Vehicle display control device and vehicle display control method

Abstract

To enable suppressing waste of electrical power consumption of an indicator even if enlarging a screen of the indicator installed on a vehicle, while hardly imparting discomfort to an occupant.SOLUTION: A display control unit for a vehicle comprises: a display control part 104 which is capable of partly controlling brilliance within a display area of an indicator 14 installed on an own vehicle; and an area identification part 102 which sequentially identifies visible regions which are regions inferred to be likely to be watched closely by an occupant, on the basis of results of detection of the occupant of the own vehicle. The display control part 104 performs control to reduce, compared with the case identified to be the visible region, the brilliance of non-visible area within the display area of one indicator 14 in accordance with the movement of the visible region sequentially identified by the area identification part 102 while performing control to make brilliance change of non-visible transitional region more gradual compared with a reference change degree.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 technology]

[0002] Toward the realization of a carbon-neutral society, there is an increasing need for energy conservation. In response to this, technologies for reducing the power consumption of displays mounted on vehicles are known. Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for reducing the brightness of a display that is not in the driver's line of sight among multiple displays mounted on a vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-24402 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The increase in power consumption due to the larger screens of display devices installed in vehicles is becoming an issue. In response to this issue, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 does not reduce the brightness of the entire display screen if the driver's line of sight is directed at even a part of the screen. Therefore, power consumption is wasted by maintaining the brightness of the screen outside the area where the driver may be gazing (hereinafter referred to as the visible area).

[0005] One solution to this problem is to reduce the brightness of the area outside the visible area (hereinafter referred to as the non-visible area) on the screen of a single display. However, if the brightness of the non-visible area is reduced to match the speed of the movement of the visible area, which moves in accordance with the movement of the driver's line of sight, problems may arise. This is because the sudden change in brightness in the area where the visible area switches to the non-visible area is perceived by the driver's peripheral vision, causing discomfort to the driver.

[0006] One object of this disclosure is to provide a vehicle display control device and a vehicle display control method that are capable of reducing wasted power consumption of the display while minimizing discomfort to occupants, even when the screen of the display installed in the vehicle is enlarged. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The above object is achieved by the combination of features recited in the independent claims, and the subclaims define further advantageous embodiments of the disclosure. The reference numerals in parentheses in the claims correspond to specific means described in the following embodiment as one aspect, and do not limit the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, 1st The vehicle display control device is used in a vehicle and includes a display control unit (104) capable of partially controlling the brightness within a display area of ​​a display device (14) mounted on the vehicle, and includes an area identification unit (102) that sequentially identifies a visual recognition area, which is an area that is estimated to be likely to be gazed upon by an occupant of the vehicle, based on the result of detecting an occupant of the vehicle. The display control unit controls the brightness of a non-visual recognition area, which is outside the area identified by the area identification unit as a visual recognition area, within the display area of ​​one display device, to be lowered compared to when the area is identified as a visual recognition area, in accordance with the movement of the visual recognition area sequentially identified by the area identification unit, and controls the change in brightness of an area that changes from a visual recognition area to a non-visual recognition area within the display area of ​​one display device to be a slower change compared to a reference degree of change when transitioning from a non-visual recognition area to a visual recognition area. When there are multiple occupants in the vehicle, the area identification unit sequentially identifies the visible area for each of the multiple occupants in the display area of ​​one display device, and the display control unit controls, for the driver of the vehicle, an area in the display area of ​​one display device that changes from a visible area to a non-visible area so that the change in luminance in response to the change is slower than a reference change degree, and controls, for the area that changes from a non-visible area to a visible area so that the change in luminance in response to the change is at the reference change degree, while for passengers other than the driver of the vehicle, controls, for both an area in the display area of ​​the display device that changes from a visible area to a non-visible area and an area that changes from a non-visible area to a visible area, so that the change is slower than the reference change degree. do. In order to achieve the above object, a second vehicle display control device of the present disclosure is a vehicle display control device that is used in a vehicle and includes a display control unit (104) that is capable of partially controlling the brightness within a display area of ​​a display device (14) mounted on the vehicle, and includes an area identification unit (102) that sequentially identifies a visual recognition area that is an area that is estimated to be an area that the occupant is likely to gaze at based on a result of detecting the vehicle occupant, and the display control unit controls the brightness of a non-visual recognition area that is outside the area identified by the area identification unit as a visual recognition area within the display area of ​​one display device in accordance with the movement of the visual recognition area sequentially identified by the area identification unit so as to be lowered compared to when the area is identified as a visual recognition area, and for an area that changes from a visual recognition area to a non-visual recognition area within the display area of ​​one display device, the display control unit controls the brightness of the non-visual recognition area to be lower compared to when the non-visual recognition area is identified as a visual recognition area, in accordance with the movement of the visual recognition area sequentially identified by the area identification unit. The display control unit controls the change in luminance for an area of ​​a display device that changes from a visible area to a non-visible area to be a slower change than the standard degree of change when transitioning from a non-visible area to a visible area, and when the vehicle is running, the display control unit controls the change in luminance for an area that changes from a visible area to a non-visible area to be a slower change than the standard degree of change, and controls the change in luminance for an area that changes from a non-visible area to a visible area to be a change at the standard degree of change, while when the vehicle is stopped, the display control unit controls the change in luminance for both an area that changes from a visible area to a non-visible area and an area that changes from a non-visible area to a visible area to be a change at the standard degree of change. In order to achieve the above object, a third vehicle display control device of the present disclosure is a vehicle display control device that is used in a vehicle and includes a display control unit (104) that is capable of partially controlling the brightness within a display area of ​​a display device (14) mounted on the vehicle, and includes an area identification unit (102) that sequentially identifies a visual recognition area that is an area that is estimated to be an area that the occupant is likely to gaze at based on a result of detecting an occupant of the vehicle, and the display control unit controls the brightness of a non-visual recognition area that is outside the area identified by the area identification unit as a visual recognition area within the display area of ​​one display device in accordance with movement of the visual recognition area sequentially identified by the area identification unit so as to be lowered compared to when the area is identified as a visual recognition area, and controls the brightness of an area that changes from a visual recognition area to a non-visual recognition area within the display area of ​​one display device to be lower than when the area is identified as a visual recognition area. The vehicle is capable of switching between manual driving and autonomous driving, and the display control unit controls, when the vehicle is in manual driving mode, the change in brightness of an area of ​​a display device that changes from a visible area to a non-visible area so that the change in brightness in response to that change is slower than the standard change degree, and controls the change in brightness of an area that changes from a non-visible area to a visible area so that the change is at the standard change degree, while when the vehicle is in autonomous driving mode, the display control unit controls both the area of ​​the display device that changes from a visible area to a non-visible area and the area that changes from a non-visible area to a visible area so that the change is at the standard change degree. In order to achieve the above object, a fourth vehicle display control device of the present disclosure is a vehicle display control device that is used in a vehicle and includes a display control unit (104) that is capable of partially controlling the brightness within a display area of ​​a display device (14) mounted on the vehicle, and includes an area identification unit (102) that sequentially identifies a visual recognition area that is an area that is estimated to be an area that the occupant is likely to gaze at, based on a result of detecting an occupant of the vehicle, and the display control unit adjusts the brightness of a non-visual recognition area that is outside the area identified by the area identification unit as the visual recognition area, in accordance with the movement of the visual recognition area sequentially identified by the area identification unit, within the display area of ​​one display device. The display control unit controls the brightness of the display area of ​​one display device to be lower than when the display area is set to a visible area, and controls the change in brightness of an area that changes from a visible area to a non-visible area to be slower than the standard degree of change when transitioning from a non-visible area to a visible area, and when the display control unit controls the brightness of the display area of ​​one display device to be slower than the standard degree of change in accordance with the movement of the visible area sequentially identified by the area identification unit, the display control unit controls the change to be slower for each content displayed in the display area.

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, 1stThe vehicle display control method is a vehicle display control method executed by at least one processor, and includes a display control step capable of partially controlling the brightness within a display area of ​​a display device (14) used in a vehicle and mounted on the vehicle, and includes a region specifying step of sequentially specifying a visible region, which is a region estimated to be a region where the occupant is likely to gaze, based on a result of detecting a vehicle occupant. In the display control step, in accordance with the movement of the visible region sequentially specified in the region specifying step, the brightness of a non-visible region, which is outside the region specified as the visible region in the region specifying step, within the display area of ​​one display device, is controlled to be lowered compared to when the region is specified as the visible region, and for a region within the display area of ​​one display device that changes from the visible region to the non-visible region, a change in brightness in response to the change is controlled to be slower than a reference degree of change when transitioning from the non-visible region to the visible region. In the area specifying step, when there are multiple occupants in the vehicle, the visible area for each of the multiple occupants in the display area of ​​one display device is sequentially specified, and in the display control step, for the driver of the vehicle, a region in the display area of ​​one display device that changes from a visible area to a non-visible area is controlled so that the change in luminance in response to the change is slower than a reference change degree, and for the region that changes from a non-visible area to a visible area, the change in luminance in response to the change is controlled so that it changes at the reference change degree, while for passengers other than the driver of the vehicle, both a region that changes from a visible area to a non-visible area and a region that changes from a non-visible area to a visible area are controlled so that the change is slower than the reference change degree. do. In order to achieve the above object, a second vehicle display control method of the present disclosure is a vehicle display control method that includes a display control step executed by at least one processor and that is used in a vehicle and capable of partially controlling the brightness within a display area of ​​a display device (14) mounted on the vehicle, and includes a region specifying step of sequentially specifying a visible region that is an area that is estimated to be an area that the occupant is likely to gaze at based on a result of detecting an occupant of the vehicle, and in the display control step, in accordance with the movement of the visible region sequentially specified in the region specifying step, the brightness of a non-visible region of the display area of ​​one display device that is outside the region specified as the visible region in the region specifying step is controlled to be lowered compared to when it is specified as the visible region, and for a region of the display area of ​​one display device that changes from a visible region to a non-visible region, In the display control step, when the vehicle is traveling, the luminance change in a region of the display area of ​​one display that changes from a visible region to a non-visible region is controlled to be slower than the reference degree of change, and the luminance change in a region that changes from a non-visible region to a visible region is controlled to be at the reference degree of change, while when the vehicle is stopped, the luminance change in both the region that changes from a visible region to a non-visible region and the region that changes from a non-visible region to a visible region in the display area of ​​the display is controlled to be at the reference degree of change. In order to achieve the above object, a third vehicle display control method of the present disclosure is a vehicle display control method executed by at least one processor, used in a vehicle capable of switching between manual driving and automatic driving, and including a display control step capable of partially controlling brightness within a display area of ​​a display device (14) mounted on the vehicle, and including an area specifying step of sequentially specifying a visible area, which is an area estimated to be an area where the occupant is likely to gaze, based on a result of detecting an occupant of the vehicle, and in the display control step, in accordance with movement of the visible area sequentially specified in the area specifying step, controlling the brightness of a non-visible area, which is outside the area specified as the visible area in the area specifying step, to be lowered compared to when it is specified as the visible area, and In the display control process, when the vehicle is being manually driven, the luminance change in a region of a display device that changes from a visible region to a non-visible region is controlled to be slower than the reference degree of change, and the luminance change in a region that changes from a non-visible region to a visible region is controlled to be at the reference degree of change, while when the vehicle is being automatically driven, the luminance change in both the region that changes from a visible region to a non-visible region and the region that changes from a non-visible region to a visible region is controlled to be at the reference degree of change. In order to achieve the above object, a fourth vehicle display control method of the present disclosure is a vehicle display control method that includes a display control step executed by at least one processor and that is used in a vehicle and capable of partially controlling the brightness within a display area of ​​a display device (14) mounted on the vehicle, and includes a region specifying step of sequentially specifying a visible region that is an area that is estimated to be an area that the occupant is likely to gaze at, based on a result of detecting an occupant of the vehicle, and in the display control step, the brightness of a non-visible region that is outside the area specified as the visible region in the region specifying step is controlled in accordance with the movement of the visible region sequentially specified in the region specifying step, within the display area of ​​one display device. The brightness of the display area of ​​one display device is controlled to be lower than when the area is identified as a visible area, and for an area of ​​the display area of ​​one display device that changes from a visible area to a non-visible area, the change in brightness in response to that change is controlled to be slower than the standard degree of change when transitioning from a non-visible area to a visible area.In the display control process, when the brightness of the display area of ​​one display device is controlled to change more slowly than the standard degree of change in accordance with the movement of the visible area that is sequentially identified in the area identification process, the change is controlled to be that slow for each content displayed in the display area.

[0010] According to these techniques, the brightness of a non-visible area, which is outside the visible area and is estimated to be the area where the occupant may gaze, is reduced compared to when the non-visible area is identified as the visible area. This reduces power consumption for the area outside the visible area of ​​the display device. Furthermore, for an area that changes from the visible area to the non-visible area, the change in brightness can be slower than the standard change rate for transitioning from the non-visible area to the visible area. This makes it difficult for the occupant's peripheral vision to perceive a sudden change in brightness in the area that switches from the visible area to the non-visible area. As a result, even if the screen of a display device installed in a vehicle is enlarged, it is possible to reduce unnecessary power consumption of the display device and reduce discomfort to the occupant. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a vehicle system 1. FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of an HCU 10. [Figure 3] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining an example of region identification by the region identification unit 102. FIG. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining an example of a change in area depending on the face direction of an occupant. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a change in luminance in response to a change in area. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining an example of a change in luminance of a non-visual transition region when the control of the present disclosure is not performed. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining an example of a change in luminance of a non-visual transition region when the control of the present disclosure is performed. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining an example of changes in area depending on the facial orientation of each of a plurality of occupants. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a change in luminance in response to a change in area. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of brightness control-related processing in the HCU 10. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] A number of embodiments for the purpose of disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. For the sake of convenience, parts having the same functions as parts shown in the drawings used in the previous explanations in the number of embodiments will be given the same reference numerals, and their description may be omitted. For parts given the same reference numerals, the explanations in other embodiments may be referred to.

[0013] (Embodiment 1) <General configuration of vehicle system 1> A first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. The vehicle system 1 shown in FIG. 1 can be used in a vehicle. As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle system 1 includes an HCU (Human Machine Interface Control Unit) 10, an autonomous driving ECU 11, a vehicle state sensor 12, an interior camera 13, and a display 14. For example, the HCU 10, the autonomous driving ECU 11, and the vehicle state sensor 12 may be configured to be connected to an in-vehicle LAN (see the LAN in FIG. 1). In the following, a case where the vehicle using the vehicle system 1 is an automobile will be described as an example. Note that the vehicle using the vehicle system 1 is not necessarily limited to an automobile. The vehicle using the vehicle system 1 will be referred to as the host vehicle below.

[0014] The autonomous driving ECU 11 is an electronic control device that includes, for example, a processor, memory, I / O, and a bus connecting these. The autonomous driving ECU 11 executes control programs stored in the memory to perform processes related to autonomous driving. The autonomous driving ECU 11 is capable of switching the degree of autonomous driving of the vehicle (hereinafter referred to as the automation level). There can be multiple automation levels, as defined by, for example, the SAE. The automation levels are classified, for example, into levels 0 to 5 as follows:

[0015] Level 0 is the level at which the driver performs all driving tasks without intervention from the vehicle's systems. Driving tasks can also be referred to as dynamic driving tasks. Examples of driving tasks include steering, acceleration / deceleration, and peripheral monitoring. Level 0 corresponds to so-called manual driving. Level 1 is the level at which the system assists with either steering or acceleration / deceleration. Level 1 corresponds to so-called driver assistance. Level 2 is the level at which the system assists with both steering and acceleration / deceleration. Level 2 corresponds to so-called partial driving automation. Levels 1 and 2 are also considered part of automated driving. Level 3 is the level at which the system can perform all driving tasks in specific locations, such as highways, and the driver takes over driving operations in emergencies. At Level 3, the driver is required to respond quickly when the system requests a takeover. Level 3 corresponds to so-called conditional driving automation. Level 4 is the level at which the system can perform all driving tasks except under certain circumstances, such as on roads that cannot be handled or in extreme environments. Level 4 corresponds to so-called high driving automation. Level 5 is the level at which the system can perform all driving tasks in all environments. Level 5 corresponds to what is known as fully automated driving.

[0016] The host vehicle of this embodiment may be configured to be able to switch the automation level only among some of levels 0 to 5. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the host vehicle is able to switch between manual driving and automated driving at level 1 or higher.

[0017] The vehicle state sensor 12 is a group of sensors for detecting various states of the vehicle. Examples of the vehicle state sensor 12 include a vehicle speed sensor, a shift position sensor, etc. The vehicle speed sensor detects the vehicle speed of the vehicle. The shift position sensor detects the shift position of the vehicle. The vehicle state sensor 12 outputs the detected sensing information to an in-vehicle LAN. Note that the sensing information detected by the vehicle state sensor 12 may be configured to be output to the in-vehicle LAN via an ECU installed in the vehicle.

[0018] The interior camera 13 captures a predetermined range within the cabin of the vehicle. It is preferable that the interior camera 13 captures an area including at least the driver's seat of the vehicle. It is more preferable that the interior camera 13 captures an area including the passenger seat in addition to the driver's seat of the vehicle. The interior camera 13 may capture an area including the passenger seat and rear seats in addition to the driver's seat of the vehicle. There may be multiple interior cameras 13.

[0019] The interior camera 13 includes, for example, a near-infrared light source, a near-infrared camera, and a control unit for controlling them. The control unit analyzes the image captured by the near-infrared camera. The control unit detects the presence of an occupant by recognizing the occupant's face. The control unit analyzes the captured image to detect facial features of the occupant. The control unit detects the occupant's facial direction based on the detected facial features of the occupant. As an example, the control unit may detect the occupant's facial direction from the relative positional relationship of each part of the face. The facial direction angle may be expressed, for example, by defining the occupant's front direction as 0 degrees, with a rotation angle to the right from the front direction as a positive angle and a rotation angle to the left as a negative angle. The occupant's facial direction may be calculated two-dimensionally as horizontal movement, or three-dimensionally as horizontal and vertical movement. In this embodiment, a case in which the occupant's facial direction is calculated two-dimensionally as horizontal movement will be described.

[0020] The control unit may detect the gaze direction of the occupant. In this case, the control unit detects the pupil and corneal reflex from the captured image by image recognition processing. Then, the gaze direction is detected from the detected facial direction and the positional relationship between the detected pupil and corneal reflex. The gaze direction may be expressed as a straight line starting from the eye point, which is the position of the occupant's eyes. The eye point may be specified as coordinates in a three-dimensional space with a predetermined position on the vehicle as the origin, for example. The coordinates of the eye point may be specified based on the correspondence between the eye position in the captured image and a position in the three-dimensional space.

[0021] The display 14 displays information. The display 14 is provided inside the vehicle. Examples of the display 14 include a meter MID (Multi Information Display), a CID (Center Information Display), a passenger seat display, a HUD (Head-Up Display), an electronic mirror, and a large display. The display 14 is capable of partially controlling the brightness within the display area. For example, an organic EL display or the like may be used as the display 14.

[0022] The meter MID is a display device placed in front of the driver's seat. The display area of ​​the meter MID is assumed to be provided in the same position as the location of the meter MID. As an example, the meter MID may be configured to be provided in the meter panel. The CID is a display device placed in the center cluster. The display area of ​​the CID is assumed to be provided in the same position as the location of the CID. The passenger seat side display is a display device placed in front of the passenger seat. The display area of ​​the passenger seat side display is assumed to be provided in the same position as the location of the passenger seat side display.

[0023] The HUD projects a display image formed on a display element based on image data acquired from the HCU 10 onto a projection area defined on a projection member in front of the driver's seat. This allows a virtual image of the display image to be superimposed on the external scenery in front of the vehicle and be displayed so as to be visible. The projection area defined on the projection member in front of the driver's seat corresponds to the display area. The projection member onto which the HUD projects the display image may be a front windshield or a translucent combiner.

[0024] An electronic mirror is a display that sequentially displays imaging images of the left and right rear sides and / or the rear of the host vehicle that are sequentially imaged by a surrounding monitoring camera. The surrounding monitoring camera is a camera that images a predetermined range around the host vehicle. The electronic mirror that performs the function of a side mirror may be configured to be respectively disposed at the bases of the left and right pillars located on both sides of the front windshield. The electronic mirror that performs the function of a rearview mirror may be configured to be disposed above the front windshield. The display area of the electronic mirror shall be provided at the same position as the arrangement position of the electronic mirror.

[0025] Examples of a large-sized display include a pillar-to-pillar type display (hereinafter referred to as a PtoP display). The PtoP display is a display in which the display area extends between the left and right pillars located on both sides of the front windshield. The PtoP display may be realized by arranging a plurality of displays in a horizontal row on the instrument panel. The PtoP display may also be configured to be realized by one display.

[0026] The HCU10 is an electronic control unit including, for example, a processor, a memory, I / O, and a bus connecting these components. The HCU10 controls the display on the display 14 by executing a control program stored in the memory. This HCU10 corresponds to a vehicle display control device. The memory referred to here is a non-transitory tangible storage medium that non-temporarily stores a program and data readable by a computer. The non-transitory tangible storage medium is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory or a magnetic disk. The display 14 controlled by the HCU10 may be of multiple types. Details of the HCU10 will be described below.

[0027] <Schematic Configuration of HCU10> Next, a schematic configuration of the HCU 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 2, the HCU 10 includes an occupant state identification unit 101, an area identification unit 102, a vehicle state identification unit 103, and a display control unit 105 as functional blocks. Execution of the processing of each functional block of the HCU 10 by a computer corresponds to execution of a vehicle display control method. Some or all of the functions executed by the HCU 10 may be configured as hardware using one or more ICs or the like. Some 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 components.

[0028] The occupant state identification unit 101 identifies the state of an occupant of the vehicle. The occupant state identification unit 101 may identify the presence of an occupant of the vehicle from the detection result of the presence of an occupant of the vehicle by the interior camera 13. When there are multiple occupants in the vehicle, the occupant state identification unit 101 may identify the presence of multiple occupants. The occupant state identification unit 101 may also identify the type of occupant from the position at which the occupant is recognized in the image captured by the interior camera 13. The occupant type may be a driver, a front passenger seat occupant, a rear seat occupant, etc. A driver is an occupant sitting in the driver's seat. A front passenger seat occupant is an occupant sitting in the front passenger seat. A rear seat occupant is an occupant sitting in the rear seat. In the following description, the occupant state identification unit 101 will be described as distinguishing between, for example, a driver and a front passenger seat occupant as the type of occupant.

[0029] The occupant state identification unit 101 may identify the facial direction of the occupant of the vehicle from the detection result of the facial direction by the interior camera 13. The occupant state identification unit 101 may also identify the gaze direction of the occupant of the vehicle from the detection result of the gaze direction by the interior camera 13. The occupant state identification unit 101 may also be configured to partially perform the functions of the control unit of the interior camera 13 described above. The occupant state identification unit 101 may detect the presence, facial direction, and gaze direction of the occupant based on the image captured by the interior camera 13.

[0030] The region identification unit 102 identifies a region (hereinafter, "visible region") that is estimated to be the occupant's gaze based on the result of detecting the occupant of the vehicle. The region identification unit 102 may identify the visible region based on the facial direction of the occupant identified by the occupant state identification unit 101. The visible region may be a range that corresponds to the so-called effective field of view. The effective field of view is a range of approximately 20 degrees, 10 degrees to the left and 10 degrees to the right from the person's point of gaze. The effective field of view is a range in which the color and shape of an object can be recognized almost clearly. The range outside the effective field of view corresponds to the peripheral field of view. The peripheral field of view is a range in which the color and shape of an object cannot be recognized clearly, but the movement of the object can be recognized. The visible region may be a range that adds a margin to the effective field of view, taking into account an error in identifying the visible region based on the result of detecting the occupant of the vehicle. Alternatively, the visible region may be a range that adds a margin to the effective field of view so as to include a range of the effective field of view that anticipates movements in the facial direction and gaze direction. For example, the visible region may be a range of several tens of degrees to the left and several tens of degrees to the right and several tens of degrees to the left and several tens of degrees from the person's point of gaze. The region identification unit 102 may identify the visual recognition region from the facial direction by utilizing a correspondence relationship between the facial direction and the visual recognition region that has been previously associated. This correspondence relationship may be a mathematical formula or a map. The region identification unit 102 may identify the visual recognition region based on the gaze direction of the occupant identified by the occupant state identification unit 101. In this case, the visual recognition region may be identified from the gaze direction by utilizing a correspondence relationship between the gaze direction and the visual recognition region that has been previously associated. This processing by the region identification unit 102 corresponds to a region identification step.

[0031] The shape of the visual recognition area identified by the area identification unit 102 may be elliptical or circular. The range of a person's effective visual field on the display area of ​​the display device 14 is elliptical. However, if the boundary for controlling brightness (described later) depending on whether the area is a visual recognition area or not is elliptical, it may cause discomfort to the occupant compared to when the boundary is rectangular. Therefore, it is preferable that the shape of the visual recognition area identified by the area identification unit 102 is rectangular. The following description will be given taking as an example a case where the shape of the visual recognition area identified by the area identification unit 102 is rectangular. Furthermore, the area identification unit 102 may identify areas other than the visual recognition area within the display area of ​​the display device 14 as non-visual recognition areas.

[0032] Here, the identification of an area by the area identification unit 102 will be described with reference to FIG. 3. In the example of FIG. 3, the case where the occupant is the driver Dr will be described as an example. The dashed dotted line in FIG. 3 indicates the front position of the driver Dr. DrAR in FIG. 3 represents the area identified by the area identification unit 102 for the driver Dr. VAR in FIG. 3 represents the visible area. NVAR in FIG. 3 represents the non-visible area. LD in FIG. 3 represents the luminance distribution within the display area of ​​one display 14. As will be described later, as shown in FIG. 3, in the visible area within the display area, the luminance is not reduced from the default, as indicated by A. On the other hand, in the non-visible area within the display area, the luminance is reduced from the default, as indicated by B.

[0033] When there are multiple occupants in the vehicle, the region identification unit 102 preferably identifies a visual recognition region for each of the multiple occupants in the display region of one display 14. The region identification unit 102 may determine whether there are multiple occupants in the vehicle from the presence of the occupants of the vehicle identified by the occupant state identification unit 101. Note that the region identification unit 102 may be configured not to identify a visual recognition region or a blurred region for occupants other than the driver.

[0034] The vehicle state identification unit 103 identifies the state of the host vehicle. The vehicle state identification unit 103 identifies whether the host vehicle is being manually driven or automatically driven by monitoring the automatic driving ECU 11. Note that the automatic driving may be limited to automatic driving of LV3 or higher without a monitoring obligation. The vehicle state identification unit 103 identifies whether the host vehicle is moving or stopped from sensing information detected by the vehicle state sensor 12. For example, it may be possible to identify whether the host vehicle is moving or stopped from the vehicle speed. Alternatively, it may be possible to identify whether the host vehicle is moving or stopped from the shift position of the host vehicle.

[0035] The display control unit 104 controls the display on the display device 14. The display control unit 104 controls the brightness within the display area of ​​the display device 14. The display control unit 104 is capable of partially controlling the brightness within the display area of ​​the display device 14. The display control unit 104 controls the brightness of an area of ​​the display area of ​​one display device 14 that has been identified as a non-visible area by the area identification unit 102 so as to be lower than when the area is identified as a visible area. For example, the brightness of the visible area is not lowered from the default brightness, whereas the brightness of the non-visible area is lowered below the default brightness. This makes it possible to reduce power consumption for the non-visible area of ​​the display area of ​​one display device 14. The display control unit 104 may set the brightness of the non-visible area to 0, or may be configured not to lower the brightness of the non-visible area to 0. The brightness of the non-visible area will be referred to as non-visible area brightness below. The brightness of the visible area will be referred to as visible area brightness below.

[0036] The display control unit 104 reduces the brightness of a region that changes from a visible region to a non-visible region to the non-visible region brightness. Hereinafter, the region that changes from a visible region to a non-visible region is referred to as a non-visible transition region. The display control unit 104 restores the brightness of a region that changes from a non-visible region to a visible region to the visible region brightness. In other words, the display control unit 104 increases the brightness of a region that changes from a non-visible region to a visible region. Hereinafter, the region that changes from a non-visible region to a visible region is referred to as a visible transition region. Hereinafter, the change from a non-visible region to a visible region and the change from a visible region to a non-visible region are referred to as region changes.

[0037] The display control unit 104 controls the non-visible transition region of the display region of one display device 14 so that the change in luminance with respect to the region change is gradual. The region change here refers to a change from a visible region to a non-visible region. A gradual change here refers to a change that is slower than the reference change rate when transitioning from a non-visible region to a visible region. This makes it difficult for the occupant's peripheral vision to perceive a sudden change in luminance in the non-visible transition region. As a result, even if the screen of the display device 14 installed in the vehicle is enlarged, it is possible to reduce wasteful power consumption of the display device 14 while minimizing discomfort felt by the occupant. On the other hand, the luminance of the visible transition region is changed using the reference change rate. This allows the luminance to be quickly restored in accordance with the speed of movement of the visible region when transitioning from a non-visible region to a visible region. This makes it possible to reduce discomfort felt by the occupant when the luminance remains reduced even though the occupant is looking at the display device. This processing in the display control unit 104 corresponds to a display control step.

[0038] The reference degree of change is, for example, the degree to which the brightness is changed to the target brightness in one frame. In the case of a non-visible transition area, the non-visible area brightness becomes the target brightness. In the case of a visible transition area, the visible area brightness becomes the target brightness. The frame here refers to the unit of switching between still images in the content displayed on the display device 14. The content may be, for example, an animation. In the visible area, it is sufficient to switch from the non-visible area brightness to the visible area brightness in one frame. On the other hand, in the non-visible transition area, the visible area brightness is not switched to the non-visible area brightness in one frame. In the non-visible transition area, it takes multiple frames to switch from the visible area brightness to the non-visible area brightness.

[0039] Here, an example of a change in luminance with respect to a change in area will be described with reference to Figs. 4 to 7. Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a change in area according to the facial direction of an occupant. Dra and Drb in Fig. 4 respectively represent drivers Dr with different facial directions. VAR in Fig. 4 indicates the visible area. NVAR in Fig. 4 indicates the non-visible area. DraAR in Fig. 4 indicates the area identified by the area identification unit 102 when the facial direction of the driver Dr is Dra. DrbAR in Fig. 4 indicates the area identified by the area identification unit 102 when the facial direction of the driver Dr is Drb. As shown in Fig. 4, the visible area and non-visible area change according to the facial direction of the occupant.

[0040] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a change in luminance with respect to a change in area. FIG. 5 shows an example of a change in luminance of the display area in response to the change in area shown in FIG. 4. NCLD in FIG. 5 shows an example of a change in luminance when the control of the present disclosure is not performed. CLD in FIG. 5 shows an example of a change in luminance when the control of the present disclosure is performed. NVTR in FIG. 5 shows a non-visual transition area. A in FIG. 5 indicates the visible area luminance. B in FIG. 5 indicates the non-visual area luminance. FIG. 5 shows an example of a change in luminance of the display area in one frame when the face direction of the driver Dr switches from Dra to Drb. As shown in FIG. 5, when the control of the present disclosure is performed, the luminance of the non-visual transition area changes more slowly than when the control of the present disclosure is not performed.

[0041] Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a change in luminance of the non-visible transition region when the control of the present disclosure is not performed. Fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a change in luminance of the non-visible transition region when the control of the present disclosure is performed. The horizontal axis of Figs. 6 and 7 represents time. The vertical axis of Figs. 6 and 7 represents luminance. As shown in Fig. 6, when the control of the present disclosure is not performed, the luminance of the non-visible transition region is changed suddenly. On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 7, when the control of the present disclosure is performed, the luminance of the non-visible transition region is changed gradually.

[0042] The display control unit 104 may control the change in luminance with respect to the area change for the non-visible transition area of ​​the driver of the vehicle to be slower than the reference change degree. The display control unit 104 may control the change in luminance with respect to the area change for the visible transition area of ​​the driver of the vehicle to be at the reference change degree. On the other hand, the display control unit 104 may control the change in luminance with respect to both the non-visible transition area and the visible transition area of ​​the passenger to be slower than the reference change degree. The passenger may be a passenger in the front seat. The passenger may also include a passenger in the rear seat. If the luminance of the passenger's visible transition area is changed at the reference change degree when it is in the non-visible area of ​​the driver, the driver may feel uncomfortable. In contrast, the above configuration makes it possible to suppress such discomfort.

[0043] Here, an example of a change in luminance with respect to a change in area when multiple occupants are targeted will be described with reference to Figs. 8 and 9. Fig. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a change in area according to the facial direction of each of multiple occupants. Dr in Fig. 8 indicates the driver. Psa and Psb in Fig. 8 respectively indicate passengers Ps with different facial directions. For convenience, Fig. 8 shows an example in which the facial direction of the driver Dr does not change. VARdr in Fig. 8 indicates the visual recognition area of ​​the driver Dr. VARps in Fig. 8 indicates the visual recognition area of ​​the passenger Ps. Dr / PsaAR in Fig. 8 indicates the area identified by the area identification unit 102 when the facial direction of the passenger Ps is Psa. Dr / PsbAR in Fig. 8 indicates the area identified by the area identification unit 102 when the facial direction of the passenger Ps is Psb. As described above, the facial direction of the driver Dr is constant in Fig. 8. As shown in Fig. 8, the visible area and non-visible area change depending on the facial direction of the passenger Ps. When the facial direction of the driver changes, the visible area and non-visible area also change depending on the facial direction of the driver Dr, as described with reference to Fig. 4.

[0044] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a change in luminance with respect to a change in area. FIG. 9 shows an example of a change in luminance of the display area in response to the change in area shown in FIG. 8. NCLD in FIG. 9 shows an example of a change in luminance when the control of the present disclosure is not performed. CLD in FIG. 9 shows an example of a change in luminance when the control of the present disclosure is performed. NVTR in FIG. 9 shows a non-visual transition area. VTR in FIG. 9 shows a visual transition area. Aps in FIG. 9 indicates the visual area luminance for the visual area of ​​the passenger Ps. Adr in FIG. 9 indicates the visual area luminance for the visual area of ​​the driver Dr. B in FIG. 9 represents the non-visual area luminance. FIG. 9 shows an example of a change in luminance of the display area in one frame when the facial direction of the passenger Ps switches from Psa to Psb. As shown in FIG. 9, when the control of the present disclosure is performed, the luminance of both the visual area of ​​the passenger Ps and the non-visual transition area changes more slowly than when the control of the present disclosure is not performed.

[0045] When the host vehicle is moving, the display control unit 104 may control the non-visible transition region of the display area of ​​one display device 14 to change in luminance more slowly than the reference change degree. When the host vehicle is moving, the display control unit 104 may control the visible transition region of the passenger to change in luminance more slowly than the reference change degree. When the host vehicle is moving, the display control unit 104 may control the visible transition region of the driver to change in luminance at the reference change degree. On the other hand, when the host vehicle is stopped, the display control unit 104 may control both the non-visible transition region and the visible transition region of the display area of ​​one display device 14 to change at the reference change degree. This is because, when the vehicle is stopped, even if a sudden change in luminance in the non-visible transition region is detected in the peripheral vision of the occupant, it has little impact on driving. Note that the display control unit 104 may determine whether the host vehicle is moving or stopped from the result identified by the vehicle state identification unit 103.

[0046] When the host vehicle is in manual driving, the display control unit 104 may control the non-visible transition area in the display area of one display 14 to have a slow luminance change compared to the reference change degree. When the host vehicle is in manual driving, the display control unit 104 may control the visible transition area for the passengers to have a slow luminance change compared to the reference change degree. When the host vehicle is in manual driving, the display control unit 104 may control the visible transition area for the driver to change the luminance at the reference change degree. On the other hand, when the host vehicle is in autonomous driving, the display control unit 104 may control both the non-visible transition area and the visible transition area in the display area of one display 14 to change at the reference change degree. This is because, during autonomous driving, even if a sudden change in luminance in the non-visible transition area is captured in the peripheral vision of the passenger, the impact on driving is small. Note that the display control unit 104 may determine whether the host vehicle is in manual driving or autonomous driving based on the result specified by the vehicle state specifying unit 103.

[0047] When the display control unit 104 controls to have a slow luminance change compared to the reference change degree, it is preferable to control in units of the content displayed in the display area so as to have such a slow luminance change. Examples of the content displayed in the display area include navigation information, audio information, meter information, entertainment information, etc. The navigation information is a route guidance image or the like. The audio information is an image related to the operation of an audio device or the like. The meter information is an image schematically representing an instrument or the like. The entertainment information is an image such as a movie. As an example, when a certain content moves out of the visible area, the display control unit 104 controls in units of that content so as to have a slow luminance change. According to this, compared to the case where the degree of luminance change is different for each part of the same content, it is less likely to give the passenger a sense of discomfort.

[0048] <Brightness control related processing in HCU10> Next, an example of the flow of processing related to brightness control within the display area of ​​one display 14 in the HCU 10 (hereinafter referred to as brightness control processing) will be described using the flowchart of Figure 10. The flowchart of Figure 10 may be configured to start, for example, when the power switch of the vehicle is turned on. The power switch is a switch for starting the internal combustion engine or the motor generator.

[0049] First, in step S1, the state of the driver and vehicle is identified. In S1, the occupant state identification unit 101 identifies the presence of an occupant, the facial direction, etc. In S1, the vehicle state identification unit 103 identifies whether the host vehicle is moving or stopped. In S1, the vehicle state identification unit 103 identifies whether the host vehicle is being manually driven or automatically driven. In step S2, the area identification unit 102 identifies the visual recognition area for the occupant based on the facial direction identified in S1. Also, in S2, the area identification unit 102 identifies the display area other than the visual recognition area as a non-visual recognition area.

[0050] In step S3, the display control unit 104 performs brightness control on the display area of ​​the display device 14 according to the area identified in S2. The display control unit 104 reduces the brightness of the non-visual transition area to the non-visual area brightness. The display control unit 104 increases the brightness of the visible transition area to the visible area brightness. As described above, the display control unit 104 may change the brightness of the non-visual transition area and the visible transition area differently depending on the type of occupant. As described above, the display control unit 104 may change the brightness of the non-visual transition area and the visible transition area differently depending on whether the host vehicle is moving or stopped. As described above, the display control unit 104 may change the brightness of the non-visual transition area and the visible transition area differently depending on whether the host vehicle is being driven autonomously or manually. As described above, the display control unit 104 may change the brightness on a content-by-content basis.

[0051] In step S4, if it is time to end the brightness control-related process (YES in S4), the brightness control-related process is ended. On the other hand, if it is not time to end the brightness control-related process (NO in S4), the process returns to S1 and repeats. The brightness control-related process can be ended when the power switch is turned off, for example.

[0052] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also within the technical scope of the present disclosure. The control unit and method described in the present disclosure may be implemented by a special-purpose computer comprising a processor programmed to execute one or more functions embodied in a computer program. Alternatively, the apparatus and method described in the present disclosure may be implemented by a special-purpose hardware logic circuit. Alternatively, the apparatus and method described in the present disclosure may be implemented by one or more special-purpose computers configured by combining a processor executing a computer program with one or more hardware logic circuits. Furthermore, the computer program may be stored as instructions executed by a computer on a computer-readable non-transitory tangible recording medium. [Explanation of symbols]

[0053] 1 Vehicle system, 10 HCU (vehicle display control device), 14 Display, 102 Area identification unit, 104 Display control unit

Claims

1. A vehicle display control device is used in a vehicle and includes a display control unit (104) capable of partially controlling the brightness within a display area of ​​a display device (14) mounted on the vehicle, an area specifying unit (102) that sequentially specifies a visual recognition area, which is an area that is estimated to be a region that the occupant may be gazing at, based on the result of detecting the occupant of the vehicle; The display control unit controls the luminance of a non-visual area, which is outside the area identified as the visible area by the area identification unit, of the display area of ​​one of the display devices, to be lowered compared to when the area is identified as the visible area, in accordance with the movement of the visible area sequentially identified by the area identification unit, and controls the luminance change of an area that changes from the visible area to the non-visual area of ​​the display area of ​​one of the display devices to be slower than a reference degree of change when transitioning from the non-visual area to the visible area, the area specifying unit, when a plurality of occupants are present in the vehicle, sequentially specifies the visible area for each of the plurality of occupants in a display area of ​​one of the display devices; The display control unit controls, for the driver of the vehicle, the change in brightness in a region of the display area of ​​one of the displays that changes from the visible region to the non-visible region so that the change is slower than the standard degree of change, and controls the change in brightness in a region that changes from the non-visible region to the visible region so that the change is at the standard degree of change, while for passengers other than the driver of the vehicle, the change in brightness in both the region of the display area of ​​the display that changes from the visible region to the non-visible region and the region that changes from the non-visible region to the visible region is slower than the standard degree of change.

2. A vehicle display control device is used in a vehicle and includes a display control unit (104) capable of partially controlling the brightness within a display area of ​​a display device (14) mounted on the vehicle, an area specifying unit (102) that sequentially specifies a visual recognition area, which is an area that is estimated to be a region that the occupant may be gazing at, based on the result of detecting the occupant of the vehicle; The display control unit controls the luminance of a non-visual area, which is outside the area identified as the visible area by the area identification unit, of the display area of ​​one of the display devices, to be lowered compared to when the area is identified as the visible area, in accordance with the movement of the visible area sequentially identified by the area identification unit, and controls the luminance change of an area that changes from the visible area to the non-visual area of ​​the display area of ​​one of the display devices to be slower than a reference degree of change when transitioning from the non-visual area to the visible area, The display control unit controls, when the vehicle is moving, the change in brightness of an area of ​​the display area of ​​one of the displays that changes from the visible area to the non-visible area so that the change is slower than the standard degree of change, and controls the change in brightness of an area that changes from the non-visible area to the visible area so that the change is at the standard degree of change, while when the vehicle is stopped, the display control unit controls both the area of ​​the display area of ​​the display that changes from the visible area to the non-visible area and the area that changes from the non-visible area to the visible area so that the change is at the standard degree of change.

3. A vehicle display control device is used in a vehicle and includes a display control unit (104) capable of partially controlling the brightness within a display area of ​​a display device (14) mounted on the vehicle, an area specifying unit (102) that sequentially specifies a visual recognition area, which is an area that is estimated to be a region that the occupant may be gazing at, based on the result of detecting the occupant of the vehicle; The display control unit controls the luminance of a non-visual area, which is outside the area identified as the visible area by the area identification unit, of the display area of ​​one of the display devices, to be lowered compared to when the area is identified as the visible area, in accordance with the movement of the visible area sequentially identified by the area identification unit, and controls the luminance change of an area that changes from the visible area to the non-visual area of ​​the display area of ​​one of the display devices to be slower than a reference degree of change when transitioning from the non-visual area to the visible area, The vehicle is capable of switching between manual driving and automatic driving, The display control unit controls, when the vehicle is being manually driven, the change in brightness of an area of ​​the display area of ​​one of the displays that changes from the visible area to the non-visible area so that the change is slower than the standard degree of change, and controls the change in brightness of an area that changes from the non-visible area to the visible area so that the change is at the standard degree of change, while when the vehicle is being automatically driven, the display control unit controls both the area of ​​the display area of ​​the display that changes from the visible area to the non-visible area and the area that changes from the non-visible area to the visible area so that the change is at the standard degree of change.

4. A vehicle display control device is used in a vehicle and includes a display control unit (104) capable of partially controlling the brightness within a display area of ​​a display device (14) mounted on the vehicle, an area specifying unit (102) that sequentially specifies a visual recognition area, which is an area that is estimated to be a region that the occupant may be gazing at, based on the result of detecting the occupant of the vehicle; The display control unit controls the luminance of a non-visual area, which is outside the area identified as the visible area by the area identification unit, of the display area of ​​one of the display devices, to be lowered compared to when the area is identified as the visible area, in accordance with the movement of the visible area sequentially identified by the area identification unit, and controls the luminance change of an area that changes from the visible area to the non-visual area of ​​the display area of ​​one of the display devices to be slower than a reference degree of change when transitioning from the non-visual area to the visible area, The display control unit controls the brightness of the display area of ​​one of the displays to change more slowly than the reference degree of change in accordance with the movement of the visible area sequentially identified by the area identification unit, and controls the change to occur more slowly on a content-by-content basis in the display area.

5. Executed by at least one processor, A display control method for a vehicle, the method including a display control step for partially controlling brightness within a display area of ​​a display device (14) mounted on the vehicle, an area specifying step of sequentially specifying a visual recognition area, which is an area that is estimated to be an area that the occupant may gaze at, based on a result of detecting the occupant of the vehicle; In the display control step, in accordance with the movement of the visible area sequentially identified in the area identification step, the luminance of a non-visible area, which is outside the area identified as the visible area in the area identification step, of the display area of ​​one of the display devices is controlled to be lowered compared to when the area is identified as the visible area, and for an area of ​​the display area of ​​one of the display devices that changes from the visible area to the non-visible area, the change in luminance corresponding to the change is controlled to be slower than a reference degree of change when transitioning from the non-visible area to the visible area, In the area specifying step, when a plurality of occupants are present in the vehicle, the visible areas of the display area of ​​one of the display devices are sequentially specified for each of the plurality of occupants; In the display control step, for the driver of the vehicle, the luminance change in a region of the display area of ​​one of the displays that changes from the visible region to the non-visible region is controlled to be slower than the standard degree of change, and for the region that changes from the non-visible region to the visible region, the luminance change in the region that changes is controlled to be the standard degree of change, while for passengers other than the driver of the vehicle, the luminance change in both the region that changes from the visible region to the non-visible region and the region that changes from the non-visible region to the visible region is controlled to be slower than the standard degree of change.

6. Executed by at least one processor, A display control method for a vehicle, the method including a display control step for partially controlling brightness within a display area of ​​a display device (14) mounted on the vehicle, an area specifying step of sequentially specifying a visual recognition area, which is an area that is estimated to be an area that the occupant may gaze at, based on a result of detecting the occupant of the vehicle; In the display control step, in accordance with the movement of the visible area sequentially identified in the area identification step, the luminance of a non-visible area, which is outside the area identified as the visible area in the area identification step, of the display area of ​​one of the display devices is controlled to be lowered compared to when the area is identified as the visible area, and for an area of ​​the display area of ​​one of the display devices that changes from the visible area to the non-visible area, the change in luminance corresponding to the change is controlled to be slower than a reference degree of change when transitioning from the non-visible area to the visible area, In the display control process, when the vehicle is moving, the change in brightness of an area of ​​the display area of ​​one of the displays that changes from the visible area to the non-visible area is controlled to be slower than the reference degree of change, and the change in brightness of an area that changes from the non-visible area to the visible area is controlled to change at the reference degree of change, while when the vehicle is stopped, the change in brightness of both the area of ​​the display area of ​​the display that changes from the visible area to the non-visible area and the area that changes from the non-visible area to the visible area is controlled to change at the reference degree of change.

7. Executed by at least one processor, A vehicle display control method used in a vehicle capable of switching between manual driving and automatic driving, the method including a display control step capable of partially controlling brightness within a display area of ​​a display device (14) mounted on the vehicle, an area specifying step of sequentially specifying a visual recognition area, which is an area that is estimated to be an area that the occupant may gaze at, based on a result of detecting the occupant of the vehicle; In the display control step, in accordance with the movement of the visible area sequentially identified in the area identification step, the luminance of a non-visible area, which is outside the area identified as the visible area in the area identification step, of the display area of ​​one of the display devices is controlled to be lowered compared to when the area is identified as the visible area, and for an area of ​​the display area of ​​one of the display devices that changes from the visible area to the non-visible area, the change in luminance corresponding to the change is controlled to be slower than a reference degree of change when transitioning from the non-visible area to the visible area, In the display control process, when the vehicle is being manually driven, the luminance change in a region of the display area of ​​one of the displays that changes from the visible region to the non-visible region is controlled to be slower than the reference degree of change, and the luminance change in a region that changes from the non-visible region to the visible region is controlled to change at the reference degree of change, while when the vehicle is being automatically driven, the luminance change in both the region of the display area of ​​the display that changes from the visible region to the non-visible region and the region that changes from the non-visible region to the visible region is controlled to change at the reference degree of change.

8. Executed by at least one processor, A display control method for a vehicle, the method including a display control step for partially controlling brightness within a display area of ​​a display device (14) mounted on the vehicle, an area specifying step of sequentially specifying a visual recognition area, which is an area that is estimated to be an area that the occupant may gaze at, based on a result of detecting the occupant of the vehicle; In the display control step, in accordance with the movement of the visible area sequentially identified in the area identification step, the luminance of a non-visible area, which is outside the area identified as the visible area in the area identification step, of the display area of ​​one of the display devices is controlled to be lowered compared to when the area is identified as the visible area, and for an area of ​​the display area of ​​one of the display devices that changes from the visible area to the non-visible area, the change in luminance corresponding to the change is controlled to be slower than a reference degree of change when transitioning from the non-visible area to the visible area, In the display control process, when the brightness of the display area of ​​one of the displays is controlled to change more slowly than the reference degree of change in accordance with the movement of the visible area sequentially identified in the area identification process, the display control method for a vehicle controls the change to occur more slowly on a content-by-content basis in the display area.

Images