Display control device

Abstract

This invention provides a display control device that improves entertainment value by utilizing point cloud information. [Solution] When the lidar 2 acquires point cloud information and the display control unit 3 displays an image based on the point cloud information on the display unit 4, the display control device 1 changes the display mode of the portion of the image based on the point cloud information that corresponds to a feature, based on predetermined attributes for the feature included in the point cloud information.

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present invention relates to a display control device that displays an image on a display unit.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a technique has been proposed in which a laser radar is used to acquire the positions of a plurality of points on an object existing in a detection area (i.e., an area targeted for detecting an object), such as in front of a vehicle, in a three-dimensional space, and to recognize the object. For example, in Patent Document 1, it is stated that the points for which the positions have been acquired are clustered to obtain a cluster point group, and an object corresponding to the cluster point group is identified based on the temporal variation of the measurement quantities related to the cluster point group.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] As described above, a laser radar (hereinafter also referred to as LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging)) is used for recognizing an object existing around a vehicle or the like as a moving body. However, the information (so-called point cloud information) acquired by the laser radar has not been used other than for recognizing such an object.

[0005] On the other hand, in vehicles equipped with an automatic driving function in the future, an improvement in entertainment performance during the moving time of automatic driving is expected. However, the idea of using the information acquired by the laser radar to improve entertainment performance has not existed conventionally.

[0006] One example of a problem that this invention aims to solve is improving entertainment value by utilizing so-called point cloud information. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above problems, the invention described in claim 1 is a display device arranged on a moving body and for displaying an image, comprising: a point cloud information acquisition unit that acquires point cloud information representing features around the moving body by a plurality of points; a display unit that displays the acquired point cloud information; and a display control unit that processes the point cloud information displayed on the display unit into a display mode determined in advance according to predetermined attributes of a feature included in the point cloud information, and displays the portion corresponding to that feature. The invention described in claim 2 is a display control device for displaying an image on a display unit arranged on a mobile body capable of automatic driving, comprising: a point cloud information acquisition unit that acquires point cloud information representing features around the mobile body by a plurality of points; and a display control unit that, when the mobile body is performing the automatic driving, displays an image on the display unit based on the point cloud information acquired by the point cloud information acquisition unit, wherein the portion corresponding to a predetermined feature included in the point cloud information is displayed in a display manner determined according to predetermined attributes for that feature, and the display control unit is characterized in that the portion corresponding to the feature is displayed so as to move in the direction of travel as a movement of color or as a figure representing color and light moving. The invention described in claim 3 is a display control device for displaying an image on a display unit arranged on a moving body, comprising: a point cloud information acquisition unit for acquiring point cloud information representing features around the moving body by a plurality of points; and a display control unit for displaying an image on the display unit, based on the point cloud information acquired by the point cloud information acquisition unit, in which the portion corresponding to a predetermined feature included in the point cloud information is displayed in a display manner determined in advance according to the attributes of the feature, wherein the display control unit displays the portion corresponding to the feature in such a way that the color or contrast changes based on the height and distance of the feature, and displays the portion corresponding to the feature in such a way that the color moves or a figure representing color or light moves along the direction of travel. The invention described in claim 5 is a display control device for displaying an image on a display unit arranged on a moving body, comprising: a point cloud information acquisition unit for acquiring point cloud information representing features around the moving body by a plurality of points; and a display control unit for displaying an image on the display unit, based on the point cloud information acquired by the point cloud information acquisition unit, in which the portion corresponding to a predetermined feature included in the point cloud information is displayed in a display manner determined in advance according to the attributes of the feature, wherein the display control unit displays the portion corresponding to the feature such that the color moves along the height direction of the feature or a figure representing color and light moves.

[0008] The invention described in claim 7 is a display control method performed by a display control device that displays an image on a display unit arranged on a moving body, characterized in that it includes a point cloud information acquisition step of acquiring point cloud information in which features around the moving body are represented by a plurality of points, a display step of displaying the acquired point cloud information, and a display control step of processing the point cloud information displayed in the display step into a display mode determined according to predetermined attributes for a feature included in the point cloud information, and displaying it. The invention described in claim 8 is a display control method performed by a display control device that displays an image on a display unit arranged on a mobile body capable of automatic driving, comprising: a point cloud information acquisition step of acquiring point cloud information representing features around the mobile body by a plurality of points; and a display control step of, when the mobile body is performing the automatic driving, displaying an image on the display unit based on the point cloud information acquired in the point cloud information acquisition step, wherein the portion corresponding to a predetermined feature included in the point cloud information is displayed in a display manner determined according to predetermined attributes for that feature, and the display control step is characterized in that the portion corresponding to the feature is displayed so as to move in the direction of travel as a movement of color or as a figure representing color and light moving. The invention described in claim 9 is a display control method performed by a display control device that displays an image on a display unit arranged on a moving body, comprising: a point cloud information acquisition step of acquiring point cloud information representing features around the moving body by a plurality of points; and a display control step of displaying an image on the display unit, based on the point cloud information acquired in the point cloud information, in which the portion corresponding to a predetermined feature included in the point cloud information is displayed in a display manner determined in advance according to the attributes of the feature, wherein the display control step is characterized in that the portion corresponding to the feature is displayed such that the color or contrast changes based on the height and distance of the feature, and the portion corresponding to the feature is displayed such that the color moves or a figure representing color or light moves along the direction of travel. The invention described in claim 10 is a display control method performed by a display control device that displays an image on a display unit arranged on a moving body, comprising: a point cloud information acquisition step of acquiring point cloud information representing features around the moving body by a plurality of points; and a display control step of displaying an image on the display unit, based on the point cloud information acquired in the point cloud information, in which the portion corresponding to a predetermined feature included in the point cloud information is displayed in a display manner determined in advance according to the attributes of the feature, wherein the display control step is characterized in that the portion corresponding to the feature is displayed such that the color moves along the height direction of the feature or a figure representing color and light moves.

[0009] The invention described in claim 11 is characterized in that the display control method described in any one of claims 7 to 10 is executed by a computer. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram of a display control device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 1 shows an example of the feature data structure stored by the display control device. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a flowchart of the display operation of the display control device. [Figure 4] Figure 1 shows an example of the display mode of the display control device. [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram of a system comprising a display control device and a storage device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] Figure 5 is a functional configuration diagram of the server device. [Figure 7] Figure 5 is a block diagram of the display control device. [Figure 8] This is a block diagram of a display control device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] Figure 8 shows an example of color settings for different distances in the display control device. [Figure 10] Figure 8 shows an example of color settings for each height in the display control device. [Figure 11] Figure 7 is a flowchart of the display operation of the display control device. [Figure 12] This is a block diagram of a modified example of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] The following describes a display control device according to one embodiment of the present invention. In the display control device according to one embodiment of the present invention, a point cloud information acquisition unit acquires point cloud information in which features around a moving object are represented by a plurality of points, and when the display control unit displays an image based on the point cloud information on the display unit, it changes the display mode of the portion of the image based on the point cloud information that corresponds to a feature, based on predetermined attributes for the features included in the point cloud information. In this way, the display mode can be changed according to the features included in the point cloud information. Therefore, the entertainment value can be improved by utilizing point cloud information.

[0012] In addition, when the attribute of the ground object is provided along the road, the display control unit may display the part corresponding to the ground object such that a figure representing color movement, color, light, etc. moves along the traveling direction. By doing so, it is possible to adopt a display mode that imagines the driving state or a sense of depth for what is provided along the road.

[0013] In addition, what is provided along the road may include white lines, guardrails, and curbstones. By doing so, when the display control unit recognizes white lines, guardrails, and curbstones as ground objects, it can adopt a display mode in which a figure representing color movement, color, light, etc. moves along the traveling direction for those parts.

[0014] In addition, when the attribute of the ground object is above a predetermined height, the display control unit may display the part corresponding to the ground object such that the color changes or a figure representing color, light, etc. moves along the height direction of the ground object. By doing so, for ground objects with a height above a certain level such as high-rise buildings, it is possible to adopt a display mode that makes use of their height.

[0015] In addition, what has a height above a predetermined level may include buildings, trees, and utility poles. By doing so, when recognizing buildings, trees, and utility poles as ground objects, it can adopt a display mode in which the color changes or a figure representing color, light, etc. moves along the height direction of the ground object for those parts.

[0016] In addition, the display control unit may have different display modes depending on whether the ground object is a static ground object or a dynamic ground object. By doing so, it is possible to adopt different display modes for static ground objects such as white lines and buildings and dynamic ground objects such as other vehicles (surrounding vehicles) and people.

[0017] Furthermore, in the display control method according to one embodiment of the present invention, in the point cloud information acquisition step, point cloud information is acquired in which features around a moving object are represented by a plurality of points, and in the display control step, when displaying an image based on the point cloud information on the display unit, the display mode of the portion of the image based on the point cloud information that corresponds to a specific feature included in the point cloud information is changed based on predetermined attributes for that feature. In this way, the display mode can be changed according to the features included in the point cloud information. Therefore, the entertainment value can be improved by utilizing point cloud information.

[0018] Alternatively, the above-described display control method may be implemented as a display control program using a computer. In this way, the display mode can be changed according to the features included in the point cloud information using a computer. Therefore, the entertainment value can be improved by utilizing point cloud information. [Examples]

[0019] A display control device according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 4. As shown in Figure 1, the display control device 1 comprises a lid 2, a display control unit 3, a display unit 4, and a storage unit 5. The display control device 1 shown in Figure 1 is assumed to be mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile as an example of a mobile device. The vehicle described in this embodiment is either an autonomous driving vehicle that can drive autonomously at all times or a vehicle that can switch between autonomous driving and manual driving (in this embodiment, these are collectively referred to as an autonomous driving vehicle).

[0020] LiDAR 2, which acts as a point cloud information acquisition unit, is a sensor for recognizing objects present around the vehicle and is also referred to as LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging). LiDAR 2 is a well-known sensor that emits light such as laser light and discretely measures the distance to objects in the outside world based on the reflected light, recognizing the position and shape of those objects as a three-dimensional point cloud. Therefore, the point cloud acquired by LiDAR 2 is information (point cloud information) that represents features, including structures such as buildings and roads, present around the vehicle in a three-dimensional manner using multiple points. In addition to features such as signs on the road the vehicle is traveling on and buildings and street trees along the road, LiDAR 2 may also recognize people, other vehicles, etc., present around the vehicle.

[0021] The display control unit 3 converts the point cloud information acquired by the rider 2 from the coordinate system in which the rider 2 acquired the point cloud information (vehicle coordinate system) to a coordinate system for displaying the point cloud information on the display unit 4 (display coordinate system). The vehicle coordinate system is a coordinate system based on the vehicle (rider 2). The display coordinate system is a two-dimensional coordinate system defined on the display unit 4. The display control unit 3 converts the three-dimensional vehicle coordinate system in the point cloud information to the two-dimensional display coordinate system. This coordinate conversion can be performed using well-known coordinate conversion methods, such as the conversion from the so-called view coordinate system to the screen coordinate system.

[0022] Furthermore, the display control unit 3 determines the attributes of the features included in the image whose coordinate system has been transformed, processes the image to match the determined attributes of the features, and outputs it to the display unit 4.

[0023] The display unit 4 displays an image based on point cloud information processed by the display control unit 3. The display unit 4 can be composed of, for example, a monitor screen or HUD (Head-Up Display) installed on the center console inside the vehicle. Furthermore, the display unit 4 is not limited to being installed inside the vehicle; for example, it may be displayed on a mobile device owned by a passenger. Also, the display unit 4 may be a glass part of the vehicle, such as the windshield, door glass, or sunroof glass of the vehicle where the display control device 1 is installed. Thus, the display unit 4 is not limited to a display device fixed inside the vehicle or a part that can be displayed by projection, etc., but may also be a terminal brought into the vehicle, in other words, it just needs to be located inside the vehicle.

[0024] The storage unit 5, acting as a memory device, stores map data and feature data 5a that contain detailed information sufficient to enable the vehicle equipped with the display control device 1 to drive autonomously. An example of the feature data 5a (feature data structure) is shown in Figure 2.

[0025] The table shown in Figure 2 has a feature ID 5a1, location 5a2, name 5a3, and display mode 5a4 assigned to each feature. Feature ID 5a1 is a unique number assigned to each feature. Location 5a2 indicates the location of the feature in terms of latitude and longitude. Name 5a3 indicates the specific name or general name of the feature, such as building name, street tree, utility pole, white line, guardrail, curb, etc. Display mode 5a4 indicates the display mode for each feature. Here, feature ID 5a1, location 5a2, and name 5a3 are attributes of the feature.

[0026] Next, the operation (display control method) of the display control device 1 with the above configuration will be explained with reference to the flowchart in Figure 3. The flowchart shown in Figure 3 is executed by the display control unit 3. Therefore, by configuring the display control unit 3 with a microcomputer having a CPU or the like, it can be made into a display control program that executes the display control method.

[0027] First, in step S11, it is determined whether the vehicle equipped with the display control device 1 is in autonomous driving mode. If it is in autonomous driving mode, the process proceeds to step S12; otherwise, this flowchart is terminated. In other words, this flowchart is intended to be executed during autonomous driving. However, if the display is located in a part that does not interfere with driving, such as a display unit on the center console, steps S12 and beyond may be executed even during manual driving.

[0028] Next, the display control unit 3 acquires the point cloud information detected by the lidar 2 (step S12) and determines the attributes of the features included in the point cloud information based on the feature data 5a stored in the storage unit 5 (step S13). The attribute determination is performed, for example, by matching the map data stored in the storage unit 5 with the point cloud information acquired in step S12 to identify the features in the point cloud information. Then, for the identified features, the attributes of the features are determined by comparing the location and name of the features included in the map data with the location and name of the features included in the feature data 5a.

[0029] Next, the display control unit 3 determines a display mode according to the attributes of each feature determined in step S13, based on the feature data 5a shown in Figure 2 (step S14). Then, the display control unit 3 displays the image based on the point cloud information on the display unit 4 with the display mode determined in step S14 for the features in the image (step S15). In other words, the display mode of the portion of the image based on the point cloud information that corresponds to a specific feature included in the point cloud information is changed based on predetermined attributes for that feature. Furthermore, the display mode 5a4 set in the feature data 5a shown in Figure 2 is information used when displaying the image based on the point cloud information, and it indicates the display mode of the portion of the image that corresponds to the features included in the image.

[0030] As is clear from the above explanation, step S12 is the point cloud information acquisition process, and steps S13 and S14 are the display control processes.

[0031] Here, an example of the display mode in the display control device 1 with the above configuration will be explained with reference to Figure 4. The upper part of Figure 4 is an example of point cloud information acquired by the rider 2 for the area in front of the vehicle. In the upper part of Figure 4, a curb is provided as feature T1 along the lane. Also, street trees (trees) are provided as feature T2 along the lane. Furthermore, there are buildings as feature T3 and T4 in the distance in the direction of travel. These buildings are assumed to be above a predetermined height.

[0032] The lower part of Figure 4 shows examples of how the display of features detected in the upper part of Figure 4 has been changed. In the lower part of Figure 4, the feature T1, which is a curb in the upper part of Figure 4, will be displayed in a manner P1 in which a predetermined color or a figure representing color and light moves along the direction of travel on the road (arrow AR). The feature T2, which is a tree, will be displayed in a manner P2 in which convex shapes and rectangular shapes are arranged in the height direction to create a stylized tree shape. The features T3 and T4, which are buildings, will be displayed in a manner P3 in which a color or a figure representing color and light moves in the height direction along their edges.

[0033] Furthermore, structures along the road are not limited to curbs; guardrails and white lines may also be included. Also, the feature data 5a in Figure 2 may be labeled simply as "structures along the road" without distinguishing between curbs and white lines. In addition, structures above a specified height are not limited to buildings such as skyscrapers; trees and utility poles may also be included. Again, the structure may be labeled simply as "structures above a specified height" without distinguishing between buildings and trees. This specified height can be determined as appropriate.

[0034] In this embodiment, when the lidar 2 acquires point cloud information and the display control unit 3 displays an image based on the point cloud information on the display unit 4, the display control device 1 changes the display mode of the portion of the image based on the point cloud information that corresponds to a feature, based on predetermined attributes for the feature included in the point cloud information. In this way, the display mode can be changed according to the feature included in the point cloud information. Therefore, the entertainment value can be improved by utilizing point cloud information.

[0035] Furthermore, if the display control unit 3 determines that an attribute is such as a curb or other feature located along the road, it displays the corresponding feature in a manner that the color moves or a figure representing color, light, etc., moves along the direction of travel. In this way, for features located along the road, a display manner can be created that gives the impression of driving or a sense of depth.

[0036] Furthermore, if the display control unit 3 determines that an attribute is a building or other object with a height exceeding a predetermined level, it may display the portion corresponding to the object in a manner in which the color changes along the height direction of the object, or in which a figure representing color, light, etc., moves. In this way, for objects with a height exceeding a predetermined level, such as high-rise buildings, a display manner that takes advantage of that height can be used.

[0037] Furthermore, the feature data 5a includes a display mode 5a4 for the portion of the image corresponding to the features included in the image, when displaying an image based on point cloud information that represents features around the vehicle using multiple points. By doing so, it is possible to easily determine the display mode of features when displaying an image based on point cloud information by referring to this feature data 5a. Therefore, the display mode can be changed according to the features included in the point cloud information, and the entertainment value can be improved by utilizing the point cloud information.

[0038] Furthermore, the feature data 5a may also include the name of the feature 5a3. By doing so, the display method can be determined based on the name of the feature.

[0039] In the embodiments described above, the attributes of features included those located along roads (white lines, curbs, guardrails, etc.) and those with a height above a certain level (buildings, street trees, utility poles), but the present invention is not limited to these. Information indicating whether a feature is static or dynamic may also be set as an attribute. Examples of static features include white lines and buildings. Examples of dynamic features include surrounding vehicles and people. Static and dynamic features can be distinguished by matching map data with point cloud information; features that match are considered static because they are on the map, and those that do not match are considered dynamic. [Examples]

[0040] Next, a display control device according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 5 to 7. Note that parts identical to those in the first embodiment described above are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted.

[0041] In the first embodiment, the feature data 5a was stored in advance in the storage unit 5 of the display control device 1, but in this embodiment, the feature data is distributed from the server device 10. Figure 5 shows a schematic configuration diagram of this embodiment. That is, in this embodiment, the server device 10 functions as a storage device.

[0042] As shown in Figure 5, the server device 10, which serves as a storage device in this embodiment, is capable of communicating with the display control device 1A, which serves as a terminal device mounted on the vehicle C, an autonomous vehicle, via a network N such as the Internet. The functional configuration of the server device 10 is shown in Figure 6. The server device 10 comprises a control unit 11, a communication unit 12, and a storage unit 13.

[0043] The control unit 11 functions as the CPU (Central Processing Unit) of the server device 10 and is responsible for the overall control of the server device 10. In response to a request from the display control device 1A, the control unit 11 reads the necessary area of ​​feature data from the feature data 13a stored in the storage unit 13 and distributes it to the display control device 1A via the communication unit 12.

[0044] The communication unit 12 functions as the network interface of the server device 10 and receives request information output by the display control device 1A. The control unit 11 also transmits the feature data read from the feature data 13a to the display control device 1A.

[0045] The storage unit 13 functions as a storage device such as a hard disk of the server device 10, and stores the feature data 13a. The server device 10 may also have map data used for autonomous driving, and may distribute this map data to vehicles, in addition to distributing the feature data 13a.

[0046] Figure 7 shows the block configuration of the display control device 1A according to this embodiment. The block configuration shown in Figure 7 differs from that in Figure 1 in that a communication unit 6 has been added and the display control unit 3 has been changed to a display control unit 3A.

[0047] The communication unit 6 transmits request information and other data output by the display control unit 3A to the server device 10. It also receives feature data distributed from the server device 10.

[0048] In the display control unit 3A, the processing such as coordinate transformation, attribute determination, and display mode processing is the same as in the first embodiment. In addition to these, the display control unit 3A requests feature data via the communication unit 6 and stores the feature data received by the communication unit 6 in the storage unit 5. The request for feature data may be made, for example, based on the current position acquired by a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver (not shown) mounted on the vehicle C.

[0049] In this embodiment, the server device 10 is equipped with a communication unit 12 that outputs feature data to the display control device 1A installed in the vehicle C. This allows feature data to be distributed to the vehicle C. Therefore, the vehicle C does not need to have feature data in its storage device beforehand, reducing the storage capacity required by the vehicle C. Furthermore, updating the feature data 5a can be easily performed. [Examples]

[0050] Next, a display control device according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 8 to 11. Note that parts identical to those in the first embodiment described above are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted.

[0051] This embodiment changes the display mode based on distance and height information of the point cloud detected by the lidar 2, regardless of the attributes of the features. Figure 8 shows the block configuration of the display control device 1B according to this embodiment. The block configuration shown in Figure 8 differs from that in Figure 1 in that the display control unit 3 has been changed to a display control unit 3B.

[0052] The display control unit 3B changes the display mode of the point cloud based on the distance information and height information acquired by the lidar 2. Specifically, it changes the color, etc., according to the distance and height of the point cloud acquired by the lidar 2. As described above, the lidar 2 can measure the distance to an object, and at that time it can also acquire the angle (horizontal angle, vertical angle) at which the laser beam is irradiated. Therefore, it is possible to determine the height (ground clearance) of the object (point cloud) from the distance and angle.

[0053] Figure 9 shows an example of color settings for different distances. In Figure 9, the range from 0m to less than 10m from the vehicle is color A, the range from 10m to less than 30m is color B, the range from 30m to less than 50m is color C, and the range of 50m or more from the vehicle is color D.

[0054] Figure 10 shows an example of color settings for different heights. In Figure 10, the range from 0m to less than 10m above ground is color A, the range from 10m to less than 50m above ground is color B, the range from 50m to less than 100m above ground is color C, and the range above 100m above ground is color D.

[0055] Furthermore, the display method is not limited to changing color; it may also involve changing contrast. Additionally, color and contrast may be changed by combining distance and height.

[0056] Furthermore, the display method is not limited to changing the color and contrast of the point cloud; for example, a deformation like that shown in the lower part of Figure 4 may be applied, and then the color and contrast may be changed according to the distance and height as described above. Moreover, instead of changing the color and contrast, the type of effect may be changed according to the distance and height.

[0057] Figure 11 shows the operation (display control method) of the display control device 1B in this embodiment. The flowchart shown in Figure 11 is executed by the display control unit 3B. Therefore, by configuring the display control unit 3B with a microcomputer having a CPU or the like, it can be made into a display control program that executes the display control method.

[0058] In the flowchart of Figure 11, steps S11, S12, and S15 are the same as in the flowchart of Figure 3. In the flowchart of Figure 11, step S13 shown in Figure 3 is omitted, and step S14 is changed to step S14A.

[0059] As described above, step S14A determines the display mode of the point cloud based on the distance information and height information from the point cloud information acquired by the lidar 2. In other words, step S12 is the point cloud information acquisition step, and step S14A is the display control step.

[0060] In this embodiment, the display control device 1B acquires point cloud information, including distance information to an object and height information of the object, from the lidar 2, and the display control unit 3B changes the display mode of the image based on the point cloud information based on the distance information and height information. In this way, it is possible to change the display mode based on information such as distance included in the point cloud information. For example, the effect can be changed according to the distance. Therefore, the entertainment value can be improved by utilizing point cloud information.

[0061] Furthermore, the display control unit 3B may obtain angle information based on distance information and height information, and change the display mode of the image based on point cloud information based on the angle information. By doing so, it becomes possible to change the display mode of effects, etc., based on the angle of the point cloud included in the point cloud information.

[0062] Furthermore, changes in display mode include changes in color and contrast, and the display control unit may change the color and contrast of the image based on the point cloud information. In this way, the color and contrast can be changed and displayed according to distance and height.

[0063] Furthermore, in the three embodiments described above, the point cloud information acquired by the lidar 2 was processed in real time by the display control unit 3, etc. However, as shown in Figure 12, the point cloud information may be stored in advance in the storage unit 5 as point cloud information 5b, and the display control unit 3C may read the point cloud information corresponding to the current position estimated by the current position estimation unit 7 from the storage unit 5 and perform predetermined processing. That is, in the case of Figure 12, the display control unit 3C functions as a point cloud information acquisition unit. In the configuration of Figure 12, since the point cloud information is stored in advance, dynamic features such as surrounding vehicles will differ from the actual situation, so for example, only static features may be displayed.

[0064] The current position estimation unit 7 estimates the current position of the vehicle on which the display control device 1C is installed. The current position estimation unit 7 is composed of, for example, a GPS receiver, and can estimate the latitude and longitude position information representing the current position from radio waves received from GPS satellites.

[0065] In Figure 12, the display control device 1C is equipped with a storage unit 5. However, since such 3D data is large in volume, it may be stored on an external server or the like, and a communication device may be provided to communicate with the external server, allowing the display control unit 3C to acquire point cloud information via the communication device.

[0066] Furthermore, the point cloud information acquired by Rider2 includes information indicating objects present around the vehicle, such as pedestrians and other vehicles that the driver should pay attention to. Therefore, by using this point cloud information to display entertaining images, the driver can enjoy the images while monitoring objects that require attention. This, in turn, can improve the driver's sense of security.

[0067] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. That is, those skilled in the art can implement the invention in various ways without departing from the core principles, in accordance with conventionally known knowledge. As long as such modifications still possess the configuration of the display control device of the present invention, they are of course included within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 1, 1A, 1B, 1C Display Control Device 2. LIDA (Point Cloud Information Acquisition Unit) 3, 3A, 3B, 3C display control section 4 Display 5 Storage section 5a Feature data (map data structure) 10 Server devices 13a Feature data (map data structure)

Claims

[Claim 1] A display control device that displays an image on a display unit placed on a moving object, A point cloud information acquisition unit acquires point cloud information representing the features around the moving object as multiple points, When displaying an image based on the point cloud information on the display unit, a display control unit changes the display mode of the portion of the image based on the point cloud information that corresponds to a specific feature, based on predetermined attributes for that feature included in the point cloud information. A display control device characterized by comprising:

Images