Visual signal generation method and vehicle

Abstract

This invention is intended to minimize any decrease in visibility and readability in a steady gaze in the central vision of an occupant due to vehicle behavior in a state in which the occupant is steadily gazing at an object in the cabin of the vehicle. In this visual signal generation method, the acceleration rate of the vehicle is detected by a sensor (S1), and on the basis of a signal outputted from the sensor, a visual signal flowing along the direction of the acceleration rate is outputted from a display visible to the occupant of the vehicle (S7, S8).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a visual signal generation method and a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] The following Patent Document 1 describes a technology that corrects the visual information of occupants who are not looking outside the vehicle, thereby reducing motion sickness, by compensating for the optical flow that occurs when occupants can see vehicle movement through their peripheral vision by generating an emission pattern from a light row in the frame part of the glasses. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-023539 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the technology of Patent Document 1 adds optical flow in accordance with the vehicle speed, which causes optical flow to be constantly generated in peripheral vision while driving, which may reduce visibility and readability when gazing at the central vision. The present invention aims to prevent a decrease in visibility and readability when an occupant is gazing at an object inside the vehicle cabin due to vehicle behavior when the occupant is gazing at an object in the occupant's central vision. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In one aspect of the visual signal generating method of the present invention, the acceleration of a vehicle is detected by a sensor, and based on the output signal of the sensor, a visual signal flowing in the direction of the acceleration is output from a display that is visible to vehicle occupants. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present invention, when an occupant is gazing at an object inside the vehicle cabin, it is possible to prevent a decrease in visibility and readability when the occupant is gazing at an object with their central vision due to vehicle behavior. The objects and advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations set forth in the appended claims. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of an optical flow generating device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] 10 is a schematic diagram of an example of the arrangement of a longitudinal optical flow generator and a lateral optical flow generator. FIG. [Figure 3] 10(a) and 10(b) are schematic diagrams showing the effect of vehicle acceleration on the visibility and readability of occupants. [Figure 4] 10(a) and 10(b) are schematic diagrams illustrating how optical flow is applied when a vehicle accelerates and decelerates, respectively. [Figure 5] 10(a) and 10(b) are schematic diagrams showing how optical flow is applied when a vehicle turns right and left, respectively. [Figure 6] 1 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an optical flow generation method according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] (composition) 1 is a schematic diagram of an optical flow generating device according to an embodiment. The optical flow generating device 1 is installed in a vehicle and generates an optical flow corresponding to vehicle motion in the visual field of an occupant to suppress a decrease in visibility and readability in the central vision of an occupant gazing at an object in the vehicle cabin due to vehicle motion. The optical flow generating device 1 includes a longitudinal acceleration sensor 2, a lateral acceleration sensor 3, an illuminance sensor 4, a longitudinal optical flow generating unit 5, a lateral optical flow generating unit 6, and a calculation unit 7.

[0009] The longitudinal acceleration sensor 2 detects acceleration in the longitudinal direction occurring in the vehicle (hereinafter, may be referred to as “longitudinal acceleration”), and outputs an output signal indicating the result of the longitudinal acceleration detection to the calculation device 7. The lateral acceleration sensor 3 detects lateral (vehicle width) acceleration (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “lateral acceleration”) generated in the vehicle, and outputs an output signal indicating the detection result of the lateral acceleration to the calculation device 7. The illuminance sensor 4 detects the illuminance inside the vehicle compartment (that is, the brightness inside the vehicle compartment), and outputs an output signal indicating the illuminance inside the vehicle compartment to the arithmetic unit .

[0010] The longitudinal optical flow generation unit 5 is a display that outputs visual signals that flow in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The lateral optical flow generation unit 6 is a display that outputs visual signals that flow in the lateral direction of the vehicle. The longitudinal optical flow generation unit 5 and the lateral optical flow generation unit 6 are placed in positions that are visible to occupants in the vehicle cabin. The longitudinal optical flow generation unit 5 outputs visual signals flowing in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, thereby generating an optical flow flowing in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle in the peripheral vision of the occupant. The lateral optical flow generation unit 6 outputs visual signals flowing in the lateral direction of the vehicle, thereby generating an optical flow flowing in the lateral direction of the vehicle in the peripheral vision of the occupant.

[0011] The visual signals generated by the longitudinal optical flow generator 5 and the lateral optical flow generator 6 may be visual patterns such as light, figures, patterns, images, etc. that provide visual stimuli to the occupants. For example, the longitudinal optical flow generating unit 5 may be provided with a light-emitting element array (strip-shaped light-emitting element) in which multiple light-emitting elements are arranged in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and by lighting up the light-emitting elements in sequence in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, it may output a visual signal that flows in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, thereby providing the occupant with a visual stimulus that creates an optical flow flowing in the longitudinal direction in the occupant's peripheral vision. For example, the lateral optical flow generation unit 6 may include a light-emitting element array (strip-shaped light-emitting element) in which a plurality of light-emitting elements are arranged in the lateral direction of the vehicle, and may output a visual signal flowing in the lateral direction of the vehicle by lighting up the light-emitting elements in sequence in the lateral direction of the vehicle, thereby providing the occupant with a visual stimulus that generates an optical flow flowing in the lateral direction in the occupant's peripheral vision. For example, the longitudinal optical flow generation unit 5 and the lateral optical flow generation unit 6 may include, for example, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) as a plurality of light-emitting elements.

[0012] The means by which the longitudinal optical flow generating unit 5 and the lateral optical flow generating unit 6 provide visual stimuli to the occupant is not limited to light-emitting elements, but any means that generates visual stimuli that are visible to the occupant will suffice. For example, an optical flow that flows in a desired direction may be generated by sequentially changing the reflective surfaces or colors of multiple elements arranged in the direction of the optical flow to be generated.

[0013] 2 is a schematic diagram of an example of the arrangement of the longitudinal optical flow generator 5 and the lateral optical flow generator 6. When the optical flow generators are arranged in the rear seats, the lateral optical flow generators 6a and 6b may be arranged on the back of the left front seat and the back of the right front seat, respectively, to match the left and right rear seats. Furthermore, the longitudinal optical flow generators 5a and 5b may be arranged on the interior side of the left rear door and the right rear door, respectively.

[0014] When the optical flow generation units are placed in the front seats, the lateral optical flow generation units 6a and 6b can be attached to the dashboard or the like to accommodate passengers in the front seats who are gazing at a car navigation system, etc. Also, the longitudinal optical flow generation units 5a and 5b may be placed on the interior side of the left and right front doors, respectively.

[0015] 1, the calculation device 7 is an electronic circuit that controls the longitudinal optical flow generator 5 and the lateral optical flow generator 6 based on the longitudinal acceleration sensor 2, the lateral acceleration sensor 3, and the illuminance sensor 4. For example, the arithmetic device 7 may be a computer having a processor and peripheral components such as a storage device. The processor may be, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro-Processing Unit). The storage device may include a semiconductor storage device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, etc. The storage device may include a register, a cache memory, a memory such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) used as a main memory device, and a RAM (Random Access Memory).

[0016] The functions of the arithmetic unit 7 described below are realized, for example, by a processor executing a computer program stored in a storage device. The arithmetic unit 7 may be formed of dedicated hardware for executing each of the information processes described below. For example, the arithmetic unit 7 may include a functional logic circuit configured in a general-purpose semiconductor integrated circuit. For example, the arithmetic unit 7 may include a PLD (Programmable Logic Device) such as an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array).

[0017] Next, with reference to FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b), the effect on the vision caused by the acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle when the occupant is gazing at an object inside the vehicle cabin will be described. When an occupant is gazing at an object inside the vehicle (for example, while reading or using a smartphone inside the vehicle), the head, which is the part of the occupant's body farthest from the seat cushion, is likely to move regardless of longitudinal or lateral acceleration. For example, in the example of Figure 3(a), when the vehicle accelerates and causes forward acceleration as indicated by arrow 10, a backward inertial acceleration acts on the occupant, causing the occupant's head to tilt backward in the direction of arrow 11. In the example of Figure 3(b), when the vehicle decelerates and causes backward acceleration in the direction of arrow 12, a forward inertial acceleration acts on the occupant, causing the occupant's head to tilt forward in the direction of arrow 13.

[0018] On the other hand, a gaze target 14 (such as a book or smartphone) held in hand is less likely to be shaken than the head. At this time, the occupant gazes at the gaze target 14 near the central vision 15, and if the gaze is not properly maintained in the central vision 15, the visibility and readability of the target may decrease. Therefore, in order to maintain gaze at the gazed location, the eyes move in a way that cancels out the pitch and roll movements that occur in the head where the eyes are located due to vehicle acceleration.

[0019] On the other hand, in the peripheral visual field 16, images are not clearly focused, but the ability to detect movement is high, and in response to that movement (optical flow 17), an optomotor response (OKR) occurs, which unconsciously corrects the direction of the eyeballs. When gazing at a gaze target 14, if optical flow 17 due to head movement occurs in the peripheral vision 16 outside the central vision 15, an optokinetic response may occur, which may affect gaze in the central vision 15 and result in a deterioration in readability and visibility.

[0020] Therefore, in order to reduce the influence of the optical flow 17 caused by head movement, the calculation device 7 generates an optical flow in the opposite direction to the optical flow 17 using the forward / backward optical flow generation unit 5 and / or the horizontal optical flow generation unit 6. Figure 4(a) is a schematic diagram of how optical flow is applied when a vehicle accelerates. A passenger looking at a gaze target 14 (a book or smartphone) in their hand experiences backward inertial acceleration due to the vehicle's acceleration. However, since their head is in a floating state while they are gazing at their hand, the inertial acceleration causes their head to pitch backward, as shown by arrow 11. As the passenger tries to maintain their gaze, their eyes move in accordance with the pitching movement of their head, maintaining the gaze point 20.

[0021] As a result, when the virtual projection point P of the occupant's line of sight moves in the direction of arrow 21 (forward or upward), the image in peripheral vision 16 moves in the opposite direction (backward or downward), and the eyeballs recognize the movement in peripheral vision 16 as optical flow 17. This optical flow 17 in peripheral vision 16 may cause an oculomotor reflex or optokinetic reaction, which is an unconscious control of the eyeballs, and may move the eyeballs. Therefore, a longitudinal optical flow generating unit 5 capable of generating optical flow in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle is placed in a location that is within the peripheral visual field 16 when the occupant is performing gaze activity, such as on the inside of the vehicle door.

[0022] As described above, images of the floor, the back of the seat in front, and the like that enter the peripheral visual field 16 due to head pitch movement caused by acceleration generate an optical flow 17 that flows backward (or downward) in the peripheral visual field. The influence of the optical flow 17 caused by head pitch movement is reduced by outputting a light string 23 that flows from the rear of the vehicle to the front of the vehicle from the longitudinal optical flow generator 5 so that an optical flow 22 that cancels the influence of this optical flow 17 flows forward (or upward) in the peripheral visual field 16. In other words, the longitudinal optical flow generator 5 outputs a visual signal that flows forward, which is the direction of acceleration caused by acceleration. In other words, the longitudinal optical flow generator 5 outputs a visual signal that flows forward, which is the opposite direction to the direction (rearward) of the inertial acceleration acting on the occupant due to acceleration. This reduces unintentional eye movements and makes it easier to focus, improving readability and visibility.

[0023] Figure 4(b) is a schematic diagram of how optical flow is applied when a vehicle decelerates. When a vehicle decelerates, inertia causes the head to pitch forward, as indicated by arrow 13. Since the occupant attempts to maintain their gaze, the eyeballs move in accordance with the pitching movement of the head, maintaining the gaze point 20. As a result, the virtual projection point P of the occupant's line of sight moves in the direction of arrow 24 (backward or downward), causing the image in peripheral vision 16 to move in the opposite direction (forward or upward), and the eyeballs recognize this movement in peripheral vision 16 as optical flow 17.

[0024] As a result, images of the floor, the back of the seat in front, and the like that enter the peripheral visual field 16 due to head pitching caused by deceleration generate an optical flow 17 that flows forward (or upward) in the peripheral visual field. By outputting a light string 26 that flows from the front of the vehicle to the rear of the vehicle from the longitudinal optical flow generator 5 so that an optical flow 25 that cancels the influence of this optical flow 17 flows backward (or downward) in the peripheral visual field 16, the influence of the optical flow 17 caused by head pitching is reduced. In other words, the longitudinal optical flow generator 5 outputs a visual signal that flows backward, which is the direction of acceleration caused by deceleration. In other words, the longitudinal optical flow generator 5 outputs a visual signal that flows backward, which is the opposite direction to the direction (forward) of the inertial acceleration acting on the occupant due to deceleration.

[0025] FIG. 5(a) is a schematic diagram of how optical flow is applied when a vehicle turns right. When a vehicle turns right, inertial acceleration acts on the occupant in the left direction, causing the occupant to develop a roll attitude angle in the left direction as shown by arrow 30. Since the occupant tries to maintain their gaze, the head roll The eyeballs move in accordance with the movement, maintaining the gaze point 31. As a result, the virtual projection point P of the occupant's line of sight moves in the direction of arrow 32 (to the right), and the image in peripheral vision 16 moves in the opposite direction, to the left, as if flowing, so that the eyeballs recognize the movement in peripheral vision 16 as optical flow 33.

[0026] Therefore, a lateral optical flow generator 6 capable of generating an optical flow with a light row in the lateral direction of the vehicle is disposed in a location that is within the peripheral visual field 16 of the occupant when the occupant is gazing. For example, the lateral optical flow generator 6 for rear seat occupants is disposed on the back of the front seat. Alternatively, the lateral optical flow generator 6 for front seat occupants may be disposed on the dashboard. Then, the lateral optical flow generating unit 6 outputs a light string 35 flowing from the left side of the vehicle to the right side of the vehicle so that an optical flow 34 that cancels the influence of the optical flow 33 flows toward the right side of the peripheral vision 16, thereby reducing the influence of the optical flow caused by the head roll motion. beside Directional optical flow generation unit 6 In other words, a visual signal flows to the right, which is the opposite direction to the direction of the inertial acceleration acting on the occupant when turning right (to the left in the vehicle width direction). beside Directional optical flow generation unit 6 Output from

[0027] Figure 5(b) is a schematic diagram of how optical flow is applied when the vehicle turns left. When the vehicle turns left, the occupant is subjected to inertial acceleration in the right direction, causing the occupant to develop a roll attitude angle in the right direction as shown by arrow 36. Since the occupant tries to maintain their gaze, the head roll The eyeballs move in accordance with the movement, maintaining the gaze point 31. As a result, the virtual projection point P of the occupant's line of sight moves in the direction of arrow 37 (to the left), causing the image in peripheral vision 16 to flow in the opposite direction, to the right, so that the eyeballs recognize the movement in peripheral vision 16 as optical flow 38. Therefore, the influence of the optical flow caused by the head roll motion is reduced by outputting a light string 40 flowing from the right side of the vehicle to the left side of the vehicle from the lateral optical flow generating unit 6 so that the optical flow 39 that cancels the influence of the optical flow 38 flows toward the left side of the peripheral vision 16. In other words, the visual signal flowing to the left in the vehicle width direction, which is the direction of acceleration generated by turning left, is beside Directional optical flow generation unit 6 In other words, a visual signal flows to the left, which is the opposite direction to the direction of the inertial acceleration acting on the occupant when turning left (to the right in the vehicle width direction). beside Directional optical flow generation unit 6 Output from

[0028] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an optical flow generating method according to the embodiment. In step S1, the longitudinal acceleration sensor 2 detects the longitudinal acceleration ax, and the lateral acceleration sensor 3 detects the lateral acceleration ay. In step S2, the illuminance sensor 4 detects the illuminance inside the vehicle cabin (ie, the brightness inside the vehicle cabin).

[0029] In step S3, the calculation device 7 determines whether or not at least one of the absolute value of the longitudinal acceleration ax and the absolute value of the lateral acceleration ay detected in step S1 is greater than a predetermined threshold value. If both the absolute value of the longitudinal acceleration ax and the absolute value of the lateral acceleration ay are equal to or less than the threshold value (step S3: N), the process proceeds to step S4. In step S4, the calculation device 7 sets the elapsed time integrated value T to 0. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S9. If it is determined in step S3 that at least one of the absolute value of the longitudinal acceleration ax and the absolute value of the lateral acceleration ay is greater than the threshold value (step S3: Y), the process proceeds to step S5.

[0030] In step S5, the calculation device 7 adds the elapsed time Δt to the elapsed time integrated value T to update T. The elapsed time Δt may be, for example, the length of one cycle of the control loop in which steps S1 to S9 are repeated. In step S6, the calculation device 7 calculates the elapsed time integrated value T and Step S2 The brightness of the optical flow generated by the longitudinal optical flow generating unit 5 and / or the lateral optical flow generating unit 6 is set according to the brightness inside the vehicle cabin acquired by the calculation unit 7. For example, the calculation unit 7 may increase the brightness of the optical flow when the elapsed time integrated value T is short compared to when it is long. For example, the brightness of the optical flow may be increased as the elapsed time integrated value T becomes shorter. This can achieve effects such as promoting the reduction of eye movement responses due to optical flow generation.

[0031] In step S7, when the absolute value of the lateral acceleration ay is greater than a threshold, the calculation device 7 operates the lateral optical flow generation unit 6 to generate a lateral optical flow according to the magnitude and direction of the lateral acceleration ay. For example, a faster optical flow may be generated when the lateral acceleration ay is large compared to when it is small. For example, the larger the lateral acceleration ay, the faster the optical flow may be generated. For example, an optical flow having a speed proportional to the magnitude of the lateral acceleration ay may be generated.

[0032] In step S8, if the absolute value of the longitudinal acceleration ax is greater than a threshold, the calculation device 7 operates the longitudinal optical flow generation unit 5 to generate a longitudinal optical flow according to the magnitude and direction of the longitudinal acceleration ax. For example, a faster optical flow may be generated when the longitudinal acceleration ax is large compared to when it is small. For example, the larger the longitudinal acceleration ax, the faster the optical flow may be generated. For example, an optical flow having a speed proportional to the magnitude of the longitudinal acceleration ax may be generated. Then, the process proceeds to step S9.

[0033] In step S9, the calculation device 7 determines whether the ignition key of the vehicle has been turned off. If the ignition key has not been turned off (step S9: N), the process returns to step S1. If the ignition key has been turned off (step S9: Y), the process ends.

[0034] (Variation) In the above description, the front of the passenger seat faces forward in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, but the present invention can also be applied to a case where the front of the passenger seat faces sideways of the vehicle. In this case, the same effect can be obtained by switching the longitudinal direction and lateral direction of the vehicle in the above description. Furthermore, even when the front of the passenger seat faces rearward in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the same effect can be achieved by switching the forward and rearward directions and the left and right directions in the above description.

[0035] (Effects of the embodiment) (1) The longitudinal acceleration sensor 2 and the lateral acceleration sensor 3 detect the acceleration of the vehicle. Based on the output signals of the longitudinal acceleration sensor 2 and the lateral acceleration sensor 3, the calculation device 7 outputs visual signals flowing in the direction of the vehicle acceleration from the longitudinal optical flow generator 5 and the lateral optical flow generator 6, respectively. This allows the generation of optical flow that cancels the influence of optical flow that occurs in the occupant's peripheral vision when the occupant's head is moved by vehicle acceleration, thereby preventing a decrease in visibility and readability when the occupant is gazing at the central vision.

[0036] (2) The computing device 7 may control the speed at which the visual signal flows so as to correspond to the acceleration. This makes it possible to generate an optical flow whose speed is proportional to the acceleration generated by the vehicle, thereby canceling the influence of the optical flow on the occupant's peripheral vision due to the occupant's movement, which is proportional to the vehicle acceleration.

[0037] (3) The longitudinal optical flow generation unit 5 may output a visual signal that flows forward in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle when the vehicle accelerates, and may output a visual signal that flows backward in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle when the vehicle decelerates. This makes it possible to define the direction of optical flow in the peripheral vision region in order to cancel the influence of optical flow in the peripheral vision caused by the movement of the occupant's head due to acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle.

[0038] (4) The lateral optical flow generating unit 6 may output a visual signal that flows to the right in the vehicle width direction when the vehicle is turning right, and may output a visual signal that flows to the left in the vehicle width direction when the vehicle is turning left. This allows the optical flow direction in the peripheral vision region to be defined in order to cancel the influence of the optical flow in the peripheral vision caused by the movement of the occupant's head due to the lateral movement (turning) of the vehicle.

[0039] All examples and conditional terms described herein are intended for educational purposes to aid the reader in understanding the present invention and the concepts provided by the inventor for the advancement of technology, and should be construed without limitation to the specifically described examples and conditions above, and the configuration of examples herein for illustrating the advantages and disadvantages of the present invention. Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions, and alterations can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1...optical flow generation device, 2...longitudinal acceleration sensor, 3...lateral acceleration sensor, 4...illuminance sensor, 5...longitudinal optical flow generation unit, 5a...longitudinal optical flow generation unit, 5b...longitudinal optical flow generation unit, 6...lateral optical flow generation unit, 6a...lateral optical flow generation unit, 6b...lateral optical flow generation unit, 7...arithmetic device

Claims

1. The vehicle acceleration is detected by a sensor. a visual signal flowing in one direction based on the direction of inertial acceleration acting on the occupant is output from a display visible to the occupant of the vehicle based on the output signal of the sensor; A visual signal generating method comprising:

2. 2. The visual signal generating method according to claim 1, further comprising controlling the speed at which the visual signal flows so as to correspond to the magnitude of the acceleration.

3. 3. The visual signal generating method according to claim 2, wherein the visual signal that flows forward in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle is output when the vehicle accelerates, and the visual signal that flows backward in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle is output when the vehicle decelerates.

4. 3. The visual signal generating method according to claim 2, wherein the visual signal flowing toward the right in a vehicle width direction of the vehicle is output when the vehicle is turning right, and the visual signal flowing toward the left in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle is output when the vehicle is turning left.

5. a sensor for detecting the acceleration of the vehicle; an indicator that outputs a visual signal flowing in one direction based on the direction of the inertial acceleration acting on the occupant, based on the output signal of the sensor; wherein the display is disposed at a position visible to an occupant of the vehicle.

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