Vehicle

Abstract

To provide a vehicle capable of improving convenience in viewing of video that uses an on-vehicle projector.SOLUTION: A vehicle includes a projector, and an electronic control unit. The projector projects an image externally to the vehicle. The electronic control unit executes parking-support control for supporting the vehicle to be parked. In the case of receiving a request for viewing an image from HMI equipment operated by a user of the vehicle, the electronic control unit executes processing for presenting a user with one or a plurality of recommended positions suitable for viewing the image via the HMI equipment, and executes parking-support control for moving to one among the one or plurality of presented recommended positions.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle including a projector that irradiates an image outside the vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle control system capable of performing suitable driving control according to the use of a vehicle.

Prior Art Document

Patent Document

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When a projector that irradiates an image outside the vehicle is mounted on a vehicle, a user of the vehicle can enjoy viewing the image from inside the vehicle. For viewing the image, it is necessary to determine a position suitable for viewing and move the vehicle to that position.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a vehicle capable of improving the convenience of viewing an image using an in-vehicle projector.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The vehicle according to the present disclosure includes a projector and an electronic control unit. The projector irradiates an image outside the vehicle. The electronic control unit executes parking support control for assisting parking of the vehicle. When the electronic control unit receives a viewing request for an image from an HMI device operated by a user of the vehicle, the electronic control unit executes a process of presenting one or more recommended positions suitable for viewing the image to the user via the HMI device, and executes parking support control for moving to one of the presented one or more recommended positions.

Advantages of the Invention

[0007] According to the vehicle according to the present disclosure, the convenience of viewing images using an in-vehicle projector can be improved.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, when referring to the number of each element, quantity, amount, range, etc. in the embodiments shown below, unless otherwise specified or clearly specified by the principle, the technical idea according to the present disclosure is not limited to the mentioned number.

[0010] 1. Example of vehicle configuration FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle according to an embodiment. The vehicle 10 shown in FIG. 1 includes a projector 12, an electronic control unit (ECU) 14, a human machine interface (HMI) device 16, a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver 18, and a camera 20.

[0011] The projector 12 irradiates an image outside the vehicle 10. As an example, the projector 12 is a headlight (for example, a front headlight) of the vehicle 10 having a function of irradiating an image. Note that the image irradiation function by the "projector" according to the present disclosure may be provided by a dedicated projector installed in the vehicle interior, for example, separately from the headlight.

[0012] The ECU 14 is a computer that executes various processes related to the vehicle 10. The various processes include processes related to viewing the video by the projector 12 and processes related to "parking support control" described later. Specifically, the ECU 14 includes a processor 14a and a storage device 14b. The processor 14a executes the various processes. The storage device 14b stores various information. Examples of the storage device 14b include a volatile memory, a non-volatile memory, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), and an SSD (Solid State Drive). By the ECU 14 executing various computer programs, the various processes by the ECU 14 are realized. The various programs are stored in the storage device 14b or recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. Note that there may be a plurality of ECUs 14.

[0013] The HMI device 16 includes, for example, a touch panel and a speaker. The HMI device 16 (for example, the touch panel) can receive requests from the user regarding viewing of the above-described video and display notifications to the user. The HMI device 16 (for example, the speaker) can output sounds such as voices and sound effects provided together with the video during viewing of the above-described video. Note that the "HMI device" according to the present disclosure does not necessarily have to be mounted in the vehicle like the HMI device 16, and may be, for example, a user terminal such as a smartphone possessed by the user, or a combination of a vehicle-mounted HMI device and a user terminal.

[0014] The GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 18 acquires the position and orientation of the vehicle 10 based on signals from GNSS satellites. The camera 20 is mounted on the vehicle 10 so as to face the same direction as the irradiation direction of the video by the projector 12.

[0015] "Parking support control" is control for supporting the parking of vehicle 10. More specifically, the parking support control supports the parking of vehicle 10 at a target parking position (in other words, the recommended position Pr described later) for appropriately facing the projector 12 directly at the wall surface 100 that functions as a screen for irradiating (projecting) an image by the projector 12. The self-position of vehicle 10 used in the parking support control may be specified based on the position information acquired by the GNSS receiver 18, or may be specified by self-position estimation using an image of a camera such as camera 20.

[0016] Specifically, the parking support control is, for example, automatic parking control that supports the parking of vehicle 10 by automatically performing at least the steering operation among the driving operations of vehicle 10 for parking (that is, the steering operation, the accelerator operation, and the brake operation). In particular, in an example where all of the driving operations of vehicle 10 are automated, the ECU 14 controls the running of vehicle 10 so as to move to the target parking position and park.

[0017] Also, in an example where the user performs all of the driving operations of vehicle 10 for parking, the parking support control may be executed as follows. That is, in the parking support control, the ECU 14 executes processing related to the acquisition of the self-position of vehicle 10 and the recognition of the surrounding environment, and may notify the user via the HMI device 16 of information for assisting the driving operation of the user necessary to move vehicle 10 to the target parking position and park.

[0018] 2. Processing related to parking support for viewing an image In order to support the parking of vehicle 10 for viewing an image using the projector 12 by the user of vehicle 10, the ECU 14 executes the following processing. That is, when the ECU 14 receives a request for viewing an image from the HMI device 16 operated by the user, the ECU 14 executes processing for presenting one or more recommended positions Pr suitable for viewing the image to the user via the HMI device 16. Then, the ECU 14 executes parking support control for moving to one of the presented one or more recommended positions Pr.

[0019] FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of "processing related to parking support for video viewing" according to the embodiment.

[0020] In step S100, the ECU 14 (processor 14a) determines whether there is a video viewing request from the user. The result of this determination is affirmative when the ECU 14 receives information indicating a viewing request from the user operating the HMI device 16 (in other words, when the ECU 14 accepts the viewing request). As a result, the process proceeds to step S102.

[0021] In step S102, the ECU 14 determines whether one or more recommended positions Pr are stored in the storage device 14b of the ECU 14. The recommended position Pr is acquired and stored, for example, by the processes of the next steps S104 and S106. Also, the user may operate the HMI device 16 to spontaneously set a parking position, and the ECU 14 may store the set parking position in advance as the recommended position Pr. Note that the information indicating the recommended position Pr may include the azimuth information of the vehicle 10 for aligning the projector 12 with the wall surface 100 that functions as a screen for irradiating the video.

[0022] If the determination result in step S102 is No, that is, if no recommended position Pr is stored in the storage device 14b, the process proceeds to step S104.

[0023] In step S104, the ECU 14 executes a process (acquisition process) for acquiring a new recommended position Pr. Specifically, as an example of the acquisition process, the ECU 14 requests the user via the HMI device 16 to park at the desired position of the user.

[0024] In step S106 following step S104, the ECU 14 stores, in the storage device 14b, the parking position specified by the operation of the vehicle 10 by the user as the recommended position Pr. Note that when the process proceeds to step S106 in this way, viewing of the video will be performed at the parking position thereafter.

[0025] On the other hand, if the determination result in step S102 is Yes, that is, if one or more recommended positions Pr are stored in the storage device 14b, the process proceeds to step S108.

[0026] In step S108, the ECU 14 executes a process of presenting the recommended position Pr to the user. The presentation of the recommended position Pr is performed, for example, by displaying the recommended position Pr on the display of the HMI device 16. More specifically, if there is one stored recommended position Pr, the ECU 14 presents the one recommended position Pr to the user. If there are a plurality of stored recommended positions Pr, the ECU 14 presents all of the plurality of recommended positions Pr to the user, or presents some candidates extracted from the plurality of recommended positions Pr to the user. The extraction of some candidates may be performed, for example, in consideration of the proximity to the current position of the vehicle 10.

[0027] In step S110 following step S108, the ECU 14 determines whether the user has approved the presented recommended position Pr. Additionally, when a plurality of candidates for the recommended position Pr are presented to the user, the user's selection of one of the plurality of candidates corresponds to the approval of the recommended position Pr. If the determination result in step S110 is No, the process proceeds to step S104 to obtain a new recommended position Pr. On the other hand, if the determination result is Yes, the process proceeds to step S112.

[0028] In step S112, the ECU 14 sets the recommended position Pr approved by the user (i.e., one of the one or more recommended positions Pr presented to the user) as the target parking position, and executes the above-described parking assistance control for moving to the target parking position (recommended position Pr). Note that after moving to the recommended position Pr, viewing of the video will be performed at the recommended position Pr.

[0029] In addition, after the movement to the recommended position Pr is completed using the parking assistance control, the ECU 14 may measure the distance between the wall surface 100 as the screen and the vehicle 10 (projector 12), and automatically perform trapezoidal correction of the video irradiated by the projector 12 based on the measured distance. Further, the ECU 14 may dim or turn off the in-vehicle lighting (for example, the lighting of the display of the HMI device 16 related to navigation, etc.) while the user is viewing.

[0030] 3. Effects As described above, according to the present embodiment, when the user requests viewing of a video, one or more recommended positions Pr suitable for viewing the video are presented to the user, and parking assistance control is executed for moving to one of the one or more presented recommended positions Pr. Thereby, the convenience of viewing a video using the in-vehicle projector 12 can be improved.

[0031] 4. Another example of the acquisition process of the recommended position Pr As another example of the above-described acquisition process (step S104), the ECU 14 may execute a process (search process) for automatically searching for the recommended position Pr. Specifically, the search process is executed, for example, as follows.

[0032] That is, when the projector 12 is not facing the wall surface 100 at an appropriate distance at the current location of the vehicle 10, the ECU 14 automatically drives the vehicle 10 so as to ensure that it faces at an appropriate distance. Whether the vehicle is facing at an appropriate distance can be determined, for example, based on the image from the camera 20. When the ECU 14 determines that the vehicle is facing at an appropriate distance, the ECU 14 measures the degree of unevenness of the wall surface 100 facing the projector 12 using the image from the camera 20.

[0033] If the measured degree of unevenness is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value, the ECU 14 stores the current position of the vehicle 10 as the recommended position Pr in the storage device 14b. If the measured degree of unevenness is higher than the threshold value, the ECU 14 automatically drives the vehicle 10 to change the position of the wall surface 100 that the projector 12 faces, and then measures the degree of unevenness again. Such processing is repeated until the degree of unevenness becomes equal to or less than the threshold value. If the degree of unevenness does not become equal to or less than the threshold value even after measuring the degree of unevenness a predetermined number of times, the ECU 14 may end the search process and notify the user via the HMI device 16 that the recommended position Pr has not been found. Also, for this search process, instead of or together with the camera 20, for example, at least one of LIDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) and millimeter-wave radar may be used.

[0034] Further, the ECU 14 may request the user via the HMI device 16 to perform at least a part of the driving operation of the vehicle 10 necessary for the movement of the vehicle 10 in the above-described search process.

[0035] Furthermore, in order to evaluate the suitability of the wall surface 100 as a screen, instead of or together with the degree of unevenness, the ECU 14 may utilize the brightness of the wall surface 100 irradiated with the video from the projector 12. Specifically, when at least one of the following conditions is satisfied: the brightness (illuminance) of the irradiated wall surface 100 is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold value, and the difference in brightness between the parts of the wall surface 100 irradiated with the video is equal to the predetermined threshold value, it may be determined that the requirements for the recommended position Pr are satisfied. The ECU 14 may perform the evaluation of the brightness using, for example, the camera 20. Also, when the user has a smartphone installed with a dedicated application for evaluating the brightness, the ECU 14 may perform the evaluation of the brightness in cooperation with the smartphone while utilizing the camera of the smartphone. Furthermore, the color tone of the wall surface 100 to be irradiated may be utilized in order to evaluate the suitability of the wall surface 100 as a screen.

Explanation of Signs

[0036] 10 Vehicle 12 Projector 14 Electronic Control Unit (ECU) 16 HMI Device 18 GNSS Receiver 20 Camera

Claims

【Claim 1】 A projector that irradiates an image to the outside of the vehicle, an electronic control unit that executes parking support control for assisting parking of the vehicle, a camera mounted on the vehicle so as to face the same direction as the irradiation direction of the image by the projector, comprising: the electronic control unit, when receiving a viewing request for the image from an HMI device operated by a user of the vehicle, determines whether one or more recommended positions suitable for viewing the image are stored in a storage device of the electronic control unit, when the one or more recommended positions are not stored in the storage device, executes a search process for automatically searching for a new recommended position, when the one or more recommended positions are stored in the storage device, executes a process of presenting the stored one or more recommended positions to the user via the HMI device, executes the parking support control for moving to one of the presented one or more recommended positions, the search process, based on an image of the camera, determines whether the projector is facing a wall surface at an appropriate distance at the current location of the vehicle, when the projector is not facing the wall surface at the appropriate distance, automatically drives the vehicle so as to ensure facing at the appropriate distance, when the projector is facing the wall surface at the appropriate distance, measures the unevenness degree of the wall surface facing the projector using the image of the camera, when the measured unevenness degree is equal to or less than a threshold value, stores the current position of the vehicle as the new recommended position in the storage device, including a vehicle.

Images