JP6996542B2 - Vehicle display control device and vehicle display unit - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle display control device and a vehicle display unit including the vehicle display control device and the display device.

Patent Document 1 recognizes a road sign and an auxiliary sign from an image of the front of the vehicle, and uses map information to determine whether the vehicle is within the effective range specified by the road sign and the auxiliary sign. Disclosed is a technique that attempts to enable the driver to present an accurate road sign by making a determination.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2010-282278

However, since the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 can only determine and present whether or not the vehicle is within the effective range of the road sign, the situation of the own vehicle with respect to the effective range of the road sign such as how effective the road sign is. There is a problem that the driver cannot easily recognize it.

The present invention has been made on the basis of this circumstance, and an object thereof is to enable more accurate presentation of the contents of at least one of the traffic sign and the road sign to the driver. It is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle display control device and a vehicle display unit that enable a driver to easily recognize the situation of the own vehicle with respect to the effective range of this traffic regulation mark.

The above object is achieved by a combination of the features described in the independent claims, and the subclaims provide for further advantageous embodiments of the invention. The reference numerals in parentheses described in the claims indicate, as one embodiment, the correspondence with the specific means described in the embodiments described later, and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention. ..

In order to achieve the above object, the vehicle display control device of the present invention is used in a vehicle and displays information in a display area in front of the driver's seat of the own vehicle (23,231,232,233). A display control device for a vehicle provided with a display control unit (208) for controlling the vehicle, and effective for specifying an effective range of regulation indicated by a traffic regulation mark which is at least one of a road sign and a road sign on the course of the own vehicle. A range specifying unit (203) is provided, and when the own vehicle enters the effective range, the display control unit displays the regulation content information indicating the content of the regulation in the effective range in the display area, and the display area is each. The display control unit switches the display area for displaying the regulation content information according to the situation of the own vehicle with respect to the effective range, which is a plurality of display areas having different positions .

According to this, the effective range of the regulation indicated by the traffic regulation mark, which is at least one of the road sign and the road sign on the course of the own vehicle, is specified, and when the own vehicle enters the effective range, the effective range is set. Since the regulation content information indicating the content of the regulation is displayed in the display area, it is possible to display the regulation content information in the display area with high accuracy when the own vehicle is located in the effective range. In addition, when the vehicle enters the effective range, the remaining amount information indicating the remaining amount, which is at least one of the remaining mileage and the remaining mileage required until the end of the effective range of the regulation indicated by the traffic regulation mark, is displayed in the display area. Therefore, the driver can more easily recognize the situation of the own vehicle with respect to this effective range. As a result, the driver can easily recognize the situation of the vehicle with respect to the effective range of the traffic regulation mark while allowing the driver to more accurately present the contents of at least one of the road signs and the road markings. Will be possible.

Further, in order to achieve the above object, the vehicle display unit of the present invention is used in a vehicle and is a display device (23,231,232,233) that displays information in a display area in front of the driver's seat of the own vehicle. ) And the vehicle display control device (20) described above.

According to this, since the above-mentioned vehicle display control device is included, the traffic regulation mark is effective while allowing the driver to more accurately present the content of at least one of the road sign and the road marking. It becomes possible for the driver to easily recognize the situation of the own vehicle with respect to the range.

It is a figure which shows an example of the schematic structure of the vehicle system 1. It is a figure which shows the example of mounting HUD231 in a vehicle. It is a figure which shows an example of the schematic structure of HCU 20. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the flow of the regulation display control-related processing in HCU20. It is a schematic diagram which shows the example of the situation of the own vehicle with respect to the regulation effective range. It is a figure which shows an example of the display of the regulation content information and the residual amount information in the proximal display area and the distal display area according to the traveling condition of the own vehicle. It is a schematic diagram which shows the example of the situation of the own vehicle with respect to the regulation effective range. It is a figure which shows an example of the display of the regulation content information and the residual amount information in the proximal display area and the distal display area according to the traveling condition of the own vehicle. It is a figure which shows an example of the display of the regulation content information and the residual amount information in the proximal display area and the distal display area according to the traveling condition of the own vehicle. It is a figure which shows an example of the display of the regulation content information and the residual amount information in the proximal display area and the distal display area according to the traveling condition of the own vehicle.

A plurality of embodiments for disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. For convenience of explanation, the parts having the same functions as the parts shown in the drawings used in the previous description may be designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof may be omitted among the plurality of embodiments. be. For the parts with the same reference numerals, the description in other embodiments can be referred to.

(Embodiment 1)
<Outline configuration of vehicle system 1>
Hereinafter, this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The vehicle system 1 shown in FIG. 1 is used in a vehicle such as an automobile, and has an HMI (Human Machine Interface) system 2, a locator 3, a map database (hereinafter, map DB) 4, a vehicle status sensor 5, and a peripheral monitoring system. 6 is included. It is assumed that the HMI system 2, the locator 3, the map DB 4, the vehicle status sensor 5, and the peripheral monitoring system 6 are connected to, for example, an in-vehicle LAN. Hereinafter, the vehicle using the vehicle system 1 is referred to as a own vehicle.

The locator 3 includes a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver and an inertial sensor. The GNSS receiver receives positioning signals from a plurality of artificial satellites. The inertial sensor includes, for example, a 3-axis gyro sensor and a 3-axis acceleration sensor. The locator 3 sequentially positions the vehicle position of the own vehicle equipped with the locator 3 by combining the positioning signal received by the GNSS receiver and the measurement result of the inertial sensor. For the positioning of the vehicle position, the mileage obtained from the signals sequentially output from the vehicle speed sensor mounted on the own vehicle may be used.

The map DB 4 is a non-volatile memory and stores map data such as link data and node data. The link data includes the link ID that identifies the link, the link length that indicates the length of the link, the link direction, the link travel time, the shape information of the link, the node coordinates (latitude / longitude) between the start and end of the link, and the road attributes. It is composed of each data such as. The road attribute data shall include, for example, data on regulation by a traffic regulation mark which is at least one of a road sign and a road sign (hereinafter referred to as regulation data). Examples of this regulation include speed limit, parking prohibition, overtaking prohibition, and vehicle crossing prohibition. In addition, if there is an effective range in the regulation by the traffic regulation mark, the data of this effective range (hereinafter referred to as effective range data) shall be included. The regulation data and the effective range data may be stored in the map DB 4 as data other than the link data. The node data includes node ID with a unique number for each node on the map, node coordinates, node name, node type, connection link ID in which the link ID of the link connecting to the node is described, intersection type, and the like. Consists of.

The vehicle state sensor 5 is a group of sensors for detecting the running state of the own vehicle. The vehicle state sensor 5 includes a vehicle speed sensor that detects the vehicle speed of the own vehicle. The vehicle state sensor 5 outputs the detection result to the in-vehicle LAN. The detection result of the vehicle state sensor 5 may be output to the vehicle LAN via the ECU mounted on the own vehicle.

The peripheral monitoring system 6 includes a peripheral monitoring ECU 60 and a peripheral monitoring sensor 61. The peripheral monitoring system 6 recognizes the traveling environment of the own vehicle. The peripheral monitoring sensor 61 detects obstacles such as stationary objects and moving objects around the own vehicle, and detects road markings such as road signs, road markings, and traveling lane markings. The peripheral monitoring sensor 61 may be configured to use a front camera 610 whose imaging range is a predetermined range in front of the own vehicle. For example, the front camera 610 may be configured to be provided in the rear-view mirror of the own vehicle. The front camera 610 may be provided on the upper surface of the instrument panel of the own vehicle. As the peripheral monitoring sensor 61, a camera that captures images other than the front of the own vehicle may be used, or a millimeter wave radar, sonar, LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging / Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging), or the like may be used.

The peripheral monitoring ECU 60 is mainly composed of a microcomputer equipped with a non-transitionary tangible storage medium such as a processor, a volatile memory, and a non-volatile memory, an I / O, and a bus connecting these. Various processes are executed by executing the control program stored in the non-volatile memory. The peripheral monitoring ECU 60 recognizes the traveling environment of the own vehicle from the detection result of the peripheral monitoring sensor 61. For example, the peripheral monitoring ECU 60 recognizes a traffic regulation mark or recognizes the presence or absence of a preceding vehicle from a captured image (hereinafter referred to as a front image) acquired from a front camera 610 by a well-known image recognition process such as pattern matching. do. The recognition of the traffic regulation mark by the peripheral monitoring ECU 60 preferably includes recognition of the content of the auxiliary sign among the traffic regulation marks in addition to the recognition of the content of the regulation indicated by the traffic regulation mark. The content of the auxiliary sign may be recognized by using pattern matching or by using a well-known character line detection technique.

The HMI system 2 includes an HCU (Human Machine Interface Control Unit) 20, an operation device 21, and a display device 23, and accepts input operations from the driver of the own vehicle and presents information to the driver of the own vehicle. To do. The operation device 21 is a group of switches operated by the driver of the own vehicle. The operation device 21 is used to make various settings. For example, as the operation device 21, there is a steering switch or the like provided on the spoke portion of the steering of the own vehicle.

The display device 23 presents the information to the driver by displaying the information based on the instruction from the HCU 20. The display device 23 includes a HUD (Head-Up Display) 231, a combination meter 232, a CID (Center Information Display) 233, and the like. The HUD231 projects the light of the display image based on the image data acquired from the HCU 20 onto the projection area in front of the driver's seat of the own vehicle, so that the virtual image of this marking image is superimposed on a part of the foreground and can be visually recognized by the driver. indicate. The combination meter 232 and CID233 display information by, for example, a liquid crystal display. The combination meter 232 is arranged on the instrument panel in front of the driver's seat. The CID 233 is located above the center cluster.

In the present embodiment, as an example, a case where a device capable of visually displaying an imaginary image of each display image to a driver by projecting a display image onto a projection area where two positions are different is used as an example as HUD231. I will explain. Here, the HUD231 in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 2, the HUD231 is provided on the instrument panel 11 of the own vehicle. The HUD 231 projects a display image formed by a projector 2311 such as a liquid crystal display or a scanning system onto a projection area defined by the front windshield 10 as a projection member through an optical system 2312 such as a concave mirror. The projector 2311 projects a plurality of display images into projection areas having two positions different from each other by different optical paths. The luminous flux of the display image reflected on the vehicle interior side by the front windshield 10 is perceived by the driver sitting in the driver's seat. Further, the luminous flux from the foreground as a landscape existing in front of the own vehicle transmitted through the front windshield 10 formed of the translucent glass is also perceived by the driver sitting in the driver's seat. As a result, the driver can visually recognize the virtual images 100a and 100b of the plurality of display images formed in front of the front windshield 10 by superimposing them on a part of the foreground. That is, the HUD231 superimposes and displays the respective virtual images 100a and 100b on the foreground of the own vehicle, and realizes a so-called AR (Augmented Reality) display. The projection member on which the HUD231 projects the display image is not limited to the front windshield 10, and may be a translucent combiner or the like.

As shown in FIG. 2, the virtual images 100a and 100b displayed by HUD231 include the proximal virtual image 100a and the distal virtual image 100b. The range in which the distal virtual image 100b can be displayed (hereinafter, the proximal display area) and the range in which the proximal virtual image 100a can be displayed (hereinafter, the distal display area) are horizontally long rectangles whose sides in the vehicle width direction are longer. It has a shape. The size of the distal display area shall be set larger than the proximal display area.

In addition, the proximal virtual image 100a and the distal virtual image 100b are imaged at different positions in the front-rear direction of the own vehicle from the viewpoint of the driver's visual recognition. The proximal virtual image 100a is imaged closer to the front windshield 10 than the distal virtual image 100b. Further, the proximal virtual image 100a and the distal virtual image 100b are imaged at positions shifted in the vertical direction in terms of the driver's visual recognition. In other words, the image is formed at a position shifted in the vertical direction. Specifically, the imaging position of the proximal virtual image 100a is set to be lower than the imaging position of the distal virtual image 100b. Further, it is preferable that the imaging position of the distal virtual image 100b is set so as to be approximately the same height as the driver's eye point in terms of the driver's visual recognition.

The lower edge portion of the distal virtual image 100b may be located below the upper edge portion of the proximal virtual image 100a for the driver's visual inspection. For example, the distal display area may be a partially cutout rectangular shape so as to avoid the proximal display area. Further, the lower side of the distal display area and the upper side of the proximal display area may be separated in the vertical direction.

The HCU 20 is mainly composed of a microcomputer equipped with a non-transitionary tangible storage medium such as a processor, a volatile memory, and a non-volatile memory, an I / O, and a bus connecting these, and is an operation device. 21. It is connected to the display device 23 and the in-vehicle LAN. The HCU 20 executes various processes by executing a control program stored in the non-volatile memory. For example, the HCU 20 controls the display by the HUD 231. The HCU 20 corresponds to the vehicle display control device of the claim, and the configuration including the HCU 20 and the display device 23 corresponds to the vehicle side display unit of the claim. The configuration of the HCU 20 regarding the control of the display by the HUD 231 will be described in detail below.

<Outline configuration of HCU20>
Here, the schematic configuration of the HCU 20 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the HCU 20 includes a speed acquisition unit 201, a vehicle position acquisition unit 202, a mark identification unit 203, a residual amount identification unit 204, a priority setting unit 207, and a display control unit 208 regarding display control by the HUD 231. Prepared as a functional block. In addition, a part or all of the functions executed by the HCU 20 may be configured in terms of hardware by one or a plurality of ICs or the like. Further, a part or all of the functional blocks included in the HCU 20 may be realized by a combination of software execution by a processor and hardware members.

The speed acquisition unit 201 acquires the speed of the own vehicle from the vehicle speed sensor in the vehicle state sensor 5. The vehicle position acquisition unit 202 acquires the vehicle position of the own vehicle determined by the locator 3. The mark specifying unit 203 identifies a traffic regulation mark existing in front of the course of the own vehicle, and specifies an effective range of the regulation indicated by the traffic regulation mark. The traffic regulation mark may be a road sign or a road sign as long as it is a traffic regulation mark having an effective range of regulation, but in the present embodiment, a specific traffic method is prohibited or specified. The following explanation will be given by taking as an example the case where a road sign indicating regulation is used as a traffic regulation mark.

The mark specifying unit 203 is linked to the link in front of the course of the own vehicle from the vehicle position of the own vehicle acquired by the vehicle position acquisition unit 202 and the above-mentioned regulation data among the map data stored in the map DB4. When the specified regulation data exists, the traffic regulation mark indicated by the regulation data is specified as the traffic regulation mark existing in front of the course of the own vehicle. Further, when the peripheral monitoring ECU 60 can recognize the traffic regulation mark from the front image, the mark specifying unit 203 may specify this traffic regulation mark as a traffic regulation mark existing in front of the course of the own vehicle. ..

When the mark specifying unit 203 identifies the traffic regulation mark existing in front of the course of the own vehicle, the mark specifying unit 203 specifies the effective range of the regulation indicated by the traffic regulation mark (hereinafter referred to as the regulation effective range). Therefore, this mark specifying portion 203 corresponds to the valid range specifying portion of the claim. The mark specifying unit 203 may be configured to specify the regulated effective range from the above-mentioned effective range data among the map data stored in the map DB 4. In addition, when the content of the auxiliary sign among the traffic regulation marks can be recognized by the peripheral monitoring ECU 60 from the front image acquired from the front camera 610, the configuration is such that the regulation effective range is specified from the content of the auxiliary sign. May be good. For example, if the content of the auxiliary sign such as "100 m ahead" can be recognized, the regulated effective range may be specified as 100 m.

The residual amount specifying unit 204 specifies the residual amount (hereinafter referred to as the starting residual amount) required from the vehicle position of the own vehicle to the start position of the regulated effective range, or from the vehicle position of the own vehicle to the end position of the regulated effective range. The required residual amount (hereinafter referred to as the completed residual amount) is specified. As an example, the residual amount specifying unit 204 specifies the starting residual amount when the distance from the vehicle position of the own vehicle to the starting position of the regulated effective range is equal to or less than a set value that can be arbitrarily set. The distance from the vehicle position of the own vehicle to the start position of the regulation effective range may be calculated from the vehicle position of the own vehicle acquired by the vehicle position acquisition unit 202 and the map data stored in the map DB 4. In addition, the configuration may be such that the distance from the own vehicle to the start position of the regulation effective range recognized by the peripheral monitoring ECU 60 is used. In this case, the start position of the regulation effective range may be specified because the peripheral monitoring ECU 60 recognizes the content of the auxiliary sign such as "from here" indicating the start position of the regulation effective range. The starting residual amount may be specified sequentially until the own vehicle enters the regulated effective range, or the distance from the vehicle position of the own vehicle to the start position of the regulated effective range can be arbitrarily set. It may be configured to specify once when it becomes less than or equal to the value.

Further, the residual amount specifying unit 204 may be configured to start specifying the end residual amount when the own vehicle enters the regulated effective range. It may be determined that the own vehicle has entered the regulated effective range because the peripheral monitoring ECU 60 recognizes the content of the auxiliary sign such as "from here" indicating the start position of the regulated effective range. In addition, it may be judged from the vehicle position of the own vehicle and the effective range data of the map data. As an example, the residual amount specifying unit 204 may be configured to sequentially specify the end residual amount for the regulation effective range up to the end position of the target regulation effective range. The residual amount specifying unit 204 may determine the end position of the regulated effective range from the recognition of the content of the auxiliary sign such as "up to here" indicating the end position of the regulated effective range by the peripheral monitoring ECU 60, or is specified. It may be judged from the fact that the remaining amount becomes 0.

The remaining amount specifying unit 204 includes a remaining distance specifying unit 205 and a remaining time specifying unit 206, the remaining distance specifying unit 205 specifies the remaining mileage as the remaining amount, and the remaining time specifying unit 206 specifies the remaining traveling time as the remaining amount. To identify. When the remaining mileage specifying unit 205 specifies the remaining mileage as the starting remaining amount, the mileage from the vehicle position of the own vehicle to the starting position of the regulated effective range may be specified as the remaining mileage. On the other hand, when specifying the remaining mileage as the end remaining amount, the remaining distance specifying unit 205 subtracts the mileage after the own vehicle enters the regulated effective range from the distance corresponding to the regulated effective range. The remaining mileage may be specified.

The remaining time specifying unit 206 specifies the remaining traveling time as the starting remaining amount and the remaining traveling time as the ending remaining amount by dividing the above-mentioned remaining mileage by the speed of the own vehicle acquired by the speed acquisition unit 201. do it. As the speed of the own vehicle, an average speed in a predetermined period that can be arbitrarily set may be used.

The priority setting unit 207 sets the priority of these traffic regulation marks when the own vehicle is located in an area where the regulation effective ranges indicated by the plurality of types of traffic regulation marks overlap each other. In other words, the priority setting unit 207 sets the priority of these traffic regulation marks when there are a plurality of effective traffic regulation marks in which the own vehicle is located within the regulation effective range.

As an example, the priority setting unit 207 may be configured to set a higher priority of the traffic regulation mark for the regulation effective range where the residual amount specified by the residual amount specifying unit 204 is small. Further, the priority setting unit 207 may be configured to be set according to the selection from the driver accepted via the operation device 21. The operating device 21 corresponds to the user interface of the claim. When the voice recognition unit is used in the own vehicle, the selection from the driver may be accepted via a microphone. In addition, the priority setting unit 207 may be configured to set the priority of the traffic regulation mark according to the type of the traffic regulation mark. In this case, the correspondence between the type of the traffic regulation mark and the priority may be stored in the non-volatile memory of the HCU 20 in advance, and the priority of the traffic regulation mark may be set by referring to this correspondence. ..

Further, the priority setting unit 207 may be configured to set the priority of the traffic regulation mark according to the type of the traffic regulation mark and the traveling state of the own vehicle. In other words, the priority of the traffic regulation mark may be switched according to the traveling state of the own vehicle. In this case, the priority setting unit 207 may be configured to set the priority of the traffic regulation mark, which is presumed to be easily targeted in the traveling state of the own vehicle, to be higher. The correspondence between the type of the traffic regulation mark and the priority may be stored in the non-volatile memory of the HCU 20 in advance, and the priority of the traffic regulation mark may be set by referring to this correspondence. Examples of the running state of the own vehicle include the speed of the own vehicle, the presence or absence of a preceding vehicle, and the like. The speed of the own vehicle may be acquired by the speed acquisition unit 201, and the presence or absence of the preceding vehicle may be determined from the traveling environment recognized by the peripheral monitoring ECU 60.

The following is an example of setting the priority of the traffic regulation mark according to the type of the traffic regulation mark and the driving condition of the own vehicle. Here, as traffic regulation marks, "speed limit", "parking prohibition", and "passing prohibition" are taken as examples for explanation. For example, if the speed of the own vehicle is less than the set value, the priority of "parking prohibited" is set higher than the priority of the "speed limit", while if the speed of the own vehicle is higher than the set value, the priority is set. The priority of "speed limit" may be set higher than the priority of "no parking". In addition, when there is a preceding vehicle, the priority of "No overtaking" is set higher than the priority of "Speed limit", while when there is no preceding vehicle, the priority of "Speed limit" is set to "Overtaking". It may be set higher than the priority of "Prohibit".

In the present embodiment, the following description will be given by taking as an example a case where the priority setting unit 207 sets a higher priority of the traffic regulation mark for the regulation effective range where the residual amount specified by the residual amount specifying unit 204 is small. I do.

The display control unit 208 sets the remaining amount of the regulation effective range specified by the residual amount specifying unit 204 in addition to the regulation content information indicating the content of the regulation of the regulation effective range according to the situation of the own vehicle with respect to the regulation effective range. The remaining amount information shown is displayed on the HUD231. The regulation content information may be text information, an icon image, or a combination thereof as long as it shows the content of the regulation in the effective range of regulation. In the present embodiment, the following description will be continued by taking as an example the case where the icon image of the traffic regulation mark corresponding to the regulation content of the regulation effective range is used as the regulation content information. Further, the residual amount information may be text information, an image such as a bar graph, or a combination thereof as long as it is information indicating the residual amount. In the present embodiment, the following description will be continued by taking as an example the case where text information indicating the residual amount is used as the residual amount information.

The display control unit 208 switches the display area for displaying the regulation content information and the residual amount information between the above-mentioned proximal display area and the distal display area according to the situation of the own vehicle with respect to the regulation effective range. Further, the display control unit 208 displays the latest regulation content information and the residual amount information in the distal display area, and then shifts to the display in the proximal display area. However, when the regulation content information and the residual amount information are to be displayed in the proximal display area for a plurality of types of traffic regulation marks, the traffic regulation mark having a lower priority set by the priority setting unit 207 is used. Mediation is performed to switch the display from the proximal display area to the distal display area. Further, when the regulation content information and the residual amount information in which the display area is switched from the proximal display area to the distal display area exist for a plurality of types of traffic regulation marks, the information about those traffic regulation marks is displayed. They are arranged in the order according to the priority set by the priority setting unit 207 and displayed in the distal display area. The details of the display control of the regulation content information and the residual amount information by the display control unit 208 will be described later.

Further, the display control unit 208 determines whether to display the information indicating the remaining mileage or the information indicating the remaining mileage as the remaining amount information according to the selection from the driver that accepts via the operation device 21. It may be configured to switch. It should be noted that the configuration may be such that information indicating both the remaining mileage and the remaining mileage can be displayed. In addition, the display control unit 208 may switch the presence / absence of display on the HUD 231 according to the selection from the driver received via the operation device 21, and may display the regulation content information and the residual amount information for a specific traffic regulation mark. The display may be selectively canceled.

<Regulatory display control related processing in HCU20>
Subsequently, an example of the flow of the process related to the control of the display of the traffic regulation mark by the HUD231 in the HCU 20 (hereinafter referred to as the regulation display control related process) will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. In the flowchart of FIG. 4, the configuration may be such that the operation is started when the power of the HUD 231 is turned on and the function of the HUD 231 is turned on. The function of the HUD 231 may be turned on and off in a configuration that can be switched according to the input operation received by the operation device 21. Further, the power supply of the HUD 231 may be turned on and off according to the on and off of the switch for starting the internal combustion engine or the motor generator of the own vehicle (hereinafter referred to as a power switch).

First, in step S1, if the regulation data associated with the link in front of the course of the own vehicle exists (YES in S1), the process proceeds to step S3. On the other hand, if this regulation data does not exist (NO in S1), the process proceeds to step S2. In step S2, if the traffic regulation mark can be recognized from the front image (YES in S2), the process proceeds to step S3. On the other hand, when the traffic regulation mark is not recognized from the front image (NO in S2), the process proceeds to step S10.

In step S3, the mark specifying unit 203 specifies the traffic regulation mark existing in front of the course of the own vehicle and the regulation effective range for the traffic regulation mark. In step S4, the residual amount specifying unit 204 specifies the remaining mileage as the start residual amount or the end residual amount. In S4, before entering the regulation effective range targeted by the own vehicle, the remaining mileage as the starting residual amount for the regulation effective range is specified, and after entering the regulation effective range, the regulation effective range is specified. Specify the remaining mileage as the end residual amount for.

In step S5, the residual amount specifying unit 204 specifies the remaining running time as the start residual amount or the end residual amount. In S5, before entering the regulation effective range targeted by the own vehicle, the remaining running time as the starting residual amount for the regulation effective range is specified, and after entering the regulation effective range, the regulation effective range is specified. Specify the remaining running time as the end remaining amount for.

In step S6, if there are a plurality of types of valid traffic regulation marks in which the own vehicle is located within the regulation effective range (YES in S6), the process proceeds to step S7. On the other hand, when there is only one type of valid traffic regulation mark (NO in S6), the process proceeds to step S8. In step S7, the priority setting unit 207 sets the priority of each of a plurality of types of valid traffic regulation marks.

In step S8, the display control unit 208 performs display control to display the regulation content information and the residual amount information about the effective traffic regulation mark on the HUD231. The display control unit 208 displays the display area for displaying the regulation content information and the residual amount information while switching between the proximal display area and the distal display area according to the situation of the own vehicle with respect to the regulation effective range. Further, when a plurality of types of valid traffic regulation marks exist, the display control unit 208 also arbitrates the display of the regulation content information and the residual amount information according to the priority set in S7.

In step S9, when the vehicle exits the target regulation effective range (YES in S9), the display control unit 208 displays the invalid regulation content information and the residual amount information regarding the regulation effective range. The display is erased, and the process proceeds to step S10. On the other hand, if the vehicle has not exited the target regulatory effective range (NO in S9), the process returns to S4 and the process is repeated. There are multiple regulatory effective ranges in which the vehicle is located, and if some of them exit from the regulatory effective range, the regulation content information and residual amount information regarding the regulatory effective range in which the vehicle has not exited The display will continue.

In step S10, when it is the end timing of the regulation display control-related processing (YES in S10), the regulation display control-related processing is terminated. On the other hand, if it is not the end timing of the regulation display control related processing (NO in S10), the process returns to S1 and the processing is repeated. As an example of the end timing of the regulation display control-related processing, there is a case where the power switch of the own vehicle is turned off, a case where the function of the HUD231 is turned off, and the like.

<Display control example when there is only one type of effective traffic regulation mark>
Here, an example of display control by the display control unit 208 when there is one type (that is, a single) of effective traffic regulation marks will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. In FIGS. 5 and 6, a case where the traffic regulation mark is “parking prohibited” and the regulation effective range is 100 m will be described as an example. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the situation of the own vehicle with respect to the regulation effective range. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of display of regulation content information and residual amount information in the proximal display region and the distal display region according to the traveling condition of the own vehicle.

The NPS in FIG. 5 indicates a sign such as a "no parking" regulation sign and an auxiliary sign provided at the start position of the regulation effective range, and the NPE indicates a "parking prohibition" regulation provided at the end position of the regulation effective range. It shows signs such as signs and auxiliary signs. P1 to P3 in FIG. 5 indicate the vehicle position of the own vehicle. P1 is the vehicle position where the sign NPS and the front part of the vehicle are at the same position, that is, the vehicle is within the regulation effective range corresponding to the "parking prohibited" regulation sign (hereinafter, "parking prohibited" regulation effective range). Indicates the vehicle position at the time of entry. P2 indicates the vehicle position when the own vehicle is located between the labeled NPS and the labeled NPE, that is, the vehicle position when the vehicle is located within the regulation effective range of "no parking". P3 indicates the vehicle position when the own vehicle passes the sign NPE, that is, the vehicle position at the time of exiting the regulation effective range of "parking prohibition". Further, Pro in FIG. 6 indicates a proximal display area, and Dis indicates a distal display area. The same applies to FIGS. 8 to 10 below.

When the vehicle enters the regulation effective range of "parking prohibited" (see P1 in FIG. 5), as shown in A of FIG. 6, the "parking prohibited" sign as the regulation content information is displayed in the distal display area Dis. An icon image imitating the above and a text such as "100 m ahead" as the remaining amount information indicating the end remaining amount are displayed. This makes it possible for the driver to recognize the newly specified traffic regulation mark. The display of the regulation content information and the residual amount information at this time is displayed on the lower side of the distal display area so as not to obstruct the driver's field of view. However, this display is temporary, and as shown in B of FIG. 6, the display is switched to the proximal display area Pro.

From the time when the vehicle enters the restricted effective range of "parking prohibited" to the time of exit (see P2 in FIG. 5), as shown in C of FIG. 6, the "parking prohibited" sign is displayed in the proximal display area Pro. An icon image imitating the above and a text such as "remaining 50m" indicating the remaining amount of the end are displayed. The text indicating the end residual amount may be updated and displayed according to the end residual amount sequentially specified by the residual amount specifying unit 204. The same applies to the display control example when there are two types of effective traffic regulation marks and the display control example when there are three or more types of effective traffic regulation marks, which will be described later.

Then, at the time when the own vehicle leaves the regulated effective range of "parking prohibited" (see P3 in FIG. 5), as shown in D of FIG. 6, the proximal display area Pro imitates the "parking prohibited" sign. The icon image and the text such as "up to here" as the remaining amount of the end are displayed. In other words, it indicates that the traffic regulation mark of "parking prohibited" has become invalid. The text to be displayed as the end residual amount may be configured to display the content recognized from the auxiliary sign provided at the end point of the regulation effective range. Further, the text to be displayed as the end remaining amount may be "remaining 0 m" or the like. The same applies to the display control example when there are two types of effective traffic regulation marks and the display control example when there are three or more types of effective traffic regulation marks, which will be described later.

When the own vehicle exits the regulation effective range of "parking prohibition", the display control unit 208 erases the regulation content information and the residual amount information previously displayed in the proximal display area Pro. That is, the display of the regulation content information and the residual amount information corresponding to the exited regulation effective range is terminated. In addition, the display control unit 208 regulates the residual amount information indicating the starting residual amount for the regulated effective range before the own vehicle enters the regulated effective range for the purpose of notifying the driver of the entry into the regulated effective range. It may be configured to be displayed in the distal display area Dis together with the content information.

<Display control example when there are two types of effective traffic regulation marks>
Subsequently, an example of display control by the display control unit 208 when there are two types of effective traffic regulation marks will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 9. In FIGS. 7 to 9, the traffic regulation marks are "no overtaking" and "no parking", and the effective range of "no overtaking" is 800m and the effective range of "no parking" is 100m. An example will be given for explanation. Further, in FIGS. 7 to 9, the case where the regulation effective range of "parking prohibition" overlaps in the middle of the regulation effective range of "passing prohibition" will be described as an example. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the situation of the own vehicle with respect to the regulation effective range. 8 and 9 are diagrams showing an example of display of regulation content information and residual amount information in the proximal display region and the distal display region according to the traveling condition of the own vehicle.

The NPS in FIG. 7 shows a sign such as a "no parking" regulation sign and an auxiliary sign provided at the start position of the "no parking" regulation effective range, and the NPE is provided at the end position of this regulation effective range. It shows signs such as "no parking" regulation signs and auxiliary signs. The PPS in FIG. 7 shows a sign such as a "no overtaking" regulation sign and an auxiliary sign provided at the start position of the "no overtaking" regulation effective range, and the PPE is provided at the end position of this regulation effective range. Signs such as "no overtaking" regulatory signs and auxiliary signs are shown.

P11 to P17 in FIG. 7 indicate the vehicle position of the own vehicle. P11 indicates the vehicle position before the own vehicle enters the regulation effective range of "no overtaking". P12 is the vehicle position where the sign PPS and the front part of the vehicle are at the same position, that is, the vehicle is within the regulation effective range corresponding to the regulation sign of "no overtaking" (hereinafter, the regulation effective range of "no overtaking"). Indicates the vehicle position at the time of entry. P13 indicates a vehicle position where the sign NPS and the front part of the vehicle are at the same position, that is, the vehicle position at the time when the vehicle enters the regulation effective range of "parking prohibited". P14 indicates the vehicle position when the vehicle is located within both the regulation effective range of "no overtaking" and the regulation effective range of "parking prohibition". P15 indicates the vehicle position when the own vehicle passes the sign NPE, that is, the vehicle position at the time of exiting the regulation effective range of "parking prohibition". P16 indicates the vehicle position when the own vehicle passes the sign PPE, that is, the vehicle position at the time of exiting the regulation effective range of "no overtaking". P17 indicates the vehicle position after exiting the regulation effective range of "no overtaking".

Before the vehicle enters the regulation effective range of "no overtaking" (see P11 of FIG. 7), as shown in E of FIG. 8, "no overtaking" as regulation content information is provided in the distal display area Dis. An icon image imitating the sign of the above and a text such as "100 m ahead" as the residual amount information indicating the starting residual amount are displayed.

When the vehicle enters the regulation effective range of "No Overtaking" (see P12 of FIG. 7), as shown in F of FIG. 8, the "No Overtaking" sign as the regulation content information is displayed in the proximal display area Pro. An icon image imitating the above and a text such as "From here" indicating that the regulation effective range starts are displayed. In the distal display area Dis, an icon image imitating a "no parking" sign as regulation content information and a text such as "100 m ahead" as residual amount information indicating the starting residual amount are displayed.

In addition, instead of displaying the text indicating that the regulation effective range starts in the proximal display area Pro, a text such as "800 m in the future" as the residual amount information indicating the end residual amount may be displayed. Further, the text such as "from here" may be temporarily displayed, and then the display may be switched to the text such as "800 m in the future".

Subsequently, when the own vehicle enters the regulation effective range of "parking prohibited" (see P13 of FIG. 7), as shown in G of FIG. 8, the proximal display area Pro is marked with a newly effective traffic regulation mark. A corresponding icon image imitating a "no parking" sign as regulation content information and a text such as "from here" indicating that the regulation effective range starts are displayed. In the distal display area Dis, there is an icon image that imitates a sign of "no overtaking" as regulation content information corresponding to the traffic regulation mark that has already been activated, and "residual amount information indicating the end remaining amount". Display text such as "800m remaining". In addition, along with displaying the information corresponding to the newly valid traffic regulation mark in the proximal display area Pro, the information corresponding to the already valid traffic regulation mark is displayed in the proximal display area Pro. It may be configured to transition to the display in the distal display area Dis.

When the vehicle is located in an area where the regulation effective range of "no overtaking" and the regulation effective range of "parking prohibition" overlap (see P14 of FIG. 7), the proximal display is shown as shown in H of FIG. Display an icon image imitating a "parking prohibited" sign and a text such as "60 m remaining" indicating the remaining amount of the end in the area Pro, which corresponds to the regulated effective range of "prohibited parking" with a smaller remaining amount of the end. .. On the other hand, in the distal display area Dis, there is an icon image imitating a "no overtaking" sign corresponding to the regulation effective range of "no overtaking" with a larger remaining amount of termination, and "760 m remaining" indicating the remaining amount of termination. Display text and. According to this, the residual amount information for the regulatory effective range with the smaller final residual amount is preferentially displayed in the proximal display area Pro, so that the driver can use each of the regulatory effective ranges indicated by the multiple types of traffic regulation marks. It becomes possible to more easily recognize the situation of the own vehicle.

The display control unit 208 causes the proximal display area Pro to display information about the higher priority traffic regulation mark set by the priority setting unit 207, and displays information about the lower priority traffic regulation mark distally. It may be configured to be displayed in the area Dis. When the display area for displaying the residual amount information for the traffic regulation mark having a lower priority is switched from the proximal display area Pro to the distal display area Dis, the display control unit 208 uses the distal display area Dis as the display area. The residual amount information to be displayed is displayed in a less conspicuous manner than originally displayed in the distal display area Dis. The same may be applied to the regulation content information.

The term "initial" here indicates the time when the vehicle has entered the effective range of the traffic regulation mark. In addition, examples of the inconspicuous mode include a display mode in which the size to be displayed is reduced, a display mode in which the display position is located farther from the center of the distal display region Dis, and the like. According to this, it becomes possible to make it easier for the driver to distinguish the information displayed on the distal display area Dis when entering the regulated effective range while not obstructing the driver's field of view.

Then, at the time when the own vehicle leaves the regulated effective range of "parking prohibited" (see P15 in FIG. 7), as shown in I of FIG. 8, the proximal display area Pro imitates the "parking prohibited" sign. The icon image and the text such as "up to here" as the remaining amount of the end are displayed. In other words, it indicates that the traffic regulation mark of "parking prohibited" has become invalid. In the distal display area Dis, the regulation content information and the residual amount information corresponding to the regulation effective range of "no overtaking" are continuously displayed. As a specific example, an icon image imitating a "no overtaking" sign and a text such as "remaining 700 m" indicating the remaining amount of the end are displayed.

At the time when the own vehicle exits the regulated effective range of "no overtaking" (see P16 in FIG. 7), as shown in J in FIG. 8, an icon image imitating the "no overtaking" sign in the proximal display area Pro. And the text such as "up to here" as the end remaining amount are displayed. In other words, it indicates that the traffic regulation mark of "No overtaking" has become invalid. The display of the regulation content information and the residual amount information corresponding to the regulation effective range of "no overtaking" in the distal display area Dis is terminated.

When the vehicle leaves the regulation effective range of "no overtaking" (see P17 in FIG. 7), as shown in K in FIG. 9, the regulation content information and the remaining amount displayed in the proximal display area Pro are displayed. Delete the information. Further, since there is no effective traffic regulation mark, as shown in K of FIG. 9, the regulation content information and the residual amount information are not displayed in the distal display area Dis.

Note that H in FIG. 8 shows an example in which the priority of the traffic regulation mark having a smaller residual amount at the end is higher, but this is not always the case. Depending on the priority setting in the priority setting unit 207, as shown in L of FIG. 9, the proximal display area Pro displays the regulation content information and the residual amount information corresponding to the regulation effective range of "passing prohibition". On the other hand, the distal display area Dis may be configured to display the regulation content information and the residual amount information corresponding to the regulation effective range of "parking prohibition".

Further, in FIGS. 6 and 8, the configuration in which the remaining mileage is displayed as the start residual amount and the end residual amount is shown, but the present invention is not necessarily limited to this. For example, as shown in M of FIG. 9, the remaining traveling time may be displayed as the remaining amount.

<Display control example when there are three or more types of effective traffic regulation marks>
Subsequently, with reference to FIG. 10, an example of display control by the display control unit 208 when there are three or more types of effective traffic regulation marks will be described. In FIG. 10, a case where there are three types of traffic regulation marks, “no overtaking”, “no parking”, and “no vehicle crossing”, will be described as an example. The cases other than the case where the regulation effective ranges of these three types of traffic regulation marks are located in the overlapping area are the same as the case where the above-mentioned effective traffic regulation marks are two or more types, and the description thereof will be omitted.

If the vehicle is located in an area where the "no overtaking" regulation effective range, the "parking prohibition" regulation effective range, and the "vehicle crossing prohibition" regulation effective range overlap, the priority set by the priority setting unit 207 Display the regulation content information and the residual amount information about the traffic regulation mark with the highest value in the proximal display area Pro. On the other hand, the regulation content information and the residual amount information for the remaining traffic regulation marks are arranged in the order of proximity to the proximal display area Pro from the one with the highest priority set by the priority setting unit 207 and displayed in the distal display area Dis. And it is sufficient.

According to this, by arranging in the order of the set priorities, the driver can more easily recognize the situation of the own vehicle for each regulation effective range indicated by three or more kinds of traffic regulation marks. For example, when setting the priority of the traffic regulation mark to the regulation effective range with less end residual amount, the information about the regulation effective range with less end residual amount is closer to the proximal display area Pro. Since it is displayed, the driver can intuitively recognize the order of the remaining amount for each regulation effective range.

Further, the display control unit 208 exerts the same effect by displaying the regulation content information and the residual amount information of the high-priority traffic regulation mark set by the priority setting unit 207 in a larger size. You may do it.

In the above-mentioned example, "passing prohibition", "parking prohibition", and "vehicle crossing prohibition" are taken as examples as traffic regulation marks, but the explanation is not necessarily limited to this. As the traffic regulation mark, if the regulation indicated by the traffic regulation mark has a territorial effective range, it may be configured to be applied to other traffic regulation marks such as "speed limit".

<Summary of Embodiment 1>
According to the configuration of the first embodiment, the mark specifying unit 203 specifies the regulation effective range indicated by the traffic regulation mark on the course of the own vehicle, and when the own vehicle enters the regulation effective range, the regulation in the regulation effective range is performed. Since the regulation content information indicating the content of the above is displayed in the display area, it is possible to display the regulation content information in the display area with high accuracy when the own vehicle is located in the effective range. In addition, when the vehicle enters the regulated effective range, the residual amount information indicating the remaining amount required until the end of the regulated effective range is displayed in the display area, so that the driver can check the status of the vehicle with respect to this regulated effective range. It will be easier to recognize. As a result, it becomes possible for the driver to easily recognize the situation of the own vehicle with respect to the effective range of the traffic regulation mark while enabling more accurate presentation of the content of the traffic regulation mark to the driver.

In addition, when the vehicle enters the regulated effective range, the residual amount information indicating the starting residual amount required to enter the regulated effective range is displayed in the display area. The driver will be able to recognize the situation of the car more easily.

In addition, since the display area for displaying the remaining amount information is switched according to the situation (that is, the positional relationship) of the own vehicle with respect to the regulated effective range, the driver changes the display area for displaying the remaining amount information with respect to the regulated effective range. It becomes possible to recognize the situation of the own vehicle more easily. As a specific example, when entering the regulated effective range, the driver first displays the residual amount information in the distal display area and then transitions to the proximal display area, so that the driver can newly enter the regulated effective range. It can be easily recognized.

Furthermore, even if the vehicle is located in an area where the regulatory effective ranges indicated by multiple types of traffic regulation marks overlap each other, the remaining amount for each regulatory effective range is determined according to the situation of the vehicle. Since the display area for displaying information is switched, the driver can more easily recognize the situation of the own vehicle with respect to each regulation effective range. For example, by displaying the residual amount information in the distal display area at the time of entering the regulated effective range, the driver can more easily recognize which regulated effective range is newly entered. Further, by displaying the residual amount information for each regulation effective range in the display area, it becomes possible to more easily recognize the situation of the own vehicle for each regulation effective range.

Further, since the display area for displaying the regulation content information and the residual amount information is an area in which a virtual image is superimposed and displayed on the foreground of the own vehicle by the HUD231, it is possible to suppress the movement of the driver's line of sight for confirming the regulation content information and the residual amount information to a small size. can.

(Embodiment 2)
In the first embodiment, the configuration in which the plurality of display areas for displaying the regulation content information and the residual amount information are the display areas of virtual images corresponding to the plurality of projection areas of the HUD231 has been described as an example, but it is not always the case. Not limited to this. For example, the plurality of display areas for displaying the regulation content information and the residual amount information may be configured to be a display area by HUD231 and a display area of a display device 23 of a type other than HUD231. The display device 23 used as the display device 23 of a type other than the HUD 231 is preferably the combination meter 232, CID233 or the like described above so that the movement of the driver's line of sight can be suppressed to a small size.

As an example, the display area by HUD231 may be used as the distal display area of the first embodiment, and the display area of the combination meter 232 or the CID233 may be used as the proximal display area of the first embodiment. As a configuration in which the display area by HUD231 is used as the distal display area of the first embodiment, the display area of the CID 233 is used as the proximal display area of the first embodiment, and the combination meter 232 is used as the proximal display area of the first embodiment. May be good. In this case, it is preferable that the display area of the CID 233 and the display area of the combination meter 232 are aligned in the vertical direction from the viewpoint of keeping the movement of the driver's line of sight small.

(Embodiment 3)
In the first and second embodiments, an example is shown in which there are two display areas in which the residual amount information can be displayed, but the present invention is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the display area on which the residual amount information can be displayed may be three or more. Also in this case, after displaying the residual amount information in the display area for displaying the image seen more distally from the driver seated in the driver's seat among the plurality of display areas, the display area for displaying the residual amount information is displayed. The driver sitting in the driver's seat may switch to a display area that displays an image that can be seen more proximally. The same applies to regulation content information.

Further, when the residual amount information for a plurality of types of traffic regulation marks is to be displayed in the same display area, the lower the priority set by the priority setting unit 207, the more from the driver seated in the driver's seat. The image that can be seen at the distal end may be displayed in the display area to be displayed. When the residual amount information for a plurality of types of traffic regulation marks is to be displayed in the display area displaying the image seen most distally from the driver seated in the driver's seat, the same as described in the first embodiment. Then, it may be configured to be displayed according to the priority.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modifications, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims, and the technical means disclosed in the different embodiments and modifications, respectively. The embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the above are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

1 Vehicle system, 2 HMI system, 3 locator, 4 map DB, 5 vehicle status sensor, 6 peripheral monitoring system, 10 front windshield, 11 instrument panel, 20 HCU (vehicle display control device, vehicle display unit), 21 Operation device (user interface), 23 Display device (vehicle display unit), 60 Peripheral monitoring ECU, 61 Peripheral monitoring sensor, 201 Speed acquisition unit, 202 Vehicle position acquisition unit, 203 Mark identification unit (effective range identification unit), 204 Remaining amount specifying unit, 205 Remaining distance specifying unit (residual amount specifying unit), 206 Remaining time specifying unit (residual amount specifying unit), 207 Priority setting unit, 208 Display control unit, 231 HUD (head-up display, display device) 232
Combination meter (display device), 233 CID (display device), 610 front camera

Claims (4)

Used in vehicles
A vehicle display control device including a display control unit (208) that controls a display device (23,231,232,233) that displays information in a display area in front of the driver's seat of the own vehicle.
It is equipped with an effective range specifying unit (203) that specifies the effective range of the regulation indicated by the traffic regulation mark, which is at least one of the road sign and the road marking on the course of the own vehicle.
When the own vehicle enters the effective range, the display control unit displays the regulation content information indicating the content of the regulation in the effective range in the display area.
The display area is a plurality of display areas having different positions.
The display control unit is a vehicle display control device that switches the display area for displaying the regulation content information according to the situation of the own vehicle with respect to the effective range. In claim 1 ,
The plurality of display areas are head-up displays capable of visually displaying a virtual image of each display image to a driver by projecting a display image onto a plurality of projection areas in front of the driver's seat of the own vehicle. A display control device for a vehicle, which is a display area for a virtual image corresponding to a plurality of projection areas of the display device (231). In claim 1 or 2 ,
The plurality of display areas are display control devices for vehicles, which are display areas in which a plurality of different types of display devices (231,232,233) display information. Used in vehicles
A display device (23,231,232,233) that displays information in the display area in front of the driver's seat of the own vehicle, and
A vehicle display unit including the vehicle display control device (20) according to any one of claims 1 to 3 .

Images