Vehicular display control device, vehicular display system, and vehicular display control method

Abstract

To appropriately present each piece of information to a driver while suppressing an adverse effect on the vision of the driver when a plurality of pieces of information are acquired in a display system including an illumination part provided on a windshield.SOLUTION: When it is considered that a plurality of pieces of information are acquired, the control unit 100 of the vehicle display control device determines a display order of each of the acquired plurality of pieces of information based on at least one of a time factor related to a time at which each of the plurality of pieces of information is acquired and a content factor related to importance of each of the plurality of pieces of information, At least one of the plurality of pieces of information is displayed on the instrument display unit 20 according to the display order, and the display on the illumination unit 30 is displayed according to the display order in conjunction with the display on the instrument display unit 20 in principle, but as an exception, display control can be performed such that information that is not the first in the display order among the plurality of pieces of information is not displayed according to the importance of the information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle display control device mounted on a vehicle such as a two-wheeled vehicle (saddle-ride type vehicle), a vehicle display system, a vehicle display control method, and the like. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technology in which a sub-display unit is provided at the upper end of the windshield of a motorcycle, extending in the left-right direction as seen from the driver, and route guidance information, warning information, etc. are presented to the driver by the light emission pattern of the light source in this sub-display unit. Patent Document 2 discloses a technique for changing the lighting pattern of a display means provided separately from the instrument unit when a warning or the like is displayed on the instrument unit. Patent Document 3 discloses a technology for a motorcycle that detects the environment around a vehicle while it is moving based on information from a mobile terminal and information from sensors installed on the vehicle, predicts the risk of an accident occurring, and notifies the driver. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2024-42479 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 6435611 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-14804 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The inventors' investigations have revealed the following problems. (1) As in Patent Documents 1 and 2, a configuration is envisioned that includes, in addition to an instrument display unit (instrument unit), an illumination unit (for example, an optical display unit provided on the windshield (cowl)) that can notify the driver (rider) of various information by changing the lighting pattern, etc. In this configuration, the display in the lighting unit begins in conjunction with (corresponding to) the display of a warning or other message on the instrument display unit, so the lighting unit can usually only display one piece of information corresponding to the information displayed on the instrument display unit. (2) However, in reality, it is conceivable that multiple pieces of information will be input to the display system with very little time between them, for example, via a mobile terminal or a sensor installed in the vehicle. None of the above Patent Documents 1 to 3 describes how to effectively notify the driver of the acquired information using an illumination unit. For example, it is possible to arbitrarily select one piece of information from multiple pieces of information and display only that selected information, but in this case, the other pieces of information that were not selected will not be notified to the driver, reducing the convenience of the display system. Conventional display systems have difficulty in addressing the above-mentioned issues, and there is room for improvement. (3) Furthermore, when multiple pieces of information are input to the display system, it is conceivable that the lighting unit will display each piece of information in sequence at different times. However, in this case, during the period in which the display of each piece of information continues, the lighting unit will continue to light up without interruption, for example, in a predetermined pattern, which may be a cause of annoyance for the driver. Therefore, proper display control is important, and there is room for improvement in this regard as well.

[0005] One of the objects of the present invention is to enable a display system (or display control device) equipped with an illumination unit provided on a windshield, etc., to appropriately present each piece of input information to a driver when multiple pieces of information are acquired while minimizing adverse effects on the driver's vision.

[0006] Other objects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art by referring to the following exemplary aspects and best modes, as well as the accompanying drawings. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to facilitate an understanding of the outline of the present invention, the following examples are given of embodiments according to the present invention.

[0008] In a first aspect, there is provided a vehicle display control device including a control unit that controls the display operation of a vehicle display system having an illumination unit that is provided on the windshield of a motorcycle and that is capable of providing information to the rider depending on its display mode, and an instrument display unit that is provided on the body of the motorcycle and that is capable of displaying instrument information related to the operating status of the motorcycle. When it is deemed that a plurality of pieces of information that form the basis of display control have been acquired, the control unit determines the display order of each of the acquired pieces of information based on at least one of a timing factor related to when each of the pieces of information was acquired and a content factor related to the importance of each of the pieces of information, and displays at least one of the pieces of information on the instrument display unit in accordance with the display order. As for the display on the illumination unit, in principle, it displays according to the display order in conjunction with the display on the instrument display unit, but as an exception, it is possible to implement display control in which, of the plurality of pieces of information, information that is not first in the display order is not displayed depending on the importance of that information.

[0009] According to the first aspect, even when multiple pieces of information (multiple different types of information) are input into a vehicle display system with not much time between them, for example, via a mobile terminal or a sensor installed in the vehicle, it is possible to appropriately determine the display priority based on timing and content factors, and display the information in order of importance. In other words, the lighting unit can be used to effectively notify the rider of the motorcycle of these multiple pieces of information. Furthermore, if the lighting units are constantly lit uniformly for each of a plurality of pieces of information, the lighting units will be continuously lit during the display period of each piece of information, which is expected to cause discomfort (annoyance, etc.) to the driver. However, according to the present embodiment, instead of "keeping the lighting units "constantly lit," for example, information of low importance is allowed to be "hidden" by the lighting units, thereby realizing highly flexible display control, which makes it possible to suppress the annoyance, etc., perceived by the driver. In addition, drivers have experience in efficiently obtaining necessary information by coordinating the illumination unit and the instrument display unit, for example, for information with high priority that is displayed first. In other words, it is considered that drivers are psychologically prepared to quickly read new information that appears on the instrument display unit. Therefore, even if information that is set to second or lower in the display order is hidden by the illumination unit, for example, if the information is of low importance, the driver will be able to grasp the instrument display in his / her peripheral vision based on his / her previous experience and quickly focus on and read the newly appearing information on the instrument display. Therefore, it is thought that no particular inconvenience will arise from the information not being hidden by the illumination unit. In this way, according to the first aspect, a highly convenient vehicle display control device (or vehicle display system) can be realized.

[0010] In a second aspect dependent on the first aspect, the plurality of pieces of information may be deemed to have been acquired when the plurality of pieces of information are acquired within a predetermined time range determined based on a predetermined reference timing via at least one of a sensor provided on the motorcycle that can detect the status of the motorcycle and a communication unit that has wireless communication capabilities.

[0011] In this embodiment, an example of "a case where it is deemed that a plurality of pieces of information have been acquired" in the first embodiment is exemplified. In other words, "when it is deemed that multiple pieces of information have been acquired" includes "when multiple pieces of information are acquired within a specified time range determined based on a specified reference timing via a communication unit such as a sensor or mobile terminal equipped in the vehicle." The above-mentioned "predetermined reference timing" may be, for example, the timing at which the earliest information was acquired (however, this is just an example and is not limiting). Starting from that reference timing, when multiple pieces of information are acquired within a short enough period that they can be considered to be acquired simultaneously, or within a period that is longer than the period (short period) that can be considered to be acquired simultaneously but is not so long apart that the multiple pieces of information can be processed as having been acquired together, the ``multiple information processing function'' provided in the display control device of the present invention is utilized to effectively process each piece of information.

[0012] In a third aspect dependent on the second aspect, when it is determined that the information is within a predetermined time range determined based on the predetermined reference timing, it may be when the multiple pieces of information were acquired within a time range that can be considered to be contemporaneous, or when at least some of the multiple pieces of information were acquired outside a time range that can be considered to be contemporaneous, but the second and subsequent pieces of information acquired were acquired within a period during which display control based on the first piece of information was being carried out, or when the information was acquired before a predetermined period had elapsed since the end of display control based on the first piece of information acquired.

[0013] The third aspect illustrates an example of the interpretation of the phrase "within a predetermined time range determined with reference to a predetermined reference timing" in the second aspect. In other words, there are two typical cases that can be considered as "within a predetermined time period." One is that it is within a time range that is short enough to be considered simultaneous, and the other is that it is not within the short time range mentioned above, but is, for example, within the period during which display control (display processing) for the information that was initially acquired continues, or within the period before a predetermined time has elapsed since the display control ended. The above-mentioned period is a period in which not much time has passed since the first information was acquired, and it can be said that there is no problem in processing multiple pieces of information together. If multiple pieces of information are acquired within these periods, it is possible to effectively process each piece of information by utilizing the "multiple information processing function" provided in the display control device of the present invention, and therefore, in such cases, the display control processing is carried out assuming that multiple pieces of information have been acquired in the vehicle display system.

[0014] In a fourth aspect dependent on any one of the first to third aspects, when the information to be displayed is warning-related information that warns the driver or urges the driver to pay attention, the control unit may set the importance of the information to be displayed higher than the importance of non-warning-related information.

[0015] The fourth aspect shows that the importance (in other words, the display priority) of the acquired multiple pieces of information can be determined depending on whether they are warning-related information that warns or calls the driver's attention (for example, a front vehicle approach warning, a rear vehicle approach warning, etc.). The warning-related information may be directly related to the safe operation of the vehicle and may be highly urgent information. According to this aspect, for example, by setting a high priority for displaying the warning-related information, it is possible to reliably notify the driver of important information.

[0016] In a fifth aspect dependent on any one of the first to fourth aspects, when the control unit displays each of the plurality of pieces of information on the lighting unit, the control unit may set the area of ​​the second display area to be smaller than the area of ​​the first display area when the importance of the second piece of information is lower than the importance of the first piece of information, and the control unit may set the area of ​​the second display area to be smaller than the area of ​​the first display area when the importance of the second piece of information is lower than the importance of the first piece of information.

[0017] In the fifth aspect, for example, it is assumed that information with the second highest priority for display is also displayed without being hidden by the lighting unit. In this case, as explained above in the section on problems to be solved by the invention, it becomes necessary to take measures to prevent the continuous lighting of the lighting unit from causing annoyance to the driver. In this regard, in this aspect, the display area of ​​the illumination unit is adjusted to reduce the adverse visual impact on the driver. In other words, in this embodiment, for example, the area of ​​the actual display area of ​​the information displayed second by the lighting unit is set to be smaller than the area of ​​the actual display area of ​​the information displayed first by the lighting unit (information with higher priority). It is believed that the most common situation in which a driver feels annoyed by the lighting of a lighting unit occurs when the same display mode (lighting pattern, blinking pattern, etc.) is displayed continuously. In this aspect, the information with the highest priority that is displayed first may be realized, for example, by turning on the light source in the entire display area of ​​the lighting unit, while the information with a relatively lower importance that is displayed second on the lighting unit may be realized, for example, by turning on the light source in only a partial area, such as the center of the lighting unit. This allows the amount of light emitted by the illumination unit to be reduced for the second piece of information to be displayed, thereby reducing the impact on the driver's vision. In addition, in this embodiment, by differentiating the display mode of the lighting unit for the first piece of information to be displayed from the display mode of the lighting unit for the second piece of information to be displayed, it is possible to reliably notify the driver that different types of information are being displayed.

[0018] In a sixth aspect dependent on any one of the first to fifth aspects, when the control unit displays each of the plurality of pieces of information on the lighting unit, the control unit designates the display area used to display the first piece of information to be displayed as a first display area and the display area used to display the second piece of information to be displayed as a second display area, and if the importance of the first piece of information and the second piece of information to be displayed are at the same level, the areas of the first and second display areas may be equal, but the display mode of the first piece of information to be displayed and the display mode of the second piece of information may be different.

[0019] In the sixth embodiment, similar to the fifth embodiment, it is assumed that information having the second priority for display is also displayed without being hidden by the illumination unit. However, this embodiment assumes that the importance of the information displayed first and the importance of the information displayed second are equal, which is different from the fifth embodiment. In this embodiment, unlike the fifth embodiment, there is no difference in the area of ​​the display region in the illumination unit used to display each piece of information. However, by varying the display mode, the driver can be reliably informed that different types of important information are being displayed consecutively. The driver can recognize that multiple pieces of useful information are being presented (in other words, the driver can recognize that less important information is not being displayed consecutively), so the driver is less likely to feel bothered by the display of each piece of information in the lighting unit, and this can reduce the sense of discomfort.

[0020] In a seventh aspect dependent on any one of the first to sixth aspects, the control unit may perform display control on the instrument display unit to display first information of the plurality of pieces of information in a predetermined display order and second information that is next in the display order to the first information in parallel, and may perform display control on the instrument display unit to set a display size of the first information to be larger than a size of the second information during a period in which the first and second pieces of information are displayed in parallel on the instrument display unit, and to display the first information in a first display mode corresponding to the first information in the lighting unit.

[0021] In the seventh aspect, the instrument display unit displays a plurality of pieces of information, in other words, both the first and second pieces of information, so that the driver can know in advance the information that is scheduled to be displayed next by looking at the display on the instrument display unit. However, when multiple pieces of information are displayed on the instrument display, it cannot be denied that the increased amount of information makes it somewhat difficult to read. Therefore, in this embodiment, the display size of the first information (information that should be displayed before the second information and can be said to be information of higher importance) is set larger than the display size of the second information, thereby making it possible to make, for example, the information of higher importance easier to see and to prevent the driver from overlooking the display, etc. In addition, during the period when the first and second information are displayed on the instrument display unit, the lighting unit displays information in a display mode (such as a lighting pattern or a blinking pattern) that corresponds to the information that is displayed larger on the instrument display unit. This allows the driver to see the display of the lighting unit and be sure to know that an important event requiring attention is occurring in or around the vehicle.

[0022] In an eighth aspect dependent on the seventh aspect, when the control unit detects that the driver has confirmed both the first and second information as a result of displaying the first and second information in parallel on the instrument display unit, the control unit may hide the first and second information on the instrument display unit and the lighting unit, and when the control unit does not detect that the driver has confirmed either the first or second information, the control unit may display, on the instrument display unit and the lighting unit, the information that was not detected to have been confirmed by the driver.

[0023] The eighth aspect shows an example of a change in the display mode after both the first and second information are displayed on the instrument display unit, as explained in the seventh aspect. In other words, if it is detected that the driver has confirmed both displays as a result of displaying both the first and second information on the instrument display, for example, by monitoring the driver's line of sight or by the driver operating equipment himself, then the original purpose of presenting the information has been achieved, and the first and second information on both the instrument display and the lighting unit may be hidden, for example, to prevent the driver from feeling uncomfortable. On the other hand, if it is detected that the driver has confirmed only one of the first and second pieces of information, the detected information is not displayed to prevent the driver from feeling uncomfortable, etc., while information that could not be detected as confirmed continues to be displayed on both the instrument display and the lighting unit, maintaining a situation in which the driver can confirm the information. Such detailed display control further improves the convenience of the vehicle display control device and vehicle display system.

[0024] In a ninth aspect dependent on the seventh aspect, when attempting to display the first and second information in parallel on the instrument display unit, if at least one piece of first other information other than the vehicle speed of the motorcycle is displayed on the instrument display unit, the control unit may perform display control such that the first and second information are displayed in parallel on the instrument display unit after hiding the first other information, or if at least one piece of second other information determined to be of relatively low importance other than the vehicle speed of the motorcycle is displayed on the instrument display unit, the control unit may perform display control such that the second other information is hidden after hiding the first and second information.

[0025] The ninth aspect shows an example of a measure to be taken when there is little free space on the instrument display when both the first and second information are to be displayed on the instrument display. As explained above in the seventh aspect (or the eighth aspect), the instrument display section can display a plurality of displays in parallel. However, in this case, for example, if the instrument display unit already displays multiple displays (such as instrument displays showing the operating status of the vehicle), it becomes difficult to secure the display space necessary to display new information. Therefore, in this embodiment, as a first measure for the above case, the display that is already displayed on the instrument display unit is made non-display to secure free space. However, since vehicle speed display is often required by law to be displayed at all times and is an important display, vehicle speed display is excluded from the targets for non-display. This effectively increases the available space on the instrument display, making it possible to reliably display the first and second information in a preferred size, for example. However, while the first measure described above may envisage the information that is already displayed being uniformly hidden, it cannot be said that the information that is hidden may not include, for example, important information necessary for safe driving of the vehicle. Therefore, in the second measure, information with a relatively high level of importance is not hidden, but information with a relatively low level of importance is hidden. This allows existing important displays to continue to be displayed while freeing up space on the instrument display.

[0026] In a tenth aspect dependent on any one of the first to ninth aspects, when the control unit detects that a predetermined display cancellation condition is met while information is being displayed on the instrument display unit and the lighting unit, the control unit may perform display control such that the control unit terminates the display processing of the information currently being displayed, and after the termination, performs display processing of the next information, or terminates the display processing of the information currently being displayed, and after the termination, does not perform display processing of the next information.

[0027] In the tenth aspect, when a predetermined cancellation condition is met, the display processing in the instrument display unit or lighting unit is terminated, or after that termination, if there is information to be displayed next, that information may be displayed. Furthermore, for example, if the above-mentioned predetermined cancellation condition is so severe that the display is forcibly terminated, the display of subsequent information may also not be performed. This makes it possible to prevent unnecessary display from continuing after the cancellation condition is met.

[0028] In an eleventh aspect, a vehicle display system includes a lighting unit provided on the windshield of a motorcycle and capable of presenting information to a rider by changing the display mode, an instrument display unit provided on the body of the motorcycle and capable of displaying instrument information related to the operating status of the motorcycle, and a vehicle display control device subordinate to any one of the first to tenth aspects.

[0029] According to the eleventh aspect, a vehicle display system with improved convenience can be realized.

[0030] In a twelfth aspect, there is provided a display control method for a vehicle that controls the display operation of a vehicle display system having an illumination unit that is provided on the windshield of the motorcycle and that is capable of providing information to the rider depending on its display mode, and an instrument display unit that is provided on the body of the motorcycle and that is capable of displaying instrument information related to the operating status of the motorcycle, the method including: when it is deemed that a plurality of pieces of information that form the basis of display control have been acquired, determining the display order of each of the acquired plurality of pieces of information based on at least one of a timing factor related to when each of the plurality of pieces of information was acquired and a content factor related to the importance of each of the plurality of pieces of information; and a step of performing display control in which at least one of the plurality of pieces of information is displayed on the instrument display unit in accordance with the display order, and with regard to the display on the illumination unit, as a general rule, the display is displayed in accordance with the display order in conjunction with the display on the instrument display unit, but as an exception, with regard to information that is not first in the display order among the plurality of pieces of information, it is hidden depending on the importance of that information.

[0031] According to the display control method of the twelfth aspect, it is possible to realize a vehicle display control device and a vehicle display system with improved convenience.

[0032] Those skilled in the art will easily understand that the exemplified embodiments according to the present invention can be further modified without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0033] [Figure 1] FIG. 1(A) is a view of the motorcycle as seen from the rear, FIG. 1(B) is a view showing an example of a display in which the lighting unit displays in a suitable display mode corresponding to the display in the instrument display unit, and FIG. 1(C) is a cross-sectional view of the main parts when the lighting unit is realized using a head-up display (HUD) device for a motorcycle. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a vehicle display system. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the types of information acquired by the vehicular display system and the contents of the information. [Figure 4]Figure 4(A) is a flowchart showing an example of display control by the control unit of a vehicle display control device, Figure 4(B) is a diagram showing an example of the display of information that is displayed first when multiple pieces of information are acquired, and Figure 4(C) is a diagram showing an example of the display of information that is displayed second. [Figure 5] Figure 5(A) is a flowchart showing another example of display control by the control unit of a vehicle display control device, Figure 5(B) is a diagram showing another example of displaying information that is displayed first when multiple pieces of information are acquired, and Figure 5(C) is a diagram showing another example of displaying information that is displayed second. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the situation around a traveling two-wheeled vehicle (host vehicle). [Figure 7] Figure 7(A) is a flowchart showing yet another example of display control by the control unit of a vehicle display control device (an example corresponding to Figure 6), Figure 7(B) is a diagram showing yet another example of the display of information that is displayed first when multiple pieces of information are acquired, and Figure 7(C) is a diagram showing yet another example of the display of information that is displayed second. [Figure 8] Figure 8(A) is a flowchart showing yet another example of display control by the control unit of a vehicle display control device (an example in which first and second information are displayed in parallel on the instrument display unit and the driver checks both the front and rear based on each piece of information), Figure 8(B) is a diagram showing yet another example of the display of information that is displayed first when multiple pieces of information are acquired, and Figure 8(C) is a diagram showing an example in which the next information is not displayed as a result of the driver checking both the front and rear. [Figure 9] Figure 9(A) is a flowchart showing yet another example of display control by the control unit of a vehicle display control device (an example in which first and second information are displayed in parallel and the driver checks only what is behind based on the displayed information), Figure 9(B) is a diagram showing an example of display during a period in which multiple pieces of information are displayed, and Figure 9(C) is a diagram showing an example in which a warning about an approaching vehicle ahead is displayed as the next information as a result of the driver not checking what is ahead. [Figure 10]FIG. 10(A) is a diagram showing an example of a display when existing information is displayed on the instrument display unit, and FIG. 10(B) is a diagram showing an example of a display when the existing display on the instrument display unit is hidden to increase free space and multiple newly acquired pieces of information are displayed in that free space. [Figure 11] Figure 11(A) is a diagram showing another example of a display when existing information is displayed on the instrument display unit, and Figure 11(B) is a diagram showing a display example when existing displays of relatively low importance are hidden on the instrument display unit to increase free space, and multiple newly acquired pieces of information are displayed in that free space. [Figure 12] 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of display control by a vehicle display control device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0034] The best mode described below is used to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and therefore, those skilled in the art should be aware that the present invention is not unduly limited by the embodiments described below.

[0035] (First embodiment) Please refer to Fig. 1. Fig. 1(A) is a view of a motorcycle seen from behind, Fig. 1(B) is a view showing an example of a display in which the lighting unit displays in a suitable display mode in correspondence with the display in the instrument display unit, and Fig. 1(C) is a cross-sectional view of the main parts in a case where the lighting unit is realized using a head-up display (HUD) device for a motorcycle.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 1(A), a two-wheeled vehicle (herein referred to as a motorcycle; hereinafter, sometimes referred to as a "motorcycle") 1 is traveling with its rear wheel 6 standing upright (perpendicular to the road 4) on a horizontal road (or road surface) 4.

[0037] The windshield (cowl) 15 provided at the front of the motorcycle 1 is made of a transparent material and is formed in a plate shape that curves in the left-right and height directions of the motorcycle 1 so as to bulge out towards the front of the motorcycle 1. The upper edge of the windshield 15 may have an arc shape that bulges out in an upward convex shape.

[0038] The width direction of the motorcycle 1 as seen from the perspective of a driver (not shown in FIG. 1(A) and indicated by the symbol DR in FIG. 1(C)) holding the left handle LHN and the right handle RHN and driving the motorcycle 1 is defined as the "left-right direction (X direction)", the direction perpendicular to the horizontal road 4 is defined as the "height direction (Y direction)", and the direction along the direction of travel of the motorcycle 1 is defined as the "front-rear direction (Z direction)".

[0039] An illumination section 30 (which can also be called a "functional illumination section" in the sense that it is a multi-functional illumination section) having a shape that extends elongatedly in the left-right direction as seen from the driver DR is provided on the upper side of the windshield 15 (near the upper end in the example of Figure 1).

[0040] This lighting unit 30 has, for example, a plurality (eight, for example) of light-emitting elements (light-emitting diodes, etc.) as light sources arranged at intervals along the left-right direction and fixed (attached) to the windshield 15, and by selecting the display mode (flashing pattern, lighting pattern, etc.) of these light-emitting elements from a variety of patterns, it is possible to display (present) to the driver DR various information regarding the driving situation, etc., such as information to call attention, warning information, navigation information, etc. However, this is just an example and the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, the illumination unit 30 can also be formed by a liquid crystal display device or the like.

[0041] An instrument display unit (meter display unit) 20 is provided on the vehicle body located below the lighting unit 30 (or the windshield 15).

[0042] Information indicating the state and operating conditions of the vehicle (for example, instrument displays such as vehicle speed information and remaining fuel information) is displayed on this instrument display unit (meter display unit) 20. This information can be said to be the original information of the instrument display unit (meter display unit) 20.

[0043] In addition, in this embodiment, the instrument display unit (meter display unit) 20 can display icons, etc. (sometimes referred to as detailed display or detailed information display) that show details of the information that the lighting unit 30 presents to the driver DR.

[0044] The vehicle body also incorporates a display control device 10 that controls the display operations of the instrument display unit 20 and the illumination unit 30. The configuration and operation of the display control device 10 will be described later.

[0045] In FIG. 1(B), the instrument display unit 20 displays a bar graph display BG that displays the engine rotation speed (RPM) in bar graph format, a vehicle speed display SP (displaying "70 km / h"), and information acquired via sensors 31 provided on the mobile terminal 12 or the vehicle itself (here, icons: the vehicle itself icon i1, and an icon 5 indicating an approaching vehicle ahead). The icons and the like of the acquired information are displayed on the digital display section DW in the instrument display section 20.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 1(C), the illumination unit 30 can also be realized by a head-up display (HUD) device for a vehicle.

[0047] In FIG. 1(C), the motorcycle HUD device 21 is provided on the rear side of the instrument display unit 20 when viewed from the driver DR.

[0048] The motorcycle HUD device 21 includes a light source unit 22, a relay optical system 24, a projection optical system 26, and a light exit window 28.

[0049] The virtual image VP displayed by the motorcycle HUD device 21 is formed on the outside of the windshield 15, but since the distance from the windshield 15 to the virtual image VP is short, it appears as if there is a light source at the position where the light is reflected on the windshield 15, and therefore the area including the position where the light is reflected on the windshield 15 essentially functions as the lighting unit 30.

[0050] Next, reference will be made to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle display system. In Fig. 2, parts that are common to Fig. 1 are given the same reference numerals. This also applies to the following drawings.

[0051] The vehicle display system 110 mounted on a two-wheeled vehicle (own vehicle) 1 has an illumination unit 30 provided on the windshield 15, an instrument display unit 20 having a bar graph display unit BG, a digital display unit DW and a touch panel 200, a display control device 10, a memory unit 112, an information acquisition unit 120, an instrument display unit drive unit 150, an illumination unit control unit 160, a touch panel sensor 170, a gaze detection camera 301, a gaze position detection unit 303, and a communication unit (wireless communication unit) 11 capable of wireless communication with a mobile terminal 12.

[0052] The information acquisition unit 120 can acquire basic information that is the basis of the display from an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 300 (having a plurality of information input terminals S1 to Sn) and the mobile terminal 12 via wireless communication.

[0053] Next, reference will be made to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the types of information acquired by the vehicular display system and the contents of that information.

[0054] In FIG. 3, "FCW" classified as warning-related information means "Forward Collision Warning." Also, "BSW" means "Blind Spot Warning."

[0055] In addition, "TBT" is classified as non-warning-related information (which is treated as information less important than warning-related information) and stands for "turn-by-turn information."

[0056] Furthermore, "SNS" is generally referred to as "Social Networking Service," and refers to information obtained via mobile terminal 12, such as email, telephone, or notifications from a communication app.

[0057] Also, "weather (rain, etc.)" means, for example, "weather information such as rain, snow, and thunder obtained by a weather app."

[0058] Also, "ECO" means, for example, "detecting that the current driving mode is the eco-driving mode based on fuel efficiency information of the two-wheeled vehicle 1 obtained by the ECU 300, and displaying that fact to the driver, etc."

[0059] In the instrument display unit 20 and the illumination unit (functional illumination unit) 30 described above, the various displays can be displayed in the form of icons, characters, lighting patterns, blinking patterns, or the like.

[0060] Next, reference is made to Fig. 4. Fig. 4(A) is a flowchart showing an example of display control by a control unit of a vehicle display control device, Fig. 4(B) is a diagram showing an example of displaying information that is displayed first when multiple pieces of information are acquired, and Fig. 4(C) is a diagram showing an example of displaying information that is displayed second. In Fig. 4, parts that are common to the previous drawings are given the same reference numerals.

[0061] In the example of FIG. 4, it is assumed that information on FCW (forward vehicle approach warning) and SNS (here, received mail information (MAIL)) is displayed in sequence.

[0062] In FIG. 4(A), in step S30, each piece of information of FCW and SNS (MAIL) is acquired.

[0063] In step S31, the lighting unit 30 displays the FCW (here, the entire display area of ​​the lighting unit 30 is lit), and the instrument display unit 20 displays the FCW using an icon or the like.

[0064] In step S32, it is determined whether or not the driver DR has confirmed the displayed information (FCW) (in other words, whether or not the driver DR has recognized that a situation requires crisis avoidance) based on, for example, gaze position detection by the gaze position detection unit 303 shown in Fig. 2. If not confirmed, the process returns to step S31, and if confirmed, the process proceeds to step S33.

[0065] In step S33, the lighting unit 30 displays the SNS (MAIL) message (here, a partial area of ​​the lighting unit 30 is lit), and the instrument display unit 20 displays the SNS (MAIL) message using an icon or the like.

[0066] In step S34, it is determined whether the driver DR has checked the SNS (MAIL) based on, for example, the driver's own device operation (in other words, the driver's own feedback FB). If N, the process returns to step S33, and if Y, the process proceeds to step S35.

[0067] In step S35, a light-off control is carried out to turn off the display.

[0068] In FIG. 4(B), the instrument display unit 20 displays a bar graph display unit BG (indicating engine RPM), a vehicle speed display SP, and an icon ICN1 of forward vehicle approach information (FCW) (including the vehicle icon i1 and an icon 5 indicating an approaching vehicle ahead) (this is the first (initial) display of the FCW information with the highest importance among the multiple pieces of information acquired). The illumination unit 30 performs a full-area display (full-area lighting display) using the entire area of ​​the illumination unit 30.

[0069] In addition, in FIG. 4B, as a modified example, a smaller icon ICN2 of SNS (MAIL), which is second in the display order, is also displayed in parallel. In the figure, the icon ICN2 is shown by a dashed line. However, this is a modified example, and the icon ICN2 does not necessarily have to be displayed.

[0070] By displaying the icon ICN2, the driver DR can know in advance what information will be displayed next. Also, by displaying the icon ICN2 in a smaller size (compared to the icon ICN1), it is possible to obtain the effect of suppressing the difficulty in viewing due to the increased amount of displayed information.

[0071] In addition, in FIG. 4(B), the illumination unit 30 performs a full lighting display using the entire display area.

[0072] In FIG. 4(C), the instrument display unit 20 displays a large icon ICN2 for information on SNS (MAIL), which has a relatively low level of importance.

[0073] On the other hand, the illumination unit 30 performs a partial area display (partial area lighting display) in which only the central area of ​​the illumination unit 30 is lit.

[0074] In this way, in the example of FIG. 4, the information (SNS information) that has the second highest priority for display is also displayed without being hidden by the lighting unit 30.

[0075] However, as shown in Figure 4(C), the actual display area of ​​the information (SNS (MAIL)) displayed second on the lighting unit 30 is set smaller than the display area of ​​the information (FCW information with higher priority) displayed first on the lighting unit 30.

[0076] It is believed that the driver DR will most likely find the lighting of the illumination unit 30 annoying when the same display mode (lighting pattern, blinking pattern, etc.) is displayed continuously.

[0077] In the display examples of Figures 4(B) and (C), the information with the highest priority that is displayed first is realized by turning on the light source in the entire display area of ​​the lighting unit 30, while the information with a relatively lower importance that is displayed second on the lighting unit is realized by turning on the light source in only a partial area, such as the center of the lighting unit 30.

[0078] This makes it possible to suppress the amount of light emitted by the illumination unit 30 for the information to be displayed second, thereby reducing the impact on the vision of the driver DR.

[0079] In addition, in the example of Figure 4, by differentiating the display mode of the lighting unit 30 (full area lit) for the information (FCW) to be displayed first from the display mode of the lighting unit 30 (partial area lit) for the information (SNS (MAIL)) to be displayed second, it is possible to reliably notify the driver DR that different types of information are being displayed.

[0080] (Second embodiment) Next, reference is made to Fig. 5. Fig. 5(A) is a flowchart showing another example of display control by the control unit of the vehicular display control device, Fig. 5(B) is a diagram showing another example of displaying information that is displayed first when multiple pieces of information are acquired, and Fig. 5(C) is a diagram showing another example of displaying information that is displayed second.

[0081] In step S40 in FIG. 5(A), information on SNS (MAIL) and weather (rain) is acquired.

[0082] In step S41, SNS (MAIL) information is displayed on the lighting unit 30. As a display mode, for example, partial area lighting using a partial area of ​​the lighting unit 30 shown in FIG. 4C is adopted), and on the instrument display unit 20, the SNS (MAIL) icon ICN2 or the like may be displayed.

[0083] In step S42, it is determined whether or not there is feedback from the driver DR himself / herself through device operation or the like (in other words, a reply from the driver himself / herself indicating that he / she has checked the SNS (MAIL)). If N, return to step S41, and if Y, proceed to step S43.

[0084] In step S43, both the SNS (SNS (MAIL)) and the weather (rain) to be displayed next are hidden (unlit) in the lighting unit 30. This can reduce discomfort, such as annoyance, caused by the lighting unit 30 continuing to be lit.

[0085] Even if information of low importance is hidden in the illumination unit 30, if new information is displayed on the instrument display unit 20, the driver DR can grasp the newly appeared information, for example, in his / her peripheral vision, based on his / her previous experience (the experience in steps S41 and S42), and can quickly read the content of the information. Therefore, even if information is not displayed on the illumination unit 30, the driver DR does not experience any particular inconvenience.

[0086] On the instrument display unit 20, the SNS (MAIL) information is displayed, for example, as an icon ICN2.

[0087] In step S44, it is determined whether or not there is feedback from the driver indicating that he or she has checked the SNS (rain). If the answer is No, the process returns to step S43, and if the answer is Yes, the process proceeds to step S45.

[0088] In step S45, since the driver DR has confirmed the SNS (rain) information, it is no longer necessary to maintain the display, and therefore, a turn-off process is performed.

[0089] In FIG. 5(B), the instrument display 20 displays a bar graph display BG (indicating the engine speed), a vehicle speed display SP, and an SNS (MAIL) icon ICN2.

[0090] In addition, in Fig. 5(B), as a modified example, a small SNS (rain) icon ICN3 is displayed (this icon ICN3 is shown by a dashed line in the figure). However, this is a modified example, and the small SNS (rain) icon ICN3 does not have to be displayed.

[0091] By displaying the icon ICN3, the driver DR can know in advance what information will be displayed next. Also, by displaying the icon ICN3 in a smaller size (compared to the icon ICN2), it is possible to obtain the effect of suppressing the difficulty in viewing due to the increased amount of displayed information.

[0092] In FIG. 5(C), the lighting unit 30 does not display information about the weather (rain), which is relatively less important. Therefore, even if a plurality of pieces of information are acquired, the lighting unit 30 does not light up continuously, and therefore the driver DR is prevented from feeling annoyed or uncomfortable.

[0093] In FIG. 5(C), the instrument display unit 20 displays an SNS (rain) icon (large icon) ICN3.

[0094] (Third embodiment) Next, reference is made to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the situation around a traveling two-wheeled vehicle (host vehicle).

[0095] In Fig. 6, a vehicle ahead (preceding vehicle) 50 is approaching in front of the two-wheeled vehicle (host vehicle) 1, while a vehicle behind 60 is traveling at a slightly distant position behind the two-wheeled vehicle (host vehicle) 1. In this case, the first priority is to avoid a crisis by avoiding contact or a collision with the vehicle ahead 50, and next, it is necessary to avoid contact with the vehicle behind 60. An example display for such a driving situation is shown in Fig. 7.

[0096] Figure 7(A) is a flowchart showing yet another example of display control by the control unit of a vehicle display control device (an example corresponding to Figure 6), Figure 7(B) is a diagram showing yet another example of the display of information that is displayed first when multiple pieces of information are acquired, and Figure 7(C) is a diagram showing yet another example of the display of information that is displayed second.

[0097] In the example of FIG. 7, FCW (forward vehicle approach warning) as warning-related information and BSW (behind vehicle approach information) as warning-related information are displayed in sequence.

[0098] The importance (display priority) of each piece of information is considered to be equal, but as explained above in FIG. 6, in the current driving situation, avoiding contact with the vehicle 50 ahead is the top priority, and therefore the importance (display priority) of the FCW information can be considered to be high.

[0099] In FIG. 7A, in step S50, the information on the FCW and BSW is acquired.

[0100] In step S51, information about the FCW is displayed on the illumination unit 30. As a display mode, for example, full display area lighting (full lighting) using the entire display area of ​​the illumination unit 30, as shown in Fig. 4(B), can be adopted. On the instrument display unit 20, the FCW is displayed using an icon or the like.

[0101] In step S52, it is determined whether the driver DR has confirmed the safety ahead, for example, based on the result of detecting the driver's line of sight, etc. If the answer is No, the process returns to step S51, and if the answer is Yes, the process proceeds to step S53.

[0102] In step S53, the BSW information is displayed on the lighting unit 30. The instrument display unit 20 also displays the BSW icon and the like.

[0103] 7(B), the illumination unit 30 lights up the entire display area corresponding to the FCW, and the instrument display unit 20 displays an icon ICN1 corresponding to the FCW.

[0104] In FIG. 7(B), a small icon of the BSW to be displayed next may be displayed in parallel, similar to FIG. 4(B) and FIG. 5(B).

[0105] In Fig. 7(C), BSW is displayed on the lighting unit 30. However, the display mode (lighting pattern or light emission pattern) of the lighting unit 30 in Fig. 7(C) is a gradation display (a display in which the color, brightness, etc. changes in stages), which differs from the display mode of the lighting unit 30 in Fig. 7(B) (a display of all lighting patterns).

[0106] This allows the driver DR to recognize that different information is being displayed. This awareness also has the effect of reducing the likelihood of a sense of discomfort, such as annoyance.

[0107] In FIG. 7(C), the instrument display 20 displays a bar graph display BG (indicating the engine speed), a vehicle speed display SP, and a BSW icon ICN4.

[0108] (Fourth embodiment) Next, reference will be made to Fig. 8. Fig. 8(A) is a flowchart showing yet another example of display control by the control unit of the vehicle display control device (an example in which first and second information are displayed in parallel on the instrument display unit and the driver checks both the front and rear based on each piece of information), Fig. 8(B) is a diagram showing yet another example of displaying information that is displayed first when multiple pieces of information are acquired, and Fig. 8(C) is a diagram showing an example in which the next information is not displayed as a result of the driver checking both the front and rear.

[0109] In Fig. 8, two pieces of information are displayed in parallel (in other words, simultaneously) on the instrument display unit 20. Then, when the driver DR confirms each display, there is no point in displaying the two pieces of information, so they are not displayed.

[0110] In FIG. 8A, in step S60, the information on the FCW and BSW is acquired.

[0111] In step S61, information about the FCW is displayed on the illumination unit 30. In other words, lighting is performed to display (or notify) the FCW.

[0112] Furthermore, the FCW and BSW are displayed in parallel (simultaneously) on the instrument display unit 20. At this time, the FCW, which has the highest display priority (importance), is displayed in a large size, and the BSW is displayed in a smaller size. This reduces visibility and makes it easier for the driver DR to focus on the display of the FCW, which has the highest importance.

[0113] In step S62, it is determined whether the driver DR has confirmed the safety ahead and behind the vehicle, for example, based on the detection result of the driver DR's line of sight position. If the answer is No, the process returns to step S61, and if the answer is Yes, the process proceeds to step S63.

[0114] In step S63, since safety has been confirmed both ahead and behind, there is no point in displaying two pieces of information, and therefore processing is performed to turn off each display.

[0115] In FIG. 8(B), the illumination unit 30 performs display by lighting up the entire display area corresponding to the FCW displayed in a large size. Also, on the instrument display unit 20, a bar graph display unit BG (indicating the engine speed), a vehicle speed display SP, an FCW icon ICN1 (large size), and a BSW (small size) are displayed in parallel (simultaneously).

[0116] In FIG. 8(C), the driver DR checks whether the area ahead and behind the vehicle is safe, and as a result, the displays of FCW and BSW are erased.

[0117] According to the example of Figure 8, two pieces of information are displayed in parallel on the instrument display unit 20, so the driver DR can visually recognize (recognize) multiple pieces of information and can more efficiently understand the current driving conditions, etc.

[0118] Furthermore, even when two pieces of information are displayed at the same time, the information of higher importance is displayed in a larger size and the other in a smaller size, thereby reducing visibility difficulties and allowing the driver DR to reliably view the information of higher priority.

[0119] (Fifth embodiment) Please refer to Fig. 9. Fig. 9(A) is a flowchart showing yet another example of display control by the control unit of the vehicle display control device (an example in which first and second information are displayed in parallel and the driver checks only what is behind based on the displayed information), Fig. 9(B) is a diagram showing an example of display during a period in which multiple pieces of information are displayed, and Fig. 9(C) is a diagram showing an example in which a warning about approaching vehicles ahead is displayed as the next information as a result of the driver not checking what is ahead.

[0120] In the example of FIG. 9, similar to the example of FIG. 8 shown above, a plurality of pieces of information are displayed in parallel on the instrument display unit 20. However, in the example of FIG. 9, it is assumed that the driver DR checks only one of the displays and does not check the other display.

[0121] In step S70 of FIG. 9(A), the instrument display unit 20 acquires the information on FCW and BSW.

[0122] In step S71, the FCW is displayed (lighted to notify the driver of the FCW) in the illumination unit 30. In addition, the FCW and BSW are displayed in parallel (simultaneously) in the instrument display unit 20. At this time, the FCW with the highest display priority (importance) is displayed in a large size, and the BSW is displayed in a smaller size. This reduces visibility and makes it easier for the driver DR to focus on the display of the FCW with the highest importance.

[0123] In step S72, it is determined whether the driver DR has checked both the front and rear for safety. If the driver DR has not checked either, the process returns to step S71, and if the driver DR has only checked the rear (not the front), the process proceeds to step S73.

[0124] In step S73, FCW (Forward Vehicle Approach Warning) information is displayed (all areas lit) in the illumination unit 30. FCW information (large size) is displayed in the instrument display unit 20.

[0125] In step S74, it is determined whether the driver DR has confirmed the safety ahead. If the answer is No, the process returns to step S73, and if the answer is Yes, the process proceeds to step S75.

[0126] In step S75, a turn-off process is carried out to terminate the display of the FCW and BSW information.

[0127] 9(B), the illumination unit 30 lights up the entire display area corresponding to the FCW displayed in a large size. Also, the instrument display unit 20 displays a bar graph display BG (indicating the engine RPM), a vehicle speed display SP, an FCW icon ICN1 (large size), and a BSW (small size) in parallel (simultaneously).

[0128] In FIG. 9(C), the driver DR has not yet confirmed that the road ahead is safe, so the FCW icon ICN1 (large size) continues to be displayed. Therefore, the driver DR continues to be warned about the forward check FCW, and is able to know that a vehicle ahead is approaching.

[0129] (Sixth embodiment) Next, reference will be made to Fig. 10. Fig. 10(A) is a diagram showing an example of a display when existing information is displayed on the instrument display unit, and Fig. 10(B) is a diagram showing an example of a display when the existing display on the instrument display unit is hidden to increase free space and multiple pieces of newly acquired information are displayed in that free space.

[0130] FIG. 10 shows an example (first measure) of a measure to be taken when there is little (or no) free space in the display area of ​​the instrument display unit 20 when attempting to display both newly acquired pieces of information (here, first information (FCW) and second information (SNS)) on the instrument display unit 20.

[0131] In FIG. 10(A), the instrument display unit 20 already displays a plurality of instrument displays BG and SP that indicate the operating status of the vehicle, and a fuel gauge display FG, and there is little free space.

[0132] Therefore, in Fig. 10(B), all displays already displayed on the instrument display unit 20 are hidden except for the vehicle speed display SP. In Fig. 10(B), the bar graph display unit BG and the fuel gauge display FG are erased. This frees up space.

[0133] Note that the vehicle speed display SP is often required by law to be displayed at all times, and is an important display, so the vehicle speed display SP is excluded from the targets for non-display.

[0134] By implementing the display control of Figure 10, it is possible to efficiently increase the available space in the instrument display unit 20, and therefore, for example, it is possible to reliably display the first and second information (FCW, SNS) in a preferred size.

[0135] (Seventh embodiment) Please refer to Fig. 11. Fig. 11(A) is a diagram showing another example of a display when existing information is displayed on the instrument display unit, and Fig. 11(B) is a diagram showing a display example when existing displays of relatively low importance are hidden on the instrument display unit to increase free space, and multiple pieces of newly acquired information are displayed in that free space.

[0136] 11, when there is little free space in the instrument display unit 20, the existing display is erased to increase the free space, as in the example of FIG.

[0137] However, in the example of Figure 10 (first measure) described above, it is possible that information that is already displayed will be uniformly hidden, but it cannot be said that there is no possibility that the information that is hidden will include, for example, important information necessary for safe driving of the vehicle.

[0138] 11 (second measure), information with a relatively high level of importance is not hidden, and information with a relatively low level of importance is hidden. This makes it possible to secure free space on the instrument display unit 20 while continuing to display existing important displays.

[0139] In FIG. 11(A), the instrument display 20 already displays the vehicle speed display SP, the navigation map display (navigation display) M1, and the audio device operation screen (entertainment display) AD, leaving little free space. Here, the navigation map display (navigation display) M1 and the audio device operation screen (entertainment display) AD are determined to be non-urgent and relatively low in importance, and therefore, it can be determined that erasing them will not cause any particular problems.

[0140] Therefore, in Fig. 11(B), displays that are already displayed on the instrument display unit 20 and have a relatively low level of importance are hidden, except for the vehicle speed display SP. In Fig. 11(B), the navigation map display M1 and the audio device operation screen AD are erased, increasing the amount of free space. Newly acquired information, such as FCW information and SNS (MAIL) information, is displayed in this free space.

[0141] In this way, according to the example of Figure 11 (second measure), it is possible to secure free space on the instrument display unit 20 and reliably display newly acquired information at an appropriate size, while at the same time allowing existing important displays to continue to be displayed.

[0142] (Eighth embodiment) In this embodiment, examples of operations such as ending display in the instrument display unit 20 and the illumination unit 30, updating display, etc. will be described.

[0143] When the control unit 100 shown in FIG. 2 detects that a predetermined display cancellation condition is met while information is being displayed on the instrument display unit 20 and the lighting unit 30, the control unit 100 may perform display control such that it terminates the display processing of the currently displayed information and, after the termination, performs display processing of the next information, or terminates the display processing of the currently displayed information and, after the termination, does not perform display processing of the next information.

[0144] In other words, when a predetermined cancellation condition is met, the display processing in the instrument display unit 20 or the lighting unit 30 is terminated, or after that termination, if there is information to be displayed next, that information may be displayed.

[0145] Furthermore, for example, if the above-mentioned predetermined cancellation condition is strong enough to forcibly terminate the display (for example, if a predetermined cancellation signal is input by the driver DR operating a device), the display of subsequent information may also be prevented after the current display is canceled. This makes it possible to prevent unnecessary displays from continuing after the cancellation condition is met.

[0146] (Ninth embodiment) Next, reference is made to Fig. 12, which is a flowchart showing an example of display control by the vehicle display control device.

[0147] In step S10, it is determined whether or not a plurality of pieces of information (basic information that forms the basis of display) have been acquired in the vehicle display system.

[0148] Here, an example of a case in which it can be considered that multiple pieces of information have been acquired is when multiple pieces of information are acquired "within a specified time range determined based on a specified reference timing."

[0149] Examples of cases in which it is determined that the above-mentioned information is "within a specified time range determined based on the specified reference timing" include when the multiple pieces of information were acquired within a time range that is short enough that they can be considered to have been acquired at the same time, or when at least some of the multiple pieces of information were acquired outside a time range that can be considered to have been acquired at the same time, but the second and subsequent pieces of information acquired were acquired within the period in which display control based on the first piece of information was being carried out, or when they were acquired before a specified period had elapsed since display control based on the first piece of information ended.

[0150] The above-mentioned period is a period in which not much time has passed since the first information was acquired, and it can be said that there is no problem in processing multiple pieces of information together. If multiple pieces of information are acquired within these periods, it is possible to effectively process each piece of information by utilizing the "multiple information processing function" provided in the display control device of the present invention, and therefore, in such cases, the display control processing is carried out assuming that multiple pieces of information have been acquired in the vehicle display system.

[0151] If the answer is N in step S10, this means that a single piece of information has been acquired, so the process moves to step S11, where normal display control (the same display control as in the past) is performed for each piece of information. Subsequently, if the cancellation condition is met in step S12, the display is terminated.

[0152] If the answer is Y in step S10, the process proceeds to step S13.

[0153] In step S13, the display order of each piece of information is determined based on at least one of a time factor and a content factor. For example, information with a high level of importance may be set to have a higher display priority than information with a low level of importance. Furthermore, if the current situation around the vehicle is judged to be more urgent (which is also one of the content factors), the display priority of the more urgent information may be set higher (see the example in Figure 6). Furthermore, for information of the same importance, the display priority of information acquired earlier may be set higher, for example.

[0154] In step S14, the linked display control of each piece of information is performed on the instrument display unit and the lighting unit based on the determined display order (display priority order). For example, for new information to be displayed, interrupt control is performed in the instrument display unit, and the new information is displayed as a pop-up in an empty space, and in conjunction with this, display (lighting) control is performed in the lighting unit using a display mode (display pattern, etc.) that is suitable for that information.

[0155] In step S14, when the display control is performed, "annoyance (discomfort) suppression control" is performed on the lighting unit.

[0156] This annoyance (discomfort) suppression control may be, for example, non-display processing of the illumination unit based on the importance of information or the like (see non-display control in FIG. 5(C)).

[0157] Furthermore, the annoyance (discomfort) suppression control may be, for example, a process of changing the display mode to reduce the amount of light emitted by the lighting unit based on the importance of the information, etc. (see the control in Figure 4(C) in which the display mode of the lighting unit is changed from full area lighting to partial area lighting, thereby reducing the effective area of ​​the display area and suppressing light emission). By such display control, even when a plurality of pieces of information are displayed successively, it is possible to suppress the visual discomfort (annoyance, etc.) felt by the driver, thereby improving the convenience of the vehicular display system.

[0158] In step S15, if the cancellation condition is met, the display is terminated.

[0159] As described above, according to this embodiment, in a display system equipped with an illumination unit provided on the windshield, when multiple pieces of information are acquired, each piece of information can be appropriately presented to the driver while suppressing any adverse effects on the driver's vision.

[0160] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments and can be modified and applied in various ways. For example, in the present invention, a two-wheeled vehicle can be understood as a broad concept (for example, a vehicle) that includes a three-wheeled vehicle. Furthermore, the types and display modes of information displayed on the illumination unit and instrument display unit shown in the embodiment are merely examples, and various modifications and applications are possible.

[0161] The present invention is not limited to the above-described exemplary embodiments, and those skilled in the art will be able to easily modify the above-described exemplary embodiments to the extent that they fall within the scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0162] 1. Motorcycle (vehicle), 4. Road (road surface), 5. Icon indicating a vehicle in front, 6. Rear wheel, 7. Icon indicating a vehicle behind, 10. Display control device, 11. Communication unit, 12. Portable terminal (wireless communication device), 15. Windshield (cowl), 20. Instrument display unit, 21. Motorcycle HUD device, 22. Light source unit, 24. Relay optical system, 26. Projection optical system, 28. Light exit window, 30. Lighting unit (functional lighting unit), 31. Sensor, 50···Front vehicle, 60···Rear vehicle, 100···Control unit, 110···Vehicle display system, 112···Memory unit, 120···Information acquisition unit, 130···Instrument display unit control unit, 132···Bar graph display control unit, 134···Digital display control unit, 140···Illumination unit control unit, 150···Instrument display unit drive unit, 160···Illumination unit control unit, 170···Touch panel sensor, 200···Touch panel, 300···ECU (Electronic Control Unit) Control Unit), 301···Gaze detection camera, 303···Gaze position detection unit, S1 to Sn···Sensor detection signal input terminal, DW···Digital display unit, DR···Driver (rider), EP···Eye (viewpoint), SP···Vehicle speed display, FCW···Front vehicle, BSW···Rear vehicle, VP···Virtual image.

Claims

1. A vehicle display control device including a control unit that controls a display operation of a vehicle display system having an illumination unit that is provided on a windshield of a motorcycle and that can provide information to a rider by its display mode, and an instrument display unit that is provided on a body of the motorcycle and that can display instrument information related to an operating status of the motorcycle, The control unit In the case where multiple pieces of information that form the basis of display control are deemed to have been obtained, determining a display order for each of the acquired pieces of information based on at least one of a timing factor relating to when each of the pieces of information was acquired and a content factor relating to the importance of each of the pieces of information; At least one of the plurality of pieces of information, The display is performed on the instrument display unit in accordance with the display order, Regarding the display in the lighting unit, In principle, the information is displayed in accordance with the display order in conjunction with the display on the instrument display unit. However, as an exception, display control can be implemented in which information that is not first in the display order among the plurality of information is not displayed depending on the importance of that information. Vehicle display control device.

2. If the above information is deemed to have been obtained, a plurality of pieces of information are acquired within a predetermined time range determined based on a predetermined reference timing via at least one of a sensor provided on the motorcycle that can detect the state of the motorcycle and a communication unit that has a wireless communication function; The vehicle display control device according to claim 1 .

3. If it is determined that the time is within a predetermined time range determined based on the predetermined reference timing, If the plurality of pieces of information were acquired within a time range that can be considered to be the same period, Or, At least some of the plurality of pieces of information were acquired outside a time range that can be considered as being contemporaneous, but the second and subsequent pieces of information were acquired within a period in which display control based on the first piece of information was being carried out, or were acquired before a predetermined period had elapsed since the end of display control based on the first piece of information. The vehicle display control device according to claim 2 .

4. The control unit If the information to be displayed is warning-related information that warns or calls the driver's attention, the importance of the information is set to be higher than the importance of non-warning-related information. The vehicle display control device according to claim 1 .

5. The control unit In the case where the lighting unit displays each of the plurality of pieces of information, When a display area used to display the first piece of information among the plurality of pieces of information is defined as a first display area, and a display area used to display the second piece of information is defined as a second display area, When the importance of the information to be displayed second is lower than the importance of the information to be displayed first, the area of ​​the second display area is set smaller than the area of ​​the first display area. The vehicle display control device according to claim 1 .

6. The control unit In the case where the lighting unit displays each of the plurality of pieces of information, When a display area used to display the first piece of information among the plurality of pieces of information is defined as a first display area, and a display area used to display the second piece of information is defined as a second display area, When the importance of the first information and the second information is the same, the areas of the first and second display areas are the same. The display mode of the first information to be displayed is made different from the display mode of the second information to be displayed. The vehicle display control device according to claim 1 .

7. The control unit In the instrument display unit, a display control is performed to display first information in a predetermined display order and second information that is next in the display order to the first information in parallel among the plurality of pieces of information; During a period in which the first and second information are displayed in parallel on the instrument display unit, In the instrument display unit, setting a display size of the first information to be larger than a display size of the second information; In the illumination unit, performing display control to display the first information in a first display mode corresponding to the first information; The vehicle display control device according to claim 1 .

8. The control unit As a result of displaying the first and second information in parallel on the instrument display unit, When it is detected that the driver has confirmed both the first and second information, the first and second information are hidden on the instrument display unit and the illumination unit; When it is detected that the driver has confirmed either the first information or the second information, the instrument display unit and the lighting unit display information that has not been detected as having been confirmed by the driver. The vehicle display control device according to claim 7.

9. The control unit When the first and second information are to be displayed in parallel on the instrument display unit, When at least one first other piece of information is displayed on the instrument display unit other than the vehicle speed display of the motorcycle, display control is performed to hide the first other piece of information, and then to display the first and second pieces of information in parallel on the instrument display unit. Or, When at least one second other piece of information determined to be relatively low in importance is displayed on the instrument display unit in addition to the vehicle speed display of the motorcycle, the second other piece of information is hidden, and then display control is performed to display the first and second pieces of information in parallel on the instrument display unit. The vehicle display control device according to claim 7.

10. The control unit When it is detected that a predetermined display cancellation condition is met while the information is being displayed on the instrument display unit and the illumination unit, end the display process of the information currently being displayed, and after that end, perform the display process of the next information. Or, The display control is performed such that the display process of the information currently being displayed is terminated, and after the termination, the display process of the next information is not performed. The vehicle display control device according to claim 1 .

11. 11. A vehicle display system having a lighting unit provided on the windshield of a motorcycle and capable of presenting information to a rider by changing the display mode, an instrument display unit provided on a body of the motorcycle and capable of displaying instrument information related to the operating status of the motorcycle, and the vehicle display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. A display control method for a vehicle that controls a display operation of a vehicle display system having an illumination unit that is provided on a windshield of a motorcycle and that is capable of providing information to a rider by its display mode, and an instrument display unit that is provided on a body of the motorcycle and that is capable of displaying instrument information related to an operating status of the motorcycle, When it is deemed that a plurality of pieces of information that form the basis of display control have been acquired, determining the display order of each of the acquired pieces of information based on at least one of a timing factor relating to the time when each of the pieces of information was acquired and a content factor relating to the importance of each of the pieces of information; a step capable of performing display control in which at least one of the plurality of pieces of information is displayed on the instrument display unit in accordance with the display order, and the display on the lighting unit is, in principle, displayed in accordance with the display order in conjunction with the display on the instrument display unit, but as an exception, information that is not first in the display order among the plurality of pieces of information is not displayed depending on the importance of that information; A display control method for a vehicle, comprising:

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