JP2005225379A - Moving device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a moving device having a display device to display information necessary for the driving and capable of enhancing the safety. <P>SOLUTION: An automobile 10 as a moving device is driven by the operation of a driver D seated in a driver's seat S, and comprises a display device 12 arranged to occupy a main part of the visual field of the driver D, a video camera 16 and a display ECU 20 to display information necessary for the drive on the display device 12, and a window 22 which is formed forward of the driver D to enable the visual recognition of an actual view by the driver D. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a moving device that moves in a state where a driver such as an automobile is in the vehicle.

  For example, when a vehicle such as an automobile is traveling with poor visibility such as in the rain or at night, the driver may be delayed in finding a pedestrian or the like, and an accident may occur. For this reason, providing a display device is considered as a safety measure in automobiles and the like.

  As such a technique, there is a technique in which a driver replaces a front window for viewing an external real scene with a display device. If an image picked up by a high-sensitivity camera or the like is displayed to the driver by this display device, for example, a pedestrian who is difficult to see at night can be detected at an early stage, and an accident can be prevented in advance. . However, with such a technique, when a failure occurs in the display device or the high-sensitivity camera, information necessary for driving is not displayed to the driver, and driving becomes impossible.

  In addition, a technique for mounting a head mounted display device (HMD) as a display device on the driver's head has been considered (for example, see Patent Document 1). In this technique, information necessary for driving is displayed on the HMD worn by the driver. The HMD can automatically select a see-through mode in which an image captured by an infrared camera is superimposed on a natural image and a sealed mode in which the natural image is blocked and only the captured image is displayed to the driver. The sealed mode is selected when visibility is poor at night or the like. Thereby, a pedestrian or the like that is difficult to visually recognize at night can be detected early, and an accident can be prevented in advance. However, in this technology, when the HMD or the infrared camera breaks down, the driver needs to remove the HMD in order to secure the view. Thus, when the HMD is removed, the driver's view is temporarily blocked. It is dangerous. Further, after the HMD is removed, even if the HMD returns to the normal state, the driver cannot know this.

Furthermore, there is known a head-up display (HUD) in which display information is projected on a front windshield glass and formed as a virtual image and displayed (for example, see Patent Document 2). According to this technology, the driver can visually recognize the information without moving the line of sight or changing the focus. However, in a HUD that projects a display image to form a virtual image, the area where information can be displayed is generally small. For this reason, the HUD cannot be employed as a display means for external image information in place of the front window that allows the driver to directly view the actual scene. The HUD with a small display area is used to display some of the information necessary for driving, such as the information displayed on the instrument panel, but the display hides part of the external scene and narrows the field of view. There is a risk that.
JP-A-10-206787 JP-A-4-267288

  In view of the above facts, an object of the present invention is to provide a mobile device that includes a display device that displays information necessary for driving and can improve safety.

  In order to achieve the above object, a mobile device according to the invention described in claim 1 is a mobile device that moves in a state where the driver gets in the traveling direction so as to occupy a major part of the driver's field of view. A display device disposed on the display device, an information presentation device that displays information necessary for driving on the display device, and a field of view that is provided on the traveling direction side of the driver and allows the driver to view an external real scene Securing means.

  In the mobile device according to the first aspect, for example, information necessary for driving such as image information of the outside world is displayed on the display device by the information presentation device. The driver performs a driving operation as necessary while viewing the driving information.

  Here, since the display device occupies the main part of the visual field of the driver facing the traveling direction, information necessary for driving can be displayed to the driver with a sufficient size. As a result, it is possible to improve the safety as compared with the configuration in which the driver drives while viewing the actual scene. Further, since the visibility securing means is provided on the traveling direction side with respect to the driver, even if the display device or the information presentation device breaks down, the driver can directly observe the external scene in the traveling direction. The danger avoidance operation by the driver is possible.

  Thus, the mobile device according to claim 1 includes a display device that displays information necessary for driving, and can improve safety.

  A moving apparatus according to a second aspect of the present invention is the moving apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the visual field securing means is a window.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the field of view securing means is a window, the structure is simple and there is no risk of failure or the like, and the reliability is high.

  A moving device according to a third aspect of the present invention is the moving device according to the second aspect, further comprising an optical device that is provided on the window and expands a viewing range by the driver.

  In the moving device according to the third aspect, since the optical device is provided in the window, the viewing range of the external real scene by the driver is widened without narrowing the display range by the display device. Thereby, the safety | security when the said display apparatus or an information presentation apparatus fails is improved further.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the moving device according to the second or third aspect, the window is provided within a display range of the display device.

  In the moving device according to the fourth aspect, since the window is provided inside the display range (the window is surrounded by the display device), it is possible to arrange the window at the optimum position while increasing the size of the display device. That is, since the display device is small, providing a window having a restriction on the arrangement in relation to the driver eliminates the restriction on the size and the arrangement of the display device, and increases the degree of design freedom.

  The mobile device according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is the mobile device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the information presentation device includes an imaging device that images the external world on the traveling direction side.

  In the mobile device according to claim 5, since the information presentation device mounted on the mobile device includes an imaging device that images the outside world, information necessary for driving the moving mobile device is reliable and information that does not give the driver a sense of incongruity ( Information that is close to the natural field of view and displayed in real time).

  A mobile device according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is the mobile device according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the mobile device travels on the ground, and is accelerated, braked and operated by the driver's operation. At least one of steering is possible.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mobile device that travels on the ground and is capable of at least one of acceleration, braking, and steering by a driver's operation, for example, an automobile. The present invention is suitably applied to automobiles traveling on the ground with such pedestrians, buildings, structures, and the like. Note that the driver may perform any of these operations only in an emergency without usually performing acceleration, braking, and steering.

  As described above, the mobile device according to the present invention includes the display device that displays information necessary for driving, and has an excellent effect that safety can be improved.

  An automobile 10 as a mobile device according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The automobile 10 travels on the ground by driving by a driver D who is seated in the driver's seat S (turns forward and gets into the automobile 10). For example, the driver D accelerates by operating an accelerator pedal (not shown). The vehicle is braked by operating a brake pedal (not shown) and steered by operating (steering) a steering wheel (not shown).

  In FIG. 1, a front portion of the automobile 10 is shown in a schematic view. As shown in this figure, the automobile 10 includes a display device 12. The display device 12 has a size corresponding to the size of the front windshield glass 14 and has a substantially rectangular display area. The display device 12 is disposed along the inner surface of the front windshield glass 14 and is fixedly attached to the vehicle body so as to cover the front windshield glass 14 over almost the entire surface. Thereby, the display apparatus 12 is set as the structure which has the display area which occupies the principal part of the visual field of the driver | operator D who seated in the driver's seat S. FIG. The visual field of the driver D by the display device 12 is defined as a visual field A. As the display device 12, for example, a thin display device such as a plasma display panel (PDP), a liquid crystal display (LCD), or an electroluminescence (EL) display can be used.

  In addition, the automobile 10 includes a video camera 16 as an imaging device. For example, the video camera 16 is attached to the front end portion of the roof 18 of the automobile 10, and images the foreground and outputs it as moving image data. Although not shown, the video camera 16 includes a visible light camera (ordinary camera) having imaging sensitivity in the visible light band and an infrared camera having imaging sensitivity in the infrared band. The infrared camera outputs image data obtained by capturing the foreground.

  Furthermore, the automobile 10 includes a display ECU 20 that constitutes an information presentation device together with the video camera 16. The display ECU 20 is electrically connected to the display device 12 and the video camera 16, and is disposed at an appropriate position of the automobile 10 (which may be integrated with the display device 12). The display ECU 20 appropriately processes the image data input from the video camera 16 and outputs the processed image data to the display device 12 so that the vehicle foreground information is displayed as a moving image on the display device 12.

  Specifically, the display ECU 20 causes the display device 12 to display one of a visible light image captured by the visible light camera and an infrared light image captured by the infrared camera according to, for example, the brightness of the outside world, The image and the infrared light image are superimposed on each other and displayed on the display device 12 while correcting the deviation of the camera position and direction. The display ECU 20 is also electrically connected to various sensors provided in the automobile 10, for example, the vehicle speed, the engine speed, the travel distance, the water temperature, the fuel remaining amount, the shift position, the preceding vehicle and the front obstacle. The information necessary for driving such as the distance and various alarms may be displayed on the display device 12 together with the image information.

  In addition, the automobile 10 includes a window 22 as a visual field securing means for the driver D seated in the driver's seat S to directly view the foreground as a real scene. In the first embodiment, the window 22 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape having a height of approximately 100 mm and a width of approximately 200 mm to 300 mm, for example, and its lower edge is the lower edge of the front windshield glass 14. Are arranged so as to substantially coincide with each other. That is, the window 22 is provided so that a part of the lower end portion of the display device 12 in the vehicle width direction in front of the driver D is cut out. Therefore, the visual field B of the driver D by the window 22 is sufficiently smaller than the visual field A by the display device 12 that occupies the main part of the visual field of the driver D, and the display area by the display device 12 is narrowed by providing the window 22. There is nothing.

  Next, the operation of the first embodiment will be described.

  In the automobile 10 having the above-described configuration, the driver D seated in the driver's seat S drives while viewing the foreground information captured by the video camera 16 and appropriately processed by the display ECU 20 and displayed as an image on the display device 12. To do. The display ECU 20 causes the display device 12 to display images (including images) captured by the infrared camera that constitutes the video camera 16, for example, at night or in rainy weather. This makes it possible for the driver D to detect pedestrians and the like that are difficult to detect at an early stage by direct visual inspection by the driver D at night or in the rain, and can prevent accidents. (Contributes to accident prevention)

  Here, since the display device 12 occupies the main part of the field of view of the driver D who is seated in the driver's seat S and faces the traveling direction, the information necessary for driving is sufficiently large and driven without giving a sense of incongruity. It is possible to display (view) the person D. Further, since the window 22 is provided in front of the driver seated in the driver's seat S (the traveling direction of the automobile 10), even if any of the display device 12, the video camera 16, and the display ECU 20 breaks down. The driver D can directly view the foreground as a real scene through the window 22. Moreover, the operation | movement of removing HMD at the time of a failure like the conventional HMD is unnecessary. For this reason, in the automobile 10, even when the above-described failure occurs, the driver D can surely perform the danger avoidance operation.

  As described above, the automobile 10 according to the first embodiment includes the display device 12 that displays information necessary for driving in a sufficiently large size without a sense of incongruity, and can improve safety. That is, the safety of the automobile 10 traveling on the ground with many pedestrians, buildings, structures, etc. can be improved.

  In the automobile 10, the window 22 as a visual field securing means has a simple structure and high reliability without fear of failure or the like. Furthermore, since the car 10 includes the video camera 16 that captures the foreground that is information necessary for driving, the foreground that changes as the vehicle travels can be reliably displayed as real-time image information that does not give the driver D a sense of incongruity. Can do. Furthermore, since the window 22 is provided along the lower end of the front windshield glass 14, the driver D can view the foreground in the immediate vicinity of the automobile 10 that is important when avoiding danger as a real scene.

  Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described. Parts and portions that are basically the same as those in the first embodiment or the previous configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment or the previous configuration, and description thereof is omitted. To do.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a front portion of an automobile 30 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. As shown in this figure, the automobile 30 is different from the automobile 10 in that a lens 32 as an optical device is provided on the window 22. The lens 32 expands the field of view of the driver D through the window 22 to a field of view B ′ wider than the field of view B, and functions as a field of view expanding means. The lens 32 is configured by, for example, a single lens or a combination of a plurality of lenses. Other configurations of the automobile 30 are the same as those of the automobile 10.

  In the automobile 30 according to the second embodiment, the direct view of the driver D (viewing range of the external actual scene) is widened from the field of view B to the field of view B ′ by the lens 32, so that the display device 12, the video camera 16, and the display Even if any of the ECUs 20 breaks down, the driver D can drive or take a risk avoiding operation while viewing the wide range of the foreground as a real scene. Therefore, the automobile 30 includes the display device 12 that displays information necessary for driving in a sufficiently large size without a sense of incongruity, and can further improve safety. Other effects of the automobile 30 are the same as those of the automobile 10.

  FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a front portion of an automobile 40 according to the third embodiment of the present invention. As shown in this figure, the automobile 40 includes a display device 42 instead of the display device 12. The display device 42 is configured to be larger in the vertical direction than the front windshield glass 14, and is attached to the vehicle interior in a state where the lower end protrudes below the lower end of the front windshield glass 14. Accordingly, the visual field A ′ by the display device 42 is configured to be wider than the visual field A by the display device 12.

  In addition, the automobile 40 includes a window 44 instead of the window 22. The window 44 for allowing the driver D to see the foreground as a real scene through the front windshield glass 14 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape, and the lower edge thereof is arranged to substantially coincide with the lower edge of the front windshield glass 14. . That is, the window 44 is provided in the display range of the display device 42 so that a part of the display device 42 in front of the driver D is cut out. In other words, the window 44 is disposed so as to be surrounded by the display device 42. The window 44 is provided with a lens 32. Other configurations of the automobile 40 are the same as those of the automobile 10 or the automobile 30 described above.

  In the automobile 40 according to the third embodiment, since the display device 42 is larger than the display device 12, even if the window 44 is made larger than the window 22, a sufficient display range by the display device 42 is ensured. be able to. For this reason, the visual field B ′ can be increased by increasing the size of the window 44 provided with the lens 32. In addition, even when an optical device such as the lens 32 is not provided, the window 44 of the driver D can be enlarged by making the window 44 larger than the window 22. Thus, if any of the display device 12, the video camera 16, and the display ECU 20 breaks down, the driver D can drive while taking a wider view of the foreground as a real scene or take a risk avoidance operation. . Therefore, the automobile 40 includes the display device 12 that displays information necessary for driving in a sufficiently large size without a sense of incongruity, and can further improve safety. Other effects of the automobile 40 are the same as those of the automobile 10.

  In each of the above embodiments, the front windshield is used as a comparison target in order to facilitate understanding of the size of the display devices 12 and 42 that occupy the main part of the field of view of the driver D seated in the driver seat S. Although the structure provided with the glass 14 was illustrated, this invention is not limited to this, The structure which does not include the front windshield glass 14 and the front window may be sufficient as the motor vehicles 10, 30, and 40. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the configuration in which the display devices 12 and 42 are disposed along the inner surface of the front windshield glass 14. For example, the display devices 12 and 42 are disposed more on the driver D side. And may be arranged so as to be substantially upright with respect to the vehicle body.

  Moreover, in each said embodiment, although the display apparatus 12 and 42 was provided only in the front with respect to the driver | operator D, this invention is not limited to this, For example, display apparatus 12 and 14 is side. It may be provided so as to wrap around the inside of the window. Further, for example, the display devices 12 and 42 are configured by a display unit arranged so as to occupy a main part of the field of view of the driver D, and a projection device such as a liquid crystal projector device that projects and displays an image on the display unit. May be.

  Further, in each of the above-described embodiments, the configuration in which the substantially rectangular windows 22 and 44 are arranged with the lower edge substantially aligned with the lower edge of the front windshield glass 14 is illustrated, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the window 22 or the like may be formed in an elliptical shape, a fan shape, or the like, and the window 44 may be disposed at the center in the vertical direction of the front windshield glass 14.

  Furthermore, in each of the above-described embodiments, the automobiles 10, 30, and 40 are preferably configured to include the video camera 16. However, the present invention is not limited to this, for example, wireless communication or the like as information necessary for driving. The received image information and the like may be displayed on the display devices 12 and 42. The present invention is not limited to the video camera 16 being a combination of a visible light camera and an infrared camera. For example, the video camera 16 may be composed of a single high-sensitivity camera. A camera and an infrared camera may be provided together with another camera, or a night vision camera such as a night vision camera may be provided instead of the infrared camera. Further, the video camera 16 is not limited to being provided on the roof 18, and for example, the display device 12 displays an image that is disposed within the range of the visual field A in the front windshield glass 14 and does not make the driver D more uncomfortable. , 42 may be displayed.

  Moreover, in each said embodiment, although the example in which this invention was applied to the motor vehicles 10, 30, and 40 as a moving apparatus was shown, this invention is not limited to this, For example, an aircraft, a ship, a rail vehicle, It may be applied to a motorcycle or the like.

It is a schematic diagram which shows the front part of the motor vehicle which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the front part of the motor vehicle which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the front part of the motor vehicle which concerns on the 3rd Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

10 Automobile (mobile device)
12 display device 16 video camera (imaging device, information presentation device)
20 display ECU (information presentation device)
22 windows (field-of-view securing means)
30 automobile (mobile equipment)
32 Lens (optical device)
40 automobile (mobile equipment)
42 display device 44 window (field securing means)

Claims (6)

A moving device that moves in a state where the driver gets in the direction of travel,
A display device arranged to occupy a major portion of the driver's field of view;
An information presentation device for displaying information necessary for driving on the display device;
Visibility securing means that is provided on the traveling direction side for the driver and that allows the driver to see an external real scene;
A mobile device comprising:   The moving device according to claim 1, wherein the visual field securing means is a window.   The moving device according to claim 2, further comprising an optical device that is provided on the window and expands a viewing range of the driver.   The moving device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the window is provided within a display range of the display device.   The mobile device according to claim 1, wherein the information presentation device includes an image pickup device that picks up an image of the outside world on the traveling direction side.   6. The mobile device according to claim 1, wherein the mobile device travels on the ground and is capable of at least one of acceleration, braking, and steering by an operation of the driver.

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