WO2016157891A1 - Information presentation apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is an information presentation apparatus. A light-emission device (40) and an HCU (100) are mounted to a vehicle A, in conjunction with a device comprising a driver assistance function that assists driving operations by a driver or performs driving operations on behalf of the driver. The light-emission device is arranged in an instrument panel (19) of the vehicle (A) and displays at least one light-emission spot (51) in a linear light-emission area (52) prescribed so as to extend along the width direction (WD) of the vehicle. The HCU obtains action information for the operation support function and, on the basis of this action information, controls the light-emission state of a light-emission spot within the linear light-emission area. The HCU changes a reference position at which the light-emission spot is displayed, when the driving assistance function is operating and when the driving assistance function is not operating.

Description

Information presentation device Cross-reference of related applications

This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2015-77088 filed on April 3, 2015 and Japanese Patent Application No. 2016-48660 filed on March 11, 2016, and disclosure thereof Is hereby incorporated by reference.

The present disclosure relates to an information presentation device that presents vehicle information to a driver.

Conventionally, for example, the information presentation apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a light emitting unit located on an instrument panel of a vehicle. The light emitting part is formed by a plurality of light emitting elements arranged in the width direction of the vehicle. The information presenting device presents information to the driver by controlling the light emission mode of the light emitting unit based on the acquired information.

JP2014-240229A

Incidentally, in recent vehicles, a driving support device that supports or substitutes for a driving operation by a driver is mounted. An information presentation device mounted on a vehicle together with such a driving assistance device needs to present information on whether or not the driving operation is supported or performed by the driving assistance device so that the driver can easily recognize it. However, although there is a disclosure in Patent Document 1 that guides the driver's line of sight, there is no disclosure of presenting the operation information of the driving support device.

In view of such a point, one of the objects of the present disclosure is to provide an information presentation device that can easily present information to the driver as to whether or not the driving support device is in an operating state. .

An information presentation device according to an example of the present disclosure is an information presentation device that is mounted on a vehicle together with a driving support device that supports or substitutes for a driving operation by a driver, and presents vehicle information to the driver. An information acquisition unit that acquires operation information; and a light-emitting display unit that is disposed on the instrument panel of the vehicle and displays at least one light-emitting spot in a light-emitting region that is defined to extend along the width direction of the vehicle. A light emission control unit that controls a light emission mode of a light emission spot in the light emission region based on information acquired by the information acquisition unit, and the light emission control unit includes a case where the driving support device is operating, and a driving support device. The reference position for displaying the light emission spot is changed depending on whether or not is operating.

The light emission spots in this information presentation device are displayed at different reference positions when the driving support device is operating and when the driving support device is not operating. Such a difference in the display position of the light emission spot can be surely perceived by the driver even if the light emission area is defined in the range of the driver's peripheral vision. Therefore, the information presenting device can easily present information to the driver as to whether or not the driving support device is in an operating state that supports or substitutes for the driving operation.

The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings,
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a layout around a driver's seat in the host vehicle. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the in-vehicle network according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing functional blocks constructed in the control circuit of the vehicle control ECU. FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the light emitting device. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing functional blocks constructed in the control circuit of the HCU. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the transition of the change in brightness repeated at the light emission spot. FIG. 7 is a state transition diagram showing details of the transition of the light emission control mode of the light emitting device. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a display of light emission spots during manual operation. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the display of the light emission spots during the LKA operation. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a light emission spot whose display width is enlarged as the risk level increases. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the reference position of the light emission spot has been moved in order to indicate the planned travel locus of the host vehicle during manual operation. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the reference position of the light emission spot is moved in order to indicate the planned traveling locus of the host vehicle during LKA operation. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining that the movement amount of the reference position does not change during the LKA operation or during the manual operation. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a series of displays for guiding the driver's line of sight to the right during LKA operation. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a series of displays for guiding the driver's line of sight to the left during manual driving. FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating a series of displays that guide the driver's line of sight in a rightward looking direction to the front during manual driving. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a series of displays that guide the driver's line of sight in a leftward looking state to the front during LKA operation. FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing the reference position setting process. FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing the light emission mode setting process. FIG. 20 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the in-vehicle network according to the second embodiment. FIG. 21 is a state transition diagram showing details of the transition of the light emission control mode in the second embodiment. FIG. 22 is a diagram for sequentially explaining the operation of the instrument panel light emission line in the risk target warning mode. FIG. 23 is a diagram showing a modification of FIG. FIG. 24 is a diagram illustrating a light emission mode in a scene in which a risk target exists inside the front pillar. FIG. 25 is a diagram illustrating a light emission mode in a scene in which a risk target exists outside the front pillar. FIG. 26 is a diagram illustrating a light emission mode in a scene where a plurality of risk objects are densely present. FIG. 27 is a diagram illustrating a light emission mode in a scene where a plurality of risk objects exist apart from each other. FIG. 28 is a diagram illustrating a light emission mode in a scene in which a plurality of risk objects having different distances from the host vehicle exist in a specific direction. FIG. 29 is a diagram for explaining a method of setting the length of the light emission spot. FIG. 30 is a diagram for explaining a method of setting the length of the light emission spot.

Hereinafter, a plurality of embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, the overlapping description may be abbreviate | omitted by attaching | subjecting the same code | symbol to the corresponding component in each embodiment. When only a part of the configuration is described in each embodiment, the configuration of the other embodiment described above can be applied to the other part of the configuration. Moreover, not only the combination of the configurations explicitly described in the description of each embodiment, but also the configuration of a plurality of embodiments can be partially combined even if they are not explicitly described, as long as there is no problem in the combination. And the combination where the structure described in several embodiment and the modification is not specified shall also be disclosed by the following description.

(First embodiment)
An HCU (HMI (Human Machine Interface) Control Unit) 100 according to the first embodiment is an electronic device mounted on the host vehicle A as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The HCU 100 is one of a plurality of nodes provided in the in-vehicle network 1. The in-vehicle network 1 includes an external environment recognition system 90, a vehicle control system 60, a wearable communication device 97, an HMI system 10, and a communication bus 99 to which these are connected.

The external environment recognition system 90 includes external sensors such as a front camera unit 92 and radar units 93 and 94, and a surrounding monitoring ECU 91. The outside recognition system 90 includes moving objects such as pedestrians, non-human animals, bicycles, motorcycles, and other vehicles, as well as falling objects on the road, traffic signals, guardrails, curbs, road signs, road markings, lane markings, And detecting static objects such as trees. The external recognition system 90 can include external sensors such as lidar and sonar in addition to the units 92 to 94.

The front camera unit 92 is, for example, a monocular or compound eye camera installed near the rearview mirror of the host vehicle A. The front camera unit 92 is directed in the traveling direction of the host vehicle A, and can photograph a range of about 80 meters from the host vehicle A with a horizontal viewing angle of about 45 degrees, for example. The front camera unit 92 sequentially outputs captured image data showing a moving object and a stationary object to the periphery monitoring ECU 91.

The radar unit 93 is installed, for example, at the front part of the host vehicle A. The radar unit 93 emits 77 GHz millimeter waves from the transmission antenna toward the traveling direction of the host vehicle A. The radar unit 93 receives millimeter waves reflected by a moving object and a stationary object in the traveling direction by a receiving antenna. The radar unit 93 can scan a range of about 60 meters from the host vehicle A at a horizontal scanning angle of about 55 degrees, for example. The radar unit 93 sequentially outputs the scanning result based on the received signal to the periphery monitoring ECU 91.

The radar units 94 are installed on the left and right of the rear part of the host vehicle A, for example. The radar unit 94 emits a quasi-millimeter wave in the 24 GHz band from the transmitting antenna toward the rear side of the host vehicle A. The radar unit 94 receives a quasi-millimeter wave reflected by a moving object and a stationary object on the rear side by a receiving antenna. The radar unit 94 can scan a range of about 30 meters from the host vehicle A at a horizontal scanning angle of about 120 degrees, for example. The radar unit 94 sequentially outputs the scanning result based on the received signal to the periphery monitoring ECU 91.

The periphery monitoring ECU 91 is mainly configured by a microcomputer having a processor and a memory. The periphery monitoring ECU 91 is communicably connected to the front camera unit 92, the radar units 93 and 94, and the communication bus 99. The surrounding monitoring ECU 91 detects the relative position and the like of a moving object and a stationary object (hereinafter “detected object”) in the traveling direction by integrating information acquired from the units 92 and 93. In addition, the periphery monitoring ECU 91 detects the relative position and the like of the detected object on the rear side based on the information acquired from the radar unit 94. The peripheral monitoring ECU 91 outputs the relative position information of the preceding and parallel vehicles traveling around the host vehicle A, the shape information of the lane marking in the traveling direction of the host vehicle A, and the like as monitoring information to the communication bus 99. .

The vehicle control system 60 includes detection sensors that detect driving operations such as an accelerator position sensor 61, a brake pedal force sensor 62, and a steering torque sensor 63. In addition, the vehicle control system 60 includes a travel control device such as an electronic control throttle 66, a brake actuator 67, and an EPS (Electric Power Steering) motor 68, and a vehicle control ECU 70. The vehicle control system 60 controls the traveling of the host vehicle A based on the driving operation by the driver, the monitoring information by the external environment recognition system 90, and the like.

The accelerator position sensor 61 detects the amount of depression of the accelerator pedal by the driver and outputs it to the vehicle control ECU 70. The brake pedaling force sensor 62 detects the pedaling force of the brake pedal by the driver and outputs it to the vehicle control ECU 70. The steering torque sensor 63 detects the steering torque of the steering wheel (hereinafter referred to as steering) 16 by the driver and outputs it to the vehicle control ECU 70.

The electronic control throttle 66 controls the opening of the throttle based on a control signal output from the vehicle control ECU 70. The brake actuator 67 controls the braking force generated on each wheel by generating a brake pressure based on a control signal output from the vehicle control ECU 70. The EPS motor 68 controls the steering force and the steering force applied to the steering mechanism based on a control signal output from the vehicle control ECU 70.

The vehicle control ECU 70 is one or a plurality of types including at least an integrated control ECU among a power unit control ECU, a brake control ECU, an integrated control ECU, and the like. The control circuit 70a of the vehicle control ECU 70 includes a processor 71, a rewritable nonvolatile memory 73, an input / output interface 74 for inputting / outputting information, and a bus for connecting them. The vehicle control ECU 70 is connected to the sensors 61 to 63 and the travel control devices. The vehicle control ECU 70 acquires detection signals output from the sensors 61 to 63 and outputs control signals to the travel control devices. In addition, the vehicle control ECU 70 is connected to the communication bus 99 and can communicate with the HCU 100 and the periphery monitoring ECU 91.

The vehicle control ECU 70 is provided with a plurality of driving support functions for supporting or acting on behalf of the driver by controlling the driving force, braking force, steering force, and the like of the host vehicle A. The vehicle control ECU 70 executes a program stored in the memory 73 by the processor 71, thereby constructing a plurality of functional blocks (81 to 84) for realizing the driving support function as shown in FIG. The vehicle control ECU 70 can output operation information of each driving support function by each functional block to the communication bus 99.

The ACC function unit 81 adjusts the driving force and the braking force based on the monitoring information of the preceding vehicle acquired from the surrounding monitoring ECU 91, thereby controlling the traveling speed of the host vehicle A (see FIG. 1). Control) function. The ACC supports or substitutes acceleration / deceleration operations among a plurality of driving operations by the driver. The ACC function unit 81 cruises the host vehicle A at the target speed set by the driver when the preceding vehicle is not detected. On the other hand, when the preceding vehicle is detected, the ACC function unit 81 causes the host vehicle A to follow the preceding vehicle while maintaining the inter-vehicle distance to the preceding vehicle.

The LKA function unit 82 realizes a function of LKA (Lane Keeping Assist) for controlling the steering angle of the steered wheels of the host vehicle A (see FIG. 1) by adjusting the steering force. The LKA assists or substitutes for steering among a plurality of driving operations by the driver. The LKA function part 82 maintains the host vehicle A in the traveling lane by generating a steering force in a direction that prevents the approach to the lane marking, and causes the host vehicle A to travel along the lane.

The LCA (Lane Change Assist) function unit 83 realizes an automatic lane change function for moving the host vehicle A (see FIG. 1) from the currently running lane to the adjacent lane. The automatic lane change can be executed when the LKA is in operation, and assists or substitutes for the steering by the driver in the same manner as the LKA. When the lane change is possible, the LCA function unit 83 moves the host vehicle A to the adjacent lane by generating a steering force in the direction toward the adjacent lane.

The traveling locus setting unit 84 calculates the planned traveling locus of the host vehicle A in association with the shape information of the lane markings in the traveling direction acquired from the surrounding monitoring ECU 91. The travel locus setting unit 84 calculates a target steering direction and a target steering amount for realizing traveling of the host vehicle along the planned travel locus. Based on the target steering direction and target steering amount calculated by the travel locus setting unit 84, the LKA function unit 82 and the LCA function unit 83 execute steering control. The travel locus setting unit 84 can output the target steering direction and the target steering amount to the communication bus 99 as steering information. The travel locus setting unit 84 can calculate the steering information and output it to the communication bus 99 even when both the LKA function unit 82 and the LCA function unit 83 are not operating.

The wearable communication device 97 shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 is mounted on the host vehicle A and is communicably connected to the communication bus 99. Wearable communication device 97 is provided with an antenna for wireless communication. The wearable communication device 97 can perform wireless communication with the wearable device 110 existing in the passenger compartment of the host vehicle A using a wireless LAN, Bluetooth (registered trademark), or the like. The wearable device 110 is worn by the driver, and is worn on the driver's head, ears, wrist, fingertip, neck, and the like, for example. The wearable device 110 can acquire the driver's biological information, for example, the pulse rate, heart rate, body temperature, blood pressure, and the like, and output the acquired information to the in-vehicle network 1.

The HMI system 10 includes an operation device such as a winker lever 15 and a DSM (Driver Status Monitor) 11 together with the HCU 100 described above. In addition, the HMI system 10 is provided with a plurality of display devices such as a HUD (Head-Up Display) device 14, a combination meter 12a, a CID (Center Information Display) 12b, and a light emitting device 40. The HMI system 10 provides information to the passengers of the host vehicle A including the driver seated in the driver's seat 17d.

The winker lever 15 is provided in a column portion that supports the steering 16. An operation for operating the winker is input to the winker lever 15 by the driver. The blinker lever 15 outputs an operation signal based on the driver's input to the HCU 100.

The DSM 11 includes a near-infrared light source and a near-infrared camera, and a control unit that controls them. The DSM 11 is disposed on the upper surface of the instrument panel 19 in a posture in which the near-infrared camera faces the driver's seat 17d. The DSM 11 photographs a driver's face irradiated with near infrared light from a near infrared light source with a near infrared camera. The image captured by the near-infrared camera is analyzed by the control unit. The control unit extracts, for example, the direction of the driver's face and the degree of eye opening from the captured image.

The DSM 11 outputs face direction information indicating the driver's face direction to the HCU 100 based on the analysis by the control unit. In addition, when the DSM 11 determines that the driver is looking aside without facing the front, the DSM 11 outputs to the HCU 100 as the driver's looking-aside information. Further, when the DSM 11 determines the dozing state in which the driver's eyes are closed, the DSM 11 can output the dozing information of the driver to the HCU 100.

The HCU 100 is connected to each operation device DSM11 and each display device. The HCU 100 acquires an operation signal output from the operation device and information output from the DSM 11. The HCU 100 controls the display by these display devices by outputting a control signal to each display device. The control circuit 20a of the HCU 100 includes a main processor 21, a drawing processor 22, a rewritable nonvolatile memory 23, an input / output interface 24 for inputting / outputting information, and a bus for connecting them.

The HUD device 14 projects the light of the image based on the data acquired from the HCU 100 onto the projection area 14 a defined by the windshield 18. The light of the image reflected on the vehicle interior side by the windshield 18 is perceived by the driver sitting in the driver's seat 17d. The driver can visually recognize the virtual image of the image projected by the HUD device 14 on the outside scene in front of the host vehicle A.

The combination meter 12a is arranged in front of the driver's seat 17d in the passenger compartment of the host vehicle A. The combination meter 12a has a liquid crystal display that can be visually recognized by the driver sitting on the driver's seat 17d. The combination meter 12a displays an image of a speedometer or the like on the liquid crystal display based on the data acquired from the HCU 100.

The CID 12b is disposed in the center of the instrument panel 19 in the cabin of the host vehicle A. The CID 12b has a liquid crystal display that can be viewed by a passenger sitting on the passenger seat 17p in addition to the driver. The CID 12b displays a navigation guidance screen, an air conditioner operation screen, an audio device operation screen, and the like on a liquid crystal display based on data acquired from the HCU 100.

The light emitting device 40 includes an instrument panel light emitting line 41, a steer light emitting ring 42, a power interface 43, a communication interface 44, a driver circuit 45, and a control circuit 46, as shown in FIGS. The light emitting device 40 presents the information of the host vehicle A to the driver by the light emitting spots 51 and 56 displayed on the instrument panel light emitting line 41 and the steer light emitting ring 42, respectively.

The instrument panel light emission line 41 is disposed on the instrument panel 19 of the host vehicle A. The instrument panel light emitting line 41 has a linear light emitting region 52. The linear light emitting region 52 is defined to extend linearly along the width direction WD of the host vehicle A. The linear light emitting region 52 is located above the CID 12b. The linear light emitting region 52 extends the end portions 53a and 53b in the width direction WD to the roots of the pillars located on both sides of the windshield 18. The linear light emitting region 52 is out of the central view range CVA of the driver seated on the driver's seat 17d. On the other hand, almost the entire linear light emitting region 52 is within the range PVA for peripheral vision of the driver seated on the driver's seat 17d. In the linear light emitting region 52, a plurality of light emitting elements are arranged along the width direction WD. The instrument panel light emitting line 41 displays at least one light emitting spot 51 in the linear light emitting region 52 by causing at least a part of the light emitting elements to emit light. The instrument panel emission line 41 can move the emission spot 51 in the width direction WD within the linear emission region 52. In addition, the instrument panel emission line 41 can change the emission color and emission size of the emission spot 51.

The steering light emitting ring 42 is disposed on the steering 16 of the host vehicle A. The steer light emitting ring 42 has an annular light emitting region 57. The annular light emitting region 57 is defined to extend in an annular shape along the edge of the setter pad portion 16 a of the steering 16. The annular light emitting region 57 is located below the combination meter 12a. The top of the annular light emitting region 57 is within the range PVA for peripheral vision of the driver seated on the driver's seat 17d. A plurality of light emitting elements are arranged in the annular light emitting region 57 along the circumferential direction of the steering 16. The steer light emitting ring 42 displays at least one light emitting spot 56 in the annular light emitting region 57 by causing at least some of the light emitting elements to emit light. The steer light emitting ring 42 can move the light emitting spot 56 in the circumferential direction within the annular light emitting region 57. In addition, the steer light emitting ring 42 can change the light emission color and light emission size of the light emission spot 56.

The power interface 43 is supplied with power from a battery or the like mounted on the vehicle through a power circuit 49. The power interface 43 supplies power to each component of the light emitting device 40. The instrument panel light emission line 41 and the steer light emission ring 42 emit and display the light emission spots 51 and 56 by the power supplied through the power interface 43.

The communication interface 44 is connected to the HCU 100. Command signals for instructing light emission modes of the instrument panel light emission line 41 and the steer light emission ring 42 are input from the HCU 100 to the communication interface 44.

The driver circuit 45 controls the current flowing through each light emitting element provided in the instrument panel light emitting line 41 and the steer light emitting ring 42. The driver circuit 45 converts the power supplied from the power interface 43 and applies a current to the light emitting element specified by the control signal acquired from the control circuit 46.

The control circuit 46 is mainly composed of a microcomputer having a processor and a memory. The control circuit 46 acquires a command signal from the HCU 100 through the communication interface 44. The control circuit 46 generates a control signal to be output to the driver circuit 45 in order to cause each light emitting element to emit light with the light emission pattern corresponding to the acquired command signal.

In order to control the light emission of the light emitting device 40 described above, the control circuit 20a of the HCU 100 shown in FIG. 5 executes a program stored in the memory 23 by each of the processors 21 and 22, thereby causing a plurality of functional blocks (31 to 35). ) Build. Hereinafter, details of functional blocks related to information presentation using the instrument panel light emission line 41 and the steer light emission ring 42 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 4 based on FIG. 5.

The information acquisition unit 31 acquires various information related to the host vehicle A. The information acquisition unit 31 outputs the acquired information to the risk determination unit 32, the blinking cycle setting unit 33, and the light emission control unit 34. The information acquisition unit 31 acquires face orientation information and side-view information by the DSM 11, monitoring information by the periphery monitoring ECU 91, operation information and steering information of the driving support function in the vehicle control ECU 70, biological information by the wearable device 110, and the like. In addition, the information acquisition unit 31 acquires the occurrence information of the event when the event that the driver should pay attention to the left and right of the host vehicle A occurs. Specifically, in order to change the lane, information indicating that the operation of the winker is started by the driver or the vehicle control ECU 70 is acquired by the information acquisition unit 31 as occurrence information.

The risk determination unit 32 determines the risk level related to the host vehicle A based on the information acquired from the information acquisition unit 31. The risk determination unit 32 determines the risk level in five stages, for example. The risk determination unit 32 determines that the state with the lowest risk level is “normal” and determines the state with the highest risk level as “risk level 4”. The risk determination unit 32 determines that the risk level is high when the level of the driver's random state increases. The risk determination unit 32 outputs the risk level determination result to the information acquisition unit 31.

The blinking cycle setting unit 33 sets a blinking cycle for blinking each of the light emitting spots 51 and 56 in a state notification mode to be described later. The blinking cycle of each light emitting spot 51, 56 is set to a cycle corresponding to the normal heart rate or pulse rate of the driver. For the heart rate and the pulse rate, biological information acquired by the wearable device 110 may be used, or a preset general value (for example, 60 times per minute) may be used. For example, when the heart rate is 60 times per minute, the blinking cycle setting unit 33 sets the blinking cycle so that a bright state and a dark state are repeated every second as shown in FIG. The brightness in the dark state is, for example, about one third of the brightness in the bright state.

5 generates a command signal to be output to the light-emitting device 40 based on information acquired by the information acquisition unit 31. The light emission control unit 34 controls light emission of the light emission spots 51 and 56 in the instrument panel light emission line 41 and the steer light emission ring 42. The light emission control unit 34 can switch the light emission control mode of the light emitting device 40 among a plurality.

The voice control unit 35 controls the voice reproduction device 140 to notify the driver through hearing. The sound reproduction device 140 includes a speaker and the like, and can reproduce a notification sound and a sound message that can be heard by all passengers of the host vehicle A in the vehicle interior. The voice control unit 35 cooperates with the light emission control unit 34 to combine the light emission spot 51 and the voice message to reliably warn the driver of the existence of the risk target.

Next, a plurality of light emission control modes will be described. As shown in FIG. 7, the plurality of light emission control modes include a state notification mode, a lane change notification mode, an approaching vehicle notification mode, and an aside look attention mode. The state notification mode is a light emission control mode for notifying the driver of the current risk level of the host vehicle A. In the state notification mode, the light emission mode of each of the light emission spots 51 and 56 is changed based on the determination result of the risk level by the risk determination unit 32 (see FIG. 5).

In the lane change notification mode and approaching vehicle notification mode, the driver's line of sight is directed toward the left or right direction in which the event is occurring when an event that the driver should be aware of occurs on either side of the vehicle A This is the light emission control mode. The light emission control unit 34 (see FIG. 5) switches the light emission control mode from the state notification mode to the lane change notification mode based on the operation of the blinker accompanying the lane change. By the light emitting display in the lane change notification mode, the driver's line of sight is guided toward the destination lane as the attention direction.

On the other hand, the light emission control unit 34 (see FIG. 5) switches from the state notification mode to the approaching vehicle notification mode when a parallel running vehicle is detected in the destination lane in addition to the operation of the blinker accompanying the lane change. And switch the light emission control mode. The driver's line of sight is guided toward the parallel running vehicle as the attention direction by the light emitting display in the approaching vehicle notification mode.

The light emission control unit 34 (see FIG. 5) determines whether or not the driver's face is directed at a predetermined angle (for example, 45 degrees) or more in the left or right attention direction based on the face orientation information. As a result, when it is determined that the driver's face is directed in the attention direction, the light emission control mode is returned from the lane change notification mode or the approaching vehicle notification mode to the state notification mode.

脇 Aside look attention mode is a light emission control mode that guides the driver's line of sight to the front. The light emission control unit 34 (see FIG. 5) switches from the state notification mode to the side look attention mode based on the driver's side look information. The driver's line of sight is guided to the front by the light-emitting display in the side-attention mode. And the light emission control part 34 determines whether a driver | operator's face direction was improved based on face direction information. If it is determined that the driver's face orientation has been improved, the light emission control mode is returned from the aside look attention mode to the state notification mode.

Among the plurality of light emission control modes described above, priority is set in the lane change notification mode, the approaching vehicle notification mode, and the aside look attention mode that notify the occurrence of an event. The priorities in the first embodiment are, in order from the highest, the look-at-attention mode, the approaching vehicle notification mode, and the lane change notification mode.

Next, details of the light emission mode of the instrument panel light emission line 41 in each light emission control mode will be described together with details of the light emission mode of the steer light emission ring 42 based on FIGS. 8 to 17 and with reference to FIG. Incidentally, in the linear light emitting area 52 and the annular light emitting area 57 in FIGS. 8 to 17, a range in which dots are written indicates a light-off state, and a white area indicates a lighted state.

In the state notification mode, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the reference positions RPa and RPm for displaying the light emitting spot 51 are displayed when the driving support function is activated and when the driving assistance function is not activated. Be changed. Each reference position RPa, RPm defines the center position of the light emission spot 51. In the first embodiment, the reference positions RPa and RPm of the light emission spot 51 are switched based on whether or not the LKA is operating among a plurality of driving support functions. The reference position RPa when the LKA is operating is defined closer to the center in the width direction WD of the host vehicle A than the reference position RPm when the LKA is not operating. As a result, the reference position RPm when the LKA is not operating is located above the center of the combination meter 12a arranged in front of the driver's seat 17d (see FIG. 8). That is, the reference position RPm is set in front of the driver. On the other hand, the reference position RPa when the LKA is operating is located above the center 52c of the linear light emitting region 52 in the width direction WD, that is, above the center of the CID 12b (see FIG. 9).

Each light emission spot 51, 56 in the state notification mode can present the current risk level of the host vehicle A to the driver by a change in the light emission color. At the normal time when the risk level is the lowest, each of the light emission spots 51 and 56 emits green light. On the other hand, in the state of the risk level “4” having the highest risk level, each of the light emission spots 51 and 56 emits yellow light. The light emission colors of the light emission spots 51 and 56 are changed stepwise from green to yellow as the risk level increases. In addition, the display width of the light emission spot 51 in the width direction WD increases or decreases according to the risk level. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 10, the light emission spot 51 is increased along the width direction WD as the risk level is increased, and is decreased along the width direction WD as the risk level is decreased. Further, each of the light emitting spots 51 and 56 repeats a change in brightness at a cycle set by the blinking cycle setting unit 33 (see FIG. 5).

As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the light emitting spots 51 and 56 are moved along the width direction WD in accordance with the planned traveling locus after a few seconds set by the traveling locus setting unit 84 (see FIG. 3). The Based on the steering information, the light emission spot 51 of the linear light emitting area 52 is moved in the linear light emitting area 52 by a movement amount corresponding to the target steering amount in either the left or right direction corresponding to the target steering direction after a few seconds. Each reference position RPa, RPm is moved. The amount of movement of each reference position RPa, RPm is set to match the amount of movement in the width direction WD of the outer edge of the steering wheel 16 when the target steering amount is realized, for example, as schematically shown in FIG. . In addition, the movement amount of the reference position RPa when the LKA is operating and the movement amount of the reference position RPm when the LKA is not operating are substantially the same. Furthermore, the light emitting spot 56 of the annular light emitting region 57 shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 also moves along the circumferential direction by an angle corresponding to the target steering amount in either the left or right direction corresponding to the target steering direction after a few seconds. Is done.

Next, the light emission display of the instrument panel light emission line 41 in the lane change notification mode and the approaching vehicle notification mode will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 14 shows the display of the lane change notification mode that attracts the driver to the right direction as the destination when the own vehicle A is moved to the adjacent lane on the right side by the automatic lane change. When the approaching vehicle approaching the host vehicle A is not in the destination lane, the light emission control mode is switched from the state notification mode to the lane change notification mode. With the switching to the lane change notification mode, the light emitting spot 51 is temporarily turned off from the linear light emitting region 52 (FIG. 14A). Thereafter, the light emission spot 51 is displayed again at the reference position RPa in the light emission color corresponding to the risk level, as in the state notification mode (FIG. 14B). The re-displayed light emission spot 51 starts moving in the right direction, which is the planned movement direction of the host vehicle A, in a shape with a tail trailing backward. And the light emission spot 51 reaches | attains the edge part 52a of the right direction of the linear light emission area | region 52 (FIG. 14C).

The light emission spot 51 that has reached the end 52a is divided into a plurality of divided light emission spots 51s. Each divided light emission spot 51s repeats the movement in the right direction while maintaining the interval between them (FIG. 14D). Thereafter, each of the divided light emission spots 51s is stacked toward the inner side in the width direction WD at the end portion 52a. Then, an integrated light emission spot 51 is formed again at the end 52a (FIG. 14C).

FIG. 15 shows a display of a lane change notification mode that attracts the driver in the left direction as the destination when the host vehicle A is moved to the left adjacent lane by the driver's driving operation. Along with switching to the lane change notification mode, the light emission spot 51 once turned off is displayed again at the reference position RPm in the light emission color corresponding to the risk level (FIG. 15A). The re-displayed light emission spot 51 moves to the end position EP in the left direction, which is the planned movement direction of the host vehicle A (FIG. 15B). The end point position EP is located between the end 52b in the left direction and the center 52c extending toward the passenger seat 17p (see FIG. 1) in the linear light emitting region 52. The end point position EP is located inside the peripheral vision range PVA (see FIG. 1). Further, the moving speed of the light emitting spot 51 is substantially constant regardless of whether the LKA is operating. In addition, the moving speed of the light emitting spot 51 is substantially the same whether the light emitting spot 51 moves to the left or the light emitting spot 51 moves to the right.

When the light emission spot 51 reaches the end point EP, a plurality of divided light emission spots 51s are displayed on the left end 52b. Each divided light-emitting spot 51s repeats a leftward movement while maintaining a mutual interval (FIG. 15C). Thereafter, each of the divided light emission spots 51s is stacked toward the inner side in the width direction WD at the end portion 52b. Then, the integral light emission spot 51 is displayed on the end portion 52b (FIG. 15D).

On the other hand, when an approaching vehicle approaching the own vehicle A exists in the lane of the movement destination, the light emission control mode is switched from the state notification mode to the approaching vehicle notification mode. In this case, the light emission spots 51 (FIGS. 14B and 15A) redisplayed at the respective reference positions RPa and RPm have a specific light emission color regardless of the current risk level. Specifically, in the approaching vehicle notification mode, the light emission color of the light emission spot 51 flowing through the linear light emission region 52 is set to “amber (orange)” having a stronger warning image than the risk level “4”. In addition, the display width of the re-displayed light emission spot 51 is a predetermined display width corresponding to the risk level “4”, for example, regardless of the current risk level.

Next, the light emission display of the instrument panel light emission line 41 in the side look attention mode will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 16 shows a display for improving the driver's right-handed look in the state where the LKA is not operating. If the state notification mode is switched to the side look attention mode based on the right look side information by the DSM 11, the light emission spot 51 displayed at the reference position RPm is temporarily turned off from the linear light emission region 52 (FIG. 16A). , FIG. 16B).

Thereafter, based on the face orientation information of the DSM 11, the light emission spot 51 is displayed in the portion of the linear light emission region 52 extending in the width direction WD where the driver's line of sight is directed (for example, the right end 52 a). (FIG. 16C). The light emitting spot 51 is redisplayed with a specific color such as amber as in the approaching vehicle warning mode. The re-displayed light emission spot 51 is moved to the reference position RPm at the center of the combination meter 12a, that is, to the front of the driver.

FIG. 17 shows a display for improving the driver's left look in the left direction while the LKA is operating. When switching from the state notification mode to the side look attention mode based on the left side look information by the DSM 11, the light emission spot 51 (FIG. 17A) displayed at the reference position RPa is temporarily turned off. Thereafter, based on the face orientation information of the DSM 11, a light emission spot 51 that emits light to the amber is displayed in the direction in which the driver's line of sight is facing (FIG. 17B). The redisplayed light emission spot 51 starts moving in the right direction (FIG. 17C). Even during LKA operation, the light emission spot 51 moves to the center of the combination meter 12a located in front of the driver (FIG. 17D). As described above, in the aside attention mode, the end position of the light emission spot 51 is set to the reference position RPm regardless of whether the LKA is operating.

Details of each process performed by the control circuit 20a in order to realize the display of the light emitting spot 51 described so far will be described based on FIGS. 18 and 19 with reference to FIG. First, a reference position setting process for setting the respective reference positions RPa and RPm (see FIGS. 8 and 9) of the light emission spot 51 will be described based on the flowchart of FIG. The process shown in FIG. 18 is repeatedly started by the light emission control unit 34 of the control circuit 20a based on the fact that the vehicle is ready to travel.

In S101, operation information related to activation and termination of LKA is acquired from the vehicle control ECU 70 (see FIG. 3), and the process proceeds to S102. In S102, it is determined based on the operation information acquired in S101 whether the LKA is operating. When it is determined that the LKA is operating, the process proceeds to S103. In S103, the reference position RPa is set at the center 52c of the linear light emitting region 52 (see FIG. 9), and the process proceeds to S105. On the other hand, if it is determined in S102 that the LKA is not operating, the process proceeds to S104. In S104, the reference position RPm is set in front of the driver (see FIG. 8), and the process proceeds to S105.

In S105, steering information based on the planned travel locus after several (t) seconds is acquired from the vehicle control ECU 70 (see FIG. 3), and the process proceeds to S106.

In S106, it is determined whether or not the target steering amount included in the steering information acquired in S105 is equal to or greater than a lower limit threshold value. The lower limit threshold is defined as a value such that the movement of the light emitting spot 51 is performed only when the curve and the lane change. In other words, the lower limit threshold value is set as a value that excludes the steering amount that is necessary when maintaining traveling in a lane that can be regarded as a straight line. If it is determined in S106 that the target steering amount is less than the lower limit threshold, the series of processes is terminated. On the other hand, if it is determined in S106 that the target steering amount is equal to or greater than the lower limit threshold value, the process proceeds to S107. In S107, based on the steering information acquired in S105, the reference positions RPa and RPm set in S103 or S104 are moved to the left and right along the width direction WD (see FIGS. 11 and 12), and a series of processing is performed. finish. The value of t is a value for ensuring a time that can be overridden after the driver recognizes the movement of the reference positions RPa and RPm and determines whether or not the traveling direction is right, and is set to 3 seconds, for example. Yes.

Next, details of processing for setting the light emission mode of the light emission spot 51 in the state notification mode will be described. The process shown in FIG. 19 is also started by the light emission control unit 34 (see FIG. 5) when the vehicle is ready to travel.

In S121, the blinking cycle set by the blinking cycle setting unit 33 is acquired, and the process proceeds to S122. In S122, the latest reference position set by the reference position setting process is acquired, and the process proceeds to S123. In S123, the latest risk level determination result determined by the risk determination unit 32 is acquired, and the process proceeds to S124. In S124, the light emission color, display width, and display position of the light emission spot 51 are set or updated based on the information acquired in S121 to S123, and the process returns to S122. A value set by repeating the processing of S122 to S124 is output as a command signal to the light emitting device 40 of FIG.

The light emitting spot 51 of the first embodiment described above is displayed at different reference positions RPa and RPm when the driving support function is activated and when the driving assistance function is not activated. Such a difference in the display position of the light emission spot 51 can be surely perceived by the driver even if the linear light emission region 52 is defined in the peripheral vision range PVA of the driver. Therefore, the light-emitting device 40 can easily present information to the driver as to whether or not the driving support function is in an operating state that supports or substitutes for the driving operation.

In addition, in the first embodiment, when the driving support function is in an activated state, the light emitting device 40 is operated by a vehicle-mounted system by defining the reference position RPa of the light emitting spot 51 closer to the center of the host vehicle A. Can be shown to the occupant of the host vehicle A. On the other hand, when the driving support function is not in the operating state, the light emitting device 40 indicates that the driving operation is being performed by the driver by defining the reference position RPm in front of the driver seat 17d. Can be shown to the occupant.

Further, the light emitting spot 51 of the first embodiment can indicate not only the operation information of the driving support function but also the risk level of the own vehicle A to the driver. Such risk level information presentation is performed by the light emission spot 51 displayed in the peripheral vision range PVA of the driver, so that the driver can feel an increase or decrease in the risk level as an atmosphere.

Further, according to the first embodiment, when the risk level is increased due to the driver's unclear state, the display width of the light emission spot 51 is expanded. The range PVA of the driver's peripheral vision can be narrowed as the degree of ambiguity increases. Further, even if the peripheral vision range PVA does not change, the driver's consciousness with respect to the peripheral vision may be lowered. Therefore, if the light emission spot 51 is displayed larger as the risk level rises, the light emitting device 40 can surely recognize the light emission spot 51 that informs the risk level even to a driver who is in a state of randomness. It becomes possible.

Further, when the risk level is lowered, the display width of the light emission spot 51 is reduced, so that the lowering of the risk level can be recognized and the troublesomeness for the display can be reduced.

In addition, the light emitting device 40 according to the first embodiment moves the light emitting spot 51 in accordance with future steering information in a few seconds. By such display, the passengers of the host vehicle A including the driver can be informed in advance of the future moving direction of the host vehicle A. Therefore, the light emitting device 40 can give a driver and a passenger a sense of security by presenting information by the light emitting spot 51.

And if the light emission spot 51 notifies the future moving direction as described above, it becomes easy for a driver or the like to associate the light emission spot 51 with the steering of the vehicle A. Therefore, as in the first embodiment, the switching of the reference positions RPa and RPm is preferably performed based on the operation of the LKA related to the steering function.

Further, according to the first embodiment, when the target steering amount is smaller than the lower limit threshold, the movement of the reference positions RPa and RPm is suspended. Therefore, the situation where the driver and the passenger feel annoying the minute movement of the light emitting spot 51 to the left and right is avoided.

Further, according to the first embodiment, the light emitting device 40 repeatedly changes the brightness of the light emitting spot 51 in the blinking cycle based on the normal heart rate of the driver. In addition, the blinking cycle of the light emitting spot 51 is maintained even when the risk level is increased. By displaying in the peripheral vision of the driver in such a manner, when the risk level is increased, the light-emitting device 40 It is possible to suppress an increase in heart rate in the driver. As a result, the light emitting device 40 can reduce the driver's impatience and calm the driver.

In addition, the linear light emitting area 52 of the first embodiment is generally defined to be within the range PVA of the driver's peripheral vision. Therefore, the movement of the light emission spot 51 in the linear light emission region 52 can be reliably viewed by the driver. For this reason, the driver's line of sight can be appropriately guided in the direction to be noted by causing the light emission spot 51 to flow in the direction in which the driver should be careful.

Here, it is difficult for the driver to obtain a plurality of information from the display located in the peripheral vision range PVA. Therefore, in the first embodiment, when the light emission control mode is switched, the light emission spot 51 is once turned off, so that the risk level state notification and the event occurrence notification are clearly separated. As a result, information presentation that is easy to understand for the driver is realized.

Furthermore, in the lane change notification mode, the approaching vehicle notification mode, and the side-viewing attention mode of the first embodiment, the moving speed of the light emitting spot 51 is substantially constant regardless of whether the LKA is operating. Therefore, the moving speed of the light-emitting spot 51 is defined as the fastest speed within a range that can be perceived by the driver, and a quick attraction can be realized.

Further, in the first embodiment, by providing the end point position EP between the end 52b and the center 52c in the linear light emitting region 52, the moving distance of the light emitting spot 51 from the reference position RPm to the left is shortened. . Thus, according to the fact that the movement from the end point position EP to the end portion 52b is omitted, even when the reference position RPm is away from the end portion 52b when the LKA is not operated, the moving distance of the light emission spot to the left and right is Can be substantially identical to each other. As a result, since the moving periods of the light emitting spots 51 that move to the left and right can be aligned with each other, it is possible to make the display that attracts the line of sight a sense of unity.

Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, when the driver is looking aside, the driver's line of sight can be guided to the correct position by the attraction by the light emission spot. As a result, the display of the light emission spot 51 by the light emitting device 40 can not only notify the risk level but also contribute to the reduction of the risk level by encouraging the driver to take appropriate attention.

In the first embodiment, the instrument panel light emission line 41 corresponds to a “light emission display portion”, and the linear light emission region 52 corresponds to a “light emission region”. The vehicle control ECU 70 corresponds to a “driving support device”, and the HCU 100 and the light emitting device 40 correspond to an “information presentation device”.

(Second embodiment)
The second embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment. The in-vehicle network 201 of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 20 is further provided with a locator 95 and a V2X communication device 96.

The locator 95 includes a GNSS receiver 95a, a map database 95b, an inertial sensor, and the like. A GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 95a receives positioning signals transmitted from a plurality of artificial satellites. The locator 95 measures the position of the host vehicle A by combining the positioning signal received by the GNSS receiver 95a and the measurement result of the inertial sensor. The map database 95b has a storage medium that stores a large number of map information. The locator 95 provides the vehicle control system 60 and the HMI system 10 through the communication bus 99 with the position information of the host vehicle A and the map information of the surroundings and the traveling direction of the host vehicle A.

The V2X communication device 96 exchanges information by wireless communication between an on-vehicle communication device mounted on another vehicle and a roadside device installed on the side of the road. The V2X communication device 96 acquires position information of other vehicles and pedestrians that are difficult to see directly from the driver, for example, by road-to-vehicle communication with a roadside device provided at an intersection or the like. The V2X communication device 96 sequentially outputs the acquired information to the communication bus 99.

Next, details of a plurality of light emission control modes set in the light emission control unit 34 will be described based on FIG. 21 with reference to FIGS. 20 and 5.

In the light emission control unit 34, a risk target warning mode is set as one of a plurality of light emission control modes. The priority of the risk target warning mode is set to be higher than that of the aside look attention mode, approaching vehicle notification mode, and lane change notification mode. In the risk target warning mode, when there is a risk target that the driver should pay attention to around the host vehicle A or in the traveling direction, the driver's line of sight is guided toward the risk target.

The information acquisition unit 31 acquires information required for switching to the risk target warning mode. For example, the information acquisition unit 31 can acquire the map information in the traveling direction provided from the locator 95. In addition, the information acquisition unit 31 can acquire position information of other vehicles and pedestrians existing around the host vehicle A from the periphery monitoring ECU 91 and the V2X communication device 96.

The risk determination unit 32 determines the risk level of the host vehicle A based on various information collected by the information acquisition unit 31 as a risk level related to the host vehicle A, separately from the determination of the risk level based on the vagueness of the driver in the vehicle. The risk level outside the vehicle in the surroundings and the direction of travel is calculated. For example, the risk determination unit 32 can calculate a risk level for a static risk factor due to a road structure such as an intersection with poor visibility and a dynamic risk factor such as a moving object approaching the host vehicle A. . In addition, when there are a plurality of risk factors around the host vehicle A and in the traveling direction, the risk determination unit 32 can individually calculate the risk levels of the plurality of risk factors.

The risk determination unit 32 determines that there is a risk target based on the calculated risk level exceeding the first threshold. Further, the risk determination unit 32 determines that the risk target has disappeared based on the calculated risk level being lower than the second threshold value. The first threshold is set in advance to a value having a higher risk level than the second threshold.

The risk level determination result by the risk determination unit 32 is acquired by the light emission control unit 34 in the second embodiment. Specifically, the occurrence information of the risk target generated by the risk determination unit 32 is acquired by the light emission control unit 34, and is used as a trigger for the process of switching the light emission control mode from the state notification mode to the risk target warning mode. Further, the loss information of the risk target generated by the risk determination unit 32 is acquired by the light emission control unit 34, and can be used as a trigger for the process of returning the light emission control mode from the risk target warning mode to the state notification mode.

The light emission control unit 34 acquires the relative position information of the risk target from the information acquisition unit 31. In the risk target warning mode, the light emission control unit 34 displays the light emission spot 51 in a portion of the linear light emitting region 52 in the direction where the risk target exists as viewed from the driver. The light emission control unit 34 moves the position of the light emission spot 51 in the linear light emission region 52 based on the position information so as to follow the relative position change of the risk target with respect to the host vehicle A. In addition, the light emission control part 34 can change aspects, such as the light emission color of the light emission spot 51, and light emission size, according to the risk level of a risk object. In addition, when the risk determination unit 32 determines that there are a plurality of risk targets, the light emission control unit 34 displays a light emission spot 51 that warns each of the plurality of risk targets (see FIG. 22).

In addition, when it is determined that there are a plurality of risk targets, the light emission control unit 34 selects a maximum risk target having the maximum risk level from among the plurality of risk targets, and sets a light emission spot 51 that warns the maximum risk target. It is also possible to display (see FIG. 23). In this case, a light emission spot 51 indicating the direction of the maximum risk object as viewed from the driver is displayed in the linear light emission region 52. Further, when there are a plurality of maximum risk targets, the light emission control unit 34 displays a plurality of light emission spots 51 that individually warn each maximum risk target.

Details of the light emission display in the risk target warning mode with the configuration described so far will be described with reference to FIGS. The scenes shown in FIG. 22 and FIG. 23 are scenes in which the own vehicle A in which the driving support function is not operating reaches an intersection with poor visibility due to the driving operation of the driver.

When the host vehicle A is traveling by the driving operation of the driver, the light emitting spot 51 is lit and displayed with the front of the driver as the reference position RPm in the linear light emitting region 52. (See FIGS. 22A and 23A). When the host vehicle A approaches an intersection with poor visibility, the light emission control mode is switched from the state notification mode to the risk target warning mode as the static risk level based on the map information increases. Thus, when approaching the blind intersection where there is an obstacle that blocks the driver's field of view on the left and right of the planned stop position of the host vehicle A, the linear light emitting region 52 is warned to warn of poor visibility on the left and right. The light emission spots 51 are displayed at both ends (see FIGS. 22B and 23B). Switching from the state notification mode to the risk target warning mode is performed, for example, several seconds (about 3 to 5 seconds) before the host vehicle A reaches the planned stop position. Each light emitting spot 51 is displayed in a light emitting color such as green so as to indicate a moderate risk level to the driver.

When the position information of the other vehicle A1 entering the intersection is acquired based on the information output from the outside world recognition system 90 or the V2X communication device 96 (see FIG. 20), the light emitting spot that warns the other vehicle A1 51 is further displayed in the linear light emitting region 52 (see FIG. 22C). At this time, the dynamic risk level targeting the other vehicle A1 is calculated to be higher than the risk level targeting the blind intersection. Therefore, the light emission spot 51 that warns the other vehicle A1 is displayed in a light emission color such as red so that the risk level can be clearly shown to the driver.

In the above modification, when the position information of the other vehicle A1 entering the intersection is acquired, the combined risk level of the other vehicle A1 and the blind intersection exceeds the static risk level of the blind intersection. . Therefore, after the left and right light emitting spots 51 that alert the blind intersection are turned off, the light emitting spots 51 that warn other vehicles A1 that are the maximum risk target are turned on (see FIG. 23C).

The light emitting spot 51 that warns the other vehicle A1 as a risk object can move in the linear light emitting region 52 following the movement of the other vehicle A1. Specifically, when the other vehicle A1 travels from the right side to the left side in front of the host vehicle A, the light emission spot 51 moves from the vicinity of the front pillar located on the right side of the driver to the left side of the driver. It moves toward (refer FIG. 22C and FIG. 23C).

The light emitting spot 51 that warns the other vehicle A1 is extinguished based on the disappearance information of the risk target when the other vehicle A1 passes in front of the host vehicle A. Thus, the instrument panel light emission line 41 returns to the state in which the pair of light emission spots 51 that alert the blind intersection is displayed in a light emission manner (see FIG. 22D). In the modification, the emission control mode is returned to the state notification mode by releasing the risk target warning mode (see FIG. 23D).

In the above scene, the combined spot of another vehicle A1 is warned by the light emitting spot 51. For example, in the notification of only static risk, the light emission spot is always lit by approaching an intersection or the like. Therefore, it causes the driver to get used to, and induces mistrust such as "I'm shining this time, but the car won't come." On the other hand, driver's overconfidence may be caused by dynamic risk-only notification. Specifically, when the risk target is not detected, the driver may make a false determination that “the car will not come because it is not shining”. In order to avoid the occurrence of such suspiciousness and overconfidence, it is desirable to implement warnings that combine two types of risks: static risks and dynamic risks.

In the above risk object warning mode, as shown in FIG. 24 and FIG. 25, the manner of warning the risk object is changed depending on the relative position of the risk object with respect to the host vehicle A.

In the scene shown in FIG. 24, the pedestrian P1 that is a risk target is visually recognized between the pair of front pillars above the linear light emitting region 52 extending in the width direction WD on the foreground visually recognized by the driver. It is a scene. The instrument panel light emission line 41 causes the light emission spot 51 to emit light and display in a range located below the pedestrian P1 on the appearance of the driver in the linear light emission region 52. As a result, the light emission spot 51 becomes a display indicating the direction in which the risk target exists as viewed from the driver.

Here, the closer the pedestrian P1 is to the own vehicle A, the higher the risk level of the pedestrian P1. Therefore, the light emission color of the light emission spot 51 changes in order of yellow, amber, and red with the approach of the pedestrian P1. In addition, if the pedestrian P1 is visible through the windshield 18 (see FIG. 1), the risk target warning is performed only by the light emitting spot 51. That is, the risk target warning using a sound reproducing device such as a speaker is not performed.

The scene shown in FIG. 25 is a scene in which the pedestrian P1 is visually recognized at a position outside the linear light emitting region 52 on the foreground visually recognized by the driver. Thus, when the pedestrian P1 is visually recognized outside the pair of front pillars, the driver is less likely to notice the pedestrian P1. Therefore, the instrument panel light emission line 41 displays an animation that slides in the light emission spot 51 from the end of one linear light emission region 52 close to the pedestrian P1 toward the center of the linear light emission region 52. The light emission spot 51 may be in a display mode in which the light emission spot 51 is slid in while blinking in the linear light emission region 52. Since the linear light emitting region 52 is located within the peripheral vision range PVA (see FIG. 1), the driver can notice the displayed animation. Therefore, the instrument panel light emission line 41 can guide the driver's line of sight outside the front pillar by the movement of the light emission spot 51.

In addition, when the direction of the risk target viewed from the driver is out of the range where the linear light emitting area 52 extends, such as when the pedestrian P1 is visually recognized outside the front pillar, A warning sound and a warning message are used. For example, based on the control of the voice control unit 35, a voice message that warns the driver of the existence of the risk target is played by the voice playback device 140. As described above, according to the risk target warning using both the visual stimulus and the auditory stimulus, the instrument panel light emission line 41 can reliably attract the driver to the outside of the front pillar.

Next, the light emission mode of the light emission spot 51 when there are a plurality of pedestrians Pa to Pe as risk targets in the risk target warning mode will be described with reference to FIGS.

The scene shown in FIG. 26 is a scene in which a plurality of pedestrians Pa to Pc, which are individually determined as risk targets, are present at positions close to each other when viewed from the driver. The light emission spot 51 is enlarged along the width direction WD so as to include a plurality of pedestrians Pa to Pc that are close to each other. The light emission spot 51 is displayed in a light emission color corresponding to the risk level of each pedestrian Pa-Pc.

Specifically, the driver's eyepoint IP is defined in advance in the cabin of the host vehicle A. The eye point IP is a specific coordinate on the space where it is assumed that the eyes of the driver seated on the driver's seat 17d (see FIG. 1) are located. In addition, the relative coordinates of the pedestrians Pa to Pc with respect to the vehicle A are acquired based on the position information obtained by the external environment recognition system 90 (see FIG. 20) or the like. The light emission control unit 34 (see FIG. 5) sets the size of the light emission spot 51 using the coordinates of the eye point IP, the coordinates of each pedestrian Pa to Pc, and the coordinates indicating the installation range of the linear light emission region 52. To do.

First, a virtual line connecting the eye point IP and each pedestrian Pa-Pc is defined. Each virtual line is defined substantially parallel to the road surface on which the host vehicle A travels. Among these imaginary lines, the angle between two imaginary lines adjacent to each other is the difference in the direction of the angles θab, θbc of the two risk objects as viewed from the eye point IP. When the direction differences θab and θbc are smaller than a preset threshold angle θth, the risk objects are merged together and warned by one light emitting spot 51.

In a plan view of each virtual line and eye point IP as viewed from above, both ends of the light emission spot 51 in the width direction WD straddle two outermost virtual lines and extend to the outside of these two virtual lines. I'm out. Further, when the coordinates of the center of gravity of each pedestrian Pa to Pc are defined, the virtual line from the eye point IP to the coordinates of the center of gravity intersects the center point of the light emission spot 51 in a pseudo manner. According to the expansion of the light emission spot 51 in the width direction WD, a single light emission spot 51 can alert a plurality of pedestrians Pa to Pc together on the foreground visually recognized by the driver.

The scene shown in FIG. 27 is a scene in which two pedestrians Pd and Pe that are individually determined as risk targets exist at positions separated from each other as viewed from the driver. When the direction difference θde between two virtual lines connecting the eye point IP and each pedestrian Pd, Pe is larger than the threshold angle θth, the linear light emitting region 52 is individually alerted to each pedestrian Pd, Pe or Two warning spots 51 for warning are displayed. The display position of each light-emitting spot 51 is set with reference to a pseudo intersection where the linear light-emitting region 52 pseudo-crosses each virtual line in a plan view of each virtual line and eye point IP viewed from above.

In the scene shown in FIG. 28, two pedestrians Pf and Pg that are individually determined as risk targets exist in substantially the same direction as viewed from the driver, and two pedestrians from the vehicle A This is a scene where the distances to Pf and Pg are greatly different. Since the direction difference θfg between the two imaginary lines connecting the eye point IP and each pedestrian Pf, Pg is smaller than the threshold angle θth, one light emitting spot 51 that collectively alerts these risk targets is formed in the linear light emitting region 52. Is displayed. The light emission color of the light emission spot 51 in this scene is set based on one of the two risk targets that has a higher calculated risk level. That is, the risk level of one pedestrian Pg close to the host vehicle A is selected from the two pedestrians Pf and Pg, and the emission spot 51 of the emission color corresponding to the selected risk level is linearly emitted. It is displayed in area 52.

Next, a method of changing the length of the light emission spot 51 in the width direction WD according to the relative position of the risk target will be described with reference to FIG.

The length of the light emission spot 51 is adjusted by the light emission control unit 34 (see FIG. 5) according to the direction of the risk target with respect to the traveling direction of the host vehicle A and the distance from the host vehicle A to the risk target. Specifically, even when the driver's eyepoint IP is moved forward and backward of the host vehicle A by the sliding of the driver's seat 17d, the light emission spot 51 viewed from the driver indicates the direction of the pedestrian P1 that is the maximum risk target. As described above, the size of the light emission spot 51 is defined. That is, even when the position of the driver's seat 17d (see FIG. 1) is changed in the front-rear direction of the host vehicle A, the light emission spot 51 is lit below the risk target on the foreground visually recognized by the driver. Not only the position of the light emission spot 51 but also the length of the light emission spot 51 is changed.

More specifically, the eye point IP is an eye point IPc that is assumed to have the driver's eyes in a state where the driver's seat 17d (see FIG. 1) is positioned at the center of the slide range, for example. In addition to the eye point IPc, an eye point IPf assumed in a state where the driver's seat 17d is positioned at the foremost position of the slide range, and an eye assumed in a state where the driver's seat 17d is positioned at the rearmost position of the slide range. The point IPb can be defined in advance.

A virtual line substantially parallel to the road surface on which the vehicle A travels can be defined between the eye points IPf and IPb at the foremost position and the last position and the pedestrian P1 as the risk target. The direction difference θfb generated between the two imaginary lines with the pedestrian P1 as the center is the difference in viewing direction that occurs with the difference between the eye points IPf and IPb.

On the other hand, virtual lines substantially parallel to the road surface on which the vehicle A travels can also be defined between both ends of the light emitting spot 51 and the pedestrian P1. When the angle generated between the two virtual lines with the pedestrian P1 as the center is the lighting angle θlgt of the light-emitting spot 51, the lighting angle θlgt is set to a value larger than the direction difference θfb. According to the setting in which the driver's eye point IP is positioned within the range of the lighting angle θlgt, the light emission spot 51 is visually recognized below the pedestrian P1 on the driver's foreground. Note that the center of the light emission spot 51 in the width direction WD is defined as a position where the linear light emission region 52 artificially intersects with a virtual line from the eye point IPc toward the pedestrian P1.

By using the above setting method, the light emission control unit 34 (see FIG. 5) increases the calculated direction difference θfb and consequently the lighting angle θlgt as the risk target approaches the host vehicle A, and the light emission spot 51 Is expanded in the width direction WD. According to the adjustment of the length of the light emission spot 51, the light emission spot 51 is turned on below the risk target, and the direction of the risk target can be indicated to the driver.

Next, a method of changing the length of the light emission spot 51 in the width direction WD according to the display position of the light emission spot 51 will be described with reference to FIG.

The length of the light emission spot 51 is expanded in the width direction WD as the display position of the light emission spot 51 is moved away from the driver. That is, when the size of the risk target and the relative position with respect to the host vehicle A are substantially the same, the risk target is narrowest at the front of the driver, and gradually increases as the distance from the front along the linear light emitting region 52 increases. Specifically, in the light emitting spots 51 displayed at each location of the linear light emitting region 52, the angle (hereinafter referred to as “viewing angle”) θvis between virtual lines connecting the both ends and the eye point IP is substantially equal. To be constant. The viewing angle θvis is set to about 10 °, for example.

By using the above setting method, the light emission control unit 34 (see FIG. 5) increases the light emitting spots 51 in the width direction by increasing the number of light emitting elements to be lit as the display position of the light emitting spots 51 deviates from the front of the driver. Enlarge to WD. According to the adjustment of the length of the light emitting spot 51, the driver can be surely noticed even if the light emitting spot 51 is light-emitting and displayed on the passenger seat side that is far from the driver.

In the second embodiment described so far, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained, and information on whether or not the driving support function is in the operating state can be easily presented to the driver. In addition, in the risk target alarm mode of the second embodiment, the direction in which the risk target exists is indicated to the driver by the light emission spot 51. Therefore, the instrument panel light emission line 41 can surely attract the driver toward the risk target that the driver should be careful of. Furthermore, the light emission spot 51 of the second embodiment can move left and right following the risk target. Therefore, the instrument panel light emission line 41 can continuously guide the driver's line of sight toward a risk target with a high risk level.

(Other embodiments)
As mentioned above, although several embodiment was illustrated, embodiment is not limited to the said embodiment. The technical idea of the present disclosure can be applied to various embodiments and combinations.

In the above embodiment, when the state notification mode is changed to another light emission control mode, the light emission spot is once turned off before the movement starts. However, in the instrument panel light emission line according to the first modification, the sub light emission spot having a light emission color different from that of the main light emission spot can be superimposed and displayed on the main light emission spot while the main light emission spot for notifying the state is displayed at the reference position. it can. The instrument panel light emission line can guide the driver's line of sight by moving the sub light emission spot to either the left or right. In addition, the type of light emission control mode set in the light emitting device can be changed as appropriate. Furthermore, the priority of each light emission control mode may be changed as appropriate.

Each reference position RPa, RPm in the above embodiment defines the center position of the light emission spot 51 when the host vehicle A is in a straight traveling state in the state notification mode. However, the reference position may be set at any position in the light emission spot as long as the position of the light emission spot can be defined. For example, the reference position can be set at the right end or the left end. Each reference position may be manually adjustable by the driver.

In the light emitting spot 51 of the above embodiment, both the light emitting color and the display width are changed according to the risk level. Thus, the emission color associated with the risk level is not limited to the color range from green to red as in the above embodiment. Further, the light emission spot may change only one of the emission color and the display width according to the risk level. Furthermore, during manual operation when the LKA is not operating, it is difficult to greatly enlarge the light emission spot to the right. Therefore, the light-emitting spot can be enlarged in a left-right asymmetric manner and have a shape that extends more to the left of the reference position than to the right of the reference position.

In the above embodiment, the light emission spot 51 of the linear light emission region 52 and the light emission spot 56 of the annular light emission region 57 are matched to each other. However, each light emission spot can emit light with different emission colors. In addition, the change in brightness of each light emitting spot can be synchronized with each other. On the other hand, each light emitting spot may repeat a change in brightness at a different period. Further, in the above embodiment, the information presentation in which the instrument panel light emission line 41 and the steer light emission ring 42 are synchronized is realized. However, by omitting the steer light emission ring 42, the operation of the driving support device is performed by the instrument panel light emission line 41 alone. Information can be presented to the occupant.

In the above embodiment, when the driver's attraction is performed by the light emission spot 51 of the linear light emission region 52, the light emission spot 56 of the annular light emission region 57 is turned off so as not to prevent the driver's attraction. . However, even in the light emission control mode for attracting the driver, the light emission spot of the steering can be turned on.

In the above embodiment, the instrument panel light emission line 41 has a linear light emitting region 52 extending in the horizontal direction above the combination meter 12a and the CID 12b. The shape and arrangement of such a “light emitting region” can be changed as appropriate. For example, as long as the linear light-emitting region extends so as to straddle each center of the combination meter and the CID, the end may not reach the root of each pillar. In addition, the linear light emitting region can be disposed, for example, below the combination meter and the CID. Furthermore, the instrument panel light emission line is a “light emission display part” that allows the driver to visually recognize the light emission spot formed as a virtual image by reflecting the emitted light projected on the lower edge part of the windshield at the lower edge part. May be. With such a configuration, the “light emitting area” is defined at the lower edge of the windshield. Further, the instrument panel light emission line can be formed with a plurality of linear light emission regions on the instrument panel.

Furthermore, the number and arrangement of a large number of light emitting elements constituting the instrument panel light emitting line 41 can be changed as appropriate. Further, an instrument panel light emission line for displaying a movable light emission spot may be realized by using a self-luminous panel such as an organic EL formed in a band shape instead of the configuration of the light emitting diode.

In the above embodiment, “when the driving support device is not operating” corresponds to the operating state of the LKA, and “when the driving support device is operating” corresponds to the stopped state of the LKA. As a result, the reference position is switched based on whether or not the LKA is operating. However, the driving support function used as a trigger for switching the reference position is not limited to the above LKA. The switching of the reference position may be performed based on the operation and stop of various functions that can be exhibited by the “driving support device”.

For example, the reference position may be switched when an automatic lane change, an automatic overtaking, or the like is further operated under the LKA operating state. In addition, the reference position may be switched based on the operation of the ACC. Alternatively, the reference position may be switched when a fully automatic operation in which all control is always performed by an on-board automatic operation system is activated.

In the above embodiment, the moving speeds of the light emitting spots to the left and right are aligned with each other. However, the moving speed of the light emitting spot can be changed as appropriate. When the moving speed of the light emission spot is too fast, the light emission spot is visually recognized as a linear light emission in the driver's peripheral vision, and the movement cannot be perceived. Therefore, in order to realize the attraction, it is desirable that the moving speed of the light emitting spot is set to the fastest speed within a speed range that can be recognized as movement by the driver.

Further, in each light emission control mode for notifying an event, the movement speed of the light emission spot in the right direction and the movement speed in the left direction may be different from each other. In addition, the moving speed of the light emitting spot may be different between when the driving support function is activated and when it is not activated. Further, the light emission spot that flows leftward from the reference position RPm during manual operation may continue to move until reaching the end 52b without ending the movement at the end point position EP.

In the state notification mode, the light emitting spot in the above embodiment periodically blinks to change the brightness. In such blinking operation, for example, in the darkest state, the light emitting spot may be turned off. Furthermore, the brightness change of the light emission spot may be realized by changing the hue (lightness) of the emission color in addition to or in place of the brightness change. Alternatively, the light emission spot may be a display that periodically expands and contracts in the width direction WD.

The light emitting spot in the above embodiment presents information such as the operating state and risk level of the driving support function to the driver. However, the information presented by the light emitting spot is not limited to such information. For example, when an abnormality occurs in the own vehicle A, the instrument panel light emission line can light a light emission spot for eye catching. In this case, an indicator is displayed on the combination meter, the HUD device and the like together with the eye catch by the light emission spot. The light emission color of the light emission spot is matched with the display color of the indicator, and is a color that is easily noticed by the driver, such as blue and red.

The above embodiment includes a light emitting device mounted on a right-hand drive vehicle. However, a mode provided with a light emitting device mounted on a left-hand drive vehicle is naturally an embodiment.

In the armpit notice mode of the above embodiment, the driver's line of sight is guided to the front by the light emitting spot that moves to the center of the combination meter regardless of whether the driving support function (device) is operating. However, when the driving support device is in operation, the driver's line of sight can be guided to the reference position RPa in the center of the CID. As described above, the end point position of the invitation that corrects the side look can be changed according to the operation of the driving support function, similarly to the reference position. In addition, the end point position can be set to substantially the same position as the reference position. Furthermore, the end point position in the look-ahead notification mode may be set in a direction in which the driver's line of sight is desired.

In the risk target warning mode of the second embodiment, the length of the light emission spot 51 is changed by a plurality of adjustment methods. However, these adjustment methods may be omitted as appropriate. Further, the tracking of the light emission spot to the risk target may not be performed, for example, when there are a large number of risk targets to be warned.

In the first embodiment described above, the driver's vagueness is used to determine the internal risk level. However, the internal risk level determination method can be changed as appropriate. For example, the risk determination unit may determine the risk level of the driver based on the degree of sleepiness of the driver, the fluctuation of the behavior of the own vehicle A, information on other vehicles traveling around the own vehicle A, and the like. it can.

In the above embodiment, the functions provided by the processors 21 and 22 of the control circuit 20a can be provided by hardware and software different from those described above, or a combination thereof. For example, in an in-vehicle network in which the HCU 100 is omitted, part or all of the reference position setting process and the light emission mode setting process can be executed by the control circuit of the light emitting device or the control circuit of the vehicle control ECU.

Claims (23)

1. An information presentation device that is mounted on a vehicle (A) together with a driving assistance device (70) that assists or substitutes for a driving operation by a driver, and presents information on the vehicle to the driver
   An information acquisition unit (31) for acquiring operation information of the driving support device;
   A light-emitting display unit (51) that displays at least one light-emitting spot (51) in a light-emitting region (52) that is arranged on the instrument panel (19) of the vehicle and defined to extend along the width direction of the vehicle. 41),
   A light emission control unit (34) for controlling a light emission mode of the light emission spot in the light emission region based on information acquired by the information acquisition unit;
   The light emission control unit changes the reference position (RPa, RPm) for displaying the light emission spot between when the driving support device is operating and when the driving support device is not operating. .
2. The light emission control unit is configured such that the reference position (RPa) when the driving support device is operating is greater than the reference position (RPm) when the driving support device is not operating, in the vehicle width direction. The information presentation device according to claim 1, which is defined nearer the center of (WD).
3. 3. The information presentation device according to claim 1, wherein the light emission control unit defines the reference position when the driving support device is not in operation in front of a driver seat (17d) where the driver is seated.
4. The information acquisition unit further acquires a determination result of determining a risk level related to the vehicle,
   The information presentation device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the light emission control unit changes a light emission color of the light emission spot according to the risk level.
5. The information acquisition unit further acquires a determination result of determining a risk level related to the vehicle,
   The information presentation device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the light emission control unit changes a size of the light emission spot according to the risk level.
6. The information acquisition unit further acquires a determination result of the risk level based on the driver's obscure state,
   The information presentation apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the light emission control unit displays the light emission spot larger as the risk level becomes higher.
7. The information acquisition unit further acquires a determination result of the risk level based on the driver's obscure state,
   The information presentation apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the light emission control unit displays the light emission spot smaller as the risk level becomes lower.
8. The driving support device has at least a steering function that assists or substitutes for steering among a plurality of driving operations by the driver,
   The information presentation device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the light emission control unit changes the reference position based on whether or not the steering function is operating in the driving support device.
9. The information acquisition unit further acquires steering information indicating a target steering direction for realizing a planned traveling locus of the vehicle,
   The information presentation device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the light emission control unit moves the reference position of the light emission spot in a direction corresponding to the target steering direction.
10. The information acquisition unit further acquires a target steering amount in the target steering direction as the steering information,
    The information display device according to claim 9, wherein the light emission control unit suspends movement of the reference position when the target steering amount is smaller than a lower limit threshold.
11. The information presentation according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the light emission control section repeatedly changes the brightness of the light emission spot at a period corresponding to a normal heart rate or a pulse rate of the driver. apparatus.
12. A risk determination unit (32) for determining whether or not there is a risk target to be noted by the driver around or in the traveling direction of the vehicle;
    The light emission control unit causes the light emission area to display the light emission spot indicating the direction in which the risk target exists when viewed from the driver when the risk target exists. The information presentation apparatus according to item.
13. 13. The information presentation apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the light emission control unit moves the position of the light emission spot in the light emission region so as to follow a relative position change of the risk target with respect to the vehicle.
14. The light emission control unit displays a plurality of the risks by causing the light emission area to display the light emission spots enlarged along the width direction of the vehicle when the plurality of risk objects exist within a predetermined range. The information presentation apparatus according to claim 12 or 13, wherein a direction in which objects are present together is indicated to the driver.
15. The risk determination unit calculates an individual risk level for the risk target detected from the area around the vehicle or the traveling direction;
    The light emission control unit selects a maximum risk target having a maximum risk level among the plurality of risk targets when the risk determination unit determines that there are a plurality of risk targets, and the driver The information presentation apparatus according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein the light emission spot indicating the direction of the maximum risk target as viewed from the top is displayed in the light emission region.
16. A voice control unit that warns the driver of the presence of the risk target by the voice of the voice playback device (140) when the direction of the risk target viewed from the driver is out of the range in which the light emitting region extends. The information presentation device according to any one of claims 12 to 15, further comprising (35).
17. Even if the driver's eye point (IP) is moved forward and backward of the vehicle, the light emission control unit is configured so that the light emission spot viewed from the driver indicates the direction of the risk target. The information presentation device according to any one of claims 12 to 16, wherein the size is defined.
18. The information presentation device according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the light emission control unit enlarges the light emission spot as the display position of the light emission spot moves away from the driver.
19. The information acquisition unit further acquires occurrence information of an event that the driver should pay attention to the left and right of the vehicle,
    The light emission control unit according to any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein the light emission control unit moves the light emission spot from the reference position to either the left or right direction that the driver should be aware of based on the occurrence information of the event. The information presentation device described.
20. 20. The information presentation device according to claim 19, wherein the light emission control unit temporarily turns off the light emission spot before starting the movement of the light emission spot.
21. 21. The light emission control unit according to claim 19 or 20, wherein the light emission control unit moves the light emission spot at substantially the same speed when the driving support device is operating and when the driving support device is not operating. Information presentation device.
22. The light emission control unit terminates the movement of the light emission spot at a position closer to the reference position than an end (53b) of the light emission area extending toward the passenger seat (17p) of the vehicle. 21. The information presentation device according to any one of 21.
23. The information acquisition unit further acquires side-view information relating to the driver's side-view,
    The light emission control unit moves the light emission spot from the left or right side where the driver is looking aside toward the front of the driver's seat (17d) where the driver is seated based on the aside information. The information presentation device according to any one of claims 1 to 22.

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