Display control device, display control method, and program

Abstract

This display control device (1) comprises: an acquisition unit (11) that acquires route guidance and the remaining distance from a moving body to a guidance point; a control unit (12) that controls a display mode of a guidance display object for guiding an occupant of the moving body on the basis of the remaining distance; and a display generation unit (13) that generates the guidance display object. A virtual display area is divided into at least a first display area and a second display area according to the remaining distance. When the remaining distance is equal to or greater than a first threshold value, the control unit (12) displays the guidance display object in the first display area closest to a vanishing point. When the remaining distance is less than the first threshold value and equal to or greater than a second threshold value smaller than the first threshold value, the control unit (12) extends the guidance display object from the first display area to the second display area in a direction away from the vanishing point as the remaining distance decreases. When the remaining distance is less than the second threshold value, the control unit (12) moves the entire guidance display object in a direction further away from the vanishing point as the remaining distance decreases.

Description

Display control device, display control method and program

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a display control device, a display control method and a program.

[0002] Conventionally, a head-up display (HUD) mounted on a vehicle is known as a display control device. The head-up display projects light representing an image onto a translucent display medium and causes the light to be reflected by the display medium, thereby allowing an occupant to visually recognize the image as a virtual image while allowing the occupant to see a real image through the display medium. In addition, there is known a head-up display for a vehicle that displays a guidance display object indicating a guidance route as a virtual image using guidance route information.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a display system for displaying an AR (Augmented Reality) route, which is a virtual image, on a display unit so as to overlap with a real image visible to an occupant.

[0004] For example, Patent Document 2 discloses a head-up display that allows an occupant to intuitively recognize a sense of distance to an intersection to be turned.

[0005] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2020-159953, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2024-17376

[0006] In the display system of Patent Document 1, a guidance display object, which is an image of an arrow indicating a guidance direction, is displayed according to perspective, and the image of the arrow is displayed to become larger as the remaining distance to the guidance point becomes shorter. However, in a section where the remaining distance to the guidance point is long, the amount of change in the size of the guidance display object appears small to the occupant, and the shape indicating the guidance direction at the tip portion of the guidance display object appears small, so there are cases where it is difficult to convey the sense of distance to the occupant.

[0007] Therefore, in the head-up display described in Patent Document 2, multiple pieces of information are combined to represent the sense of distance to the guidance point, such as a route image showing the road, an intersection image showing the intersection where a turn will be made, and a turn direction image showing the direction of the turn at the intersection. In this case, the cognitive load on the occupant increases, and it may become difficult to intuitively perceive the sense of distance to the guidance point.

[0008] Therefore, this disclosure provides a display control device, etc., that can display a guidance display that makes it easier for the occupant to perceive the distance to the guidance point.

[0009] A display control device according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a display control device mounted on a moving body that controls the display of a virtual image formed by display light projected onto a display medium, comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires route guidance for the moving body and the remaining distance from the moving body to a guidance point; a control unit that uses perspective including a vanishing point to control the display mode of a guidance display object indicating the direction of guidance for guiding the occupants of the moving body based on the route guidance and the remaining distance; and a display generation unit that generates the guidance display object in a virtual display area for projecting the display light onto the display medium based on the display mode of the control unit, wherein the display light including the guidance display object that forms the virtual image is projected onto the display medium, and the virtual display area is generated according to the remaining distance The display is divided into at least a first display area and a second display area, the first display area includes the vanishing point or is located below the vanishing point, and the second display area is located below both the vanishing point and the first display area. The control unit displays the guide display in the first display area closest to the vanishing point when the remaining distance is greater than or equal to a first threshold; when the remaining distance is less than the first threshold and greater than or equal to a second threshold smaller than the first threshold, the control unit expands the guide display from the first display area to the second display area in a direction away from the vanishing point as the remaining distance decreases; and when the remaining distance is less than the second threshold, the control unit moves the entire guide display further away from the vanishing point as the remaining distance decreases.

[0010] A display control device, etc., according to one aspect of this disclosure, can display a guidance display that makes it easier for the occupant to perceive the distance to the guidance point.

[0011] Figure 1 is a diagram showing the interior of a vehicle in which a display control device according to an embodiment is installed. Figure 2 is a block diagram showing a vehicle having a display control device. Figure 3 is a diagram showing the relationship between remaining distance and the display area. Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a virtual display area using perspective in the display area. Figure 5 is a diagram showing the relationship between the display area before and after the implementation of expansion control. Figure 6 is a diagram showing the relationship between the amount of expansion and the amount of change before and after the implementation of expansion control. Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a predetermined display area, a horizontal plane, the depression angle of the upper end of the display area, and the depression angle of the lower end of the display area in the display area. Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the difference in depression angle A of the second display area with respect to the difference in depression angle B of the first display area before and after expansion. Figure 9 is a diagram showing the relationship between remaining distance and the display area using multiple guidance images. Figure 10 is a diagram showing the case where the number of multiple guidance images is changed in relation to the relationship between remaining distance and the display area. Figure 11 is a diagram showing the relationship between remaining distance and the display area displaying the guidance images. Figure 12 is a flowchart showing the operation of the display control device. Figure 13 is a flowchart showing the operation related to the control of directional signs.

[0012] The embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. The embodiments described below are all comprehensive or specific examples. The numerical values, shapes, materials, components, arrangement and connection configurations of components, steps, and the order of steps shown in the following embodiments are examples only and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, components in the following embodiments that are not described in an independent claim will be described as optional components.

[0013] Please note that each figure is a schematic diagram and not necessarily a strictly accurate representation. Furthermore, in each figure, substantially identical components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations may be omitted or simplified.

[0014] (Embodiment) <Functional Configuration> First, a display system having the display control device 1 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 11.

[0015] Figure 1 is a diagram showing the interior of a vehicle 2 in which the display control device 1 according to an embodiment is installed. Figure 2 is a block diagram of the display control device 1. Figure 3 is a diagram showing the relationship between the remaining distance and the display area. Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a virtual display area using perspective in the display area. Figure 5 is a diagram showing the relationship between the display area before and after the implementation of expansion control. Figure 6 is a diagram showing the relationship between the amount of expansion and the amount of change before and after the implementation of expansion control. Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a predetermined display area, a horizontal plane, the depression angle of the upper end of the display area, and the depression angle of the lower end of the display area in the display area. Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the difference in depression angle A of the second display area with respect to the difference in depression angle B of the first display area before and after expansion. Figure 9 is a diagram showing the relationship between the remaining distance and the display area using multiple guidance images. Figure 10 is a diagram showing the case where the number of multiple guidance images is changed in relation to the relationship between the remaining distance and the display area. Figure 11 is a diagram showing the relationship between the remaining distance and the display area displaying the guidance images.

[0016] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the display system is, for example, a HUD mounted on a vehicle 2. The display system emits display light, which is light that indicates a display object, toward a translucent display medium 3, and projects the display light onto the display medium 3. Display light containing a guide display object that forms a virtual image is projected onto the display medium 3. Because the display medium 3 reflects the projected display light, the display light can be incident on the occupants' eyes. For example, when the display system is used in a vehicle 2, the display system can incident on the occupants' eyes by reflecting the emitted display light onto a display medium 3 such as a translucent front windshield or a translucent combiner. The occupants can perceive the real image through the display medium 3 while simultaneously viewing the virtual image formed in front of the display medium 3 by the display light in three dimensions. Vehicle 2 is an example of a moving object.

[0017] The display light is light that can form a three-dimensional virtual image in front of the display medium 3. The image can be a still image or a moving image, and may show numbers, letters, figures, etc.

[0018] The display system can determine the display mode of the display light projected onto the display medium 3 based on information from each of the multiple devices mounted on the vehicle 2. These multiple devices include, for example, a navigation device 21, a vehicle control device 22, and a sensor 23.

[0019] The navigation device 21 is a navigation system mounted on the vehicle 2. The navigation device 21 can use map data to set route guidance to guide the vehicle 2 to the optimal route it is scheduled to take from its current location to its destination. The navigation device 21 can also provide surrounding road traffic information and set modified route guidance according to the surrounding road traffic information. The navigation device 21 outputs vehicle-related information, including the set route guidance, to the display system. The route guidance is an operation instruction to guide the vehicle 2 to the route it is scheduled to take, and guidance displays are superimposed on the road in real space visible through the display medium 3. The guidance displays are images that are projected as virtual images in front of the display medium 3 by the display light.

[0020] The vehicle control device 22 is a device that performs various controls related to the driving of the vehicle 2. The vehicle control device 22 controls the engine speed and controls the transmission, engine speed, brake system, etc., in accordance with the driver's operation and driving conditions. The vehicle control device 22 outputs vehicle-related information, including various controls related to the driving of the vehicle 2, to the display system.

[0021] The sensors 23 are mounted on the vehicle 2 and include on-board sensors such as a camera sensor that detects the presence or absence of obstacles around the vehicle 2 and the shape of the road, a distance sensor that detects the distance from the vehicle 2 to obstacles, a speed sensor that detects the vehicle 2's speed, an acceleration sensor that detects the vehicle 2's acceleration, a steering angle sensor that detects the steering angle, and a horizontal sensor that recognizes the horizontal plane. The vehicle control device 22 outputs vehicle-related information, including the surrounding environment, the distance from the vehicle 2 to obstacles, the vehicle speed, the vehicle 2's acceleration, and the steering angle, to the display system.

[0022] The display system comprises a display control device 1 and a projection unit 14.

[0023] The display control device 1 comprises an acquisition unit 11, a control unit 12, and a display generation unit 13.

[0024] The acquisition unit 11 is an input interface that acquires vehicle-related information output by each of the multiple devices.

[0025] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the acquisition unit 11 can acquire route guidance for vehicle 2 and the remaining distance from vehicle 2 to the guidance point from the acquired vehicle-related information. The acquisition unit 11 can output the acquired route guidance and remaining distance to the control unit 12. Guidance points are, for example, right turn points, left turn points, curve points, lane change points, or U-turn points.

[0026] The control unit 12 uses perspective including a virtual vanishing point and controls the display mode of the guidance display that indicates the direction of guidance for guiding the occupants of the vehicle 2 based on route guidance and remaining distance. In this embodiment, the virtual vanishing point may simply be referred to as the vanishing point.

[0027] Specifically, the control unit 12 determines the display mode of the guidance display based on the acquired route guidance and remaining distance. For example, based on the route guidance, the control unit 12 determines a guidance display that indicates the direction along the route indicated by the route guidance from the vehicle 2. The control unit 12 also determines the display position of the guidance display within a virtual display area for projecting display light onto the display medium 3, and the length of the guidance display, based on the remaining distance. In other words, the control unit 12 determines a guidance display that takes into account the direction indicated by the guidance display along the route indicated by the route guidance, the display position of the guidance display, and the length of the guidance display. In this embodiment, the virtual display area may simply be referred to as the display area.

[0028] When the control unit 12 determines the display mode, it outputs the determined display mode of the guide display to the display generation unit 13.

[0029] The display generation unit 13 acquires the display mode of the guide display determined by the control unit 12, and draws the guide display based on the display mode determined by the control unit 12, generating the guide display in a display area for projecting display light onto the display medium 3. In other words, the display generation unit 13 generates the guide display in order to project display light indicating the determined guide display onto the display medium 3 from the projection unit 14. When drawing the guide display, the display generation unit 13 adjusts the size, shape, color, and brightness of the guide display according to the determined display mode of the guide display. The display generation unit 13 outputs the generated result indicating the guide display to the projection unit 14.

[0030] Based on the generation results obtained from the display generation unit 13, the projection unit 14 projects display light indicating a guide display object in the display mode determined by the control unit 12 onto the display medium 3 installed in the vehicle 2. The display light projected onto the display medium 3 is reflected towards the occupants inside the vehicle 2, so that the display object, which is the display light displayed through the display medium 3, is seen by the occupants as a virtual image.

[0031] Here, with reference to Figures 1 to 4, the display mode of the guidance display determined by the control unit 12 will be explained in more detail.

[0032] First, the guidance display is formed in the display area generated by the display generation unit 13. The display area corresponds to the projection area onto the display medium 3. The upper part of the projection area corresponds to the upper part of the display area, and the lower part of the projection area corresponds to the lower part of the display area. The right side of the projection area corresponds to the right side of the display area, and the left side of the projection area corresponds to the left side of the display area.

[0033] As shown in Figure 4, the display area shows a directional sign using perspective. A virtual vanishing point is formed in the virtual display area using perspective. This display area is divided into at least a first display area and a second display area according to the remaining distance.

[0034] The first display area is a band-shaped region that includes the vanishing point or is located below the vanishing point and extends in the left-right direction.

[0035] The second display area is located below the vanishing point in the display area and below the first display area. The upper edge of the second display area is in contact with the lower edge of the first display area. The second display area is also a band-shaped area that extends in the left-right direction.

[0036] In this case, as described above, as shown in Figure 3(b), the control unit 12 can determine the direction indicated by the guidance display (direction of the arrow) in accordance with the route indicated by the route guidance.

[0037] On the other hand, the control unit 12 can determine the display position and length of the information display based on the remaining distance, etc.

[0038] Specifically, as shown in Figures 3(a) and 3(b), the control unit 12 decides to display the guidance indicator in the first display area closest to the vanishing point if the remaining distance is greater than or equal to a first threshold. In other words, the longer the remaining distance, the closer the guidance point appears to the occupant. If the distance from the vehicle 2 to the guidance point is greater than the first threshold, the control unit 12 decides to display the guidance indicator only in the first display area.

[0039] As time passes, the vehicle 2 approaches the guidance point. Therefore, if the remaining distance is less than the first threshold but greater than or equal to the second threshold (which is smaller than the first threshold), the control unit 12 decides to expand the guidance display from the first display area to the second display area in a direction away from the vanishing point (downward) as the remaining distance decreases. In other words, as the remaining distance decreases, the guidance point appears to the occupants to be moving away from the vanishing point and to the lower side of the projection area. The control unit 12 also decides to expand the guidance display from the first display area to the second display area in a direction away from the vanishing point as far as the distance from the vehicle 2 to the guidance point is greater than or equal to the second threshold (which is smaller than the first threshold). As a result, the guidance display, which is displayed as a virtual image, appears to move downwards and extend further downwards than when the remaining distance is greater than or equal to the first threshold.

[0040] In this case, the control unit 12 does not need to change the size of the guide display from the guide point to the tip of the guide display. In other words, it does not need to change the size of the guide display placed in the first display area. In this case, the occupant will perceive the guide display as being closer to them. Therefore, this display control device 1 is expected to allow the occupant to grasp the distance to the guide point more visually and intuitively.

[0041] Furthermore, as time passes and vehicle 2 approaches the guidance point, the control unit 12 determines, if the remaining distance is less than the second threshold, to move the entire guidance display further away from the vanishing point as the remaining distance decreases. In other words, when the remaining distance is short and vehicle 2 is approaching the vicinity of the guidance point, the guidance point appears to the occupants to be located further away from the vanishing point and towards the lower edge of the projection area. The control unit 12 determines, if the distance from vehicle 2 to the guidance point is less than the second threshold, to display the entire guidance display as moving further away from the vanishing point. Therefore, the guidance display, which is displayed as a virtual image, appears to move downwards more than when the remaining distance is less than the first threshold but greater than or equal to the second threshold.

[0042] At this time, the control unit 12 may increase the size from the guidance point of the guidance display object to the tip of the guidance display object. In this case, the guidance display object appears to the occupant as if it is approaching the occupant. According to this display control device 1, it can be expected that the occupant can more visually and intuitively grasp the sense of distance to the guidance point.

[0043] Here, as shown in FIGS. 5(a), 5(b), and 6, when the guidance display object is expanded in a direction away from the vanishing point, the expansion amount is defined by the amount of change in the remaining distance in a virtual display area (virtual space) using perspective projection. This expansion amount is set by the control unit 12 so as to be equal to or less than the acquired amount of change in the remaining distance. The control unit 12 can control the amount of change in the expansion amount. In other words, the control unit 12 can perform expansion control on the amount of change in the expansion amount so that the amount of change is even smaller than the amount of change corresponding to the remaining distance.

[0044] For example, as shown in FIG. 5(b), before the expansion control is performed by the control unit 12, the expansion of the guidance display object ends when the remaining distance reaches 80 m after the expansion of the guidance display object is started when the remaining distance is 100 m.

[0045] On the other hand, after the expansion control is performed by the control unit 12, the expansion of the guidance display object ends when the remaining distance reaches 70 m after the expansion of the guidance display object is started when the remaining distance is 100 m. Therefore, after the expansion control is performed by the control unit 12, the amount of change is smaller than that before the expansion control is performed. In other words, after the expansion control is performed, the control unit 12 reduces the amount of change in the expansion amount, so that the expansion of the guidance display object becomes gradual over time.

[0046] For example, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 6, before the expansion control is performed by the control unit 12, the expansion amount and the amount of change in the remaining distance are set to be equal. On the other hand, as shown by the broken line in FIG. 6, after the expansion control is performed by the control unit 12, the ratio of the amount of change in the remaining distance to the expansion amount is set to be larger.

[0047] Accordingly, even when the vehicle 2 is moving at high speed, the guidance display object expands slowly. Therefore, the occupant can easily recognize the change of the guidance display object, which makes it easier for the occupant to recognize the sense of distance to the guidance point.

[0048] Here, the depression angle in the display area will be described as shown in FIGS. 7(a), 7(b), and 7(c).

[0049] As shown in FIGS. 7(a), 7(b), and 7(c), a predetermined display area indicated by a thick solid line, a horizontal plane, a depression angle at the upper end of the display area, and a depression angle at the lower end of the display area are set in the display area.

[0050] The predetermined display area is an arbitrary area set in the display area, and corresponds to, for example, the first display area or the second display area.

[0051] The vertical (vertical direction) width in the predetermined display area is the vertical angle of view, and the horizontal (horizontal direction) width in the predetermined display area is the horizontal angle of view.

[0052] The depression angle at the upper end of the display area indicates the depression angle from the horizontal plane to the upper end of the predetermined display area.

[0053] The depression angle at the lower end of the display area indicates the depression angle from the horizontal plane to the lower end of the predetermined display area.

[0054] In this case, as shown in FIG. 4 of the present embodiment, the control unit 12 may set the depression angle difference A from the upper end of the second display area to the lower end of the second display area to be equal to or larger than the smaller one of the depression angle difference B from the vanishing point to the lower end of the first display area and the depression angle difference C from the upper end of the first display area to the lower end of the first display area. In other words, the control unit 12 may execute depression angle difference control for setting the depression angle difference A. The depression angle difference A is an example of a first depression angle difference, the depression angle difference B is an example of a second depression angle difference, and the depression angle difference C is an example of a third depression angle difference.

[0055] Specifically, the depression angle difference A is a value obtained by subtracting the depression angle from the horizontal plane to the upper end of the second display area from the depression angle from the horizontal plane to the lower end of the second display area.

[0056] Further, the depression angle difference B is a value obtained by subtracting the depression angle from the horizontal plane to the vanishing point from the depression angle from the horizontal plane to the lower end of the first display area.

[0057] Further, the depression angle difference C is a value obtained by subtracting the depression angle from the horizontal plane to the upper end of the first display area from the depression angle from the horizontal plane to the lower end of the first display area.

[0058] As a result, the vertical width in the second display area becomes larger than the vertical width in the first display area. This allows for the expansion of the guidance display to be maximized, and also increases the overall movement of the guidance display. This makes it easier for the occupants to recognize the change in distance according to the remaining distance.

[0059] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8, the control unit 12 may change the angle of depression A from the upper end of the second display area to the lower end of the second display area to become larger than the angle of depression B from the upper end of the first display area to the lower end of the first display area, as the angle of depression from the vanishing point in real space to the upper end of the first display area becomes smaller.

[0060] Figure 8 illustrates the cases where the display area has a small and large downward angle.

[0061] When the downward angle of the display area is small, there is not much difference between the downward angle difference A and the downward angle difference B. However, when the downward angle of the display area is large, the vertical width of the downward angle difference A after the control unit 12 implements downward angle difference control is larger than the downward angle difference A before the control unit 12 implements downward angle difference control. Also, when the downward angle of the display area is large, the vertical width of the downward angle difference B after the control unit 12 implements downward angle difference control is smaller than the downward angle difference B before the control unit 12 implements downward angle difference control.

[0062] For example, if the downward angle of the display area is large, and the vanishing point in real space is shifted lower than the vanishing point in virtual space, the occupant may mistakenly believe that the point indicated by the guide is closer than the actual point.

[0063] However, in this embodiment, the control unit 12 may be set so that the greater the downward angle of the display area, the greater the downward angle A becomes compared to the downward angle difference B. In this case, the lower end of the guidance display object in the first display area (the upper end of the second display area) will be closer to the vanishing point in real space. As a result, the guidance display object becomes shorter, and the lower end of the guidance display object is closer to the vanishing point in real space, making the guided point appear farther away to the occupant.

[0064] Here, as shown in Figures 9 and 10, the guidance display includes guidance images displayed along the direction indicated by the route guidance.

[0065] For example, while the guidance image is illustrated with an arrow-shaped image, it may be any known image capable of guiding the crew, and is not limited to an arrow-shaped image. The guidance display in this embodiment may consist of a single arrow displayed along the route guidance, or it may consist of multiple guidance images.

[0066] As shown in Figures 9(a) and 9(b), the guidance display may consist of multiple guidance images. In this case, the control unit 12 can control the arrangement of the multiple guidance images so that they are aligned along the guidance direction. For this reason, the control unit 12 can control the display manner of the guidance display by generating multiple guidance images according to the shape of the route guidance shown in the vehicle-related information and determining the display manner of the generated multiple guidance images.

[0067] As shown in Figures 10(a) and 10(b), when the guidance display is expanded from the first display area to the second display area in a direction away from the vanishing point, the control unit 12 may control the number of guidance images to increase.

[0068] As shown in Figures 11(a) and 11(b), the guidance display may include a guidance image indicating the direction of travel and a road image indicating the road on which the vehicle 2 travels. This allows the occupants to be guided.

[0069] Furthermore, the control unit 12 can change the first and second threshold values ​​according to the type of road on which the vehicle 2 is traveling. The types of roads include, for example, expressways, general roads, and narrow streets on which the vehicle 2 can travel.

[0070] For example, in environments where vehicles travel at high speeds, such as on highways, the rate of change in remaining distance per unit time is greater than in environments where vehicles travel at medium speeds, such as on ordinary roads. Also, in environments where vehicles travel at medium speeds, such as on ordinary roads, the rate of change in remaining distance per unit time is greater than in environments where vehicles travel at low speeds, such as on narrow streets. In these cases, if the first and second thresholds are set based on ordinary roads or narrow streets, for example, when a vehicle is traveling on a highway where the rate of change in remaining distance per unit time is large, the expansion of the guidance signs may end before the occupants can see them. On the other hand, if the first and second thresholds are set based on highways, when a vehicle is traveling on an ordinary road or narrow street where the rate of change in remaining distance per unit time is small, the expansion time of the guidance signs becomes longer, making it difficult to convey the change in distance via the guidance signs to the occupants.

[0071] Therefore, in this embodiment, the first and second threshold values ​​for general roads can be used as a reference, and the first and second threshold values ​​for expressways can be changed to be the highest, or the first and second threshold values ​​for narrow streets can be changed to be the lowest.

[0072] Furthermore, the control unit 12 can change the first threshold and the second threshold according to the vehicle speed 2. In this case as well, for the same reasons as described above, for example, the first and second thresholds can be changed to become longer as the vehicle speed 2 increases, and to become shorter as the vehicle speed 2 decreases.

[0073] Furthermore, the control unit 12 can change the amount of change in the virtual display area depending on the type of road the vehicle 2 is traveling on. In this case as well, for the same reasons as described above, for example, when the vehicle 2 is traveling on an expressway, the amount of change in the virtual display area is made smaller than when the vehicle 2 is traveling on a general road. Also, when the vehicle 2 is traveling on a narrow street, the amount of change in the remaining distance in the virtual display area is made larger than when the vehicle 2 is traveling on a general road.

[0074] Furthermore, the control unit 12 can change the amount of change in the virtual display area according to the vehicle speed 2. In this case as well, for the same reasons as described above, for example, the amount of change in the remaining distance can be changed so that it becomes smaller as the vehicle speed 2 increases, and so that it becomes larger as the vehicle speed 2 decreases.

[0075] Furthermore, the control unit 12 can change the ratio of the depression angle difference A to the depression angle difference B depending on the type of road on which the vehicle 2 is traveling. In this case as well, for the same reasons as described above, for example, when the vehicle 2 is traveling on an expressway, the ratio of depression angle difference A is made larger than the ratio of depression angle difference B compared to when the vehicle 2 is traveling on an ordinary road. Also, when the vehicle 2 is traveling on an ordinary road, the ratio of depression angle difference A is made larger than the ratio of depression angle difference B compared to when the vehicle 2 is traveling on a narrow street.

[0076] Furthermore, the control unit 12 can change the ratio of the depression angle difference A to the depression angle difference B according to the travel speed of the vehicle 2. In this case as well, for the same reasons as described above, for example, the faster the travel speed of the vehicle 2, the larger the ratio of depression angle difference A becomes compared to the ratio of depression angle difference B. Also, the slower the travel speed of the vehicle 2, the larger the ratio of depression angle difference A and the ratio of depression angle difference B become, or the smaller the ratio of depression angle difference A becomes compared to the ratio of depression angle difference B.

[0077] In all of the above cases, it is possible to give the crew time to visually inspect the signs and make it easier for them to understand the changes in distance.

[0078] Thus, in this embodiment, the display mode of the guidance display is determined according to the remaining distance, the vehicle 2's travel speed, the road type, etc. The display mode of the guidance display also includes the placement position of the guidance display, the curvature of the guidance display, the difference in the downward angle of the guidance display, the number of guidance images, the rotation angle of the multiple guidance images, the vertex angles of the guidance images, the size of the guidance display, the size of the guidance images, and the speed at which the guidance display changes. Furthermore, each of the multiple guidance images may be determined to have a display mode that does not overlap with one another.

[0079] In the examples shown in Figures 4-11, a virtual vanishing point is formed within the display area, but the virtual vanishing point may also be formed outside the display area (for example, above the display area).

[0080] <Processing Operation> Next, referring to Figure 12, the processing operation of the display control device 1, the display control method, and the program in this embodiment will be described.

[0081] Figure 12 is a flowchart showing the operation of the display control device 1.

[0082] (Operation Example 1) First, multiple devices mounted on the vehicle 2 transmit vehicle-related information to the acquisition unit 11. Based on this, the acquisition unit 11 obtains route guidance for the vehicle 2 and the remaining distance from the vehicle 2 to the guidance point (S11). The acquisition unit 11 outputs the acquired vehicle-related information to the control unit 12.

[0083] Next, the control unit 12 uses perspective including a vanishing point and controls the display mode of the guidance display that indicates the direction of guidance for guiding the occupants of the vehicle 2 based on the route guidance and remaining distance (S12). The control unit 12 outputs the determined display mode of the guidance display to the display generation unit 13.

[0084] Next, the display generation unit 13 acquires the display mode of the guide display determined by the control unit 12, draws the guide display based on the display mode of the guide display determined by the control unit 12, and generates the guide display in a virtual display area for projecting display light onto the display medium 3 (S13). The display generation unit 13 outputs the generation result showing the guide display to the projection unit 14.

[0085] Next, the projection unit 14 projects display light, which indicates the guidance display in the display mode determined by the control unit 12, onto the display medium 3 provided on the vehicle 2, based on the generation results obtained from the display generation unit 13 (S14). At this time, the display generation unit 13 draws a guidance display that includes a guidance image indicating the direction of guidance and a route image indicating the route on which the vehicle 2 travels. Therefore, the projection unit 14 projects light indicating route guidance, together with the display light, toward the display medium 3. Because the display light is reflected by the display medium 3 toward the occupant, the occupant can perceive the guidance display displayed through the display medium 3 as a virtual image. The display control device 1 then completes the flowchart shown in Figure 12.

[0086] (Example of operation 2) Next, with reference to Figure 13, the processing operation of S12 in Figure 12 will be explained in more detail.

[0087] Figure 13 is a flowchart showing the operation related to the control of directional signs.

[0088] First, the control unit 12 determines a guide display based on the route guidance, taking into account the direction indicated by the guide display, the display position of the guide display, and the length of the guide display. Here, in order to start displaying the guide display to the vehicle 2, the control unit 12 decides to display the guide display in the first display area (S21). In other words, as time passes, the vehicle 2 is approaching the guidance point, but the remaining distance is greater than or equal to the first threshold, and the vehicle 2 is far from the guidance point, so the control unit 12 decides to display the guide display in the first display area. As a result, the display generation unit 13 generates the guide display in the first display area, and display light indicating the guide display is projected onto the display medium 3, so that a virtual image of the guide display is formed at the position corresponding to the first display area.

[0089] Next, the control unit 12 determines whether the remaining distance is less than the first threshold (S22).

[0090] If the control unit 12 determines that the remaining distance is greater than or equal to the first threshold (No in S22), it repeats the process in step S22.

[0091] On the other hand, if the control unit 12 determines that the remaining distance is less than the first threshold (Yes in S22), it decides to expand the guidance display object from the first display area to the second display area in a direction away from the vanishing point as the remaining distance decreases. In other words, as time passes, the vehicle 2 approaches the guidance point, so if the remaining distance is less than the first threshold and greater than or equal to the second threshold which is smaller than the first threshold, the control unit 12 decides to expand the guidance display object from the first display area to the second display area in a direction away from the vanishing point as the remaining distance decreases. As a result, the display generation unit 13 generates a guidance display object that extends from the first display area to the second display area and is expanded in a direction away from the vanishing point. Since display light indicating the guidance display object is projected onto the display medium 3, a virtual image of the guidance display object is formed at positions corresponding to the first display area and the second display area, and the guidance display object is displayed in an expanded manner (S23).

[0092] Next, the control unit 12 determines whether the remaining distance is less than the second threshold (S24).

[0093] If the control unit 12 determines that the remaining distance is greater than or equal to the second threshold (No in S24), it determines whether or not the extended processing in step S23 has been completed (S25).

[0094] If the control unit 12 determines that the extended processing in step S23 has been completed (Yes in S25), it returns to step S24. If the answer in step S25 is Yes, it means that step S28, which will be described later, has been completed.

[0095] On the other hand, if the control unit 12 determines that the extension process in step S23 has not been completed (No in S25), the control unit 12 determines whether the guide display has reached the lower end of the second display area (S26). If the result in step S25 is No, it means that step S28, which will be described later, has not been performed.

[0096] If the control unit 12 determines that the guidance display has not reached the lower edge of the second display area (No in S26), it continues the process of expanding the guidance display (S27). In other words, as the vehicle 2 approaches the guidance point over time, the guidance display expands toward the lower edge of the second display area. However, if the guidance display has not reached the lower edge of the second display area, there is space to expand the guidance display toward the lower edge of the second display area. For this reason, the control unit 12 continues the process of expanding the guidance display. Then, the control unit 12 returns to the process of step S24. If it reaches step S27, the process from step S24 (No) to step S27 is repeated until it goes through step S28.

[0097] On the other hand, when the control unit 12 determines that the guidance display has reached the lower edge of the second display area (Yes in S26), it terminates the expansion process of the guidance display (S28). In other words, as the vehicle 2 approaches the guidance point over time, the guidance display expands toward the lower edge of the second display area. However, once the guidance display reaches the lower edge of the second display area, it can no longer be expanded because there is no remaining space. For this reason, the control unit 12 terminates the expansion process of the guidance display. The control unit 12 then returns to the process in step S24.

[0098] When the control unit 12 determines that the remaining distance is less than the second threshold (Yes in S24), it decides to move the entire guidance display object further away from the vanishing point. In other words, as time passes, the vehicle 2 approaches the guidance point, so when the remaining distance is less than the second threshold, the control unit 12 decides to move the entire guidance display object further away from the vanishing point as the remaining distance decreases. As a result, as the remaining distance decreases, the display generation unit 13 generates a guidance display object that is moved further away from the vanishing point, and display light representing the guidance display object is projected onto the display medium 3, so a virtual image of the guidance display object is formed at the position corresponding to the guidance point in real space, and the guidance display object is displayed in an expanded manner (S29).

[0099] Next, the control unit 12 determines whether the remaining distance is less than 0m, that is, whether the guide point has been passed (S30).

[0100] If the control unit 12 determines that the remaining distance is not less than 0m (No in S30), it continues the process of moving the entire guidance display object further away from the vanishing point (downward) (S31).

[0101] The control unit 12 determines whether the movement process in step S29 has been completed (S32).

[0102] If the control unit 12 determines that the movement process in step S29 has been completed (Yes in S32), it returns to step S30. If the answer in step S30 is Yes, it means that step S35, which will be described later, has been completed.

[0103] On the other hand, if the control unit 12 determines that the movement process in step S29 has not been completed (No in S32), the control unit 12 determines whether the guide display has reached the lower end of the second display area (S33). If the result in step S33 is No, it means that step S35, which will be described later, has not been taken.

[0104] If the control unit 12 determines that the guidance display has not reached the lower edge of the second display area (No in S33), it continues the process of moving the guidance display (S34). In other words, as the vehicle 2 approaches the guidance point over time, the guidance display expands toward the lower edge of the second display area, but if the guidance display has not reached the lower edge of the second display area, there is room to expand the guidance display toward the lower edge of the second display area. For this reason, the control unit 12 continues the process of moving the guidance display. Then, the control unit 12 returns to the process of step S30. If it is step S34, the process from step S30 (No) to step S33 is repeated until step S35 is reached.

[0105] On the other hand, when the control unit 12 determines that the guide display has reached the lower edge of the second display area (Yes in S33), it terminates the movement process of the guide display (S35). In other words, as the vehicle 2 approaches the guide point over time, the guide display expands toward the lower edge of the second display area. However, once the guide display reaches the lower edge of the second display area, there is no more space to expand the guide display. For this reason, the control unit 12 terminates the movement process of the guide display. The control unit 12 then returns to the process in step S30.

[0106] On the other hand, when vehicle 2 passes the guide point, the control unit 12 determines that the remaining distance is less than 0m (Yes in S30), and terminates the process shown in Figure 13.

[0107] <Effects and Effects> Next, the effects and effects of the display control device 1, the display control method, and the program in this embodiment will be described.

[0108] The display control device 1 of this embodiment of Technology 1 is a display control device 1 mounted on a moving body that controls the display of a virtual image formed by display light projected onto a display medium 3, and comprises: an acquisition unit 11 that acquires route guidance for the moving body and the remaining distance from the moving body to the guidance point; a control unit 12 that uses perspective including a vanishing point and controls the display mode of a guidance display indicating the guidance direction for guiding the occupants of the moving body based on the route guidance and the remaining distance; and a display generation unit 13 that generates a guidance display in a virtual display area for projecting display light onto the display medium 3 based on the display mode of the control unit 12, wherein display light including a guidance display that forms a virtual image is projected onto the display medium 3. The virtual display area is divided into at least a first display area and a second display area depending on the remaining distance, the first display area is located in or below the vanishing point, and the second display area is located below both the vanishing point and the first display area. The control unit 12 displays the guide display in the first display area closest to the vanishing point when the remaining distance is greater than or equal to a first threshold, when the remaining distance is less than the first threshold and greater than or equal to a second threshold smaller than the first threshold, it expands the guide display from the first display area to the second display area in a direction away from the vanishing point as the remaining distance decreases, and when the remaining distance is less than the second threshold, it moves the entire guide display further away from the vanishing point as the remaining distance decreases.

[0109] According to this, when the remaining distance is greater than or equal to the first threshold, the guidance display is shown only in the first display area close to the vanishing point, which is expected to allow the occupants to visually and intuitively understand that the guidance point is located far from the vehicle 2.

[0110] Furthermore, when the remaining distance is less than the first threshold but greater than or equal to the second threshold, a guidance display is formed extending from the first display area to the second display area, and the guidance display is extended toward the lower edge of the second display area. This is expected to allow the occupants to visually and intuitively understand that they are approaching the guidance point.

[0111] Furthermore, when the remaining distance is less than the second threshold, the entire guidance display is moved further away from the vanishing point as the remaining distance decreases, which is expected to allow the occupants to visually and intuitively grasp the distance to the guidance point.

[0112] Therefore, this display control device 1 can display information that makes it easier for the occupants to perceive the distance to the destination.

[0113] Furthermore, in the display control device 1 of Technology 2 in this embodiment, the amount of expansion when the guidance display object is expanded in the direction away from the vanishing point is defined by the change in remaining distance in the virtual display area using perspective, and is less than or equal to the acquired change in remaining distance.

[0114] For example, in a virtual display area using perspective, the further the display area is from the vanishing point (e.g., the second display area relative to the first display area), the shorter the distance within the virtual display area for the same range of depression angle difference. In this case, for example, if the vehicle is moving at high speed, the rate of change in remaining distance per unit time becomes large. As a result, the expansion may end before the occupants can see the guidance display.

[0115] However, in this embodiment, even if the amount of change in remaining distance per unit time is large, the expansion time of the guidance display can be ensured by making the expansion amount less than or equal to the amount of change in remaining distance. Therefore, it is expected that the occupants will have time to visually observe the guidance display. As a result, the occupants will be able to easily recognize the changes in the guidance display, making it easier for them to perceive the distance to the guidance point.

[0116] Furthermore, in the display control device 1 of Technology 3 in this embodiment, the first depression angle difference from the upper end to the lower end of the second display area is greater than or equal to the smaller of the second depression angle difference from the vanishing point to the lower end of the first display area, and the third depression angle difference from the upper end to the lower end of the first display area.

[0117] For example, from the perspective of the crew, if the size of the expanded portion is small compared to the size of the information display, the change caused by the expansion of the information display will be difficult to notice, and the change in remaining distance will be difficult to convey.

[0118] However, in this embodiment, by making the depression angle difference A equal to or greater than the depression angle difference B, the vertical size of the second display area becomes equal to or greater than the vertical size of the first display area. As a result, the distance change corresponding to the remaining distance is more easily communicated to the occupant.

[0119] Furthermore, in the display control device 1 of Technology 4 in this embodiment, the control unit 12 makes the first difference in the downward angle from the upper end of the second display area to the lower end of the second display area greater than the second difference in the downward angle from the upper end of the first display area to the lower end of the first display area, as the downward angle from the vanishing point in real space to the upper end of the first display area is smaller.

[0120] For example, when the display control device 1 is applied to a head-up display, the mirror angle may be set to a position that is easy for the occupant to see. In this case, the downward angle of the display area will change. In this case, when the downward angle difference C is small, the position of the vanishing point in real space will be shifted lower than the position of the vanishing point in the virtual display area, making it easy for the occupant to mistakenly see the guide point as being too close.

[0121] However, in this embodiment, the smaller the depression angle difference C, the larger the depression angle difference A becomes compared to the depression angle difference B. This allows the lower edge of the first display area to be brought closer to the vanishing point in real space. As a result, the guide point can be made to appear farther away to the occupant, making it less likely for the occupant to mistake the guide point.

[0122] Furthermore, in the display control device 1 of technology 5 in this embodiment, the guidance display object is composed of multiple guidance images, and the control unit 12 controls the arrangement of the multiple guidance images in a line along the guidance direction.

[0123] According to this method, arranging multiple guidance images side by side can make the overall shape ambiguous. Therefore, it is expected that the incongruity between the multiple guidance images and the actual road shape viewed through the display medium 3 will be suppressed.

[0124] Furthermore, in the display control device 1 of the technology 6 of this embodiment, the control unit 12 controls the number of multiple guidance images to increase when the guidance display is expanded from the first display area to the second display area in a direction away from the vanishing point.

[0125] According to this, when the remaining distance is less than the first threshold but greater than or equal to the second threshold, multiple guidance images are formed across the first and second display areas, and the number of guidance images is increased towards the lower end of the second display area. This is expected to allow the occupant to visually and intuitively understand that they are approaching the guidance point.

[0126] Furthermore, in the display control device 1 of the technology 7 of this embodiment, the guidance display includes a guidance image indicating the direction of guidance and a travel path image indicating the travel path on which the moving object travels.

[0127] According to this, by controlling the display modes of the guidance image showing the direction of guidance and the driving path image in conjunction, it is possible to emphasize the distance change corresponding to the movement of vehicle 2. As a result, the occupants can more easily perceive the distance to the guidance point.

[0128] Furthermore, in the display control device 1 of the technology 8 in this embodiment, the moving object is a vehicle 2, and the control unit 12 changes the first threshold and the second threshold according to the type of road on which the vehicle 2 is traveling.

[0129] According to this, the first and second thresholds are changed according to the type of road, which allows occupants time to visually inspect the signs and makes it easier for occupants to understand the changes in distance.

[0130] Furthermore, in the display control device 1 of the technology 9 in this embodiment, the moving object is a vehicle 2, and the control unit 12 changes the amount of change in the remaining distance in the virtual display area according to the type of road on which the vehicle 2 is traveling.

[0131] According to this, the amount of change in the remaining distance in the virtual display area is changed according to the type of road, which gives the occupants time to look at the guidance display and makes it easier for the occupants to understand the change in distance.

[0132] Furthermore, in the display control device 1 of technology 10 in this embodiment, the moving object is a vehicle 2, and the control unit 12 changes the ratio of the depression angle difference A and the depression angle difference B according to the type of road on which the vehicle 2 is traveling.

[0133] According to this, the ratio of angle of depression A to angle of depression B is changed according to the type of road, which gives the occupants time to visually inspect the signs and makes it easier for them to understand the change in distance.

[0134] Furthermore, in the display control device 1 of the technology 11 of this embodiment, the control unit 12 changes the first threshold and the second threshold according to the travel speed of the moving body.

[0135] According to this, the first and second thresholds are changed according to the speed of the moving object, which allows the occupants time to view the guidance signs and makes it easier for the occupants to understand the changes in distance.

[0136] Furthermore, in the display control device 1 of the technology 12 of this embodiment, the control unit 12 changes the amount of change in the remaining distance in the virtual display area according to the travel speed of the moving object.

[0137] According to this, the amount of change in the remaining distance in the virtual display area is changed according to the speed of the moving object, which gives the occupants time to look at the guidance display and makes it easier for the occupants to understand the change in distance.

[0138] Furthermore, in the display control device 1 of technology 13 in this embodiment, the control unit 12 changes the ratio of the depression angle difference A and the depression angle difference B according to the travel speed of the moving body.

[0139] According to this, the ratio of the depression angle difference A to the depression angle difference B is changed according to the speed of the moving object, which gives the occupants time to visually inspect the guidance signs and makes it easier for the occupants to understand the changes in distance.

[0140] Furthermore, in the display control method of technology 14 in this embodiment, the display control method controls the display of a virtual image formed by display light projected onto a display medium 3 mounted on a moving body, and includes the acquisition of a route guidance unit 11 and the remaining distance from the moving body to the guidance point, the control unit 12 controlling the display mode of a guidance display object that indicates the guidance direction for guiding the occupants of the moving body based on the route guidance and remaining distance using perspective including a vanishing point, and the display generation unit 13 generating a guidance display object in a virtual display area for projecting display light onto the display medium 3 based on the display mode of the control unit 12, wherein the display medium 3 includes a display light that includes a guidance display object that forms a virtual image The projection is made, and the virtual display area is divided into at least a first display area and a second display area depending on the remaining distance, the first display area is located in or below the vanishing point, and the second display area is located below both the vanishing point and the first display area. The control unit 12 displays the guide display in the first display area closest to the vanishing point when the remaining distance is greater than or equal to a first threshold, when the remaining distance is less than the first threshold and greater than or equal to a second threshold smaller than the first threshold, the control unit 12 expands the guide display from the first display area to the second display area in a direction away from the vanishing point as the remaining distance decreases, and when the remaining distance is less than the second threshold, the control unit 12 moves the entire guide display further away from the vanishing point as the remaining distance decreases.

[0141] This method can also produce the same effects as described above.

[0142] Furthermore, the program of technology 15 in this embodiment is a program for a computer to execute a display control method.

[0143] This program can also produce the same effects as described above.

[0144] (Other Modifications) The display control device, display control method, and program relating to this disclosure have been described above based on the embodiments described above, but this disclosure is not limited to these embodiments. Various modifications to the embodiments that a person skilled in the art can conceive of may also be included in the scope of this disclosure, as long as they do not depart from the spirit of this disclosure. Furthermore, modifications of the above embodiments may also be included in the above embodiments.

[0145] Furthermore, the display control device according to the above embodiment is typically implemented using an LSI, which is an integrated circuit. These may be individually integrated into a single chip, or some or all of them may be integrated into a single chip.

[0146] Furthermore, integrated circuit implementation is not limited to LSIs; it may also be achieved using dedicated circuits or general-purpose processors. Alternatively, an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), which can be programmed after LSI manufacturing, or a reconfigurable processor capable of reconfiguring the connections and settings of circuit cells within the LSI, may be used.

[0147] In the above embodiment, each component of the display control device may be implemented by dedicated hardware or by executing a software program suitable for each component. Each component may also be implemented by a program execution unit such as a CPU or processor reading and executing a software program recorded on a recording medium such as a hard disk or semiconductor memory.

[0148] Furthermore, all figures used above are illustrative to illustrate the present disclosure, and the embodiments of this disclosure are not limited to the figures exemplified.

[0149] Furthermore, the division of functional blocks in the block diagram is just one example; multiple functional blocks can be implemented as a single functional block, a single functional block can be divided into multiple parts, or some functions can be moved to other functional blocks. In addition, the functions of multiple functional blocks with similar functions can be processed in parallel or time-sharing by a single piece of hardware or software.

[0150] Furthermore, the order in which each step in the flowchart is performed is illustrative for the purpose of specifically illustrating this disclosure, and may be in a different order. Also, some of the above steps may be performed simultaneously (in parallel) with other steps.

[0151] Furthermore, this disclosure also includes forms obtained by applying various modifications to the above embodiments that a person skilled in the art could conceive, and forms realized by arbitrarily combining the components and functions of the embodiments without departing from the spirit of this disclosure.

[0152] This disclosure can be used in vehicle display control devices and the like.

[0153] 1 Display control device 2 Vehicle (mobile body) 3 Display medium 11 Acquisition unit 12 Control unit 13 Display generation unit

Claims

1. A display control device mounted on a mobile body that controls the display of a virtual image formed by display light projected onto a display medium, comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires route guidance for the mobile body and the remaining distance from the mobile body to a guidance point; a control unit that uses perspective including a vanishing point to control the display mode of a guidance display object indicating the direction of guidance for guiding the occupants of the mobile body based on the route guidance and the remaining distance; and a display generation unit that generates the guidance display object in a virtual display area for projecting the display light onto the display medium based on the display mode of the control unit, wherein the display light including the guidance display object that forms the virtual image is projected onto the display medium, the virtual display area is divided into at least a first display area and a second display area according to the remaining distance, the first display area includes the vanishing point or is located below the vanishing point, the second display area is located below the vanishing point and the first display area, and the control unit displays the guidance display object in the first display area closest to the vanishing point when the remaining distance is greater than or equal to a first threshold. A display control device that, when the remaining distance is less than the first threshold and greater than or equal to a second threshold smaller than the first threshold, expands the guidance display object from the first display area to the second display area in a direction away from the vanishing point as the remaining distance decreases, and when the remaining distance is less than the second threshold, moves the entire guidance display object further away from the vanishing point as the remaining distance decreases.

2. The display control device according to claim 1, wherein the amount of expansion when the guide display is expanded in the direction away from the vanishing point is defined by the amount of change in the remaining distance in the virtual display area using perspective, and is less than or equal to the acquired amount of change in the remaining distance.

3. The display control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first depression angle difference from the upper end to the lower end of the second display area is greater than or equal to the smaller of the second depression angle difference from the vanishing point to the lower end of the first display area and the third depression angle difference from the upper end to the lower end of the first display area.

4. The display control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit makes the first difference in depression angle from the upper end of the second display area to the lower end of the second display area greater than the second difference in depression angle from the upper end of the first display area to the lower end of the first display area, as the smaller the depression angle from the vanishing point in real space to the upper end of the first display area.

5. The display control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the guide display object is composed of a plurality of guide images, and the control unit controls the plurality of guide images to be arranged in a line along the guide direction.

6. The display control device according to claim 5, wherein the control unit controls the number of the plurality of guide images to increase when the guide display is expanded from the first display area to the second display area in a direction away from the vanishing point.

7. The display control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the guidance display includes a guidance image indicating the direction of guidance and a road image indicating the road on which the moving body travels.

8. The display control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the moving body is a vehicle, and the control unit changes the first threshold and the second threshold according to the type of road on which the vehicle travels.

9. The display control device according to claim 2, wherein the moving body is a vehicle, and the control unit changes the amount of change in the virtual remaining distance in the display area according to the type of road on which the vehicle is traveling.

10. The display control device according to claim 3, wherein the moving body is a vehicle, and the control unit changes the ratio of the first depression angle difference and the second depression angle difference according to the type of road on which the vehicle travels.

11. The display control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit changes the first threshold and the second threshold according to the travel speed of the moving body.

12. The display control device according to claim 2, wherein the control unit changes the amount of change in the remaining distance in the virtual display area according to the travel speed of the moving body.

13. The display control device according to claim 3, wherein the control unit changes the ratio of the first depression angle difference and the second depression angle difference according to the travel speed of the moving body.

14. A display control method for controlling the display of a virtual image formed by display light projected onto a display medium, mounted on a mobile body, comprising: an acquisition unit acquiring route guidance for the mobile body and the remaining distance from the mobile body to a guidance point; a control unit controlling the display mode of a guidance display object indicating the direction of guidance for guiding the occupants of the mobile body based on the route guidance and the remaining distance, using perspective including a vanishing point; and a display generation unit generating the guidance display object in a virtual display area for projecting the display light onto the display medium based on the display mode of the control unit, wherein the display light including the guidance display object that forms the virtual image is projected onto the display medium, the virtual display area is divided into at least a first display area and a second display area according to the remaining distance, the first display area includes the vanishing point or is located below the vanishing point, and the second display area is located below both the vanishing point and the first display area, and the control unit, A display control method which, when the remaining distance is equal to or greater than a first threshold, displays the guide display in the first display area closest to the vanishing point; when the remaining distance is less than the first threshold and equal to or greater than a second threshold smaller than the first threshold, expands the guide display from the first display area to the second display area in a direction away from the vanishing point as the remaining distance decreases; and when the remaining distance is less than the second threshold, moves the entire guide display further away from the vanishing point as the remaining distance decreases.

15. A program for a computer to execute the display control method described in claim 14.

Images