JP2018122736A - Method for displaying vehicular lighting and display control device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a display method and a display control device for vehicle lighting capable of displaying information in a manner easy for an occupant to read according to the speed of a vehicle. A display control device 100 includes a display data acquisition unit 11 that acquires display data to be displayed outside the vehicle, and a lighting control unit 13 that displays the display data in an area in front of the vehicle. Then, the speed of the vehicle is acquired, and the faster the speed, the closer the display area is to the point at infinity. Display the display data in the set display area. The faster the vehicle speed, the closer the display area is to the point at infinity, and the easier it is for the occupants to see the display. [Selection diagram] Fig. 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle illumination display method and a display control apparatus.

  Patent Document 1 discloses that various types of information are projected in front of a vehicle using illumination mounted on the vehicle, and the visibility of the projected information is improved for a vehicle occupant.

JP 2004-210130 A

  However, the above-described conventional example disclosed in Patent Document 1 projects various types of information at a position away from the vehicle without considering the traveling speed of the vehicle. However, since the occupant's viewing angle has a characteristic of narrowing as the speed of the vehicle increases, for example, the driver during high-speed driving (for example, 100 km / h) is compared to the driver during low-speed driving (for example, 30 km / h). Since the viewing angle becomes narrower, the visibility of various types of projected information decreases as the speed increases.

  The present invention has been made in order to solve such a conventional problem, and the object of the present invention is to change the position where various information is projected in accordance with the speed of the vehicle, thereby improving the visibility for the occupant. An object of the present invention is to provide a display method and a display control device for vehicle lighting that can prevent the deterioration of the brightness.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, when an image is displayed outside the vehicle by illumination light, the image is displayed in a region closer to the infinity point as the speed increases.

  According to the present invention, when providing information, even if the speed of the vehicle changes, it is possible to prevent visibility from being lowered for the occupant.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the display control apparatus for vehicle lighting according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a relationship between the speed of the vehicle and the field of view of the occupant according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the display control apparatus for vehicle lighting according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a display area set according to the speed of the vehicle according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the display control apparatus for vehicle lighting according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the display control apparatus for vehicle lighting according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a detailed processing procedure of the wall surface determination processing shown in FIG. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a detailed processing procedure of the display area setting processing shown in FIG. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a display area set on the tunnel wall surface according to the speed of the vehicle according to the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state in which illumination for image display is provided separately from the headlamp according to the second embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[Description of First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the display control apparatus for vehicle lighting according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the display control device 100 includes a display data acquisition unit 11 that acquires display data to be displayed on the road surface in front of the vehicle, and lighting and extinguishing of left and right headlamps 21R and 21L (illumination), and images. Is provided with an illumination control unit 13 (illumination control circuit). Then, the headlamps 21R and 21L are turned on and off, and image output is controlled to display various types of information in an area in front of the vehicle (for example, on the road surface in front of the vehicle).

  The illumination control circuit (illumination control unit 13) and the display data acquisition unit 11 included in the display control device 100 can be realized using a microcomputer including a CPU (central processing unit), a memory, and an input / output unit. A computer program for causing the microcomputer to function as the display control apparatus 100 is installed in the microcomputer and executed. Thereby, the microcomputer functions as an information processing circuit (illumination control circuit, display data acquisition unit 11) included in the display control apparatus 100. Here, an example in which the display control circuit 100 is realized by software is shown, but of course, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) arranged to execute the functions described in the embodiment or a conventional circuit component. It is also possible to prepare a dedicated hardware and configure the illumination control circuit and the display data acquisition unit 11. The illumination control circuit and the display data acquisition unit 11 may also be used as an electronic control unit (ECU) used for other control related to the vehicle.

  The headlamps 21R and 21L include a pixel matrix beam that is a light source in which a plurality of LEDs are arranged in a matrix. Then, under the control of the illumination control unit 13, the pixel matrix beam is controlled to output characters, symbols, symbols, etc. (hereinafter collectively referred to as images) and projected onto the road surface in front of the vehicle (outside the vehicle). To do. That is, the headlamps 21R and 21L have a function of projecting an image on an area in front of the vehicle while illuminating the front of the vehicle with light. For example, it is possible to instruct the traveling direction of the vehicle or to prompt an increase in speed by displaying characters and arrows.

  The illumination control unit 13 lights the headlamps 21R and 21L in white when lighting the front of the vehicle. Furthermore, by changing the area to be lit, it is possible to switch between the low beam that irradiates light near the front of the vehicle and the high beam that irradiates light farther than the low beam to irradiate light. . That is, it can be switched to a low beam when traveling in a relatively bright environment such as an urban area, and can be switched to a high beam when traveling in an environment where there are few other vehicles in a suburb or the like.

  In addition to this, the illumination control unit 13 displays various images in an area in front of the vehicle based on the display data acquired by the display data acquisition unit 11. For example, when the route guidance of the vehicle is being implemented, control is performed to display characters such as “300 meters ahead, left” in the area in front of the vehicle.

  Furthermore, the illumination control unit 13 acquires vehicle speed data, and controls the image display area to move to an area near the infinity point as the speed increases. An infinite point (also referred to as a vanishing point) is a point on the image where straight lines along both ends of the travel path on which the vehicle travels intersect. That is, the higher the vehicle speed, the narrower the occupant's viewing angle and the farther the field of view. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the occupant's visual field region. As shown in FIG. 2, when the speed is 20 km / h, the region R1 becomes the visual field region, and when the speed is 70 km / h, the region R2 becomes the visual field region. When the speed is 100 km / h, the region R3 becomes the visual field region. It is understood that as the vehicle speed increases, the viewing angle starting from the infinity point becomes narrower and the field of view approaches the infinity point. In the present embodiment, as the vehicle speed increases, the image display area is moved to an area close to the infinity point, so that various types of information are displayed in a manner that is easy for the occupant to see even when the speed changes.

  Moreover, the illumination control part 13 acquires map data, and when the driving road ahead of a vehicle is a curve road, it controls so that a display area turns to a curve direction. Based on the illuminance data output from the illuminance sensor 14 that detects the illuminance around the vehicle, the illumination control unit 13 controls the image displayed in the display area to be brighter as the ambient illuminance is higher.

Hereinafter, the operation of the present embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. The process shown in FIG. 3 is executed by the illumination control unit 13 shown in FIG.
First, in step S <b> 11, the lighting control unit 13 determines whether display data to be notified to the vehicle occupant is acquired by the display data acquisition unit 11. For example, when the vehicle route guidance is implemented, the route guidance information is acquired as display data. Alternatively, when traveling on a highway and the speed decreases, information that prompts an increase in speed is acquired as display data.

  When the display data is acquired (YES in step S11), in step S12, the illumination control unit 13 acquires vehicle speed data from an ECU (Electronic Control Unit, not shown) or the like mounted on the vehicle.

  In step S13, the illumination control unit 13 determines whether or not the speed Vs is 50 km / h or less. If Vs ≦ 50 km / h (YES in step S13), the display shown in FIG. 4 is performed in step S14. Region A is set. As shown in FIG. 4, the display area A is an area near the vehicle in front of the vehicle and an area farthest from the infinity point. If Vs ≦ 50 km / h is not satisfied (NO in step S13), the process proceeds to step S15.

  In step S15, the illumination control unit 13 determines whether or not the speed Vs is 50 to 70 km / h. If the speed Vs is 50 to 70 km / h (YES in step S15), the illumination control unit 13 illustrated in FIG. Display area B is set. The display area B is an area that is slightly closer to an infinite point than the display area A and has a slightly narrower viewing angle. If it is not 50-70 km / h (NO in step S15), the process proceeds to step S17.

  In step S17, the illumination control unit 13 determines whether or not the speed Vs is 70 to 100 km / h. If the speed Vs is 70 to 100 km / h (YES in step S17), the illumination control unit 13 illustrated in FIG. A display area C is set. The display area C is an area that is slightly closer to an infinite point than the display area B and has a slightly narrower viewing angle. If it is not 70-100 km / h (NO in step S17), the process proceeds to step S19.

  In step S19, the illumination control unit 13 sets a display area D shown in FIG. The display area D is an area that is slightly closer to infinity than the display area C and has a slightly narrower viewing angle.

  In step S20, the illumination control unit 13 outputs the outputs of the headlamps 21R and 21L mounted on the left and right so that the display data is displayed in any of the display areas A to D set in the above process. Control. That is, the pixel matrix beam is controlled. As a result, display data is displayed in an area corresponding to the speed of the vehicle.

  In this way, the display control device 100 for vehicle lighting according to the present embodiment sets the display area for display data according to the speed of the vehicle. Specifically, four display areas A to D are set in front of the vehicle, and a display area is set that approaches the infinity point and the viewing angle becomes narrower as the speed increases. Therefore, the display data can be displayed on the display area in a manner that is easily visible to the passenger. As a result, the occupant can always visually recognize the display data without being affected by the speed of the vehicle in a manner in which the occupant can easily visually recognize the display data, and can reliably recognize the display data.

  In the present embodiment, an example in which any one of the four display areas A to D is selected and display data is displayed has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to the four display areas A to D. However, other areas may be set. It is also possible to set the display area so as to approach the infinity point continuously in conjunction with the increase in the speed Vs.

  In this embodiment, an example in which an image is displayed using the headlamps 21R and 21L that irradiate a pixel matrix beam has been described. However, a projector having a resolution of about 1 million pixels is used as the headlamps 21R and 21L. It is also possible to use it. Further, a pixel matrix beam and a headlamp can be used in combination as the headlamps 21R and 21L. In this case, the pixel matrix beam is used to display an image in a display area set in front of the vehicle. Even in such a configuration, the same effect can be achieved.

[Description of First Modification of First Embodiment]
In the first embodiment described above, an example in which various images are displayed in the display areas (A to D) set in front of the vehicle has been described. However, when the traveling road ahead of the vehicle is a curved road, an image may be displayed in a direction different from the traveling direction of the vehicle if the display area is set in front of the vehicle. Therefore, in the modified example, map data and the current position of the vehicle are acquired, and when the traveling road ahead of the vehicle is a curved road, the display area is set so as to face the curve direction. By doing so, the display area is set in the traveling direction of the vehicle, so that the vehicle occupant can recognize the image displayed in the display area without moving the line of sight.

[Description of Second Modification of First Embodiment]
In the second modification, based on the illuminance around the vehicle detected by the illuminance sensor 14, the higher the illuminance, the brighter the image displayed in the display area. By doing so, it is possible to prevent an increase in contrast by darkening the image when the surroundings are dark, and to make the image easier to recognize by making the images brighter when the surroundings are bright.

[Description of Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a display control apparatus for vehicle lighting according to the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, when the vehicle enters the tunnel, an example is shown in which information presented to the vehicle occupant is displayed on the wall surface (side wall) of the tunnel.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the display control apparatus 101 includes a display data acquisition unit 11 that acquires display data to be displayed on the wall surface of the tunnel, a tunnel determination unit 12 that determines whether a vehicle has entered the tunnel, An illumination control unit 13 that controls lighting and extinction of the left and right headlamps 21R and 21L (illumination) and image output is provided. When the vehicle enters the tunnel, the headlamps 21R and 21L are turned on and off, and the output of the image is controlled to light the front of the vehicle and to display various information on the tunnel wall.

  The headlamps 21R and 21L are pixel matrix beams, as in the first embodiment, and output various images by projecting them onto the walls of the tunnel by controlling the pixel matrix beams with the illumination control unit 13. . That is, the headlamps 21R and 21L have a function of projecting an image on a tunnel wall surface in front of the vehicle while illuminating the area in front of the vehicle with light.

  The illumination control unit 13 lights the headlamps 21R and 21L in white when lighting the front of the vehicle. Further, by changing the region to be lit, light can be irradiated by switching between the low beam and the high beam. In addition to this, the illumination control unit 13 displays various images on the tunnel wall surface in front of the vehicle based on the display data acquired by the display data acquisition unit 11. For example, when the vehicle enters the tunnel and the speed of the vehicle decreases, control is performed to display characters such as “speed is decreasing” on the tunnel wall surface.

  Furthermore, the illumination control unit 13 acquires the speed data of the vehicle, and controls so that the region on the wall surface where the image is displayed approaches the infinity point as the speed increases. In other words, the higher the speed, the farther the occupant's field of view is. Therefore, the higher the speed, the easier it is to see the occupant even when the speed changes by setting the image display area closer to the infinity point. Various information is displayed.

  The tunnel determination unit 12 determines whether the vehicle has entered the tunnel based on the illuminance around the vehicle detected by the illuminance sensor 14. It is also possible to determine whether or not the vehicle has entered the tunnel by acquiring map data and vehicle current position data.

  Next, with reference to flowcharts shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the operation of the display control apparatus 101 for vehicle lighting according to the second embodiment will be described. First, in step S31 of FIG. 6, the illumination control unit 13 calculates the average speed V1 * of the vehicle for 30 seconds. The calculation of the average speed is not limited to 30 seconds, and may be an average over a fixed time.

  In step S32, the tunnel determination unit 12 determines whether or not the vehicle has entered the tunnel. The illuminance sensor 14 shown in FIG. 5 detects the illuminance around the vehicle (for example, the illuminance above the vehicle), and when the illuminance is 500 lux or less continues for 2 seconds, the vehicle enters the tunnel. Judge that. In addition to the example using the illuminance sensor 14, for example, a method of detecting that the vehicle has entered the tunnel based on the map data and the current position information of the vehicle may be employed.

  In step S33, the illumination control unit 13 performs a wall surface determination process for determining whether to display the display data on the right or left wall surface in the tunnel.

  Hereinafter, the detailed procedure of the wall surface determination process will be described with reference to FIG. First, in step S51, it is determined whether or not the vehicle is traveling in the rightmost lane in the tunnel. For example, if the vehicle is traveling on the right overtaking lane (in the case of left-hand traffic) in a tunnel having only two lanes on one side, it is determined that the vehicle is traveling in the rightmost lane. Information on the traffic zone during travel can be recognized based on GPS information, vehicle odometry information, and the like.

  If the vehicle is traveling in the rightmost lane (YES in step S51), in step S52, the wall surface for displaying the display data is set as the right wall surface.

  On the other hand, if the vehicle is not traveling on the rightmost road (NO in step S51), it is determined in step S53 whether the vehicle is traveling on the leftmost traffic band. For example, in a two-lane tunnel on one side, when traveling in the leftmost lane (in the case of left-hand traffic), it is determined that the vehicle is traveling in the leftmost lane.

  If the vehicle is traveling in the leftmost lane (YES in step S53), the wall surface for displaying the display data is set as the left wall surface in step S54.

  When the vehicle is not traveling in the leftmost lane (NO in step S53), in step S55, the illumination control unit 13 hides the display data.

  If the right or left wall surface is set in step S52 or S54, the illumination control unit 13 calculates the average speed V2 * of the vehicle for 30 seconds in step S34 of FIG.

  In step S35, the lighting control unit 13 determines whether or not the average speed V2 * after entering the tunnel is decelerated by 15 km / h or more with respect to the average speed V1 * before entering the tunnel. To do. If the vehicle is not decelerated by 15 km / h or more (NO in step S35), the process returns to step S34. If the vehicle is decelerated by 15 km / h or more (YES in step S35), a display area setting process is performed in step S36.

The detailed processing procedure of the display area setting process will be described below with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.
In step S61, the illumination control unit 13 determines whether or not the speed Vs is 50 km / h or less. If Vs ≦ 50 km / h (YES in step S61), the display area A is set in step S62. To do. As shown in FIG. 9, the display area A is a tunnel wall surface on the left side in front of the vehicle, and is an area close to the vehicle, that is, an area away from the infinity point. If Vs ≦ 50 km / h is not satisfied (NO in step S61), the process proceeds to step S63.

  In step S63, the illumination control unit 13 determines whether or not the speed Vs is 50 to 70 km / h. If the speed Vs is 50 to 70 km / h (YES in step S63), the display area B is displayed in step S64. Set. As shown in FIG. 9, the display area B is an area that is slightly closer to an infinite point than the display area A and has a slightly narrower viewing angle. If it is not 50 to 70 km / h (NO in step S63), the process proceeds to step S65.

  In step S65, the illumination control unit 13 determines whether or not the speed Vs is 70 to 100 km / h. If the speed Vs is 70 to 100 km / h (YES in step S65), the display area C is displayed in step S66. Set. As shown in FIG. 9, the display area C is an area that is slightly closer to an infinite point than the display area B and has a slightly narrower viewing angle.

  If the speed Vs exceeds 100 km / h (NO in step S65), the display area D is set in step S67. As shown in FIG. 9, the display area D is an area that is slightly closer to an infinite point than the display area C and has a slightly narrower viewing angle. Thus, the display area is set according to the speed.

  Next, in step S37 of FIG. 6, display of the display data on the wall surface is started. That is, a process of displaying the display data acquired by the display data acquisition unit 11 in the display area set in the process of step S36 on the wall surface in the tunnel set in the wall surface determination process is executed.

  As a result, for example, images such as “Keep Speed” and “Please increase the speed” can be displayed on the wall surface in the tunnel, and the vehicle occupant can recognize that the speed is decreasing.

  In step S38, the illumination control unit 13 performs an in-tunnel determination process. If it is determined that the light is outside the tunnel, the display data display on the tunnel wall surface is terminated in step S40. If the vehicle is traveling in the tunnel, it is determined in step S39 whether the average speed V2 * in the tunnel is a deceleration of less than 5 km / h with respect to the average speed V1 * outside the tunnel. If the deceleration is less than 5 km / h (YES in step S39), the wall display is terminated in step S40.

  On the other hand, if the deceleration is not less than 5 km / h (NO in step S39), the process returns to step S36. Thus, when the vehicle enters the tunnel and the speed is reduced, this information can be displayed on the wall surface in the tunnel so that the vehicle occupant can recognize it.

  Thus, in the vehicle lighting display control apparatus 101 according to the second embodiment, when the vehicle enters the tunnel, information for informing the vehicle occupant is displayed on the wall surface in the tunnel. Therefore, for example, even if the passenger enters the tunnel while traveling on a highway and the occupant does not notice that the speed is decreasing, information indicating that the vehicle has decelerated is displayed on the wall surface in the tunnel. It is possible to reliably notify the vehicle occupant that the speed is decreasing.

  In addition, when the vehicle is traveling in the right lane in the tunnel, the display data is displayed on the right wall, and when the vehicle is traveling in the left lane, the display data is displayed on the left wall. Since it displays, it can display in the position where it is easy to see for the passenger | crew of a vehicle. Furthermore, since the projection light of display data is not irradiated to other vehicles, it can avoid affecting other vehicles.

  Furthermore, a threshold value (for example, 15 km / h) is set for the average speed, and an image that prompts an increase in speed is displayed on the wall surface when a deceleration greater than the threshold value is detected, so an image is displayed unnecessarily. You can avoid that.

  Further, as in the first embodiment described above, the region displayed on the wall surface in the tunnel is set so as to approach the infinity point as the speed increases, so that the display data can be reliably recognized.

  As mentioned above, although the display method and display control apparatus of the vehicle illumination of this invention were demonstrated based on embodiment of illustration, this invention is not limited to this, The structure of each part has the same function. It can be replaced with any configuration.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 10, by installing a pixel matrix beam 22 in addition to headlamps 21R and 21L composed of headlamps, the front of the vehicle is brightened by the headlamps 21R and 21L, and the pixel matrix It is also possible to display an image with the beam 22.

11 Display Data Acquisition Unit 12 Tunnel Determination Unit 13 Lighting Control Unit (Lighting Control Circuit)
14 Illuminance sensor 21R, 21L Headlight 22 Pixel matrix beam 100 Display control device 101 Display control device

Claims (6)

A headlight display method for displaying an image in front of the vehicle by irradiation of the vehicle headlight,
The vehicle illumination display method, wherein the image is displayed in a region near an infinite point ahead of the host vehicle as the vehicle speed increases. The display method of the vehicular illumination according to claim 1, wherein a viewing angle starting from the infinity point in a region where the image is displayed is set narrower as the speed of the vehicle is higher. 3. The vehicle illumination according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle traveling path is detected, and when the traveling road ahead of the vehicle is a curved road, the image is displayed in a curve direction ahead of the vehicle. How to display. The illumination method for a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the illuminance around the vehicle is detected, and the higher the illuminance, the brighter the image is displayed. 5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein it is determined whether or not a vehicle has entered the tunnel, and when the vehicle has entered the tunnel, the image is displayed on a wall surface of the tunnel. Display method for vehicle lighting. A display control device for vehicle lighting that displays an image on the outside of the vehicle with illumination light,
A vehicle illumination display control device comprising: an illumination control circuit that acquires a vehicle speed and displays the image in a region closer to an infinite point as the speed increases.

Images