Display control device

Abstract

This disclosure aims to increase the opportunities for displaying guidance displays compared to a configuration in which a guidance display indicating the direction of travel is displayed when two or more landmarks at an intersection that are located in different positions in the front-rear direction of a vehicle are recognized. [Solution] The display control device comprises: a first acquisition unit that acquires an image of the foreground of a moving vehicle captured by an imaging device; a second acquisition unit that acquires the current location of the vehicle; a third acquisition unit that acquires a route to guide the vehicle to its destination; a generation unit that generates display information for superimposing a guidance display indicating the direction of travel of the vehicle at an intersection the vehicle is scheduled to pass through, as a virtual image at a position corresponding to a specific landmark at the intersection; and a control unit that superimposes the guidance display at a position corresponding to the specific landmark when a display timing determined based on the distance from the current location to the specific landmark shown in the foreground and the route is reached.

Description

Technical Field

[0006] , , ,

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

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique that enables suppression of the occurrence of display position deviation even when an error occurs in the estimation or calculation of the position of the host vehicle when superimposing and displaying virtual image display elements for guiding the traveling direction, etc. at an intersection.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Here, the technique of Patent Document 1 has room for improvement in that it cannot display virtual image display elements for guiding the traveling direction of the intersection unless it recognizes two or more targets having different positions in the vehicle front - rear direction existing at the intersection, and the display opportunity of the virtual image display elements is limited.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a display control device that can increase the display opportunity of the guidance display compared to a configuration in which a guidance display indicating the traveling direction is displayed when two or more targets having different positions in the vehicle front - rear direction existing at the intersection are recognized.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The display control device according to claim 1 comprises: a first acquisition unit that acquires an image of the foreground of a moving vehicle captured by an imaging device; a second acquisition unit that acquires the current location of the vehicle; a third acquisition unit that acquires a route to guide the vehicle to its destination; a generation unit that generates display information for superimposing a guidance display indicating the direction of travel of the vehicle at an intersection to be passed, as a virtual image at a position corresponding to a specific landmark at the intersection; and a control unit that superimposes the guidance display at a position corresponding to the specific landmark when a display timing determined based on the distance from the current location to the specific landmark shown in the foreground and the route is reached.

[0007] The display control device according to claim 1 can increase the opportunities for displaying guidance displays compared to a configuration in which guidance displays are shown when two or more landmarks at different vehicle-rear positions in an intersection are recognized.

[0008] The display control device according to claim 2, in the case of claim 1, the control unit determines the one specific object among the plurality of specific objects which object is closest to the center position of the intersection estimated based on the foreground image.

[0009] According to the display control device of claim 2, a guidance display is superimposed on a position corresponding to a specific landmark closest to the estimated center position of the intersection, thereby preventing the occupant from misidentifying the road ahead.

[0010] The display control device according to claim 3, in claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit determines the display timing using the distance derived based on the time integral of the vehicle speed if there is a difference of a predetermined amount or more between the change in distance derived based on the image recognition result of a specific target and the change in distance derived based on the time integral of the vehicle speed.

[0011] According to the display control device of claim 3, a guidance display can be superimposed at a suitable display timing, regardless of disturbances around a specific target.

[0012] The display control device according to claim 4, wherein in any one of claims 1 to 3, the one specific object is a vehicle traffic signal, and the control unit determines the display timing using the distance derived based on the predetermined physical width of the vehicle traffic signal and the image width in the direction corresponding to the width of the vehicle traffic signal shown in the foreground image, when predetermined conditions are met.

[0013] According to the display control device of claim 4, when predetermined conditions are met, the distance derived using a method that utilizes the image width of the vehicle signal can be used to superimpose a guidance display at a suitable display timing, without being affected by disturbances around the vehicle signal.

[0014] The display control device according to claim 5, in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control unit extends the display time of the guidance display when the direction of the vehicle turning at the intersection is the first direction, compared to when the direction of the vehicle turning is the second direction which is opposite to the first direction and results in a shorter distance traveled through the intersection than when the vehicle turns through the intersection in the first direction.

[0015] According to the display control device of claim 5, it is possible to absorb a certain amount of difference in the time spent at an intersection depending on the direction of turning, and to reduce the discomfort felt by the occupant regarding the timing of the disappearance of the guidance display when the direction of turning is the first direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] As explained above, the display control device according to this disclosure can increase the opportunities for displaying guidance displays compared to a configuration in which a guidance display indicating the direction of travel is displayed when two or more landmarks at different positions in the front-rear direction of a vehicle at an intersection are recognized. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0017] [Figure 1] It is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a vehicle. [Figure 2] It is a flowchart showing the flow of a specific process. [Figure 3] It shows a first display example of a guidance display superimposed on the foreground of a vehicle. [Figure 4] It shows a second display example of a guidance display superimposed on the foreground of a vehicle. [Figure 5] It shows a third display example of a guidance display superimposed on the foreground of a vehicle.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] Hereinafter, the vehicle 10 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the vehicle 10. As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 10 includes a display control device 15, a camera 30, a sensor group 40, a navigation device 50, and a HUD (Head-Up Display) 60.

[0019] The display control device 15 controls the display operation in the HUD 60 that forms a virtual image using AR (Augmented Reality) technology. The display control device 15 is an example of the "display control device" of the present disclosure.

[0020] The camera 30 is a so-called front camera that captures an image of the foreground including the front and the front sides of the vehicle 10 during travel. Specifically, the camera 30 is a digital camera device and includes an image sensor such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). The camera 30 is an example of the "imaging device" of the present disclosure.

[0021] The sensor group 40 detects the driving state and driving environment of the vehicle 10. The "driving state" includes, for example, the accelerator opening, braking amount, shift position, steering angle, vehicle speed, angular velocity, longitudinal acceleration, and lateral acceleration. The "driving environment" includes the outside air temperature, rainfall, illuminance, and the presence state of targets within a predetermined detection range around the vehicle 10. The "targets" include pedestrians, cyclists, animals, other vehicles, road debris, guardrails, curbs, road signs, road studs, stop lines, crosswalks, and structures such as traffic signals and buildings. That is, the sensor group 40 is a general term for various sensors such as an accelerator opening sensor, a steering angle sensor, a wheel speed sensor, an angular velocity sensor, an acceleration sensor, an outside air temperature sensor, a rain drop sensor, an illuminance sensor, a radar sensor, and an ultrasonic sensor.

[0022] The navigation device 50 is configured to calculate the current location and the traveling route of the vehicle 10 based on map information and positioning information by positioning satellites. The "traveling route" is a planned driving route that guides the vehicle 10 from the current location of the vehicle 10 to the destination.

[0023] The HUD 60 is a display device that superimposes and displays a virtual image on the foreground of the vehicle 10 (e.g., the road surface, etc.) visible through the front windshield 14 (see FIG. 3, etc.), and is housed within the dashboard 16 (see FIG. 3, etc.) below the front windshield 14.

[0024] In addition, the display control device 15 includes a predetermined ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 20. The ECU 20 is configured as a so-called in-vehicle computer including a processor and a memory programmed to execute one or more functions embodied by a computer program. The ECU 20 includes an acquisition unit 21, a generation unit 22, a control unit 23, an estimation unit 24, and a derivation unit 25 as a functional configuration realized on a microcomputer.

[0025] The acquisition unit 21 acquires an image of the foreground of the moving vehicle 10 captured by the camera 30. The acquisition unit 21 also acquires the current location and route of the vehicle 10 from the navigation device 50. The acquisition unit 21 is an example of the "first acquisition unit," "second acquisition unit," and "third acquisition unit" of this disclosure.

[0026] The generation unit 22 generates display information for superimposing a virtual image of a guidance display 80 (see Figures 3-5) indicating the direction of travel of the vehicle 10 at the planned intersections 70A-C (see Figures 3-5) located ahead of the vehicle 10, at a position corresponding to a specific landmark located at intersections 70A-C. In this embodiment, the specific landmark is a stop line, a pedestrian crossing, or a traffic signal among the above-mentioned "landmarks." However, the specific landmark is not limited to these and may include other types of landmarks.

[0027] The control unit 23 superimposes the guidance display 80 at a position corresponding to a specific object shown in the foreground when the display timing determined based on the distance from the vehicle 10's current location to a specific object shown in the foreground (hereinafter referred to as the "intersection distance") and the route taken has arrived. For example, the control unit 23 determines that the display timing has arrived when the intersections 70A to C where the specific object shown in the foreground is located are the same as the intersections guided by the navigation device 50, and the intersection distance is within a predetermined value. Also, as an example, the control unit 23 superimposes the guidance display 80 at a position slightly in front of the specific object in the vehicle's front-rear direction, i.e., further back, as the position corresponding to the specific object.

[0028] The estimation unit 24 estimates the center position of intersections 70A to C (hereinafter referred to as the "intersection center") based on the image of the foreground of the vehicle 10. The method for estimating the intersection center is not particularly limited, and any method disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-015597 may be used as appropriate.

[0029] The derivation unit 25 derives an initial value for the intersection distance using various methods. First, the derivation unit 25 derives the intersection distance based on the image recognition result of a specific object shown in the foreground image of the vehicle 10. For example, the derivation unit 25 estimates the distance to the specific object using known techniques such as Structure from Motion (SfM) and derives this distance as the initial value of the intersection distance.

[0030] Furthermore, when the above-mentioned specific landmark is a traffic signal for vehicles, the derivation unit 25 derives an initial value for the intersection distance based on the predetermined physical width of the traffic signal for vehicles and the image width in the direction corresponding to the width of the traffic signal for vehicles shown in the foreground image of the vehicle 10. In this case, the derivation unit 25 uses, for example, the following mathematical formula in terms of angle [pix].

[0031] D = w / (tan(Image width of traffic signal for vehicles [pix] * (Camera horizontal field of view [deg] / Camera horizontal resolution [pix]) / 2.0)) / 2

[0032] In the above formula, D represents the "intersection distance [m]" and w represents the "physical width of the traffic signal [m]". w is a predetermined value (e.g., 1.25) used in the country where vehicle 10 operates. The image width [pix] of the traffic signal in the above formula is obtained, for example, from the image recognition result of the traffic signal captured by camera 30. The camera horizontal field of view [deg] and camera horizontal resolution [pix] in the above formula are obtained, for example, from camera 30.

[0033] Next, the derivation unit 25 derives the initial value of the intersection distance using the method described above, and then derives the change in the intersection distance over time using various methods. For example, the derivation unit 25 derives the change in the intersection distance over time by continuously executing the two image recognition results-based methods described above.

[0034] Furthermore, the derivation unit 25 derives the change in intersection distance over time using a different method, without using the image recognition result of a specific target. For example, the derivation unit 25 derives the change in intersection distance over time by subtracting the distance calculated by the time integral of the vehicle speed of vehicle 10 from the initial value of the intersection distance.

[0035] Figure 2 is a flowchart showing the flow of specific processing performed by the display control device 15. The specific processing is performed by the ECU 20 of the display control device 15 functioning as the acquisition unit 21, generation unit 22, control unit 23, estimation unit 24, and derivation unit 25.

[0036] In step S10 shown in Figure 2, the display control device 15 derives the current intersection distance. Here, the display control device 15 derives the current intersection distance using two methods: one using the image recognition result of a specific target, and the other using the time integral of the vehicle speed. In the following explanation of Figure 2, the intersection distance derived using the method using the image recognition result of a specific target will be referred to as "intersection distance X," and the intersection distance derived using the time integral of the vehicle speed will be referred to as "intersection distance Y." Then, the display control device 15 proceeds to step S11.

[0037] In step S11, the display control device 15 determines whether there is a difference of a predetermined amount or more between the change in intersection distance X over time derived in step S10 and the change in intersection distance Y over time. If the display control device 15 determines that there is a difference of a predetermined amount or more (step S11: YES), it proceeds to step S12. On the other hand, if the display control device 15 determines that there is no difference of a predetermined amount or more (step S11: NO), it proceeds to step S13. As an example, the display control device 15 monitors the change in both intersection distances over time within a predetermined time (e.g., 0.1 seconds), and if there is a difference of a predetermined amount (e.g., 1 m) or more during this time, it proceeds to step S12; otherwise, it proceeds to step S13. Note that the above predetermined time and predetermined amount are examples, and any values ​​can be set as appropriate.

[0038] In step S12, the display control device 15 sets the value of intersection distance Y to the value of intersection distance used to determine the display timing in step S14, which will be described later. Then, the display control device 15 proceeds to step S14.

[0039] In step S13, the display control device 15 sets the value of intersection distance X to the value of intersection distance used to determine the display timing in step S14, which will be described later. Then, the display control device 15 proceeds to step S14.

[0040] In step S14, the display control device 15 determines whether or not it is time to display the guidance display 80. If the display control device 15 determines that it is time to display the guidance display 80 (step S14: YES), it proceeds to step S15. On the other hand, if the display control device 15 determines that it is not time to display the guidance display 80 (step S14: NO), it returns to step S10.

[0041] If the display control device 15 proceeds from step S12 to step S14, it determines whether the value of the intersection distance Y is within a predetermined value and decides whether the display timing is appropriate. On the other hand, if the display control device 15 proceeds from step S13 to step S14, it determines whether the value of the intersection distance X is within a predetermined value and decides whether the display timing is appropriate.

[0042] Here, the method of deriving the intersection distance using the image recognition result of a specific target may experience a decrease in distance accuracy due to disturbances around the target. On the other hand, the method of deriving the intersection distance using the time integral of vehicle speed is less affected by disturbances around the target. Therefore, if the difference in the temporal change of the two intersection distances exceeds a predetermined amount, the display control device 15 considers that the distance accuracy of the method using the image recognition result has decreased and determines the appropriateness of the display timing based on the intersection distance derived using the method of time integral of vehicle speed. With this configuration, the display control device 15 can superimpose the guidance display 80 at an appropriate display timing, without being affected by disturbances around a specific target.

[0043] In step S15, the display control device 15 superimposes the guidance display 80 at a position corresponding to a specific target. Then, the display control device 15 terminates the specific processing.

[0044] Figure 3 shows a first example of the guidance display 80 superimposed on the foreground of the vehicle 10. Here, Figure 3 shows the state after the display control device 15 has determined that it is time to display the guidance display 80 in the specific process shown in Figure 2. In this embodiment, the vehicle 10 is a right-hand drive vehicle and travels on the left side of the road. The same applies to other examples from Figure 4 onwards.

[0045] As shown in Figure 3, the passenger compartment 12, which is the interior space where the occupants sit in the vehicle 10, is covered at the front in the vehicle's longitudinal direction by a front windshield 14. The front windshield 14 is formed in a plate shape from translucent glass or synthetic resin. The front windshield 14 is inclined so that, when viewed from the side with a line of sight parallel to the vehicle's width direction, the upper end is located further rearward in the vehicle's longitudinal direction than the lower end in the vehicle's height direction.

[0046] Within the passenger compartment 12, a dashboard 16 is located below the front windshield 14. As described above, a HUD 60 (see Figure 1) is housed within the dashboard 16.

[0047] In Figure 3, the foreground of vehicle 10 shows intersection 70A. Intersection 70A is an intersection that vehicle 10 is scheduled to pass through, located ahead of vehicle 10 on the road it is currently traveling on. Intersection 70A is the same intersection as the one guided by the navigation device 50. The road being traveled is the road that vehicle 10 is currently traveling on, and may also be called a "straight road." A "straight road" is a road that can be traveled "straight" without requiring right or left turns, and is not limited to straight sections, but may also have curves and bends. Figure 3 shows the case where vehicle 10 is approaching intersection 70A and is scheduled to turn left at intersection 70A. In the example in Figure 3, it is assumed that there are no other intersections between vehicle 10 and intersection 70A. That is, intersection 70A is assumed to be the first intersection that vehicle 10 is about to pass from its current location. The description of intersection 70A is also common to intersections 70B and 70C in Figures 4 and beyond.

[0048] Here, intersection 70A is a four-way intersection, and the only landmark corresponding to the specific landmarks mentioned above is the stop line 72. In other words, there are no pedestrian crossings or traffic signals at intersection 70A. Here, the stop line 72 is the stop line located behind intersection 70A in the vehicle's front-to-back direction on the road being traveled, i.e., on the near side.

[0049] In this case, the display control device 15 controls the display operation of the HUD 60 to superimpose the guidance display 80 at a position slightly beyond the stop line 72, which is one of the specific landmarks mentioned above. The guidance display 80 is a virtual image display element that indicates the direction of travel of the vehicle 10 at the intersection 70A (e.g., left turn).

[0050] Figure 4 shows a second example of the guidance display 80 superimposed on the foreground of the vehicle 10. In the foreground of vehicle 10 shown in Figure 4, intersection 70B is depicted. Intersection 70B is a four-way intersection, and the stop line 72 and the traffic signal 74 are the landmarks corresponding to the specific landmarks described above. In other words, there are no pedestrian crossings at intersection 70B. Here, the traffic signal 74 is a traffic signal located in front of the vehicle in the front-to-back direction of intersection 70B on the road being traveled, i.e., on the far side.

[0051] In the situation shown in Figure 4, the stop line 72 is obscured by the presence of the preceding vehicle 18, and the display control device 15 is unable to recognize the stop line 72 from the image of the foreground of the vehicle 10. In this case, the display control device 15 recognizes the vehicle signal 74 from the foreground image as the specific landmark mentioned above. Therefore, in this situation, the display control device 15 controls the display operation of the HUD 60 to superimpose the guidance display 80 at a position slightly behind the vehicle signal 74, which is the specific landmark mentioned above.

[0052] As described above, the display control device 15 superimposes a guidance display 80 at a position corresponding to a specific landmark (e.g., stop line 72, traffic signal 74) shown in the foreground, when the display timing determined based on the intersection distance, which is the distance from the vehicle 10's current location to a specific landmark (e.g., stop line 72, traffic signal 74), and the route acquired from the navigation device 50, is reached.

[0053] According to the display control device 15, as explained using Figure 3, the guidance display 80 is displayed even at intersection 70A where there are no two or more landmarks at different positions in the vehicle's longitudinal direction. Furthermore, according to the display control device 15, as explained using Figure 4, the guidance display 80 is displayed at intersection 70B even when the presence of the preceding vehicle 18 prevents the recognition of two landmarks at different positions in the vehicle's longitudinal direction. Furthermore, according to the display control device 15, the guidance display 80 is displayed at intersection 70B where there are two or more landmarks at different positions in the vehicle's longitudinal direction, as shown in Figure 4, even when the distance to intersection 70B is far and only the vehicle traffic signal 74 can be recognized.

[0054] Therefore, the display control device 15 can increase the opportunities for displaying the guidance display 80 compared to a configuration in which the guidance display 80 is displayed when two or more landmarks with different positions in the front-rear direction of the vehicle at an intersection are recognized.

[0055] Figure 5 shows a third example of the guidance display 80 superimposed on the foreground of the vehicle 10. In the foreground of vehicle 10 shown in Figure 5, intersection 70C is depicted. Intersection 70C is a four-way intersection and contains multiple landmarks corresponding to the specific landmarks mentioned above, including a stop line 72, a traffic signal 74, and a pedestrian crossing 76. In addition, there is a road stud 78, known as a cat's eye, in the center of intersection 70C. Here, pedestrian crossing 76 is a pedestrian crossing located beyond the stop line 72 at intersection 70C.

[0056] In this case, the display control device 15, as a function of the control unit 23, determines that if there are multiple specific landmarks at intersection 70C, the landmark closest to the center of intersection 70C, estimated based on the image of the foreground of the vehicle 10, is one specific landmark from among the multiple specific landmarks. In the case shown in Figure 5, the display control device 15 considers the image recognition position of the road stud 78 as the center of the intersection and estimates the position of the road stud 78 as the center of the intersection.

[0057] In Figure 5, the specific landmark closest to the road stud 78 is assumed to be the pedestrian crossing 76. Therefore, in Figure 5, the display control device 15 controls the display operation of the HUD 60 to superimpose the guidance display 80 at a position slightly behind the pedestrian crossing 76, which is the specific landmark mentioned above.

[0058] Generally, when a vehicle traveling on the left turns left or right at an intersection, the distance traveled through the intersection and the position at which the vehicle turns within the intersection will differ. In this case, if the guidance sign 80 is superimposed near the entrance or exit of the intersection, there is a risk that the occupants may misinterpret the road ahead.

[0059] In contrast, the display control device 15, in the above case, superimposes the guidance display 80 at a position corresponding to the specific landmark closest to the estimated center of the intersection, thereby preventing the occupant from misidentifying the road ahead.

[0060] Furthermore, as explained above, when the one specific landmark is a traffic signal for vehicles, the display control device 15 derives the intersection distance using a method employing known technologies such as SfM and a method employing the image width of the traffic signal for vehicles. If there is a difference of a predetermined amount or more between the two intersection distances, the display control device 15 determines that a predetermined condition has been met and decides whether the display timing is appropriate based on the intersection distance derived using the method employing the image width of the traffic signal for vehicles.

[0061] In the above case, methods that use known techniques such as SfM to derive the intersection distance may experience a decrease in distance accuracy due to disturbances around the traffic signals. On the other hand, methods that use the image width of the traffic signals to derive the intersection distance are less affected by disturbances around the traffic signals. In other words, methods that use known techniques such as SfM are more susceptible to disturbances around traffic signals because they may include the background unrelated to the signals in the calculation of distance compared to methods that use the image width of the traffic signals. Therefore, the display control device 15, when predetermined conditions are met, uses the intersection distance derived using the method that uses the image width of the traffic signals, allowing the guidance display 80 to be superimposed at a suitable display timing without being affected by disturbances around the traffic signals.

[0062] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the display control device 15 extends the display time of the guidance display 80 when the vehicle 10 is turning right at intersections 70A to C compared to when it is turning left. Specifically, when the vehicle 10 is turning right at intersections 70A to C, the display control device 15 continues to display the guidance display 80 until the distance between the vehicle 10 in the front-rear direction and the estimated center of intersections 70A to C falls below a predetermined value. Alternatively, when the vehicle 10 is turning right at intersections 70A to C, the display control device 15 continues to display the guidance display 80 until the vehicle 10 passes over the estimated center of intersections 70A to C. Generally, when a vehicle traveling on the left turns right at an intersection, the distance traveled through the intersection is longer and the time spent at the intersection is longer than when turning left. In this case, if the display time of the guidance display 80 is the same when turning right or left, the occupants may perceive the timing of the guidance display 80 disappearing too early when turning right. Therefore, with the above configuration, the display control device 15 can absorb a certain amount of the difference in dwell time at intersections 70A to C when turning right or left, and can reduce the discomfort felt by the occupants regarding the timing of the disappearance of the guidance display 80 when turning right. Note that the right direction described above is an example of the "first direction" of this disclosure, and the left direction described above is an example of the "second direction" of this disclosure.

[0063] (others) In the above embodiment, the display control device 15 may superimpose the guidance display 80 onto the foreground of the vehicle 10 when it detects, using known free space recognition technology using the camera 30 and the sensor group 40, that a dead end and stop line or a dead end and one-way street are within a predetermined range in the front-rear direction of the vehicle 10. Alternatively, the display control device 15 may superimpose the guidance display 80 onto the foreground of the vehicle 10 even when it recognizes a dead end on its own.

[0064] In the above embodiment, intersections 70A to C are crossroads, but the configuration of the above embodiment is not limited to this and can also be applied to T-junctions.

[0065] In the above embodiment, the content of the specific processing shown in Figure 2 is not limited to that described above. For example, a step of performing a predetermined preprocessing at the beginning of the specific processing may be added. This preprocessing is a process that considers multiple vehicle signals located within a predetermined range in the front-rear direction of the vehicle as vehicle signals located at the same depth. This makes it possible to treat multiple vehicle signals located within the predetermined range as a single vehicle signal located at the same depth.

[0066] Furthermore, the method for deriving the intersection distance is not limited to that shown in the above embodiment. For example, if there are two landmarks at an intersection that are located at different positions in the vehicle's longitudinal direction, the midpoint of the two landmarks may be used as the intersection distance.

[0067] In the above embodiment, a vehicle 10 traveling on the left side of the road was used as an example, so the right direction became an example of the "first direction" of this disclosure, and the left direction became an example of the "second direction" of this disclosure. In contrast, if the vehicle 10 travels on the right side of the road, the left direction becomes an example of the "first direction" of this disclosure, and the right direction becomes an example of the "second direction" of this disclosure.

[0068] In the above embodiment, the specific processing performed by the display control device 15 after reading the software (program) may be performed by various processors. Examples of such processors include PLDs (Programmable Logic Devices) such as FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays) whose circuit configuration can be changed after manufacturing, and dedicated electrical circuits that are processors with circuit configurations specifically designed to perform specific processing, such as ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits). Furthermore, the specific processing may be performed by one of these various processors, or by a combination of two or more processors of the same or different types (for example, multiple FPGAs, and a combination of a CPU and an FPGA). More specifically, the hardware structure of these various processors is an electrical circuit that combines circuit elements such as semiconductor elements.

[0069] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the software (program) may be pre-stored (installed) in the memory of the ECU20, or it may be provided in the form of being recorded on a recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read Only Memory), DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disk Read Only Memory), or USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory. Alternatively, the software (program) may be downloaded from an external device via a network. The technology disclosed herein is also applicable to programs and program products. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0070] 10 vehicles 15 Display control device 21 Acquisition Department (1st Acquisition Department, 2nd Acquisition Department, 3rd Acquisition Department) 22 Generation part 23 Control Unit 30. Camera (imaging device) Intersections 70A, 70B, and 70C 80 Directional signs

Claims

1. A first acquisition unit acquires an image of the foreground of a moving vehicle captured by an imaging device, A second acquisition unit for acquiring the current location of the aforementioned vehicle, A third acquisition unit acquires a route to guide the vehicle to its destination, A generation unit generates display information for superimposing a virtual image of a directional sign indicating the direction of travel of the vehicle at an intersection where the vehicle is scheduled to pass, at a position corresponding to a specific landmark at the intersection. A control unit that, when the display timing determined based on the distance from the current location to the specific object shown in the foreground and the travel path arrives, superimposes the guidance display at a position corresponding to the specific object; A display control device equipped with the following features.

2. If multiple specific targets exist at the intersection, the control unit determines the target closest to the center position of the intersection, estimated based on the foreground image, as the one specific target among the multiple specific targets. The display control device according to claim 1.

3. The control unit determines the display timing using the distance derived from the time integral of the vehicle speed if there is a difference of a predetermined amount or more between the change in distance derived from the image recognition result of a specific target and the change in distance derived from the time integral of the vehicle speed. The display control device according to claim 1.

4. The aforementioned specific landmark is a vehicle traffic signal, When a predetermined condition is met, the control unit determines the display timing using the distance derived based on the predetermined physical width of the vehicle signal and the image width in the direction corresponding to the width of the vehicle signal shown in the foreground image. The display control device according to claim 1.

5. The control unit extends the display time of the guidance display when the vehicle is turning in the first direction at the intersection, compared to when the vehicle is turning in the second direction, which is the opposite direction to the first direction and results in a shorter distance across the intersection than when the vehicle is turning in the first direction. The display control device according to claim 1.

Images