Display control device

Abstract

To provide a display control device capable of quickening the display of an object to be noticed at an early stage on a display part.SOLUTION: The display control device 100 includes the object recognition unit 11 that recognizes the object around the vehicle 1 based on the detection result of the in-vehicle external sensor 2, the display target specifying unit 12 that specifies the object present within the predetermined distance threshold around the vehicle 1 as the display target object, and the display control unit 13 that displays the display target object on the display unit. The display target specifying unit 12 sets a distance threshold when a predetermined vehicle position condition or a predetermined time condition related to a predetermined display advancement object is satisfied to be larger than a distance threshold when the vehicle position condition and the time condition are not satisfied.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a display control device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent document 1 discloses a driving assistance device that, when a building with a predetermined attribute (e.g., an elementary or junior high school) is detected within a first predetermined area based on the vehicle's position, presents a second predetermined area (e.g., a school zone) containing the detected building as visual information superimposed on map information to the driver of the vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-192681 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In a display control device that displays images to vehicle occupants, an object that approaches within a predetermined distance threshold in the three-dimensional space around the vehicle may be uniformly displayed based on the detection results of an external sensor mounted on the vehicle. In such a configuration, even if an attempt is made to accelerate the display of a specific object, the display of other objects is also accelerated uniformly under all conditions, leaving room for improvement. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A display control device according to one aspect of the present invention includes an object recognition unit that recognizes objects around the vehicle based on the detection results of an external sensor mounted on the vehicle, a display target identification unit that identifies objects that exist within a predetermined distance threshold around the vehicle as display target objects, and a display control unit that displays the display target objects on the display unit, wherein the display target identification unit sets the distance threshold when a predetermined vehicle position condition or a predetermined time condition related to a predetermined display earlier object is satisfied to be larger than the distance threshold when the vehicle position condition and the time condition are not satisfied.

[0006] In a display control device according to one aspect of the present invention, the distance threshold when a vehicle position condition or a time condition is satisfied is set to be larger than the distance threshold when neither the vehicle position condition nor the time condition is satisfied. Objects, including the display-earlier-selected object, are more likely to be present within the larger distance threshold, making it easier for objects, including the display-earlier-selected object, to be identified as objects to be displayed earlier. This allows, for example, the display of an object requiring attention to be displayed earlier on the display unit to be accelerated only when the vehicle position condition or the time condition is satisfied, rather than accelerating the display of objects uniformly under all conditions.

[0007] In one embodiment, the display target specification unit may set a distance threshold according to the type of object, and may increase the distance threshold when the vehicle position condition or the time condition is satisfied for each type of object. In this case, it is possible to accelerate the display of an object requiring early attention on the display unit for each type of object.

[0008] In one embodiment, the object recognition unit recognizes an obstacle that obstructs the movement of an object around the vehicle based on the detection results of the external sensor, and the display target identification unit does not need to increase the distance threshold when the vehicle position condition or the time condition is satisfied in the direction in which the obstacle exists. In this case, the display earlier object whose movement is obstructed by the obstacle can be essentially excluded from the objects that are likely to be identified as the display earlier object.

[0009] In one embodiment, the display-earlier object may be a child pedestrian, and the vehicle position condition may be satisfied when the vehicle is located in a school zone. In this case, the display-earlier object may be a child pedestrian, based on the vehicle position.

[0010] In one embodiment, the display-earlier object may be a child pedestrian, and the time condition may be satisfied when the current time is within a predetermined school commute time. In this case, the display of the child pedestrian as the display-earlier object may be advanced based on the current time. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to some aspects of the present disclosure, it is possible to promptly display on a display unit an object requiring early attention. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a display control device according to an embodiment; [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of setting a distance threshold. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating another example of setting a distance threshold. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an object display process. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a threshold setting process. [Figure 6] 4 is a diagram for explaining a modified example of the setting of the distance threshold value in FIG. 3. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0014] Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a display control device according to an embodiment. The display control device 100 shown in Fig. 1 is a device that displays an image to an occupant of a vehicle 1, such as a passenger car or a freight vehicle, by using an external sensor 2 mounted on the vehicle 1. The display control device 100 includes an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 10, the external sensor 2, a GNSS receiver 3, a map database 4, and an HMI (Human Machine Interface) 5. The display control device 100 may be applied to a vehicle capable of executing driving assistance control or a vehicle capable of executing autonomous driving control.

[0015] [Configuration of display control device] As shown in FIG. 1 , the display control device 100 includes an ECU 10 that performs overall control of the device. The ECU 10 is an electronic control unit having a central processing unit (CPU) and storage units such as read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), and electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM). The ECU 10 realizes various functions by, for example, executing programs stored in the storage units in the CPU. The ECU 10 may be configured as a unit integrated with an external sensor 2, or as a unit separate from the external sensor 2.

[0016] The ECU 10 is connected to an external sensor 2 , a GNSS receiver 3 , a map database 4 , and an HMI 5 .

[0017] The external sensor 2 is a detection device that detects the situation around the vehicle 1. The external sensor 2 includes at least one of a camera and a radar sensor. The camera is an imaging device that captures an image in front of the vehicle 1. The camera is provided, for example, on the back side of the windshield of the vehicle 1, and captures an image in front of the vehicle 1. The camera has a function of measuring the relative distance to an object (pedestrian, etc.) around the vehicle 1. The camera may be a camera with a distance measurement function, such as a stereo camera. The camera may be a monocular camera that can measure the distance to an object in a captured image by performing predetermined image processing on the captured image. The camera transmits captured image information to the ECU 10.

[0018] A radar sensor is a detection device that uses radio waves (e.g., millimeter waves) or light to detect objects around the vehicle 1. The radar sensor detects objects by transmitting radio waves or light to the area around the vehicle 1 and receiving the radio waves or light reflected by the objects. Examples of radar sensors include LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) and millimeter wave radar. The radar sensor has the function of measuring the relative distance to objects (pedestrians, etc.) around the vehicle 1. The radar sensor transmits information about the detected objects to the ECU 10.

[0019] The external sensor 2 has a detection range. The detection range is a range in which the external sensor 2 can detect objects. Here, the external sensor 2 is configured, as an example, to be able to detect objects in all directions around the vehicle 1 when viewed from above (see FIG. 2, etc.).

[0020] The GNSS receiver 3 receives signals from positioning satellites to measure the vehicle position (e.g., the latitude and longitude of the vehicle 1), which is the current position of the vehicle 1. The GNSS receiver 3 transmits information about the measured vehicle position to the ECU 10.

[0021] The map database 4 is a storage device that stores map information. The map database 4 is formed in a storage medium such as a hard disk drive (HDD) mounted on the vehicle 1. The map information may include information on the state of the shoulder of the roadway, information on the state of the sidewalk, etc. The map database 4 may be formed in a server that can communicate with the vehicle 1.

[0022] The HMI 5 is an interface for inputting and outputting information between the display control device 100 and an occupant of the vehicle 1. The HMI 5 has a display (display unit) provided in the cabin of the vehicle 1. The HMI 5 outputs an image to the display in response to a control signal from the ECU 10. The display may be a multi-information display (MID) or a head-up display (HUD).

[0023] Next, a description will be given of the functional configuration of the ECU 10. The ECU 10 has an object recognition unit 11, a display target specification unit 12, and a display control unit 13.

[0024] The object recognition unit 11 recognizes objects around the vehicle 1 based on the detection results of the external sensor 2. The object recognition unit 11 can recognize objects present within the detection range of the external sensor 2. The object recognition unit 11 may recognize the shape and type of object by known image recognition processing based on an image captured by a camera. The object recognition unit 11 may recognize the shape and type of object by known object recognition processing based on object information from a radar sensor. The object recognized by the object recognition unit 11 may be, for example, another vehicle, a pedestrian, a bicycle, a small animal, or the like. The object recognition unit 11 may recognize the relative position, relative speed, and movement direction of the object relative to the vehicle 1.

[0025] The display target identification unit 12 identifies an object that exists within a distance threshold around the vehicle 1 as a display target object based on the object recognized by the object recognition unit 11 and a predetermined distance threshold. The display target object is an object that is to be displayed to the occupants of the vehicle 1. The distance threshold is a threshold of the relative distance between the vehicle 1 and the object, which is used to identify the display target object from the objects recognized by the object recognition unit 11. The display target identification unit 12 stores the distance threshold in a memory unit of the ECU 10, for example.

[0026] The display target specification unit 12 sets a distance threshold when a predetermined vehicle position condition or a predetermined time condition related to a predetermined display earlier object is satisfied, larger than a distance threshold when the vehicle position condition and the time condition are not satisfied. The predetermined display earlier object refers to an object that, among objects that may be displayed to the occupants of the vehicle 1, is an object that is pre-selected as an object to be displayed earlier because it requires more attention when approaching the vehicle 1. For example, when the object is a pedestrian, the display earlier object may be a child.

[0027] The distance threshold may include a second threshold that is a distance threshold for displaying a predetermined display earlier object earlier, and a first threshold that is a distance threshold for displaying other objects using a known method. The second threshold is greater than the first threshold. The display target identification unit 12 may set the distance threshold when the vehicle position condition or the time condition is satisfied to the second threshold. The display target identification unit 12 may set the distance threshold when the vehicle position condition and the time condition are not satisfied to the first threshold.

[0028] The distance threshold is defined for the vehicle 1 using a known method. For example, the distance threshold may be defined so as to define a rectangular area having sides parallel to the front-rear and left-right directions of the vehicle 1, with the vehicle 1 as the reference. Alternatively, the distance threshold may be defined so as to define a circular, elliptical, or other area with the vehicle 1 as the reference. The distance threshold may be defined for each direction with respect to the vehicle 1. For example, when defining a rectangular area, the distance threshold may be defined for each of the right, left, front, and rear of the vehicle 1. For example, when defining a circular, elliptical, or other area, the distance threshold may be defined for each predetermined angle that divides a horizontal plane with the vehicle 1 as the reference into multiple areas.

[0029] The predetermined vehicle position condition is a condition for early display of an object including a display-earlier object, and is a condition for determining whether the vehicle position is located in a location related to the display-earlier object. For example, the display target identification unit 12 determines that the vehicle position condition is satisfied when the vehicle position is located in a predetermined child approaching area based on the acquired vehicle position and map information. The child approaching area is a predetermined area on the map where there is a possibility that children who require careful traffic attention may be present near the vehicle position of the vehicle 1. An example of a child approaching area is a school zone. The child approaching area may also be a certain range of area including locations such as parks, residential areas, kindergartens, nursery schools, children's sports facilities, shopping malls, libraries, and pediatric clinics. Information about the child approaching area may be stored in the map database 4 as map information, for example. The display target identification unit 12 may determine that the vehicle position condition is not satisfied when the vehicle position is not located in the child approaching area.

[0030] The predetermined time condition is a condition for early display of an object, including a display-earlier object, and is a condition for determining whether the current time falls within a time period related to the display-earlier object. For example, based on the current time and map information, the display target identification unit 12 determines that the time condition is satisfied if the current time falls within a predetermined child approaching time period. The child approaching time period is a predetermined time period during which there is a possibility that children who require careful traffic attention may be present near the vehicle position of the vehicle 1. The child approaching time period may be, for example, the time when a child arrives at or leaves school. The child approaching time period may also be the time when a child is picked up or dropped off at a kindergarten, a nursery school, or a children's sports facility. Information about the child approaching time period may be stored in the map database 4 as, for example, map information. The display target identification unit 12 may determine that the time condition is not satisfied if the current time does not fall within the predetermined child approaching time period. The current time is not particularly limited, and the display target identification unit 12 may acquire it, for example, based on the reception result of the GNSS receiver 3.

[0031] Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of distance threshold setting. In Fig. 2, adults G1 to G3 and children C1 to C4 are present as pedestrians around vehicle 1 shown in a plan view. Vehicle 1 is traveling, for example, on a roadway, and adults G1 to G3 and children C1 to C4 are present on the sidewalk. Adults G1 to G3 and children C1 to C4 are present within the detection range of external sensor 2 mounted on vehicle 1.

[0032] In the situation shown in FIG. 2, if neither the vehicle position condition nor the time condition is satisfied, the distance threshold is set to the first threshold. Area D1 in FIG. 2 represents a rectangular range within which an object is identified as an object to be displayed when the distance threshold is set to the first threshold. If either the vehicle position condition or the time condition is satisfied, the distance threshold is set to the second threshold. Area D2 in FIG. 2 represents a rectangular range within which an object is identified as an object to be displayed when the distance threshold is set to the second threshold, which is greater than the first threshold. In this way, by expanding the range within which an object is identified as an object to be displayed from area D1 to area D2, children C3 and C4, who were not included in area D1 but are included in area D2, become display targets earlier, even if the vehicle position of vehicle 1 is the same. As a result, children C3 and C4 can be displayed earlier.

[0033] The object recognition unit 11 may recognize an obstacle that obstructs the movement of an object around the vehicle 1 based on the detection result of the external sensor 2. The display target identification unit 12 may not increase the distance threshold when the vehicle position condition or the time condition is satisfied in the direction in which the obstacle exists. An obstacle that obstructs the movement of an object around the vehicle 1 means an obstacle that exists between the vehicle 1 and the object and has a shape and size that obstructs the object from approaching the vehicle 1. Examples of obstacles that obstruct the movement of an object around the vehicle 1 include guardrails, shrubbery, fences, etc.

[0034] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating another example of the estimation of underpassing. The situation shown in FIG. 3 differs from the situation in FIG. 2 in that a guardrail 50 exists between the roadway and the sidewalk. For example, in FIG. 3, the object recognition unit 11 recognizes the guardrail 50 as an obstacle obstructing the movement of adults G1 to G3 and children C1 to C4 based on the detection results of the external sensor 2. For example, in FIG. 3, the display target identification unit 12 does not increase the distance threshold even if the vehicle position condition or the time condition is satisfied to the right of the vehicle 1, which is the direction in which the obstacle exists. Therefore, to the right of the vehicle 1, the edge of region D1 and the edge of region D3 overlap, and child C3 is located in region D4 outside region D3. As a result, the display target identification unit 12 does not identify child C3 as a display target object, and the display of child C3 is not accelerated. In this way, when a guardrail 50 is present as an obstacle hindering the movement of child C3, the degree to which attention needs to be paid to child C3 is reduced, and by suppressing the early display of child C3, the display can be prevented from becoming too cluttered.

[0035] The display target specification unit 12 may store and set a distance threshold for each type of object. The display target specification unit 12 may increase the distance threshold for each type of object when the vehicle position condition or the time condition is satisfied. The display target specification unit 12 may store and set a distance threshold independently for each type of object, such as a child, an animal, or a motorcycle.

[0036] The display control unit 13 displays the display target object identified by the display target identification unit 12 on the display of the HMI 5. The display control unit 13 displays the identified display target object on the display of the HMI 5 so as to correspond to each coordinate of the display target object in the three-dimensional space around the vehicle 1, for example, by a known display method.

[0037] [Display control device processing] Next, an example of the processing of the display control device 100 will be described with reference to the flowcharts of Figures 4 and 5. Figure 4 is a flowchart showing an example of object display processing. The processing (steps) shown in Figure 4 are repeatedly executed at predetermined calculation intervals, for example, when the power of the ECU 10 is ON.

[0038] 4, in S11, the ECU 10 of the display control device 100 causes the object recognition unit 11 to recognize objects around the vehicle 1. In FIGS. 2 and 3, for example, the object recognition unit 11 recognizes adults G1 to G3 and children C1 to C4 present within the detection range of the external sensor 2 based on the detection result of the external sensor 2.

[0039] In S12, the ECU 10 sets a distance threshold value using the display object specification unit 12. The display object specification unit 12 sets a distance threshold value according to the type of object based on the vehicle position and the current time, as shown in Fig. 5, for example.

[0040] Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the threshold setting process. The process (steps) shown in Fig. 5 is repeatedly executed at predetermined calculation intervals, for example, when the power supply of the ECU 10 is ON.

[0041] 5, in S21, the ECU 10 of the display control device 100 acquires the vehicle position using the display target identification unit 12. The display target identification unit 12 acquires the vehicle position of the vehicle 1 based on, for example, the reception result of the GNSS reception unit 3.

[0042] In S22, the ECU 10 acquires the current time using the display target identification unit 12. The display target identification unit 12 acquires the current time at the vehicle position of the vehicle 1 based on the reception result of the GNSS reception unit 3, for example.

[0043] In S23, the ECU 10 determines whether the vehicle position condition or the time condition is satisfied by the display target identification unit 12. For example, based on the acquired vehicle position and map information, the display target identification unit 12 determines that the vehicle position condition is satisfied when the vehicle position is located in a predetermined child approaching area. The display target identification unit 12 may also determine that the vehicle position condition is not satisfied when the vehicle position is not located in the child approaching area.

[0044] For example, based on the acquired current time and map information, the display target specification unit 12 determines that the time condition is satisfied if the current time falls within a predetermined child approaching time period. The display target specification unit 12 may also determine that the time condition is not satisfied if the current time does not fall within the predetermined child approaching time period.

[0045] If it is determined that the vehicle position condition or the time condition is satisfied (S23: YES), the ECU 10 proceeds to the process of S24. If it is determined that the vehicle position condition or the time condition is not satisfied (S23: NO), the ECU 10 proceeds to the process of S27.

[0046] In S24, the ECU 10 causes the object recognition unit 11 to recognize obstacles that impede the movement of objects around the vehicle 1. For example, in Fig. 2, the object recognition unit 11 does not recognize any obstacles that impede the movement of adults G1 to G3 and children C1 to C4 based on the detection results of the external sensor 2. For example, in Fig. 3, the object recognition unit 11 recognizes the guardrail 50 as an obstacle that impedes the movement of adults G1 to G3 and children C1 to C4 based on the detection results of the external sensor 2.

[0047] In S25, the ECU 10 causes the display object identification unit 12 to determine whether the currently set distance threshold is a distance threshold in a direction in which no obstacles exist. For example, in FIG. 2, the display object identification unit 12 determines that the currently set distance threshold is a distance threshold in a direction in which no obstacles exist (YES). For example, in FIG. 3, if the display object identification unit 12 is currently setting a distance threshold other than the right of the vehicle 1 (forward, backward, or left), the display object identification unit 12 determines that the currently set distance threshold is a distance threshold in a direction in which no obstacles exist (YES). For example, in FIG. 3, if the display object identification unit 12 is currently setting a distance threshold to the right of the vehicle 1, the display object identification unit 12 determines that the currently set distance threshold is not a distance threshold in a direction in which no obstacles exist (NO).

[0048] If it is determined that the currently set distance threshold is the distance threshold in the direction where no obstacle exists (S25: YES), the ECU 10 proceeds to the process of S26. If it is determined that the currently set distance threshold is not the distance threshold in the direction where no obstacle exists (S25: NO), the ECU 10 proceeds to the process of S27.

[0049] In S26, the ECU 10 causes the display object identification unit 12 to set the currently set distance threshold to a second threshold that is greater than the first threshold for each type of object. For example, in FIG. 2, the display object identification unit 12 sets the distance threshold for objects including children C1 to C4 to the second threshold that is greater than the first threshold. For example, in FIG. 3, the display object identification unit 12 sets the distance threshold for objects including children C1 to C4 other than to the right of the vehicle 1 (forward, backward, or left) to the second threshold that is greater than the first threshold.

[0050] On the other hand, in S27, the ECU 10 sets the currently set distance threshold to the first threshold for each type of object by the display object identification unit 12. For example, in FIG. 3, the display object identification unit 12 sets the distance threshold to the right of the vehicle 1 for objects including children C1 to C4 to the first threshold.

[0051] In S28, the ECU 10 determines whether distance thresholds have been set for all directions using the display target identification unit 12. For example, if distance thresholds have all been set for the front, rear, right, and left of the vehicle 1, the display target identification unit 12 determines that distance thresholds have been set for all directions. If at least one of the distance thresholds for the front, rear, right, and left of the vehicle 1 has not yet been set, the display target identification unit 12 determines that distance thresholds have not been set for all directions.

[0052] If it is determined that distance thresholds have been set for all directions (S28: YES), the ECU 10 ends the process of Fig. 5 and proceeds to the process of S13 in Fig. 4. If it is determined that distance thresholds have not been set for all directions (S28: NO), the ECU 10 proceeds to the process of S24 and sets distance thresholds for directions that have not been set.

[0053] Returning to the processing of FIG. 4, in S13, the ECU 10 determines whether or not an object exists within the distance threshold using the display target identification unit 12. As an example, the display target identification unit 12 calculates the relative distances of the adults G1 to G3 and the children C1 to C4 from the vehicle 1 based on the detection results of the external sensor 2. The display target identification unit 12 may determine that an object exists within the distance threshold when at least one of the relative distances of the adults G1 to G3 and the children C1 to C4 is equal to or less than the distance threshold. The display target identification unit 12 may determine that an object does not exist within the distance threshold when all of the relative distances of the adults G1 to G3 and the children C1 to C4 exceed the distance threshold.

[0054] If it is determined that an object exists within the distance threshold (S13: YES), the ECU 10 proceeds to the process of S 14. If it is determined that an object does not exist within the distance threshold (S13: NO), the ECU 10 ends the process of FIG.

[0055] In S14, the ECU 10 causes the display target identification unit 12 to identify objects present within the distance threshold as display target objects. In the example of Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, if the vehicle position condition and the time condition are not satisfied, the display target identification unit 12 identifies adults G1 to G3 and children C1 and C2, which are objects present in area D1 within the first threshold in all directions in front of, behind, to the right, and to the left of the vehicle 1, as display target objects. In the example of Fig. 2, if the vehicle position condition or the time condition is satisfied, the display target identification unit 12 identifies adults G1 to G3 and children C1 to C4, which are objects present in area D1 and D2 within the second threshold in all directions in front of, behind, to the right, and to the left of the vehicle 1, as display target objects.

[0056] 3, when the vehicle position condition or the time condition is satisfied and a guardrail 50 is recognized as an obstacle, the display target identification unit 12 identifies, as display target objects, adults G1 to G3 and children C1, C2, C4, which are objects present in areas D1 and D3 that are within the second threshold value in front of, behind, and to the left of the vehicle 1 and within the first threshold value to the right of the vehicle 1. In the example of FIG. 3, the display target identification unit 12 does not have to identify, as a display target object, child C3, which is an object present in area D4 that exceeds the first threshold value to the right of the vehicle 1.

[0057] In S15, the ECU 10 causes the display control unit 13 to display the display target object on the display of the HMI 5. The display control unit 13 may notify the occupant of the presence of the display target object by displaying the identified display target object and the vehicle 1 in a planar view, a bird's-eye view, or the like on the display of the HMI 5. Thereafter, the ECU 10 ends the processing of FIG. 4.

[0058] In the display control device 100 described above, the distance threshold (second threshold) when the vehicle position condition or the time condition is satisfied is larger than the distance threshold (first threshold) when the vehicle position condition and the time condition are not satisfied. Since pedestrians, including children, who are display-earlying objects, are more likely to be present within the larger distance threshold, pedestrians, including children, who may suddenly run out into the roadway, are more likely to be identified as display-target objects at an early stage. This allows for the early display of display-earlying objects requiring early attention on the display of the HMI 5 to be accelerated only when the vehicle position condition or the time condition is satisfied, rather than, for example, accelerating the display of objects uniformly under all conditions. Furthermore, it is possible to display children, who are actually objects requiring attention, rather than simply displaying an area representing a school zone when a vehicle is near a school, as in the prior art.

[0059] In the display control device 100, the display target identification unit 12 may set a distance threshold according to the type of object, and may increase the distance threshold for each type of object when the vehicle position condition or the time condition is satisfied. In this case, it is possible to accelerate the display of objects requiring early attention on the display of the HMI 5 for each type of object.

[0060] In the display control device 100, the object recognition unit 11 recognizes a guardrail 50 that obstructs the movement of pedestrians around the vehicle 1 based on the detection results of the external sensor 2, and the display target identification unit 12 does not increase the distance threshold when the vehicle position condition or the time condition is satisfied in the direction in which the guardrail 50 exists. This effectively makes it possible to exclude the child C3, whose movement is obstructed by the guardrail 50, from objects that are likely to be identified as a display target object at an early stage.

[0061] The earlier display object is a child among pedestrians, and the vehicle position condition is satisfied when the vehicle position of vehicle 1 is included in a school zone, so that the display of a child among pedestrians can be earlier based on the vehicle position. Also, the time condition is satisfied when the current time is included in a predetermined time period during which the vehicle is going to or from school, so that the display of a child among pedestrians can be earlier based on the current time.

[0062] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments.

[0063] In the above embodiment, in the example of FIG. 3 , the display target identification unit 12 does not identify only the child C3, which is an object present to the right of the vehicle 1 and exceeds the first threshold, as a display target object. However, this is not limiting. For example, as shown in FIG. 6 , the display target identification unit 12 may also set the distance thresholds in front of and behind the vehicle 1 beyond the guardrail 50 as the first threshold. In this case, when the vehicle position condition or the time condition is satisfied and the guardrail 50 is recognized as an obstacle, the display target identification unit 12 may identify, as display target objects, adults G1 to G3 and children C1 and C2, which are objects present in areas D1 and D5 that are within the second threshold in front of, behind, and to the left of the vehicle 1 and within the first threshold in front of, behind, and to the right of the vehicle 1, but may not identify, as display target objects, children C3 and C4, which are objects present in area D6 that exceeds the first threshold in front of and behind the vehicle 1 as a display target object. In other words, the direction in which the obstacle exists may include not only the right side but also the front and rear.

[0064] In the above embodiment, the display target identification unit 12 does not increase the distance threshold in the direction in which an obstacle exists when the vehicle position condition or the time condition is satisfied, and instead uses the normal first threshold, but is not limited to this example. When the vehicle position condition or the time condition is satisfied, the display target identification unit 12 may increase the distance threshold in the direction in which an obstacle exists by an increment that is smaller than the increment of the distance threshold in the direction in which no obstacle exists.

[0065] In the above embodiment, the display target identification unit 12 sets a distance threshold for each type of object, but this is not limiting. The display target identification unit 12 may set a distance threshold regardless of the type of object.

[0066] In the above embodiment, the display-earlying object is a child pedestrian, and the display target identification unit 12 determines that the vehicle position condition is satisfied when the acquired vehicle position is located in a predetermined child approaching area. However, this is not limiting. For example, the display-earlying object may be a moving object such as a deer. In this case, the display target identification unit 12 may determine that the vehicle position condition is satisfied and increase the distance threshold when the acquired vehicle position is located in a predetermined animal approaching area (e.g., a mountain road, a highway, etc.), and may identify the deer or other animal as a moving object as a display target object early. Furthermore, the display-earlying object may be a moving object such as a motorcycle. In this case, the display target identification unit 12 may determine that the vehicle position condition is satisfied and increase the distance threshold when the acquired vehicle position is located in a predetermined motorcycle approaching area (e.g., an accident-prone area based on information from an accident database), and may identify the motorcycle as a moving object as a display target object early.

[0067] In the above embodiment, the information on the child approaching area and the information on the child approaching time period are stored as map information in the map database 4, but may be stored in advance in a storage unit such as an EEPROM of the ECU 10. In this case, the map database 4 is not essential.

[0068] In the above embodiment, a guardrail 50 is used as an example of an obstacle, but other examples of obstacles include, for example, a glass exterior wall on the first floor of a building (when there is a facility such as a showroom inside the room behind the glass). [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] 1...vehicle, 2...external sensor, 11...object recognition unit, 12...display target identification unit, 13...display control unit, 100...display control device

Claims

1. an object recognition unit that recognizes objects around the vehicle based on detection results from an external sensor mounted on the vehicle; a display target identification unit that identifies the object that exists within a predetermined distance threshold around the vehicle as a display target object; a display control unit that displays the display target object on a display unit, The display control device, wherein the display target identification unit sets the distance threshold when a predetermined vehicle position condition or a predetermined time condition related to a predetermined display earlier object is satisfied to be larger than the distance threshold when the vehicle position condition and the time condition are not satisfied.

2. The display target specification unit setting the distance threshold according to the type of the object; The display control device according to claim 1 , wherein the distance threshold when the vehicle position condition or the time condition is satisfied is increased for each type of object.

3. the object recognition unit recognizes an obstacle that obstructs the movement of the object around the vehicle based on the detection result of the external sensor; The display control device according to claim 1 , wherein the display object specifying unit does not increase the distance threshold when the vehicle position condition or the time condition is satisfied in the direction in which the obstacle exists.

4. the display-earlier object is a child among pedestrians, The display control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the vehicle position condition is satisfied when the vehicle position of the vehicle is included in a school zone.

5. the display-earlier object is a child among pedestrians, The display control device according to claim 1 , wherein the time condition is satisfied when the current time is within a predetermined school commuting time period.

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