JP2023111545A - Display control device, display control method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a display control device, a display control method, and a program allowing display information always displayed on a meter panel to be displayed in an area excluding a position which becomes a driver's blind spot.SOLUTION: A display control device according to the present disclosure includes a line-of-sight estimation circuit, a blind-spot estimation circuit, a change circuit, and a display control circuit. The line-of-sight estimation circuit estimates a line of sight to a display panel on the basis of at least either of the position of a driver's head and the state of a seat. The blind-spot estimation circuit estimates a blind spot in the display area of the display panel on the basis of the estimated line of sight and the position of a steering wheel. The change circuit changes the display mode of display information such that it becomes possible to display at least information in such a range as to be capable of achieving the purpose of displaying the display information out of the display information always displayed on the display panel, in a visible area excluding the blind spot in the display area. The display control circuit allows the display information to be displayed on the display panel in the display mode after being changed by the change circuit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

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

Automobile meter displays and the like are for displaying information that is of high priority to the driver, and in recent years, the number of digital meters that display liquid crystals or the like is increasing. However, depending on the position of the driver's head and the position of the steering wheel, part of the meter, etc. may be in a blind spot and cannot be seen. I have something to do.

In order to control the operation of in-vehicle equipment by manipulating the rim of the steering wheel, as a technology for displaying digital meters and the like, the liquid crystal panel is positioned so that the driver can visually recognize the display information indicating the content of the relevant manipulation. A technique for displaying is disclosed. (For example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2018-034716 A

However, in the conventional technology, the display information indicating the operation details of the steering wheel, which is not originally displayed on the meter panel, is displayed at a position where the driver can visually recognize it. Therefore, the display information such as the speedometer and tachometer, which are always displayed on the meter panel, may disappear if at least part of the display information enters the blind spot, depending on the position of the driver's head and the position of the steering wheel. be.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a display control device, a display control method, and a program capable of displaying display information that is always displayed on a meter panel while avoiding a blind spot for the driver.

A display control device according to the present disclosure includes a line-of-sight estimation circuit, a blind spot estimation circuit, a change circuit, and a display control circuit. The line of sight estimation circuit estimates the line of sight of the driver with respect to the display panel based on at least one of the position of the head of the driver driving the vehicle and the state of the seat of the vehicle. The blind spot estimating circuit estimates a blind spot caused by the steering wheel in the display area of the display panel based on the line of sight estimated by the line of sight estimating circuit and the position of the steering wheel of the vehicle. The change circuit places information in a visible area excluding the blind spot estimated by the blind spot estimating circuit in the display area, out of the display information always displayed on the display panel, at least in a range that can achieve the display purpose of the display information. change the display mode of the display information so that can be displayed. The display control circuit causes the display panel to display the display information in the display mode changed by the change circuit.

Also, the display control method according to the present disclosure includes a line-of-sight estimation step, a blind spot estimation step, a change step, and a display control step. In the line-of-sight estimation step, the line-of-sight of the driver to the display panel is estimated based on at least one of the position of the head of the driver driving the vehicle and the state of the seat of the vehicle. In the blind spot estimation step, a blind spot due to the steering wheel in the display area of the display panel is estimated based on the estimated line of sight and the position of the steering wheel of the vehicle. In the changing step, of the display information that is always displayed on the display panel, at least the information in the range that can achieve the display purpose of the display information can be displayed in the visible area excluding the estimated blind spot in the display area. , the display mode of the display information is changed. In the display control step, display information is displayed on the display panel according to the changed display mode.

Also, the program according to the present disclosure causes the computer to execute a line-of-sight estimation step, a blind spot estimation step, a change step, and a display control step. In the line-of-sight estimation step, the line-of-sight of the driver to the display panel is estimated based on at least one of the position of the head of the driver driving the vehicle and the state of the seat of the vehicle. In the blind spot estimation step, a blind spot due to the steering wheel in the display area of the display panel is estimated based on the estimated line of sight and the position of the steering wheel of the vehicle. In the changing step, of the display information that is always displayed on the display panel, at least the information in the range that can achieve the display purpose of the display information can be displayed in the visible area excluding the estimated blind spot in the display area. , the display mode of the display information is changed. In the display control step, display information is displayed on the display panel according to the changed display mode.

According to the display control device, the display control method, and the program according to the present disclosure, the display information that is always displayed on the meter panel can be displayed while avoiding a blind spot for the driver.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a vehicle according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of an ECU according to the embodiment; FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining how the display panel looks when the driver's viewpoint is in an appropriate positional relationship with the steering wheel and the display panel. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining how the display panel looks when the driver's viewpoint is low. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining how the display panel looks when the driver's viewpoint is high. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining how the display panel looks when the backrest of the seat is reclined. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of functional blocks of an ECU according to the embodiment; FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining an operation of changing the display mode of the display information on the display panel when the driver's viewpoint is low by the function of the ECU according to the embodiment so that the information can be visually recognized. FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining an example of the operation of changing the display mode of display information on the display panel by the function of the ECU according to the embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining an example of the operation of changing the display mode of the speedometer by the function of the ECU according to the embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining how the display mode of the speedometer is changed by the function of the ECU according to the embodiment. 12A and 12B are diagrams for explaining the operation of manually adjusting the display mode of the speedometer whose display mode has been changed by the function of the ECU according to the embodiment. FIG. 13 is a flow chart showing an example of the display operation flow of the display panel of the ECU according to the embodiment. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a functional block configuration of an ECU according to a modification. FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing an example of the display operation flow of the display panel of the ECU according to the modification.

Hereinafter, embodiments of a display control device, a display control method, and a program according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

(Overall configuration of vehicle)
An overall configuration of a vehicle 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 1 includes a vehicle body 2, wheels 3F, and wheels 3R. The wheels 3F are a pair of front wheels that are installed on the front side of the vehicle body 2 and come into contact with the road surface. The wheels 3R are a pair of rear wheels that are installed on the rear side of the vehicle body 2 and come into contact with the road surface. The vehicle 1 can travel using a pair of wheels 3F and a pair of wheels 3R arranged along a predetermined direction. In this case, the predetermined direction in which the wheels 3F and 3R are arranged is the moving direction of the vehicle 1, and the vehicle 1 can move forward or backward by switching gears or the like. When referring to an arbitrary wheel out of the wheels 3F and 3R, or collectively referring to them, they are simply referred to as "wheels 3".

1, the vehicle 1 includes a seat 4, a vehicle drive unit 5, a camera 6, a door mirror 7L, a door mirror 7R, a rear seat 8, a rearview mirror 9, an engine switch 10, A steering wheel 11 , a shift lever 12 , a parking brake 13 , a door lock device 14 , a touch panel 15 , a display panel 16 , and an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 20 are provided.

The seat 4 is provided in the interior of the vehicle 1 and serves as a driver's seat for the driver of the vehicle 1 to sit on. A driver can steer the vehicle 1 by operating a steering wheel 11 or operating an accelerator pedal and a brake pedal (not shown) while seated on the seat 4 .

The vehicle drive unit 5 is a drive device mounted on the vehicle 1 . The vehicle drive unit 5 is, for example, an engine, a motor, a drive unit for the wheels 3, and the like.

The camera 6 is an imaging device such as a drive recorder camera or a driver monitoring camera, which is provided in the vehicle interior of the vehicle 1 and is capable of capturing an image so that at least the driver's head is included in the angle of view.

The door mirror 7L is an outdoor rearview mirror attached in front of the left side door of the vehicle body 2 for viewing the left rear side. The drum mirror 7R is an outdoor rearview mirror attached in front of the right side door of the vehicle body 2 for viewing the right rear side. The angles of the mirror surfaces of the door mirror 7L and the door mirror 7R can be adjusted by operating the touch panel 15 or the like in the vehicle interior of the vehicle 1 .

The rear seat 8 is provided on the rear side of the vehicle interior of the vehicle 1 and is a seat for a fellow passenger other than the driver of the vehicle 1 to sit.

The rearview mirror 9 is an indoor rearview mirror installed on the ceiling on the upper side of the windshield for visually recognizing the rear and rear sides. Note that the room mirror is also called a rearview mirror or the like.

The engine switch 10 is a switch operated by the driver when starting the engine of the vehicle 1 . Note that the engine switch 10 is also called an ignition switch. When the driver operates the engine switch 10, the engine of the vehicle 1 is started or stopped. Further, by operating the engine switch 10, power supply to electronic devices mounted on the vehicle 1, etc., is controlled.

The steering wheel 11 is a steering wheel for steering the vehicle 1 installed on the dashboard in front of the seat 4 .

The shift lever 12 is a lever operated by the driver when changing the shift position. A movable range of the shift lever 12 includes, for example, a parking position, a reverse position, a neutral position, and a drive position. When the shift lever 12 is in the parking position, the power of the engine of the vehicle 1 is not transmitted to the wheels 3, which is a so-called parking state. When the shift lever 12 is in the reverse position, the vehicle 1 can move backward. When the shift lever 12 is in the drive position, the vehicle 1 can move forward.

Parking brake 13 is one of the brake mechanisms of vehicle 1 . The parking brake 13 is a manual braking mechanism for manually stopping the movement of the vehicle 1 by the driver. When the parking brake 13 is applied, the vehicle 1 stops moving and is parked. In addition, when the parking brake 13 is released, the vehicle 1 is in a movable state. A parking brake is also called a side brake.

The door lock device 14 is a device for switching a door provided in the vehicle 1 between a locked state and an unlocked state. For example, the door of the vehicle 1 is switched to a locked state or an unlocked state by a key or the like for the vehicle 1 from outside the vehicle 1 .

The touch panel 15 has a display function and an operation input function by an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an OELD (Organic Electro-Luminescent Display) installed on a dashboard or the like in front of the seat 4. It is a touch panel device. Note that the touch panel 15 may have an audio output function in addition to the display function and the operation input function. Also, the touch panel 15 may include a navigation device having a position information acquisition function and a route search function using map information.

The display panel 16 is a meter that displays various display information such as speed, engine speed, shift lever, various warnings, left and right direction indications, fuel, and water temperature, which are always displayed while the vehicle 1 is running, by means of an LCD, OELD, or the like. panel. Here, constant display means constant display unless the display is temporarily turned off due to a standby mode or the like in a state where the engine of the vehicle 1 is started and power is being supplied to the display panel 16. is.

The ECU 20 is a control device that controls various operations of the vehicle 1 . The ECU 20 is an example of a display control device. The ECU 20 may be an OBU (On Board Unit). The ECU 20 according to the present embodiment controls processing for changing the display mode of the display information on the display panel 16 based on information detected by various sensors, an image captured by the camera 6, and the like.

(ECU hardware configuration)
The hardware configuration of the ECU 20 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

As shown in Fig. 2, ECU20 is a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101, RAM (RANDOM Access Memory) 102, ROM (READ ONLY MEMORY) 103 and display I / f105. And GNSS (Global Navigative SateLite System) An I/F 106, a vehicle speed I/F 107, a communication I/F 108, a sensor I/F 109, and a panel I/F 111 are provided. CPU 101 , RAM 102 , ROM 103 , imaging I/F 104 , display I/F 105 , GNSS I/F 106 , vehicle speed I/F 107 , communication I/F 108 , sensor I/F 109 and panel I/F 111 perform data communication via bus 110 . connected to each other as possible.

The CPU 101 is an arithmetic unit that controls the entire ECU 20 . A RAM 102 is a volatile storage device that serves as a work area for processing by the CPU 101 . The ROM 103 is a non-volatile storage device that stores control programs for the ECU 20 and various data.

The imaging I/F 104 is an interface for receiving a captured image captured by the camera 6 . The imaging I/F 104 acquires moving images by continuously receiving captured images captured by the camera 6 as frame images.

The display I/F 105 is an interface for displaying various display information on the display panel 16 .

The GNSS I/F 106 is an interface for receiving position information received by the GNSS sensor 19 installed on the vehicle 1 . The position information received by the GNSS sensor 19 is, for example, GNSS signals.

The vehicle speed I/F 107 is an interface for receiving speed information from a vehicle speed sensor 21 that detects the vehicle speed of the vehicle 1 . The vehicle speed sensor 21 is a vehicle speed detection unit that is installed, for example, in the vicinity of the wheel 3 and generates a vehicle speed pulse that indicates the rotational speed or number of rotations of the wheel 3 . The vehicle speed I/F 107 acquires the vehicle speed pulse generated by the vehicle speed sensor 21 and obtains the running speed of the vehicle 1 based on the vehicle speed pulse.

Communication I/F 108 is an interface for transmitting and receiving data to and from communication device 22 installed in vehicle 1 . The communication device 22 performs data communication with an external device such as a server by wireless communication. Thereby, the communication I/F 108 can perform data communication with an external device via the communication device 22 . Note that the communication I/F 108 may be a CAN (Controller Area Network) interface for communicating with other devices in the vehicle 1 .

Sensor I/F 109 is an interface for receiving detection information detected by steering wheel position sensor 17 , seat position sensor 18 a , seat height sensor 18 b , seat angle sensor 18 c and door mirror angle sensor 23 . The steering wheel position sensor 17 is a sensor that detects the position of the steering wheel 11 adjusted by tilting and telescopic operations. The seat position sensor 18a is a sensor that detects the position of the seat 4 in the longitudinal direction, for example, in the traveling direction of the vehicle 1. As shown in FIG. The seat height sensor 18b is a sensor that detects the height position of the seating surface of the seat 4. As shown in FIG. The seat angle sensor 18 c is a sensor that detects the angle of the backrest of the seat 4 . The door mirror angle sensor 23 is a sensor that detects the angle of the mirror surface of the door mirror 7 adjusted by operating the touch panel 15 or the like.

The panel I/F 111 is an interface for receiving operation information input to the touch panel 15 and displaying various information on the touch panel 15 .

Note that the hardware configuration of the ECU 20 shown in FIG. 2 is an example, and does not need to include all the components shown in FIG. 2, or may include other components. Further, the ECU 20 is not limited to being composed of one ECU, and may be composed of a plurality of ECUs.

(How to see the information displayed on the display panel)
How the information displayed on the display panel 16 is seen depending on the positional relationship between the driver's viewpoint and the steering wheel 11 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 6. FIG.

First, referring to FIG. 3, how the information displayed on the display panel 16 is seen when the viewpoint of the driver 30 seated on the seat 4 is in an appropriate positional relationship with the steering wheel 11 and the display panel 16 will be described. As shown in FIG. 3B, the handle 11 includes, for example, a rim portion 11a, spoke portions 11b, and a hub portion 11c. The rim portion 11a is an annular operating member that is gripped and operated by the driver. The spoke portion 11b is a support member for connecting the rim portion 11a and the hub portion 11c. The hub portion 11c is a member for transmitting to the steering shaft a rotational force generated by operating the rim portion 11a.

As shown in FIG. 3(b), the driver views the display panel 16 from a substantially semicircular area that does not become a blind spot due to the rim portion 11a, the spoke portions 11b, and the hub portion 11c. At this time, the line of sight 40 of the driver 30 with respect to the display panel 16 is determined by the position of the driver's 30 head and the state of the seat 4, as shown in FIG. 3(a). Here, the line of sight is a vector that connects the eyeball (viewpoint) of the driver 30 and an object to be viewed such as the display panel 16 . When the driver's viewpoint is in an appropriate positional relationship with the steering wheel 11 and the display panel 16, as shown in FIG. can be seen through line of sight 40 without entering the blind spot formed by rim portion 11a, spoke portion 11b and hub portion 11c. Display information constantly displayed while the vehicle 1 is running includes, as shown in FIG. 166 and so on. Note that these are examples of display information that is always displayed while the vehicle 1 is running, and may be other display information such as left and right direction indicator lamps, for example.

Next, how the information displayed on the display panel 16 is seen when the driver 30 seated on the seat 4 has a low viewpoint will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in (a) of FIG. 4 , the line of sight 41 of the driver 30 toward the display panel 16 is determined by the position of the driver's 30 head and the state of the seat 4 . The viewpoint on the line of sight 41 shown in (a) of FIG. 4 is positioned lower than the viewpoint on the line of sight 40 shown in (a) of FIG. Therefore, as shown in (b) of FIG. 4, the driver 30 is aware that a part of the various display information constantly displayed while the vehicle 1 is running is a blind spot formed by the spoke portion 11b and the hub portion 11c. 50 , part of the display information is difficult to see due to the line of sight 41 . In this case, the driver 30 may check by moving the position of the body or the head in order to see the display information in the blind spot.

Next, how the information displayed on the display panel 16 is seen when the driver 30 seated on the seat 4 has a high viewpoint will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in (a) of FIG. 5 , the line of sight 42 of the driver 30 with respect to the display panel 16 is determined by the position of the driver's 30 head and the state of the seat 4 . The viewpoint on the line of sight 42 shown in FIG. 5(a) is at a higher position than the viewpoint on the line of sight 40 shown in FIG. 3(a). Therefore, as shown in (b) of FIG. 5, the driver 30 can see that a part of the various display information constantly displayed while the vehicle 1 is running enters the blind spot area 51 formed by the rim portion 11a. , part of the display information becomes difficult to see due to the line of sight 42 . In this case, the driver 30 may check by moving the position of the body or the head in order to see the display information in the blind spot.

Next, how the information displayed on the display panel 16 is viewed by the driver 30 seated with the backrest of the seat 4 reclined will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in (a) of FIG. 6 , the line of sight 43 of the driver 30 with respect to the display panel 16 is determined by the position of the driver's 30 head and the state of the seat 4 . 6A is lower than the line of sight 40 shown in FIG. 3A because the seat 4 is seated with the backrest reclined. Therefore, as shown in (b) of FIG. 6, the driver 30 is aware that part of the various display information that is always displayed while the vehicle 1 is running is a blind spot formed by the spoke portion 11b and the hub portion 11c. 52 , part of the display information is difficult to see due to the line of sight 43 . In this case, the driver 30 may check by moving the position of the body or the head in order to see the display information in the blind spot.

In this way, depending on the position of the head of the driver 30 and the state of the seat 4, depending on the line of sight of the driver 30, a blind spot is formed by the steering wheel 11 in the display area of the display panel 16 due to the positional relationship with the steering wheel 11. As a result, at least part of the displayed information is difficult to see. In order to avoid such a situation, the operation of the ECU 20 according to the present embodiment for changing the display mode of the display information so that the driver 30 can visually recognize all of the display information will be described below.

(Structure and operation of functional blocks of ECU)
The configuration and operation of the functional blocks of the ECU 20 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 12. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 7, the ECU 20 includes a sensor information acquisition unit 201, an image acquisition unit 202, a GNSS information acquisition unit 203, a line of sight estimation unit 204, a blind spot estimation unit 205, a display position determination unit 206, and a display It has a control unit 207 , an operation input unit 208 , a storage unit 209 and a communication unit 210 .

Sensor information acquisition unit 201 acquires detection information detected by each of steering wheel position sensor 17, seat position sensor 18a, seat height sensor 18b, seat angle sensor 18c, and door mirror angle sensor 23 via sensor I/F 109. It is a functional part that Specifically, the sensor information acquisition unit 201 acquires position information of the steering wheel 11 detected by the steering wheel position sensor 17 . Alternatively, the sensor information acquisition unit 201 acquires position information of the seat 4 in the longitudinal direction detected by the seat position sensor 18a. Further, the sensor information acquisition unit 201 acquires position information of the height of the seat surface of the seat 4 detected by the seat height sensor 18b. The sensor information acquisition unit 201 also acquires angle information of the backrest of the seat 4 detected by the seat angle sensor 18c. Then, the sensor information acquisition unit 201 acquires the angle information of the mirror surface of the door mirror 7 detected by the door mirror angle sensor 23 . Note that the sensor information acquisition unit 201 corresponds to a first acquisition unit.

The image acquisition unit 202 is a functional unit that acquires, via the imaging I/F 104, an image captured by the camera 6 with the driver's head in the angle of view.

Note that the sensor information acquisition unit 201 and the image acquisition unit 202 are examples of a second acquisition unit.

The GNSS information acquisition 203 is a functional unit that receives the position information of the vehicle 1 received by the GNSS sensor 19 via the GNSS I/F 106 . From the position information received by the GNSS information acquisition unit 203, for example, it can be recognized that the vehicle 1 has entered the expressway. Note that the GNSS information acquisition 203 receives the position information of the vehicle 1 from the touch panel 15 having a navigation function via the panel I/F 111 or from an external device via the communication device 22 and the communication I/F 108. good too.

The communication unit 210 performs data communication by wireless communication with an external device such as a server through the communication device 22 installed in the vehicle 1 .

The line-of-sight estimation unit 204 is a functional unit that estimates the line of sight of the driver with respect to the display panel 16 based on at least one of the position of the driver's head who drives the vehicle 1 and the state of the seat 4 . Specifically, the line-of-sight estimating unit 204 obtains the position information of the seat 4 in the front-rear direction, the position information of the height of the seat surface of the seat 4, the angle information of the backrest of the seat 4, or the Based on at least one of the angle information of the mirror surface of the door mirror 7 and the captured image acquired by the image acquisition unit 202, the driver's line of sight to the display panel 16 is estimated. For example, the line-of-sight estimation unit 204 calculates the positions of the eyes of the driver's head with reference to a predetermined reference position from the above-described position information, angle information, and captured image, By calculating the line-of-sight vector from the known position of the display panel 16, the line-of-sight can be estimated.

Note that the ECU 20 may omit acquisition of information other than the information used by the line-of-sight estimation unit 204 to estimate the line of sight. For example, when the angle information of the door mirror 7 is not used for estimating the line of sight, the sensor information acquisition unit 201 may omit acquisition of the angle information. Further, when the captured image is not used for estimating the line of sight, the ECU 20 may not include the image acquisition section 202 .

The blind spot estimation unit 205 has a function of estimating a blind spot caused by the steering wheel 11 in the display area of the display panel 16 based on the position information of the steering wheel 11 acquired by the sensor information acquisition unit 201 and the line of sight estimated by the line of sight estimation unit 204. Department. For example, when the driver's line of sight to the display panel 16 is estimated and the position of the steering wheel 11 is grasped, the rim portion 11a, the spoke portion 11b, and the hub portion 11c of the display area of the display panel 16 with respect to the line of sight are determined. It is possible to estimate which area will be a blind spot.

The display position determining unit 206 adjusts the display information so that the display information on the display panel 16 can be displayed in a visible area excluding the blind spot estimated by the blind spot estimating unit 205 in the display area of the display panel 16. It is a functional unit that changes the display mode and determines a new display mode. Specifically, the display position determining unit 206 moves, divides, enlarges/reduces, transforms, rotates, or the like the display information of the display panel 16 so that the display information is displayed in the visible area. to change the display mode. The display position determination unit 206 causes the storage unit 209 to store information on the new display mode of the determined display information. Note that the display position determining unit 206 corresponds to a changing unit.

For example, as shown in (a) of FIG. 8, when the viewpoint of the line of sight 41 of the driver 30 is at a lower position than the viewpoint of the line of sight 40 shown in (a) of FIG. 4(b), when the display mode of the display information on the display panel 16 is not changed at all, a part of the display information is the blind spot area 50 formed by the spoke portion 11b and the hub portion 11c. Therefore, part of the display information is difficult to see due to the line of sight 41 . Therefore, the display position determination unit 206, as shown in FIG. The display mode is changed to a speedometer 161a, a tachometer 162a, a shift lever position indicator lamp 163a, a fuel gauge 164a, a water temperature gauge 165a, and warning lights 166a-1 to 166a-4, respectively, so that the entire display information can be visually recognized. Be included in the possible area. Specifically, the display position determining unit 206 reduces the speedometer 161 and the tachometer 162 shown in FIG. 9(a) and displays them as the speedometer 161a and the tachometer 162a shown in FIG. 9(b), respectively. Change it to fit. Further, the display position determining unit 206 moves the shift lever position indicator lamp 163 shown in FIG. 9(a) so that the display mode becomes like the shift lever position indicator lamp 163a shown in FIG. 9(b). change to Further, display position determining unit 206 rotates and moves fuel gauge 164 and water temperature gauge 165 shown in FIG. Change the display mode. Then, the display position determination unit 206 divides and moves the warning light 166 shown in FIG. change to be

Further, the display position determination unit 206 changes the display modes of the speedometer 161, the tachometer 162, the shift lever position indicator lamp 163, the fuel gauge 164, and the water temperature gauge 165 shown in (c) of FIG. ), the speedometer 161b, the tachometer 162b, the shift lever position indicator lamp 163b, the fuel gauge 164b, and the water temperature gauge 165b. However, the speedometer 161b and the tachometer 162b may be superimposed and displayed.

Note that the change of the display mode of the display information by the display position determination unit 206 is not limited to making the whole of the display information included in the visible area, and a part of the display information ( For example, information with high priority for the driver) may be included in the visible area. For example, when changing the display mode of the speedometer 161 shown in FIG. 10(a), instead of changing the display mode of the entire speedometer 161, as shown in FIG. A speedometer 161c in which the number indicating the included speed is moved to the center and the tip of the scale corresponding to the number is extended toward the center (indicating part 170 of the needle) can be used as part of the display information. information may be made visible. For example, as shown in (a) of FIG. 11, the speedometer 161 before the display mode shown in (a) of FIG. 11(b), by changing the display mode like the speedometer 161c shown in FIG. 10(b), where the numbers and scales indicating It becomes possible to visually recognize the number indicating the speed, which is highly accurate information, and the scale corresponding to the number. In this way, when the display mode is changed so that the information with the highest priority among the display information can be visually recognized, it is not necessary to change the display mode so that the entire display information can be visually recognized. Here, information having a high priority in the display information means information within a range in which the display purpose of the display information can be achieved.

Further, after the display position determination unit 206 changes the display mode of the display information and the display control unit 207 displays the display information in the changed display mode on the display panel 16, the driver operates the touch panel 15 or the like. , fine adjustment of the display mode may be possible. For example, the display mode of the speedometer 161 shown in FIG. 12(a) similar to FIG. 11(a) may be changed to the display mode of the speedometer 161c shown in FIG. 11(b). After being displayed on the display panel 16, the driver operates the touch panel 15 to display "120" and the length of the scale corresponding thereto, as shown in FIG. It may be possible to adjust such as to restore the original height.

A display control unit 207 is a functional unit that controls the display operation of the display panel 16 . For example, the display control unit 207 displays the display information on the display panel 16 in the display mode changed by the display position determination unit 206 .

The operation input unit 208 is a functional unit that receives an operation input made on the touch panel 15 .

The storage unit 209 is a functional unit that stores information such as the display mode of the new display information determined by the display position determination unit 206 . Storage unit 209 is implemented by RAM 102 or ROM 103 shown in FIG. Note that the storage unit 209 may be realized by a non-volatile storage device (flash memory, etc.) not shown in FIG.

The sensor information acquisition unit 201, the image acquisition unit 202, the GNSS information acquisition unit 203, the line-of-sight estimation unit 204, the blind spot estimation unit 205, the display position determination unit 206, the display control unit 207, the operation input unit 208, and the communication unit 210, It is realized by executing a program by the CPU 101 shown in FIG. Some or all of these functional units may be implemented by hardware circuits such as FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays) or ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits) instead of software programs.

Note that each functional unit of the ECU 20 shown in FIG. 7 conceptually shows the function, and is not limited to such a configuration. For example, a plurality of functional units illustrated as independent functional units in the ECU 20 shown in FIG. 7 may be configured as one functional unit. On the other hand, in the ECU 20 shown in FIG. 7, the function of one functional unit may be divided into a plurality of functional units.

(Flow of display operation of display panel of ECU)
The flow of the display operation of the display panel 16 by the ECU 20 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 13 .

<Step S11>
A sensor information acquisition unit 201 of the ECU 20 receives detection information detected by each of the steering wheel position sensor 17, the seat position sensor 18a, the seat height sensor 18b, the seat angle sensor 18c, and the door mirror angle sensor 23 via the sensor I/F 109. to get. Specifically, the sensor information acquisition unit 201 acquires position information of the steering wheel 11 detected by the steering wheel position sensor 17 . Alternatively, the sensor information acquisition unit 201 acquires position information of the seat 4 in the longitudinal direction detected by the seat position sensor 18a. Further, the sensor information acquisition unit 201 acquires position information of the height of the seat surface of the seat 4 detected by the seat height sensor 18b. The sensor information acquisition unit 201 also acquires angle information of the backrest of the seat 4 detected by the seat angle sensor 18c. Then, the sensor information acquisition unit 201 acquires the angle information of the mirror surface of the door mirror 7 detected by the door mirror angle sensor 23 . Further, the image acquisition unit 202 of the ECU 20 acquires, via the imaging I/F 104, an image captured by the camera 6 with the driver's head in the angle of view. Then, the process proceeds to step S12.

<Step S12>
The line-of-sight estimating unit 204 of the ECU 20 acquires the position information of the seat 4 in the front-rear direction, the position information of the height of the seat surface of the seat 4, the angle information of the backrest of the seat 4, or the position of the door mirror 7 acquired by the sensor information acquiring unit 201. Based on at least one of the angle information of the mirror surface and the captured image acquired by the image acquisition unit 202, the line of sight of the driver toward the display panel 16 is estimated. Then, the process proceeds to step S13.

<Step S13>
A blind spot estimation unit 205 of the ECU 20 estimates a blind spot due to the steering wheel 11 in the display area of the display panel 16 based on the position information of the steering wheel 11 acquired by the sensor information acquisition unit 201 and the line of sight estimated by the line of sight estimation unit 204. do. Then, the process proceeds to step S14.

<Step S14>
The display position determination unit 206 of the ECU 20 adjusts the display information so that the display information on the display panel 16 is displayed in a visible area excluding the blind spot estimated by the blind spot estimation unit 205 in the display area of the display panel 16. The display mode is changed and a new display mode is determined. The display position determination unit 206 causes the storage unit 209 to store information on the new display mode of the determined display information. Then, the process proceeds to step S15.

<Step S15>
The display control unit 207 of the ECU 20 displays the display information on the display panel 16 in the display mode changed by the display position determination unit 206 .

The display operation of the display panel 16 by the ECU 20 is executed by the flow of steps S11 to S15 described above. In this ECU 20, the operation of changing the display mode by the display position determination unit 206 is performed by, for example, when the engine of the vehicle 1 is started, the position information of the vehicle 1 received by the GNSS information acquisition unit 203, etc. is used to move the vehicle 1 to the expressway. When entry is detected, when the position of the seat 4 in the longitudinal direction or the height of the seat surface is changed, when the angle of the backrest of the seat 4 is changed, or when the angle of the mirror surface of the door mirror 7 is changed. It may be executed at least at one of the times when the change is made. As a result, it is possible to change the display mode at the timing when it is required, and it is possible to avoid the situation where the change operation is always executed, so that the processing load of the CPU 101 can be reduced. Information on the display mode of the display information determined by the display position determination unit 206 is stored in the storage unit 209 when the engine of the vehicle 1 is stopped, and the display control unit 207 changes the display mode of the display information to the storage unit 209 when the engine of the vehicle 1 is started. , and the display information on the display panel 16 may be displayed in a display mode indicated by the read information.

As described above, in the ECU 20 according to the present embodiment, the line-of-sight estimation unit 204 performs the The line of sight of the driver with respect to the display panel 16 is estimated, and the blind spot estimation unit 205 calculates the line of sight estimated by the line of sight estimation unit 204 and the position of the steering wheel 11 of the vehicle 1, based on the position of the steering wheel 11 of the vehicle 1. A blind spot is estimated, and the display position determination unit 206 selects at least the display information out of the display information always displayed on the display panel 16 in a visible area excluding the blind spot estimated by the blind spot estimation unit 205 in the display area. The display control unit 207 changes the display mode of the display information so that the information within the range that can achieve the display purpose can be displayed. It is supposed to be displayed on the display panel 16 . As a result, the display information that is always displayed on the display panel 16, which is a meter panel, can be displayed while avoiding a blind spot for the driver. Therefore, drivability can be improved in driving the vehicle 1 by the driver.

(Modification)
An ECU according to a modification will be described, focusing on the differences from the ECU 20 according to the above-described embodiment. In the above-described embodiment, when the display mode of the display information on the display panel 16 is changed, the display information is automatically displayed in the display mode. In this modified example, when the display mode of the display information on the display panel 16 is changed, the operation of asking the driver whether or not to change the display mode will be described. The hardware configuration of the ECU according to this modification is the same as the hardware configuration of the ECU 20 described in the above-described embodiment.

The configuration and operation of the functional blocks of the ECU 20a according to this modification will be described with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 14, the ECU 20a includes a sensor information acquisition unit 201, an image acquisition unit 202, a GNSS information acquisition unit 203, a line of sight estimation unit 204, a blind spot estimation unit 205, a display position determination unit 206, a notification It has a unit 211 , a determination unit 212 , a display control unit 207 , an operation input unit 208 , a storage unit 209 and a communication unit 210 .

The notification unit 211 is a functional unit that, when the display mode of the display information on the display panel 16 is changed by the display position determination unit 206, notifies whether or not to display in the changed display mode. For example, the notification unit 211 causes the touch panel 15 to display the confirmation notification.

After the notification is made by the notification unit 211, the determination unit 212 selects either to display in a new display mode or to keep the current display mode as it is according to the driver's operation input received by the operation input unit 208. It is a functional unit that determines whether the

When the determination unit 212 determines that the new display mode has been selected, the display control unit 207 displays the display information on the display panel 16 in the display mode changed by the display position determination unit 206 .

The operations of other functional units are the same as those described in the above embodiment.

Sensor information acquisition unit 201, image acquisition unit 202, GNSS information acquisition unit 203, line-of-sight estimation unit 204, blind spot estimation unit 205, display position determination unit 206, notification unit 211, determination unit 212, display control unit 207, operation input Unit 208 and communication unit 210 are realized by executing a program by CPU 101 shown in FIG. Some or all of these functional units may be realized by hardware circuits such as FPGA or ASIC instead of software programs.

It should be noted that each of the functional units of the ECU 20a shown in FIG. 14 conceptually shows the function, and is not limited to such a configuration. For example, a plurality of function units illustrated as independent function units in the ECU 20a shown in FIG. 14 may be configured as one function unit. On the other hand, in the ECU 20a shown in FIG. 14, the function of one functional unit may be divided into a plurality of functional units.

The flow of the display operation of the display panel 16 by the ECU 20a according to this modification will be described with reference to FIG.

<Steps S21 to S24>
The operations of steps S21 to S24 are the same as the operations of steps S11 to S14 shown in FIG. 7, respectively. Then, the process proceeds to step S25.

<Step S25>
When the display position determination unit 206 determines a new display mode of the display information on the display panel 16, the notification unit 211 of the ECU 20a notifies whether or not to display the information in the new display mode. For example, the notification unit 211 causes the touch panel 15 to display the confirmation notification. Then, the determination unit 212 of the ECU 20a determines whether a new display mode or a current display mode is selected based on the driver's operation input received by the operation input unit 208. . If display in a new display mode is selected (step S25: Yes), the process proceeds to step S26, and if it is selected to remain in the current display mode (step S25: No), the process proceeds to step S27. Transition.

<Step S26>
The display control unit 207 of the ECU 20 displays the display information on the display panel 16 in the display mode changed by the display position determination unit 206 .

<Step S27>
The display control unit 207 displays the display information on the display panel 16 in the current display mode.

The display operation of the display panel 16 by the ECU 20a is executed by the flow of steps S21 to S27.

As described above, in the ECU 20a according to the present modification, when the display position determination unit 206 changes the display mode of the display information, the notification unit 211 confirms whether or not to display in the changed display mode. After the notification by the notification unit 211, the determination unit 212 displays the information in the display mode changed by the display position determination unit 206 according to the operation input by the driver received by the operation input unit 208. or to keep the current display mode. When it is determined that the display has been selected, the display information on the display panel 16 is displayed in the display mode changed by the display position determination unit 206 . As a result, in addition to having the same effect as the above-described embodiment, it is possible to finally leave the decision of whether or not to display the display information in the changed display mode to the driver. Since the display mode can be set in accordance with the above, drivability can be further improved.

It should be noted that the programs executed by the ECUs 20 and 20a according to the above-described embodiments and modifications are provided in a state of being preinstalled in a ROM or the like. Further, the programs executed by the ECUs 20 and 20a according to the above-described embodiments and modifications are stored as files in an installable format or an executable format on a CD-ROM, flexible disk (FD), CD-R, DVD (Digital It may be configured to record and provide in a computer-readable storage medium such as Versatile Disk). Also, the above-described program may be provided to the ECUs 20 and 20a via a network such as the Internet. Further, the programs to be executed by the ECUs 20 and 20a according to the above-described embodiment and modifications have a module configuration including each of the above-described functional units. As the actual hardware of the ECUs 20 and 20a, for example, the CPU 101 reads out and executes a program from the ROM 103, so that each of the plurality of functional units described above is loaded onto the RAM 102, which is a main storage device. Each functional unit is generated on the RAM 102 .

In the above description, the notation "... part" used for each component may be "... circuit", "... device", "... unit", or "... Other notations such as "module" may be substituted.

Each functional block used in the description of the above embodiments is typically implemented as an LSI, which is an integrated circuit. The integrated circuit may control each functional block used in the description of the above embodiments and may have inputs and outputs. These may be made into one chip individually, or may be made into one chip so as to include part or all of each functional block. Although LSI is used here, it may also be called IC, system LSI, super LSI, or ultra LSI depending on the degree of integration. Also, the method of circuit integration is not limited to LSI, and a dedicated circuit or a general-purpose processor may be used. An FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) that can be programmed after the LSI is manufactured, or a reconfigurable processor that can reconfigure the connections and settings of circuit cells inside the LSI may be used. Furthermore, if an integration technology that replaces the LSI appears due to advances in semiconductor technology or another derived technology, it is of course possible to integrate the functional blocks using another technology. Application of biotechnology, etc. is possible.

Although embodiments and modifications of the present disclosure have been described, they are presented by way of example and are not intended to limit the technical scope of the invention. These embodiments and modifications can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, changes, and combinations can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and modifications are included in the equivalent scope of the invention described in the claims as well as included in the scope and gist of the invention.

1 vehicle 2 vehicle body 3, 3F, 3R wheel 4 seat 5 vehicle driving unit 6 camera 7, 7L, 7R door mirror 8 rear seat 9 room mirror 10 engine switch 11 steering wheel 11a rim portion 11b spoke portion 11c hub portion 12 shift lever 13 parking brake 14 door lock device 15 touch panel 16 display panel 17 steering wheel position sensor 18a seat position sensor 18b seat height sensor 18c seat angle sensor 19 GNSS sensor 20, 20a ECU
21 vehicle speed sensor 22 communication device 23 door mirror angle sensor 30 driver 40-43 line of sight 50-52 area 101 CPU
102 RAMs
103 ROMs
104 Imaging I/F
105 Display I/F
106 GNSS interface
107 Vehicle speed I/F
108 Communication I/F
109 Sensor I/F
110 Bus 111 Panel I/F
161, 161a to 161c Speedometer 162, 162a, 162b Tachometer 163, 163a, 163b Shift lever position indicator lamp 164, 164a, 164b Fuel gauge 165, 165a, 165b Water temperature gauge 166, 166a-1 to 166a-4, 166b-1 , 166b-2 warning light 170 needle indication unit 201 sensor information acquisition unit 202 image acquisition unit 203 GNSS information acquisition unit 204 line of sight estimation unit 205 blind spot estimation unit 206 display position determination unit 207 display control unit 208 operation input unit 209 storage unit 210 Communication unit 211 Notification unit 212 Determination unit

Claims (10)

a line-of-sight estimating circuit for estimating the line-of-sight of the driver with respect to the display panel based on at least one of the position of the head of the driver driving the vehicle and the state of the seat of the vehicle;
a blind spot estimation circuit for estimating a blind spot due to the steering wheel in the display area of the display panel based on the line of sight estimated by the sight line estimation circuit and the position of the steering wheel of the vehicle;
Among the display information constantly displayed on the display panel, at least a range capable of achieving the display purpose of the display information is displayed in the visible area excluding the blind spot estimated by the blind spot estimation circuit in the display area. a changing circuit for changing the display mode of the display information so that the information can be displayed;
a display control circuit for displaying the display information on the display panel in the display mode changed by the change circuit;
A display controller with 2. The display control device according to claim 1, wherein the change circuit changes the display mode of the display information so that the entire display information can be displayed in the visible area. further comprising a first acquisition circuit that acquires position information indicating the position of the handle;
The display control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the blind spot estimation circuit estimates the blind spot based on the line of sight and the position information acquired by the first acquisition circuit. Positional information of the seat in the longitudinal direction, positional information of the height of the seat, angle information of the backrest of the seat, angle information of the mirror surface of the drum mirror of the vehicle, and imaging including the driver captured by an imaging device further comprising a second acquisition circuit for acquiring at least one of the images;
The display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the line-of-sight estimation circuit estimates the line of sight based on the information acquired by the second acquisition circuit. a notification circuit that, when the display mode of the display information is changed by the change circuit, notifies whether or not to display in the changed display mode;
After the notification is made by the notification circuit, the display information is displayed in the display mode changed by the change circuit or the current display mode is changed according to the operation input by the driver received by the operation input circuit. a judgment circuit for judging which one is selected;
further comprising
When the determination circuit determines that the display information is displayed in the display mode changed by the change circuit, the display control circuit changes the display information on the display panel by the change circuit. 5. The display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which displays in a changed display mode. 6. The changing circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the change circuit changes the display mode of the display information by at least one of moving, rotating, dividing, enlarging, reducing, transforming, or rotating the display information. display controller. When the display information is a speedometer or a tachometer, the change circuit displays the display information by moving the numerals included in the blind spot area in a direction to approach the indicator of the needle of the speedometer or tachometer. The display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the aspect is changed. The change circuit changes the angle of the backrest of the seat when the engine of the vehicle is started, when the vehicle enters a highway, when the position of the seat in the longitudinal direction or the height of the seat surface is changed. or at least one of when the angle of the mirror surface of the door mirror of the vehicle is changed, the display mode of the display information is changed. display controller. a line-of-sight estimation step of estimating a line-of-sight of the driver with respect to the display panel based on at least one of the position of the head of the driver who drives the vehicle and the state of the seat of the vehicle;
a blind spot estimation step of estimating a blind spot caused by the steering wheel in the display area of the display panel based on the estimated line of sight and the position of the steering wheel of the vehicle;
Among the display information that is always displayed on the display panel, at least information within a range that can achieve the display purpose of the display information can be displayed in the visible area excluding the estimated blind spot in the display area. a changing step of changing the display mode of the display information,
a display control step of displaying the display information on the display panel in the changed display mode;
A display control method comprising: to the computer,
a line-of-sight estimation step of estimating a line-of-sight of the driver with respect to the display panel based on at least one of the position of the head of the driver who drives the vehicle and the state of the seat of the vehicle;
a blind spot estimation step of estimating a blind spot caused by the steering wheel in the display area of the display panel based on the estimated line of sight and the position of the steering wheel of the vehicle;
Among the display information that is always displayed on the display panel, at least information within a range that can achieve the display purpose of the display information can be displayed in the visible area excluding the estimated blind spot in the display area. a changing step of changing the display mode of the display information,
a display control step of displaying the display information on the display panel in the changed display mode;
program to run the

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