Video display device for vehicle

Abstract

In the present invention, a video display control unit has a first display control mode for when a rough road driving assistance control is inactive and a second display control mode for when the rough road driving assistance control is active. During execution of the first display control mode, the display of video of the surroundings is stopped when the host vehicle speed has reached or exceeded a first threshold. During execution of the second display control mode, the display of video of the surroundings is paused when the host vehicle speed has reached or exceeded the first threshold, and the paused display of video of the surroundings is resumed when the host vehicle speed has fallen below a second threshold lower than the first threshold.

Description

Vehicle image display device

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle image display device that has the function of capturing an image of the surroundings of a vehicle and displaying the image on a display inside the vehicle.

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, vehicles such as automobiles are provided with a plurality of on-board cameras for capturing images of the surroundings of the vehicle. Images captured by these on-board cameras are displayed and controlled by an image display control unit.

[0003] For example, when the driver operates a video display switch while the vehicle is traveling at a low speed (e.g., less than a set speed of 20 km / h), the video display control unit activates the on-board camera in the driver's blind spot, and displays the captured video on an information display or the like installed inside the vehicle.

[0004] Such a display of a surrounding image is effective not only when the vehicle is driving on narrow roads or when parking, but also when the vehicle is driving on rough roads. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2022-101979 discloses a technology for generating a composite image that is less likely to cause discomfort to the driver when the vehicle is driving on rough roads.

[0005] Generally, the image display control unit displays the captured image only when the vehicle is traveling at a low speed (for example, less than 20 km / h). In other words, when the vehicle speed reaches a set speed (for example, 20 km / h), the image display control unit automatically stops displaying the image that has been displayed up until then.

[0006] However, when driving on a rough road, the driver changes the vehicle speed depending on the road surface condition. In this way, when the driver changes the vehicle speed on the road surface, the image display control unit automatically stops the image display every time the vehicle speed exceeds a set vehicle speed. Therefore, the driver needs to operate the image display switch many times until the vehicle escapes from the rough road, which makes the operation cumbersome.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a vehicle image display device that can achieve convenience and safety even when the vehicle speed changes when traveling on rough roads.

[0008] A vehicle image display device according to one aspect of the present invention is applied to a vehicle capable of executing rough road driving assist control by at least one of driving force distribution control for wheels and braking force distribution control for the wheels, and includes: an imaging means for imaging the surroundings of the vehicle; an image display means for displaying a surrounding image captured by the imaging means; an image display switch for instructing the display of the surrounding image; and an image display control means for causing the image display means to display the surrounding image when the image display switch is turned on, wherein the image display control means The display control means has as its display control modes a first display control mode when the host vehicle speed is equal to or greater than a first threshold during execution of the rough road driving assist control, and the image display control means suspends the display of the surrounding image when the host vehicle speed is equal to or greater than the first threshold during execution of the second display control mode, and resumes the suspended display of the surrounding image when the host vehicle speed is equal to or greater than the first threshold, and

[0009] Another aspect of the present invention provides a vehicle image display device that is applied to a vehicle capable of executing rough road driving assist control by at least one of driving force distribution control to wheels and braking force distribution control to the wheels, and includes an imaging module that images the surroundings of the vehicle, an image display module that displays the surrounding image captured by the imaging module, an image display switch that instructs the display of the surrounding image, and a processor that causes the image display module to display the surrounding image when the image display switch is turned on, wherein the processor stops displaying the surrounding image when the vehicle speed becomes equal to or greater than a first threshold while the rough road driving assist control is being released, temporarily suspends display of the surrounding image when the vehicle speed becomes equal to or greater than the first threshold while the rough road driving assist control is being executed, and resumes displaying the temporarily suspended surrounding image when the vehicle speed becomes less than a second threshold that is smaller than the first threshold.

[0010] Schematic diagram of the image display device mounted on a vehicle. Plan view showing an example of an information display and various operation switches. Plan view showing the installation positions of the on-board camera and information display. Flowchart (1) showing the image display operation determination routine according to the rough road driving support control state. Flowchart (2) showing the image display operation determination routine according to the rough road driving support control state. Flowchart (3) showing the image display operation determination routine according to the rough road driving support control state.

[0011] An embodiment of one aspect of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that in the drawings used in the following description, each component is shown at a different scale so that it can be recognized. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the number of components, the shapes of the components, the size ratios of the components, and the relative positional relationships of the components shown in these drawings.

[0012] As shown in Figure 1, as an example of an image display device applied to a vehicle 1 such as an automobile, the configuration of a vehicle image display device 2 having a function of displaying an image captured around the vehicle 1 (surrounding image) on a display inside the vehicle will be described.

[0013] The vehicle image display device 2 of this embodiment is applied to a vehicle 1 equipped with a cruise control unit 10 capable of executing rough road driving assistance control. The vehicle image display device 2 changes the display control mode of the surrounding image to be displayed on the display depending on the execution state of the rough road driving assistance control.

[0014] Therefore, before describing the vehicle image display device 2, an outline of the rough road driving support control by the driving control unit 10 will be described.

[0015] The input side of the driving control unit 10 is connected to, for example, a rough road driving mode button 11 , a wheel speed sensor 15 , and a shift position sensor 17 .

[0016] As shown in FIG. 2 , the rough road driving mode button 11 is provided, for example, near the center of an instrument panel (not shown) that can be operated by the driver. This rough road driving mode button 11 is a button that switches from normal driving control to rough road driving assist control based on an operation input by the driver when the vehicle 1 is driving on a rough road such as a snowy road, a gravel road, or a muddy road. In this embodiment, the normal driving control is control for performing, for example, driving force distribution control and braking force distribution control suitable for driving on a high μ road such as a paved road. On the other hand, the rough road driving assist control is control for performing, for example, driving force distribution control and braking force distribution control suitable for driving on a rough road such as a snowy road, a gravel road, or a muddy road. The rough road driving mode button 11 is connected to the driving control unit 10 and also to the image display control unit 5, which will be described later.

[0017] The wheel speed sensor 15 is a sensor that detects the wheel speed of each of the multiple wheels (e.g., four wheels) of the vehicle 1. Therefore, using the wheel speeds detected by each wheel speed sensor 15, the cruise control unit 10 can individually detect, for example, whether each wheel is locked or spinning. The cruise control unit 10 can also calculate the host vehicle speed Vs based on the average value of the wheel speeds. Note that the cruise control unit 10 can also calculate the host vehicle speed Vs based on, for example, an output signal from a rotation speed sensor that detects the rotation speed of an output shaft of a transmission (not shown).

[0018] The shift position sensor 17 is a sensor that detects the shift position when the shift lever 16 is operated by the user (see FIG. 2).

[0019] Therefore, when the shift lever 16 is operated, the shift position sensor 17 detects the shift position, such as a forward driving range (D range, etc.), a parking range (P range, etc.), or a reverse driving range (R range, etc.).

[0020] When the driver turns on the rough road driving mode button 11 while the vehicle 1 is traveling at a speed Vs less than the set vehicle speed, the driving control unit 10 switches the driving mode of the vehicle 1 from normal driving control to rough road driving support control.

[0021] For example, when the forward or reverse driving range is detected by the shift position sensor 17, the cruise control unit 10 switches from normal driving control to rough road driving assist control on the condition that the rough road driving mode button 11 is turned on while the vehicle is traveling at a host vehicle speed Vs less than a set vehicle speed Vset1 (e.g., 20 km / h). However, the cruise control unit 10 cancels the rough road driving assist control when the host vehicle speed Vs exceeds a predetermined vehicle speed (e.g., 40 km / h).

[0022] When the rough road driving assist control is initiated, the driving control unit 10 performs integrated control of the engine, transmission, differential device, brakes, etc. As a result, the driving control unit 10 appropriately controls the driving force and braking force of the four wheels, and achieves smooth escape from the rough road.

[0023] For example, the cruise control unit 10 distributes torque in a rear-wheel bias manner by controlling the engagement of a hydraulic multi-plate clutch of a center differential device (not shown). Furthermore, for example, when a wheel that is spinning is detected based on a signal from a wheel speed sensor 15, the cruise control unit 10 applies a braking force to the spinning wheel by brake control to suppress the wheel from spinning.

[0024] The cruise control unit 10 that performs such rough road cruise support control outputs execution information for the rough road cruise support control to the image display device 2 .

[0025] As shown in FIG. 1, the image display device 2 includes an in-vehicle camera 3, an information display 4, and an image display control unit 5.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 3, the vehicle-mounted camera 3 includes a front camera 3f and a rear camera 3r.

[0027] Each of the cameras 3f, 3r is configured with a wide-angle lens capable of wide-angle photography, an imaging element, etc. Each of the cameras 3f, 3r captures images of different ranges around the vehicle 1.

[0028] Specifically, each of the cameras 3f and 3r captures an image of a range of visual fields 3Ff and 3Fr (for example, a range of a visual angle of 180 degrees) in front of the vehicle body or behind the vehicle body, which are blind spots for the driver.

[0029] Therefore, the front camera 3f is attached to a predetermined position such as the front grille so that it can capture images of the blind spots in the field of view 3Ff, and the rear camera 3r is attached to a predetermined position such as the rear license plate so that it can capture images of the blind spots in the field of view 3Fr.

[0030] Thus, in this embodiment, the vehicle-mounted camera 3 (front camera 3f and rear camera 3r) corresponds to a specific example of an imaging means (imaging module).

[0031] The images of the surroundings of the vehicle 1 captured by the cameras 3f and 3r are output to the image display control unit 5 as shown in FIG.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 2, the information display 4 is provided, for example, near the center of an instrument panel (not shown).

[0033] The information display 4 displays, for example, surrounding images captured by the vehicle-mounted camera 3 or information for changing settings of the vehicle 1 .

[0034] Thus, in this embodiment, the information display 4 corresponds to a specific example of a video display means (video display module).

[0035] The image display control unit 5 functions as an image display control means that displays each of the captured images of the surroundings of the vehicle 1 on the information display 4 based on an operational instruction from the driver.

[0036] Therefore, the input side of the image display control unit 5 is connected to a camera switch 6 operated by the driver and a home button 7 .

[0037] 2, the camera switch 6 is provided as an image display switch, for example, near the shift lever 16 that can be operated by the driver. The camera switch 6 functions as an on / off switch that causes the surrounding image captured by the in-vehicle camera 3 to be displayed on the information display 4.

[0038] 2, the home button 7 is arranged around the information display 4 together with the rough road driving mode button 11 and the like. The home button 7 is operated by, for example, the driver to stop the display of various running application software and display the home screen on the information display 4. Therefore, for example, even if a peripheral image captured by the in-vehicle camera 3 is being displayed on the information display 4, when the driver turns on the home button 7, the display of the peripheral image is stopped and the home screen is displayed.

[0039] The home screen is, for example, a standby screen on which icons of various application software are arranged. The information display 4 may also be configured as a touch panel display, and the home button 7 and the rough road driving mode button 11 may be displayed on the information display 4.

[0040] The image display control unit 5 displays a surrounding image on the information display 4 in accordance with the driver's operation and the execution state of the rough road driving support control.

[0041] When displaying this peripheral image, the image display control unit 5 changes the display control mode of the peripheral image to be displayed on the information display 4 .

[0042] Specifically, the image display control unit 5 has a first display control mode and a second display control mode as display control modes, which are selected depending on the execution state of the rough road driving assist control.

[0043] The first display control mode is initiated when the driver turns on the camera switch 6 while the rough road driving assist control is not being executed (when the normal driving control is being executed). When the first display control mode is initiated, the image display control unit 5 causes the information display 4 to display a peripheral image corresponding to the shift position of the shift lever 16.

[0044] That is, when the forward driving range is selected as the shift position, the image display control unit 5 displays the surrounding image captured by the front camera 3f on the information display 4. However, when the vehicle speed Vs becomes equal to or higher than a set vehicle speed Vset1 (e.g., 20 km / h), the image display control unit 5 stops displaying the surrounding image captured by the front camera 3f.

[0045] When the reverse drive range is selected as the shift position, the image display control unit 5 causes the information display 4 to display the surrounding image captured by the rear camera 3r.

[0046] The second display control mode is basically started in conjunction with the start of the rough road driving assist control. Therefore, the second display control mode is started when the rough road driving assist control is started, without the driver having to turn on the camera switch 6. When the second display control mode is started, the image display control unit 5 displays a surrounding image on the information display 4 according to the shift position of the shift lever 16.

[0047] That is, when the forward driving range is selected as the shift position, the image display control unit 5 displays the surrounding image captured by the front camera 3f on the information display 4. However, when the host vehicle speed Vs becomes equal to or higher than a set vehicle speed Vset1 (e.g., 20 km / h), the image display control unit 5 temporarily stops displaying the surrounding image captured by the front camera 3f. Furthermore, when the host vehicle speed Vs becomes lower than a set vehicle speed Vset2 (e.g., 15 km / h) that is lower than the set vehicle speed Vset1, the image display control unit 5 automatically resumes displaying the temporarily stopped surrounding image.

[0048] When the reverse drive range is selected as the shift position, the image display control unit 5 causes the information display 4 to display the surrounding image captured by the rear camera 3r.

[0049] Here, when the rough road driving mode button 11 is turned on (rough road driving assistance control is executed) while the first display control mode is being executed, the image display control unit 5 switches the display control mode from the first display control mode to the second display control mode in conjunction with the execution of the rough road driving assistance control.

[0050] In addition, when the rough road driving assistance control is released while the second display control mode is being executed or while the second display control mode is temporarily stopped, the image display control unit 5 stops the second display control mode in conjunction with the release of the rough road driving assistance control.

[0051] In this manner, in this embodiment, the set vehicle speed Vset1 corresponds to a specific example of a first threshold value, and the set vehicle speed Vset2 corresponds to a specific example of a second threshold value.

[0052] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the image display control unit 5 corresponds to a specific example of image display control means.

[0053] Next, the display operation of the image around the vehicle 1 according to the rough road driving assist control state executed by the image display control unit 5 of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of the image display operation determination routine shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6. This routine is repeatedly executed at set time intervals.

[0054] 4, when the routine starts, the image display control unit 5 first determines in step S101 whether the image display flag is set to 1. The image display flag is used to identify when a peripheral image is to be displayed. Therefore, the image display flag is set to 1 when a peripheral image is to be displayed on the information display 4 based on the driver's operation.

[0055] In step S101, if it is determined that the video display flag is set to 1 (step S101: YES), the video display control unit 5 proceeds to step S106, which will be described later.

[0056] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S101 that the video display flag is not set to 1 (step S101: NO), the video display control unit 5 proceeds to step S102.

[0057] In step S102, the image display control unit 5 determines whether the camera switch 6 has been turned on.

[0058] In step S102, if it is determined that the camera switch 6 has been turned on (step S102: YES), the image display control unit 5 proceeds to step S105, which will be described later.

[0059] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S102 that the camera switch 6 has not been turned on (step S102: NO), the image display control unit 5 proceeds to step S103.

[0060] In step S103, the image display control unit 5 determines whether the vehicle speed Vs is less than a set vehicle speed Vset1 (for example, 20 km / h).

[0061] In step S103, if it is determined that the vehicle speed Vs is equal to or greater than the set vehicle speed Vset1 (for example, 20 km / h) (step S103: NO), the image display control unit 5 proceeds to step S117, which will be described later.

[0062] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S103 that the vehicle speed Vs is lower than the set vehicle speed Vset1 (for example, 20 km / h) (step S103: YES), the image display control unit 5 proceeds to step S104.

[0063] In step S104, the image display control unit 5 determines whether or not rough road driving support control has been started.

[0064] In step S104, when it is determined that the rough road driving assist control has not been started (first display control mode) (step S104: NO), the image display control unit 5 proceeds to step S117, which will be described later.

[0065] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S104 that the rough road driving assist control has been started (second display control mode) (step S104: YES), the image display control unit 5 proceeds to step S105.

[0066] Then, when the process moves from step S102 or step S104 to step S105, the image display control unit 5 sets the image display flag to 1, and then the process moves to step S106.

[0067] When the process moves from step S101 or step S105 to step S106, the image display control unit 5 determines whether the vehicle speed Vs is greater than 40 km / h.

[0068] In step S106, if it is determined that the vehicle speed Vs is greater than 40 km / h (step S106: YES), the image display control unit 5 proceeds to step S108, which will be described later. In this case, the image display control unit 5 cancels the rough road driving assist control (first display control mode).

[0069] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S106 that the vehicle speed Vs is 40 km / h or less (step S106: NO), the image display control unit 5 proceeds to step S107.

[0070] In step S107, the image display control unit 5 determines whether the camera switch 6 has been turned off.

[0071] In step S107, if it is determined that the camera switch 6 has been turned off (step S107: YES), the image display control unit 5 proceeds to step S108.

[0072] Then, when the process moves from step S106 or step S107 to step S108, the image display control unit 5 clears the image display flag to 0, and then moves to step S117, which will be described later.

[0073] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S107 that the camera switch 6 has not been turned off (step S107: NO), the image display control unit 5 proceeds to step S109.

[0074] In step S109, the image display control unit 5 determines whether or not the rough road driving support control is being executed, as shown in FIG.

[0075] In step S109, when it is determined that the rough road driving assist control is being executed (second display control mode) (step S109: YES), the image display control unit 5 proceeds to step S112, which will be described later.

[0076] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S109 that the rough road driving assist control is not being executed (first display control mode) (step S109: NO), the image display control unit 5 proceeds to step S110.

[0077] In step S110, the image display control unit 5 determines whether the vehicle speed Vs is equal to or greater than a set vehicle speed Vset1 (for example, 20 km / h).

[0078] In step S110, if it is determined that the vehicle speed Vs is lower than the set vehicle speed Vset1 (for example, 20 km / h) (step S110: NO), the image display control unit 5 proceeds to step S117, which will be described later.

[0079] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S110 that the vehicle speed Vs is equal to or greater than the set vehicle speed Vset1 (for example, 20 km / h) (step S110: YES), the image display control unit 5 proceeds to step S111.

[0080] In step S111, the video display control unit 5 clears the video display flag to 0, and then proceeds to step S117, which will be described later.

[0081] Then, when the process proceeds from step S109 to step S112, the image display control unit 5 determines whether the pause flag is set to 1. The pause flag is used to identify when the display of the peripheral image on the information display 4 is temporarily stopped in the second display control mode. Therefore, the pause flag is set to 1 when the display of the peripheral image on the information display 4 is temporarily stopped based on the driver's operation.

[0082] In step S112, if it is determined that the pause flag is set to 1 (step S112: YES), the video display control unit 5 proceeds to step S115, which will be described later.

[0083] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S112 that the pause flag is not set to 1 (step S112: NO), the video display control unit 5 proceeds to step S113.

[0084] In step S113, the image display control unit 5 determines whether the vehicle speed Vs is equal to or greater than a set vehicle speed Vset1 (for example, 20 km / h).

[0085] In step S113, if it is determined that the vehicle speed Vs is lower than the set vehicle speed Vset1 (for example, 20 km / h) (step S113: NO), the image display control unit 5 proceeds to step S117, which will be described later.

[0086] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S113 that the vehicle speed Vs is equal to or greater than the set vehicle speed Vset1 (for example, 20 km / h) (step S113: YES), the image display control unit 5 proceeds to step S114.

[0087] In step S114, the video display control unit 5 sets the pause flag to 1, and then proceeds to step S117, which will be described later.

[0088] Furthermore, when the process moves from step S112 to step S115, the image display control unit 5 determines whether or not the vehicle speed Vs is less than a set vehicle speed Vset2 (for example, 15 km / h).

[0089] In step S115, if it is determined that the vehicle speed Vs is equal to or greater than the set vehicle speed Vset2 (for example, 15 km / h) (step S115: NO), the image display control unit 5 proceeds to step S117, which will be described later.

[0090] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S115 that the vehicle speed Vs is lower than the set vehicle speed Vset2 (for example, 15 km / h) (step S115: YES), the image display control unit 5 proceeds to step S116.

[0091] When the process proceeds to step S116, the video display control unit 5 clears the pause flag to 0, and then proceeds to step S117, which will be described later.

[0092] Then, when the process proceeds from step S103, step S104, step S108, step S110, step S111, step S113, step S114, step S115, or step S116 to step S117, the image display control unit 5 determines whether the image display flag is set to 1, as shown in FIG. 6.

[0093] In step S117, when it is determined that the video display flag is not set to 1 (step S117: NO), the video display control unit 5 proceeds to step S120, which will be described later.

[0094] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S117 that the video display flag is set to 1 (step S117: YES), the video display control unit 5 proceeds to step S118.

[0095] In step S118, the video display control unit 5 determines whether the pause flag is cleared to 0 or not.

[0096] In step S118, if it is determined that the pause flag has not been cleared to 0 (step S118: NO), the video display control unit 5 proceeds to step S120, which will be described later.

[0097] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S118 that the pause flag is cleared to 0 (step S118: YES), the video display control unit 5 proceeds to step S119.

[0098] In step S119, the image display control unit 5 determines whether the shift position detected by the shift position sensor 17 is in the parking range (P range, etc.).

[0099] In step S119, when it is determined that the shift position is not in the parking range (P range, etc.) (step S119: NO), the image display control unit 5 proceeds to step S121, which will be described later.

[0100] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S119 that the shift position is in the parking range (P range, etc.) (step S119: YES), the image display control unit 5 proceeds to step S120.

[0101] When the process proceeds from step S117, step S118, or step S119 to step S120, the image display control unit 5 makes the peripheral image invisible, and then exits the routine.

[0102] Furthermore, when the process proceeds from step S119 to step S121, the image display control unit 5 determines whether the shift position is in a forward driving range (D range, etc.).

[0103] In step S121, when it is determined that the shift position is in the forward driving range (D range, etc.) (step S121: YES), the image display control unit 5 proceeds to step S122.

[0104] In step S122, the image display control unit 5 displays the image of the surroundings in front of the vehicle captured by the front camera 3f, and then exits the routine.

[0105] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S121 that the shift position is not in the forward driving range (D range, etc.) (step S121: NO), the image display control unit 5 proceeds to step S123.

[0106] In step S123, the image display control unit 5 determines that the shift position is in the reverse drive range (R range), displays the rear surroundings image captured by the rear camera 3r, and then exits the routine.

[0107] According to this embodiment, the vehicle image display device 2 is applied to a vehicle 1 capable of executing rough road driving assist control, and includes an on-board camera 3 that captures images of the periphery of the vehicle 1, an information display 4 for displaying the peripheral image captured by the on-board camera 3, a camera switch 6 that instructs the display of the peripheral image, and an image display control unit 5 that causes the information display 4 to display the peripheral image when the camera switch 6 is turned on. The image display control unit 5 The display control system has a first display control mode and a second display control mode during execution of rough road driving assistance control, and when the vehicle speed Vs becomes equal to or greater than a first threshold (Vset1) during execution of the first display control mode, the display of the surrounding image is stopped, and when the vehicle speed Vs becomes equal to or greater than the first threshold (Vset1) during execution of the second display control mode, the display of the surrounding image is temporarily stopped, and when the vehicle speed Vs becomes less than a second threshold (Vset2) that is smaller than the first threshold (Vset1), the display of the temporarily stopped surrounding image is resumed.

[0108] With these configurations, the vehicle image display device 2 can achieve convenience and safety even when the vehicle speed Vs changes while traveling on a rough road.

[0109] That is, in the first display control mode, when the host vehicle speed Vs becomes equal to or greater than a first threshold value (e.g., 20 km / h), the image display control unit 5 stops displaying the surrounding image that had been displayed up until that point. That is, during normal driving control in which the host vehicle speed Vs changes little, the image display control unit 5 automatically turns off the surrounding image based on the host vehicle speed Vs. Therefore, the image display control unit 5 can reduce the driver's complicated operations.

[0110] In the second display control mode, when the host vehicle speed Vs is equal to or greater than a first threshold value (e.g., 20 km / h), the image display control unit 5 temporarily stops displaying the surrounding image. Furthermore, when the host vehicle speed Vs is less than a second threshold value (e.g., 15 km / h), the image display control unit 5 automatically resumes displaying the surrounding image. This allows the image display control unit 5 to automatically turn on / off the display of the surrounding image within a predetermined vehicle speed range (e.g., 40 km / h or less) even when the host vehicle speed Vs changes during rough road driving assistance control, in which the host vehicle speed Vs is prone to change significantly. Therefore, the image display control unit 5 can further reduce the driver's complicated operations.

[0111] The second threshold is set to be smaller than the first threshold. This allows the image display control unit 5 to suppress hunting when automatically turning on / off the display of the surrounding image based on changes in the host vehicle speed Vs. Therefore, the image display control unit 5 can realize a display switching operation that does not feel strange to the driver.

[0112] In addition, when the rough road traveling mode button 11 is turned on while the vehicle speed Vs is less than a first threshold value (e.g., 20 km / h), the image display control unit 5 starts the second display control mode in conjunction with the on operation (start of rough road traveling assist control). This allows the image display control unit 5 to eliminate the need for the driver to operate the camera switch 6 when displaying a surrounding image during rough road traveling assist control. Therefore, the image display control unit 5 can further reduce the complicated operations required of the driver.

[0113] Furthermore, when the rough road driving mode button 11 is turned on (rough road driving assist control is executed) while the first display control mode is being executed, the image display control unit 5 switches the display control mode from the first display control mode to the second display control mode in conjunction with the execution of the rough road driving assist control. As a result, the image display control unit 5 can continue to display the surrounding image that was displayed during normal driving control on the information display 4 even after switching to the rough road driving assist control. Therefore, the image display control unit 5 can improve convenience for the driver when switching from normal driving control to rough road driving assist control.

[0114] Furthermore, when the rough road driving assist control is cancelled while the second display control mode is being executed or while the second display control mode is temporarily stopped, the image display control unit 5 cancels the second display control mode in conjunction with the cancellation of the rough road driving assist control. This allows the image display control unit 5 to suppress unnecessary displays on the information display 4. Therefore, the image display control unit 5 can realize appropriate displays that match the driver's intentions.

[0115] In this embodiment, the front camera 3f and the rear camera 3r have been described as an example of the configuration of the in-vehicle camera 3, but a pair of left and right side cameras capable of capturing images of blind spots on the sides of the vehicle body may also be provided. In this case, a peripheral image of the sides of the vehicle 1, or an overhead image using peripheral images from these multiple cameras (front camera 3f / rear camera 3r / pair of side cameras) may be displayed on the information display 4. That is, in this embodiment, peripheral images of the areas in front of and behind the vehicle 1 have been described as an example of an image to be displayed on the information display 4, but various images, such as peripheral images of the areas to the sides of the vehicle 1 and an overhead image, may also be displayed as appropriate.

[0116] In the above embodiment, the image display control unit 5, the driving control unit 10, etc. are configured with a well-known microcomputer equipped with a CPU, RAM, ROM, non-volatile storage, etc., and its peripheral devices, and the ROM stores programs to be executed by the CPU and fixed data such as data tables in advance. Note that all or part of the functions of the processor may be configured with logic circuits or analog circuits, and the processing of various programs may be realized by electronic circuits such as FPGAs.

[0117] The invention described in the above embodiments is not limited to these, and various modifications can be made in the implementation stage without departing from the gist of the invention. Furthermore, the above embodiments include inventions at various stages, and various inventions can be extracted by appropriate combinations of the disclosed multiple constituent elements.

[0118] Furthermore, even if some of the constituent elements are deleted from all the constituent elements shown in the above embodiment, if the stated problem can be solved and the stated effect can be obtained, the configuration from which these constituent elements are deleted can be extracted as an invention.

Claims

1. An image display device applied to a vehicle capable of executing rough road driving assist control by at least one of driving force distribution control to wheels and braking force distribution control to the wheels, comprising: an imaging means for imaging the surroundings of the vehicle; an image display means for displaying a surrounding image captured by the imaging means; an image display switch for instructing the display of the surrounding image; and an image display control means for causing the image display means to display the surrounding image when the image display switch is turned on, wherein the image display control means has as its display control modes a first display control mode when the rough road driving assist control is released and a second display control mode when the rough road driving assist control is executed, and wherein the image display control means stops displaying the surrounding image when the vehicle speed becomes equal to or greater than a first threshold value while the first display control mode is being executed, The image display control means, during execution of the second display control mode, temporarily suspends the display of the surrounding image when the vehicle speed becomes equal to or greater than the first threshold, and resumes the paused display of the surrounding image when the vehicle speed becomes less than a second threshold that is smaller than the first threshold.

2. The vehicle image display device according to claim 1, characterized in that when the rough road driving assistance control is executed while the first display control mode is being executed, the image display control means switches from the first display control mode to the second display control mode in conjunction with the execution of the rough road driving assistance control.

3. The vehicle image display device according to claim 1, characterized in that when the rough road driving assistance control is released while the second display control mode is being executed or while the second display control mode is temporarily suspended, the image display control means cancels the second display control mode in conjunction with the release of the rough road driving assistance control.

4. The vehicle image display device according to claim 1, characterized in that when the rough road driving assistance control is started while the vehicle speed is less than the first threshold value, the image display control means starts the second display control mode in conjunction with the start of the rough road driving assistance control.

5. The vehicle image display device according to claim 1, characterized in that in the first display control mode and the second display control mode, the surrounding image displayed on the image display means is the surrounding image captured by the same imaging means.

6. An image display device applied to a vehicle capable of executing rough road driving assist control by at least one of driving force distribution control to wheels and braking force distribution control to the wheels, comprising: an imaging module that images the surroundings of the vehicle; an image display module for displaying a surrounding image captured by the imaging module; an image display switch that instructs the display of the surrounding image; and a processor that causes the image display module to display the surrounding image when the image display switch is turned on, wherein the processor stops displaying the surrounding image when the vehicle speed becomes equal to or greater than a first threshold while the rough road driving assist control is being released, temporarily suspends displaying the surrounding image when the vehicle speed becomes equal to or greater than the first threshold while the rough road driving assist control is being executed, and resumes displaying the temporarily suspended surrounding image when the vehicle speed becomes less than a second threshold that is smaller than the first threshold.

Images