Vehicle display control device and vehicle display control method

Abstract

To enable a deterioration in convenience to a driver to be suppressed even in the case of reducing the amount of display of information related to traveling during automatic driving without monitoring obligation.SOLUTION: A vehicular display control device includes: a state specification part 102 for specifying a state of own vehicle; and a display control part 103 for controlling display of traveling related information being information related to traveling of the own vehicle in a display 18 provided in a cabin of the own vehicle. The display control part 103 omits the traveling related information to be displayed on the display 18 during automatic driving without monitoring obligation more than during driving with monitoring obligation, and on the other hand, suppresses the omission of the traveling related information in accordance with a state of the own vehicle other than whether or not it is during automatic driving without monitoring obligation specified by the state specification part 102 even during automatic driving without monitoring obligation.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for performing high-level autonomous driving in which a driver is not required to have a peripheral monitoring obligation.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In autonomous driving where no peripheral monitoring obligation is required (hereinafter referred to as autonomous driving without monitoring obligation), the driver is not required to have a peripheral monitoring obligation. Therefore, it is conceivable to reduce the amount of display of information related to the running of the vehicle (hereinafter referred to as running-related information) on the display compared to when driving with a peripheral monitoring obligation. However, depending on the type of running-related information to be reduced, information for the driver to enjoy moving by the vehicle may be reduced, and there is a risk that the convenience for the driver may be reduced.

[0005] One object of this disclosure is to provide a vehicle display control device and a vehicle display control method that can suppress a decrease in convenience for the driver even when reducing the amount of display of information related to running during autonomous driving without a monitoring obligation.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The above object is achieved by the combination of features described in the independent claims, and the dependent claims define further advantageous specific examples of the disclosure. The reference signs in parentheses described in the claims indicate the correspondence with the specific means described in the embodiments described below as one aspect, and do not limit the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, a vehicle display control device according to the present disclosure is a vehicle display control device that can be used in a vehicle that switches between a non-monitoring automatic driving that is an automatic driving without a surrounding monitoring obligation and a monitored driving that is a driving with a surrounding monitoring obligation, and includes a situation specifying unit (102, 102a, 102c, 102d, 102e) that specifies the situation of the vehicle, and a display control unit (103, 103a, 103b, 103c, 103d, 103e) that controls the display of travel-related information, which is information related to the travel of the vehicle, on a display (18, 18b) provided in the vehicle interior. The display control unit omits the travel-related information to be displayed on the display during non-monitoring automatic driving compared to during monitored driving, and suppresses the omission of the travel-related information according to the situation of the vehicle other than whether it is during non-monitoring automatic driving specified by the situation specifying unit even during non-monitoring automatic driving.

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, a vehicle display control method according to the present disclosure is a vehicle display control method that can be used in a vehicle that switches between a non-monitoring automatic driving that is an automatic driving without a surrounding monitoring obligation and a monitored driving that is a driving with a surrounding monitoring obligation, and includes a situation specifying step of specifying the situation of the vehicle, which is executed by at least one processor, and a display control step of controlling the display of travel-related information, which is information related to the travel of the vehicle, on a display (18, 18b) provided in the vehicle interior. In the display control step, the travel-related information to be displayed on the display is omitted during non-monitoring automatic driving compared to during monitored driving, and the omission of the travel-related information is suppressed according to the situation of the vehicle other than whether it is during non-monitoring automatic driving specified in the situation specifying step even during non-monitoring automatic driving.

[0009] According to the above configuration, during automated driving without a monitoring obligation, compared to during driving with a monitoring obligation, the driving-related information displayed on the display is omitted, so it becomes possible to reduce the amount of driving-related information displayed during automated driving without a monitoring obligation. Also, even during automated driving without a monitoring obligation, the omission of driving-related information is suppressed according to the vehicle's situation other than whether it is in automated driving without a monitoring obligation. Therefore, in a vehicle situation where omitting the driving-related information would reduce the convenience for the driver, it becomes possible to suppress the omission of the driving-related information. As a result, even when reducing the amount of driving-related information displayed during automated driving without a monitoring obligation, it becomes possible to suppress a decrease in convenience for the driver.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

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Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] While referring to the drawings, a plurality of embodiments for disclosure will be described. For the sake of convenience of explanation, among the plurality of embodiments, parts having the same functions as those shown in the drawings used in the previous explanations may be denoted by the same reference numerals, and the explanations thereof may be omitted. For the parts denoted by the same reference numerals, the explanations in other embodiments can be referred to.

[0012] (Embodiment 1) <Schematic Configuration of Vehicle System 1> Hereinafter, Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The vehicle system 1 shown in FIG. 1 can be used in a vehicle capable of autonomous driving (hereinafter, an autonomous driving vehicle). As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle system 1 includes an HCU (Human Machine Interface Control Unit) 10, a communication module 11, a locator 12, a map database (hereinafter, map DB) 13, a vehicle state sensor 14, a peripheral monitoring sensor 15, a vehicle control ECU 16, an autonomous driving ECU 17, and a display 18. For example, the HCU 10, the communication module 11, the locator 12, the map DB 13, the vehicle state sensor 14, the peripheral monitoring sensor 15, the vehicle control ECU 16, and the autonomous driving ECU 17 may be configured to be connected to an in-vehicle LAN (see the LAN in FIG. 1). The vehicle using the vehicle system 1 is not necessarily limited to an automobile, but hereinafter, the case of using it in an automobile will be described as an example.

[0013] As the degree of autonomous driving of an autonomous driving vehicle (hereinafter, automation level), for example, as defined by SAE, there can be multiple levels. The automation level is classified into LV0 to 5 as follows, for example.

[0014] LV0 is a level at which the driver performs all driving tasks without system intervention. The driving tasks may be referred to as dynamic driving tasks. The driving tasks are, for example, steering, acceleration / deceleration, and peripheral monitoring. LV0 corresponds to so-called manual driving. LV1 is a level at which the system assists either steering or acceleration / deceleration. LV1 corresponds to so-called driving assistance. LV2 is a level at which the system assists both steering and acceleration / deceleration. LV2 corresponds to so-called partial driving automation. LV1 to 2 are also considered to be part of autonomous driving.

[0015] For example, the level 1-2 automated driving is defined as the automated driving where the driver has the monitoring obligation related to safe driving (hereinafter simply referred to as the monitoring obligation). The monitoring obligation includes visual peripheral monitoring. The level 1-2 automated driving can be rephrased as the automated driving where secondary tasks are not permitted. A secondary task is an act other than the permitted driving for the driver and is a specific act defined in advance. A secondary task can also be rephrased as a secondary activity, another activity, etc. It is stipulated that the driver shall not be prevented from responding to the takeover request of the driving operation from the automated driving system. As an example, acts such as viewing contents such as videos, operating a smartphone, reading, and eating are assumed as secondary tasks.

[0016] The level 3 automated driving is at the level where the system can perform all driving tasks under specific conditions and the driver performs driving operations in case of emergency. In the level 3 automated driving, when there is a request for driving handover from the system, it is required that the driver can respond promptly. This driving handover can also be rephrased as the transfer of the peripheral monitoring obligation from the vehicle-side system to the driver. Level 3 corresponds to so-called conditional driving automation. As level 3, there is area-limited level 3 limited to a specific area. The specific area mentioned here may be a highway. The specific area may be, for example, a specific lane. As level 3, there is also traffic-jam-limited level 3 limited during traffic jams. The traffic-jam-limited level 3 may be configured to be limited, for example, during traffic jams on a highway. The highway may include an expressway for motor vehicles.

[0017] The level 4 automated driving is at the level where the system can perform all driving tasks except under specific situations such as non-navigable roads and extreme environments. Level 4 corresponds to so-called highly automated driving. The level 5 automated driving is at the level where the system can perform all driving tasks in all environments. Level 5 corresponds to so-called full automated driving. The level 4 and level 5 automated driving may be performed, for example, in a driving section where high-precision map data is prepared. The high-precision map data will be described later.

[0018] For example, the automated driving at levels LV3 to 5 is defined as automated driving where the driver has no obligation to monitor the surroundings. That is, it corresponds to automated driving without a monitoring obligation. The automated driving at levels LV3 to 5 can be rephrased as automated driving where a secondary task is permitted. Among the automated driving at levels LV3 to 5, the automated driving at level LV4 and above corresponds to automated driving where the driver's sleep is permitted. That is, it corresponds to automated driving with sleep permission. The automated driving at level LV4 and above can also be rephrased as automated driving where no handover to the driver is required even in an emergency. Among the automated driving at levels LV3 to 5, the automated driving at level 3 corresponds to automated driving where the driver's sleep is not permitted. The driving at levels LV0 to LV3 corresponds to driving where the driver's sleep is not permitted (hereinafter referred to as non-sleep-permitted driving). The automated driving vehicle of this embodiment is assumed to be capable of switching the automation level. The automation level may be configured to be switchable only between some of the levels LV0 to 5. The automated driving vehicle of this embodiment is assumed to be capable of at least performing automated driving without a monitoring obligation.

[0019] The communication module 11 transmits and receives information via wireless communication with a center outside the host vehicle. That is, it performs wide-area communication. The communication module 11 receives traffic jam information and the like from the center by wide-area communication. The communication module 11 may transmit and receive information via wireless communication with other vehicles. That is, it may perform vehicle-to-vehicle communication. The communication module 11 may transmit and receive information via wireless communication with a roadside unit installed on the roadside. That is, it may perform vehicle-to-roadside communication. When performing vehicle-to-roadside communication, the communication module 11 may receive information on the surrounding vehicles transmitted from the surrounding vehicles of the host vehicle via the roadside unit. Further, the communication module 11 may receive information on the surrounding vehicles transmitted from the surrounding vehicles of the host vehicle by wide-area communication via the center.

[0020] The locator 12 is equipped with a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver and an inertial sensor. The GNSS receiver receives positioning signals from a plurality of positioning satellites. The inertial sensor includes, for example, a gyro sensor and an acceleration sensor. The locator 12 sequentially measures the vehicle position (hereinafter referred to as the host vehicle position) of the host vehicle on which the locator 12 is mounted by combining the positioning signals received by the GNSS receiver and the measurement results of the inertial sensor. The host vehicle position may be represented by coordinates of latitude and longitude, for example. Note that, for the measurement of the host vehicle position, a travel distance obtained from signals sequentially output from a vehicle speed sensor described later may also be used.

[0021] The map DB 13 is a non-volatile memory and stores high-precision map data. The high-precision map data is map data with higher precision than the map data used for route guidance in the navigation function. The map DB 13 may also store the map data used for route guidance. The high-precision map data includes information available for autonomous driving, such as three-dimensional shape information of roads, number of lanes information, and information indicating the allowed traveling directions in each lane. In addition, the high-precision map data may include information on node points indicating the positions of both ends of road markings such as lane dividers. Note that the locator 12 may be configured not to use the GNSS receiver by using the three-dimensional shape information of roads. For example, the locator 12 may be configured to identify the host vehicle position by using the three-dimensional shape information of roads and the detection results of a peripheral monitoring sensor 15 such as a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging / Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging) or a peripheral monitoring camera that detects a point cloud of feature points of the road shape and structures. The three-dimensional shape information of roads may be generated based on captured images by REM (Road Experience Management).

[0022] Note that the map data distributed from an external server may be received via the communication module 11 by wide-area communication and stored in the map DB 13. In this case, the map DB 13 may be a volatile memory, and the communication module 11 may be configured to sequentially acquire map data in an area corresponding to the position of the host vehicle.

[0023] The vehicle state sensor 14 is a group of sensors for detecting various states of the host vehicle. Examples of the vehicle state sensor 14 include a vehicle speed sensor, a grip sensor, and an accelerator sensor. The vehicle speed sensor outputs vehicle speed pulses. The grip sensor detects whether or not the driver is gripping the steering wheel. The steering wheel can be also referred to as a wheel. Hereinafter, the steering wheel will be referred to as a wheel. The accelerator sensor detects the presence or absence of depression of the accelerator pedal. As the accelerator sensor, an accelerator pedal force sensor that detects the depression force applied to the accelerator pedal may be used. As the accelerator sensor, an accelerator stroke sensor that detects the depression amount of the accelerator pedal may be used. As the accelerator sensor, an accelerator switch that outputs a signal according to the presence or absence of the depression operation of the accelerator pedal may be used. The vehicle state sensor 14 outputs the detected sensing information to the in-vehicle LAN. Note that the sensing information detected by the vehicle state sensor 14 may be output to the in-vehicle LAN via an ECU mounted on the host vehicle.

[0024] The surrounding monitoring sensor 15 monitors the surrounding environment of the host vehicle. As an example, the surrounding monitoring sensor 15 detects obstacles around the host vehicle such as moving objects like pedestrians and other vehicles, and stationary objects like fallen objects on the road. Additionally, it detects road markings such as driving lane lines around the host vehicle. The surrounding monitoring sensor 15 is, for example, a surrounding monitoring camera that images a predetermined range around the host vehicle, a millimeter-wave radar that transmits detection waves to a predetermined range around the host vehicle, a sonar, a LIDAR, or other sensors. The surrounding monitoring camera sequentially outputs the captured images captured sequentially as sensing information to the automatic driving ECU 17. Sensors that transmit detection waves such as sonars, millimeter-wave radars, and LIDARs sequentially output the scanning results based on the received signals obtained when receiving the reflected waves reflected by obstacles as sensing information to the automatic driving ECU 17. The sensing information detected by the surrounding monitoring sensor 15 may be configured to be output to the automatic driving ECU 17 without passing through the in-vehicle LAN.

[0025] The vehicle control ECU 16 is an electronic control device that performs driving control of the host vehicle. Examples of the driving control include acceleration / deceleration control and / or steering control. Examples of the vehicle control ECU 16 include a steering ECU that performs steering control, a power unit control ECU that performs acceleration / deceleration control, and a brake ECU. The vehicle control ECU 16 performs driving control by outputting control signals to each driving control device such as an electronically controlled throttle, a brake actuator, and an EPS (Electric Power Steering) motor mounted on the host vehicle.

[0026] The automatic driving ECU 17 includes, for example, a processor, a memory, I / O, and a bus connecting these, and executes processing related to automatic driving by executing a control program stored in the memory. The memory referred to here is a non-transitory tangible storage medium that non-temporarily stores computer-readable programs and data. The non-transitory tangible storage medium is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory or a magnetic disk. The automatic driving ECU 17 includes, as functional blocks, a driving environment recognition unit, an action determination unit, and a control execution unit.

[0027] The driving environment recognition unit recognizes the driving environment of the host vehicle from the host vehicle position acquired from the locator 12, the map data acquired from the map DB 13, and the sensing information acquired from the surrounding monitoring sensor 15. As an example, the driving environment recognition unit uses this information to recognize the position, shape, and movement state of the objects around the host vehicle, and generates a virtual space that reproduces the actual driving environment. In the driving environment recognition unit, it is only necessary to recognize the position of the host vehicle on the map from the host vehicle position and the map data. If the driving environment recognition unit can acquire the position information, speed information, etc. of surrounding vehicles, etc. via the communication module 11, it may also use this information to recognize the driving environment.

[0028] In addition, the driving environment recognition unit may also determine the manual driving area (hereinafter referred to as the MD area) in the driving area of the host vehicle. The driving environment recognition unit may also determine the autonomous driving area (hereinafter referred to as the AD area) in the driving area of the host vehicle. The driving environment recognition unit may also determine the discrimination between the ST section and the non-ST section described later in the AD area.

[0029] The MD area is an area where autonomous driving is prohibited. In other words, the MD area is an area defined such that the driver executes all of the longitudinal control, lateral control, and surrounding monitoring of the host vehicle. The longitudinal direction is the direction that coincides with the front-rear direction of the host vehicle. The lateral direction is the direction that coincides with the width direction of the host vehicle. The longitudinal control corresponds to the acceleration / deceleration control of the host vehicle. The lateral control corresponds to the steering control of the host vehicle. For example, the MD area may be a general road. The MD area may also be a driving section of a general road where high-precision map data is not available.

[0030] The AD area is an area where autonomous driving is permitted. In other words, the AD area is an area where the host vehicle is defined as being able to substitute one or more of longitudinal control, lateral control, and surrounding monitoring. For example, the AD area may be a highway. The AD area may also be a driving section where high-precision map data is available. For example, area-limited LV3 autonomous driving (hereinafter, area-limited autonomous driving) may be permitted only on highways. Traffic-jam-limited LV3 autonomous driving (hereinafter, traffic-jam-limited autonomous driving) may be permitted only during traffic jams in the AD area.

[0031] The AD area is divided into an ST section and a non-ST section. The ST section is a section where area-limited autonomous driving is permitted. The non-ST section is a section where autonomous driving at or below LV2 and traffic-jam-limited autonomous driving are possible. In this embodiment, the non-ST section where LV1 autonomous driving is permitted and the non-ST section where LV2 autonomous driving is permitted are not separately divided. The non-ST section may be a section that does not correspond to the ST section within the AD area.

[0032] The behavior determination unit switches the control entity of the driving operation between the driver and the vehicle system. When the control right of the driving operation is on the system side, the behavior determination unit determines a driving plan for driving the host vehicle based on the recognition result of the driving environment by the driving environment recognition unit. As the driving plan, it is sufficient to determine the route to the destination and the behavior that the host vehicle should take to reach the destination. Examples of behavior include going straight, turning right, turning left, and changing lanes.

[0033] In addition, the driving behavior determination unit switches the automation level of the host vehicle's automatic driving as necessary. The driving behavior determination unit determines whether it is possible to increase the automation level. For example, when the host vehicle moves from the MD area to a non-ST section in the AD area, it may be determined that it is possible to switch from manual driving at LV0 to automatic driving at LV2 or lower. When the host vehicle moves from the MD area to an ST section in the AD area, it may be determined that it is possible to switch from manual driving at LV0 to area-limited automatic driving. When the host vehicle moves from a non-ST section to an ST section in the AD area, it may be determined that it is possible to switch from automatic driving at LV2 or lower to automatic driving at LV3. When the host vehicle is located in the AD area and the automation level is at LV2 or lower, and all the conditions for congestion-limited LV3 are met, it may be determined that it is possible to switch from automatic driving at LV2 or lower to congestion-limited automatic driving. Additionally, when the conditions for starting LV4 are met, it may be determined that it is possible to switch from LV3 or lower to LV4. When the driving behavior determination unit determines that it is possible to increase the automation level and the driver has approved the increase in the automation level, the automation level may be increased.

[0034] When the driving behavior determination unit determines that it is necessary to decrease the automation level, the automation level may be decreased. Cases where it is determined that it is necessary to decrease the automation level include when an override is detected, during a planned driving handover, and during an unplanned driving handover. An override is an operation for the driver of the host vehicle to spontaneously acquire control of the host vehicle. In other words, an override is an operation intervention by the driver of the vehicle. A planned driving handover is a scheduled driving handover determined by the system. An unplanned driving handover is an unexpected, unscheduled driving handover determined by the system.

[0035] When the control execution unit has the control right of the driving operation on the vehicle system side, it executes the acceleration / deceleration control and steering control of the host vehicle in accordance with the driving plan determined by the behavior determination unit in cooperation with the vehicle control ECU 16. The control execution unit executes, for example, ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control) control, LTA (Lane Tracing Assist) control, and LCA control (Lane Change Assist).

[0036] ACC control is a control that realizes the constant-speed driving of the host vehicle at the set vehicle speed or the follow-up driving of the preceding vehicle. In follow-up driving, acceleration / deceleration control is performed to maintain the inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the nearest preceding vehicle at the target inter-vehicle distance. The target inter-vehicle distance may be set according to the speed of the host vehicle. LTA control is a control that maintains the host vehicle's driving within the lane. In LTA control, steering control is performed to maintain the host vehicle's driving within the lane. LCA control is a control that automatically changes the lane of the host vehicle from the host lane to the adjacent lane. In LCA control, lane change is performed by performing acceleration / deceleration control and steering control.

[0037] The display 18 presents information by displaying it. The display 18 is provided inside the host vehicle. The display 18 presents information at least to the driver of the host vehicle. The display 18 displays information according to the instruction of the HCU 10.

[0038] As the display 18, for example, a meter MID (Multi Information Display), CID (Center Information Display), HUD (Head-Up Display), etc. can be used. The meter MID is a display device provided in front of the driver's seat in the vehicle interior. As an example, the meter MID may be configured to be provided on the meter panel. The CID is a display device arranged in the center of the instrument panel of the host vehicle. The HUD is provided, for example, on the instrument panel in the vehicle interior. The HUD projects a display image formed by a projector onto a predetermined projection area on the front windshield as a projection member. The light of the image reflected to the vehicle interior side by the front windshield is perceived by the driver seated in the driver's seat. Thereby, the driver can visually recognize the virtual image of the display image formed in front of the front windshield superimposed on a part of the foreground. The HUD may be configured to project the display image onto a combiner provided in front of the driver's seat instead of the front windshield. Hereinafter, the case where the display 18 is the meter MID will be taken as an example to continue the description.

[0039] The HCU 10 is mainly configured by a computer including a processor, a volatile memory, a non-volatile memory, I / O, and a bus connecting these. The HCU 10 is connected to the display 18 and the in-vehicle LAN. The HCU 10 controls the display on the display 18 by executing a control program stored in the non-volatile memory. This HCU 10 corresponds to a vehicle display control device. In the present embodiment, the case where the HCU 10 is used in a vehicle capable of at least non-monitoring automatic driving as automatic driving will be taken as an example for description. Note that the configuration of the HCU 10 regarding the control of the display on the display 18 will be described in detail below.

[0040] <Schematic Configuration of HCU 10> Next, the schematic configuration of the HCU 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the HCU 10 includes an information acquisition unit 101, a situation identification unit 102, and a display control unit 103 as functional blocks for controlling the display on the display 18. Also, the execution of the processing of each functional block of the HCU 10 by a computer corresponds to the execution of the vehicle display control method. Note that part or all of the functions executed by the HCU 10 may be configured hardware-wise by one or more ICs or the like. Also, part or all of the functional blocks included in the HCU 10 may be realized by a combination of software execution by a processor and hardware members.

[0041] The information acquisition unit 101 acquires information input from outside the HCU 10. The information acquisition unit 101 acquires information via, for example, an in-vehicle LAN. The information acquisition unit 101 acquires, for example, the recognition result of the driving environment recognition unit of the automatic driving ECU 17. The information acquisition unit 101 acquires the determination result of the action determination unit of the automatic driving ECU 17. The information acquisition unit 101 acquires the sensing information detected by the vehicle state sensor 14. The information acquisition unit 101 acquires the traffic jam information received by the communication module 11.

[0042] The situation identification unit 102 identifies the situation of the host vehicle. The situation identification unit 102 identifies the situation of the host vehicle from the information acquired by the information acquisition unit 101. The processing in this situation identification unit 102 corresponds to the situation identification step.

[0043] The situation identification unit 102 may identify the current automation level of the host vehicle based on the determination result in the action determination unit obtained from the automatic driving ECU 17. More specifically, the situation identification unit 102 may identify the current automation level of the host vehicle based on the information on the switching of the automation level in the action determination unit. For the automation level of LV3, it is preferable for the situation identification unit 102 to distinguish and identify area-limited automatic driving and traffic jam-limited automatic driving. Whether the situation identification unit 102 identifies that the automation level of the host vehicle is LV3 or higher corresponds to whether it is identified as automatic driving with monitoring obligation. Whether the situation identification unit 102 identifies that the automation level of the host vehicle is LV4 or higher corresponds to whether it is identified as automatic driving with sleep permission.

[0044] During traffic jam-limited automatic driving, the situation identification unit 102 preferably identifies the situation where the traffic jam in which the host vehicle is involved begins to be resolved (hereinafter referred to as the traffic jam resolution start situation). The situation identification unit 102 may identify the traffic jam resolution start situation based on the speed of the host vehicle detected by the vehicle speed sensor among the vehicle state sensors 14. As an example, when the speed of the host vehicle continues to be equal to or higher than the speed estimated to be a traffic jam for a certain period, the traffic jam resolution start situation may be identified. The certain period mentioned here may be set arbitrarily. The situation identification unit 102 may also identify the traffic jam resolution start situation based on the speed of the preceding vehicle of the host vehicle recognized by the driving environment recognition unit of the automatic driving ECU 17. As an example, when the speed of the preceding vehicle continues to be equal to or higher than the speed estimated to be a traffic jam for a certain period, the traffic jam resolution start situation may be identified. The situation identification unit 102 may also identify the traffic jam resolution start situation based on the traffic jam information received by the communication module 11. As an example, when the distance between the end point of the traffic jam section indicated by the traffic jam information and the position of the host vehicle is equal to or less than the threshold value, the traffic jam resolution start situation may be identified. The threshold value mentioned here may be set arbitrarily.

[0045] The situation identification unit 102 identifies the situation where the driver of the host vehicle holds the steering wheel based on the detection result of the grip sensor among the vehicle state sensors 14. The situation identification unit 102 identifies the situation where the driver of the host vehicle operates the accelerator pedal based on the detection result of the accelerator sensor among the vehicle state sensors 14.

[0046] The display control unit 103 controls the display on the display 18. The display control unit 103 controls the display on the display 18 of information related to the running of the own vehicle (hereinafter referred to as running-related information). The processing in this display control unit 103 corresponds to the display control step. Examples of the running-related information include information related to vehicle instruments (hereinafter referred to as instrument-related information), information related to the operating state of the automatic driving function (hereinafter referred to as AD-related information), information indicating the running environment (hereinafter referred to as running environment-related information), and the like. Examples of the vehicle instrument-related information include a tachometer (hereinafter referred to as a tach), a speedometer (hereinafter referred to as a speedo), an odometer, fuel gauge information, and the like. Examples of the AD-related information include the presence or absence of ACC control, the presence or absence of LTA control, the presence or absence of LCA control, information indicating the automation level, and the like. Examples of the running environment-related information include the position of surrounding vehicles relative to the own vehicle, lane line information, and the like.

[0047] During non-monitoring-obligation automatic driving, the display control unit 103 omits more running-related information to be displayed on the display 18 than during driving with a surrounding monitoring obligation (hereinafter referred to as driving with a monitoring obligation). The driving with a monitoring obligation mentioned here may be configured to include manual driving at LV0, or may be configured to be limited to automatic driving at LV2. On the other hand, even during non-monitoring-obligation automatic driving, the display control unit 103 suppresses the omission of running-related information according to the situation of the own vehicle other than whether it is non-monitoring-obligation automatic driving identified by the situation identification unit 102. According to this, during non-monitoring-obligation automatic driving, it becomes possible to reduce the amount of display of running-related information compared to during driving with a monitoring obligation. Also, even during non-monitoring-obligation automatic driving, since the omission of running-related information is suppressed according to the situation of the vehicle other than whether it is non-monitoring-obligation automatic driving, it becomes possible to suppress the omission of running-related information in a vehicle situation where the convenience for the driver decreases when the running-related information is omitted. As a result, even when reducing the amount of display of information related to running during non-monitoring-obligation automatic driving, it becomes possible to suppress a decrease in convenience for the driver.

[0048] The display control unit 103 preferably omits information regarding the behavior of the host vehicle itself (hereinafter referred to as behavior-related information) among the driving-related information displayed on the display 18 during traffic jam-limited automated driving without a monitoring obligation compared to during driving with a monitoring obligation. During traffic jam-limited automated driving, since the host vehicle maintains a low speed, there are few changes in behavior. Therefore, during traffic jam-limited automated driving, even if the behavior-related information is reduced, it is difficult for the convenience for the driver to decrease. Examples of the behavior-related information include, for example, instrument-related information. The behavior-related information to be omitted may be, for example, the information of the odometer. The behavior-related information to be omitted may also be information (hereinafter referred to as duplicate information) in which information of the same content in the host vehicle is redundantly shown in another expression or form. An example of the duplicate information is an image imitating a speedometer when the vehicle speed is redundantly shown by a number and an image imitating a speedometer. When the host vehicle is an electric vehicle, information regarding regenerative braking may also be included in the behavior-related information. Examples of the information regarding regenerative braking include information on the amount of electric power recovered by regenerative braking. Examples of the electric vehicle include an electric vehicle (EV), a plug-in hybrid vehicle, and the like.

[0049] Here, an example of the omission of the behavior-related information will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. In the figures, MI indicates the display screen of the display 18. SMI indicates an image imitating a speedometer (hereinafter referred to as a speedometer image). In the SMI, the needle indicates the scale corresponding to the vehicle speed of the host vehicle. TMI indicates an image imitating a tachometer (hereinafter referred to as a tachometer image). In the TMI, the needle indicates the scale corresponding to the rotational speed of the internal combustion engine or the motor for driving the host vehicle. SI indicates an image representing the vehicle speed of the host vehicle by a number (hereinafter referred to as a vehicle speed numerical image). The SMI and the SI overlap in terms of indicating the vehicle speed. PLI indicates an image representing the lane dividing line (hereinafter referred to as a dividing line image). The dividing line may also be referred to as a lane boundary line. HVI indicates an image representing the host vehicle (hereinafter referred to as a host vehicle image). OVI indicates an image representing the surrounding vehicles of the host vehicle (hereinafter referred to as surrounding vehicle images).

[0050] Figure 3 is an example of the display screen of the display 18 during driving with a monitoring obligation. As shown in Figure 3, during driving with a monitoring obligation, on the display screen of the display 18, a speedometer image, a tachometer image, and a vehicle speed numerical value image, which are behavior-related information, and a lane line image, a self-vehicle image, and a surrounding vehicle image, which are driving environment-related information, are displayed. Figure 4 is an example of the display screen of the display 18 during traffic jam-limited automatic driving. As shown in Figure 4, during traffic jam-limited driving, on the display screen of the display 18, a vehicle speed numerical value image, which is behavior-related information, and a lane line image, a self-vehicle image, and a surrounding vehicle image, which are driving environment-related information, are displayed. As shown in Figure 4, during traffic jam-limited automatic driving, compared with driving with a monitoring obligation, the display of the speedometer image and the tachometer image, which are behavior-related information, is omitted. During traffic jam-limited automatic driving, since there are few changes in behavior, even if the tachometer image is omitted, it is difficult for the convenience for the driver to decrease. Also, even if the speedometer image, which is overlapping information, is omitted, it is difficult for the convenience for the driver to decrease.

[0051] Note that the omission of the behavior-related information may be configured to be performed not only during traffic jam-limited automatic driving but also during area-limited automatic driving. Also, the omission of the behavior-related information may be configured to be performed not only during traffic jam-limited automatic driving but also during sleep-permitted automatic driving.

[0052] The display control unit 103 preferably suppresses the omission of behavior-related information when the situation of the host vehicle identified by the situation identification unit 102 is in the area-limited automatic driving even during the automatic driving without the monitoring obligation, compared with the case of the traffic jam-limited automatic driving. During the area-limited automatic driving, there are more changes in behavior than during the traffic jam-limited automatic driving. Therefore, by suppressing the omission of behavior-related information in the case of area-limited automatic driving, it is possible to make it difficult to reduce the convenience for the driver. As an example, the display control unit 103 may be configured to suppress the omission of behavior-related information by displaying the same behavior-related information as during the driving with the monitoring obligation during the area-limited automatic driving. The display control unit 103 may also be configured to suppress the omission of behavior-related information during the area-limited automatic driving while omitting more behavior-related information than during the driving with the monitoring obligation and less than during the traffic jam-limited automatic driving. For example, during the traffic jam-limited automatic driving, both the speedometer image and the tachometer image among the behavior-related information are omitted, while during the area-limited automatic driving, an example is given where the speedometer image is omitted but the tachometer image is not omitted.

[0053] Note that the configuration for suppressing the omission of behavior-related information may be a configuration for reducing the amount of information of the behavior-related information to be omitted. The configuration for suppressing the omission of behavior-related information may also be a configuration for reducing the amount of information of the behavior-related information by the default amount and then increasing it by the amount to be suppressed.

[0054] The display control unit 103 preferably omits the behavior-related information when the situation of the host vehicle identified by the situation identification unit 102 is in the sleep-permitted automatic driving, compared with the case of the area-limited automatic driving. During the sleep-permitted automatic driving, the driver may be sleeping. Therefore, even if the behavior-related information is omitted more than in the case of the area-limited automatic driving, it is difficult to reduce the convenience for the driver. Also, the display control unit 103 preferably makes the amount of the behavior-related information the same as that during the traffic jam-limited automatic driving when the situation of the host vehicle identified by the situation identification unit 102 is in the sleep-permitted automatic driving. During the sleep-permitted automatic driving, the driver may be sleeping. Therefore, even if the behavior-related information is omitted by the same amount as in the case of the traffic jam-limited automatic driving, it is difficult to reduce the convenience for the driver.

[0055] The display control unit 103 preferably reduces the behavior-related information displayed on the display 18 during automatic driving without a monitoring obligation compared to when driving with a monitoring obligation, while increasing the amount of driving environment-related information. For example, during automatic driving limited to traffic jams, the display control unit 103 may reduce the behavior-related information displayed on the display 18 compared to when driving in level 2 automatic driving, while increasing the amount of driving environment-related information. This is because when there is no obligation to monitor the surroundings, if the amount of driving environment-related information increases, the driver can feel more at ease.

[0056] Here, with reference to FIG. 5, an example of the omission of behavior-related information and the increase in driving environment-related information will be described. FIG. 5 is an example of the display screen of the display 18 during automatic driving limited to traffic jams. As shown in FIG. 5, during automatic driving limited to traffic jams, the display of the speedometer image and the tachometer image, which are behavior-related information, is omitted compared to when driving with a monitoring obligation. On the other hand, the number of lane lines indicated by the lane line image among the driving environment-related information is increased compared to during automatic driving without a monitoring obligation (see FIG. 3). Here, an example of increasing the amount of information of the lane line image is shown, but a configuration that increases the amount of driving environment-related information other than the lane line image may also be used. For example, as the number of displayed lane lines increases, the amount of information of the other vehicle image may be increased.

[0057] The display control unit 103 preferably suppresses the omission of behavior-related information when the situation of the host vehicle specified by the situation identification unit 102 is a situation where the driver of the host vehicle holds the steering wheel, even during automatic driving without a monitoring obligation. The display control unit 103 preferably suppresses the omission of behavior-related information when the situation of the host vehicle specified by the situation identification unit 102 is a situation where the driver of the host vehicle holds the steering wheel, even during traffic jam-limited automatic driving. The display control unit 103 preferably suppresses the omission of behavior-related information when the situation of the host vehicle specified by the situation identification unit 102 is a situation where the driver of the host vehicle operates the accelerator pedal, even during automatic driving without a monitoring obligation. The display control unit 103 preferably suppresses the omission of behavior-related information when the situation of the host vehicle specified by the situation identification unit 102 is a situation where the driver of the host vehicle operates the accelerator pedal, even during traffic jam-limited automatic driving. According to this, since the display on the display 18 changes according to the driver's operation, the convenience for the driver is improved. As an example of suppressing the omission of behavior-related information, the following may be done. When the display control unit 103 omits the display of the speedometer image and the tachometer image during automatic driving without a monitoring obligation, the omission of the display of the speedometer image and the tachometer image may be suppressed. Note that the omission and suppression of the omission of behavior-related information may be performed in other modes.

[0058] Based on the fact that the situation of the host vehicle identified by the situation identification unit 102 is a situation where the driver of the host vehicle is gripping the steering wheel, the display control unit 103 suppresses the omission of behavior-related information and increases the amount of behavior-related information compared to when the behavior-related information is omitted. Based on the fact that the situation of the host vehicle identified by the situation identification unit 102 is a situation where the driver of the host vehicle is operating the accelerator pedal, the display control unit 103 suppresses the omission of behavior-related information and increases the amount of behavior-related information compared to when the behavior-related information is omitted. When the display control unit 103 increases the amount of behavior-related information in this way, it is preferable to continue displaying the increased behavior-related information until at least a specified time has elapsed since the start of suppressing the omission of the behavior-related information. The display of the increased behavior-related information is preferably continued until the above-mentioned specified time has elapsed even when switching to a situation where the steering wheel is not being gripped. The display of the increased behavior-related information is preferably continued until the above-mentioned specified time has elapsed even when switching to a situation where the accelerator pedal is not being operated. According to this, while enabling the display on the display 18 to change according to the driver's operation, it is possible to suppress the annoyance of the display changing too frequently according to the driver's operation. The specified time mentioned here may be an arbitrarily set time.

[0059] When the display control unit 103 omits behavior-related information during traffic jam-limited automatic driving, based on the fact that the situation identification unit 102 has identified the start situation of traffic jam resolution, it is preferable to cancel the omission of behavior-related information before the traffic jam-limited automatic driving is cancelled. According to this, before the traffic jam-limited automatic driving is cancelled, the driver can receive the behavior-related information without omission and can be prepared in advance for driving after the cancellation of the traffic jam-limited automatic driving. Note that when the traffic jam-limited automatic driving is cancelled, it may be assumed that the driving with monitoring obligation is shifted to.

[0060] Here, with reference to FIG. 6, an example of the timing for canceling the omission of behavior-related information during traffic jam-limited automatic driving will be described. In the figure, T represents time, and I represents the amount of behavior-related information. TJADS indicates the timing of the start of traffic jam-limited automatic driving. TJADE indicates the timing of the cancellation of traffic jam-limited automatic driving. CS indicates the timing of specifying the traffic jam cancellation start situation in the situation identification unit 102. In the example of FIG. 6, after shifting from driving with a monitoring obligation to traffic jam-limited automatic driving, the case where traffic jam-limited automatic driving is canceled due to the cancellation of the traffic jam will be described as an example. When traffic jam-limited automatic driving is canceled, it may be shifted to driving with a monitoring obligation. As shown in FIG. 6, when shifting from driving with a monitoring obligation to traffic jam-limited automatic driving, the omission of behavior-related information displayed on the display 18 is performed. On the other hand, when the traffic jam cancellation start situation is specified in the situation identification unit 102, the omission of behavior-related information is canceled from before the cancellation of traffic jam-limited automatic driving.

[0061] <Display control-related processing in HCU10> Here, with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 7, an example of the flow of processing related to the control of the display of driving-related information in HCU10 (hereinafter, display control-related processing) will be described. The flowchart of FIG. 7 may be configured to start when, for example, a switch (hereinafter, power switch) for starting the internal combustion engine or motor generator of the host vehicle is turned on. In addition, in the case of a configuration in which the on / off of the automatic driving function can be switched, a configuration may be added in which the condition that the automatic driving function is on is also added.

[0062] First, in step S1, when it is specified in the situation identification unit 102 that the automation level of the host vehicle is LV3 or higher (YES in S1), the process proceeds to step S2. That is, when it is specified in the situation identification unit 102 that the host vehicle is in automatic driving without a monitoring obligation, the process proceeds to step S2. On the other hand, when it is specified that the automation level of the host vehicle is less than LV3 (NO in S1), the process proceeds to step S13.

[0063] In step S2, when the situation identification unit 102 determines that the automation level of the host vehicle is LV4 or higher (YES in S2), the process proceeds to step S9. That is, when the situation identification unit 102 determines that the host vehicle is in sleep-permitted automated driving, the process proceeds to step S9. On the other hand, when the automation level of the host vehicle is determined to be LV3 (NO in S2), the process proceeds to step S3.

[0064] In step S3, when the situation identification unit 102 determines that the automation level of the host vehicle is congestion-limited LV3 (YES in S3), the process proceeds to step S4. That is, when the situation identification unit 102 determines that the host vehicle is in congestion-limited automated driving, the process proceeds to step S4. On the other hand, when the automation level of the host vehicle is determined to be area-limited LV3 (NO in S3), the process proceeds to step S13. That is, when the situation identification unit 102 determines that the host vehicle is in area-limited automated driving, the process proceeds to step S13.

[0065] In step S4, the display control unit 103 omits the behavior-related information to be displayed on the display 18 compared to when driving at LV2 or lower. In step S5, the display control unit 103 increases the amount of driving environment-related information.

[0066] In step S6, when the situation identification unit 102 determines that the driver of the host vehicle is in a situation of gripping the steering wheel or operating the accelerator pedal (YES in S6), the process proceeds to step S7. The situation where the driver of the host vehicle grips the steering wheel or operates the accelerator pedal is referred to as a specific operation situation. On the other hand, when the situation identification unit 102 does not identify the specific operation situation (NO in S6), the process proceeds to step S13.

[0067] In step S7, the display control unit 103 suppresses the omission of the behavior-related information to be displayed on the display 18. In step S8, for a specified time after starting the suppression of the omission of the behavior-related information, even if the situation identification unit 102 no longer identifies the specific operation situation, the suppression of the omission continues, and the process proceeds to step S13.

[0068] In step S9, the display control unit 103 omits the behavior-related information to be displayed on the display 18 as compared with during driving at LV2 or lower. In step S10, if the situation identification unit 102 identifies a specific operation situation (YES in S10), the process proceeds to step S11. On the other hand, if the situation identification unit 102 has not identified a specific operation situation (NO in S10), the process proceeds to step S13.

[0069] In step S11, the display control unit 103 suppresses the omission of the behavior-related information to be displayed on the display 18. In step S12, for a specified time after starting to suppress the omission of the behavior-related information, even if the situation identification unit 102 no longer identifies a specific operation situation, the suppression of the omission is continued, and the process proceeds to step S13.

[0070] In step S13, if it is the end timing of the display control-related process (YES in S13), the display control-related process is ended. On the other hand, if it is not the end timing of the display control-related process (NO in S13), the process returns to S1 and the process is repeated. Examples of the end timing of the display control-related process include that the power switch has been turned off, the automatic driving function has been turned off, and the like.

[0071] In FIG. 7, when the host vehicle is in area-limited automatic driving, a configuration is shown in which the omission of the behavior-related information to be displayed on the display 18 is not performed, but it is not necessarily limited to this. Even when the host vehicle is in area-limited automatic driving, the behavior-related information to be displayed on the display 18 may be omitted as compared with during driving at LV2 or lower. And the same processes as S9 to S12 may be performed. Note that when the host vehicle is in area-limited automatic driving and the behavior-related information is omitted, it is preferable to reduce the degree of omission of the behavior-related information as compared with the case of traffic jam-limited automatic driving.

[0072] (Embodiment 2) Not limited to the configuration of the foregoing embodiment, the configuration of the following Embodiment 2 may also be used. Below, an example of the configuration of Embodiment 2 will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0073] <Schematic Configuration of Vehicle System 1a> The vehicle system 1a shown in FIG. 8 can be used in an autonomous vehicle. As shown in FIG. 8, the vehicle system 1a includes an HCU 10a, a communication module 11, a locator 12, a map DB 13, a vehicle state sensor 14, a surrounding monitoring sensor 15, a vehicle control ECU 16, an autonomous driving ECU 17, and a display 18. The vehicle system 1b is the same as the vehicle system 1 of Embodiment 1, except that it includes an HCU 10a instead of the HCU 10.

[0074] <Schematic Configuration of HCU10a> As shown in FIG. 9, the HCU 10a includes an information acquisition unit 101, a situation identification unit 102a, and a display control unit 103a as functional blocks. The HCU 10a includes a situation identification unit 102a instead of the situation identification unit 102. The HCU 10a includes a display control unit 103a instead of the display control unit 103. The HCU 10a is the same as the HCU 10 of Embodiment 1, except for these points. This HCU 10a also corresponds to a vehicle display control device. Also, the execution of the processing of each functional block of the HCU 10a by a computer corresponds to the execution of the vehicle display control method.

[0075] The situation identification unit 102a is the same as the situation identification unit 102 of Embodiment 1, except that some of the processing is different. Hereinafter, this different point will be described. The situation identification unit 102a identifies the driving location of the host vehicle. The situation identification unit 102a may identify the driving location of the host vehicle from the recognition result of the driving environment recognition unit of the autonomous driving ECU 17. The situation identification unit 102a identifies whether the driving location of the host vehicle is a general road. A general road can also be described as a road other than the aforementioned highway. The situation identification unit 102a preferably also identifies whether the driving location of the host vehicle is an intersection.

[0076] The display control unit 103a is the same as the display control unit 103 in Embodiment 1, except that some processes are different. Hereinafter, these differences will be described. The display control unit 103a displays more behavior-related information during driving on ordinary roads than during driving at a level lower than level 2 when in automated driving at level 2 or higher. Automated driving at level 2 or higher is automated driving at a level that supports both steering and acceleration / deceleration. Whether it is in automated driving at level 2 or higher is specified by the situation identification unit 102a. Whether the vehicle is driving on an ordinary road is also specified by the situation identification unit 102a. On ordinary roads, there are more disturbances than on highways. Therefore, it is likely that a driving mode change from automated driving at level 2 or higher to a level lower than level 2 is required. When a driving mode change occurs, it is easier for the driver to respond to the driving mode change if more behavior-related information is displayed for the driver. In contrast, according to the above configuration, in a situation where a driving mode change is more likely to occur, it becomes easier for the driver to respond to the driving mode change.

[0077] The display control unit 103a may display more behavior-related information during driving on ordinary roads than during manual driving when in automated driving at level 2 or higher. When a driving mode change occurs from automated driving at level 2 or higher, it is considered that more behavior-related information is required for the driver than when continuing manual driving. In contrast, according to the above configuration, in a situation where a driving mode change is more likely to occur, it becomes even easier for the driver to respond to the driving mode change.

[0078] Even during unsupervised automated driving, the display control unit 103a may suppress the omission of behavior-related information when the situation of the host vehicle specified by the situation identification unit 102a is during driving on an ordinary road compared to when not driving on an ordinary road. According to this, in a situation where a driving mode change is more likely to occur, it becomes easier for the driver to respond to the driving mode change.

[0079] The display control unit 103a preferably displays more behavior-related information during automatic driving at level 2 or higher when the vehicle is driving through an intersection. That is, when the vehicle is driving on a general road and through an intersection, more behavior-related information may be displayed than when the vehicle is driving on a general road but not through an intersection. Whether the vehicle is driving through an intersection or not may be specified by the situation identification unit 102a. Among general roads, there are more disturbances at intersections than when not at an intersection. Therefore, it is likely that a driving mode change from automatic driving at level 2 or higher to driving at less than level 2 is required. On the other hand, according to the above configuration, in a situation where a driving mode change is more likely to occur, it becomes easier for the driver to respond to the driving mode change.

[0080] (Embodiment 3) The configuration is not limited to that of the foregoing embodiment, and the following configuration of Embodiment 3 may also be used. Hereinafter, an example of the configuration of Embodiment 3 will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0081] <Schematic Configuration of Vehicle System 1b> The vehicle system 1b shown in FIG. 10 can be used in an autonomous vehicle. As shown in FIG. 10, the vehicle system 1b includes an HCU 10b, a communication module 11, a locator 12, a map DB 13, a vehicle state sensor 14, a surrounding monitoring sensor 15, a vehicle control ECU 16, an autonomous driving ECU 17, and a display 18b. The vehicle system 1b includes the HCU 10b instead of the HCU 10. The vehicle system 1b includes the display 18b instead of the display 18. Except for these points, the vehicle system 1b is the same as the vehicle system 1 of Embodiment 1.

[0082] The display device 18b includes a driver display 181 and a passenger display 182. The display device 18b is the same as the display device 18 in Embodiment 1, except that it is essential to present information to the passengers as well. The driver display 181 is a display device 18b for the driver of the own vehicle. The driver display 181 may be a display device 18b whose display area is located in front of the driver's seat. Examples of the driver display 181 include the meter MID. The driver display 181 may also be a HUD. The passenger display 182 is a display device 18b provided so that the passengers can view it. A passenger is a passenger of the own vehicle other than the driver. The display device 18b provided so that the passengers can view it does not include the driver display 181. Examples of the display device 18b provided so that the passengers can view it include, for example, the CID. The passenger display 182 may also be a display device 18b for the passengers. Examples of the display device 18b for the passengers include a display device 18 whose display area is located in front of the passenger seat. Examples of the display device 18b for the passengers include a display device 18b provided in the rear seat.

[0083] <Schematic Configuration of HCU10b> As shown in FIG. 11, the HCU10b includes an information acquisition unit 101, a situation identification unit 102, and a display control unit 103b as functional blocks. The HCU10b is the same as the HCU10 in Embodiment 1, except that it includes a display control unit 103b instead of the display control unit 103. This HCU10b also corresponds to a vehicle display control device. Also, the execution of the processing of each functional block of the HCU10b by a computer corresponds to the execution of a vehicle display control method.

[0084] The display control unit 103b is the same as the display control unit 103 of the first embodiment, except that some processes are different. Hereinafter, these differences will be described. The display control unit 103a controls the display on the display 18b. That is, the display control unit 103a controls the driver display 181 and the passenger display 182. During the automatic driving at level 2 or higher, the display control unit 103b causes the passenger display 182 to display behavior-related information. On the other hand, when switching to a driving at a level lower than level 2, the display control unit 103b causes the passenger display 182 to transition to display information on entertainment-related content. The information on entertainment-related content is hereinafter referred to as entertainment information. Examples of the entertainment information include contents such as videos. The entertainment information can also be paraphrased as information corresponding to the information used for the secondary task for the driver.

[0085] During the automatic driving at level 2 or higher, the display control unit 103b may cause the passenger display 182 to display behavior-related information and entertainment information. When there are a plurality of passenger displays 182 visible to the passengers, the display control unit 103b may display the behavior-related information on one of them and the entertainment information on the other. As an example, the behavior-related information may be displayed on the passenger display 182 whose display area is located in front of the passenger seat, and the entertainment information may be displayed on the CID. Then, when switching to a driving at a level lower than level 2, it may transition to display only the entertainment information among the behavior-related information and the entertainment information. During the automatic driving at level 2 or higher, the display control unit 103b may cause the passenger display 182 to display only the behavior-related information among the behavior-related information and the entertainment information. Then, when switching to a driving at a level lower than level 2, it may end the display of the behavior-related information and transition to display the entertainment information.

[0086] During automated driving at level 2 or above, the driver's involvement in driving is reduced. In such a case, by displaying the behavior-related information on the passenger display 182, the passengers can know the driving situation of the vehicle in more detail and feel more at ease. On the other hand, during automated driving below level 2, the driver's involvement in driving increases. In such a situation where the passengers can feel more at ease, instead of presenting behavior-related information, entertainment information is displayed. Thus, the passengers can enjoy the entertainment information more intensively and can enjoy the time during driving more.

[0087] During automated driving at level 2 or above, it is preferable for the display control unit 103b to synchronize the display content between the passenger display 182 and the driver display 181. During automated driving at level 2 or above, the driver's involvement in driving is reduced. In such a case, the opportunity for conversation between the driver and the passengers increases. According to the above configuration, in such a situation where the opportunity for conversation between the driver and the passengers increases, it becomes easier for the driver and the passengers to share topics.

[0088] During automated driving at level 1 or above, the display control unit 103b may display behavior-related information on the passenger display 182, and when switching to manual driving, end the display of the behavior-related information and transition to display entertainment information. According to this, it is possible to display behavior-related information on the passenger display 182 until the situation where the passengers can feel particularly at ease, thereby reassuring the passengers. Also, during automated driving at level 1 or above, the display control unit 103b may synchronize the display content between the passenger display 182 and the driver display 181. During automated driving at level 1 or above, compared to during manual driving, the driver's involvement in driving is reduced. In such a case, it is considered that the opportunity for conversation between the driver and the passengers increases compared to during manual driving. According to the above configuration, in a situation where the opportunity for conversation between the driver and the passengers is more than during manual driving, it becomes easier for the driver and the passengers to share topics. Note that automated driving at level 1 or above can also be simply referred to as automated driving.

[0089] The display control unit 103b preferably does not cause the on-vehicle passenger display 182 to display warnings regarding the driving of the host vehicle during automated driving at level 2 or higher. On the other hand, the display control unit 103b preferably causes the driver display 181 to display warnings regarding the driving of the host vehicle during automated driving at level 2 or higher. Warnings regarding the driving of the host vehicle include warnings prompting a driving change. Here, the condition is during automated driving at level 2 or higher, but it is not necessarily limited to this. For example, it may be conditioned on during automated driving without a monitoring obligation.

[0090] During automated driving without a monitoring obligation, the display control unit 103b preferably causes less behavior-related information to be displayed on the on-vehicle passenger display 182 than on the driver display 181. This is because even during the same automated driving without a monitoring obligation, passengers who do not need a driving change have a lower need for behavior-related information. Even when the display control unit 103b omits reducing the amount of behavior-related information displayed on the driver display 181, the display control unit 103b causes less behavior-related information to be displayed on the on-vehicle passenger display 182 than the amount of this omission. During automated driving without a monitoring obligation, the display control unit 103b preferably causes less behavior-related information to be displayed on the on-vehicle passenger display 182 than on the driver display 181. Here, the condition is during automated driving without a monitoring obligation, but it is not necessarily limited to this. For example, it may be conditioned on during automated driving at level 1 or higher. Alternatively, it may be conditioned on during automated driving at level 2 or higher.

[0091] (Embodiment 4) Not limited to the configuration of the foregoing embodiments, the configuration of the following Embodiment 4 may also be used. Below, an example of the configuration of Embodiment 4 will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0092] <Schematic configuration of the vehicle system 1c> The vehicle system 1c shown in FIG. 12 can be used in an autonomous vehicle. As shown in FIG. 12, the vehicle system 1c includes an HCU 10c, a communication module 11, a locator 12, a map DB 13, a vehicle state sensor 14, a surrounding monitoring sensor 15, a vehicle control ECU 16, an autonomous driving ECU 17, and a display 18. The vehicle system 1c is the same as the vehicle system 1 of Embodiment 1, except that it includes an HCU 10c instead of the HCU 10.

[0093] <Schematic configuration of HCU10c> As shown in FIG. 13, the HCU 10c includes an information acquisition unit 101, a situation identification unit 102c, and a display control unit 103c as functional blocks. The HCU 10c includes a situation identification unit 102c instead of the situation identification unit 102. The HCU 10c includes a display control unit 103c instead of the display control unit 103. The HCU 10c is the same as the HCU 10 of Embodiment 1, except for these points. This HCU 10c also corresponds to a vehicle display control device. Also, the execution of the processing of each functional block of the HCU 10c by a computer corresponds to the execution of a vehicle display control method.

[0094] The situation identification unit 102c is the same as the situation identification unit 102 of Embodiment 1, except that some of the processing is different. Hereinafter, this different point will be described. The situation identification unit 102c identifies the traveling location of the host vehicle. The situation identification unit 102c may identify the traveling location of the host vehicle from the recognition result of the traveling environment recognition unit of the autonomous driving ECU 17. The situation identification unit 102c identifies whether the traveling location of the host vehicle is a downhill slope. A downhill slope can also be referred to as a road section with a downward gradient.

[0095] The display control unit 103c is the same as the display control unit 103 in the first embodiment, except that some processes are different. Hereinafter, this difference will be described. The display control unit 103c suppresses the omission of behavior-related information when the host vehicle is traveling downhill even during automatic driving without a monitoring obligation. Whether the vehicle is traveling downhill is also specified by the situation identification unit 102c. During automatic driving without a monitoring obligation, when traveling downhill, it is conceivable to decelerate by engine braking. During automatic driving without a monitoring obligation, it is difficult for the occupant to recognize whether the vehicle is decelerating by engine braking. Therefore, the occupant is likely to feel uneasy about the operating sound of the engine brake. On the other hand, according to the above configuration, by displaying more behavior-related information in a situation where the engine brake operates, it is easier to reduce this uneasiness.

[0096] (Embodiment 5) Not limited to the configuration of the foregoing embodiments, the following configuration of Embodiment 5 may also be used. Hereinafter, an example of the configuration of Embodiment 5 will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0097] <Schematic Configuration of Vehicle System 1d> The vehicle system 1b shown in FIG. 14 can be used in an electric vehicle capable of automatic driving. The electric vehicle may be, for example, an EV. Further, this electric vehicle using the vehicle system 1d has a plurality of regeneration modes with different degrees of regenerative braking. For example, the modes with different degrees of regenerative braking may be modes with different magnitudes of the application of regenerative braking when the accelerator pedal is released. The degree of regenerative braking is hereinafter referred to as the regeneration degree. The modes with different regeneration degrees include a mode in which regenerative braking is performed and a mode in which regenerative braking is not performed. The modes with different regeneration degrees preferably include a plurality of modes with different regeneration degrees as the mode in which regenerative braking is performed. In the present embodiment, a case where the electric vehicle has a non-regenerative mode in which regenerative braking is not performed, a weak regenerative mode in which regenerative braking is weak, and a strong regenerative mode in which regenerative braking is strong will be described as an example.

[0098] As shown in FIG. 14, the vehicle system 1d includes an HCU 10d, a communication module 11, a locator 12, a map DB 13, a vehicle state sensor 14, a peripheral monitoring sensor 15, a vehicle control ECU 16, an automatic driving ECU 17d, and a display 18. The vehicle system 1d includes the HCU 10d instead of the HCU 10. The vehicle system 1d includes the automatic driving ECU 17d instead of the automatic driving ECU 17. Except for these points, the vehicle system 1d is the same as the vehicle system 1 of Embodiment 1.

[0099] Except for some different processes, the automatic driving ECU 17d is the same as the automatic driving ECU 17 of Embodiment 1. Hereinafter, these different points will be described. The action determination unit of the automatic driving ECU 17d may switch to the regeneration mode as necessary. The automatic driving ECU 17d may switch the regeneration mode according to the selection input received from the occupant by the input device of the host vehicle. The input device may be a touch switch, a mechanical switch, or a voice input device.

[0100] <Schematic Configuration of HCU10d> As shown in FIG. 15, the HCU 10d includes an information acquisition unit 101, a situation identification unit 102d, and a display control unit 103d as functional blocks. The HCU 10d includes the situation identification unit 102d instead of the situation identification unit 102. The HCU 10d includes the display control unit 103d instead of the display control unit 103. Except for these points, the HCU 10d is the same as the HCU 10 of Embodiment 1. This HCU 10d also corresponds to the vehicle display control device. Also, the execution of the processes of the respective functional blocks of the HCU 10d by a computer corresponds to the execution of the vehicle display control method.

[0101] Except for some different processes, the situation identification unit 102d is the same as the situation identification unit 102 of Embodiment 1. Hereinafter, these different points will be described. The situation identification unit 102d identifies the regeneration mode in use of the host vehicle as the situation of the host vehicle. The situation identification unit 102d may identify the regeneration mode in use of the host vehicle from the determination result of the action determination unit of the automatic driving ECU 17.

[0102] The display control unit 103d is the same as the display control unit 103 of the first embodiment, except that some processes are different. Hereinafter, these differences will be described. The display control unit 103d changes the display amount of the behavior-related information according to the regeneration mode being used by the host vehicle specified by the situation specifying unit 102d. It is conceivable that the amount of behavior-related information required by the occupant differs according to the preferred regeneration mode. On the other hand, according to the above configuration, it is possible to display an amount of behavior-related information according to the preferred regeneration mode, thereby improving the comfort for the occupant.

[0103] It is preferable that the display control unit 103d increases the display amount of the information related to the regenerative braking (hereinafter referred to as regeneration-related information) among the behavior-related information as the regeneration mode with a higher degree of regeneration is being used. The regeneration-related information may be, for example, information on the amount of electric power being recovered by the regenerative braking. It is highly likely that an occupant who selects a regeneration mode with a higher degree of regeneration has a greater interest in the degree of application of the regenerative braking of the host vehicle. On the other hand, according to the above configuration, an occupant with a greater interest in the degree of application of the regenerative braking of the host vehicle can receive more display of the regeneration-related information. Therefore, it is possible to improve the comfort of the occupant.

[0104] On the other hand, the display control unit 103d may increase the display amount of the information corresponding to the rotational speed of the internal combustion engine or the motor for driving the vehicle among the behavior-related information as the regeneration mode with a lower degree of regeneration is being used. The information corresponding to the rotational speed of the internal combustion engine or the motor for driving the vehicle will be hereinafter referred to as rotational speed information. It is highly likely that an occupant who selects a regeneration mode with a lower degree of regeneration has a greater interest in the driving performance of the host vehicle. On the other hand, according to the above configuration, an occupant with a greater interest in the driving performance of the host vehicle can receive more display of the rotational speed information of the host vehicle. Therefore, it is possible to improve the comfort of the occupant.

[0105] Here, with reference to FIG. 16, an example of the display amount of behavior-related information according to the regeneration mode during the use of the vehicle will be described. The regeneration mode is classified into three types: strong regeneration mode, weak regeneration mode, and non-regeneration mode, from the one with a large degree of regeneration. For the sake of convenience, the display amount of behavior-related information is represented in three levels: large, medium, and small. As shown in FIG. 16, in the case of the strong regeneration mode, the display amount of regeneration-related information is "large", and the display amount of rotational speed information is "small". In the case of the weak regeneration mode, the display amount of regeneration-related information is "medium", and the display amount of rotational speed information is "medium". In the case of the non-regeneration mode, the display amount of regeneration-related information is "small", and the display amount of rotational speed information is "large". Note that the display amount of "small" may mean no display.

[0106] During the automatic driving without monitoring obligation, the display control unit 103d may change the suppression degree of omission of behavior-related information according to the regeneration mode of the host vehicle specified by the situation specifying unit 102d during use. The display control unit 103d may increase the suppression degree of labor saving of regeneration-related information as the regeneration mode with a larger degree of regeneration is being used. The display control unit 103d may increase the suppression degree of omission of tachometer information as the regeneration mode with a smaller degree of regeneration is being used. According to this, even when performing an omission to reduce the display amount of behavior-related information, it is possible to increase the type of behavior-related information according to the regeneration mode preferred by the occupant. Therefore, it is possible to improve the comfort of the occupant.

[0107] (Embodiment 6) The configuration is not limited to that of the foregoing embodiment, and the following configuration of Embodiment 6 may also be used. Hereinafter, an example of the configuration of Embodiment 6 will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0108] <Schematic Configuration of Vehicle System 1e> The vehicle system 1e shown in FIG. 17 can be used in a vehicle capable of automatic driving by remote operation (hereinafter referred to as a remotely operated vehicle). The remotely operated vehicle may realize automatic driving by remote operation by performing vehicle control according to the remote operation command value transmitted from the remote operation center. In the automatic driving by remote operation, for example, it may perform automatic driving at an automation level of LV4.

[0109] As shown in FIG. 17, the vehicle system 1e includes an HCU 10e, a communication module 11e, a locator 12, a map DB 13, a vehicle state sensor 14, a peripheral monitoring sensor 15, a vehicle control ECU 16, an automatic driving ECU 17e, and a display 18. The vehicle system 1e includes the HCU 10e instead of the HCU 10. The vehicle system 1e includes the communication module 11e instead of the communication module 11. The vehicle system 1e includes the automatic driving ECU 17e instead of the automatic driving ECU 17. Except for these points, the vehicle system 1e is the same as the vehicle system 1 of Embodiment 1.

[0110] The communication module 11e is the same as the communication module 11 of Embodiment 1 except that some processes are different. Hereinafter, these different points will be described. When a remote operation command value is transmitted from the remote operation center, the communication module 11e receives this remote operation command value. The remote operation center is a center for remotely operating an autonomous vehicle. At the remote operation center, a remote operation command value corresponding to a driving operation input by the remote operator to the operation system is transmitted. The remote operator remotely operates the remote operation vehicle outside the host vehicle. The communication module 11e may receive the remote operation command value from the remote operation center by wide area communication.

[0111] The automatic driving ECU 17e is the same as the automatic driving ECU 17 in Embodiment 1, except that some processes are different. The following describes these differences. The action determination unit of the automatic driving ECU 17e determines a driving plan in accordance with the remote operation command value received from the remote operation center. As a result, the remotely operated vehicle will perform automatic driving in accordance with the remote operation command value. The automatic driving ECU 17e may acquire the remote operation command value via the communication module 11e. The action determination unit of the automatic driving ECU 17e determines whether the automatic driving by remote operation can continue. For example, the action determination unit may determine that the automatic driving cannot continue when the communication status with the remote operation center deteriorates. When the automatic driving ECU 17e determines that the automatic driving cannot continue, it transfers the driving to the driving operation by the occupant of the remotely operated vehicle.

[0112] <Schematic configuration of HCU10e> As shown in FIG. 18, the HCU 10e includes an information acquisition unit 101e, a situation identification unit 102e, and a display control unit 103e as functional blocks. The HCU 10e includes the situation identification unit 102e instead of the situation identification unit 102. The HCU 10e includes the display control unit 103e instead of the display control unit 103. The HCU 10e includes an external instruction unit 104. The HCU 10e is the same as the HCU 10 in Embodiment 1, except for these points. This HCU 10e also corresponds to a vehicle display control device. Also, the execution of the processing of each functional block of the HCU 10e by a computer corresponds to the execution of the vehicle display control method.

[0113] The situation identification unit 102e is the same as the situation identification unit 102 in the first embodiment, except that some processes are different. The following will explain this difference. The situation identification unit 102e identifies whether the host vehicle is under remote operation as the situation of the host vehicle. The situation identification unit 102e may identify whether the host vehicle is under remote operation from the determination result of the action determination unit of the automatic driving ECU 17e. The situation identification unit 102e also identifies whether the situation has changed from remote operation of the host vehicle to a situation where the occupant's operation is required. The situation identification unit 102e may identify whether the situation has changed from remote operation of the host vehicle to a situation where the occupant's operation is required from the determination result of the action determination unit of the automatic driving ECU 17e. The case where it is determined that the above-described automatic driving cannot be continued corresponds to a situation where the occupant's operation is required from remote operation of the host vehicle.

[0114] The external instruction unit 104 instructs the display of information for the remote operator. The information for the remote operator is hereinafter referred to as remote-directed information. The remote-directed information may be the driving-related information of the host vehicle. The external instruction unit 104 may transmit the remote-directed information to the remote operation center via the communication module 11e. The remote-directed information may be the same image data as the image data sent to the display 18. At the remote operation center, the remote-directed information received from the communication module 11e may be displayed on the display used by the remote operator.

[0115] The display control unit 103e is the same as the display control unit 103 in the first embodiment, except that some processes are different. Hereinafter, this difference will be described. When the situation of the host vehicle specified by the situation specifying unit 102e is during the remote operation of the host vehicle, the display control unit 103e omits more behavior-related information than when it is not during the remote operation. On the other hand, when the host vehicle changes from being under remote operation to a situation where occupant operation is required, the display control unit 103e suppresses the omission of behavior-related information. Whether the host vehicle has changed from being under remote operation to a situation where occupant operation is required is specified by the situation specifying unit 102e. When the host vehicle is under remote operation, the necessity of behavior-related information for the occupant of the host vehicle is lower. On the other hand, when the host vehicle changes from being under remote operation to a situation where occupant operation is required, the necessity of behavior-related information for the occupant of the host vehicle becomes higher. According to the above configuration, it becomes possible to change the display amount of behavior-related information according to the necessity of behavior-related information in a remotely operated vehicle.

[0116] When the host vehicle is under remote operation, it is preferable that the display control unit 103e makes the information displayed on the display 18 more omitted than the remote-oriented information. The remote-oriented information is information for instructing the display to the remote operator by the external instruction unit 104. Whether the host vehicle is under remote operation or not may be specified by the situation specifying unit 102e. As an example, the behavior-related information displayed on the display 18 may be made more omitted than the behavior-related information among the remote-oriented information. For example, in the remote-oriented information, a configuration may be adopted in which the omission of behavior-related information is not performed. The remote operator needs more information of the host vehicle for remote operation. On the other hand, since the occupant of the host vehicle during remote operation is not involved in the driving operation, the necessity of information of the host vehicle is lower. According to the above configuration, it becomes possible to display an amount of information corresponding to the necessity for the occupant of the remotely operated vehicle.

[0117] Here, with reference to FIG. 19, an example of changing the display amount of information according to the situation of the own vehicle will be described. In FIG. 19, the situation where the own vehicle has changed from remote operation to a situation where occupant operation is required is represented as a driver change. In FIG. 19, the display amount of behavior-related information is taken as an example. As shown in FIG. 19, when the own vehicle is under remote operation, the display of behavior-related information to the occupant is omitted. The omission may be partial or total. On the other hand, when the own vehicle is under remote operation, the display of behavior-related information to the remote operator is not omitted. As shown in FIG. 19, at the time of driver change, the display of behavior-related information to the occupant is not omitted. Also, at the time of driver change, the display of behavior-related information to the remote operator may not be omitted either.

[0118] (Embodiment 7) In the foregoing embodiments, behavior-related information has been described as an example of driving-related information for which omission and suppression of omission are performed, but it is not necessarily limited to this. For example, a configuration that performs omission and suppression of omission of driving-related information other than behavior-related information may also be used. As an example, a configuration that performs omission and suppression of omission for duplicate information other than behavior-related information may also be used.

[0119] (Embodiment 8) In the foregoing Embodiment 1, a configuration in which the HCU 10, 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 10e performs display control-related processing has been shown, but it is not necessarily limited to this. For example, a configuration in which an electronic control device other than the HCU 10, 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 10e performs processing similar to the display control-related processing may also be used. In this case, this electronic control device other than the HCU 10, 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 10e will correspond to a vehicle display control device.

[0120] Note that the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope indicated in the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present disclosure. Further, the control unit and its method described in the present disclosure may be realized by a dedicated computer configured to include a processor programmed to execute one or more functions embodied by a computer program. Alternatively, the device and its method described in the present disclosure may be realized by a dedicated hardware logic circuit. Or, the device and its method described in the present disclosure may be realized by one or more dedicated computers configured by a combination of a processor that executes a computer program and one or more hardware logic circuits. Further, the computer program may be stored in a computer-readable non-transitory tangible recording medium as instructions to be executed by a computer.

[0121] (Disclosed technical idea) This specification discloses a plurality of technical ideas described in a plurality of claims listed below. Some claims may be described in a multiple dependent form in which a preceding claim is alternatively cited in a subsequent claim. Further, some claims may be described in a multiple dependent form that refers to another multiple dependent form claim. The claims described in these multiple dependent forms define a plurality of technical ideas.

[0122] (Technical idea 1) A vehicle display control device that can be used in a vehicle that switches between a driverless automatic driving without a surrounding monitoring obligation and a driving with a surrounding monitoring obligation, which is a driving with a surrounding monitoring obligation, A situation specifying unit (102, 102a, 102c, 102d, 102e) that specifies the situation of the vehicle, A display control unit (103, 103a, 103b, 103c, 103d, 103e) that controls the display of driving-related information, which is information related to the running of the vehicle, on a display (18, 18b) provided in the vehicle interior of the vehicle. The display control unit omits the driving-related information to be displayed on the display during the driverless automatic driving without the monitoring obligation compared to during the driving with the monitoring obligation. However, even during the driverless automatic driving without the monitoring obligation, according to the situation of the vehicle other than whether it is during the driverless automatic driving without the monitoring obligation identified by the situation identification unit, the omission of the driving-related information is suppressed. A vehicle display control device.

[0123] (Technical idea 2) A vehicle display control device according to Technical Idea 1, As the driverless automatic driving without the monitoring obligation, it is possible to use in the vehicle that switches between area-limited automatic driving where automatic driving without the peripheral monitoring obligation is permitted by limiting an area and traffic jam-limited automatic driving where automatic driving without the peripheral monitoring obligation is permitted by limiting to traffic jams. The display control unit suppresses the omission of behavior-related information, which is information related to the behavior of the vehicle itself among the driving-related information, when the situation of the vehicle identified by the situation identification unit is during the area-limited automatic driving compared to during the traffic jam-limited automatic driving, even during the driverless automatic driving without the monitoring obligation. A vehicle display control device.

[0124] (Technical idea 3) A vehicle display control device according to Technical Idea 2, As the driverless automatic driving without the monitoring obligation, it is possible to use in the vehicle that switches between sleep-permitted automatic driving where the driver's sleep of the vehicle is permitted and sleep-non-permitted driving where the driver's sleep is not permitted, and as the sleep-non-permitted driving, switches between the area-limited automatic driving and the traffic jam-limited automatic driving. During the traffic jam-limited automatic driving, the display control unit omits the behavior-related information to be displayed on the display compared to the driving with monitoring obligation, while when the situation of the vehicle specified by the situation specifying unit is during the sleep-permitted automatic driving, the behavior-related information is omitted or the information amount of the behavior-related information is made the same as that during the traffic jam-limited automatic driving compared to the area-limited automatic driving. A vehicle display control device.

[0125] (Technical idea 4) A vehicle display control device according to Technical idea 2 or 3, During the automatic driving without monitoring obligation, the display control unit omits the behavior-related information to be displayed on the display compared to the driving with monitoring obligation, while increasing the information amount of the driving environment-related information which is the information about the driving environment of the vehicle. A vehicle display control device.

[0126] (Technical idea 5) A vehicle display control device according to any one of Technical ideas 1 to 4, During the automatic driving without monitoring obligation, the display control unit omits the behavior-related information which is the information about the behavior of the vehicle itself among the driving-related information to be displayed on the display compared to the driving with monitoring obligation, while during the automatic driving without monitoring obligation, when the situation of the vehicle specified by the situation specifying unit is the situation where the driver of the vehicle holds the steering wheel or the situation where the driver of the vehicle operates the accelerator pedal, the omission of the behavior-related information is suppressed. A vehicle display control device.

[0127] (Technical idea 6) A vehicle display control device according to Technical idea 5, As the automatic driving without monitoring obligation, it can be used in the vehicle that switches between the area-limited automatic driving in which the automatic driving without the surrounding monitoring obligation is permitted by limiting the area and the traffic jam-limited automatic driving in which the automatic driving without the surrounding monitoring obligation is permitted by limiting during traffic jams. During the traffic jam-limited automatic driving, the display control unit omits the behavior-related information to be displayed on the display compared to during the driving with monitoring obligation. However, even during the traffic jam-limited automatic driving, if the situation of the vehicle specified by the situation specifying unit is a situation where the driver of the vehicle holds the steering wheel or a situation where the driver of the vehicle operates the accelerator pedal, the vehicle display control device suppresses the omission of the behavior-related information.

[0128] (Technical Idea 7) The vehicle display control device according to Technical Idea 6, Based on the fact that the situation of the vehicle specified by the situation specifying unit is a situation where the driver of the vehicle holds the steering wheel or a situation where the driver of the vehicle operates the accelerator pedal, the display control unit suppresses the omission of the behavior-related information and increases the amount of information of the behavior-related information compared to when the behavior-related information is omitted. When at least a specified time has elapsed since the start of suppressing the omission of the behavior-related information, the vehicle display control device continues to display the increased behavior-related information.

[0129] (Technical Idea 8) The vehicle display control device according to Technical Idea 6 or 7, When the display control unit omits the behavior-related information during the traffic jam-limited automatic driving, based on the fact that the situation specifying unit has specified a situation where the traffic jam in which the vehicle is involved begins to be resolved, the vehicle display control device cancels the omission of the behavior-related information before canceling the traffic jam-limited automatic driving.

[0130] (Technical Idea 9) The vehicle display control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 2 to 8, The behavior-related information is information of the vehicle's tachometer, and the vehicle display control device.

[0131] (Technical Idea 10) The vehicle display control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 2 to 9, The behavior-related information is a vehicle display control device in which information of the same content in the vehicle is redundantly shown in different expressions or forms.

[0132] (Technical idea 11) A vehicle display control device according to any one of Technical ideas 1 to 10, During automatic driving at a level that supports either steering or acceleration / deceleration, when the situation of the vehicle specified by the situation specifying unit (102a) is during driving on a general road, more of the behavior-related information, which is information regarding the behavior of the vehicle itself among the driving-related information, is displayed than during driving at a level lower than that.

[0133] (Technical idea 12) A vehicle display control device according to Technical idea 11, When the situation of the vehicle specified by the situation specifying unit is during driving through an intersection, the display control unit further increases the display of the behavior-related information.

[0134] (Technical idea 13) A vehicle display control device according to any one of Technical ideas 1 to 12, The display control unit (103b) controls the display on the passenger display (182) as the display provided so that a passenger other than the driver of the vehicle can view it. During automatic driving at a level that supports either steering or acceleration / deceleration, the behavior-related information, which is information regarding the behavior of the vehicle itself among the driving-related information, is displayed on the passenger display, and when switching to a driving level lower than that, it is transitioned to display information on the content of the entertainment system.

[0135] (Technical idea 14) A vehicle display control device according to Technical idea 13, The display control unit controls the display on the passenger display and the display on the driver display (181) as the display for the driver of the vehicle. During autonomous driving at a level that supports either steering or acceleration / deceleration, the vehicle display control device synchronizes the display contents on the passenger display and the driver display.

[0136] (Technical Idea 15) A vehicle display control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 13, The display control unit controls the display on the passenger display, which is provided so that passengers other than the driver of the vehicle can view it, and the display on the driver display, which is the display for the driver of the vehicle. During autonomous driving without the need for monitoring, the vehicle display control device reduces the amount of behavior-related information, which is information regarding the behavior of the vehicle itself among the driving-related information, displayed on the passenger display compared to the behavior-related information displayed on the driver display.

[0137] (Technical Idea 16) A vehicle display control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 15, Even during autonomous driving without the need for monitoring, when the vehicle situation identified by the situation identification unit (102c) is during downhill driving, the display control unit (103c) suppresses the omission of behavior-related information, which is information regarding the behavior of the vehicle itself among the driving-related information.

[0138] (Technical Idea 17) A vehicle display control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 16, When the vehicle is an electric vehicle having a plurality of regeneration modes with different degrees of regenerative braking, the display control unit (103d) changes the display amount of behavior-related information, which is information regarding the behavior of the vehicle itself among the driving-related information, according to the regeneration mode of the vehicle in use, which is the vehicle situation identified by the situation identification unit (102d).

[0139] (Technical Idea 18) A vehicle display control device according to Technical Idea 17, wherein the display control unit increases the display amount of the information related to the regenerative braking among the behavior-related information as the degree of the regenerative braking is higher during use of the regenerative mode with a large degree of regenerative braking.

[0140] (Technical Idea 19) A vehicle display control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 18, wherein the vehicle is a remotely operated vehicle capable of automatic driving by remote operation, and the display control unit (103e) omits the behavior-related information, which is the information related to the behavior of the vehicle itself among the driving-related information, when the situation of the vehicle specified by the situation specifying unit (102e) is during remote operation of the vehicle, as compared to when it is not during remote operation, while suppressing the omission of the behavior-related information when the vehicle changes from a situation of remote operation to a situation where occupant operation is required.

[0141] (Technical Idea 20) A vehicle display control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 19, wherein the vehicle is a remotely operated vehicle capable of automatic driving by remote operation, the vehicle includes an external instruction unit (104) for instructing display of information for a remote operator who remotely operates the remotely operated vehicle outside the vehicle, and the display control unit (103e) omits the information to be displayed on the display for the vehicle occupant when the situation of the vehicle specified by the situation specifying unit (102e) is during remote operation of the vehicle, as compared to the information instructed by the external instruction unit for display for the remote operator.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0142] 1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e vehicle system, 10, 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 10e HCU (vehicle display control device), 18, 18b display, 102, 102a, 102c, 102d, 102e situation identification unit, 103, 103a, 103b, 103c, 103d, 103e display control unit, 104 external instruction unit, 181 driver display, 182 passenger display

Claims

1. A vehicle display control device that can be used in a vehicle that switches between driverless driving without a surrounding monitoring obligation (driverless driving without monitoring obligation) and driving with a surrounding monitoring obligation (driving with monitoring obligation), comprising a situation specifying unit (102, 102a, 102c, 102d, 102e) that specifies the situation of the vehicle, and a display control unit (103, 103a, 103b, 103c, 103d, 103e) that controls the display of driving-related information, which is information related to the running of the vehicle, on a display (18, 18b) provided in the vehicle cabin of the vehicle, wherein during the driverless driving without monitoring obligation, the display control unit omits the driving-related information to be displayed on the display compared to during the driving with monitoring obligation, and during the driverless driving without monitoring obligation, suppresses the omission of the driving-related information according to the situation of the vehicle other than whether it is during the driverless driving without monitoring obligation specified by the situation specifying unit. A vehicle display control device.

2. The vehicle display control device according to claim 1, wherein as the driverless driving without monitoring obligation, it can be used in the vehicle that switches between area-limited driverless driving (area-limited driverless driving) where driverless driving without a surrounding monitoring obligation is permitted by limiting an area and traffic jam-limited driverless driving (traffic jam-limited driverless driving) where driverless driving without a surrounding monitoring obligation is permitted by limiting traffic jams, and during the driverless driving without monitoring obligation, when the situation of the vehicle specified by the situation specifying unit is during the area-limited driverless driving, the display control unit suppresses the omission of the behavior-related information, which is information related to the behavior of the vehicle itself among the driving-related information, compared to during the traffic jam-limited driverless driving. A vehicle display control device.

3. The vehicle display control device according to claim 2, wherein as the driverless driving without monitoring obligation, it switches between sleep-permitted driverless driving (sleep-permitted driverless driving) where the driver's sleep in the vehicle is permitted and sleep-non-permitted driving (sleep-non-permitted driving) where the driver's sleep is not permitted, and as the sleep-non-permitted driving, it can be used in the vehicle that switches between the area-limited driverless driving and the traffic jam-limited driverless driving. During the traffic jam limited automatic driving, the display control unit omits the behavior-related information to be displayed on the display compared to the driving with monitoring obligation, while when the situation of the vehicle identified by the situation identification unit is during the sleep permission automatic driving, compared to the area limited automatic driving, the display control unit either omits the behavior-related information or makes the amount of information of the behavior-related information the same as that during the traffic jam limited automatic driving. A vehicle display control device.

4. The vehicle display control device according to claim 2, During the automatic driving without monitoring obligation, the display control unit omits the behavior-related information to be displayed on the display compared to the driving with monitoring obligation, while increasing the amount of information of the driving environment-related information which is the information about the driving environment of the vehicle. A vehicle display control device.

5. The vehicle display control device according to claim 1, During the automatic driving without monitoring obligation, the display control unit omits the behavior-related information which is the information about the behavior of the vehicle itself among the driving-related information to be displayed on the display compared to the driving with monitoring obligation. On the other hand, even during the automatic driving without monitoring obligation, when the situation of the vehicle identified by the situation identification unit is the situation where the driver of the vehicle holds the steering wheel or the situation where the driver of the vehicle operates the accelerator pedal, the omission of the behavior-related information is suppressed. A vehicle display control device.

6. The vehicle display control device according to claim 5, As the automatic driving without monitoring obligation, it can be used in the vehicle that switches between the area limited automatic driving where the automatic driving without the surrounding monitoring obligation is permitted by limiting the area and the traffic jam limited automatic driving where the automatic driving without the surrounding monitoring obligation is permitted by limiting during traffic jams. During the traffic jam limited automatic driving, the display control unit omits the behavior-related information to be displayed on the display compared to the driving with monitoring obligation. On the other hand, even during the traffic jam limited automatic driving, when the situation of the vehicle identified by the situation identification unit is the situation where the driver of the vehicle holds the steering wheel or the situation where the driver of the vehicle operates the accelerator pedal, the omission of the behavior-related information is suppressed. A vehicle display control device.

7. The vehicle display control device according to claim 6, Based on the situation of the vehicle specified by the situation specifying unit being a situation where the driver of the vehicle holds the steering wheel or a situation where the driver of the vehicle operates the accelerator pedal, the display control unit suppresses the omission of the behavior-related information and increases the amount of information of the behavior-related information compared to when the behavior-related information is omitted. When at least a specified time has elapsed since the start of suppressing the omission of the behavior-related information, the vehicle display control device continues to display the increased behavior-related information.

8. The vehicle display control device according to claim 6, When the display control unit omits the behavior-related information during the traffic jam limited automatic driving, based on the situation specifying unit specifying a situation where the traffic jam in which the vehicle is involved begins to be resolved, the vehicle display control device cancels the omission of the behavior-related information earlier than canceling the traffic jam limited automatic driving.

9. The vehicle display control device according to claim 2, The behavior-related information is information of a rotational speed meter of the vehicle in the vehicle display control device.

10. The vehicle display control device according to claim 2, The behavior-related information is information in which information of the same content in the vehicle is shown repeatedly in another expression or form in the vehicle display control device.

11. The vehicle display control device according to claim 1, During automatic driving at a level that supports at least one of steering and acceleration / deceleration, when the situation of the vehicle specified by the situation specifying unit (102a) is during driving on a general road, the display control unit (103a) displays more information related to the behavior of the vehicle itself among the driving-related information than during driving at a level lower than that. A vehicle display control device.

12. The vehicle display control device according to claim 11, When the situation of the vehicle specified by the situation specifying unit is during driving through an intersection, the display control unit further increases the display of the behavior-related information in the vehicle display control device.

13. The vehicle display control device according to claim 1, The display control unit (103b) controls the display on the passenger display (182) provided so as to be visible to passengers other than the driver of the vehicle. During automatic driving at a level that supports both steering and acceleration / deceleration, the passenger display shows behavior-related information, which is information regarding the behavior of the vehicle itself among the driving-related information. When switching to a driving level below that level, the display is transitioned to show information on the content of the entertainment system. A vehicle display control device.

14. The vehicle display control device according to claim 13, wherein the display control unit controls the display on the passenger display and the display on the driver display (181) as the display for the driver of the vehicle, and synchronizes the display contents on the passenger display and the driver display during automatic driving at a level that supports both steering and acceleration / deceleration. A vehicle display control device.

15. The vehicle display control device according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit controls the display on the passenger display provided so as to be visible to passengers other than the driver of the vehicle and the display on the driver display as the display for the driver of the vehicle, and during the automatic driving without monitoring obligation, makes the behavior-related information, which is information regarding the behavior of the vehicle itself among the driving-related information, displayed on the passenger display less than the behavior-related information displayed on the driver display. A vehicle display control device.

16. The vehicle display control device according to claim 1, wherein even during the automatic driving without monitoring obligation, when the situation of the vehicle specified by the situation specifying unit (102c) is during downhill driving, the display control unit (103c) suppresses the omission of the behavior-related information, which is information regarding the behavior of the vehicle itself among the driving-related information. A vehicle display control device.

17. The vehicle display control device according to claim 1, wherein when the vehicle is an electric vehicle having a plurality of regeneration modes with different degrees of regenerative braking, the display control unit (103d) changes the display amount of the behavior-related information, which is information regarding the behavior of the vehicle itself among the driving-related information, according to the regeneration mode in use of the vehicle as the situation of the vehicle specified by the situation specifying unit (102d). A vehicle display control device.

18. The vehicle display control device according to claim 17, wherein the display control unit increases the display amount of the information related to the regenerative braking among the behavior-related information as the regenerative mode with a greater degree of regenerative braking is being used. **Claim 19** The vehicle display control device according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle is a remotely operated vehicle capable of autonomous driving by remote operation, when the situation of the vehicle specified by the situation specifying unit (102e) is during the remote operation of the vehicle, the display control unit (103e) omits the behavior-related information, which is the information related to the behavior of the vehicle itself among the driving-related information, more than when it is not during the remote operation, while when the vehicle changes from the remote operation to a situation where occupant operation is required, the display control unit suppresses the omission of the behavior-related information. **Claim 20** The vehicle display control device according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle is a remotely operated vehicle capable of autonomous driving by remote operation, the vehicle is provided with an external instruction unit (104) for instructing the display of information for a remote operator who remotely operates the remotely operated vehicle outside the vehicle, when the situation of the vehicle specified by the situation specifying unit (102e) is during the remote operation of the vehicle, the display control unit (103e) omits the information to be displayed on the display for the vehicle occupants more than the information instructed by the external instruction unit to be displayed for the remote operator. **Claim 21** A vehicle display control method that can be used in a vehicle that switches between autonomous driving without a surrounding monitoring obligation (non-monitoring autonomous driving) and driving with a surrounding monitoring obligation (monitoring-required driving), executed by at least one processor, including a situation specifying step of specifying the situation of the vehicle, and a display control step of controlling the display of driving-related information, which is information related to the driving of the vehicle, on a display (18, 18b) provided in the vehicle interior, in the display control step, during the non-monitoring autonomous driving, the driving-related information to be displayed on the display is omitted more than during the monitoring-required driving, while even during the non-monitoring autonomous driving, the omission of the driving-related information is suppressed according to the situation of the vehicle other than whether it is during the non-monitoring autonomous driving specified in the situation specifying step.

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