Vehicle projection control device, vehicle projection system, vehicle projection control method and program

Abstract

The present invention appropriately transmits information to the surrounding of a vehicle. A projection control device (50) for a vehicle is provided with: an occupant detection unit (51) that detects boarding of an occupant of a vehicle; a traveling information acquisition unit (52) that acquires traveling information about the vehicle; and a projection control unit (54) that, when the occupant detection unit (51) detects the occupant, projects the traveling information acquired by the traveling information acquisition unit (52) onto a direction toward the body of the occupant of the vehicle.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle projection control device, a vehicle projection system, a vehicle projection control method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] There is known a technique for projecting information acquired by a mobile terminal carried by a user of a bicycle or the like onto a road surface (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-090318 A Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technology in Patent Document 1 projects information onto the road surface, making it difficult to confirm the information from a position away from the bicycle, etc. Even when checking from close to the bicycle, etc., it may be difficult to confirm the information in places where other pedestrians and bicycles are crowded together.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to appropriately convey information to the surroundings of a vehicle.

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objective, the projection control device for a vehicle disclosed herein comprises a passenger detection unit that detects the boarding of a vehicle occupant, a driving information acquisition unit that acquires driving information of the vehicle, and a projection control unit that, when the passenger detection unit detects a passenger, projects the driving information acquired by the driving information acquisition unit onto a projection unit that projects an image in a direction corresponding to the body of the vehicle occupant.

[0007] A vehicle projection system according to the present disclosure includes the above-described vehicle projection control device and a projection unit that projects information in a direction corresponding to the body of an occupant of the vehicle.

[0008] The projection control method for a vehicle according to the present disclosure includes a passenger detection step of detecting the boarding of a passenger in the vehicle, a driving information acquisition step of acquiring driving information of the vehicle, and a projection control step of, when a passenger is detected by the passenger detection step, projecting the driving information acquired by the driving information acquisition step onto a projection unit that projects an image in a direction corresponding to the body of the vehicle occupant.

[0009] The program of the present disclosure causes a computer operating as a projection control device for a vehicle to execute a passenger detection step of detecting the boarding of a passenger in the vehicle, a driving information acquisition step of acquiring driving information of the vehicle, and a projection control step of, when a passenger is detected by the passenger detection step, projecting the driving information acquired by the driving information acquisition step onto a projection unit that projects an image in a direction corresponding to the body of the vehicle occupant.

[0010] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to appropriately convey information to the surroundings of the vehicle. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle projection system according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a projection unit of the vehicle projection system according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of the projection unit of the vehicle projection system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an image projected by a projection unit. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing another example of an image projected by the projection unit. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a process flow in the vehicle projection system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7]FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle projection system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an image projected by the projection unit. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing another example of an image projected by the projection unit. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle projection system according to the third embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an index. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the indicator. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the indicator. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an image projected by the projection unit. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle projection system according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an image projected by the projection unit. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram showing another example of an image projected by the projection unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a vehicle projection control device, a vehicle projection system, a vehicle projection control method, and a program according to the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment.

[0013] [First embodiment] <Vehicle Projection System> 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle projection system 1 according to a first embodiment. When detecting a passenger in the vehicle, the vehicle projection system 1 projects vehicle travel information in a direction corresponding to the body of the passenger.

[0014] The term "vehicle" includes, for example, two-wheeled vehicles, including bicycles and motorcycles, and kick scooters. The term "vehicle" includes, for example, so-called personal mobility vehicles, whose bodies are smaller in the width direction and the front-rear direction than four-wheeled vehicles such as automobiles. The term "vehicle" does not matter whether it is powered or not.

[0015] The vehicle travel information is information that indicates the travel state of the vehicle. The vehicle travel information is information that is preferably notified to third parties around the vehicle in order to ensure the safety of the vehicle occupants and third parties around the vehicle. The vehicle travel information is, for example, information indicating that the vehicle is traveling, information indicating that the vehicle is stopping or decelerating, and information indicating that the vehicle is changing direction.

[0016] The direction relevant to the bodies of vehicle occupants does not mean toward the road surface or other areas outside the vehicle and occupants, but toward the bodies of occupants, parts of the vehicle, or the cargo bed towed by the vehicle.

[0017] The vehicle projection system 1 includes an on-board sensor 10, a sensor unit 20, a projection unit 30, and a vehicle projection control device 50.

[0018] The boarding sensor 10 is a sensor that detects data that can determine whether or not a passenger is boarding the vehicle. The boarding sensor 10 is disposed on the seat surface of the vehicle where the passenger sits, such as a bicycle saddle, or on the floor surface of the vehicle, such as the board of a kick scooter. The boarding sensor 10 outputs boarding sensor data to the passenger detection unit 51 of the vehicle projection control device 50.

[0019] More specifically, the boarding sensor 10 is a sensor that detects whether or not a passenger sits on the seat. The boarding sensor 10 is, for example, a pressure sensor or a contact sensor that detects a force acting on the seat. When a passenger sits on the seat, the boarding sensor 10 detects a higher pressure than when the passenger is not seated.

[0020] The boarding sensor 10 is a sensor that detects whether or not a passenger is present on the floor surface. The boarding sensor 10 is, for example, a pressure sensor or a contact sensor that detects a force acting on the floor surface. When a passenger is present on the floor surface, the boarding sensor 10 detects a higher pressure than when the passenger is not present.

[0021] The boarding sensor 10 may be a camera that captures an area including the periphery of the seat of the vehicle. In this case, the captured image data is the boarding sensor data. Also, it is possible to detect whether a passenger is sitting on the seat from the captured image data.

[0022] The boarding sensor 10 may be a camera that captures an area including the periphery of the floor of the vehicle. In this case, the captured image data is the boarding sensor data. Also, it is possible to detect whether or not a passenger is present on the floor from the captured image data.

[0023] The sensor unit 20 is various sensors that detect various driving information of the vehicle. The sensor unit 20 is, for example, a sensor that detects information indicating whether the vehicle is running or not. The sensor unit 20 is, for example, a sensor that detects information that the vehicle stops or decelerates. The sensor unit 20 is, for example, a sensor that detects information indicating a change in direction of the vehicle. The sensor unit 20 is a sensor that detects the amount of operation of each part of the vehicle, and an acceleration sensor or a gyro sensor that detects the behavior of the vehicle. More specifically, the sensor unit 20 is, for example, a sensor that detects the rotation of the wheels, a sensor that detects the rotation of a motor that drives the vehicle, a speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, a sensor that detects the amount of steering operation, a sensor that detects the presence or absence of operation of a turn signal, a sensor that can detect the amount of operation of a braking operation, an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, etc. The sensor unit 20 may include, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver that acquires position information of the vehicle.

[0024] The projection unit 30 is disposed so as to be able to project information in a direction corresponding to the body of a vehicle occupant. The projection unit 30 is installed in the vehicle. The projection unit 30 is disposed so as to be able to project information to a position that corresponds to the back of the occupant when the occupant boards the vehicle. The projection unit 30 is, for example, a projector using a liquid crystal display or a projector using a laser light source. The projection unit 30 projects an image showing information based on a video signal output by the projection control unit 54 of the vehicle projection control device 50. In this embodiment, the direction corresponding to the body of the vehicle occupant is a direction toward the back of the occupant. When the projection unit 30 is disposed at the rear of the vehicle, it projects toward the front. In this disclosure, projection may be rephrased as projection.

[0025] Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of the projection unit 30 of the vehicle projection system 1 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 2 shows an example of installation of the projection unit 30 when the vehicle V is a two-wheeled vehicle. In Fig. 2, the projection unit 30 is installed on the loading platform of the vehicle V, facing the back MB of the passenger M. The projection unit 30 can project an image 100 toward the back of the passenger.

[0026] Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram for explaining another example of the projection unit 30 of the vehicle projection system 1 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 3 shows an example of installation of the projection unit 30 when the vehicle V is a kick scooter. In Fig. 3, the projection unit 30 is installed at the rear of the floor board of the vehicle V, facing the back MB of the passenger M. The projection unit 30 can project an image 100 toward the back MB of the passenger M.

[0027] Returning to FIG. 1, the vehicle projection control device 50 is an arithmetic processing device configured with, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or the like. The vehicle projection control device 50 loads a program stored in a storage unit (not shown) into a memory and executes instructions included in the program. The vehicle projection control device 50 has an occupant detection unit 51, a driving information acquisition unit 52, a projection information generation unit 53, and a projection control unit 54. The vehicle projection control device 50 includes an internal memory (not shown), which is used for temporarily storing data in the vehicle projection control device 50. In this embodiment, the vehicle projection control device 50 is described as being mounted on a vehicle, but may be a portable type.

[0028] The passenger detection unit 51 detects the boarding of a passenger in the vehicle based on the boarding sensor data detected by the boarding sensor 10. For example, the passenger detection unit 51 detects boarding when the boarding sensor data indicates that the passenger sits on the seat of the vehicle. For example, the passenger detection unit 51 detects boarding when the boarding sensor data indicates that the passenger is present on the floor. The passenger detection unit 51 outputs the detection result to the projection information generation unit 53 and the projection control unit 54 of the vehicle projection control device 50.

[0029] The driving information acquisition unit 52 acquires vehicle driving information based on the sensor data acquired from the sensor unit 20 .

[0030] The driving information acquisition unit 52 acquires, for example, information indicating that the vehicle is traveling from the sensor data. More specifically, the driving information acquisition unit 52 acquires information indicating that the vehicle is traveling based on, for example, the outputs of a sensor that detects the rotation of the wheels, a sensor that detects the rotation of the motor that drives the vehicle, a speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, a sensor that detects the amount of steering operation, a GPS receiver, and the like, among the sensor units 20. If the outputs of these sensors are not zero or if the values ​​are changing, it indicates that the vehicle is traveling.

[0031] The travel information acquisition unit 52 acquires, for example, information indicating that the vehicle is to be stopped or decelerated from the sensor data as vehicle travel information. More specifically, the travel information acquisition unit 52 acquires the information indicating that the vehicle is to be stopped or decelerated as information indicating the behavior of the vehicle acquired based on, for example, the vehicle braking operation or the output of the acceleration sensor or gyro sensor of the sensor unit 20. When the amount of operation of the vehicle braking operation indicates that a braking operation has been performed, or when the output of the acceleration sensor or gyro sensor indicates the deceleration of the vehicle, it indicates that the vehicle is stopping or decelerating.

[0032] The driving information acquisition unit 52 acquires, for example, information indicating that the vehicle is changing direction from the sensor data as the vehicle driving information. More specifically, the driving information acquisition unit 52 acquires the information indicating that the vehicle is changing direction based on, for example, the output of a sensor that detects the operation of a turn indicator in the sensor unit 20, or an acceleration sensor or a gyro sensor of the vehicle. When it indicates that the turn indicator of the vehicle has been operated, it indicates that the vehicle is changing direction. When the output of the acceleration sensor or the gyro sensor has a predetermined inclination, it indicates that the vehicle is changing direction.

[0033] The projection information generation unit 53 generates video data to be projected from the detection result of the occupant detection unit 51 and the driving information acquired by the driving information acquisition unit 52. When the occupant detection unit 51 detects an occupant, the projection information generation unit 53 generates video data for projecting the driving information acquired by the driving information acquisition unit 52. The projection information generation unit 53 generates video data that is easily visible to third parties around the vehicle. The projection information generation unit 53 outputs the generated video data to the projection control unit 54.

[0034] The projection information generating unit 53 generates, for example, video data for projection in which an arrow appears to be moving, which is stored in a storage unit (not shown), as information indicating that the vehicle is traveling. The projection information generating unit 53 may generate, for example, video data of text or video data of a figure, which is a simple message indicating that the vehicle is traveling.

[0035] The projection information generating unit 53 generates, for example, video data of an arrow that has stopped moving, which is stored in a storage unit (not shown), for projection as information indicating the stopping or deceleration of the vehicle. The projection information generating unit 53 may generate, for example, video data of text or video data of a figure that is a simple message indicating the stopping or deceleration of the vehicle.

[0036] The projection information generating unit 53 generates, for example, video data of an arrow indicating the direction in which the vehicle's course is to be changed, which is stored in a storage unit (not shown), for projection as information indicating the change in the vehicle's direction. The projection information generating unit 53 may generate, for example, video data of text or video data of a figure, which is a simple message indicating the change in the vehicle's direction.

[0037] Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an image projected by the projection unit 30. Fig. 4 shows an example of image data of a graphic image showing a vehicle stopping.

[0038] Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram showing another example of an image projected by the projection unit 30. Fig. 5 is an example of image data of a graphic showing the path of a vehicle as the vehicle changes direction.

[0039] The projection control unit 54 causes the projection unit 30 to project the image data generated by the projection information generation unit 53. When the passenger detection unit 51 detects a passenger, the projection control unit 54 projects the driving information acquired by the driving information acquisition unit 52 in a direction corresponding to the body of the passenger of the vehicle via the projection unit 30. In other words, the projection control unit 54 projects the driving information toward the back of the passenger while the passenger is riding on the vehicle.

[0040] When the passenger detection unit 51 detects a passenger and the driving information acquisition unit 52 acquires information indicating that the vehicle is traveling, the projection control unit 54 may project the driving information acquired by the driving information acquisition unit 52 in a direction corresponding to the body of the vehicle passenger via the projection unit 30. In other words, the projection control unit 54 may project the driving information toward the back of the passenger while the passenger is on board and the vehicle is traveling.

[0041] When the traveling information acquisition unit 52 acquires information indicating that the vehicle will be stopped or decelerated, the projection control unit 54 may project an image indicating the stopping or deceleration in a direction corresponding to the body of the vehicle occupant via the projection unit 30. In other words, while an operation to stop or decelerate the vehicle is being performed, that is, while the vehicle is decelerating, the projection control unit 54 may project an image indicating the stopping or deceleration toward the back of the occupant.

[0042] When the driving information acquisition unit 52 acquires information indicating that the vehicle will change direction, the projection control unit 54 may project an image indicating the direction to change to a direction corresponding to the body of the vehicle occupant. In other words, the projection control unit 54 may project an image indicating stopping or deceleration from when the output of the acceleration sensor or gyro sensor starts to indicate a predetermined acceleration or inclination, while the predetermined acceleration or inclination is being indicated, that is, while the vehicle is changing direction.

[0043] <Processing in vehicle projection systems> Next, a process flow in the vehicle projection control device 50 of the vehicle projection system 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing a process flow in the vehicle projection system 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0044] During the startup of the vehicular projection system 1, the boarding sensor 10 constantly detects the boarding of a passenger in the vehicle and outputs passenger sensor data to the passenger detection unit 51 of the vehicular projection control device 50. During the startup of the vehicular projection system 1, the sensor unit 20 constantly detects the running state of the vehicle and outputs the detected sensor data to the running information acquisition unit 52 of the vehicular projection control device 50. During the startup of the vehicular projection system 1, the vehicular projection control device 50 repeatedly executes the processes of steps S101 to S105.

[0045] The vehicle projection control device 50 determines whether or not the driving information of the vehicle to be projected is acquired by the driving information acquisition unit 52 (step S101). If it is determined that the driving information of the vehicle to be projected is acquired by the driving information acquisition unit 52 (Yes in step S101), the process proceeds to step S102. If it is not determined that the driving information of the vehicle to be projected is acquired by the driving information acquisition unit 52 (No in step S101), the process proceeds to step S105.

[0046] When it is determined that the driving information of the vehicle to be projected has been acquired (Yes in step S101), the vehicle projection control device 50 determines whether or not a passenger is on board (step S102). More specifically, when the passenger detection unit 51 detects that a passenger is on board the vehicle based on the boarding sensor data (Yes in step S102), the process proceeds to step S103. When the passenger detection unit 51 does not detect that a passenger is on board based on the boarding sensor data (No in step S102), the process proceeds to step S105.

[0047] When it is detected that a passenger is on board (Yes in step S102), the vehicle projection control device 50 judges whether the vehicle is moving or not (step S103). More specifically, when the traveling information acquisition unit 52 indicates that the vehicle is moving based on the sensor data (Yes in step S103), the process proceeds to step S104. When the traveling information acquisition unit 52 indicates that the vehicle is not moving based on the sensor data (No in step S103), the process proceeds to step S105.

[0048] If it indicates that the vehicle is traveling (Yes in step S103), the vehicle projection control device 50 projects the traveling information (step S104). More specifically, the projection information generation unit 53 generates video data for projection indicating the traveling information. The projection control unit 54 projects the generated video data for projection via the projection unit 30 toward the body of the vehicle occupant. The vehicle projection control device 50 proceeds to step S105. The processing order of steps S101 to S103 may be reversed.

[0049] The vehicle projection control device 50 judges whether or not to end the projection (step S105). The vehicle projection control device 50 judges the end of the projection based on, for example, the vehicle driving information acquired by the driving information acquisition unit 52. The vehicle projection control device 50 judges to end the projection when it starts the projection based on information indicating that the vehicle will stop or decelerate, when the acquisition of information indicating that the vehicle will stop or decelerate is completed, when the vehicle stops, when a predetermined period has passed since the vehicle stopped, or when the detection result of the passenger detection unit 51 indicates that the passenger has dismounted from the vehicle. The vehicle projection control device 50 judges to end the projection when it starts the projection based on information indicating that the vehicle will change direction, when the acquisition of information indicating that the vehicle will change direction is completed, or when a predetermined time has passed since the acquisition of information indicating that the vehicle will change direction is completed. When it judges to end the projection (Yes in step S105), the vehicle projection control device 50 ends the process. When the vehicle projection control device 50 does not determine to end the projection (No in step S105), it executes the process of step S101 again.

[0050] <Effects> As described above, in this embodiment, when a vehicle occupant is detected, an image showing the vehicle's travel information is projected in a direction corresponding to the body of the vehicle occupant, such as the direction of the vehicle occupant's back. According to this embodiment, the vehicle's travel information can be projected above the road surface onto a part of the body, such as the occupant's back, or onto a part of the vehicle. According to this embodiment, a third party around the vehicle can check the vehicle's travel information even from a position away from the vehicle. According to this embodiment, a third party around the vehicle can check the vehicle's travel information even in a place where other pedestrians, bicycles, etc. are crowded. In this way, according to this embodiment, information can be appropriately conveyed to a third party around the vehicle.

[0051] In this embodiment, when a vehicle occupant is detected and information indicating that the vehicle is traveling is acquired, the vehicle's traveling information is projected in a direction corresponding to the body of the vehicle occupant. According to this embodiment, the vehicle's traveling information can be more appropriately communicated to third parties around the vehicle. This embodiment can prevent unnecessary information from being projected when the vehicle remains stopped even if a passenger is on board the vehicle. In addition, when no passenger is on board the vehicle, it can prevent information from being inadvertently projected.

[0052] In this embodiment, when information indicating that the vehicle will stop or decelerate is acquired, an image indicating the stop or deceleration is projected in a direction corresponding to the body of the vehicle occupant. According to this embodiment, it is possible to appropriately inform third parties around the vehicle that the vehicle will stop or decelerate. This embodiment can improve the safety of the vehicle occupants and third parties around the vehicle.

[0053] In this embodiment, information indicating that the vehicle is to be stopped or decelerated is acquired based on the vehicle braking operation or the output of the vehicle acceleration sensor or gyro sensor of the sensor unit 20. According to this embodiment, accurate information can be projected based on accurate information indicating that the vehicle is to be stopped or decelerated.

[0054] In this embodiment, when information indicating that the vehicle will change direction is acquired, an image indicating the direction to change to a direction corresponding to the body of the vehicle occupant is projected. According to this embodiment, it is possible to properly inform a third party around the vehicle that the vehicle will change direction. This embodiment can improve the safety of the vehicle occupant and third parties around the vehicle.

[0055] In this embodiment, information for indicating that the vehicle is about to change direction is acquired based on the output of the vehicle's acceleration sensor, gyro sensor, etc., of the sensor unit 20. According to this embodiment, accurate information can be projected based on accurate information indicating that the vehicle is about to change direction.

[0056] [Second embodiment] With reference to FIG. 7 to FIG. 9, the vehicle projection system 1A according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the vehicle projection system 1A according to the second embodiment. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an image projected by the projection unit 30. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing another example of an image projected by the projection unit 30. The vehicle projection system 1A has a basic configuration similar to that of the vehicle projection system 1 of the first embodiment. In the following description, the same or corresponding reference numerals are used for components similar to those of the vehicle projection system 1 of the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. This embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that a light amount sensor 40A is provided, that the vehicle projection control device 50A is provided with a light amount detection unit 55A, and in the processing in the projection control unit 54A of the vehicle projection control device 50A.

[0057] The light amount sensor 40A is a sensor that is disposed in the vehicle and acquires the amount of light around the vehicle. The light amount sensor 40A outputs the measured light amount sensor data to the light amount detection unit 55A.

[0058] The light amount detection unit 55A detects the amount of light around the vehicle. The light amount detection unit 55A acquires light amount sensor data indicating the amount of light around the vehicle from the light amount sensor 40A. The light amount detection unit 55A outputs the light amount detection result to the projection control unit 54A.

[0059] The projection control unit 54A changes the projection mode according to the amount of light around the vehicle detected by the light amount detection unit 55A. More specifically, when the amount of light detected by the light amount detection unit 55A indicates that the area around the vehicle is bright, the projection control unit 54A changes the projection mode of the video data to be projected and projects the image.

[0060] The bright surroundings of a vehicle refer to, for example, the brightness of the area between sunrise and sunset. The bright surroundings of a vehicle refer to, for example, the brightness of the area that allows a car to drive without turning on its headlights. The bright surroundings of a vehicle also include, for example, areas that are brightened by lighting, even at night.

[0061] When the surroundings of the vehicle are bright, the projection control unit 54A projects the image data in an emphasized manner so as to enhance visibility, for example, by changing the color, brightness, and luminance of the image data. When the surroundings of the vehicle are bright, the projection control unit 54A may project the image data in an emphasized manner so as to enhance visibility, for example, by increasing the size of the image data. When the surroundings of the vehicle are bright, the projection control unit 54A may project the image data in an emphasized manner so as to enhance visibility, for example, by bordering the periphery of the image data. The image data shown in FIG. 8 is a colored arrow figure, and shows the image data projected at night. The image data shown in FIG. 8 is not bordered. The image data shown in FIG. 9 is a colored arrow figure with a border around it, and shows the image data projected during the day.

[0062] As described above, in the present embodiment, when the surroundings of the vehicle are bright, the driving information can be projected in a manner that enhances visibility compared to when the surroundings of the vehicle are dark. According to the present embodiment, even when the surroundings of the vehicle are bright, the information can be appropriately conveyed to third parties around the vehicle.

[0063] [Third embodiment] A vehicle projection system 1B according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 10 to 14. Fig. 10 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle projection system 1B according to a third embodiment. Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an index P. Fig. 12 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the index P. Fig. 13 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the index P. Fig. 14 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an image projected by the projection unit 30. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that a camera 60B is provided, that a vehicle projection control device 50B includes an index detection unit 56B, and in the processing in a projection control unit 54B of the vehicle projection control device 50B.

[0064] Camera 60B is disposed near projection unit 30 so as to be able to capture an image in the projection direction of projection unit 30. In other words, camera 60B is disposed near projection unit 30 so as to include projection range R of projection unit 30 in imaging range Q. More specifically, camera 60B is disposed so as to include a direction corresponding to the body of a vehicle occupant in imaging range Q. Camera 60B outputs captured imaging data to index detection unit 56B.

[0065] The index detection unit 56B detects an index P indicating a projection range R in the projection direction of the projection unit 30. More specifically, when the passenger detection unit 51 detects that a passenger has boarded the vehicle, the index detection unit 56B detects the index P in the shooting range Q from the shooting data captured by the camera 60B.

[0066] The index P is a mark indicating the projection range R. The shape of the index P is predetermined and is a shape that is not mistaken for other patterns. The index P is indicated, for example, as a frame surrounding the projection range R, a figure showing the projection range R in a planar form, or a dot that can identify the outer shape of the projection range R. The dot-like index P is attached in at least two or four places, for example, as a predetermined number to define the projection range R. For example, two indexes P indicate the diagonal of a rectangular range with a predetermined aspect ratio. For example, three or four indexes P indicate a rectangular range defined by those points. The index P is not limited to a rectangular shape, and may be any shape such as a polygonal shape, a circular shape, or an elliptical shape.

[0067] The indicator P will be described with reference to Figs. 11 to 13. Figs. 11 to 13 show examples of dot-shaped indicators P. As shown in Fig. 11, the indicator P may be a figure obtained by combining five rectangles, for example. As shown in Fig. 12, the indicator P may be a figure obtained by arranging four rectangles at the four ends of a cross, for example. As shown in Fig. 13, the indicator P may be a figure obtained by arranging four rectangles at the apexes of a square, for example. Such indicators P are attached at at least two or four locations, for example, to define the projection range R. In Fig. 14, the projection range R is defined by three indicators P indicating the three apexes of a rectangle. The color of each indicator is arbitrary, but it is preferable that the color is easily distinguishable from the color of clothing worn by the passenger, and a reflective material may be used.

[0068] The indicator P may be attached to, for example, clothing and a helmet worn by the rider, or may be removable with hook-and-loop fasteners, snap buttons, etc. The indicator P may be attached in advance to clothing, such as a vest for the rider, that is sold together with the vehicle.

[0069] The index P defines the projection range R with a shape and arrangement that provides high visibility. The index P defines the projection range R with a shape and arrangement that is unlikely to be deformed or hidden by the movement of the passenger.

[0070] The process of detecting the index P by the index detection unit 56B may be substituted for the passenger detection unit 51 that detects the boarding of a passenger in the vehicle. This is because the detection of the index P by the index detection unit 56B within the shooting range Q defined by the shooting angle of view of the camera 60B, within a range of a predetermined angle of view or larger, means that a passenger is on board the vehicle.

[0071] The projection control unit 54B projects the driving information into a projection range R defined by the index P detected by the index detection unit 56B. In this embodiment, the projection control unit 54B projects the driving information into the projection range R defined by the index P in a direction corresponding to the occupant's body. As shown in FIG. 14, the projection control unit 54B projects the driving information into the projection range R defined by the index P on the back MB of the occupant M while the occupant M is riding.

[0072] As described above, in this embodiment, the driving information is projected in the range defined by the index P. According to this embodiment, the driving information can be projected in an appropriate range. According to this embodiment, the information can be more appropriately conveyed to third parties around the vehicle.

[0073] [Fourth embodiment] A vehicle projection system 1C according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 15 to 17. Fig. 15 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a vehicle projection system 1C according to a fourth embodiment. Fig. 16 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an image projected by the projection unit 30. Fig. 17 is a schematic diagram showing another example of an image projected by the projection unit 30. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that a camera 60C is provided, that a vehicle projection control device 50C includes a head detection unit 57C, and in the processing in a projection control unit 54C of the vehicle projection control device 50C.

[0074] Camera 60C is disposed near projection unit 30 so as to be able to capture an image in the projection direction of projection unit 30. More specifically, camera 60C is disposed so as to include the heads of vehicle occupants in imaging range Q. Camera 60C outputs captured imaging data to head detection unit 57C.

[0075] The head detection unit 57C detects the head of a vehicle occupant in the projection direction of the projection unit 30. More specifically, when the occupant detection unit 51 detects that a vehicle occupant has boarded the vehicle, the head detection unit 57C detects the head of the occupant in the shooting range Q from the shooting data captured by the camera 60C. For example, the head detection unit 57C may perform person recognition to detect a person from the captured shooting data and identify the head of the recognized person. In this case, the person recognition uses a recognition dictionary that has been trained with a video of the upper body of a person captured from behind. When the head detection unit 57C detects a helmet with an index P attached from the shooting data captured by the camera 60C, it may detect it as the head of the occupant.

[0076] As shown in FIG. 16, for example, when a passenger M is riding on the vehicle without leaning relative to the vehicle, the head detection unit 57C detects the head MH of the passenger M near the center line L in the left-right direction within the shooting range Q of the captured image.

[0077] As shown in FIG. 17, for example, when occupant M is seated in the vehicle tilted or shifted to the left or right, the head detection unit 57C detects the head MH of occupant M at a position tilted or shifted to the left or right from the center line L within the shooting range Q of the captured image.

[0078] The process of detecting the head of a passenger by head detection unit 57C may be substituted for passenger detection unit 51 that detects the boarding of a passenger in the vehicle. This is because the detection by head detection unit 57C of the head of a passenger within shooting range Q defined by the shooting angle of view of camera 60C, within a range of a predetermined size or larger of the angle of view, means that a passenger has boarded the vehicle.

[0079] The projection control unit 54C changes the projection position of the driving information acquired by the driving information acquisition unit 52, based on the head position detected by the head detection unit 57C.

[0080] For example, when the projection control unit 54C indicates based on the detection results of the head detection unit 57C that the occupant's head has been detected near the left-right center line L of the captured image, the projection control unit 54C projects the driving information to the left-right center of the projection range R.

[0081] For example, when the detection result of the head detection unit 57C indicates that the head of the passenger is detected in a position tilted or shifted in the left-right direction of the captured image, the projection control unit 54C changes the projection position of the traveling information based on the position where the head is detected. Specifically, the projection control unit 54C shifts the projection position of the traveling information in the projection range R to the left or right so as to correspond to the positional shift of the head.

[0082] As described above, in this embodiment, the projection position of the driving information is changed based on the detected head position. This embodiment can prevent the projection light for projecting the driving information from being projected to areas other than the passenger, depending on the passenger's riding posture. In addition, this embodiment can appropriately project the information at the position where the passenger is present. According to this embodiment, it is possible to more appropriately convey information to third parties around the vehicle.

[0083] The vehicle projection system 1 according to the present disclosure has been described so far, but the present disclosure may be embodied in various different forms other than the above-described embodiment.

[0084] Each component of the illustrated vehicle projection system 1 is a functional concept, and does not necessarily have to be physically configured as illustrated. In other words, the specific form of each device is not limited to that shown in the figure, and all or part of the devices may be functionally or physically distributed or integrated in any unit depending on the processing load and usage status of each device.

[0085] The configuration of the vehicle projection system 1 is realized, for example, as software, by a program loaded into a memory. In the above embodiment, the functional blocks are described as being realized by the cooperation of these hardware and software. In other words, these functional blocks can be realized in various forms by only hardware, only software, or a combination of both.

[0086] The above-mentioned components include those that a person skilled in the art can easily imagine and those that are substantially the same. Furthermore, the above-mentioned configurations can be appropriately combined. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, or modifications of the configurations are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0087] In the above, the projection control unit 54 may change the color of the video data to enhance visibility according to the detected color of the projection target based on the detection result of the target detection unit that detects the color of the projection target, such as the color of the passenger's clothing. This allows information to be appropriately conveyed to third parties around the vehicle regardless of the color of the projection target.

[0088] In the above, the projection is described as being onto the back of the passenger, but is not limited thereto. For example, the projection may be onto the abdomen of the passenger, luggage carried by the passenger, luggage loaded on the carrier, a helmet worn by the passenger, a box-shaped carrier towed by the vehicle, etc. When projecting onto the abdomen of the passenger, the projection unit 30 may be disposed at the front of the vehicle and projected in the direction corresponding to the passenger's body, i.e., toward the rear. When projecting onto a box-shaped carrier towed by the vehicle, the projection unit 30 may be disposed at the rear of the carrier of the vehicle and projected in the direction corresponding to the passenger's body, i.e., toward the front.

[0089] The vehicle projection control device, vehicle projection system, vehicle projection control method, and program disclosed herein can be used to transmit information to the surroundings of a vehicle, for example, in vehicles such as bicycles and two-wheeled vehicles including motorcycles, and kick scooters. [Explanation of symbols]

[0090] 1 Vehicle Projection System 10. Boarding Sensor 20 Sensor unit 30 Projection section 50 Vehicle projection control device 51 Passenger detection unit 52 Driving information acquisition unit 53 Projection information generation section 54 Projection control unit 100 Videos M Passenger MB Back MH head

Claims

1. an occupant detection unit that detects an occupant of the vehicle; a travel information acquisition unit that acquires travel information of the vehicle and information indicating that the vehicle is traveling; a projection control unit that projects the driving information acquired by the driving information acquisition unit onto a projection unit that projects an image in a direction corresponding to a body of the vehicle occupant when the passenger detection unit detects a passenger and the driving information acquisition unit acquires information indicating that the vehicle is traveling; a head detection unit that detects a head of an occupant of the vehicle in a projection direction of the projection unit; Equipped with The projection control unit changes a projection position of the driving information acquired by the driving information acquisition unit based on the head position detected by the head detection unit. Vehicle projection control device.

2. The head detection unit detects a head of an occupant of the vehicle from a captured image of the occupant of the vehicle, The projection control unit changes a projection position of the driving information acquired by the driving information acquisition unit when the head of the vehicle occupant detected by the head detection unit is detected as being tilted to the left or right or shifted from the captured image. The projection control device for a vehicle according to claim 1 .

3. The head detection unit detects that a head of the vehicle occupant is inclined or shifted in the left / right direction with respect to a center line of a shooting range of a captured image of the vehicle occupant. The projection control device for a vehicle according to claim 1 .

4. An index detection unit that detects an index indicating a projection range in a projection direction of the projection unit, The projection control unit projects the traveling information acquired by the traveling information acquisition unit into a range defined by the index detected by the index detection unit. The projection control device for a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The travel information acquisition unit acquires, as travel information of the vehicle, information indicating that the vehicle will be stopped or decelerated, The projection control unit projects an image indicating stopping or decelerating in a direction corresponding to a body of a passenger of the vehicle when the traveling information acquisition unit acquires information indicating that the vehicle will be stopped or decelerated. The projection control device for a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The travel information acquisition unit acquires, as travel information of the vehicle, information indicating that the vehicle is to change direction, The projection control unit projects an image indicating a direction to be changed in a direction corresponding to a body of a passenger of the vehicle when the traveling information acquisition unit acquires information indicating that the vehicle will change direction. The projection control device for a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

7. A projection control device for a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 6, A projection unit that projects information in a direction corresponding to a body of a passenger of the vehicle; A vehicle projection system comprising:

8. a passenger detection step of detecting a passenger getting into the vehicle; a travel information acquisition step of acquiring travel information of the vehicle and information indicating that the vehicle is traveling; a projection control step of projecting the driving information acquired by the driving information acquisition step in a direction corresponding to the body of the vehicle occupant, when the occupant is detected by the occupant detection step and information indicating that the vehicle is traveling is acquired by the traveling information acquisition step, on a projection unit that projects an image in the direction corresponding to the body of the occupant of the vehicle; a head detection step of detecting a head of an occupant of the vehicle in a projection direction of the projection unit; Including, The projection control step changes a projection position of the driving information acquired by the driving information acquisition step based on the head position detected by the head detection step. A projection control method for a vehicle.

9. a passenger detection step of detecting a passenger getting into the vehicle; a travel information acquisition step of acquiring travel information of the vehicle and information indicating that the vehicle is traveling; a projection control step of projecting the driving information acquired by the driving information acquisition step in a direction corresponding to the body of the vehicle occupant, when the occupant is detected by the occupant detection step and information indicating that the vehicle is traveling is acquired by the traveling information acquisition step, on a projection unit that projects an image in the direction corresponding to the body of the occupant of the vehicle; a head detection step of detecting a head of an occupant of the vehicle in a projection direction of the projection unit; Including, the projection control step includes changing a projection position of the driving information acquired by the driving information acquisition step based on a head position detected by the head detection step; A program for causing a computer operating as a vehicle projection control device to execute the above.

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