Display control device, display control method, and display control program

Abstract

To suppress an occupant's feeling of anxiety and annoyance during automated driving.SOLUTION: A display control ECU 70 includes an information acquisition section and a display control section, and is mounted on a vehicle allowing automated driving. The information acquisition section acquires information on a peripheral target which is present ahead of the vehicle and in an own lane where the vehicle is traveling, and information on an attention object which is present outside the own lane and affects the control of the automated driving. The display control section allows a head-up display 26 provided inside a cabin of the vehicle to display an image V2 of the peripheral target on which the information has been acquired by the information acquisition section, and allows the head-up display 26 to additionally display an image V3 of the attention object when the information on the attention object has been acquired by the information acquisition section.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a display control device, a display control method, and a display control program to be mounted on a vehicle capable of autonomous driving. [Background technology]

[0002] The vehicle control device described in Patent Document 1 below includes a display unit, a recognition unit, a driving control unit, and a display control unit. The display unit displays an image. The recognition unit recognizes objects, including other vehicles, present around the host vehicle. The driving control unit generates a target trajectory for the host vehicle based on the state of the object recognized by the recognition unit, and controls one or both of the host vehicle's speed and steering based on the generated target trajectory. The display control unit displays, on the display unit, an image representing the other vehicle recognized as an object by the recognition unit superimposed on an image representing the road on which the host vehicle is located. The display control unit highlights, among the other vehicles recognized as objects present around the host vehicle, a first image representing a first vehicle that affects the behavior of the host vehicle by the driving control unit and a second image representing a second vehicle that affects the generation of the target trajectory, more than a third image representing a third vehicle different from the first or second vehicle. This reduces the anxiety of occupants during autonomous driving. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-042612 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above-described prior art, when the vehicle is traveling on a multi-lane road, the display unit is configured to display an image simulating the multi-lane road, images simulating multiple other vehicles traveling on each lane, and an image simulating the vehicle itself. When images of multiple lanes and multiple vehicles are displayed on the display unit in this manner, the amount of information displayed can be overwhelming and can be irritating to the occupants of the vehicle.

[0005] In consideration of the above, the present invention aims to provide a display control device, a display control method, and a display control program that can reduce the anxiety and annoyance felt by occupants during automatic driving. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A first aspect of the display control device is a display control device mounted on a vehicle capable of autonomous driving, and includes an information acquisition unit that acquires information on surrounding objects that are in front of the vehicle and in the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, and information on objects of caution that are located outside the lane in which the vehicle is traveling and that affect the control of the autonomous driving, and a display control unit that displays images of the surrounding objects about which information has been acquired by the information acquisition unit on a display unit provided in the passenger compartment of the vehicle, and when information on the objects of caution is acquired by the information acquisition unit, additionally displays the images of the objects of caution on the display unit.

[0007] In a first aspect, a display control device mounted on an autonomously driving vehicle includes an information acquisition unit and a display control unit. The information acquisition unit acquires information on surrounding objects present in the vehicle's own lane in which the vehicle is traveling, and information on attention objects present outside the vehicle's own lane that affect the control of the autonomous driving. The display control unit displays images of the surrounding objects, information about which has been acquired by the information acquisition unit, on a display unit provided in the vehicle's cabin. Furthermore, when information on the attention object is acquired by the information acquisition unit, the display control unit additionally displays an image of the attention object on the display unit. By additionally displaying the attention object on the display unit in this way, the occupant can more easily predict that the control of the autonomous driving will be affected. As a result, the occupant's anxiety during autonomous driving can be reduced. Moreover, during normal times when the attention object does not exist, the display unit does not display surrounding objects present outside the vehicle's own lane, thereby reducing the occupant's annoyance.

[0008] A second aspect of the display control device is the first aspect, wherein the display unit is a head-up display capable of displaying each of the images superimposed on the foreground seen by an occupant in the driver's seat of the vehicle through the windshield of the vehicle.

[0009] In a second aspect, the head-up display, which is a display unit, can display images of surrounding objects and images of attention objects superimposed on the foreground seen by the occupant in the driver's seat through the windshield. In such a configuration in which images of many surrounding objects, etc. are superimposed on the foreground on the head-up display, the occupant is likely to feel annoyed, but in this aspect, this can be avoided by the above-mentioned configuration.

[0010] A display control device of a third aspect is the first or second aspect, in which the display control unit displays an image of the attention object on the display unit in an emphasized manner compared to images of the surrounding targets.

[0011] In a third aspect, when an object of attention that may affect the control of autonomous driving is present in a lane other than the vehicle's own lane, the image of the object of attention is displayed on the display unit in a highlighted manner compared to images of surrounding objects. This makes it easier for the occupant to recognize the object of attention, making it easier for the occupant to predict that the control of autonomous driving will be affected.

[0012] A display control device of a fourth aspect is the third aspect, wherein the display control unit displays the image of the attention object in a color different from that of the image of the surrounding target.

[0013] In a fourth aspect, when an object of attention that affects the control of autonomous driving is present in a lane other than the own lane, the image of the object of attention is displayed on the display unit in a color different from the image of the surrounding objects. This difference in color makes it possible to emphasize the image of the object of attention.

[0014] A fifth aspect of the display control device is any one of the first to fourth aspects, in which, when the information acquisition unit acquires information about the object of attention located in front of the vehicle, the display control unit displays the object of attention on the display unit as an image simulating the state as seen by an occupant in the driver's seat of the vehicle through the windshield of the vehicle.

[0015] In the fifth aspect, when an object of attention that affects the control of autonomous driving is present in front of the vehicle, the object of attention is displayed on the display unit as an image that simulates the state that the occupant in the driver's seat of the vehicle sees through the windshield, making it easier for the occupant in the driver's seat to recognize the actual situation.

[0016] The display control device of the sixth aspect is any one of the first to fifth aspects, in which, when the information acquisition unit acquires information about the object of attention that is located behind or to the side of the vehicle, the display control unit displays the object of attention and the vehicle on the display unit as an image that simulates the state when viewed from a diagonally upward rear side of the vehicle.

[0017] In a sixth aspect, when an object of attention that affects the control of autonomous driving is present behind or to the side of the vehicle, the object of attention and the vehicle are displayed on the display unit as an image simulating a view of the vehicle from diagonally above the rear. This makes it easier for the occupant to predict the effect on autonomous driving control of the object of attention that is present behind or to the side of the vehicle.

[0018] The seventh aspect of the display control device is any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the display unit is a head-up display capable of displaying each of the images superimposed on the foreground seen by an occupant in the driver's seat of the vehicle through the windshield of the vehicle, and the instrument panel of the vehicle is provided with a meter display having a larger display area than the head-up display, and the display control unit is capable of displaying on the meter display an image simulating the vehicle and its surroundings as seen from a diagonally upward rear side of the vehicle.

[0019] In the seventh aspect, similar to the second aspect, the head-up display, which is a display unit, can display an image of a surrounding object and an image of an attention object superimposed on the foreground seen by the driver through the windshield. In addition, a meter display provided on the vehicle's instrument panel can display an image simulating the vehicle and its surroundings as seen from a diagonally upward rearward position of the vehicle. Because the meter display has a larger display area than the head-up display, it is easy to display information that would be cumbersome to display on the head-up display. This makes it possible to convey a wide variety of information to the driver through the meter display while minimizing the cumbersomeness of the display on the head-up display.

[0020] The display control method of the eighth aspect is a display control method implemented by a processor mounted on a vehicle capable of autonomous driving, and includes an acquisition step of attempting to acquire information on surrounding objects that are in front of the vehicle and in the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, and information on objects of caution that are located outside the lane in which the vehicle is traveling and that will affect the control of the autonomous driving, a display step of displaying images of the surrounding objects about which information has been acquired on a display unit provided in the passenger compartment of the vehicle, and an additional display step of, when information on the objects of caution has been acquired, additionally displaying images of the objects of caution on the display unit.

[0021] In an eighth aspect, a display control method implemented by a processor mounted on an autonomously driving vehicle includes an acquisition step, a display step, and an additional display step. In the acquisition step, the processor attempts to acquire information on surrounding objects present in the vehicle's own lane in which the vehicle is traveling and information on attention objects present outside the vehicle's own lane that affect the control of the autonomous driving. In the display step, the processor displays images of the surrounding objects about which information has been acquired on a display unit provided in the vehicle's cabin. In the additional display step, when information on the attention object is acquired by the information acquisition unit, the processor additionally displays an image of the attention object on the display unit. By additionally displaying the attention object on the display unit in this way, occupants can more easily predict that the control of the autonomous driving will be affected. As a result, occupants can be prevented from feeling uneasy during autonomous driving. Moreover, in normal times when the attention object does not exist, surrounding objects present outside the vehicle's own lane are not displayed on the display unit, thereby preventing occupants from feeling annoyed.

[0022] The display control program of the ninth aspect is a display control program executed by a processor mounted on a vehicle capable of autonomous driving, and includes an acquisition step of attempting to acquire information on surrounding objects that are in front of the vehicle and in the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, and information on objects of caution that are located outside the lane in which the vehicle is traveling and that affect the control of the autonomous driving, a display step of displaying images of the surrounding objects about which information has been acquired on a display unit provided in the passenger compartment of the vehicle, and an additional display step of, when information on the objects of caution has been acquired, additionally displaying images of the objects of caution on the display unit.

[0023] In a ninth aspect, a display control program executed by a processor mounted on an autonomously driving vehicle includes an acquisition step, a display step, and an additional display step. In the acquisition step, the processor attempts to acquire information on surrounding objects present in the vehicle's own lane in which the vehicle is traveling and information on attention objects present outside the vehicle's own lane that affect the control of the autonomous driving. In the display step, the processor displays images of the surrounding objects about which information has been acquired on a display unit provided in the vehicle's cabin. In the additional display step, when information on the attention object is acquired by the information acquisition unit, the processor additionally displays an image of the attention object on the display unit. By additionally displaying the attention object on the display unit in this way, occupants can more easily predict that the control of the autonomous driving will be affected. As a result, occupants can be prevented from feeling uneasy during autonomous driving. Moreover, in normal times when the attention object does not exist, surrounding objects present outside the vehicle's own lane are not displayed on the display unit, thereby preventing occupants from feeling annoyed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0024] As described above, the display control device, display control method, and display control program according to the present invention can prevent occupants from feeling anxious or annoyed during autonomous driving. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1]1 is a perspective view showing a front passenger compartment of a vehicle equipped with a display control ECU as a display control device according to an embodiment, as viewed from the rear side of the vehicle. [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram showing a part of a hardware configuration of an in-vehicle system configured to include a display control ECU according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a part of the functional configuration of a display control ECU according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 1A is a diagram showing a first display example of a head-up display, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing a first display example of a meter display. [Figure 5] FIG. 10(A) is a diagram showing a second display example of the head-up display, and FIG. 10(B) is a diagram showing a second display example of the meter display. [Figure 6] FIG. 10(A) is a diagram showing a third display example of the head-up display, and FIG. 10(B) is a diagram showing a third display example of the meter display. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the flow of a display control process according to an embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10(A) is a diagram showing a display example of a head-up display in a reference example, and FIG. 10(B) is a diagram showing a first display example of a meter display in the reference example. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of a display control process in a reference example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] A display control ECU 70 as a display control device according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 7. This display control ECU 70 is mounted on a vehicle 12 shown in Figure 1. As an example, this vehicle 12 is configured to be able to switch between automatic driving and manual driving. Hereinafter, this vehicle 12 will be referred to as "host vehicle 12."

[0027] 1, an instrument panel 14 is provided in the front of the cabin of the host vehicle 12. The instrument panel 14 extends in the vehicle width direction, and a steering wheel 16 is provided on the right side of the instrument panel 14. That is, in this embodiment, as an example, the vehicle is a right-hand drive vehicle in which the steering wheel 16 is provided on the right side, and a driver's seat (not shown) is located on the right side of the cabin.

[0028] The instrument panel 14 is disposed below the windshield glass 18. The windshield glass 18 slopes downward toward the front of the vehicle and separates the interior and exterior of the vehicle. The windshield glass 18 corresponds to the "windshield" in this invention.

[0029] The right end of the windshield glass 18 is fixed to a front pillar 20 on the right side of the vehicle. The front pillar 20 extends in the vertical direction of the vehicle, and the windshield glass 18 is fixed to the inner end of the front pillar 20 in the vehicle width direction. A front side glass 22 is disposed on the rear side of the front pillar 20. The left end of the windshield glass 18 is fixed to a front pillar on the left side of the vehicle (not shown).

[0030] A meter display 24 is provided in front of the driver's seat on the upper part of the instrument panel 14. The meter display 24 is provided in a position that is within the driver's field of view when the driver is looking ahead of the vehicle.

[0031] A head-up display (see FIG. 2; not shown in FIG. 1) 26 is provided on the upper part of the instrument panel 14 in front of the driver's seat. This head-up display (hereinafter referred to as HUD) 26 corresponds to the "display unit" in the present invention. This HUD 26 is configured to be able to project an image onto a display area 26A set below the windshield glass 18 in front of the driver's seat. This HUD 26 is capable of displaying an image superimposed on the foreground seen by an occupant in the driver's seat of the vehicle 12 through the windshield glass 18. The display area 26A of this HUD 26 is set smaller than the display area of ​​the meter display 24.

[0032] (In-vehicle system configuration) 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the in-vehicle system 30 mounted on the host vehicle 12. The in-vehicle system 30 includes a communication bus 32, to which a group of surrounding condition acquisition devices 34, a group of vehicle driving state detection sensors 46, an autonomous driving ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 54, and a display control ECU 70 are connected. Note that FIG. 2 shows only a portion of the in-vehicle system 30.

[0033] The group of surrounding condition acquisition devices 34 includes a GPS (Global Positioning System) device 36, an in-vehicle communication device 38, a navigation system 40, a radar device 42, and a camera 44, etc., as devices that acquire information indicating the situation of the surrounding environment of the vehicle 12.

[0034] The GPS device 36 receives GPS signals from multiple GPS satellites to determine the position of the vehicle 12. The positioning accuracy of the GPS device 36 improves as the number of GPS signals it can receive increases. The in-vehicle communication device 38 is a communication device that performs at least one of vehicle-to-vehicle communication with other vehicles and road-to-vehicle communication with roadside devices. The navigation system 40 includes a map information storage unit 40A that stores map information, and performs processing to display the position of the vehicle 12 on a map and provide route guidance to a destination based on the position information obtained from the GPS device 36 and the map information stored in the map information storage unit 40A.

[0035] The radar device 42 includes multiple radar devices with different detection ranges, detects surrounding objects such as pedestrians and other vehicles around the vehicle 12 as point cloud information, and acquires the relative position and relative speed of the detected surrounding objects and the vehicle 12. The radar device 42 also incorporates a processing device that processes the detection results of the surrounding objects. The processing device excludes noise, roadside objects such as guardrails, and the like from the monitoring targets based on changes in the relative position and relative speed of each surrounding object included in the most recent multiple detection results, and tracks and monitors specific objects such as pedestrians and other vehicles as monitoring targets. The radar device 42 then outputs information such as the relative position and relative speed of each monitoring target. The camera 44 captures the surroundings of the vehicle 12 with multiple cameras and outputs the captured images.

[0036] In addition, the vehicle driving state detection sensor group 46 includes multiple sensors that acquire the driving state of the vehicle 12, such as a steering angle sensor 48 that detects the steering angle of the vehicle 12, a vehicle speed sensor 50 that detects the driving speed of the vehicle 12, and an acceleration sensor 52 that detects the acceleration applied to the vehicle 12.

[0037] The autonomous driving ECU 54 is connected to a throttle ACT 56 that changes the throttle opening of the host vehicle 12 and a brake ACT 58 that changes the braking force generated by the braking device of the host vehicle 12. The autonomous driving ECU 54 is also connected to a steering ACT 60 that changes the steering amount by the steering device of the host vehicle 12.

[0038] The autonomous driving ECU 54 includes a central processing unit (CPU), memories such as read-only memory (ROM) and random access memory (RAM), non-volatile storage units such as hard disk drives (HDDs) and solid state drives (SSDs), and a communication interface (I / F). An autonomous driving program is stored in the storage unit. When an autonomous driving mode is selected, the autonomous driving ECU 54 executes the autonomous driving program via the CPU, thereby performing autonomous driving processing to automatically drive the host vehicle 12 without any driving operation by the occupants of the host vehicle 12. The autonomous driving processing is processing to determine the conditions of the host vehicle 12 and its surroundings based on information obtained from the surrounding condition acquisition device group 34 and the vehicle driving state detection sensor group 46, and to control the throttle ACT 56, brake ACT 58, and steering ACT 60.

[0039] In this embodiment, the level of autonomous driving performed by the autonomous driving ECU 54 is, for example, any one of levels 2 to 5. In autonomous driving at level 2 or level 3, the driver is required to monitor the autonomous driving by the autonomous driving ECU 54 and intervene as necessary in case of, for example, deviation from the controllable range or improper operation due to erroneous detection, non-detection, or failure of sensors. In autonomous driving at level 4 or level 5, driver intervention is not required.

[0040] In addition, in this embodiment, the autonomous driving performed by the autonomous driving ECU 54 includes, for example, constant speed driving, in which the host vehicle 12 drives in the same lane at a constant speed; following driving, in which the host vehicle 12 follows another vehicle that is in the host vehicle's lane within a predetermined distance (for example, within 100 meters) ahead of the host vehicle 12 and is closest to the host vehicle 12; lane change, in which the host vehicle 12 changes lanes from the host vehicle's lane to an adjacent lane; branching driving, in which the host vehicle 12 branches into the destination lane at a road branch point; and merging driving, in which the host vehicle 12 merges into the main lane at a merging point.

[0041] The autonomous driving ECU 54 notifies the display control ECU 70 of information about surrounding objects (here, surrounding vehicles) that exist around the host vehicle 12. The autonomous driving ECU 54 also determines, based on information from the vehicle traveling state detection sensor group 46, whether or not an object of attention (here, a vehicle to be warned about) that will affect the control of autonomous driving exists outside the host lane. If this determination is positive, the autonomous driving ECU 54 notifies the display control ECU 70 of the point where the object of attention exists and the coordinates of the object of attention.

[0042] Furthermore, the autonomous driving ECU 54 determines whether to accelerate or decelerate the host vehicle 12 based on information from the surrounding condition acquisition device group 34, such as map information. If this determination is affirmative, the automatic control ECU 54 notifies the display control ECU 70 of the point at which the host vehicle 12 will accelerate or decelerate and the cause thereof (for example, the presence of a curve ahead of the host vehicle 12). Note that this determination and notification regarding acceleration or deceleration of the host vehicle 12 may be performed by an ECU other than the autonomous driving ECU 54.

[0043] (Display control ECU configuration) The display control ECU 70 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit; processor) 72, a memory 74 such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) or a RAM (Random Access Memory), a non-volatile storage unit 76 such as a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive), and a communication I / F (Interface) 78. The CPU 72, the memory 74, the storage unit 76, and the communication I / F 78 are communicatively connected to one another via an internal bus 80. A display control program 82 is stored in the storage unit 76. The display control program 82 is a program for implementing a display control method according to the present invention. In the display control ECU 70, the display control program 82 is read from the storage unit 76 and loaded into the memory 74. The CPU 72 executes the display control program 82 loaded into the memory 74, thereby performing a display control process (described later). The HUD 26 and the meter display 24 are electrically connected to the display control ECU 70.

[0044] The display control ECU 70 uses the above hardware resources to realize various functions. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing part of the functional configuration realized by the display control ECU 70. As shown in Fig. 3, the display control ECU 70 includes, as its functional components, an information acquisition unit 84 and a display control unit 86. These functional components are realized when the CPU 72 reads and executes a display control program 82 stored in the storage unit 76.

[0045] The information acquisition unit 84 acquires information about lanes recognized by the autonomous driving ECU 54, information about surrounding landmarks, and the like from the autonomous driving ECU 54. The lane information includes information about the host vehicle 12's current lane (such as whether the lane is straight or curved) and information about adjacent lanes adjacent to the left and right of the host lane (such as whether there is an adjacent lane). The information acquired by the information acquisition unit 84 includes information about surrounding landmarks that are in front of the host vehicle 12 and in the host lane, and information about objects that require attention that are outside the host lane and that affect the control of autonomous driving. Note that the information acquisition unit 84 may acquire information that affects the control of autonomous driving from an ECU other than the autonomous driving ECU 54.

[0046] The display control unit 86 controls the display of the HUD 26 and the meter display 24 based on the information acquired by the information acquisition unit 84. The display control unit 86 is capable of displaying a first-person single-lane display image as shown in Figures 4(A) and 5(A) and a third-person multi-lane display image as shown in Figure 6(A) on the HUD 26. The display control unit 86 is also capable of displaying a third-person multi-lane display image as shown in Figures 4(B), 5(B), and 6(B) on the meter display 2.

[0047] The first-person one-lane display image is an image simulating the view ahead as seen through the windshield glass 18 by an occupant in the driver's seat of the host vehicle 12. This first-person one-lane display image includes, as display objects, an image R1 of the host vehicle's lane in which the host vehicle 12 is traveling, an image L of the host vehicle's lane boundary, and an image V2 of surrounding objects (other vehicles in the examples shown in FIGS. 4(A) and 5(A)) present ahead of the host vehicle 12. In this first-person one-lane display image, images of adjacent lanes adjacent to the left and right of the host vehicle's lane are excluded from the display objects. In addition, in this first-person one-lane display image, surrounding objects present in adjacent lanes are generally excluded from the display objects, but attention objects, which will be described later, are included as display objects. This first-person one-lane display image is an image in which the host vehicle's lane image V1 is displayed as large as possible while omitting information that is less important for the occupant in the driver's seat to understand the state of autonomous driving, thereby minimizing annoyance. During autonomous driving of the host vehicle 12, the display control unit 86 normally displays this first-person one-lane display image on the HUD 26. In the examples shown in FIGS. 4(A), 4(B), 5(A), and 5(B), when the autonomous driving of the host vehicle 12 is in following driving mode, the other vehicle shown in image V2 is the following target. In addition, in the examples shown in FIGS. 4(A), 5(A), and 6(A), the vehicle speed of the host vehicle 12 and the set speed of the cruise control are displayed at the bottom of the display area 26A of the HUD 26.

[0048] The third-person multi-lane display image is an image showing the host vehicle 12 and its surroundings as viewed from a diagonally upward rearward (bird's-eye view). This third-person multi-lane display image includes, as display objects, images R2 and R3 of adjacent lanes on the left and right of the host vehicle's lane. This third-person multi-lane display image can display up to three lanes, for example. However, to facilitate understanding of transient states associated with branching and merging, this is not limited to a maximum of three lanes, and the number of lanes displayed can be changed as appropriate. This third-person multi-lane display image includes, as display objects, an image R1 of the host vehicle's lane, images R2 and R3 of the adjacent lanes, an image L of the boundary lines between these lanes, an image V2 of a surrounding object (another vehicle in the examples shown in FIGS. 4(B) and 5(B)) in the host vehicle's lane ahead of the host vehicle 12, and an image V3 of a surrounding object (another vehicle in the examples shown in FIGS. 4(B), 5(B), and 6(B)) in the adjacent lane. 4(B), 5(B), and 6(B), the vehicle speed of the vehicle 12 and the cruise control set speed are displayed at the top of the meter display 24. In addition, planned operations P1 to P3 for automatic driving are displayed on the right side of the meter display 24.

[0049] The display control unit 86 is configured to additionally display an image of an attention object on the HUD 26 when the information acquisition unit 84 acquires information about an attention object that exists in a lane other than the own vehicle's own lane and that affects the control of the autonomous driving. That is, for example, when another vehicle traveling in an adjacent lane adjacent to the right of the own vehicle 12 attempts to suddenly cut in front of the own vehicle 12, the display control unit 86 detects that the control of the autonomous driving will be affected based on information acquired by the information acquisition unit 84 from the autonomous driving ECU 54. Then, as shown in FIG. 5A, the display control unit 86 additionally displays an image V3 of the other vehicle (i.e., the attention object) that is attempting to cut in on the HUD 26. In this case, the display control unit 86 displays the image V3 of the other vehicle that is the attention object on the HUD 26 in a color different from the color of the image V2 of a peripheral target such as another vehicle that exists in the own lane. In the present embodiment, as an example, the image V1 of the other vehicle that exists in the own lane is displayed in white, and the image V3 of the other vehicle that is the attention object is displayed in amber. As a result, the display control unit 86 highlights the image V3 of the other vehicle, which is the attention object, compared to the image V1 of the other vehicle present in the own lane. That is, in the above example, the other vehicle V3 other than the following object, which passively causes the behavior of the own vehicle 12 to change, is highlighted. Note that in Figures 5(A) and 5(B), for convenience of explanation, the image V3 is marked with dots instead of colors.

[0050] Furthermore, when the information acquisition unit 84 acquires information about an object of attention present behind or to the side of the host vehicle 12, the display control unit 86 changes the image displayed on the HUD 26 from the first-person single-lane display image shown in FIGS. 4A and 5A to the third-person multi-lane display image shown in FIG. 6A. This change to the third-person multi-lane display image is performed using continuous animation. Due to this change to the third-person multi-lane display image, an image V3 of the host vehicle 12 and the object of attention present behind or to the side of the host vehicle 12 (the rear side in the example shown in FIG. 6A) is displayed on the HUD 26 as an image simulating a view from diagonally above and behind the host vehicle 12. In this case, the display control unit 86 is configured to display the image V3 of the other vehicle, which is the object of attention, on the HUD 26 in a color that is emphasized differently from the image V1 of the host vehicle 12 and the image V2 of a peripheral object, such as another vehicle, present in the host vehicle's lane. In addition, in FIGS. 6(A) and 6(B), for convenience of explanation, image V3 is shown with dots instead of colors.

[0051] (Action and effect) Next, the operation and effects of this embodiment will be described.

[0052] 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of display control processing performed by the display control ECU 70. This display control processing is performed by the CPU 72 reading out a display control program 82 from the storage unit 76, expanding it into the memory 74, and executing it. This display control processing is performed while the autonomous driving ECU 54 is autonomously driving the host vehicle 12.

[0053] In this display control process, first, in step S1, the CPU 72 acquires information about the surroundings of the vehicle 12 using the function of the information acquisition unit 84. This step S1 corresponds to the "acquisition step" in the present invention. When the process in this step S1 is completed, the process proceeds to the next step S2.

[0054] In step S2, the CPU 72 uses the function of the display control unit 86 to display the information acquired in step S1 as an image on the HUD 26 and the meter display 24. In this case, a first-person single-lane display image is displayed on the HUD 26, and a third-person multiple-lane display image is displayed on the meter display 24. This step S2 corresponds to the "display step" of the present invention. When the processing in step S2 is completed, the process proceeds to the next step S3.

[0055] In step S3, the CPU 72 determines whether or not there is an object of attention that may affect the control of the autonomous driving other than the current lane, based on the information acquired by the function of the information acquisition unit 84. If this determination is negative, the process returns to step S1 and repeats the above-described processing. If the determination in step S3 is positive, the process proceeds to the next step S4.

[0056] When the process proceeds to step S4, the CPU 72 determines whether an object to be warned about is present ahead of the vehicle 12, based on the information acquired by the function of the information acquisition unit 84. If this determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S5, and if this determination is negative, the process proceeds to step S6. These steps S5 and S6 correspond to the "additional display step" in the present invention.

[0057] When the process proceeds to step S5, that is, when the CPU 72 determines that the object of attention is present ahead of the vehicle 12, the CPU 72 causes the display control unit 86 to additionally display an image of the object of attention on the HUD 26 in the state of a first-person one-lane display image (see FIG. 5(A)). In this case, the CPU 72 displays the image of the object of attention additionally displayed on the HUD 26 (see image V3 in FIG. 5(A)) in a different highlighted color from the image of the surrounding object on the vehicle's lane (see image V2 in FIG. 5(A)). When the process in step S5 is completed, the process returns to step S1 described above and repeats the process described above.

[0058] On the other hand, when the process proceeds to step S6, that is, when the CPU 72 determines that the object of attention is not present ahead of the host vehicle 12, the CPU 72 switches the HUD 26 to a third-person multi-lane display image using the function of the display control unit 86. Then, the CPU 72 causes the HUD 26 to additionally display an object of attention that is present other than ahead of the host vehicle 12, that is, that is, that is present behind or to the side of the host vehicle 12. In this case, the CPU 72 displays an image of the object of attention additionally displayed on the HUD 26 (see image V3 in FIG. 6A) in an emphasized color different from that of the image V1 of the host vehicle 12. When the process in step S6 is completed, the process returns to step S1 described above and repeats the process described above.

[0059] As described above, in this embodiment, when information about an object of attention is acquired by the information acquisition unit 84, the display control unit 86 additionally displays an image of the object of attention on the HUD 26. By additionally displaying the object of attention on the display unit in this manner, it becomes easier for the occupant in the driver's seat to predict that the control of the autonomous driving will be affected. As a result, it is possible to reduce the occupant in the driver's seat feeling uneasy during autonomous driving. Moreover, during normal times when no object of attention exists, the HUD 26 displays a first-person single-lane image, and surrounding landmarks that exist outside the own lane are not displayed on the HUD 26. This reduces the occupant in the driver's seat feeling annoyed.

[0060] In particular, with the HUD 26, images are displayed superimposed on the foreground seen by the driver through the windshield glass 18. Therefore, if there are a large number and variety of images displayed, the driver may feel annoyed due to the excessive amount of information. However, this embodiment can reduce this annoyance.

[0061] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when an image of an object of attention is additionally displayed on the HUD 26, the image of the object of attention is displayed in a color different from the image of the surrounding objects in the vehicle's lane. This color difference can emphasize the image of the object of attention, making it easier for the driver in the driver's seat to recognize the object of attention. As a result, the driver can more easily predict that the autonomous driving control will be affected.

[0062] In addition, in this embodiment, when an object of attention that may affect the control of autonomous driving is present ahead of the vehicle 12, the object of attention is displayed on the HUD 26 as an image that simulates the state as seen by an occupant in the driver's seat of the vehicle 12 through the windshield glass 18. This makes it easier for the occupant in the driver's seat to recognize the actual situation.

[0063] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when an object of attention that may affect the control of the autonomous driving is present behind or to the side of the host vehicle 12, the object of attention and the host vehicle 12 are displayed on the HUD 26 as an image simulating a state in which the object of attention and the host vehicle 12 are viewed from diagonally above the rear of the host vehicle 12. This makes it easier for the occupant in the driver's seat to predict the effect on the autonomous driving control of the object of attention that is present behind or to the side of the host vehicle 12.

[0064] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the meter display 24 provided on the instrument panel 14 of the vehicle 12 displays an image of the vehicle 12 and its surroundings as seen from diagonally above and behind the vehicle 12. Because the meter display 24 has a larger display area than the HUD 26, it is easy to display information that would be cumbersome if displayed on the HUD 26 on the meter display 24. This makes it possible to convey a wide variety of information to the occupant in the driver's seat on the meter display 24 while minimizing the cumbersomeness of the displays on the HUD 26.

[0065] Although the display control ECU 70 according to one embodiment has been described above, it is needless to say that the present invention can be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the meter display 24 is provided in front of the driver's seat on the instrument panel 14, but the present invention is not limited to this. The meter display 24 may be a center display provided in the center of the instrument panel 14 in the vehicle width direction.

[0066] In the above embodiment, the HUD 26 that projects an image onto the windshield glass 18 is configured as the display unit, but this is not limited to this. For example, the display unit may project an image onto a projection surface other than the windshield.

[0067] In the above embodiment, the HUD 26 displays an image of the attention object in a different color from the images of the surrounding objects in the vehicle's lane. However, this is not a limitation. The image of the attention object may be highlighted by other methods. For example, the brightness or tone of the image of the attention object and the surrounding objects may be changed, or the attention object may be displayed in a flashing manner.

[0068] Furthermore, the display control process executed by the CPU 72 after reading the software (program) in the above embodiment may be executed by various processors other than the CPU 72. Examples of such processors include dedicated electrical circuits, such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic devices (PLDs) whose circuit configuration can be changed after manufacture, and application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), which are processors having a circuit configuration specifically designed to execute specific processes. The display process may be executed by one of these various processors, or by a combination of two or more processors of the same or different types (e.g., multiple FPGAs, or a combination of a CPU and an FPGA). The hardware structure of these various processors is, more specifically, an electrical circuit that combines circuit elements such as semiconductor devices.

[0069] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, various data are stored in a non-volatile storage unit 76 such as an HDD or SSD, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a recording medium such as a CD (Compact Disk), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), or a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory may be used as the storage unit. In this case, various programs and data are stored in these recording media.

[0070] In the above embodiment, when the information acquisition unit 84 acquires information about an attention object that exists outside the current lane and that affects the control of autonomous driving, the display control ECU 70 additionally displays an image of the attention object on the HUD 26 and the meter display 24. However, this is not limiting. For example, the present invention may be configured as shown in the reference example in FIGS. 8(A) and 8(B). In this reference example, the information acquisition unit 84 acquires attention object information related to road shape from the autonomous driving ECU 54 or another ECU. This attention object information is information that affects the control of autonomous driving. This attention object information includes, for example, information about signs related to road shape. The display control unit 86 is configured to additionally display an image of the attention object on the HUD 26 and the meter display 24 when the information acquisition unit 84 acquires the attention object information. In FIGS. 8(A) and 8(B), as an example, an image S of a sign indicating a right-hand zigzag (a curve in the road) is additionally displayed on the HUD 26 and the meter display 24.

[0071] 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the display control process performed by the display control ECU 70 in the above-described reference example. In FIG. 9, the same processes as those in the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals. In this display control process, once the process in step S2 is completed, the process proceeds to the next step S3.

[0072] In step S3, the CPU 72 determines whether the information acquired by the function of the information acquisition unit S1 includes information on signs related to road shapes (i.e., cautionary information). If the determination is negative, the process returns to step S1 and repeats the above-described processing. If the determination in step S3 is positive, the process proceeds to the next step S4.

[0073] When the process proceeds to step S4, the CPU 72 causes the display control unit 86 to additionally display a sign image S on the HUD 26 and the meter display 24. FIGS. 8A and 8B show an example in which the sign image S is displayed on the image of the own lane R1. In this case, the CPU 72 displays, for example, the sign image S in an emphasized manner different from the image V1 of the own vehicle 12. When the process in step S4 is completed, the process returns to step S1 and repeats the process described above.

[0074] In the above reference example, the image S of the road shape sign, i.e., the image showing the caution information, is additionally displayed on the HUD 26, etc., making it easier for the occupant in the driver's seat to predict that the control of the autonomous driving will be affected. As a result, it is possible to reduce the occupant in the driver's seat feeling uneasy during autonomous driving. Moreover, in normal times when there is no caution information, the image showing the caution information is not displayed on the HUD 26. This reduces the occupant in the driver's seat feeling annoyed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 12 vehicles 18 Windshield glass (windshield) 26 Head-up display (display) 70 Display control ECU (display control device) 72 CPUs (processors) 84 Information Acquisition Department 86 Display control unit V1 Image of the vehicle V2 Images of surrounding objects (surrounding vehicles) V3 Image of object of attention (vehicle of attention)

Claims

1. A display control device mounted on an autonomously driven vehicle, an information acquisition unit that acquires information about surrounding vehicles that are in front of the vehicle and in the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, and information about vehicles to be watched that are in a lane other than the lane in which the vehicle is traveling and that may affect the control of the autonomous driving; a display control unit that displays an image of the surrounding vehicle, the information of which has been acquired by the information acquisition unit, on a display unit provided in the passenger compartment of the vehicle, and, when information of the vehicle to be watched is acquired by the information acquisition unit, additionally displays an image of the vehicle to be watched on the display unit in a manner different from the image of the surrounding vehicle; A display control device comprising:

2. 2. The display control device according to claim 1, wherein the display unit is a head-up display that can display each of the images superimposed on a front view seen by an occupant in a driver's seat of the vehicle through a windshield of the vehicle.

3. 3. The display control device according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit displays the image of the vehicle to be watched on the display unit in an emphasized manner compared to the images of the surrounding vehicles.

4. The display control device according to claim 3 , wherein the display control unit displays the image of the vehicle to be watched in a color different from the color of the images of the surrounding vehicles.

5. A display control device as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein when the information acquisition unit acquires information about the vehicle to be watched that is located in front of the vehicle, the display control unit displays the vehicle to be watched on the display unit as an image that simulates the state as seen by an occupant in the driver's seat of the vehicle through the windshield of the vehicle.

6. A display control device as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein when the information acquisition unit acquires information about the vehicle to be watched that is located behind or to the side of the vehicle, the display control unit displays the vehicle to be watched and the vehicle on the display unit as an image that simulates the state of the vehicle as viewed from a diagonally upward rearward position.

7. the display unit is a head-up display that can display each of the images superimposed on a front view seen by an occupant in a driver's seat of the vehicle through a windshield of the vehicle, an instrument panel of the vehicle is provided with a meter display having a display area larger than that of the head-up display; The display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the display control unit is capable of displaying on the meter display an image simulating the vehicle and its surroundings as viewed from a diagonally upward rear side of the vehicle.

8. A display control method implemented by a processor mounted on a vehicle capable of autonomous driving, an acquisition step of attempting to acquire information on surrounding vehicles that are in front of the vehicle and in the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, and information on vehicles to be watched that are in a lane other than the lane in which the vehicle is traveling and that may affect the control of the automated driving; a display step of displaying an image of the surrounding vehicle, the image having the acquired information, on a display unit provided in a passenger compartment of the vehicle; an additional display step of additionally displaying an image of the vehicle to be watched on the display unit in a manner different from the image of the surrounding vehicle when the information of the vehicle to be watched is acquired; A display control method comprising:

9. A display control program executed by a processor mounted on an autonomously driven vehicle, an acquisition step of attempting to acquire information on surrounding vehicles that are in front of the vehicle and in the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, and information on vehicles to be watched that are in a lane other than the lane in which the vehicle is traveling and that may affect the control of the automated driving; a display step of displaying an image of the surrounding vehicle, the image having the acquired information, on a display unit provided in a passenger compartment of the vehicle; an additional display step of additionally displaying an image of the vehicle to be watched on the display unit in a manner different from the image of the surrounding vehicle when the information of the vehicle to be watched is acquired; A display control program having the following:

Images