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

Abstract

To provide a vehicle display control device, a vehicle display device, a display control method and a display control program which can suppress an occupant from feeling troublesome.SOLUTION: A vehicle display control device causes an image to be displayed on a display area 26A that overlaps with a part of a foreground of a vehicle. The vehicle display control device detects a position of a preceding vehicle 60 that is travelling in front of the vehicle and detects based on the position of the preceding vehicle 60 whether or not the preceding vehicle 60 totally gets out of the display area 26A. The vehicle display control device causes a captured image 80 to be displayed on the display area 26A according to the position of the preceding vehicle 60 overlapping with the preceding vehicle 60 or adjacent to the preceding vehicle, and also causes the captured image 80 to be flashingly displayed at an end part of the side where the preceding vehicle 60 totally gets out on the display area 26A when the preceding vehicle 60 is detected to totally get out of the display area 26A, but does not cause the capture image 80 to be flashingly displayed when at least a part of the preceding vehicle 60 exists within the display area 26A.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technology in which a head-up display device superimposes a marker image or the like on the view ahead that a vehicle occupant sees through the windshield. In this technology, a marker image indicating that a leading vehicle has been captured is displayed in accordance with the leading vehicle, and the marker image is displayed with a time frequency that changes as the leading vehicle moves outward from the side edges of the display area of the head-up display device in the vehicle width direction. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6536855 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the technology described in Patent Document 1, if the preceding vehicle moves even slightly outside the display area, the marker image flashes, which may be annoying to the occupants.

[0005] In consideration of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle display control device, a vehicle display device, a display control method, and a display control program that can reduce the annoyance felt by occupants. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The vehicle display control device according to the present invention described in claim 1 is a vehicle display control device that controls a display device to display a captured image corresponding to the position of a preceding vehicle in a display area that overlaps a part of the foreground from the vehicle. When the entire preceding vehicle moves out of the display area, the captured image is blinked, and when at least a part of the preceding vehicle is inside the display area, the captured image is not blinked.

[0007] In the vehicle display control device according to the present invention described in claim 1, a display device that displays a captured image corresponding to the position of a preceding vehicle in a display area that overlaps a part of the foreground from the vehicle is controlled. When the entire preceding vehicle moves out of the display area, the captured image is blinked, and when at least a part of the preceding vehicle is inside the display area, the captured image is not blinked. Thereby, when the entire preceding vehicle moves out of the display area, the captured image is blinked, and when only a part of the preceding vehicle moves out of the display area, the captured image is not blinked, so that it is possible to suppress the annoyance felt by the occupant.

[0008] The vehicle display control device according to the present invention described in claim 2 has the configuration according to claim 1, and when the entire preceding vehicle moves out of the display area, the captured image is blinked after a certain time has elapsed since the entire preceding vehicle moved out of the display area.

[0009] In the vehicle display control device according to the present invention described in claim 2, when it is detected that the entire preceding vehicle has moved out of the display area, the captured image is blinked after a certain time has elapsed since the entire preceding vehicle moved out of the display area. Therefore, it is possible to prevent hunting that occurs when the preceding vehicle switches from inside the display area to outside.

[0010] The vehicle display control device according to the present invention described in claim 3 has the configuration according to claim 1 or claim 2, and when at least a part of the preceding vehicle returns from outside the display area to inside the display area, the captured image is non - blinkingly lit after a certain time has elapsed since at least a part of the preceding vehicle returned from outside the display area to inside the display area.

[0011] In the vehicle display control device according to the present invention described in claim 3, when at least a part of the preceding vehicle returns from the outside to the inside of the display area, after a certain period of time has elapsed since at least a part of the preceding vehicle returned from the outside to the inside of the display area, the captured image is displayed in a non - blinking manner. Therefore, it is possible to prevent hunting that occurs when at least a part of the preceding vehicle switches from returning from the outside to the inside of the display area.

[0012] The vehicle display control device according to the present invention described in claim 4 is A vehicle display control device that controls a display device for displaying a captured image corresponding to the position of a preceding vehicle in a display area that overlaps a part of the foreground from the vehicle. When the entire preceding vehicle moves out of the display area, the captured image is blinked. When at least a part of the preceding vehicle is inside the display area, the captured image is not blinked. When the entire preceding vehicle moves out of the display area, the blinking speed of the blinking display is increased as the preceding vehicle moves away from the display area.

[0013] In the vehicle display control device according to the present invention described in claim 4, as the preceding vehicle moves away from the display area, the blinking speed of the blinking display is increased. Therefore, the occupant can visually grasp the distance from the display area to the preceding vehicle by the blinking displays with different blinking speeds.

[0014] The vehicle display control device according to the present invention described in claim 5 has, in the configuration described in claim 4, the blinking speed is gradually increased as the preceding vehicle moves away from the display area.

[0015] In the vehicle display control device according to the present invention described in claim 5, since the blinking speed is increased step by step, an error in calculating the distance from the display area to the preceding vehicle can be corrected and displayed.

[0016] The vehicle display control device according to the present invention described in claim 6 has, in the configuration according to any one of claims 1 to 5, the display area is a projection surface projected by a head - up display device in front of the vehicle in the driver's seat.

[0017] In the vehicle display control device according to the present invention described in claim 6, since the display area is a projection surface projected by a head - up display device in front of the vehicle in the driver's seat, the captured image is displayed superimposed on the foreground from the driver's seat. Therefore, the driver in the driver's seat can visually recognize the position of the preceding vehicle without significantly moving the line of sight.

[0018] The vehicle display device according to the present invention described in claim 7 is provided in the vehicle interior of the vehicle, and includes a display unit having the display area, and a vehicle display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

[0019] In the vehicle display device according to the present invention described in claim 7, the vehicle display device includes a display unit provided in the vehicle interior of the vehicle and having a display area, and a vehicle display control device. Since this vehicle display control device is the vehicle display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, the above-described actions and effects can be obtained.

[0020] The display control method according to the present invention described in claim 8 causes a captured image corresponding to the position of the preceding vehicle to be displayed in a display area that overlaps a part of the foreground from the vehicle. The computer executes the process A display control method, wherein when the entire preceding vehicle is out of the display area, the captured image is blinked, and when at least a part of the preceding vehicle is inside the display area, the captured image is not blinked.

[0021] In the display control method according to the present invention described in claim 8, a captured image corresponding to the position of the preceding vehicle is displayed in a display area that overlaps a part of the foreground from the vehicle. When the entire preceding vehicle is out of the display area, the captured image is blinked. When at least a part of the preceding vehicle is inside the display area, the captured image is not blinked. As a result, when the entire preceding vehicle is out of the display area, the captured image is blinked, and when only a part of the preceding vehicle is out of the display area, the captured image is not blinked, so that it is possible to suppress the annoyance felt by the occupant.

[0022] The display control program according to the present invention described in claim 9 is a display control program that causes a captured image corresponding to the position of the preceding vehicle to be displayed in a display area that overlaps a part of the foreground from the vehicle, and causes a computer to blink the captured image when the entire preceding vehicle is out of the display area, and not to blink the captured image when at least a part of the preceding vehicle is inside the display area.

[0023] In the display control program according to the present invention described in claim 9, a captured image corresponding to the position of the preceding vehicle is displayed in a display area that overlaps a part of the foreground from the vehicle. When the entire preceding vehicle moves out of the display area, the captured image is displayed in a blinking manner. When at least a part of the preceding vehicle is inside the display area, the captured image is not displayed in a blinking manner. Thereby, when the entire preceding vehicle moves out of the display area, the captured image is displayed in a blinking manner for the vehicle occupant, and when only a part of the preceding vehicle moves out of the display area, the captured image is not displayed in a blinking manner, so that it is possible to suppress making the occupant feel annoyance.

Advantages of the Invention

[0024] As described above, the vehicle display control device, vehicle display device, display control method, and display control program according to the present invention have an excellent effect of being able to suppress making the occupant feel annoyance.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0025]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0026] A vehicle 12 to which a vehicle display device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the arrow UP shown in FIG. 1 indicates the upper side in the vehicle vertical direction, and the arrow RH indicates the right side in the vehicle width direction. The vertical direction and the left-right direction in the following description respectively mean the up and down in the vehicle vertical direction and the left and right in the vehicle width direction.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 1, an instrument panel 14 is provided at the front part in the passenger compartment 13 of the vehicle 12. The instrument panel 14 extends in the vehicle width direction, and a steering wheel 16 is provided on the right side of the vehicle of the instrument panel 14. That is, in this embodiment, as an example, it is a so-called right-hand drive vehicle with a steering wheel 16 provided on the right side, and the driver's seat is set on the right side of the vehicle. In addition, a windshield glass 18 is provided at the front end of the instrument panel 14.

[0028] The windshield glass 18 extends from the front end of the instrument panel 14 upward of the vehicle, and partitions the outside of the vehicle compartment 12 of the vehicle 12 and the inside of the passenger compartment 13. In addition, the right end of the windshield glass 18 in the vehicle width direction is fixed to the front pillar 20 on the right side of the vehicle. The front pillar 20 extends in the vehicle vertical direction, and the windshield glass 18 is fixed to the inner end in the vehicle width direction of the front pillar 20. In addition, the front end of the front side glass 22 is fixed to the outer end in the vehicle width direction of the front pillar 20. Note that the left end of the windshield glass 18 in the vehicle width direction is fixed to a front pillar on the left side of the vehicle (not shown).

[0029] Here, the instrument panel 14 is provided with a first display unit 24 having an image display area 24A. The first display unit 24 is constituted by a meter display provided in front of the driver's seat on the right side of the vehicle of the instrument panel 14. The first display unit 24 is connected to various meter devices mounted on the vehicle 12 and is provided at a position that comes into the field of view when the driver looks straight ahead.

[0030] The instrument panel 14 is provided with a second display unit 25 having an image display area 25A. The second display unit 25 is constituted by a center display disposed at the center in the vehicle width direction of the instrument panel 14.

[0031] The windshield glass 18 is provided with a third display unit 26 having an image display area 26A. The third display unit 26 is set above the vehicle of the first display unit 24, and the display area 26A is constituted by a projection surface projected by a head-up display device 44 (see FIG. 2). Specifically, the head-up display device 44 is provided on the front side of the vehicle of the instrument panel 14, and an image is projected from this head-up display device 44 to the display area 26A of the third display unit 26 of the windshield glass 18. That is, the third display unit 26 is a part of the windshield glass 18 that serves as the projection surface of the head-up display device 44.

[0032] (Hardware Configuration of Vehicle Display Device 10) The vehicle 12 is provided with an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 28 as a vehicle display control device that is a control unit of the vehicle display device 10. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the vehicle display device 10.

[0033] As shown in this Figure 2, the ECU 28 of the vehicle display device 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit: processor) 30, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 32, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 34, a storage 36, a communication interface (communication I / F) 38, and an input / output interface (input / output I / F) 40. Each component is connected to be communicable with each other via a bus 42.

[0034] The CPU 30 is a central processing unit that executes various programs and controls each part. That is, the CPU 30 reads a program from the ROM 32 or the storage 36 and executes the program using the RAM 34 as a working area. The CPU 30 performs control of the above components and various arithmetic processes according to the programs recorded in the ROM 32 or the storage 36.

[0035] The ROM 32 stores various programs and various data. The RAM 34 temporarily stores a program or data as a working area. The storage 36 is composed of an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive) and stores various programs including an operating system and various data. In the present embodiment, programs for performing display processing and various data are stored in the ROM 32 or the storage 36.

[0036] The communication I / F 38 is an interface for the vehicle display device 10 to communicate with a server (not shown) and other devices. For example, standards such as Ethernet (registered trademark), LTE, FDDI, Wi-Fi (registered trademark) are used.

[0037] Connected to the input / output I / F 40 are a first display unit 24, a second display unit 25, a head-up display device (HUD) 44, and a sensor unit 46. Also, an image is projected onto a third display unit 26 by the head-up display device 44.

[0038] The sensor unit 46 includes a plurality of sensors among various sensors such as a camera, a radar, a lidar (Light Detection and Ranging or Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging), and a GPS (global positioning system) sensor. The camera captures the surroundings of the vehicle 12. The camera of the present embodiment is configured to include at least a front camera that images the front of the vehicle.

[0039] The radar detects the distance and direction to an object around the vehicle 12 by radio waves. The lidar detects the distance and direction to an object around the vehicle 12 by laser light. The GPS sensor detects the current position of the vehicle 12. In the present embodiment, the radar and the lidar are provided with a signal processing unit (not shown) having a function of processing the detection results of surrounding objects. The signal processing unit excludes roadside objects such as guardrails as objects without noise or movement based on changes in the relative position and relative speed with respect to individual objects included in the detection results of the plurality of most recent times, and tracks and monitors moving objects such as pedestrians and other vehicles. In addition, the sensor unit 46 is configured to include, among other things, a sensor that detects the line-of-sight position of the occupant.

[0040] (Functional Configuration of In-vehicle Display Control Device 28) The in-vehicle display control device 28 realizes various functions by using the above-described hardware resources. The functional configuration realized by the in-vehicle display control device 28 will be described with reference to FIG. 3.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 3, the in-vehicle display control device 28 includes, as a functional configuration, a preceding vehicle detection unit 52, an outlier detection unit 54, an image generation unit 56, and a display control unit 58. Each functional configuration is realized by the CPU 30 reading and executing a program stored in the ROM 32 or the storage 36.

[0042] The preceding vehicle detection unit 52 acquires information regarding the position of a preceding vehicle 60 traveling ahead of the vehicle 12. Specifically, the preceding vehicle detection unit 52 acquires the information of the preceding vehicle 60 detected by the sensor unit 46. For example, the preceding vehicle detection unit 52 acquires the imaging image data in front of the vehicle captured by the front camera, and based on the acquired imaging image data of the preceding vehicle 60, detects the coordinate data of the preceding vehicle 60 in the yz direction. Here, the y direction is the left-right direction of the vehicle 12, the z direction is the up-down direction of the vehicle 12, and the x direction is the front-rear direction of the vehicle 12.

[0043] FIG. 4 is an example diagram showing an example of an imaging image 70 shown by the imaging image data in front of the vehicle captured by the front camera. As shown in FIG. 4, the preceding vehicle detection unit 52 sets a coordinate axis with the horizontal direction as the y-axis and the vertical direction as the z-axis in the imaging image 70. In the present embodiment, the front camera is installed at the center in the vehicle width direction on the indoor side of the front part of the vehicle 12, and in the present embodiment, the center of the imaging image 70 is set as the origin.

[0044] The preceding vehicle detection unit 52 detects the preceding vehicle 60 existing in front of the vehicle 12 by analyzing the imaging image 70, and detects the position and shape of the preceding vehicle 60 with respect to the vehicle 12. For example, in FIG. 4, the preceding vehicle detection unit 52 detects the preceding vehicle 60 from the imaging image 70, and in the preceding vehicle 60, sets a rectangular outer frame 60A (shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 4) surrounding the preceding vehicle 60, and detects the width S in the y-axis direction and the height H in the z-axis direction of the outer frame 60A as the size information of the preceding vehicle 60.

[0045] Further, as an example, the preceding vehicle detection unit 52 detects the coordinates FL1 (y1, z1) of the lower left vertex of the outer frame 60A, the coordinates FR1 (y2, z2) of the lower right vertex of the outer frame 60A, the coordinates FL2 (y3, z3) of the upper left vertex of the outer frame 60A, and the coordinates FR2 (y4, z4) of the upper right vertex of the outer frame 60A as the coordinate data of the preceding vehicle 60.

[0046] The departure detection unit 54 detects whether the entire preceding vehicle 60 has deviated from the display area 26A of the third display unit 26 based on the position of the preceding vehicle 60. Specifically, as an example, the departure detection unit 54 sets in advance the position coordinates corresponding to the display area 26A. Then, it determines whether the four coordinate data indicating the position of the preceding vehicle 60 detected by the preceding vehicle detection unit 52, that is, FL1(y1, z1), FR1(y2, z2), FL2(y3, z3), and FR2(y4, z4), are inside or outside the display area 26A. If they are outside, the departure detection unit 54 detects that the entire preceding vehicle 60 has deviated from the display area 26A of the third display unit 26.

[0047] The image generation unit 56 generates an image for display on the third display unit 26 which is the projection surface of the head-up display device 44. FIGS. 5 and 6 are diagrams each showing an example of the windshield glass 18 as viewed by the occupant in the driver's seat. In FIGS. 5 and 6, the windshield glass 18 is shown as a rectangle, but in reality, it is not a precise rectangle.

[0048] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the image generated by the image generation unit 56 includes, for example, a meter image 82 showing a meter display indicating the traveling speed of the vehicle 12 and various images for the purpose of assisting manual driving and automatic driving.

[0049] In particular, in this embodiment, when the departure detection unit 54 determines that the entire preceding vehicle 60 has deviated from the display area 26A of the third display unit 26, the image generation unit 56 generates a first captured image 80A and a second captured image 80B as captured images 80 showing the captured preceding vehicle 60. In this embodiment, as an example, the first captured image 80A and the second captured image 80B are configured in the same shape, and the first captured image 80A is configured with a color and brightness that are more emphasized than the second captured image 80B. In this embodiment, as an example, the captured image 80 is configured with double arrows as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.

[0050] In addition, when a plurality of preceding vehicles 60 are detected, the image generation unit 56 generates a captured image 80 for each detected preceding vehicle 60. In this case, as an example, the color of the first captured image 80A is set to be different for each preceding vehicle 60. Note that the generation of the captured image 80 by the image generation unit 56 is performed in advance and stored in the storage 36 as an example.

[0051] The display control unit 58 has a function of displaying the image generated by the image generation unit 56 in the display area 26A of the third display unit 26 and a function of deleting the image displayed in the display area 26A.

[0052] The display control unit 58 displays various images in the display area 26A of the third display unit 26 so as to be fused with the foreground of the vehicle 12 visually recognized by the occupant of the driver's seat through the third display unit 26 (windshield 18). In particular, in the present embodiment, the display control unit 58 superimposes or adjacently displays the captured image 80 corresponding to the position of the preceding vehicle 60 in the display area 26A of the third display unit 26, and when it is detected by the deviation detection unit 54 that the entire preceding vehicle 60 has deviated from the display area 26A, the captured image 80 is blinked at the end on the side where the entire preceding vehicle 60 has deviated in the display area 26A. Note that in the present embodiment, the display control unit 58 displays the captured image 80 adjacent to the lower end of the preceding vehicle 60 as an example.

[0053] Also, in the present embodiment, as an example, when the departure detection unit 54 detects that the entire preceding vehicle 60 has moved out of the left end of the display area 26A, the display control unit 58 causes the captured image 80 to be displayed at the left end of the display area 26A. Specifically, the first captured image 80A and the second captured image 80B are alternately displayed at regular intervals. At this time, the display control unit 58 reduces or enlarges the captured image 80, that is, the first captured image 80A and the second captured image 80B, so that the width of the double arrows in the captured image 80 corresponds to the width S detected as size information by the preceding vehicle detection unit 52. Further, as an example, the display control unit 58 rotates the captured image 80, that is, the first captured image 80A and the second captured image 80B, so that the inclination of the double arrows coincides with the inclination of the lower end line of the outer frame 60A shown in FIG. 4 and then displays it.

[0054] Similarly, when the departure detection unit 54 detects that the entire preceding vehicle 60 has moved out of the right end of the display area 26A, the display control unit 58 causes the captured image 80 to be displayed at the right end of the display area 26A, and when it is detected that the vehicle has moved out of the upper end, the display control unit 58 causes the captured image 80 to be displayed at the upper end of the display area 26A.

[0055] Also, as shown in FIG. 6, when the entire preceding vehicle 60 has not moved out of the display area 26A, that is, when only a part of the preceding vehicle 60 has moved out of the display area 26A or when the entire preceding vehicle 60 is located within the display area 26A, the display control unit 58 causes the first captured image 80A to be displayed according to the position of the preceding vehicle 60, thereby causing the captured image to be displayed in a non-blinking illuminated state instead of blinking.

[0056] Note that, in the present embodiment, as an example, when the departure detection unit 54 detects that the entire preceding vehicle 60 has moved out of the display area 26A, the display control unit 58 causes the captured image 80 to be displayed in a blinking state after a certain period of time has elapsed since this detection. Further, when the departure detection unit 54 detects that at least a part of the preceding vehicle 60 has returned from the outside to the inside of the display area 26A, the display control unit 58 causes the captured image 80 to be displayed in a non-blinking illuminated state after a certain period of time has elapsed since this detection.

[0057] (Function) Next, the function of this embodiment will be described.

[0058] (Display processing) An example of the display processing for displaying the captured image 80 on the third display unit 26 which is the projection surface of the head-up display device 44 will be described using the flowchart shown in FIG. 7. This display processing is executed by the CPU 30 reading out the display control program from the ROM 32 or the storage 36, expanding it in the RAM 34, and executing it.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 7, the CPU 30 determines whether or not the preceding vehicle 60 has been detected in step S11. Specifically, the CPU 30 determines whether or not the preceding vehicle 60 exists in the captured image 70 captured by the front camera included in the sensor unit 46 by the function of the preceding vehicle detection unit 52.

[0060] If the preceding vehicle 60 has not been detected, step S11 becomes a negative determination, and the CPU 30 ends the display control process. On the other hand, if the preceding vehicle 60 has been detected, step S11 becomes an affirmative determination, and the CPU 30 transfers the process to step S 12.

[0061] The CPU 30 is at step S 12 to detect the position of the preceding vehicle 60. Specifically, the CPU 30 acquires the information of the preceding vehicle 60 detected by the sensor unit 46 by the function of the preceding vehicle detection unit 52, and based on this information, as described above, the coordinates of the lower right vertex of the outer frame 60A of the preceding vehicle 60, FR1 (y2, z2), the coordinates of the upper left vertex of the outer frame 60A, FL2 (y3, z3), and the coordinates of the upper right vertex of the outer frame 60A, FR2 (y4, z4) are detected as the coordinate data of the preceding vehicle 60.

[0062] The CPU 30 determines whether or not the entire preceding vehicle 60 has exited the display area 26A in step S13. Specifically, the CPU 30 determines, by the function of the deviation detection unit 54, whether the above coordinate data, that is, FL1(y1, z1), FR1(y2, z2), FL2(y3, z3), and FR2(y4, z4) are inside or outside the display area 26A in the captured image 70. If it is outside, since the CPU 30 detects that the entire preceding vehicle 60 has exited the display area 26A, step S13 becomes an affirmative determination, and the CPU 30 causes the process to proceed to step S14.

[0063] In step S14, the CPU 30 determines whether or not a certain period of time has elapsed by a timer (not shown) mounted on the vehicle display control device 28. If the certain period of time has not elapsed, step S14 becomes a negative determination, and the CPU 30 repeats the process of step S14 until the certain period of time elapses. On the other hand, if the certain period of time has elapsed, step S14 becomes an affirmative determination, and the CPU 30 causes the process to proceed to step S15.

[0064] In step S15, the CPU 30 causes the captured image 80 to blink. Specifically, the CPU 30 alternately displays the first captured image 80A and the second captured image 80B generated by the function of the image generation unit 56 in the display area 26A of the third display unit 26 by the function of the display control unit 58, thereby causing the captured image 80 to blink at the end on the side where the entire preceding vehicle 60 has exited in the display area 26A (see FIG. 5).

[0065] On the other hand, in step S13, if at least one coordinate data is inside the display area 26A in the captured image 70, the CPU 30 detects that the entire preceding vehicle 60 has not exited the display area 26A, that is, at least a part of the preceding vehicle 60 is located in the display area 26A. Therefore, step S13 becomes a negative determination, and the CPU 30 causes the process to proceed to step S16.

[0066] At step S16, the CPU 30 determines, using the function of the disengagement detection unit 54, whether the preceding vehicle 60 has returned from the outside to the inside. If it has not returned from the outside to the inside, since the preceding vehicle 60 continues to be inside the display area 26A, step S16 results in a negative determination, and the CPU 30 transfers the process to step S18. On the other hand, if it has returned from the outside to the inside of the display area 26A, step S16 results in a positive determination, and the CPU 30 transfers the process to step S17.

[0067] At step S17, the CPU 30 determines whether a certain period of time has elapsed by means of a timer (not shown) mounted on the vehicle display control device 28. If the certain period of time has not elapsed, step S17 results in a negative determination, and the CPU 30 repeats the process of step S17 until the certain period of time elapses. On the other hand, if the certain period of time has elapsed, step S17 results in a positive determination, and the CPU 30 transfers the process to step S18.

[0068] At step S18, the CPU 30 causes the captured image 80 to be displayed adjacent to the preceding vehicle 60 in a non - blinking manner. Specifically, the CPU 30 causes the first captured image 80A generated by the function of the image generation unit 56 to be displayed in the display area 26A of the third display unit 26 by the function of the display control unit 58, thereby causing the captured image 80 to be displayed adjacent to the lower end of the preceding vehicle 60 in a non - blinking manner (see FIG. 6).

[0069] Then, while continuing the process of step S15 or step S18, the CPU 30 transfers the process to step S11 and determines, using the function of the preceding vehicle detection unit 52, whether the currently captured preceding vehicle 60 is detected. If the preceding vehicle 60 is detected, step S11 results in a positive determination, and the CPU 30 continues the processes after step S12. On the other hand, if the preceding vehicle 60 is not detected, step S11 results in a negative determination, and the CPU 30 ends the display control process.

[0070] As described above, in the vehicle display device 10 and the vehicle display control device 28 according to the present embodiment, the display control unit 58 causes the captured image 80 corresponding to the position of the preceding vehicle 60 to be displayed in the display area by being superimposed on or adjacent to the preceding vehicle 60, and when the outer detection unit 54 detects that the entire preceding vehicle 60 has moved out of the display area 26A, the captured image 80 is blinked and displayed at the end of the display area 26A on the side where the entire preceding vehicle 60 has moved out. As a result, when it is detected that the entire preceding vehicle 60 has moved out of the display area 26A, the captured image 80 is blinked and displayed, and when only a part of the preceding vehicle 60 has moved out of the display area 26A, the captured image 80 is not blinked and displayed, so that it is possible to suppress the annoyance felt by the occupant.

[0071] Further, in the present embodiment, when the display control unit 58 detects that the entire preceding vehicle 60 has moved out of the display area 26A, the captured image 80 is blinked and displayed after a lapse of a certain time from this detection. Therefore, by allowing a certain time to elapse from the detection, it is possible to prevent hunting that occurs when the preceding vehicle 60 moves from the inside to the outside of the display area 26A at the time of switching.

[0072] Further, in the present embodiment, when the display control unit 58 detects that at least a part of the preceding vehicle 60 has returned from the outside to the inside of the display area 26A, the captured image 80 is continuously lit and displayed after a lapse of a certain time from this detection. Therefore, by allowing a certain time to elapse from the detection, it is possible to prevent hunting that occurs when the preceding vehicle 60 returns from the outside to the inside of the display area 26A at the time of switching.

[0073] Further, in the present embodiment, since the display area 26A is a projection surface projected by the head-up display device 44 in front of the vehicle in the driver's seat, the captured image 80 is displayed by being superimposed on the foreground from the driver's seat. Therefore, the driver in the driver's seat can visually recognize the position of the preceding vehicle 60 without significantly moving the line of sight.

[0074] In the above-described embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, when the captured image 80 is blinked and displayed, the display control unit 58 alternately displays the first captured image 80A and the second captured image 80B at regular intervals. However, the present invention is not limited to this.

[0075] (First Modification Example) In the first modification example, the display control unit 58 increases the blinking speed of the blinking display as the preceding vehicle 60 moves away from the display area 26A. Specifically, the display control unit 58 varies the timing of switching between the display of the first captured image 80A and the second captured image 80B. As an example, the deviation detection unit 54 acquires the coordinates of the position of the vehicle 12 detected by the GPS sensor of the sensor unit 46. Further, the deviation detection unit 54 acquires the coordinates of the position of the preceding vehicle 60 in the y direction (left - right direction) and the z direction (up - down direction) detected by the preceding vehicle detection unit 52, and acquires information on the size of the preceding vehicle 60 detected by the preceding vehicle detection unit 52 to derive the displacement amount in the x direction (front - rear direction).

[0076] The deviation detection unit 54 calculates the distances in the x direction, y direction, and z direction from the vehicle 12 to the preceding vehicle 60 based on this information. The display control unit 58 increases the switching speed of the display between the first captured image 80A and the second captured image 80B as the distance calculated by the deviation detection unit 54 increases, assuming that the preceding vehicle 60 is moving away from the display area 26A, thereby increasing the blinking speed of the blinking display.

[0077] In the first modification example in this way, since the display control unit 58 increases the blinking speed of the blinking display as the preceding vehicle 60 moves away from the display area 26A, the occupant can visually grasp the distance from the display area 26A to the preceding vehicle 60 by the blinking display with different blinking speeds.

[0078] In the above - described first modification example, the displacement amount in the x direction is calculated based on the information on the size of the preceding vehicle 60 obtained from the captured image 70. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, it may be calculated based on the distance between the vehicle 12 and the preceding vehicle 60 detected by the radar or lidar of the sensor unit 46.

[0079] (Second Modified Example) In the second modified example, in the first modified example, for example, a fixed threshold value divided into three levels with respect to the distance is set, and the distance calculated by the outlier detection unit 54 is compared with the above three-level threshold value. Based on this comparison result, the display control unit 58 changes the blinking speed in three levels.

[0080] In this way, in the second modified example, since the display control unit 58 gradually increases the blinking speed, the error in calculating the distance from the display area 26A to the preceding vehicle 60 can be corrected and displayed.

[0081] [Supplementary Explanation] In the above embodiment, the case where the display area showing the foreground of the vehicle is constituted by the projection surface of the head-up display device 44 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. As in the modified example shown in FIG. 8, the captured image 80 may be displayed in the display area of the second display unit 25 which is a display provided on the instrument panel 14.

[0082] As shown in FIG. 8, in this modified example, the display area 25A of the second display unit 25 is divided vertically. In the second display unit 25 shown in FIG. 8, a map image N indicating the current position of the vehicle 12 is displayed at the lower part of the display area, and a foreground image F showing the foreground of the vehicle is shown at the upper part of the display area. The foreground image F is constituted by, for example, the captured image 70 captured by the front camera constituting the sensor unit 46. Different from the above embodiment, in the second modified example, when the preceding vehicle 60 moves out of the display area 25A, that is, when the preceding vehicle 60 no longer exists in the captured image 70, the captured image blinks and is displayed at the end of the side where the preceding vehicle 60 has moved out in the display area 25A.

[0083] As described above, in this modified example, the captured image 80 is displayed on the second display unit 25 provided on the instrument panel 14. When the preceding vehicle 60 moves out of the display area 25A, the captured image blinks at the end on the side where the preceding vehicle 60 has moved out in the display area 25A. As a result, regardless of the seating position, it is possible to suppress the annoyance caused by the blinking display for the occupant who views the second display unit 25, similar to the above-described embodiment.

[0084] Similarly, in the instrument panel 14, the captured image 80 may be displayed in the display area 24A of the first display unit 24, which is a meter display provided in front of the vehicle of the driver's seat. Since the first display unit 24 is provided in front of the vehicle of the driver's seat, the occupant of the driver's seat can view the first display unit 24 with almost no movement of the line of sight from the foreground of the vehicle.

[0085] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the configuration of displaying one captured image 80 in the display area has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. When a plurality of preceding vehicles 60 are detected, a configuration of displaying a plurality of captured images 80 in the display area may be used. Also, the captured image 80 is not limited to the double-arrow shape and can be changed to various shapes. For example, it may be a linear shape composed of a solid line, a dotted line, etc., or a circular shape, etc.

[0086] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the outer frame 60A of the preceding vehicle 60 is set in the captured image 70, and the position coordinates of each vertex of this outer frame 60A are detected as the position coordinates of the preceding vehicle 60, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the outer shape of the preceding vehicle 60 may be extracted, and the position coordinates of the points located most outward in the vertical and horizontal directions may be detected.

[0087] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the captured image 80 is displayed adjacent to the lower end portion of the preceding vehicle 60, but the captured image 80 may be displayed adjacent to the upper end portion, the left end portion, or the right end portion of the preceding vehicle 60. Also, the captured image 80 may be displayed so as to overlap the preceding vehicle 60.

[0088] Further, in the above embodiment, the display control unit 58 alternately displays the first captured image 80A and the second captured image 80B as a method of blinking and displaying the captured image 80, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the display and non-display of the first captured image 80A may be alternately performed.

[0089] Further, in the present embodiment, each process executed by the CPU 22 shown in FIG. 2 by reading and executing software (program) may be executed by various processors other than the CPU. Examples of the processor in this case include a PLD (Programmable Logic Device) whose circuit configuration can be changed after manufacturing, such as an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), and a dedicated electric circuit which is a processor having a circuit configuration dedicated to executing specific processes, such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). Further, each process may be executed by one of these various processors, or may be executed by a combination of two or more processors of the same type or different types (for example, a plurality of FPGAs, and a combination of a CPU and an FPGA, etc.). More specifically, the hardware structure of these various processors is an electric circuit combining circuit elements such as semiconductor elements.

[0090] Further, each program described in the present embodiment may be provided in a form recorded on a recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), a DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disc Read Only Memory), and a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory. Further, the program may be in a form downloaded from an external device via a network.

[0091] As described above, one embodiment of the present invention has been described, but the present invention is not limited to the above, and it goes without saying that various modifications can be made and implemented within the scope not departing from the gist thereof.

Explanation of Signs

[0092] 10 Display device for vehicle 12 Vehicle 13 Passenger compartment 14 Instrument panel 24 First display unit (display unit) 24A Display area 25 Second display unit (display unit) 25A Display area 26 Third display unit (display unit) 26A Display area (projection surface) 28 Vehicle display control device (ECU) 44 Head-up display device (HUD) 52 Preceding vehicle detection unit 54 Deviation detection unit 58 Display control unit 60 Preceding vehicle 80 Captured image 80A First captured image (captured image) 80B Second captured image (captured image)

Claims

1. A vehicle display control device for controlling a display device that displays a captured image corresponding to the position of a preceding vehicle in a display area that overlaps a part of the foreground from the vehicle, when the entire preceding vehicle moves out of the display area, the captured image is made to blink, when at least a part of the preceding vehicle is inside the display area, the captured image is not made to blink, A vehicle display control device.

2. The vehicle display control device according to claim 1, wherein when the entire preceding vehicle moves out of the display area, the captured image is made to blink after a certain period of time has elapsed since the entire preceding vehicle moved out of the display area.

3. The vehicle display control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when at least a part of the preceding vehicle returns from the outside to the inside of the display area, the captured image is made to be continuously lit without blinking after a certain period of time has elapsed since at least a part of the preceding vehicle returned from the outside to the inside of the display area.

4. A vehicle display control device for controlling a display device that displays a captured image corresponding to the position of a preceding vehicle in a display area that overlaps a part of the foreground from the vehicle, when the entire preceding vehicle moves out of the display area, the captured image is made to blink, when at least a part of the preceding vehicle is inside the display area, the captured image is not made to blink, when the entire preceding vehicle moves out of the display area, the blinking speed of the blinking display is increased as the preceding vehicle moves away from the display area, A vehicle display control device.

5. The vehicle display control device according to claim 4, wherein the blinking speed is gradually increased as the preceding vehicle moves away from the display area.

6. The vehicle display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the display area is a projection surface projected by a head-up display device in front of the vehicle in the driver's seat.

7. A display unit provided in the vehicle interior of the vehicle and having the display area, The vehicle display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, A vehicle display device comprising the above.

8. A display control method in which a computer executes a process of displaying a captured image corresponding to the position of a preceding vehicle in a display area that overlaps a part of the foreground from the vehicle, when the entire preceding vehicle moves out of the display area, the captured image is made to blink, when at least a part of the preceding vehicle is inside the display area, the captured image is not made to blink, A display control method.

9. A display control program for displaying a captured image corresponding to the position of a preceding vehicle in a display area that overlaps a part of the foreground from the vehicle, wherein the computer, when the entire preceding vehicle is out of the display area, causes the captured image to blink, and when at least a part of the preceding vehicle is inside the display area, does not cause the captured image to blink, is a display control program for causing the above processing to be executed.

Images