vehicle

Abstract

To realize information distribution to a succeeding vehicle that does not use radio waves as carrier media for information.SOLUTION: A vehicle 10 includes: a drive recorder 11 that captures an image of a front of the vehicle; an external display device 12 that performs display toward a rear of the vehicle; and a control unit 14. When a specific pattern is included in video captured by the drive recorder 11, the control unit 14 causes the external display device 12 to display a same pattern as the specific pattern.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a vehicle that distributes information such as an image of a traffic accident scene photographed by an in-vehicle camera to a following vehicle. The vehicle described in the same document distributes information to the following vehicle through vehicle-to-vehicle communication using radio waves or a traffic information distribution network.

Prior Art Document

Patent Document

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] As an information distribution method to a vehicle other than one using radio waves as a carrier of the above information, a practical method has not been proposed yet.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The vehicle that solves the above problems includes a drive recorder that photographs the front of the vehicle, an external display device that displays toward the rear of the vehicle, and a control unit that causes the external display device to display the same pattern as the specific pattern when the video photographed by the drive recorder includes the specific pattern.

Effects of the Invention

[0006] The above vehicle realizes information distribution to a following vehicle without using radio waves as a carrier of information.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007] [Figure 1] It is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of an embodiment of a vehicle. [Figure 2] This is a flowchart of the processes performed by the vehicle's control unit. [Figure 3] This diagram shows how information is transmitted from the vehicle to a following vehicle. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] Below, one embodiment of the vehicle will be described in detail with reference to Figures 1 to 3. <Vehicle Configuration> First, the configuration of the vehicle 10 in this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 1. The vehicle 10 is equipped with a drive recorder 11, an external display device 12, an HMI (Human-Machine Interface) 13, and a control unit 14. The drive recorder 11, the external display device 12, the HMI 13, and the control unit 14 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via an in-vehicle network. The drive recorder 11 is equipped with a camera that takes pictures of the front of the vehicle 10. The external display device 12 is a device that displays images toward the rear of the vehicle 10. Examples of external display devices 12 include flat-panel displays using liquid crystal panels or organic EL panels, and electronic display boards with light-emitting elements arranged in a grid. The HMI 13 is an input / output device that connects the vehicle 10 and the occupants. An example of an HMI 13 is a touchscreen. The control unit 14 is equipped with a processor 15 and memory 16. The control unit 14 controls the drive recorder 11, the external display device 12, and the HMI 13 by having the processor 15 execute a program stored in the memory 16.

[0009] <Vehicle-to-vehicle communication> Vehicle 10 is configured to perform vehicle-to-vehicle communication using a drive recorder 11 and an external display device 12. The details of this vehicle-to-vehicle communication will be explained below with reference to Figures 2 and 3.

[0010] Figure 2 shows the processing flow performed by the control unit 14 for vehicle-to-vehicle communication. The control unit 14 repeatedly executes the process shown in Figure 2 at predetermined control cycles while the vehicle 10 is in motion. When the process shown in Figure 2 is started, the control unit 14 first acquires video data from the drive recorder 11 in step S100. In the following step S110, the control unit 14 analyzes the acquired video data to determine whether a specific pattern is included in the video. If the specific pattern is included in the video (YES), the control unit 14 proceeds to step S120; otherwise, it terminates the process for the current control cycle (NO). The specific pattern has geometric shapes and colors that can be detected by pattern matching. The specific pattern also contains a portion that indicates the content of the information to be transmitted. An example of a specific pattern is a two-dimensional code.

[0011] In step S120, the control unit 14 displays the same pattern that was observed in the video on the external display device 12. Furthermore, in the next step S130, the control unit 14 notifies the occupants of the information shown in the observed pattern via the HMI 13. The information is notified to the occupants by displaying text or images, outputting audio, etc.

[0012] <Effects and Effects of the Embodiment> When the control unit 14 of the vehicle 10 confirms that a specific pattern is included in the video footage captured by the drive recorder 11, it displays the same pattern on the external display device 12. The control unit 14 also notifies the occupants of the information read from the confirmed pattern. In the vehicle 10 of this embodiment, this control unit 14 corresponds to the control unit.

[0013] Figure 3 shows a road sign S installed on the road, and three vehicles A to C traveling side by side on the road. The configuration of the three vehicles A to C is the same as that of vehicle 10 in Figure 1. A specific pattern P is displayed on the road sign S.

[0014] When pattern P displayed on road sign S is captured by the drive recorder 11 of the leading vehicle A, the same pattern P is displayed on the external display device 12 of vehicle A. The pattern displayed on the external display device 12 of vehicle A is captured by the drive recorder 11 of vehicle B, which is following behind. Vehicle B displays the same pattern that was displayed on the external display device 12 of vehicle A on its own external display device 12. The pattern displayed on the external display device 12 of vehicle B is captured by the drive recorder 11 of vehicle C, which is following behind. Then, in each vehicle A to C, the information read from the patterns captured by the drive recorder 11 is notified to the occupants. In this way, the information acquired by vehicle A from road sign S is sequentially distributed to the following vehicles.

[0015] One example of a specific pattern P to be displayed on a road sign S is a pattern indicating information about construction traffic restrictions. This information includes location information of the restricted section, such as the start and end points of the restriction, and information about the type of traffic restriction, such as slow speed or alternating one-way traffic. In such cases, information about the restriction can be delivered to vehicles heading towards the location where the construction traffic restriction is in effect.

[0016] Note that the sections and types of construction traffic restrictions may change depending on the progress of the construction. In the case of the above vehicle 10, workers at the construction site can change the information on construction traffic restrictions that is distributed by changing the installation location of the road sign S or the pattern displayed on the road sign S. In other words, the content of the information on construction traffic restrictions that is distributed can be changed at the construction site. Therefore, the immediacy of the information on construction traffic restrictions that is distributed can be increased. Furthermore, if an electronic sign is used as the road sign S, it becomes easier to change the displayed pattern.

[0017] The vehicle 10 of this embodiment described above can achieve the following effects. (1) The vehicle 10 of this embodiment includes a drive recorder 11 that captures the front of the vehicle and an external display device 12 that displays information toward the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle 10 also includes a control unit 14 that causes the external display device 12 to display the same pattern as the specific pattern when the video captured by the drive recorder 11 includes the specific pattern. Such a vehicle 10 conveys information to the following vehicle 10 by displaying the pattern displayed on the external display device 12 of the preceding vehicle 10 on its own external display device 12. Therefore, the vehicle 10 of this embodiment has the effect of realizing information distribution to the following vehicle.

[0018] (2) The control unit 14 in the vehicle 10 of this embodiment reads the information indicated by the pattern in the video captured by the drive recorder 11 and notifies the occupant of the information. Therefore, as the pattern used for information transmission, patterns other than those directly readable by the occupant, such as characters and pictograms, can be used. As a result, the amount of information that can be distributed can be increased. Also, the information can be notified to the occupant without the occupant directly visually recognizing the specific pattern.

[0019] (3) By using a two-dimensional code as the specific pattern, it becomes easy for the control unit 14 to identify the specific pattern in the video. Also, more information can be distributed than when transmitting information using characters and pictograms.

[0020] This embodiment can be implemented with the following modifications. This embodiment and the following modification examples can be implemented in combination with each other within a technically consistent range. · Information other than construction traffic regulations, such as traffic accidents, traffic jams, advertisements for stores, etc., and tourist guides, may be distributed using specific patterns.

[0021] Instead of relying on road signs S, information may be distributed starting from vehicle 10. For example, when vehicle 10 is pulled over to the shoulder due to a breakdown, a pattern indicating "broken-down vehicle ahead" can be displayed on the external display device 12. In this case, the control unit 14 should be configured to display a specific pattern on the external display device 12 in response to the occupant's operation via HMI 13, etc.

[0022] The specific patterns displayed on the external display device 12 and the road sign S may include characters or pictograms that can be directly recognized by people. In this case, the occupants of the vehicle 10 can confirm the information by visually inspecting the patterns displayed on the external display device 12 and the road sign S of the preceding vehicle. Therefore, in such cases, the control unit 14 can be configured to execute the process shown in Figure 2 without performing the process in step S130.

[0023] • Information used solely for controlling the vehicle 10 and not requiring notification to the occupants may be distributed using a specific pattern. In this case as well, the control unit 14 can be configured to execute the process shown in Figure 2, omitting the process in step S130. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0024] 10 vehicles 11. Dashcam 12 External display device 13 HMI 14 Control Unit 15 processors 16 memory

Claims

1. A dashcam that films the front of the vehicle, An external display device that displays information towards the rear of the vehicle, A control unit that, if a specific pattern is found in the video footage captured by the aforementioned drive recorder, causes the same pattern to be displayed on the external display device, Equipped with, The aforementioned specific pattern is a vehicle with a two-dimensional code.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the control unit reads the information indicated by the pattern in the video footage captured by the drive recorder and notifies the occupant of that information.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the control unit causes the pattern to be displayed on the external display device in response to an operation by the occupant.

Images