Display control device

Abstract

The display control device of the present disclosure can cause an emergency vehicle to grasp an action to be taken by a driver of a host vehicle.SOLUTION: A display control device includes a display control unit that displays, on a display unit provided around a driver's seat of a host vehicle, a host vehicle image simulating the host vehicle and an instruction image indicating a recommended action of the host vehicle determined on the basis of information on an emergency vehicle approaching the host vehicle and a road situation around the host vehicle.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 vehicle control device that can perform automatic driving that gives a sense of security to the occupants. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7048398 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Incidentally, in the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, an image of the vehicle itself and an image showing the surroundings of the vehicle are displayed on a display unit (see FIG. 8 of Patent Document 1). However, conventionally, it has not been possible to provide information on how to drive when an emergency vehicle is approaching.

[0005] The present disclosure aims to provide a display control device that can allow an emergency vehicle to understand the action that the driver of the vehicle should take. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The display control device described in claim 1 includes a display control unit that displays an image of the host vehicle that resembles the host vehicle on a display unit provided near the driver's seat of the host vehicle, and also displays an instruction image that shows information about an emergency vehicle approaching the host vehicle and a recommended action for the host vehicle that is determined based on the road conditions around the host vehicle.

[0007] The display control device according to claim 1 can make an emergency vehicle aware of the action that the driver of the vehicle should take.

[0008] The display control device according to claim 2 is the display control device according to claim 1, which displays the instruction image indicating the recommended action determined based on at least one of the detected position, route, and warning of the emergency vehicle. According to the display control device according to claim 2, the recommended action determined according to the situation of the emergency vehicle is presented, allowing the driver of the vehicle to understand the action that should be taken.

[0009] The display control device according to claim 3 is the display control device according to claim 1, wherein the road conditions are at least one of position information of vehicles around the host vehicle and lane information about lanes in which the host vehicle can travel. According to the display control device according to claim 3, by using information about the surrounding vehicles and lanes, a safe recommended action can be determined and the driver of the host vehicle can understand the action that should be taken.

[0010] The display control device according to claim 4 is the display control device according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit displays the instruction image indicating at least one of a recommended route for the host vehicle and a recommended stopping position for the host vehicle. According to the display control device according to claim 4, a recommended action is drawn, allowing the driver of the host vehicle to understand the action that should be taken. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the technology of the present disclosure, it is possible to present recommended actions for the host vehicle toward emergency vehicles. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a vehicle. [Figure 2] 10 is a first display example displayed on the monitor. [Figure 3] 10 is a second display example displayed on the monitor. [Figure 4] 10 is a third example of a display displayed on the monitor. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a specification process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] The vehicle 10 according to this embodiment will be described below.

[0014] Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a vehicle 10. As shown in Fig. 1, the vehicle 10 includes a meter ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 20. The vehicle 10 is an example of a "vehicle" in the present disclosure, and the meter ECU 20 is an example of a "display control device" in the present disclosure.

[0015] The meter ECU 20 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 21, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 22, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 23, a storage 24, an in-vehicle communication I / F (Interface) 25, an input / output I / F 26, and a wireless communication I / F 27. The CPU 21, the ROM 22, the RAM 23, the storage 24, the in-vehicle communication I / F 25, the input / output I / F 26, and the wireless communication I / F 27 are connected to each other via an internal bus 28 so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0016] The CPU 21 is a central processing unit that executes various programs and controls each part. That is, the CPU 21 reads programs from the ROM 22 or the storage 24 and executes the programs using the RAM 23 as a work area. The CPU 21 controls each of the above components and performs various arithmetic processing in accordance with the programs recorded in the ROM 22 or the storage 24.

[0017] The ROM 22 stores various programs and various data. The RAM 23 serves as a working area for temporarily storing programs or data.

[0018] The storage 24 is configured with a storage device such as an eMMC (embedded multi media card) or a UFS (universal flash storage), and stores various programs and various data. A display control program 24A is stored in the storage 24. The display control program 24A is a program for causing the CPU 21 to execute specific processing (see FIG. 2), which will be described later.

[0019] The in-vehicle communication I / F 25 is an interface for connecting to other ECUs 30. The interface uses a communication standard based on the CAN protocol. The in-vehicle communication I / F 25 is connected to an external bus 29. Although not shown, in addition to the ECU 30, multiple ECUs are provided for each function of the vehicle 10.

[0020] The input / output I / F 26 is an interface for communicating with an in-vehicle device 40 mounted on the vehicle 10 .

[0021] The on-vehicle devices 40 are various devices mounted on the vehicle 10. The vehicle 10 includes a sensor group 42 and a monitor 44 as examples of the on-vehicle devices 40.

[0022] The sensor group 42 includes sensors for detecting the state of the vehicle 10 and the situation around the vehicle 10, such as a 3D-LiDAR, a millimeter wave sensor, an infrared sensor, a blinker sensor, an accelerator position sensor, a vehicle speed sensor, a steering angle sensor, an angular velocity sensor, a GPS (Global Positioning System) sensor, an illuminance sensor, a gyro sensor, and an acceleration sensor, as well as a plurality of cameras for capturing images around the vehicle 10. The sensor group 42 outputs the detection results of each sensor and the captured images by each camera to the meter ECU 20, the ECU 30, etc.

[0023] The monitor 44 is provided on a meter panel located in front of the driver's seat of the vehicle 10, and is a meter display for displaying operation suggestions related to functions of the vehicle 10 and images explaining the functions. The monitor 44 is an example of a "display unit" in the present disclosure. The monitor 44 is not limited to being provided on a meter panel in front of the driver's seat, and may be provided in any location around the driver's seat.

[0024] The wireless communication I / F 27 is a wireless communication module for communicating with external devices, and uses communication standards such as 5G, LTE, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), and Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0025] The CPU 21 of the meter ECU 20 has, as functional components, an acquisition unit 21A and a display control unit 21B. Each functional component is realized by the CPU 21 reading and executing a display control program 24A stored in the storage 24.

[0026] The acquisition unit 21A acquires various types of information. For example, the acquisition unit 21A acquires, as the various types of information, peripheral information about the periphery of the vehicle 10 that can be detected by the vehicle 10. The peripheral information includes detection results by each sensor constituting the sensor group 42, captured images by each camera, and the like.

[0027] The display control unit 21B performs display control related to the display on the monitor 44. For example, as the display control, the display control unit 21B displays, in the display area X of the monitor 44, a host vehicle image 10A (see FIG. 2, etc.) showing the vehicle 10 as seen from a virtual viewpoint, based on the surrounding information acquired by the acquisition unit 21A. The virtual viewpoint is set in a three-dimensional virtual space with the position of the host vehicle image 10A as the origin, and is defined by viewpoint coordinates and a viewpoint angle (orientation) in the virtual space. As an example, the virtual viewpoint is a viewpoint seen at a specific viewpoint angle from specific viewpoint coordinates above the host vehicle image 10A in the virtual space.

[0028] Furthermore, the ECU 30 determines the recommended action for the vehicle 10 based on information about emergency vehicles and road conditions around the vehicle 10. The road conditions around the vehicle 10 include position information about vehicles around the vehicle 10 and lane information about lanes on which the vehicle 10 can travel.

[0029] The display control unit 21B causes the monitor 44 to display an instruction image indicating the recommended action determined by the ECU 30 (details will be described later).

[0030] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a first display example displayed on the monitor. As shown in Fig. 2, a host vehicle image 10A showing the vehicle 10 is displayed. In addition, in an area X, a lane image 62 showing the lane the vehicle 10 is traveling in and a white line image 63 showing the white lines dividing the traveling lane are displayed as surrounding images showing the surrounding conditions. In addition, above the lane image 62, an image 64 showing vehicle speed information of the vehicle 10 and an image 65 showing the gearshift position of the vehicle 10 are displayed.

[0031] In FIG. 2, the sensor group 42 detects an emergency vehicle approaching the vehicle 10 from the right lane behind the vehicle 10 and moving into the lane in which the vehicle 10 is traveling. When the emergency vehicle is detected, the display control unit 21B displays an emergency vehicle image 11A and alert information 70 as information related to the emergency vehicle. The display control unit 21B also displays the emergency vehicle's moving direction 11B as information related to the emergency vehicle. The sensor group 42 detects the location of the approaching emergency vehicle and an evacuation area 71 indicating a shoulder from which the emergency vehicle can escape that is in a direction different from the direction of the emergency vehicle's travel path. The display control unit 21B displays an instruction image 72 indicating a recommended action to escape to the evacuation area 71. In the example of FIG. 2, a recommended evacuation route indicating the evacuation route to the evacuation area 71 is displayed as the instruction image 72. This allows navigation of the driving route for evacuating from the emergency vehicle. The recommended action to avoid a collision and escape is presented not only when the emergency vehicle is approaching from behind, but also when the emergency vehicle is approaching from the front or side.

[0032] Note that the instruction image 72 is not limited to a recommended route showing an evacuation route to the evacuation area 71, as long as it is information showing a recommended action. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a second display example displayed on the monitor. For example, along with alert information showing an emergency vehicle warning, an explanatory message such as "An emergency vehicle is approaching! Please evacuate to a safe place!" may be displayed. Also, the evacuation area 71 may be made to blink to notify the presence of the evacuation area. Furthermore, an instruction image 72 showing a recommended stopping position in the evacuation area 71 is displayed. This allows navigation to the recommended stopping position.

[0033] Furthermore, although the above description has been given taking an example in which a recommended route or a recommended stopping position in the turn-off area 71 is displayed, the present invention is not limited to this. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a third display example displayed on the monitor. For example, as a result of detecting the position information of vehicles around the vehicle 10, it is assumed that another vehicle is stopped in the turn-off area 71 and cannot be turned off. In this case, the other vehicle image 12A is displayed in the turn-off area 71. The ECU 30 detects the left lane adjacent to the lane in which the vehicle 10 is traveling as a lane in which no other vehicle is present and in which the host vehicle can travel. Therefore, the display control unit 21B displays an instruction image 72 indicating a recommended route to the left lane. This allows the driver to navigate a driving route for turning off the vehicle to an emergency vehicle.

[0034] (Flow of Control) 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of the identification process executed by the meter ECU 20. The CPU 21 reads the display control program 24A from the storage 24, loads it into the RAM 23, and executes it, thereby performing the identification process. As an example, the identification process is automatically and repeatedly performed at regular intervals.

[0035] In step S10, the CPU 21 acquires surrounding information that can be detected by the vehicle 10. Then, the CPU 51 proceeds to step S12.

[0036] In step S12, based on the surrounding information acquired in step S10, the CPU 21 displays various images on the monitor 44. The various images include the host vehicle image 10A, a lane image 62 showing the road on which the vehicle 10 is traveling, and the like.

[0037] In step S14, the CPU 21 determines whether or not an emergency vehicle has been detected. If it is determined that an emergency vehicle has been detected, the process proceeds to step S16. If it is determined that an emergency vehicle has not been detected, the process repeats this step.

[0038] In step S16, the CPU 21 displays information about the detected emergency vehicle.

[0039] In step S18, the ECU 30 determines a recommended action for the vehicle 10 based on the information about the emergency vehicle and the road conditions around the vehicle.

[0040] In step S20, the CPU 21 causes the monitor 44 to display an instruction image indicating the determined recommended action.

[0041] As described above, in the meter ECU 20 (display control device), the CPU 21 displays information about the detected emergency vehicle. The CPU 21 also displays an instruction image indicating the determined recommended action on the monitor 44. This allows the meter ECU 20 to inform the emergency vehicle of the action that the driver of the vehicle should take.

[0042] Furthermore, the recommended actions may be changed depending on the type of emergency vehicle and the location of the vehicle. For example, if the emergency vehicle is a police motorcycle, the recommended route may be determined to avoid it without changing lanes, or if the vehicle is in an intersection, the recommended route may be determined to accelerate and exit the intersection. In this way, the recommended actions may be determined appropriately according to the road conditions.

[0043] In the above embodiment, the monitor 44, which is a meter display, is an example of a "display unit" of the present disclosure, but the "display unit" is not limited to a meter display. For example, the "display unit" may be another display such as a center display or a head-up display (HUD). Furthermore, the "display unit" may be a combination of multiple displays such as a meter display and a center display.

[0044] In the above embodiment, the meter ECU 20 executes the specific processing shown in Fig. 5. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the specific processing may be executed by the meter ECU 20 in cooperation with another ECU.

[0045] In the above embodiment, the specific process executed by the CPU 21 after reading the software (program) may be executed by various processors other than a CPU. Examples of such processors include programmable logic devices (PLDs) (such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs)) whose circuit configuration can be changed after fabrication, and dedicated electrical circuits such as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) that are processors with circuit configurations specifically designed to execute specific processes. The specific process may be executed by one of these 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 processors is, more specifically, an electrical circuit that combines circuit elements such as semiconductor devices.

[0046] In the above embodiment, the display control program 24A is pre-stored (installed) in the storage 24, but this is not limiting. The display control program 24A may be provided in a form recorded on a recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read Only Memory), a DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disk Read Only Memory), or a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory. The display control program 24A may also be downloaded from an external device via a network. The technology disclosed herein may also be applied to programs and program products. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 10 vehicles 10A Vehicle image 11A Emergency vehicle image 20 Meter ECU (display control unit) 21B Display control unit 44 Monitor (display)

Claims

1. a display control unit that displays an image of the host vehicle that imitates the host vehicle on a display unit provided around a driver's seat of the host vehicle, and also displays an instruction image that indicates a recommended action for the host vehicle that is determined based on information about an emergency vehicle approaching the host vehicle and road conditions around the host vehicle; Display control device.

2. the display control unit displays the instruction image indicating the recommended action determined based on at least one of information on the detected position, travel route, and warning of the emergency vehicle. The display control device according to claim 1 .

3. The road conditions are at least one of position information of vehicles around the host vehicle and lane information regarding lanes on which the host vehicle can travel. The display control device according to claim 1 .

4. the display control unit displays the indication image indicating at least one of a recommended route for the host vehicle and a recommended stopping position for the host vehicle. The display control device according to claim 1 .

Images