JP6570425B2 - Vehicle projection device and vehicle projection system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle projection device that projects image information onto a road surface in the vicinity of a door portion of the vehicle, and more particularly to a vehicle projection device that projects information useful for a rider when getting off the vehicle.

  In recent years, in-vehicle devices such as navigation devices not only display a map image on a center display to guide to a destination, but also detect a passenger's getting off and boarding, and display a guidance message according to each situation. It is possible to display.

  As an example of controlling the in-vehicle device in consideration of such a passenger's getting-off and boarding situation, for example, in Patent Document 1, when the door lock state is released and then the illuminance below the threshold is detected, An illumination device for a vehicle is disclosed in which light is emitted from an attached light source toward the feet and then turned off when the door is opened, thereby improving the visibility of the feet when getting on and off the vehicle. . Further, Patent Document 2 discloses a vehicular lighting device that secures a field of view when a user parks a vehicle in a garage that does not have a lighting facility when the user inputs a direction in which the light is to be turned on in advance. .

Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2015-71386 Japanese Patent No. 4561737

  When a passenger gets off, even if information such as a guidance message is displayed on the center display in the car, the display is in the opposite direction to the direction of getting off, so the information displayed on the display is visible to the passenger. There is a problem that it is difficult to do. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, when the driver U gets out of the own vehicle M, the driver U is in the direction X away from the display D even if useful information is displayed on the center display D in the vehicle. It is difficult to see the display information on the center display D because it gets off. In addition, the vehicular illumination device disclosed in Patent Document 1 only illuminates the feet of the rider when getting off, and does not include information useful or necessary for the rider.

  This invention solves such a conventional subject, and it aims at providing the projection device for vehicles and the projection system for vehicles which can visually recognize useful information easily when getting off.

  The vehicle projection device according to the present invention projects information on a road surface in the vicinity of the door portion of the vehicle, and holds means for holding image information useful for the rider when getting off, and whether the rider gets off the vehicle. And a projecting unit that projects an image on the road surface near the door based on the image information held by the holding unit.

  Preferably, the vehicular projection apparatus further includes connection means, and the holding means holds useful image information transmitted from an electronic device connected via the connection means. Preferably, the determination unit determines whether to get off based on determination information transmitted from an electronic device connected via the connection unit. Preferably, the projection means is attached to a side mirror of a vehicle. Preferably, the projection unit includes a light modulation unit that optically modulates light illuminated by a light source based on the image information, and a projection optical system that projects the modulated light. Preferably, the projection unit includes a plurality of light emitting elements, and the projection unit controls lighting of the plurality of light emitting elements based on the image information. Preferably, the projection means projects an image in response to the opening of the vehicle door.

  The vehicle projection system according to the present invention includes the vehicle projection device having the above-described configuration and an electronic device connected to the vehicle projection, and the electronic device is an image to be projected by the projection means. A generating unit configured to generate information; and a transmitting unit configured to transmit information to the vehicle projection device. The transmitting unit transmits the image information generated by the generating unit to the vehicle projection device.

  Preferably, the electronic device further includes detection means for detecting a state of the vehicle, and the transmission means transmits the vehicle state detected by the detection means to the vehicle projection device. Preferably, the electronic device further includes an exit determination unit that determines whether or not a passenger gets off based on the state of the vehicle detected by the detection unit, and the transmission unit includes determination information of the exit determination unit. Transmit to the vehicle projection device. Preferably, the electronic device further includes navigation means, and the generation means generates image information relating to a facility where the vehicle position is present in cooperation with the navigation means. Preferably, the generation means generates image information indicating the direction of the facility after getting off. Preferably, the generation unit generates image information related to the destination when the destination is set by the navigation unit. Preferably, the generating unit generates image information related to the registered address when the own vehicle position matches the registered address. Preferably, the generation means generates image information including a logo or a message.

  According to the present invention, since information useful for the rider is projected onto the road surface in the vicinity of the door when getting off, the image is projected in a direction corresponding to the direction in which the rider gets off, and the rider is projected. This makes it easier to see the image.

It is a figure which shows the structural example of the projection system for vehicles which concerns on 1st Example of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structural example of the vehicle-mounted apparatus shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the example of attachment of the projection apparatus of a present Example. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the projection apparatus which concerns on 1st Example of this invention. It is a figure which shows the functional structural example of the projection control program of the vehicle-mounted apparatus which concerns on 1st Example of this invention. It is a figure which shows the functional structure of the projection control program of the projection apparatus which concerns on 1st Example of this invention. It is an operation | movement flow of the projection system for vehicles which concerns on 1st Example of this invention. It is an example of an image projection of the projection system for vehicles concerning the 1st example of the present invention. It is a specific example of the projection image which concerns on 1st Example of this invention. It is an example of an image projection of the projection system for vehicles concerning the 2nd example of the present invention. It is a figure explaining the subject of the conventional vehicle-mounted apparatus or the illuminating device for vehicles.

  Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. The vehicle projection device according to the present invention has a function of projecting image information onto a road surface near the door portion of the vehicle. In a preferred embodiment, the projection device is a projector attached to a side mirror or the like of the vehicle, and projects information useful for the rider or necessary image information onto the road surface when the rider gets off. In a further preferred aspect, the vehicle projection device according to the present invention can be connected to an in-vehicle device equipped with an audio / video navigation (AVN) function or the like provided in the vehicle, and various information transmitted from the in-vehicle device. And control the projection based on the received information.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a vehicle projection system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The vehicle projection system 1 includes an in-vehicle device 10 having an AVN function and the like, and a projection device 20 connected to the in-vehicle device 10 via a connection unit 30.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a typical configuration example of the in-vehicle device 10. The in-vehicle device 10 includes an input unit 100 that receives an instruction from a user, a navigation unit 110, a vehicle state detection unit 120, a connection unit 130, a display unit 140, an audio output unit 150, a communication unit 160, a storage unit 170, and a control unit 180. Consists of including.

  The navigation unit 110 calculates the vehicle position based on the GPS signal transmitted from the GPS satellite and the sensor output of the gyro sensor or acceleration sensor mounted on the vehicle. In a preferable example, the detection accuracy of the own vehicle position is an error accuracy of several centimeters to several tens of centimeters by using a positioning satellite (quasi-zenith satellite system) / positioning marker (porcelain, wireless communication, image mark, etc.). Become. The navigation unit 110 uses the calculated vehicle position to display a surrounding road map or to guide a searched route to the destination.

  The vehicle state detection unit 120 detects information related to the vehicle, for example, side brake on / off, gear position, vehicle speed, door opening / closing, engine start / stop (ignition switch on / off), and the like. Although the detection method is arbitrary, for example, it is possible to acquire a detection signal indicating these states via an in-vehicle bus.

  The connection unit 130 enables connection with the projection device 20 and other external devices. The connection method is arbitrary, but it may be a specific dedicated wiring or other standard connection. The display unit 140 includes, for example, a center display in the vehicle, and displays a road map or the like generated by the navigation unit 110 there. The voice output unit 150 outputs reproduced music data, voice guidance, and the like. The communication unit 160 enables data communication with an external network or the like.

  The storage unit 170 stores programs and software executed by the control unit 180 and road map data required by the navigation unit 110. The road map data preferably includes detailed facility data regarding the facility. The storage unit 170 can further store image information projected by the projection device 20. In a preferred embodiment, the control unit 180 includes a microcontroller including a ROM, a RAM, and the like, and the ROM or the RAM can store various programs for controlling the operation of each unit of the in-vehicle device 10.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of attachment of the projection device 20. The projection device 20 projects image information in the vicinity of the feet when the passenger gets off. In a preferred example, the projection device 20 is attached to each of the pair of side mirrors 40 of the host vehicle M or to one side mirror 40. In this case, the projection device 20 is mounted so as to be embedded in the side mirror 40, and the projection direction, the focal length, and the like are adjusted in advance so that the projected image is located near the feet when the passenger gets off the vehicle. The Note that the mounting position of the projection device 20 is not necessarily limited to the side mirror, and may be mounted on a door, for example.

  FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the projection apparatus 20. The projection apparatus 20 includes a light source 210, an illumination optical system 220, a light modulation unit 230, a projection optical system 240, a connection unit 250, a control unit 260, a storage unit 270, and an internal bus 280 that electrically connects each unit. The The light source 210 includes, for example, a light emitting diode array, and the illumination optical system 220 condenses light emitted from the light source 210 and illuminates the light modulation unit 230 with the collected light. The light modulation unit 230 includes, for example, a liquid crystal device or a digital mirror device in which a plurality of variable mirrors are two-dimensionally arranged, and spatially modulates illuminated light based on image data. The projection optical system 240 collects the modulated light and projects an image on the road surface near the door of the host vehicle M.

  The connection unit 250 is connected to the in-vehicle device 10 via the connection unit 30. The connection unit 250 can receive various types of information from the in-vehicle device 10. For example, the connection unit 250 receives image information generated by the in-vehicle device 10, or the detection result of the vehicle state detection unit 120 or the in-vehicle device 10. It is also possible to receive determination information such as getting off.

  The control unit 260 controls each unit of the projection device 20 and is configured by, for example, a microcontroller including a ROM, a RAM, and the like, and executes a program for controlling projection. The storage unit 270 stores information received from the in-vehicle device 20 or stores information prepared in advance.

  FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the projection control program 300 executed by the control unit 180 of the in-vehicle device 10. The projection control program 300 includes an exit determination unit 310 that determines whether or not a passenger gets off, a projection image generation unit 320 that generates an image to be projected, and an information transmission unit 330 that transmits information to the projection device 20.

  The getting-off determination unit 210 determines whether or not the passenger gets off based on the detection result of the vehicle state detection unit 120. For example, when the gear shift is parked, the vehicle speed is zero, the side brake is turned on, the engine is stopped or the ignition is turned off, the door is opened, When the vehicle arrives at the ground, it is determined whether or not the vehicle gets off by using any one of these pieces of detection information as a trigger or when a plurality of pieces of detection information satisfy an AND condition. Furthermore, when an imaging camera or a seat sensor for imaging the interior of the vehicle is mounted, these detection results can be used. The determination result of the getting-off determination unit 210 is provided to the projection image generation unit 320.

  The projection image generation unit 320 generates an image to be projected by the projection device 20 when the getting-off determination unit 310 determines the getting-off. The image to be projected is desirably information useful for the passenger or necessary information, and the form of the image may be a still image or a moving image. Therefore, the projection image generation unit 320 generates information that is related to the content that was operating in the vehicle before the rider gets off, or information that is related to behavior expected after getting off the vehicle. Is generated.

  Preferably, the projection image generation unit 320 generates a projection image in connection with the navigation unit 110. Specifically, when it is determined that the destination set by the navigation unit 110 has arrived, the passenger is expected to go to the destination after getting off. Accordingly, the projection image generation unit 320 generates image information related to the destination with reference to the facility data and the like. For example, when the destination is a facility such as a store, images such as the opening time and closing time of the facility are generated. Further, when the vehicle position is a parking lot attached to the facility, an image of the traveling direction from the parking lot to the entrance of the facility is generated (details will be described later).

  More preferably, the projection image generation unit 320 generates a projection image in relation to the vehicle position. Specifically, referring to map data or facility data, the facility corresponding to the vehicle position is searched, and an image of information related to the facility is generated. Further, when the vehicle position is a parking lot adjacent to the facility as described above, the projection image generation unit 320 displays an image of guidance in the traveling direction to the entrance of the facility, the name of the facility, the logo of the facility, the brand It is also possible to generate an image such as the current time. As another example, when the vehicle position coincides with a pre-registered point (for example, at home), an image of information related to the registered point may be generated. Furthermore, the projection image generation unit 320 can also generate an image of an effect message such as “Come to me” or “Please come home”. For example, when the vehicle position coincides with the home, the projection image generation unit 320 generates an image such as a “Return” message or the current time.

  The information transmission unit 330 transmits various information to the projection device 20. For example, the information transmission unit 330 transmits the determination result of the getting-off determination unit 310 and the image information generated by the projection image generation unit 320 to the projection device 20. Further, the information transmission unit 330 can transmit the detection information to the projection device 20 as needed when a change in state is detected by the vehicle state detection unit 120 of the in-vehicle device 10. The projection device 20 can hold the transmitted information in the storage unit 270.

  FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the projection control program 400 executed by the control unit 260 of the projection apparatus 20. The projection control program 400 includes an information reception unit 410 that receives information transmitted from the in-vehicle device 10, a getting-off determination unit 420, a projection image determination unit 430, and a projection time control unit 440.

  The information receiving unit 410 can receive various information from the in-vehicle device 10 as described above. In one example, image information generated by the projection image generation unit 320 can be received, and in another example, determination information of the getting-off determination unit 310 and detection information by the vehicle state detection unit 120 can be received. Furthermore, the information receiving unit 410 can receive the vehicle position information, the arrival information at the destination, the current time information, and the like of the navigation unit 110 of the in-vehicle device 10.

  The getting-off determination unit 420 determines whether or not the passenger gets off. If the determination information of the getting-off determination unit 310 of the in-vehicle device 10 is received, the received determination information may be used, and the getting-off information is independently determined regardless of the presence / absence of the determination information of the in-vehicle device 10. The presence or absence may be determined. The determination result of the getting-off determination unit 420 is provided to the projection image determination unit 430.

  The projection image determination unit 430 determines an image to be projected by the projection device 20. The projection image determination unit 430 selects either the projection image generated by the projection image generation unit 320 of the in-vehicle device 20 or the projection image held in the storage unit 270. In one example, when receiving the determination information indicating that the user gets off from the getting-off determination unit 310 of the in-vehicle device 10 and receiving the projection image generated by the projection image generation unit 320 at that time, the projection image determination unit 430 Selects the projection image transmitted from the in-vehicle device 10.

  In another example, when the projection image cannot be received from the in-vehicle device 10, the projection image determination unit 430 selects an appropriate projection image from the projection images held in the storage unit 270. The storage unit 270 stores, for example, projection images such as logo information, message information, and time information, or a projection image that has already been transmitted from the in-vehicle device 10. For example, the projection image determination unit 430 selects an appropriate projection image based on the vehicle position information, time information, destination arrival information, and the like received from the in-vehicle device 10. For example, the projection image determination unit 430 can select a projection image in consideration of the day and night time zones. If the time zone is daytime, the projection image determination unit 430 selects the message “Come on” and if it is nighttime, Select the message “Please watch your steps”. Furthermore, the color of the projected image may be distinguished between daytime and nighttime, and an image with high visibility may be selected.

  The projection time control unit 440 controls the projection time of the projection image. In one example, the projection time control unit 440 starts image projection when it is determined by the getting-off determining unit 420 to get off. In another example, when the door is opened after it is determined to get off, image projection is started. The projection time control unit 440 measures time from the start of projection, and automatically terminates projection when a certain time has elapsed.

  Next, an operation example of the vehicle projection system of this embodiment is shown in the flow of FIG. First, the getting-off determination unit 310 of the in-vehicle device 10 determines that the passenger gets off (S100), and in response to this, the projection image generation unit 320 generates an image to be projected (S102). The generated image information and / or determination information is transmitted to the projection device 20 by the information transmission unit 330.

  The projection device 20 receives the generated image information / determination information via the information reception unit 410 (S106), and the received information is held in the storage unit 270 of the projection device 20. Next, the getting-off determination unit 420 determines, for example, whether or not the engine of the own vehicle has been turned off (S108). Although this determination is not necessarily essential, the reliability of getting-off determination can be enhanced by performing the getting-off determination again. Note that the detection information of the vehicle state detection unit 120 transmitted from the information transmission unit 330 can be used to determine whether or not the engine has been turned off.

  When the getting-off determination unit 420 determines that the engine is off, the projection image determination unit 430 determines an image to be projected (S110). Preferably, since the image information generated from the in-vehicle device 10 is transmitted, the projection image determination unit 430 determines the transmitted image as a projection image. Next, the projection time control unit 440 determines whether or not the door is opened (S112), starts projecting the determined image at the timing when the door is opened (S114), and a certain time has elapsed. (S116), the projection is terminated (S118).

  In this example, the projection of an image is started when the door is opened, but this is only an example, and the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto. For example, the projection of the image may be started at the timing when the image information transmitted from the in-vehicle device 10 is received. In this case, it is not necessary to determine whether the engine is off or whether the door is open. In addition, the start of image projection may be the timing at which the engine is turned off. In this case, it is not necessary to determine whether the door is open. Furthermore, in the above example, the engine-off determination is used as the getting-off determination, but a door open determination may be used instead.

  FIG. 8 shows an example of image projection according to the present embodiment. FIG. 8A illustrates an example in which image projection is started when it is determined that the engine is off. As shown in the figure, when it is determined that the engine is off, the image K is projected onto the road surface by the projection device 20 embedded in the side mirror 40. Next, as shown in FIG. 8B, the passenger U opens the door and gets off from the own vehicle. At that time, a projection image K is displayed in the vicinity of the feet, and this information is displayed by the passenger U. Visible.

  FIG. 9 is an example of a specific projection image. Assume that the host vehicle M is parked in a parking area of a parking lot P adjacent to the facility S as shown in FIG. It is assumed that the vehicle position at this time is (X1, Y1). The projection image generation unit 320 cooperates with the function of the navigation unit 110 to acquire the own vehicle position (X1, Y1) and refers to the facility data included in the road map data. Identify the parking lot P. Further, the coordinates (X2, Y2) of the entrance Q of the facility S included in the facility data are acquired, and the direction and distance from the vehicle position (X1, Y1) to the entrance (X2, Y2) are calculated. As a result, the projection image generation unit 320 generates an arrow indicating the direction from the vehicle position toward the entrance Q of the facility S and an image indicating the distance to the entrance Q. As a result, a projection image K as shown in FIG. 9B is displayed on the road surface. Further, as an example, the projection image K may include an image representing the current time (for example, PM 8:00) and the information regarding the facility S indicating the closing time of the facility (for example, PM 10:00).

  FIG. 9C is an example when the parking lot P of the facility S is separated. In this case, the projection image generation unit 320 can cooperate with the function of the navigation unit 110 to acquire route information from the vehicle position to the entrance Q of the facility S and generate an image representing the route information. As a result, as shown in FIG. 9D, a projection image K including route guidance to the entrance Q is displayed. The route guidance may be superimposed on a map or an image showing only the direction. Further, an image representing the route guidance in a text format may be generated.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the presence / absence of the passenger getting off is determined, and when it is determined to get off, image information useful for the passenger is projected onto the road surface near the door portion of the vehicle. The image information is projected in a direction that coincides with the direction in which the passenger gets off, and the visibility of the passenger is improved. Moreover, convenience for the rider is increased by projecting image information useful for the rider.

  Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the first embodiment, the projection device 20 projects an image by a projector that performs optical modulation based on the image data. However, such a projection device is relatively effective and requires a space. Therefore, in the second embodiment, a projection device having a cheaper configuration and capable of being downsized is used.

  The projection apparatus according to the second embodiment does not include the light modulation unit as in the first embodiment but includes a light source including a plurality of light emitting elements (for example, light emitting diodes and laser diodes). The light source includes, for example, 9 × 3 light emitting elements arranged in a two-dimensional array, and each light emitting element is individually driven by the control unit 260. FIG. 10A shows an example of a projected image of a road surface when all nine such light emitting elements are turned on. For example, as described with reference to FIG. 9A, if the projected image represents the traveling direction to the destination (in this case, the entrance Q of the facility S), the time during which the plurality of light emitting elements are lit is controlled. Thus, the traveling direction can be expressed. An example is shown in FIG. For example, when it is desired to represent the left traveling direction, an arbitrary row is selected, and blinking is performed with a time difference in order of the three selected light emitting elements a1, a2, and a3, and dynamic blinking that flows in the left direction is performed. Cause it to occur. When it is desired to indicate the forward traveling direction, an arbitrary column is selected, and the three selected light emitting elements b1, b2, and b3 are blinked with a time difference in order, and dynamic blinking that flows upward is generated. Let In addition, when it is desired to represent the diagonally right direction, three diagonal light emitting elements c1, c2, and c3 are selected, and these light emitting elements are sequentially blinked with a time difference in order, and the dynamic blinking that flows in the diagonally right direction. Give rise to

  The above-described blinking method of the light emitting element is an example. For example, in the case of representing the traveling direction on the left side, the light emitting elements a1, a2, and a3 are continuously lit, but their brightness gradually increases, or On the other hand, by making it smaller, it is possible to generate a sense of direction. Further, each light emitting element is not limited to emitting the same color, but may emit different colors, and a difference in information may be generated by changing the combination of color schemes. Further, when the light source includes a larger number of light emitting elements, an image having more complicated information can be generated. Further, the projection apparatus of the second embodiment may use a projection optical system that condenses light from the light emitting element and projects the condensed light.

  In the first and second embodiments, an example of projection of an image when the passenger gets off is shown, but an image may be projected when the passenger gets on. For example, when the engine is started, or when the door is opened while the engine is stopped, the projection device 20 is a projection image for boarding (for example, a message such as “Please return”). It is also possible to project the current time.

  The preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above. However, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiment, and various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the gist of the invention described in the claims. It can be changed.

1: Vehicle projection system 10: In-vehicle device 20: Projection device 40: Side mirror 100: Input unit 110: Navigation unit 120: Vehicle state detection unit 130: Connection unit 140: Display unit 150: Audio output unit 160: Communication unit 170 : Storage unit 180: Control unit 300: Projection control program 400: Projection control program M: Own vehicle U: Passenger

Claims (12)

A vehicle projection system including a vehicle projection device that projects information on a road surface in the vicinity of a door portion of the vehicle, and an electronic device connected to the vehicle projection device,
Electronic devices
Generating means for generating image information to be projected by the vehicle projection device;
Detection means for detecting the state of the vehicle;
Alighting determination means for determining whether or not a passenger gets off based on the state of the vehicle detected by the detection means;
A transmission unit that transmits the image information generated by the generation unit to the vehicle projection device when it is determined by the getting-off determination unit.
The vehicle projection device includes:
Holding means for holding image information useful for the rider when getting off , transmitted by the transmission means;
Determination means for determining whether or not the passenger gets off;
When it is determined by the determining means that the vehicle gets off , the image information transmitted in response to the getting-off determining means is determined as a projection image, and the projection image is projected onto the road surface near the foot where the rider gets off. When,
A vehicle projection system . The vehicle projection device further includes connection means,
The vehicle projection system according to claim 1, wherein the holding unit holds useful image information transmitted from an electronic device connected via a connection unit. The vehicle projection system according to claim 1 , wherein the getting-off determining unit determines to get off when the gear shift is parked, and the determining unit determines to get off when the engine is turned off . The vehicle projection system according to claim 1, wherein the projection unit is attached to a side mirror of the vehicle. 5. The projection unit includes a light modulation unit that optically modulates light illuminated by a light source based on the image information, and a projection optical system that projects the modulated light. The vehicle projection system described in 1. The vehicle projection system according to claim 1, wherein the projection unit includes a plurality of light emitting elements, and the projection unit controls lighting of the plurality of light emitting elements based on the image information. The vehicle projection system according to claim 1, wherein the projection unit projects an image in response to opening of a vehicle door. The electronic device further includes navigation means,
The vehicle projection system according to claim 1 , wherein the generation unit generates image information related to a facility where the own vehicle position exists in cooperation with the navigation unit. The vehicle projection system according to claim 8 , wherein the generation unit generates image information indicating a direction of the facility after getting off. The vehicle projection system according to claim 9 , wherein the generation unit generates image information regarding the destination when the destination is set by the navigation unit. The vehicle projection system according to claim 9 , wherein the generation unit generates image information related to the registered address when the vehicle position matches the registered address. The vehicle projection system according to claim 1 , wherein the generation unit generates image information including a logo or a message.

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