Vehicle display control device, vehicle display control method, and vehicle display control program

Abstract

The objective is to obtain a vehicle display control device, a vehicle display control method, and a vehicle display control program that can support the user's understanding of vehicle-side control. [Solution] The vehicle control device 10 includes a map information acquisition unit 60 capable of acquiring map information based on the vehicle's current position, a surrounding information acquisition unit 62 capable of acquiring surrounding information of the vehicle, and a display control unit 70 capable of setting a first display area for displaying a map of the area around the vehicle and a second display area for displaying road conditions around the vehicle on a display unit provided inside the vehicle, based on the acquired map information and surrounding information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle display control device, a vehicle display control method, and a vehicle display control program.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle display device that displays vehicle information such as vehicle speed against the background of map information included in navigation information. In this Patent Document 1, it is proposed to display an icon indicating a position during route guidance so as not to overlap with vehicle information such as vehicle speed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in recent years, it has become common for vehicles to be equipped with various ADAS (Advanced Driving Assistant System). In the operation of ADAS, peripheral information of the vehicle is acquired using various sensors mounted on the vehicle, and the road conditions around the vehicle are recognized based on the acquired peripheral information.

[0005] By the way, when control for recognizing road conditions is performed on the vehicle side, it is expected to present the road conditions recognized on the vehicle side together with the surrounding map information to assist the user's understanding of the control on the vehicle side. However, in the above prior art, this point is not considered, so there is room for improvement.

[0006] In consideration of the above facts, the present invention aims to provide a vehicle display control device, a vehicle display control method, and a vehicle display control program that can support the user's understanding of vehicle-side control. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The vehicle display control device according to claim 1 comprises: a map information acquisition unit capable of acquiring map information based on the current position of the vehicle; a surrounding information acquisition unit capable of acquiring surrounding information of the vehicle; and a display control unit capable of setting a first display area for displaying a map of the area around the vehicle and a second display area for displaying road conditions around the vehicle on a display unit provided in the vehicle cabin, based on the acquired map information and surrounding information.

[0008] The vehicle display control device according to claim 1 allows for the setting of a first display area for displaying a map of the area around the vehicle and a second display area for displaying road conditions around the vehicle on a display unit provided inside the vehicle. This allows the user viewing the display unit to understand the road conditions recognized by the vehicle in conjunction with the surrounding map information, thereby supporting the user's understanding of vehicle control by the vehicle display control device.

[0009] The vehicle display control device according to claim 2, in the configuration according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit displays the map as a planar map and displays the position of the own vehicle and the positions of other vehicles on the map.

[0010] The vehicle display control device described in claim 2 can reduce the load on display control processing for two display areas by displaying a map of the area around the vehicle as a planar map. Furthermore, by displaying the positions of the own vehicle and other vehicles on the map, the correspondence between map information and road conditions recognized by the vehicle becomes easier to understand depending on the display method. As a result, the vehicle display control device can reduce the load on display control processing while supporting the user's understanding of vehicle-side control.

[0011] The vehicle display control device according to claim 3 has the configuration according to claim 1 or claim 2, and includes a vehicle information acquisition unit that acquires vehicle information relating to a driver assistance system mounted on the vehicle, and the display control unit, when it detects the operation of a predetermined driver assistance system based on the vehicle information, sets the size of the second display area to be smaller than the size of the first display area and starts displaying the road conditions.

[0012] In the vehicle display control device described in claim 3, when the operation of a predetermined driving assistance system is detected based on vehicle information, the size of the second display area is set to be smaller than the size of the first display area, and the display of road conditions is started. As a result, the vehicle display control device can guide the user on the road conditions recognized by the vehicle in conjunction with the operation of the predetermined driving assistance system, while maintaining display consistency in that the display unit mainly displays a map of the area around the vehicle. As a result, the vehicle display control device can support the user's understanding of vehicle control without impairing the user's understanding of map information.

[0013] The vehicle display control device according to claim 4, in the configuration according to claim 3, has a driving information acquisition unit that acquires driving information relating to the driving state by the driver of the vehicle, and the display control unit sets the size of the second display area to be larger than the first display area when the operation of a predetermined driving system is detected based on the vehicle information and a hands-off state in which the driver has taken their hands off the steering wheel is detected based on the driving information.

[0014] In the vehicle display control device according to claim 4, when the operation of a predetermined driving system is detected based on vehicle information, and a hands-off state is detected based on driving information in which the driver has taken their hands off the steering wheel, the size of the second display area is set to be larger than that of the first display area. As a result, when the driver has taken their hands off the steering wheel, the display unit switches the display mode to mainly display the road conditions around the vehicle, thereby suppressing a decrease in the user's attention to driving operations. As a result, it is possible to efficiently support the user's understanding of vehicle control at times when the user's understanding is particularly needed, and to improve safety while driving.

[0015] The vehicle display control method according to claim 5 acquires map information based on the vehicle's current position, acquires information about the vehicle's surroundings, and sets a first display area for displaying a map of the vehicle's surroundings and a second display area for displaying road conditions around the vehicle on a display unit provided inside the vehicle, based on the acquired map information and surrounding information.

[0016] The vehicle display control program according to claim 6 involves obtaining map information based on the vehicle's current location, obtaining information about the vehicle's surroundings, and causing a computer to perform the process of setting a first display area for displaying a map of the vehicle's surroundings and a second display area for displaying road conditions around the vehicle on a display unit provided inside the vehicle, based on the obtained map information and surrounding information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] As described above, the vehicle display control device, vehicle display control method, and vehicle display control program according to the present invention can support the user's understanding of vehicle-side control. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0018] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing the front of the vehicle interior of a vehicle to which the vehicle display control device according to this embodiment is applied, viewed from the rear of the vehicle. [Figure 2]It is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the vehicle display control device according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] It is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the vehicle display control device according to this embodiment. [Figure 4] It is a diagram showing an example of display in a state before a predetermined driving support system operates. [Figure 5] It is a diagram showing an example of display after a predetermined driving support system operates. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing an example of display when it is detected that the driver is in a hands-off state after a predetermined driving support system operates. [Figure 7] It is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of display processing in this embodiment. [Figure 8] It is a diagram showing a modification example of an example of display after a predetermined driving support system operates.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] Hereinafter, the vehicle display control device 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 1, an instrument panel 14 is provided at the front part of the vehicle interior in the vehicle 12. The instrument panel 14 extends in the vehicle width direction, and a steering wheel 16 (hereinafter referred to as "steering 16") is provided on the right side of the vehicle of the instrument panel 14. That is, in this embodiment, as an example, it is a right-hand drive vehicle with the steering 16 provided on the right side, and the driver's seat 28 is set on the right side of the vehicle.

[0021] A windshield glass 18 is provided at the front end of the instrument panel 14. The windshield glass 18 extends in the vehicle vertical direction and the vehicle width direction and partitions the inside of the vehicle compartment and the outside of the vehicle compartment.

[0022] The right-side end of the windshield glass 18 is fixed to the right-side front pillar 20 of the vehicle. Specifically, the front pillar 20 extends approximately in the vertical direction of the vehicle, and the windshield glass 18 is fixed to the inner end of the front pillar 20 in the vehicle width direction. The front end of the front side glass 22 is fixed to the outer end of the front pillar 20 in the vehicle width direction. The left-side end of the windshield glass 18 is fixed to the left-side front pillar of the vehicle (not shown).

[0023] Here, the instrument panel 14 is provided with a first display unit 24 as a display unit. The first display unit 24 is a display located on the right side of the instrument panel 14, towards the front of the driver's seat 28. A predetermined image is displayed on the first display unit 24 by a meter display device 44 (see Figure 2), which is a vehicle display device. The first display unit 24 is also connected to various meter devices mounted on the vehicle 12 and is positioned so that it is within the driver's field of vision when the driver is looking towards the front of the vehicle.

[0024] A second display unit 26 is provided in the center of the instrument panel 14 in the vehicle width direction. In this embodiment, the second display unit 26 is a display formed in a substantially rectangular shape, and a predetermined image is displayed by a center display device 46 (see Figure 2) which is a vehicle display device.

[0025] Here, the vehicle 12 is equipped with a vehicle display control device 10. The display control device 10 is, for example, one or more ECUs (Electronic Control Units) The vehicle output control device 10 of this embodiment displays various images on the first display unit 24 that constitutes the display of the meter display device 44. By displaying a map of the area around the vehicle and the road conditions around the vehicle on the first display unit 24, the vehicle display control device 10 can present the driver with the surrounding road conditions recognized by the vehicle, along with the map information of the area around the vehicle.

[0026] (Hardware configuration of the vehicle display control device 10) Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the vehicle display control device 10. As shown in Figure 2, the vehicle display control device 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit). It consists of a setter 30, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 32, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 34, storage 36, a communication interface 38, and an input / output interface 40. Each component is connected to the others via a bus 42 so that they can communicate with each other.

[0027] The CPU 30 is a central processing unit that executes various programs and controls various components. Specifically, the CPU 30 reads programs from the ROM 32 or storage 36 and executes them using the RAM 34 as a working area. The CPU 30 controls each of the above components and performs various calculations according to the programs recorded in the ROM 32 or storage 36.

[0028] ROM32 stores various programs and data. RAM34 temporarily stores programs or data as a working area. Storage36 is composed of an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or SSD (Solid State Drive) and stores various programs, including the operating system, and various data. In this embodiment, ROM32 or storage36 stores programs and various data for performing the display processing described later.

[0029] Communication I / F38 is an interface for the vehicle display control device 10 to communicate with external servers and other devices, such as CAN (Controller Area Network) and Ethernet. Standards such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), FDDI (Fiber Distributed Data Interface), and Wi-Fi (registered trademark) are used.

[0030] The input / output interface 40 is electrically connected to the meter display device 44, the center display device 46, and the driver assistance system control unit 52. The meter display device 44 displays predetermined information on the first display unit 24. The center display device 46 displays predetermined information on the second display unit 26.

[0031] The driver assistance system control unit 52 controls, for example, one or more ECUs (Electronic Control Units). It consists of a unit. This driver assistance system control unit 52 is mounted on the vehicle 12. It can control various driver assistance systems. The driver assistance system control unit 52 acquires information about the vehicle 12 from the surrounding information sensor 54. The driver assistance system control unit 52 also acquires driving information about the vehicle 12 from the driving information sensor 56. The driver assistance system control unit 52 also acquires driving information about the vehicle 12 from the driving information sensor 58.

[0032] The surrounding information of vehicle 12 includes information about the lane in which vehicle 12 is traveling and detection information about nearby objects (vehicles, people, obstacles, etc.). The driving information of vehicle 12 includes information indicating the vehicle's state during driving, such as the vehicle's speed, acceleration, and steering angle. The driver information of vehicle 12 includes information about the driving operations performed by the driver on the controls inside the vehicle.

[0033] The surrounding information sensor 54 is composed of a combination of known sensors, such as a camera, ultrasonic sensor, millimeter-wave radar, lidar, and GPS receiver sensor. The vehicle information sensor 56 is composed of, for example, a wheel speed sensor, acceleration sensor, yaw rate sensor, steering angle sensor, and the like. The driving information sensor 58 is electrically connected to various operating parts in the vehicle cabin and detects input operations to the various operating parts.

[0034] The driver assistance system control unit 52 can control various driver assistance systems based on the surrounding information, vehicle information, and driving information described above.

[0035] The various driver assistance systems installed in the vehicle 12 include an autonomous driving system and various ADAS (Advanced Driving Assistant Systems). The driver assistance system control unit 52 is By controlling various actuators mounted on the vehicle 12, various driver assistance systems are activated by automatically performing some or all of the operations of the vehicle 12, such as the accelerator, brakes, turn signals, and steering.

[0036] The driving system installed in vehicle 12 includes, as ADAS (Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems), a stopping system to avoid contact between detected objects and vehicle 12, an ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control) system, an LTA (Lane Tracing Assist) system, and an LCA (Lane Change Assist) system. These stopping systems, ACC systems, LTA systems, and LCA systems are well known (see, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2018-103766, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2018-103768, etc.). Therefore, a detailed explanation of each driving assistance system will be omitted, and only the ACC system, which will be described later as an example of a driving assistance system, will be briefly explained below.

[0037] (ACC system) The ACC system is a system that assists driving by acquiring information about the vehicle's surroundings using a surrounding information sensor 54 (see Figure 2) mounted on the vehicle, and controlling accelerator and brake operations based on the acquired surrounding information.

[0038] More specifically, the ACC system, based on surrounding information, maintains a predetermined distance between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle if there is a vehicle traveling directly in front of it in the driving lane, and causes the vehicle to follow the preceding vehicle. If there is no vehicle ahead in the driving lane, the system causes the vehicle to travel at a set speed.

[0039] The ACC system is activated when the driver operates an operation unit (not shown) and the driver assistance system control unit 52 receives a request for assistance in maintaining a safe following distance. The driver assistance system control unit 52 determines whether predetermined ACC system execution conditions are met, and activates the ACC system if the conditions are met.

[0040] When the ACC system is activated, the driver assistance system control unit 52 recognizes the driving lane the vehicle is in and the position of the following vehicle as road conditions around the vehicle. In addition, the driver assistance system control unit 52 also recognizes surrounding information related to other driver assistance systems (for example, LTA system and LCA system, etc.) that are conditional on the ACC system being activated as part of the road conditions around the vehicle.

[0041] (Functional configuration of the vehicle display control device 10) The vehicle display control device 10 implements various functions using the above-mentioned hardware resources. The functional configuration implemented by the vehicle display control device 10 will be explained with reference to Figure 3.

[0042] As shown in Figure 3, the vehicle display control device 10 has the following functional configuration: Map information acquisition unit The system is composed of a 60, a surrounding information acquisition unit 62, a vehicle information acquisition unit 64, a driving information acquisition unit 66, a route setting unit 68, and a display control unit 70. Each function is realized by the CPU 30 reading and executing a program stored in the ROM 32 or storage 36.

[0043] The map information acquisition unit 60 acquires map information based on the vehicle's current location. For example, the map information acquisition unit 60 acquires map information about the area around the vehicle from an external server (not shown) based on the vehicle's current location obtained from a GPS receiving sensor (not shown). If map information is stored in the vehicle's storage 36, the map information about the area around the vehicle may be acquired from the storage 36.

[0044] The surrounding information acquisition unit 62 acquires surrounding information of the vehicle 12. Specifically, the surrounding information acquisition unit 62 acquires surrounding information detected by the surrounding information sensor 54 mounted on the vehicle 12. The surrounding information includes detection information of road markings in front of the vehicle, and detection information of other vehicles traveling in the vehicle 12's lane and other vehicles traveling in adjacent lanes.

[0045] The vehicle information acquisition unit 64 acquires vehicle information related to the driver assistance systems installed in the vehicle. Specifically, the vehicle information acquisition unit 64 acquires information from the driver assistance system control unit 52 regarding the operating status of various driver assistance systems.

[0046] The driving information acquisition unit 66 acquires driving information related to the driving state of the vehicle by the driver. Specifically, the driving information acquisition unit 66 acquires information from the driving information sensor 58 regarding the driving state performed by the driver on the vehicle's controls. In this embodiment in particular, the driving information acquisition unit 66 acquires information regarding whether the driver's driving state is hands-off or hands-on. The hands-off state is when the driver has taken their hands off the steering wheel. The hands-on state is when the driver is gripping the steering wheel.

[0047] The route setting unit 68 sets a driving route from the current location to the destination based on the current location of the vehicle 12, the location information of the destination set by the user, and map information obtained from an external server.

[0048] The display control unit 70 controls the image to be displayed on the first display unit 24 located inside the vehicle, based on map information, surrounding area information, vehicle information, and driving information.

[0049] As an example, the image displayed on the first display unit 24 is selected from a plurality of pre-set display modes according to a predetermined display mode set by the user. In this embodiment, in particular, the first display unit 24 will be described as having a first display area that displays a map of the area around the vehicle and a second display area that displays the road conditions around the vehicle, and the display modes that can be set.

[0050] As shown in Figure 4, the display control unit 70 starts displaying the first display unit 24, for example, when the vehicle's ignition switch is turned ON. As shown in Figure 4, the display control unit 70 sets the entire display area of ​​the first display unit 24 as a first display area 80 showing a map of the area around the vehicle. In the first display area 80, for example, a map of the area around the vehicle is displayed as a planar map. In addition, a first icon 84 indicating the position of the vehicle and a predetermined image of the driving route R to the destination set by the route setting unit 68 are displayed on the map. If the user has not set a destination, the driving route R will not be displayed.

[0051] When the vehicle information acquisition unit 64 detects the operation of a predetermined driving assistance system, the display control unit 70 sets a portion of the display area of ​​the first display unit 24 as a second display area 82 that displays the road conditions around the vehicle. That is, the first display unit 24 has a first display area 80 and a second display area 82. This is set. Note that the road conditions around the vehicle refer to the road conditions around the vehicle recognized based on the surrounding information of the vehicle 12 acquired by the surrounding information acquisition unit 62.

[0052] Furthermore, the display control unit 70 changes the relative size of the first display area 80 and the second display area 82 according to the driver's driving status acquired by the driving information acquisition unit 66.

[0053] The specified driver assistance system is, for example, a driver assistance system that achieves a predetermined level or higher in the automated driving levels standardized by organizations such as the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) and the JSAE (Japan Society of Automotive Engineers). In this embodiment, the case in which the ACC system of vehicle 12 is activated will be described as an example.

[0054] Figure 5 shows an example of the display when the driver's driving state is hands-on while the ACC system of the vehicle 12 is operating. In this state, the display control unit 70 sets the size of the second display area 82 to be smaller than the size of the first display area 80.

[0055] The second display area 82 displays road conditions recognized by the vehicle in conjunction with the operation of the ACC system. For example, the second display area 82 displays the driving lane 90 in which the vehicle is traveling, the vehicle itself 12, and the preceding vehicle V1 that is following it, using predetermined images. In this state, the first display area 80 displays a first icon 84 indicating the position of the vehicle on the map and a second icon 86 indicating the position of the preceding vehicle V1 that is following it.

[0056] In addition, the second display area 82 displays road conditions related to other driver assistance systems, depending on the operating status of the ACC system. For example, as road conditions related to the LCA system, the positions of surrounding vehicles V2 traveling in the driving lane and adjacent lanes are displayed.

[0057] The image showing road conditions displayed in the second display area 82 is, for example, an image showing the view from inside the vehicle (for example, the driver's eye point) looking towards the front of the vehicle.

[0058] The second display area 82 also displays other information, such as the pre-set constant speed during driving and an icon image (symbol omitted) indicating that the driving lane has been recognized.

[0059] On the other hand, Figure 6 shows an example of the display when the driver's driving state is hands-off while the ACC system of vehicle 12 is operating. In this state, the display control unit 70 sets the size of the second display area 82 to be larger than the size of the first display area 80. This suppresses a decrease in the driver's attention to the road conditions around the vehicle when the driver is hands-off.

[0060] (action) Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained.

[0061] (Output processing) An example of the display processing in the vehicle display control device 10 according to this embodiment will be explained using the flowchart shown in Figure 7. The display processing is performed by the CPU 30 reading a program from the ROM 32 or storage 36 and loading it into the RAM 34. This display processing is performed, for example, when the ignition switch of the vehicle 12 is turned ON.

[0062] In step S10, the CPU 30 acquires various data. Specifically, the CPU 30 acquires surrounding information, vehicle information, driving information, and visual information of the vehicle 12 through the functions of the map information acquisition unit 60, surrounding information acquisition unit 62, vehicle information acquisition unit 64, driving information acquisition unit 66, and route setting unit 68. Obtain route information to the target location.

[0063] In step S11, the CPU 30 determines whether a predetermined driver assistance system has been activated. The predetermined driver assistance system is, for example, an ACC system. Based on the vehicle information acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit 64, the CPU 30 determines whether the predetermined driver assistance system has been activated. If the predetermined driver assistance system has been activated, the determination in step S11 is affirmed, and the CPU 30 proceeds to the process in step S12. On the other hand, if the determination in step S11 is denied, the CPU 30 proceeds to the process in step S13. In this process in step S13, as shown in Figure 4, the CPU 30 sets the first display area 80 on the first display unit 24 and starts displaying a map of the area around the vehicle. Also, the map displays a first icon 84 indicating the current position of the vehicle 12 and the driving route R to the destination.

[0064] In step S12, the CPU 30 determines whether the driver is in a hands-off state based on the driving information acquired by the driving information acquisition unit 66. If the driver is in a hands-off state, the determination in step S12 is affirmed, and the CPU 30 proceeds to the process in step S14. On the other hand, if the driver is not in a hands-off state, i.e., is in a hands-on state, the determination in step S12 is denied, and the CPU 30 proceeds to the process in step S15. In this process in step S15, as shown in Figure 5, a second display area is set on the first display unit 24, and the road conditions around the vehicle are displayed in the second display area 82. The size of the second display area is also set to be smaller than that of the first display area 80.

[0065] In step S14, the CPU 30 sets a second display area on the first display unit 24 and displays the road conditions around the vehicle in the second display area 82. Also, as shown in Figure 6, the second display area is set on the first display unit 24 and displays the road conditions around the vehicle in the second display area 82. In addition, the size of the second display area 82 is set to be larger than that of the first display area 80.

[0066] In step S16, the CPU 30 determines whether the operation of the vehicle 12 has ended based on the vehicle information acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit 64. For example, if the ignition switch is turned OFF, it is determined that the operation has ended. If the ignition switch is OFF, the determination in step S16 is affirmed, and the CPU 30 terminates the display process. On the other hand, if the ignition switch is turned ON, the determination in step S16 is denied, and the CPU 30 returns to the process in step S10.

[0067] As described above, in the vehicle display control device 10 according to this embodiment, a first display area 80 for displaying a map of the area around the vehicle and a second display area 82 for displaying road conditions around the vehicle can be set on the first display unit 24 provided in the vehicle cabin. As a result, the user who looks at the first display unit 24 can grasp the road conditions recognized by the vehicle in conjunction with the surrounding map information, and thus the vehicle display control device 10 can support the user's understanding of the vehicle's control.

[0068] Furthermore, in this embodiment, by displaying the map of the area around the vehicle as a planar map, the load on the display control processing for the two display areas can be suppressed. Also, as shown in Figure 5, by displaying a first icon 84 and a second icon 86 on the map that indicate the positions of the own vehicle and other vehicles, the correspondence between the map information and the road conditions recognized by the vehicle becomes easier to understand depending on the display method. As a result, the vehicle display control device 10 can suppress the load on the display control processing while supporting the user's understanding of the vehicle's control.

[0069] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, when the operation of a predetermined driving assistance system is detected based on vehicle information, the size of the second display area 82 is changed to match the size of the first display area 80. The setting is made even smaller, and the display of road conditions is started. As a result, the vehicle display control device 10 can guide the user through the road conditions recognized by the vehicle in conjunction with the operation of a predetermined driving assistance system, while maintaining display consistency in that the first display unit 24 primarily displays a map of the area around the vehicle. Consequently, it is possible to support the user's understanding of vehicle control without impairing the user's understanding of map information.

[0070] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6, in this embodiment, when the operation of a predetermined driving system is detected based on vehicle information, and a hands-off state is detected based on driving information, the size of the second display area 82 is set to be larger than that of the first display area 80. As a result, when the driver has taken their hands off the steering wheel, the display mode of the first display unit 24 is switched to primarily display the road conditions around the vehicle, thereby suppressing a decrease in the user's attention to driving operations. Consequently, it is possible to efficiently support the user's understanding of vehicle control at times when it is particularly necessary, thereby improving safety while driving.

[0071] Although the vehicle display control device according to the embodiment has been described above, it goes without saying that the invention can be implemented in various forms without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, a configuration in which a first display area and a second display area are set in the first display unit 24 of the meter display device 44 has been described, but the invention is not limited to this. For example, a configuration in which a first display area and a second display area are set in the second display unit 26 of the center display device 46 may also be used.

[0072] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the map of the area around the vehicle is displayed as a two-dimensional planar map in the first display area 80, but this is not limited to this. As shown in the modified example in Figure 8, the map of the area around the vehicle may also be displayed as a three-dimensional stereoscopic map. In the illustrated example, the map of the area around the vehicle is a stereoscopic map image showing the view from inside the vehicle (for example, the driver's eye point) looking towards the front of the vehicle. Similarly, the image of the road conditions around the vehicle shown in the second display area 82 is also similar. In this way, by making the images displayed in the first display area 80 and the second display area 82 images that mimic the view from substantially the same direction, it becomes even easier to associate map information with road conditions.

[0073] Furthermore, the processing that the CPU 30 reads and executes in the above embodiment may be executed by various processors other than the CPU 30. In this case, the processors may include FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays) and other PLDs (Programmable Logic Devices) whose circuit configuration can be changed after manufacturing, and ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits). Examples include dedicated electrical circuits, which are processors with circuit configurations specifically designed to perform specific processes such as displaying virtual items. Furthermore, the virtual item display process may be performed on one of these various processors, or on a combination of two or more processors of the same or different types, for example, on multiple FPGAs, or on 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.

[0074] Furthermore, although the above embodiment involves storing various data in the storage 36, the system is not limited to this. For example, non-temporary recording media such as CDs (Compact Disks), DVDs (Digital Versatile Disks), and USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory may be used as the storage unit. In this case, various programs and data will be stored in these recording media. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0075] 10. Vehicle display control device 24 First display section (display section) 60 Map Information Acquisition Unit 62 Peripheral Information Acquisition Unit 64 Vehicle Information Acquisition Unit 66. Driving Information Acquisition Unit 70 Display Control Unit 80 1st display area 82 Second display area

Claims

1. A map information acquisition unit capable of acquiring map information based on the vehicle's current location, A surrounding information acquisition unit capable of acquiring surrounding information of the vehicle, Based on the acquired map information and surrounding area information, a display control unit is provided in the vehicle interior that can set a first display area for displaying a map of the area around the vehicle and a second display area for displaying road conditions around the vehicle. A vehicle display control device having the following features.

2. The display control unit displays the map as a planar map and displays the position of the own vehicle and the positions of other vehicles on the map. The vehicle display control device according to claim 1.

3. The vehicle has a vehicle information acquisition unit that acquires vehicle information related to the driver assistance system installed in the vehicle, The vehicle display control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the display control unit, when it detects the operation of a predetermined driving assistance system based on the vehicle information, sets the size of the second display area to be smaller than the size of the first display area and starts displaying the road conditions.

4. The vehicle has a driving information acquisition unit that acquires driving information regarding the driving status by the driver of the vehicle, The display control unit, when it detects the operation of a predetermined driving system based on the vehicle information and when it detects a hands-off state in which the driver has taken their hands off the steering wheel based on the driving information, sets the size of the second display area to be larger than the first display area. The vehicle display control device according to claim 3.

5. Based on the vehicle's current location, map information is obtained. The surrounding information of the aforementioned vehicle is acquired, Based on the acquired map information and surrounding area information, a first display area for displaying a map of the area around the vehicle and a second display area for displaying road conditions around the vehicle are set on a display unit provided inside the vehicle. A method for controlling vehicle displays.

6. Based on the vehicle's current location, map information is obtained. The surrounding information of the aforementioned vehicle is acquired, Based on the acquired map information and surrounding area information, the computer is instructed to perform a process to set a first display area for displaying a map of the area around the vehicle and a second display area for displaying road conditions around the vehicle on a display unit installed inside the vehicle. Vehicle display control program.

Images