Vehicle display control device, display method, and display program

Abstract

To realize a vehicular display control apparatus, a display method, and a display program, which enable a vehicular driver to easily grasp a sense of distance between the vehicle and a target in the operator view.SOLUTION: A vehicular display control apparatus 10 includes a CPU 10A. The CPU 10A detects a preceding vehicle 52 in front of a vehicle itself 12, and displays a marker 56 so that, in view of a driver of the vehicle, the preceding vehicle 52 overlaps the marker. Further, by the CPU 10A, an apparent angle of the marker 56 to a road surface 60 the vehicle 12 travels on is set in accordance with a distance between the preceding vehicle 52 and the vehicle 12.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 below discloses an invention related to a vehicle display device. In this vehicle display device, when auto cruise control is activated, a following mark is displayed on the head-up display superimposed on another vehicle that is the target vehicle for the host vehicle to follow. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. WO2017 / 046937 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the above-mentioned prior art, the following mark is made smaller as the distance between the other vehicle and the subject vehicle decreases, and the following mark is made larger as the distance between the other vehicle and the subject vehicle increases. As a result, in the above-mentioned prior art, the distance between the subject vehicle and the other vehicle is not proportional to the size of the following mark as seen by the driver of the subject vehicle, which may make it difficult for the driver of the subject vehicle to grasp the sense of distance between the subject vehicle and the other vehicle.

[0005] In consideration of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a display control device, a display method, and a display program for a vehicle that allow the driver of the vehicle to easily grasp the sense of distance between the vehicle and a target. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A first aspect of the vehicle display control device includes a processor that detects a moving object in front of the vehicle as a target, and sets the apparent angle of the marker relative to the road surface on which the vehicle is traveling to a value less than a right angle and to an index angle formed by the marker and the road surface depending on the distance between the target and the vehicle.The processor decreases the index angle as the distance between the vehicle and the target becomes shorter, and increases the index angle as the distance between the vehicle and the target becomes longer, and displays the marker so that it overlaps with the target as seen by the driver of the vehicle.

[0007] A first aspect of the present invention provides a display control device for a vehicle, which includes a processor that detects a target ahead of the vehicle and displays a marker that overlaps with the target as viewed by a driver of the vehicle.

[0008] However, if the markers are displayed in a uniform manner regardless of the distance between the vehicle and the target, it may be difficult for the driver of the vehicle to grasp the sense of distance between the vehicle and the target.

[0009] Here, in this aspect, the processor sets the apparent angle of the marker relative to a reference plane associated with the road surface on which the vehicle is traveling depending on the distance between the target and the vehicle, so that the driver of the vehicle can estimate the distance between the target and the vehicle from that angle.

[0010] In addition, according to this aspect, the processor sets the reference plane to the road surface on which the vehicle is traveling, and sets the apparent angle of the marker relative to the reference plane to a size less than a right angle and to an index angle formed by the marker and the road surface.

[0011] The processor then decreases the index angle as the distance between the vehicle and the target decreases, and increases the index angle as the distance between the vehicle and the target increases. Therefore, in the present invention, the marker can represent the distance from the vehicle to the target while minimizing the impact on the visibility of the marker.

[0012] The second aspect of the vehicle display control device is the vehicle display control device of the first aspect, wherein the processor sets the index angle to a right angle when the distance between the vehicle and the target becomes greater than or equal to a predetermined distance.

[0013] According to the vehicle display control device of the second aspect, as described above, the indicator angle can be made smaller as the distance between the vehicle and the target becomes shorter, and the indicator angle can be made larger as the distance between the vehicle and the target becomes longer.

[0014] However, if the index angle is changed according to the distance between the vehicle and the target without setting a threshold value for the distance between the vehicle and the target, the change in the index angle in response to the change in distance will be small, making it difficult for the vehicle driver to grasp the distance between the vehicle and the target.

[0015] In this aspect, the processor sets the index angle to a right angle when the distance between the vehicle and the target is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance. Therefore, when the distance between the vehicle and the target is equal to or greater than the predetermined distance, the driver of the vehicle can recognize that the distance between the vehicle and the target is equal to or greater than the predetermined distance by visually confirming that the index angle is a right angle.

[0016] On the other hand, if the distance between the vehicle and the target is less than a predetermined distance, the amount of change in the index angle in response to changes in the distance between the vehicle and the target is ensured, making it easier for the vehicle driver to estimate the distance between the target and the vehicle from the index angle.

[0017] A third aspect of the vehicle display control device is the vehicle display control device of the first or second aspect, wherein the processor continuously changes the index angle depending on the distance between the vehicle and the target.

[0018] According to the vehicle display control device of the third aspect, the processor continuously changes the indicator angle according to the distance between the vehicle and the target, which allows the driver of the vehicle to intuitively recognize the relative speed between the vehicle and the target, making it easier for the driver to recognize whether the vehicle and the target are approaching or moving away from each other.

[0019] A fourth aspect of the vehicle display control device is a vehicle display control device according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the processor changes the size of the marker depending on the distance between the vehicle and the target, and sets the size of the marker relative to the target to a constant value.

[0020] In the vehicle display control device according to the fourth aspect, the processor changes the size of the marker according to the distance between the vehicle and the target, and sets the size of the marker relative to the target to a constant value. Therefore, when the target is far from the vehicle as seen by the driver of the vehicle, the marker superimposed on the target is displayed small, and when the target is close to the vehicle, the marker superimposed on the target is displayed large.

[0021] A vehicle display control device according to a fifth aspect is a vehicle display control device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the processor displays the marker on a display surface visible to the driver.

[0022] According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the processor displays a marker on a display surface visible to a driver of the vehicle. Therefore, the marker is displayed on the display surface so as to overlap with the target, which makes it easier for the driver of the vehicle to understand the correlation between the target and the marker.

[0023] A vehicular display control device according to a sixth aspect is the vehicular display control device according to the fifth aspect, wherein the display surface configures a part of a head-up display that is visible to the driver.

[0024] According to the vehicle display control device of the sixth aspect, the display surface forms part of a head-up display that is visible to the driver of the vehicle, so that the driver can check the relationship between the marker and the target while keeping their eyes directed forward of the vehicle.

[0025] A seventh aspect of the present invention is a vehicle display control device according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the processor sets the target to a moving body and sets the shape of the marker to a frame surrounding the moving body.

[0026] According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, a fixed object can be excluded from the target. Furthermore, by setting the shape of the marker to a frame that surrounds the moving object, it is possible to make it easier for the driver of the vehicle to focus on the moving object.

[0027] A vehicle display control device according to an eighth aspect is a vehicle display control device according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, wherein the processor acquires the vehicle's driving route, sets the target at a course change position on the driving route, and sets the shape of the marker to a shape indicating the vehicle's direction of travel.

[0028] According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, a processor acquires a vehicle's driving route, sets a target at a lane change position on the driving route, and sets a marker shape to indicate the vehicle's traveling direction. This allows the driver of the vehicle to recognize the lane change position on the driving route by looking at the marker, and to recognize the vehicle's traveling direction at the lane change position by looking at the marker. Furthermore, the apparent angle of the marker relative to a reference plane changes depending on the distance between the lane change position and the vehicle, allowing the driver to grasp the distance between the lane change position and the vehicle.

[0029] A display method according to a ninth aspect detects a moving body in front of a vehicle as a target, sets the apparent angle of the marker relative to the road surface on which the vehicle is traveling to a size smaller than a right angle and to an index angle formed by the marker and the road surface depending on the distance between the target and the vehicle, decreases the index angle as the distance between the vehicle and the target becomes shorter, and increases the index angle as the distance between the vehicle and the target becomes longer, and displays the marker so that it overlaps with the target as seen by the driver of the vehicle.

[0030] According to a display method of the ninth aspect, a target ahead of a vehicle is detected, and the apparent angle of the marker relative to a reference plane related to the road surface on which the vehicle is traveling is set according to the distance between the target and the vehicle. The marker is then displayed so as to overlap with the target as viewed by the driver of the vehicle. This allows the driver of the vehicle to estimate the distance between the target and the vehicle from the apparent angle of the marker relative to the reference plane.

[0031] A display program according to a tenth aspect causes a computer to execute the following steps: a detection step for detecting a target in front of a vehicle; an angle setting step for setting the apparent angle of the marker with respect to the road surface on which the vehicle is traveling to a value smaller than a right angle and to an index angle formed by the marker and the road surface according to the distance between the target and the vehicle; and a display step for decreasing the index angle as the distance between the vehicle and the target becomes shorter and increasing the index angle as the distance between the vehicle and the target becomes longer, and displaying the marker so that it overlaps with the target as seen by the driver of the vehicle.

[0032] According to the display program of the tenth aspect, similarly to the ninth aspect, the driver of the vehicle can estimate the distance between the target and the vehicle from the apparent angle of the marker relative to the reference plane. [Effects of the Invention]

[0033] As described above, the vehicle display control device, display method, and display program according to the present invention have the excellent effect of allowing the driver of the vehicle to easily grasp the sense of distance between the vehicle and a target. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0034] [Figure 1] 1 is a view showing the configuration of the area around the driver's seat of a vehicle equipped with a vehicle display control device according to an embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the rear side of the vehicle. [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a vehicle equipped with a vehicular display control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a CPU in the vehicle display control device according to the present embodiment. FIG. [Figure 4] 1 is an image diagram showing an example of displaying a marker on a moving target performed by the vehicle display control device according to the present embodiment. FIG. [Figure 5] 1 is an image diagram showing an example of a process for displaying a marker for a moving target, which is performed in the vehicle display control device according to the present embodiment; [Figure 6] 1 is an image diagram showing an example of displaying a marker on a fixed target that is a predetermined distance or more away from the vehicle, performed by the vehicle display control device according to the present embodiment; [Figure 7] 10 is an image diagram showing an example of displaying a marker on a fixed target when the vehicle and the fixed target are approaching each other, performed by the vehicle display control device according to the present embodiment; FIG. [Figure 8] 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing for a moving target performed in the vehicle display control device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 9] 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing for a fixed target performed in the vehicle display control device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle display device according to a modified example of the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0035] An example of an embodiment of a vehicle display control device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 10. A "vehicle display control device 10 (hereinafter referred to as the display control device 10)" according to this embodiment constitutes a part of a vehicle display device 14 (hereinafter referred to as the display device 14) mounted on a "vehicle 12".

[0036] As shown in FIG. 1, in this embodiment, the vehicle 12 is a right-hand drive vehicle, and a seat (not shown) for the driver is located on the right side of the vehicle width direction at the front of the vehicle interior 16.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 2, the display device 14 includes, in addition to the display control device 10, a car navigation ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 18 (hereinafter referred to as ECU 18), an autonomous driving ECU 20 (hereinafter referred to as ECU 20), and a "head-up display 22."

[0038] More specifically, the ECU 18 is communicatively connected to the display control device 10 and is capable of controlling a car navigation system, and is electrically connected to a GPS (Global Positioning System) device 30 and a center display 32. The ECU 18 is capable of setting a driving route to a destination set by an operational input by the driver.

[0039] The GPS device 30 is a device that measures the current position of the vehicle 12, and is equipped with an antenna (not shown) that receives signals from a GPS satellite (not shown). The GPS device 30 may be directly connected to the display control device 10.

[0040] The center display 32 is a liquid crystal display and is disposed in the center in the vehicle width direction of a dashboard 34 disposed on the front side of the seats. The center display 32 is capable of displaying a map M and a marker P indicating the current position of the vehicle 12 obtained by the GPS device 30 (see FIG. 10).

[0041] On the other hand, the ECU 20 is communicatively connected to the display control device 10 and is capable of controlling the automatic driving system. The ECU 20 is electrically connected to an external sensor 36 and a drive actuator 38.

[0042] More specifically, the external sensors 36 are a group of sensors used to detect the surrounding environment of the vehicle 12. The external sensors 36 include, for example, an external camera that captures an image of a predetermined range, a millimeter-wave radar that transmits a search wave to a predetermined range, and a lidar (Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging) that scans the predetermined range. Data acquired by the external sensors 36 is transmitted to the display control device 10 via the ECU 20. Note that the external sensors 36 may be directly connected to the display control device 10.

[0043] The drive actuator 38 includes a steering actuator, a brake actuator, and a power unit actuator, all of which are not shown. The steering actuator includes a motor, also not shown, and drives a steering device, also not shown, based on a signal output from the ECU 20, so that during autonomous driving, the control by the ECU 20 is reflected in the steering angle of the steered wheels, also not shown.

[0044] The brake actuator includes a motor (not shown) and drives a brake device (not shown) based on a signal output from the ECU 20, so that the control by the ECU 20 is reflected in the braking of the vehicle 12 during autonomous driving.

[0045] The power unit actuator includes a motor (not shown), and drives a power unit (not shown) based on a signal output from the ECU 20, so that during autonomous driving, the control by the ECU 20 is reflected in the driving of the vehicle 12. When a leading vehicle is traveling ahead of the vehicle 12, the ECU 20, the external sensor 36, and the driving actuator 38 can function as an auto cruise control system.

[0046] On the other hand, the head-up display 22 is communicatively connected to the display control device 10 and includes a "display surface 26" that forms part of the front windshield 24 located on the front side of the seat, a projection device 28 that projects a predetermined image onto the display surface 26, and an adjustment actuator 40 that adjusts the projection device 28.

[0047] More specifically, the projection device 28 is capable of generating a virtual image visible to the driver by irradiating light rays toward the display surface 26 based on a signal output from the display control device 10. On the other hand, the adjustment actuator 40 is a drive device for adjusting the angle of a reflecting mirror (not shown) that reflects the light rays irradiated from the projection device 28 based on a signal output from the display control device 10, and the relative position of the reflecting mirror and the projection device 28.

[0048] Next, we will explain the configuration of the display control device 10. The display control device 10 is configured to include a "CPU (Central Processing Unit)" 10A as a processor, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 10B, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 10C, a storage 10D, a communication I / F (Interface) 10E, and an input / output I / F 10F. The CPU 10A, ROM 10B, RAM 10C, storage 10D, communication I / F 10E, and input / output I / F 10F are connected to each other via an internal bus 10G so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0049] The CPU 10A is a central processing unit that can control various devices by executing various programs. Specifically, the CPU 10A reads programs from the ROM 10B and executes the programs using the RAM 10C as a work area. The CPU 10A reads and executes the execution programs stored in the ROM 10B, thereby enabling the display control device 10 to perform various functions, as will be described later.

[0050] More specifically, the ROM 10B stores various programs and data related to grasping the relative relationship between the target and the vehicle 12, controlling the head-up display 22, detecting the driver's line of sight, generating a virtual space, etc. On the other hand, the RAM 10C serves as a working area and is capable of temporarily storing programs or data.

[0051] The storage 10D is configured to include an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive) and is capable of storing various programs including an operating system, and various data such as a vehicle exterior shape estimation model and a 3D map information model, which will be described later.

[0052] The communication I / F 10E is an interface used for communication between the display control device 10 and various devices mounted on the vehicle 12, and uses a communication standard based on the CAN protocol. The communication I / F 10E is connected to the ECU 18 and the ECU 20 via an external bus 10H.

[0053] The input / output I / F 10F is an interface for communicatively connecting the display control device 10 with various devices mounted on the vehicle 12. The display control device 10 is communicatively connected to the internal sensor 42 and the internal camera 44 in addition to the head-up display 22 via the input / output I / F 10F.

[0054] The internal sensors 42 are a group of sensors used to detect the running state of the vehicle 12, and include a vehicle speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, and a yaw rate sensor. Data acquired by the internal sensors 42 is stored in the storage 10D.

[0055] The internal camera 44 is provided in the upper portion of the vehicle on the front side of the vehicle interior 16, and is capable of capturing an image of the driver's face. The image data captured by the internal camera 44 is transmitted to the display control device 10.

[0056] Next, the functional configuration of the display control device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. The display control device 10 functions as a collection of an object determination unit 46, a distance measurement unit 48, and a display adjustment unit 50, by the CPU 10A reading and executing an execution program stored in the ROM 10B. In this embodiment, the display state of the head-up display 22 can be set to one or both of a following distance monitoring mode and a driving assistance mode by an operation input by the driver.

[0057] In the inter-vehicle distance monitoring mode, the object determination unit 46 is capable of determining whether an object located ahead of the vehicle 12 is a vehicle or not, based on information obtained from the external sensor 36 and a vehicle external shape estimation model stored in the storage 10D. In other words, in the inter-vehicle distance monitoring mode, the object determination unit 46 is capable of detecting a "leading vehicle 52 (see FIG. 4)" as a target.

[0058] By changing the settings, the target determination unit 46 can also detect moving objects such as pedestrians, motorcycles, and balls as targets. On the other hand, in the inter-vehicle distance monitoring mode, the target determination unit 46 excludes fixed objects such as stationary vehicles from the targets.

[0059] In detail, the vehicle exterior shape estimation model stores three-dimensional models of various vehicle types, and by inputting information acquired by the external camera or lidar of the external sensor 36 into the vehicle exterior shape estimation model, the three-dimensional shape of the vehicle corresponding to the information is output.

[0060] In addition, in the driving assistance mode, the target determination unit 46 is capable of determining whether a predetermined position on the driving route is captured in the image captured by the external camera based on information obtained by the external camera of the external sensor 36, the driving route of the vehicle 12 acquired from the ECU 18, position information of the vehicle 12 acquired from the GPS device 30 via the ECU 18, and the 3D map information model stored in the storage 10D. That is, in the driving assistance mode, the target determination unit 46 is capable of detecting a predetermined position on the driving route as a target. Note that, in the present embodiment, as an example, the predetermined position is set to a "course change position 54" on the driving route of the vehicle 12.

[0061] The distance measurement unit 48 is capable of measuring the distance between a target and the vehicle 12. Specifically, in the inter-vehicle distance monitoring mode, the distance measurement unit 48 measures the distance between the vehicle 12 and a preceding vehicle 52 of the vehicle 12 based on data obtained from the external sensor 36. The distance measurement unit 48 is also capable of estimating the traveling direction of the preceding vehicle 52 based on the change in the distance between the preceding vehicle 52 and the vehicle 12 per predetermined time (the relative speed between the preceding vehicle 52 and the vehicle 12) and the data obtained by the internal sensor 42.

[0062] In addition, in the driving assistance mode, the distance measurement unit 48 measures the distance between the vehicle 12 and a predetermined position on the travel route based on information obtained from the external sensor 36 .

[0063] In the inter-vehicle distance monitoring mode, the display adjustment unit 50 controls the head-up display 22, and as shown in Figure 4, is capable of displaying a "marker 56" on the display surface 26 so that it overlaps with the preceding vehicle 52 that is visible through the display surface 26 as seen by the driver.

[0064] This display adjustment unit 50 detects the driver's line of sight based on the image captured by the internal camera 44, and determines whether the preceding vehicle 52 is located within the display surface 26 as seen by the driver based on the line of sight and the positional relationship between the vehicle 12 and the preceding vehicle 52 in the virtual space.

[0065] When the display adjustment unit 50 determines that the preceding vehicle 52 is located within the display surface 26 as seen by the driver, it sets the position of the marker 56 on the display surface 26 to a position that overlaps the preceding vehicle 52 as seen by the driver, and displays the marker 56 on the display surface 26. On the other hand, when the display adjustment unit 50 determines that the preceding vehicle 52 is not located within the display surface 26 as seen by the driver, the display adjustment unit 50 does not display the marker 56 on the display surface 26.

[0066] In detail, the display adjustment unit 50 is capable of generating a virtual space of a predetermined range centered on the vehicle 12 based on the position information of the vehicle 12 obtained from the GPS device 30, the three-dimensional map information model stored in storage 10D, and three-dimensional information of the preceding vehicle 52 obtained from the vehicle exterior shape estimation model stored in storage 10D.

[0067] The display adjustment unit 50 sets the shape of the marker 56 in the virtual space to a rectangular frame that surrounds the outline of the leading vehicle 52 when the leading vehicle 52 is viewed from the rear side of the vehicle. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 5 , the display adjustment unit 50 rotates the marker 56 in the virtual space around a straight line L2 that passes through the rear end (the end on the rear side in the traveling direction) of the leading vehicle 52 when viewed from the vehicle width direction of the leading vehicle 52, passes through the intersection of the virtual road surface 58 and a straight line L1 that is perpendicular to the virtual road surface 58, and extends in the vehicle width direction of the leading vehicle 52, depending on the distance between the vehicle 12 and the leading vehicle 52.

[0068] Specifically, the display adjustment unit 50 continuously changes the "index angle θ," which is the angle formed between the marker 56 and the virtual road surface 58 when the preceding vehicle 52 is viewed from the vehicle width direction in the virtual space, depending on the distance between the vehicle 12 and the preceding vehicle 52.

[0069] The indicator angle θ is set to a value equal to or smaller than a right angle, and decreases as the distance between the vehicle 12 and the preceding vehicle 52 decreases, and increases as the distance between the vehicle 12 and the preceding vehicle 52 increases. The display adjustment unit 50 sets the indicator angle θ to a right angle when the distance between the vehicle 12 and the preceding vehicle 52 is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance (for example, 100 m or greater). The display adjustment unit 50 also sets the indicator angle θ to 0 degrees when the preceding vehicle 52 is located immediately in front of the vehicle 12.

[0070] Furthermore, the display adjustment unit 50 controls the head-up display 22 so that the size of the marker 56 displayed on the display surface 26 relative to the preceding vehicle 52 is constant on the display surface 26 by changing the size of the marker 56 according to the distance between the vehicle 12 and the preceding vehicle 52. Note that it is also possible to perform the above-described controls using the inter-vehicle time between the vehicle 12 and the preceding vehicle 52 as an index instead of the distance between the vehicle 12 and the preceding vehicle 52.

[0071] Furthermore, the display adjustment unit 50 reflects the correlation between the vehicle 12, the leading vehicle 52, and the marker 56 in the virtual space, as well as the driver's line of sight detected by the internal camera 44, on the marker 56 displayed on the display surface 26, thereby setting the apparent angle of the marker 56 with respect to the "road surface 60" serving as the reference surface on which the vehicle 12 is traveling. In other words, when the driver looks at the display surface 26, the angle formed between the road surface 60 and the marker 56 appears to the driver to be the index angle θ. Note that the reference surface serving as the basis for the apparent angle of the marker 56 can be any plane as long as it is related to the road surface 60, such as a predetermined plane that is perpendicular to the road surface 60 and extends in the width direction and up-down direction of the vehicle 12.

[0072] In this embodiment, as described above, on the display surface 26, the marker 56 rotates around the vehicle width direction behind the leading vehicle 52 in the direction of travel, and therefore, as shown in Figure 4, the distance between the marker 56 and the road surface 60 basically increases as it moves forward in the direction of travel of the leading vehicle 52.

[0073] As a result, in this embodiment, the driver can estimate the traveling direction of the leading vehicle 52 by checking the inclination of the marker 56 with respect to the road surface 60. For example, when the leading vehicle 52 backs up toward the vehicle 12, the driver can confirm that the leading vehicle 52 is backing up by visually noticing that the distance between the marker 56 and the road surface 60 increases toward the rear of the leading vehicle 52.

[0074] On the other hand, in the driving assistance mode, the display adjustment unit 50 basically performs the same control as in the inter-vehicle distance monitoring mode, and as shown in Figure 6, it is possible to display a "marker 62" on the display surface 26 so that it overlaps with the lane change position 54 as seen by the driver.

[0075] Specifically, the display adjustment unit 50 is capable of setting the shape of the marker 62 in the virtual space to a shape that indicates the traveling direction of the vehicle 12 at the lane change position 54, based on the traveling route of the vehicle 12, the position information of the vehicle 12, and the 3D map information model. Specifically, the shape of the marker 62 is a plurality of triangles that narrow toward the front in the traveling direction of the vehicle 12 and are connected in the traveling direction.

[0076] In the driving assistance mode, the size of the marker 62 on the display surface 26 relative to the preceding vehicle 52 and the apparent angle of the marker 62 relative to the road surface 60 are set basically the same as in the following distance monitoring mode. However, the driving assistance mode differs from the following distance monitoring mode in that, as the vehicle 12 approaches the lane change position 54, the marker 62 is set to rotate forward in the traveling direction of the vehicle 12 before it reaches the lane change position 54, as shown in Fig. 7 .

[0077] (Actions and Effects of This Embodiment) Next, the operation and effects of this embodiment will be described.

[0078] First, a control flow relating to processing in the inter-vehicle distance monitoring mode by the display control device 10 will be described mainly using the flowchart shown in Fig. 8. This control flow is started when the CPU 10A of the display control device 10 receives a predetermined control signal at predetermined time intervals.

[0079] When this control flow starts, in the detection step "Step S100", the CPU 10A functions as the target determination unit 46 and the distance measurement unit 48, detects a preceding vehicle 52 in front of the vehicle 12, measures the distance between the vehicle 12 and the preceding vehicle 52, and proceeds to step S101.

[0080] In step S101, CPU 10A functions as display adjustment unit 50 and determines whether or not preceding vehicle 52 is located within display surface 26 as seen by the driver. If it is determined that preceding vehicle 52 is located within display surface 26 as seen by the driver (step S101: YES), the process proceeds to step S102, which is an angle setting step. On the other hand, if it is determined that preceding vehicle 52 is not located within display surface 26 as seen by the driver (step S101: NO), CPU 10A ends the above control flow.

[0081] In step S102, CPU 10A functions as display adjustment unit 50, sets the apparent angle of marker 56 relative to road surface 60 according to the distance between vehicle 12 and leading vehicle 52, and the process proceeds to step S103.

[0082] In step S103, CPU 10A functions as display adjustment unit 50, sets the display position of marker 56 on display surface 26, and proceeds to "step S104" as a display step.

[0083] In step S104, the CPU 10A functions as the display adjustment unit 50, displays the marker 56 on the display surface 26 based on the apparent angle of the marker 56 set in step S102 and the display position of the marker 56 set in step S103, and ends the above control flow.

[0084] Next, a control flow related to processing in the driving assistance mode by the display control device 10 will be described mainly using the flowchart shown in Fig. 9. This control flow is started when the CPU 10A of the display control device 10 receives a predetermined control signal at predetermined time intervals.

[0085] When this control flow is started, in step S200 as a detection step, CPU 10A functions as target determination unit 46, detects lane change position 54 as a target, and proceeds to step S201.

[0086] In step S201, CPU 10A functions as display adjustment unit 50 and determines whether or not lane change position 54 is located within display surface 26 as seen by the driver. If it is determined that lane change position 54 is located within display surface 26 as seen by the driver (step S201: YES), the process proceeds to step S202. On the other hand, if it is determined that lane change position 54 is not located within display surface 26 as seen by the driver (step S201: NO), CPU 10A ends the above control flow.

[0087] In step S202, CPU 10A functions as distance measurement unit 48, measures the distance between vehicle 12 and lane change position 54, and proceeds to "step S203" as an angle setting step.

[0088] In step S203, the apparent angle of the marker 62 relative to the road surface 60 is set in accordance with the distance between the vehicle 12 and the lane change position 54, and the process proceeds to step S204.

[0089] In step S204, CPU 10A functions as display adjustment unit 50, sets the display position of marker 62 on display surface 26, and proceeds to "step S205" as a display step.

[0090] In step S205, CPU 10A functions as display adjustment unit 50, displays marker 62 on display surface 26 based on the apparent angle of marker 62 set in step S203 and the display position of marker 62 set in step S204, and ends the above control flow.

[0091] Also, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the CPU 10A sets the reference plane to the road surface 60 on which the vehicle 12 is traveling, and sets the apparent angle of the marker 56 relative to the reference plane to a value less than a right angle and to an index angle θ formed between the marker 56 and the road surface 60.

[0092] The CPU 10A then decreases the index angle θ as the distance between the vehicle 12 and the preceding vehicle 52 decreases, and increases the index angle θ as the distance between the vehicle 12 and the preceding vehicle 52 increases. Therefore, in this embodiment, the distance from the vehicle 12 to the preceding vehicle 52 can be represented by the marker 56 while minimizing any effect on the visibility of the marker 56.

[0093] However, if the index angle θ is changed according to the distance between the vehicle 12 and the preceding vehicle 52 without setting a threshold value for the distance between the vehicle 12 and the preceding vehicle 52, the change in the index angle θ relative to the change in distance will be small, and it may be difficult for the driver to grasp the sense of the distance between the vehicle 12 and the preceding vehicle 52.

[0094] In this embodiment, the CPU 10A sets the index angle θ to a right angle when the distance between the vehicle 12 and the preceding vehicle 52 is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance. Therefore, when the distance between the vehicle 12 and the preceding vehicle 52 is equal to or greater than the predetermined distance, the driver can recognize that the distance between the vehicle 12 and the preceding vehicle 52 is equal to or greater than the predetermined distance by visually confirming that the index angle θ is a right angle.

[0095] On the other hand, if the distance between vehicle 12 and preceding vehicle 52 is less than a predetermined distance, the amount of change in index angle θ in response to the change in distance between vehicle 12 and preceding vehicle 52 is ensured, making it easier for the driver to estimate the distance between vehicle 12 and preceding vehicle 52 from the index angle θ.

[0096] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the CPU 10A continuously changes the index angle θ according to the distance between the vehicle 12 and the preceding vehicle 52. This allows the driver to intuitively recognize the relative speed between the vehicle 12 and the preceding vehicle 52, and as a result, the driver can easily recognize whether the vehicle 12 and the preceding vehicle 52 are tending to get closer to or move apart from each other.

[0097] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the CPU 10A changes the size of the marker 56 depending on the distance between the vehicle 12 and the preceding vehicle 52, and sets the size of the marker 56 constant relative to the preceding vehicle 52. Therefore, when the preceding vehicle 52 is far from the vehicle 12 as seen by the driver, the marker 56 overlapping the preceding vehicle 52 is displayed small, and when the preceding vehicle 52 is close to the vehicle 12, the marker 56 overlapping the preceding vehicle 52 is displayed large.

[0098] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the CPU 10A displays the marker 56 on the display surface 26, which is visible to the driver. Therefore, the marker 56 is displayed on the display surface 26 so as to overlap with the preceding vehicle 52, which makes it easier for the driver to understand the correlation between the preceding vehicle 52 and the marker 56.

[0099] In addition, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, the display surface 26 forms part of the head-up display 22 that is visible to the driver, so the driver can check the relationship between the marker 56 and the preceding vehicle 52 while keeping their eyes directed forward of the vehicle.

[0100] In this embodiment, fixed objects can be excluded from targets in the inter-vehicle distance monitoring mode. Furthermore, by setting the shape of the marker 56 to a frame that surrounds the leading vehicle 52, it is possible to make it easier for the driver to focus on the leading vehicle 52.

[0101] 6 and 7, in this embodiment, the CPU 10A acquires the driving route of the vehicle 12, sets the target at the lane change position 54 on the driving route, and sets the shape of the marker 62 to a shape that indicates the traveling direction of the vehicle 12. Therefore, the driver can recognize the lane change position 54 on the driving route by the marker 62, and can recognize the traveling direction at the lane change position 54 by looking at the marker 62. Furthermore, the apparent angle of the marker 62 with respect to the road surface 60 changes depending on the distance between the lane change position 54 and the vehicle 12, so the driver can grasp the distance between the lane change position 54 and the vehicle 12.

[0102] In this way, the display control device 10, the display method, and the display program according to this embodiment allow the driver of the vehicle 12 to easily get a sense of the distance between the vehicle 12 and the target.

[0103] <Modifications of the above embodiment> In the above-described embodiment, the marker is displayed on the display surface 26 of the front windshield 24 so that the marker overlaps with the target that is visible through the display surface 26, but the present invention is not limited to this.

[0104] 10, depending on the specifications of the vehicle 12, the center display 32 may function as a display screen, displaying an image of the view in front of the vehicle 12 including a target captured by an external camera of the external sensor 36 on the center display 32, and displaying a marker superimposed on the target in the image. In this case, the apparent angle of the marker is set relative to a predetermined viewpoint, regardless of the driver's line of sight.

[0105] <Supplementary explanation of the above embodiment> (1) In the above-described embodiment, the display device 14 is mounted on a vehicle with a right-hand drive. However, by adjusting the position of the display surface 26, etc., it is also possible to mount the display device 14 on a vehicle with a left-hand drive.

[0106] (2) In the above-described embodiment, the markers are displayed on the display surface 26. However, the markers may be displayed three-dimensionally using a stereoscopic display device equipped with a concave mirror depending on the specifications of the vehicle 12. Furthermore, the shape of the markers is not limited to the above-described one, and various other shapes may be used.

[0107] (3) In the above-described embodiment, the driver's line of sight is included in the factors referenced in setting the position and apparent angle of the marker displayed on the display surface 26, but this is not limiting. For example, depending on the specifications of the vehicle 12, the position and apparent angle of the marker displayed on the display surface 26 may be set with reference to the reference eye point.

[0108] (4) In the above embodiment, the CPU 10A loads software (programs) and executes various processes. However, this is not limited to this. That is, the various processes executed by the CPU 10A may be executed by various processors other than a CPU. Examples of such processors include dedicated electrical circuits, such as programmable logic devices (PLDs) and application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), whose circuit configurations can be changed after fabrication, such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), which are processors with circuit configurations specifically designed to execute specific processes. Furthermore, the above-described processes may be executed by one of these various processors, or by a combination of two or more processors of the same or different types (e.g., multiple FPGAs, or a combination of a CPU and an FPGA). The hardware structure of these various processors may be, for example, an electrical circuit combining circuit elements such as semiconductor devices.

[0109] (5) In the above-described embodiment, the programs related to various controls are described as being stored (installed) in advance on a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium, but this is not limiting. For example, the programs may be provided in a form recorded on a non-transitory recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), a DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disc Read Only Memory), or a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory. Furthermore, the programs may be downloaded from an external device via a network.

[0110] (6) In addition, the processes in the above-described embodiments may be executed not only by one processor but also by multiple processors working together. The process flow described in the above-described embodiments is also an example, and unnecessary steps may be deleted, new steps may be added, or the order of the processes may be changed without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0111] 10. Vehicle display control device 10A CPU (processor) 12 vehicles 22 Head-up display 26 Display surface 52 Leading vehicle (target) 54 Course change position (target) 56 Marker 60 Road surface (reference surface) 62 Marker S100 Detection step S102 Angle setting step S104 Display step S200 Detection Step S203 Angle setting step S205 Display step θ index angle

Claims

1. a processor, the processor comprising: Detects moving objects in front of the vehicle as targets, According to the distance between the target and the vehicle, an apparent angle of the marker with respect to a road surface on which the vehicle is traveling is set to a value equal to or smaller than a right angle and to an index angle formed by the marker and the road surface; the indicator angle is decreased as the distance between the vehicle and the target becomes shorter, and the indicator angle is increased as the distance between the vehicle and the target becomes longer, and the marker is displayed so as to overlap with the target as seen from the driver by controlling a stereoscopic display device equipped with a concave mirror based on the line of sight direction of the driver of the vehicle detected by an internal camera. Vehicle display control device.

2. The processor: When the distance between the vehicle and the target is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance, the index angle is set to a right angle. The vehicle display control device according to claim 1 .

3. The processor: continuously changing the index angle according to the distance between the vehicle and the target; The vehicle display control device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The processor: changing the size of the marker in accordance with the distance between the vehicle and the target, and setting the size of the marker relative to the target to a constant value; The display control device for a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The processor: displaying the marker on a display surface visible to the driver; The vehicle display control device according to claim 1 .

6. The display surface constitutes a part of a head-up display visible to the driver. The vehicle display control device according to claim 5 .

7. The processor: setting the target to a moving body; The shape of the marker is set to a frame shape surrounding the moving object. The vehicle display control device according to claim 1 .

8. The processor: Acquire a travel route of the vehicle; setting the target at a course change position on the travel route; setting the shape of the marker to a shape that indicates the traveling direction of the vehicle; The vehicle display control device according to claim 1 .

9. Detects moving objects in front of the vehicle as targets, According to the distance between the target and the vehicle, an apparent angle of the marker with respect to a road surface on which the vehicle is traveling is set to a value equal to or smaller than a right angle and to an index angle formed by the marker and the road surface; The index angle is decreased as the distance between the vehicle and the target decreases, and the indicator angle is increased as the distance between the vehicle and the target increases, and the marker is displayed so as to overlap with the target as seen by the driver of the vehicle by controlling a stereoscopic display device equipped with a concave mirror based on the line of sight direction of the driver of the vehicle detected by an internal camera. Display method.

10. a detection step of detecting a target in front of the vehicle; an angle setting step of setting the apparent angle of the marker with respect to the road surface on which the vehicle is traveling to a size equal to or smaller than a right angle according to the distance between the target and the vehicle, and setting the apparent angle to an index angle formed by the marker and the road surface; a display step of decreasing the index angle as the distance between the vehicle and the target decreases, increasing the index angle as the distance between the vehicle and the target increases, and controlling a stereoscopic display device equipped with a concave mirror based on the line of sight direction of the driver of the vehicle detected by an internal camera to display the marker so that it overlaps with the target as seen by the driver of the vehicle; A display program that causes a computer to execute the above.

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