Vehicle Display Control for Road Incline Visual Alignment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle display systems fail to account for inclined road conditions, leading to a sense of strangeness felt by occupants when images are displayed as if the vehicle is on a flat road.

Innovation Solution

A display control device that acquires incline angle information and adjusts images of the vehicle and road to match the actual road incline, using virtual viewpoint adjustments and image tilting to simulate the actual road conditions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If an image as if the vehicle is traveling on a flat road is displayed at the display unit, then the display is simple and straightforward, but the occupant feels a sense of strangeness when traveling on an inclined road

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisplay simplicityVSAvoidsense of strangeness
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The display control section changes the display parameters (tilt angle, orientation) of the virtual image based on the detected road incline angle. When the road is inclined, the virtual image is tilted by the same angle as the road, making the display conform to the actual road condition and eliminating the sense of strangeness for the occupant.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the image is altered to tilt in accordance with incline angle information, then the sense of strangeness is moderated, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesense of strangenessVSAvoiddisplay control complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of using complex mechanical systems to physically tilt the display unit, the patent uses image processing and virtual rendering techniques. The display control section generates a virtual image that is tilted according to the road incline angle, achieving the same effect as a physical tilt without the mechanical complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Loss of information

If a virtual viewpoint is used to display the image, then the visualization of road inclination is achieved, but the calculation and processing requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveroad inclination visualizationVSAvoidprocessing power
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSPower

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-calculates and stores three-dimensional information data of the road surface in advance. When the vehicle is traveling, the display control section only needs to retrieve the pre-stored data and adjust the virtual viewpoint based on the current incline angle, rather than performing complex real-time calculations, thus reducing processing power requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4613534A1Display control device for vehicle, display control method for vehicle, and recording medium recording display control program for vehicle
Publication Date: 2025.09.10 TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK
  • EP4613534A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4613534A1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP4613534A1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

A display control device (28) acquires incline angle information of a road on which the vehicle is traveling. The display control device displays, at a display unit (24, 25, or 26), an image portraying the vehicle and an image portraying the road on which the vehicle is traveling, in which the vehicle is viewed from a virtual viewpoint, by altering the image portraying the vehicle and the image portraying the road so as to be tilted in accordance with the acquired incline angle information.