] (Video display processing) 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the video display process, which is executed repeatedly at regular intervals, for example.

[0030] First, the video acquisition unit 11 acquires rearward video data corresponding to the position of the vehicle 2 (step St1). Next, the viewpoint position estimation unit 14 acquires video of the driver inside the vehicle 2 (in-vehicle video) from the in-vehicle camera 23 (step St2). Next, the viewpoint position estimation unit 14 detects the driver's head from the in-vehicle video using motion capture technology (step St3). Next, the viewpoint position estimation unit 14 estimates the viewpoint position from the position of the head H (step St4).

[0031] Next, the display area control unit 15 calculates the virtual angles of incidence and reflection of the image 5 on the mirror surfaces of the electronic side mirrors 21, 22 and the electronic rearview mirror 20 from the line of sight direction according to the viewpoint position and the respective positions of the electronic side mirrors 21, 22 and the electronic rearview mirror 20 (step St5). Next, the display area control unit 15 individually specifies the display area within the image 5 for each of the electronic side mirrors 21, 22 and the electronic rearview mirror 20 from the angles of incidence and reflection (step St6). Next, the rearview image display unit 13 displays the display area within the image 5 on the electronic side mirrors 21, 22 and the electronic rearview mirror 20 (step St7). The image display process is executed in this manner.

[0032] 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]

[0033] 1 image display device, 2 vehicle, 3 projector, 4 screen, 20 electronic rearview mirror (electronic mirror), 21, 22 electronic side mirror (electronic mirror), 13 rear image display unit (display unit), 14 viewpoint position estimation unit (estimation unit), 15 display area control unit (control unit), S driving simulator, Pa, Pb viewpoint position, La, Lb line of sight, DR driver

Claims

[Claim 1] a display unit that displays a partial area of ​​an image of a virtual scene behind the vehicle of the driving simulator on an electronic mirror of the vehicle; an estimation unit that estimates a viewpoint position of a driver who is riding in the vehicle; a control unit that controls the range of the partial area in the image in accordance with a relationship between a position of the electronic mirror and a line of sight direction according to the viewpoint position, Video display device.

Images