CN209987747U - Head-up display device - Google Patents

Abstract

The utility model relates to a head-up display device. Specifically, the present invention provides an in-vehicle head-up display device whose contents change in accordance with a change in the driving mode of the vehicle. In a head-up display device which is mounted on a vehicle (1) having a plurality of driving modes with different degrees of automation including an automatic driving mode and capable of changing the driving modes and displays predetermined contents in a predetermined display area (20) provided in front of a driver's seat, the driver can always enjoy the advantages of the driving modes of the vehicle by displaying different contents (C01, C02, C21, C22, C23, C31, C32) according to the plurality of driving modes.

Description

Head-up display device

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a head-up display device (hereinafter, referred to as a HUD device) which is mounted on a vehicle of an autonomous vehicle and displays an image (hereinafter, referred to as a content) corresponding to information effective for a driving operation of a driver to a predetermined display region provided in front of the driver.

Background

In recent years, development of an autonomous vehicle capable of automatically traveling even if a human being does not perform any driving operation (steering, acceleration, deceleration) of an automobile (hereinafter, referred to as a vehicle) or performs only a limited driving operation has been advanced.

The driving modes of the autonomous vehicle exist: the system includes an automatic driving mode in which the system performs at least a part of driving operations of a human being, and a manual driving mode in which all driving operations of the human being are performed without receiving assistance from the system. Specifically, as a driving mode of a vehicle in automatic driving, SAE standards (see fig. 13) stipulate that all 6 levels of a manual driving mode (level 0) are added to automatic driving modes of 5 levels (level 1 to level 5) different in degree of automation.

The vehicle of the automated guided vehicle includes a plurality of driving modes including a manual driving mode, and the driving mode can be changed according to the purpose. For example, following control (hereinafter, referred to as ACC) for keeping a vehicle distance from a preceding vehicle constant as described in patent document 1 below is used for a vehicle including a manual driving mode and an automatic driving mode (level 1 or more), and a HUD device for displaying information effective for a driver is mounted on the vehicle.

Specifically, the following patent document 1 describes: "a HUD device mounted in a vehicle capable of ACC through vehicle-to-vehicle communication" is configured to generate contents showing a driving state such as a driving mode and behavior of another vehicle based on information of the other vehicle acquired so that a driver of the host vehicle can recognize the other vehicle including a reference preceding vehicle as a reference, to project the contents and the separately generated contents showing the driving mode of the host vehicle onto a predetermined display area of a windshield, and to display the contents showing the driving state such as the driving mode and behavior of the other vehicle so as to be superimposed on a scene visible through the windshield from a driver's seat of the host vehicle while associating the contents with the other vehicle (see fig. 5, 6, and 7).

In fig. 5, for example, contents "ACC" and "60 Km" showing the driving mode of the host vehicle are displayed below a predetermined display area of the windshield of the host vehicle, and "automatic mode", that is, a right lane, a manual mode, and braking ", which are contents showing the driving states of other vehicles such as the driving mode and behavior of other vehicles, are displayed so as to overlap with the other vehicles in the predetermined display area of the windshield, so that the driver can recognize and understand the driving states of other vehicles existing in the surroundings.

[ Prior art documents ]

[ patent document ]

[ patent document 1] Japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2017-37634

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

The utility model discloses the technical problem who wants to solve

In the autonomous vehicle, as shown in fig. 13, since the monitoring of the driving environment and the handling (driving operation) when a problem occurs are different depending on the driving mode of the vehicle, when the driving mode of the vehicle is switched (changed), the HUD device naturally displays the contents corresponding to the driving mode after the switching (after the change), and in the prior patent document 1, there is no description at all as to how the displayed contents change with respect to the change of the driving mode of the vehicle.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems of the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a head-up display device in which contents displayed in a predetermined display area are changed in accordance with switching (changing) of a driving mode of a vehicle.

Means for solving the problems

In order to achieve the above object, a HUD device according to one aspect of the present invention is a head-up display device mounted on a vehicle having a plurality of driving modes with different degrees of automation including an automatic driving mode and capable of changing the driving modes, and displaying predetermined contents in a predetermined display region provided in front of a driver's seat,

the display device is configured to display different contents in accordance with the plurality of driving modes.

In each driving mode, the obligation (monitoring of driving environment, handling when a problem occurs, or driving operation) required by the driver is different. Therefore, the content effective for the driver in a certain driving mode is not necessarily the content effective for the driver in the other driving mode. For example, when the driving mode of the vehicle is changed from level 3 (conditional automatic driving mode) to level 5 (full automatic driving mode), that is, when the degree of automation of the driving mode of the vehicle is increased, the content effective in the driving mode of level 3 may become unnecessary content which may be uncomfortable to the driver in the driving mode of level 5 instead.

However, in the HUD device according to one aspect, when the driving mode of the vehicle is changed (the driving mode of the vehicle is switched), the content displayed by the HUD device is also changed to the content effective for the driver corresponding to the driving mode after the change (the new driving mode after the change).

In another aspect, at least one of the size and the display position of the display area of the content may be changed as the driving mode of the vehicle is changed.

The driving pattern of the vehicle of the autonomous vehicle is defined by SAE standards (see fig. 13) in all of 6-level (level 0 to level 5) driving patterns with different degrees of automation. Further, the more highly automated (lower) driving pattern, the more system (driver) is dependent on monitoring of the driving environment and coping with problems, and therefore it is desirable to change the size and display position of the display area of the content in accordance with the driving pattern of the vehicle.

In another aspect, a manual driving mode may be included in the plurality of driving modes, and a display area of content corresponding to the automatic driving mode may be configured to be larger than a display area of content corresponding to the manual driving mode.

In the manual driving mode (level 0), the driver always performs driving operation, and therefore the size of the display area of the content is small so as not to obstruct the view in front of the driver. On the other hand, in the automatic driving mode (level 1 or more), the driving operation assistance by the system increases the display area of the content to some extent, for example, within a range that does not interfere with the driving operation of the driver, and the content corresponding to the automatic driving mode (level 1 or more) can be displayed. That is, the more the driving mode with the higher degree of automation, the more the monitoring of the driving environment and the handling (driving operation) at the time of occurrence of a problem are shifted from the driver to the system, and therefore, the more the driving mode with the higher degree of automation, the larger the display area of the content can be.

For example, in a driving mode (for example, level 5) in which the driver does not perform any driving operation at all and the degree of automation of monitoring of the driving environment by the driver is the highest, even if the forward field of view of the driver is obstructed, there is no problem, and the display area of the content corresponding to the automatic driving mode can be made larger than the display area of the content corresponding to the manual driving mode, and the use corresponding to the automatic driving mode in which the degree of automation is high, such as the use as a monitor screen of a TV or internet communication, can be performed.

In another aspect, at least a part of the display area of the content may be switched between a light-transmitting state and a light-blocking state, and the size of the light-blocking area may be changed in accordance with the driving mode.

The light transmission and the light non-transmission of the area provided with the light adjusting mirror and the liquid crystal light chopper can be switched by arranging the light adjusting mirror and the liquid crystal light chopper in the display area of the content. Therefore, in the area where the dimming mirror or the liquid crystal shutter is provided, it is possible to display predetermined contents so as to be superimposed on a scene visible through the display area of the contents, and to use the predetermined contents as a monitor screen in which a background is not visible but is not visible, and therefore, it is possible to display various contents corresponding to different driving modes.

Effect of the utility model

According to the present invention, since the contents effective for the driver corresponding to the new driving mode after the switching (change) are displayed in accordance with the switching (change) of the driving mode of the vehicle by the head-up display device in the predetermined display region provided in front of the driver, the driver can always enjoy the advantages resulting from the driving mode of the vehicle.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a view showing a vehicle on which a HUD device according to embodiment 1 of the present invention is mounted, where (a) is a plan view of the same vehicle, and (b) is a side view of the same vehicle.

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view (a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II shown in fig. 1a) of the periphery of the driver's seat of the same vehicle, and is a view showing the configuration of the HUD device.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the driver's seat of the same vehicle as viewed from the rear in the vehicle compartment (a perspective view taken along line III-III shown in fig. 1 (b)).

Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the vehicle system of the autonomous vehicle.

Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating the content and the size of the content display area corresponding to the driving mode of the same vehicle.

Fig. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the HUD display processing of the HUD device according to embodiment 1, where (a) shows a content corresponding to the manual driving mode (level 0), (b) shows a content corresponding to the conditional automatic driving mode (level 3), and (c) shows a content corresponding to the full automatic driving mode (level 5).

Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing a process of changing the content displayed by the HUD device according to the driving mode of the same vehicle.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of an illumination unit of the illumination device provided on the ceiling of the same vehicle.

Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating an illumination state of the illumination unit corresponding to a driving mode of the same vehicle.

Fig. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a process in which the lighting device changes the lighting state of the lighting unit according to the driving pattern of the same vehicle.

Fig. 11 (a) and (b) are vertical sectional views showing the configuration of the HUD device according to embodiments 2 and 3 of the present invention, and correspond to fig. 2.

Fig. 12 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the HUD device according to embodiment 4 of the present invention, and corresponds to fig. 2.

Fig. 13 is a diagram showing the driving patterns (level 0 to level 5) of the autonomous vehicle in the SAE standard.

Description of the reference numerals

1. 1A, 1B, 1C vehicle

1a front window glass

2 vehicle system

3 vehicle control unit

6 vidicon

7 Radar

8 driving mode change-over switch

20. 20A, 20B, 20C, 20A, 20B', 20B ", 20C, 20d, 20e, 20f, 20g display area

50A, 50B synthesizer

100. 100A, 100B, 100C head-up display device

102. 202 HUD control part

104 HUD

105 image projector

106 optical component

106a mirror

106b magnifier

200 transparent OLED

C01, C02, C11, C21, C22, C23, C24 content

Detailed Description

(embodiment 1)

Fig. 1 shows a vehicle 1 on which a HUD device 100 according to the present embodiment is mounted, and fig. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view (a cross-sectional view along line II-II in fig. 1a) of the vicinity of a driver's seat of the same vehicle, showing the configuration of the HUD device 100. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a driver's seat of the same vehicle (a perspective view along a line III-III shown in fig. 1 (b)) as viewed from the rear in the vehicle compartment, and fig. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the entire vehicle system of the vehicle 1 as an autonomous vehicle.

In these figures, the vehicle 1 is an automobile capable of traveling in an automatic driving mode, and includes a HUD device 100 and an illumination device 4. The HUD device 100 is a device that mainly displays contents showing various types of travel information effective for a driving operation of a driver (hereinafter, "displaying predetermined contents in a predetermined display area" is referred to as "HUD display processing") on a predetermined display area (a predetermined area of the windshield 1a) 20 provided in front of the driver seated in a driver's seat, and includes a HUD control unit 102 and a HUD image projection unit 104 (see fig. 2 and 4). On the other hand, the illumination device 4 is a device for displaying information indicating the driving mode of the vehicle 1 to the outside of the vehicle, and includes an illumination control unit 42 and an illumination unit 44, and the illumination unit 44 is disposed on the roof of the vehicle body of the vehicle 1 (see fig. 1 and 4).

(vehicle System of automatic Driving vehicle 2)

First, a vehicle system 2 used as an autonomous vehicle of the vehicle 1 will be described with reference to fig. 4. As shown in fig. 4, the vehicle System 2 of the autonomous vehicle includes a vehicle control unit 3, a HUD device 100, an illumination device 4, a sensor 5, a camera 6, a radar 7, a driving mode switching switch 8, a GPS (Global Positioning System) 9, a wireless communication unit 10, and a map information storage unit 11. Further, the vehicle system 2 includes a steering actuator 12, a steering device 13, a brake actuator 14, a brake device 15, an acceleration actuator 16, and an acceleration device 17.

The vehicle control unit 3 is configured to control the traveling of the vehicle 1. The vehicle Control Unit 3 is constituted by, for example, an Electronic Control Unit (ECU). The electronic control unit includes a microcontroller including a processor and memory, as well as other electronic circuitry (e.g., transistors, etc.). The processor is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), and/or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). The Memory includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) in which various vehicle control programs (for example, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) program for automatic driving, etc.) are stored, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) in which various vehicle control data are temporarily stored. The processor is configured to: programs specified by various vehicle control programs stored in the ROM are developed on the RAM, and various processes are executed in cooperation with the RAM.

The vehicle control unit 3 generates a mode signal indicating the driving mode of the vehicle 1, and transmits the mode signal to each of the HUD control unit 102 of the HUD device 100 and the illumination control unit 42 of the illumination device 4. The HUD control unit 102 drives the HUD104 based on the received mode signal, and changes the content to be displayed so as to correspond to the driving mode of the vehicle 1 (see fig. 5 and 6). On the other hand, the illumination control unit 42 changes the illumination state of the illumination unit 44 in accordance with the driving mode of the vehicle 1 based on the received mode signal (see fig. 9).

The sensor 5 includes an acceleration sensor, a velocity sensor, a gyro sensor, and the like. The sensor 5 is configured to: the running state of the vehicle 1 is detected, and the running state information is output to the vehicle control portion 3. The sensor 5 may also further include: a seating sensor that detects whether a driver is seated on a driver seat; a face direction sensor that detects a direction of a face of the driver; and an external weather sensor that detects an external weather state.

The camera 6 is a camera including an image pickup Device such as a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) or a CMOS (complementary MOS). The radar 7 is a millimeter wave radar, a microwave radar, a laser radar, or the like. The camera 6 and the radar 7 are configured to: the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1 (other vehicles, pedestrians, road shapes, traffic signs, obstacles, and the like) is detected, and the surrounding environment information is output to the vehicle control section 3.

The driving mode changeover switch 8 is a switch for changing over the driving mode of the vehicle 1. Although the vehicle 1 will be described in detail later, the vehicle 1 includes all of the 6-level driving modes (the manual driving mode at level 0 and the automatic driving mode at 5 levels in total at levels 1 to 5), and the driving mode of the vehicle 1 can be switched (changed) by operating the driving mode changeover switch 8.

The GPS9 is constituted by: the present position information of the vehicle 1 is acquired, and the acquired present position information is output to the vehicle control unit 3. The wireless communication unit 10 is configured to: the travel information of the other vehicle located around the vehicle 1 is received from the other vehicle, and the travel information of the vehicle 1 is transmitted to the other vehicle (inter-vehicle communication). The wireless communication unit 10 is configured to: the infrastructure information is received from a base device such as a traffic signal, and the travel information of the vehicle 1 is transmitted to the base device (road-to-vehicle communication). The map information storage unit 11 is an external storage device such as a hard disk drive that stores map information, and is configured to output the map information to the vehicle control unit 3.

When the vehicle 1 travels in the automatic driving mode, the vehicle control unit 3 automatically generates at least one of a steering control signal, an acceleration control signal, and a braking control signal based on the travel state information, the surrounding environment information, the current position information, the map information, and the like. The steering actuator 12 is configured to: receives a steering control signal from the vehicle control section 3, and controls the steering device 13 based on the received steering control signal. The brake actuator 14 is configured to: receives a brake control signal from the vehicle control section 3, and controls the brake device 15 based on the received brake control signal. The acceleration actuator 16 is configured to: receives an acceleration control signal from the vehicle control section 3, and controls the acceleration device 17 based on the received acceleration control signal. In this way, in the automatic driving mode, the travel of the vehicle 1 is automatically controlled by the vehicle system 2.

On the other hand, when the vehicle 1 travels in the manual driving mode, the vehicle control unit 3 generates a steering control signal, an acceleration control signal, and a braking control signal in accordance with manual operations of an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, and a steering wheel by the driver. In this way, in the manual driving mode, since the steering control signal, the acceleration control signal, and the brake control signal are generated by the manual operation of the driver, the traveling of the vehicle 1 is controlled by the driver.

(Driving mode of vehicle 1)

Next, the driving mode of the vehicle 1 is explained. The vehicle 1 includes all of the 6-stage driving modes, and the driving mode of the vehicle 1 can be switched by operating a driving mode switching switch 8 (see fig. 3) provided near the steering wheel of the driver's seat, for example.

In detail, the driving modes of the vehicle 1 include an automatic driving mode and a manual driving mode. In the automatic driving mode, there are 5 levels (driving assistance mode, partial automatic driving mode, strip-conditional automatic driving mode, highly automatic driving mode, full automatic driving mode) from level 1 to level 5 depending on the degree of automation. The vehicle 1 includes all driving modes of 6 ranks (rank 0 to rank 5) based on the SAE standard in which the automatic driving mode (rank 1 to rank 5) is added to the manual driving mode (rank 0) (see fig. 13).

In the full-automatic driving mode (level 5), the vehicle system 2 automatically performs all the travel controls of the steering control, the braking control, and the acceleration control, and the driver is not in a state in which the vehicle 1 can be driven.

In the highly automated driving mode (level 4), the vehicle system 2 automatically performs all the travel control of the steering control, the braking control, and the acceleration control, and the driver does not drive the vehicle 1 although in a state in which the driver can drive the vehicle 1.

In the conditional automatic driving mode (level 3), since all the driving controls of the steering control, the braking control, and the acceleration control are automatically performed by the vehicle system 2 while being limited to the limited situation of the highway driving, the driver does not need to always look ahead in the limited situation, that is, the driving environment does not need to be monitored.

In the partial automatic driving mode (level 2), the vehicle system 2 performs steering control, braking control, and acceleration control by simultaneously operating a plurality of driver assistance functions such as ACC, automatic parking, lane assistance, and the like, for example.

In the driving assistance mode (level 1), the vehicle system 2 automatically performs a part of the travel control of the steering control, the braking control, and the acceleration control, and the driver drives the vehicle 1 with the driving assistance of the vehicle system 2.

On the other hand, in the manual driving mode (level 0), the vehicle system 2 does not automatically perform the travel control, and the driver drives the vehicle 1 without the driving assistance of the vehicle system 2.

When the driving mode of the vehicle 1 is switched by the driving mode switch 8, the vehicle control unit 3 switches (changes) the driving mode of the vehicle 1 to 6 levels, i.e., level 0 to level 5, in accordance with the operation of the driving mode switch 8 by the driver.

Further, the vehicle control unit 3 switches the driving mode of the vehicle 1 from the automatic driving mode to the manual driving mode when determining that there is a risk of traveling in the automatic driving mode based on the information about the obstacle on the traveling road detected by the in-vehicle camera 6, the sensor 5, the radar 7, and the like.

In addition, the driving mode of the vehicle 1 may also be automatically switched based on information on the autonomous-drivable running section, the running prohibited section in which the autonomous-drivable running is prohibited, or information on the external weather state. In this case, the vehicle control portion 3 switches the driving mode of the vehicle 1 based on these pieces of information. Further, the driving mode of the vehicle 1 may be automatically switched by using a seating sensor, a face direction sensor, or the like. In this case, the vehicle control unit 3 switches the driving mode of the vehicle 1 based on the output signals from the seating sensor and the face direction sensor.

(HUD device 100)

Next, the HUD device 100 is explained.

The HUD device 100 is a device that projects various contents (see fig. 5) onto the windshield 1a of the vehicle 1 and displays the contents so as to be superimposed on a scene visible from the driver's seat of the vehicle 1 through the display area 20 of the windshield 1 a. The HUD104 is constituted by: a liquid crystal panel; a backlight for performing transmission illumination on the liquid crystal panel; and a concave mirror that reflects an image generated by the light of the backlight transmitted through the liquid crystal panel toward the front window glass 1 a.

As shown in fig. 2 and 3, the display region 20 is a predetermined rectangular region that is defined on the windshield 1a that reflects light representing an image projected by the HUD device 100 and on a path from the eye region ER (see fig. 2) to the gaze point. The point of regard is a point in the traveling direction at which the driver of the vehicle 1 should look, and is, for example, a space in the traveling direction, a preceding vehicle, or the like.

As shown in FIG. 2, the HUD104 includes an image projector 105 and an optical member 106.

The image projector 105 is a device that emits light representing various information and projects the light, and the image projector 105 is, for example, a liquid crystal projector. A liquid crystal projector is a device that forms a desired image by controlling transmitted light (transmission and interruption of light) for each pixel (pixel) constituting a liquid crystal panel. The optical member 106 is provided to indicate that light of an image from the image projector 105 is projected to the display area 20 of the windshield 1a in a specific size. The optical member 106 includes a mirror 106a and a magnifying glass 106 b. The mirror 106a has at least one mirror and reflects the light representing the image from the image projector 105, and the magnifier 106b enlarges or reduces the light representing the image from the image projector 105.

The HUD device 100 is disposed in an instrument panel 1b of the vehicle 1, and a light-transmitting cover 1d that transmits light is provided on an opening 1c provided in an upper wall of the instrument panel 1b at a position corresponding to the windshield 1 a.

In the HUD104, an image projected from the image projector 105 and passed through the optical member 106 and the light-transmitting cover 1d is projected onto the windshield 1 a. The image projected onto the windshield 1a becomes a virtual image VI formed in front of the vehicle 1 in the eye area ER. For example, the light of the image projector (liquid crystal projector) 105 is reflected at the display area 20 and formed as the virtual image VI in front of the vehicle 1, but the driver can be made to visually recognize the virtual image VI that has been projected onto the windshield 1a without moving the line of sight from a fixation present on the traveling path of the vehicle 1.

The HUD control unit 102 includes a well-known microcomputer including a CPU and a memory as a center. The memory is a semiconductor memory such as a RAM, a ROM, or a flash memory. The HUD control unit 102 is preset with a content (see fig. 5) that can be displayed in accordance with the driving mode of the vehicle 1, and the HUD control unit 102 drives the HUD104 based on various signals (for example, driving mode signals) acquired via the vehicle control unit 3 to execute HUD display processing in accordance with the driving mode of the vehicle 1.

That is, the HUD control unit 102 generates contents (see fig. 5) indicating the respective information based on various information (vehicle speed, time, driving mode, video acquired by the in-vehicle camera 6, the sensor 5, the radar 7, and the like, other information, and the like) acquired via the vehicle control unit 3, and the HUD control unit 102 drives the HUD104 to execute HUD display processing for displaying predetermined contents corresponding to the driving mode of the vehicle 1 on the display area 20.

For example, fig. 6 (a) shows the HUD display processing in the case where the driving mode of the vehicle 1 is the manual driving mode (level 0). The content C01 indicating the vehicle speed is displayed in the laterally long, small first display area 20a located at the center in the left-right direction below the display area 20, and the content C02 indicating the time of day is displayed in the small second display area 20b located at the upper right of the display area 20. The contents C01 and C02 are generated by the HUD control unit 102 based on the speed information and the time information of the vehicle 1 acquired via the vehicle control unit 3, and are displayed in the first display area 20a and the second display area 20b via the HUD 104.

Fig. 6 (b) shows the HUD display processing in the case where the driving mode of the vehicle 1 is the conditional automatic driving mode (level 3). As in the HUD display processing in the case of the manual drive mode (level 0), the content C01 indicating the vehicle speed is displayed in the first display area 20a located at the lower right-left direction center of the display area 20.

The content C11 indicating the driving pattern is generated by the HUD control unit 102 based on the driving pattern information acquired via the vehicle control unit 3, and is displayed in the second display area 20b' of an intermediate size at the upper right corner in the display area 20 in a vertically parallel state together with the content C02 indicating the time.

Further, a content (a marker image having a size corresponding to the distance from the vehicle) C23 indicating the position and distance of each of the preceding vehicle and the opposing vehicle and a content (an arrow image) C24 indicating the course information of the host vehicle are displayed in the third display area 20C having a medium size and largely spread in the left and right directions in the entire display area 20 so as to overlap with each of the preceding vehicle and the opposing vehicle.

Specifically, the content (marker image) C23 is generated by the HUD control unit 102 based on the images of the preceding vehicle and the opposing vehicle captured by the camera 6 and the detection information of the radar 7 acquired via the vehicle control unit 3, and is displayed in the third display area 20C via the HUD104 so as to correspond to the preceding vehicle and the opposing vehicle, respectively.

The content (arrow image) C24 is generated by the HUD control unit 102 based on the navigation information acquired via the vehicle control unit 3, and is displayed below the center in the left-right direction in the third display area 20C via the HUD 104.

On both right and left sides of the first display area 20a for displaying the content C01 indicating the vehicle speed, fourth and fifth display areas 20d, 20e are provided, and the fourth and fifth display areas 20d, 20e constitute a screen (rear monitor) for displaying the content C21, which is an image of the rear of the vehicle captured by the camera 6. That is, in the fourth and fifth display regions 20d and 20e, the light control mirror 21 capable of switching between a light transmitting state and a light non-transmitting state is provided in a laminated manner on the cabin side surface of the windshield glass 1a, and if a voltage is applied to the light control mirror 21, the light control mirror 21 is in the light transmitting state, and if no voltage is applied, the light control mirror 21 is in the light non-transmitting state. Therefore, the content C21, which is the image of the camera 6 (the image of the rear of the vehicle) obtained via the vehicle control unit 3, is displayed on (the light-blocking mirror 21 of) the fourth and fifth display areas 20d and 20e via the HUD 104.

In addition, in the partial automatic driving mode (level 2) in which the driving environment needs to be monitored, the fourth and fifth display regions 20d and 20e can be used as the rear monitor, as in the case of the conditional automatic driving mode (level 3), but the lower position in the display region 20 in which the fourth and fifth display regions 20d and 20e are provided is a region where the engine cover B (see fig. 1 and 2) is visible from the driver in the general passenger car, and even if the light control mirror 21 (the fourth and fifth display regions 20d and 20e) is kept opaque, the view of the front of the vehicle visible from the driver is not obstructed.

Further, fig. 6 (c) shows the HUD display processing in the case where the driving mode of the vehicle 1 is the fully automatic driving mode (level 5). In the second display area 20b ″ which is disposed at the center in the left-right direction in the display area 20 and which is largely developed in the up-down direction, the HUD control unit 102 displays the contents C02 and C11 which are generated based on the time information acquired via the vehicle control unit 3 and the driving pattern information of the vehicle 1 and respectively indicate the current time and the driving pattern of the vehicle 1.

Further, in the sixth and seventh display regions 20f and 20g provided on the left and right sides of the second display region 20b ″ in the display region 20 and largely developed up and down, respectively, a light control mirror 22 capable of switching between light transmission and light non-transmission is provided in a laminated manner on the cabin side surface of the windshield 1a, the sixth and seventh display regions 20f and 20g are used as screens of display contents C31 and C32, and the display contents C31 and C32 show a map image and a TV image which are navigation information obtained via the vehicle control unit 3.

That is, when the sixth and seventh display areas 20f and 20g are used as the content display screens, the dimming mirror 22 is kept in the opaque state, and the contents C31 and C32 representing the map image and the TV video image obtained via the vehicle control unit 3 are displayed in the sixth and seventh display areas 20f and 20g, respectively, via the HUD 104.

The sixth display area 20f and the seventh display area 20g in which the dimming mirror 22 is provided are, for example, greatly overlapped with the second and third display areas 20b 'and 20c (see fig. 6 b) in which transparency is required in the level 4 or less driving mode, but when the HUD display processing is performed with the level 4 or less driving mode of the vehicle 1, a voltage is applied to the dimming mirror 22 and the dimming mirror 22 (the sixth display area 20f and the seventh display area 20g) is held in a transparent state, so that transparency of the second and third display areas 20b' and 20c is not impaired in the level 4 or less driving mode.

In the case where the fourth and fifth display regions 20d and 20e in which the dimming mirror 21 is provided are not used as the screen for displaying the content C21, that is, in the case where the HUD display processing is performed with the driving mode of the vehicle 1 at the level 2 or less, the dimming mirror 21 (the fourth and fifth display regions 20d and 20e) is kept in the transparent state, and therefore the forward view of the driver is not blocked.

Although the light control mirrors 21 and 22 capable of switching between light transmission and light non-transmission are provided in the fourth and fifth display regions 20d and 20e and the sixth and seventh display regions 20f and 20g, a liquid crystal shutter capable of switching between light transmission and light non-transmission may be provided instead of the light control mirrors 21 and 22. That is, the liquid crystal shutter is configured to: the liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal panel in which a vertical polarization filter and a horizontal polarization filter are laminated and integrated so as to face each other with a facing transparent electrode sandwiching a liquid crystal interposed therebetween, and the liquid crystal shutter switches transmission/non-transmission of the liquid crystal panel by applying a voltage to the facing electrode to change an arrangement of molecules of the liquid crystal.

(what the HUD device 100 can display)

Next, the type of content that the HUD device 100 can display according to the driving mode of the vehicle 1 and the size of the display area of the content will be described with reference to fig. 5 and 6. Fig. 5 and 6 are diagrams for explaining the contents and the size of the display area thereof corresponding to the driving mode of the vehicle 1, and the type of the contents and the size of the display area thereof are preset by the HUD control unit 102.

In the manual driving mode (level 0), for example, a content C01 indicating a vehicle speed and a content C02 indicating a time can be displayed. In the driving assistance mode (level 1), in addition to the contents C01, C02 that can be displayed in the manual driving mode, for example, a content C11 indicating the current driving mode of the vehicle 1 can be displayed. In these driving modes (levels 0 and 1), driving by the driver is premised on the position and size of the display areas 20a and 20b of the contents C01, C02, and C11 being defined so as not to obstruct the driver's front view (see fig. 6 (a)). Note that, in the manual driving mode (level 0), the content C11 indicating the driving mode of the vehicle 1 is not displayed (see fig. 6a), but in the driving assistance mode (level 1), the content C11 indicating the driving mode of the vehicle 1 is displayed in the 2 nd display area 20b' together with the content C02 indicating the time, as in the case of the HUD display processing with the conditional automatic driving mode (level 3) (see fig. 6 b).

In the partial automatic driving mode (level 2), the conditional automatic driving mode (level 3), and the high automatic driving mode (level 4), in addition to the contents C01, C02, and C11 that can be displayed in the driving assistance mode (level 1), for example, a content C21 that indicates an image obtained by the vehicle-mounted camera 6 or sensors (for example, an image of the rear of the vehicle captured by the vehicle-mounted camera 6), a content C22 that indicates an image of behavior information about the vehicle ahead, a content C23 that indicates a sign of the vehicle ahead, an opposing vehicle, a pedestrian, or the like, a content C24 that indicates an image of behavior of the vehicle such as a predicted road (for example, an arrow that prompts the vehicle to change a lane), and the like can be displayed.

In the automatic driving modes of the ranks 2 to 4, the vehicle system 2 drives and the monitoring obligation of the driving environment by the driver is relaxed, so that the positions and sizes of the display areas 20a, 20b', 20c, 20d, and 20e are defined within a range that does not significantly obstruct the forward visual field of the driver (see fig. 6 (b)). That is, the restrictions on the positions and sizes of the display areas 20a, 20b', 20c, 20d, and 20e are relaxed compared to the case of the driving mode (level 0 and 1).

In the full-automatic driving mode (level 5), only the contents C02 and C11 which are considered to be the minimum necessary contents among the contents C01, C02, C11, C21, C22, C23, and C24 which can be displayed in the automatic driving modes of levels 2 to 4 are displayed, and the display of all other contents is omitted, whereby the newly secured large display areas (sixth and seventh display areas) 20f and 20g can be used as a monitor screen of a TV or the internet, or a display screen of a navigation map.

Specifically, in the full-automatic driving mode (level 5), since the vehicle system 2 drives the vehicle, there is no obligation for the driver to monitor the driving environment and to cope with (drive operation) when a problem occurs, and therefore the position and size of the display area can be defined without considering the front field of view of the driver. That is, the contents C21, C22, C23, and C24, such as the image of the rear of the host vehicle, the behavior information of the host vehicle, the position and distance information of the host vehicle, the oncoming vehicle, the pedestrian, and the like, and the lane change assistance information for the host vehicle, which are required in the automatic driving modes of the ranks 2 to 4, are not only unnecessary in the full automatic driving mode, but also unnecessarily make the driver aware of the driving state of other vehicles and the like around the host vehicle including the driving state of the vehicle 1, and may rather put stress on the driver.

Therefore, in the full automatic driving mode (level 5), as shown in fig. 6 (C), only the content C02 indicating the current time and the content C11 indicating the driving mode of the vehicle 1 among the various contents (see fig. 5) displayed in the automatic driving modes of levels 2 to 4 are displayed in the relatively large second display area 20b "at the center of the display area 20, and the other contents are not displayed at all. Instead, the content C31 indicating the navigation map image and the content C32 indicating the TV video image may be displayed in the sixth and seventh display areas 20f and 20g, which are larger and located on the left and right of the second display area 20b ″. In particular, the driver views the content C32 showing the TV video before the driver arrives at the destination, but other fellow passengers can view the content C32 showing the TV video together.

In addition, although each of the driving modes from the level 0 to the level 5 is previously input and set in the HUD control unit 102 for the contents displayed by the HUD device 100 in each of the driving modes from the level 0 to the level 5, the driver can appropriately change the setting in the HUD control unit 102 within the range shown in fig. 5 as needed.

(HUD display processing of HUD control unit 102)

Next, a process of changing the content displayed on the HUD device 100 according to the driving mode of the vehicle 1 will be described with reference to fig. 7.

First, upon receiving a mode signal indicating the driving mode of the vehicle 1 from the vehicle control unit 3, the HUD control unit 102 determines whether or not the received mode signal indicates the full-automatic driving mode (step S10). When determining that the mode signal indicates the full-automatic driving mode (yes in step S10), the HUD control unit 102 sets the HUD104 to a state in which predetermined content corresponding to the full-automatic driving mode can be displayed (step S11), and drives the HUD104 to display the predetermined content.

On the other hand, when determining that the mode signal does not indicate the full-automatic driving mode (no in step S10), the HUD control unit 102 determines whether or not the mode signal indicates the highly automatic driving mode (step S12). When determining that the mode signal indicates the high-level automatic driving mode (yes in step S12), the HUD control unit 102 sets the HUD104 to a state in which predetermined content corresponding to the high-level driving mode can be displayed (step S13), and drives the HUD104 to display the predetermined content.

On the other hand, when determining that the mode signal does not indicate the height automatic driving mode (no in step S12), the HUD control unit 102 determines whether or not the mode signal indicates the conditional automatic driving mode (step S14). When determining that the mode signal indicates the tape-condition automatic driving mode (yes in step S14), the HUD control unit 102 sets the HUD104 in a state in which predetermined content corresponding to the tape-condition automatic driving mode can be displayed (step S15), and drives the HUD104 to display the predetermined content.

On the other hand, when determining that the mode signal does not indicate the conditional automatic driving mode (no in step S14), the HUD control unit 102 determines whether or not the mode signal indicates the partial automatic driving mode (step S16). Then, when determining that the mode signal indicates the partial automatic driving mode (yes at step S16), the HUD control unit 102 sets the HUD104 to a state in which predetermined content corresponding to the partial automatic driving mode can be displayed (step S17), and drives the HUD104 to display the predetermined content.

On the other hand, when determining that the mode signal does not indicate the partial automatic driving mode (no in step S16), the HUD control unit 102 determines whether or not the mode signal indicates the driving assistance mode (step S18). When determining that the mode signal indicates the driving assistance mode (yes at step S18), the HUD control unit 102 sets the HUD104 to a state in which a predetermined content corresponding to the driving assistance mode can be displayed (step S19), and drives the HUD104 to display the predetermined content.

On the other hand, when determining that the mode signal does not indicate the partial automatic driving mode (no in step S18), the HUD control unit 102 determines that the mode signal indicates the manual driving mode (step S20). Then, the HUD104 is set to a state in which predetermined contents corresponding to the manual driving mode can be displayed (step S21), and the HUD104 is driven to display the predetermined contents.

Thus, the present process ends. In addition, this processing is executed each time the HUD control unit 102 receives a mode signal from the vehicle control unit 3.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the head-up display device 100 is provided in which, in accordance with the switching (changing) of the driving mode of the vehicle 1, the content displayed in the predetermined display region is also changed to the content corresponding to the driving mode.

Thus, the driver of the vehicle 1 can enjoy the benefits resulting from the current driving mode of the vehicle 1.

(Lighting device 4)

Next, the lighting device 4 will be explained.

As described above, the lighting device 4 is a device that displays information relating to the driving mode of the vehicle to the outside, and the lighting unit 44 is disposed on the roof of the vehicle body of the vehicle 1 and irradiates light to the entire periphery (360 degrees) of the lighting unit 44 in the horizontal direction (see fig. 1).

The illumination control unit 42 (see fig. 4) is constituted by an Electronic Control Unit (ECU). The electronic control unit is electrically connected to a power supply not shown in the figure, and includes: a microcontroller including a processor such as a CPU or MPU and a memory such as a ROM or RAM; and other electronic circuits (e.g., driver circuits such as LED drivers).

As shown in an enlarged view in fig. 8, the illumination unit 44 has a structure in which illumination unit sections 441, 442, and 443 each configured to contain a light emitting element such as an LED or a laser as a light source (not shown) and emit light in the circumferential direction are stacked and integrated in three layers in the vertical direction, and the illumination control section 42 controls the lighting and the lighting of the illumination unit sections 441, 442, and 443 in accordance with the driving mode of the vehicle, thereby changing the illumination state (see fig. 9).

Thereby, the illumination unit 44 can present information indicating the driving mode of the vehicle 1 to the outside of the vehicle 1 over the entire periphery of the vehicle 1 in the horizontal direction. In particular, the illumination device 4 can present information relating to the driving mode to pedestrians, other vehicles, and the like located around the vehicle 1. In the present embodiment, the illumination unit 44 is disposed on the vehicle body roof as an example, but the position and shape of the illumination unit 44 are not particularly limited. For example, the illumination unit 44 may be disposed on a vehicle body side surface of the vehicle 1 or on a vehicle body bottom surface facing the road surface.

(processing of the illumination control section 42)

Next, a process in which the illumination control unit 42 changes the illumination state of the illumination unit 44 in accordance with the driving mode of the vehicle 1 will be described with reference to fig. 10.

First, when receiving a mode signal indicating the driving mode of the vehicle 1 from the vehicle control portion 3, the lighting control portion 42 determines whether or not the received mode signal indicates the full-automatic driving mode (step S10A). When determining that the mode signal indicates the full-automatic driving mode (yes in step S10A), the illumination control unit 42 sets the illumination state of the illumination unit 44 to the illumination state corresponding to the full-automatic driving mode (selects the light source to be turned on) (step S11A), and illuminates (turns on) all of the upper and lower three layers 441, 442, 443 of the illumination unit 44 so as to emit light (see fig. 8 and 9).

On the other hand, when determining that the mode signal does not indicate the full-automatic driving mode (no in step S10A), the lighting control unit 42 determines whether or not the mode signal indicates the highly-automatic driving mode (step S12A).

When determining that the mode signal indicates the height-automatic driving mode (yes in step S12A), the illumination control unit 42 sets the illumination state of the illumination unit 44 to the illumination state corresponding to the height-automatic driving mode (selects the light source to be lit) (step S13A), and illuminates (lights) the upper two layers 442 and 443 of the illumination unit 44 so as to emit light (see fig. 8 and 9).

On the other hand, when determining that the mode signal does not indicate the height automatic driving mode (no in step S12A), the lighting control unit 42 determines whether or not the mode signal indicates the conditional automatic driving mode (step S14A). When determining that the mode signal indicates the conditional automatic driving mode (yes in step S14A), the illumination control unit 42 sets the illumination state of the illumination unit 44 to the illumination state corresponding to the conditional automatic driving mode (selects the light source to be turned on) (step S15A), and illuminates (turns on) the uppermost layer 443 of the illumination unit 44 so as to emit light (see fig. 8 and 9).

On the other hand, when determining that the mode signal does not indicate the conditional automatic driving mode (no in step S14A), the lighting control unit 42 determines whether or not the mode signal indicates the partial automatic driving mode (step S16A). When determining that the mode signal indicates the partial automatic driving mode (yes in step S16A), the illumination control unit 42 sets the illumination state of the illumination unit 44 to the illumination state corresponding to the partial automatic driving mode (selects the light source to be lit) (step S17A), and illuminates (lights) the middle layer 442 of the illumination unit 44 so as to emit light (see fig. 8 and 9).

On the other hand, when determining that the mode signal does not indicate the partial automatic driving mode (no in step S16A), the lighting control unit 42 determines whether or not the mode signal indicates the driving assistance mode (step S18A). When determining that the mode signal indicates the driving assistance mode (yes in step S18A), the illumination control unit 42 sets the illumination unit 44 to an illumination state corresponding to the driving assistance mode (selects a light source to be lit) (step S19A), and illuminates (lights) the lowermost layer 441 of the illumination unit 44 so as to emit light (see fig. 8 and 9).

On the other hand, when determining that the mode signal does not indicate the driving assistance mode (no in step S18A), the lighting control unit 42 determines that the mode signal indicates the manual driving mode (step S20A). Then, the illumination control unit 42 sets the illumination unit 44 to an illumination state corresponding to the manual driving mode (selects no light source to be turned on) (step S21A), and turns off all of the upper and lower layers 441, 442, 443 of the illumination unit 44 (see fig. 8, 9).

Thus, the present process ends. In addition, the present process is executed each time the illumination control section 42 receives a mode signal from the vehicle control section 3.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, since the content displayed on the predetermined display area 20 of the windshield 1a changes for the vehicle cabin and the illumination state of the illumination unit 44 changes for the vehicle exterior according to the driving mode of the vehicle 1, pedestrians, other vehicles, and the like around the vehicle 1 can visually recognize which of the full-automatic driving mode, the highly-automatic driving mode, the conditional automatic driving mode, the partial automatic driving mode, the driving assistance mode, or the manual driving mode the driving mode of the vehicle 1 is.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where the driving mode of the vehicle 1 is changed from the highly automated driving mode (level 4) to the manual driving mode (level 0) or from the manual driving mode (level 0) to the highly automated driving mode (level 4) has been described, but the same can be applied to the case where the driving mode of the vehicle 1 is changed in all of the ranges of 6 levels (level 0 to level 5).

(embodiments 2 and 3)

Fig. 11 (a) and (B) are diagrams showing the configuration of the HUD devices 100A and 100B according to embodiments 2 and 3 of the present invention, and correspond to fig. 2 showing the configuration of the HUD device 100 according to embodiment 1.

The HUD devices 100A and 100B according to embodiments 2 and 3 are devices called synthesizer type devices, and rectangular transparent plastic disks 50A and 50B called synthesizers are configured to be tiltable (swingable) in the front-rear direction as indicated by arrows with respect to a pivot point 52 provided on the instrument panel 1B of the driver's seat of the vehicles 1A and 1B and on the ceiling inner side.

Further, the following constitution is adopted: the synthesizers 50A, 50B are tilted (swung) about the pivot points 52 so as to be arranged upright on a path from the eye region ER to the gaze point, and predetermined contents are projected onto predetermined display regions 20A, 20B of the synthesizers 50A, 50B by the HUD devices 100A, 100B arranged inside the instrument panel 1B or inside the ceiling of the driver's seat. The HUD devices 100A and 100B are each configured by a HUD control unit 102 and a HUD104, as in the HUD device 100 according to embodiment 1.

That is, unlike the HUD device 100 according to embodiment 1 described above, which projects predetermined content on the predetermined display area 20 of the windshield 1A and displays the projected content so as to be superimposed on the scene visible from the display area 20 of the driver's seat of the vehicle 1 through the windshield 1A, the HUD devices 100A and 100B according to embodiments 2 and 3 project predetermined content on the predetermined display areas 20A and 20B of the synthesizers 50A and 50B instead of the windshield 1A and display the projected content so as to be superimposed on the scene visible from the display areas 20A and 20B of the driver's seats of the vehicles 1A and 1B through the synthesizers 50A and 50B.

First to seventh display regions (not shown) corresponding to the first to seventh display regions 20A to 20g, which are the content display regions in embodiment 1, are provided in the predetermined display regions 20A and 20B of the synthesizers 50A and 50B, respectively. Further, the following constitution is adopted: the HUD control units 102 of the HUD devices 100A and 100B perform the HUD display processing substantially the same as that of the HUD control unit 102 of the HUD device 100 according to embodiment 1 described above on the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh display regions in the display regions 20A and 20B by providing the dimming mirrors in the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh display regions in the display regions 20A and 20B and controlling the transmission and non-transmission of light to these regions.

In the HUD devices 100A and 100B according to embodiments 2 and 3, for example, in a state where the ignition switch of the vehicles 1A and 1B is not turned on, the synthesizers 50A and 50B close the opening 1c of the instrument panel 1B and the HUD device housing portion at the top of the driver's seat as shown by the broken lines in fig. 11 (a) and (B). Further, the following constitution is adopted: the synthesizers 50A, 50B automatically tilt to a predetermined position crossing the eye area ER of the driver in association with the turning on of the ignition switch, and become operable as the HUD devices 100A, 100B, and the synthesizers 50A, 50B automatically tilt to return to the original position in association with the turning off of the ignition switch.

Alternatively, the following constitution is adopted: when the driving mode of the vehicles 1A, 1B is changed to the automatic driving mode (other than the manual driving mode) of the ranks 1 to 5, the synthesizers 50A, 50B automatically tilt to a predetermined position crossing the eye area ER of the driver, and when the driving mode of the vehicles 1A, 1B is changed to the manual driving mode or the ignition switch is turned off, the synthesizers 50A, 50B automatically tilt to return to the original position. In the manual driving mode, since the synthesizers 50A and 50B are not visible from the driver's sight to the front of the vehicle, it is desirable that the synthesizers 50A and 50B stand up in front of the driver only in the automatic driving mode.

(embodiment 4)

Fig. 12 is a diagram showing the configuration of the HUD device 100C according to embodiment 4 of the present invention, and corresponds to fig. 2 showing the configuration of the HUD device 100 according to embodiment 1.

The HUD device 100C according to embodiment 4 includes: a resin transparent OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) 200 disposed in close contact with the inside of the windshield 1 a; and a HUD control section 202 for displaying predetermined contents on the transparent OLED 200.

The method comprises the following steps: the transparent OLED200 is provided with a display area 20C, and predetermined contents are displayed in the display area 20C via the HUD control unit 202. The display area 20C is provided with first to seventh display areas (not shown) corresponding to the first to seventh display areas 20a to 20g provided in the display area 20 of the HUD device 100 according to embodiment 1.

The transparent OLED200 is transparent, and therefore, it is possible to display predetermined contents in a manner of being superimposed on a landscape that is visible through the landscape, and it is also possible to display desired contents only on the vehicle cabin side by reducing the transparency in predetermined areas (areas corresponding to the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh display areas 20d, 20e, 20f, and 20g of embodiment 1) in the display area 20C.

Claims (10)

1. A head-up display device mounted on an instrument panel or a ceiling of a vehicle having a plurality of driving modes with different degrees of automation including an automatic driving mode and capable of changing the driving mode, the head-up display device including a control unit and an image projection unit and displaying a predetermined content in a predetermined display area provided in front of a driver's seat, the head-up display device characterized in that,

the head-up display device is configured to display different contents in accordance with the plurality of driving modes.

2. Head-up display device according to claim 1,

the display area of the content changes in size or display position in accordance with a change in the driving mode of the vehicle.

3. Head-up display device according to claim 1 or 2,

the plurality of driving modes include a manual driving mode, and a display area of the content corresponding to the automatic driving mode is larger than a display area of the content corresponding to the manual driving mode.

4. Head-up display device according to claim 1 or 2,

at least a part of the display area of the content is configured to be switchable between a light-transmitting state and a light-blocking state, and the size of the light-blocking area is configured to be changed in accordance with the driving mode.

5. Head-up display device according to claim 1 or 2,

the type of the content and the size of the display area are preset by the control unit.

6. Head-up display device according to claim 1 or 2,

the head-up display device is a synthesizer type device, and the synthesizer is a rectangular transparent plastic disk.

7. Head-up display device according to claim 6,

the synthesizer is tilted to a predetermined position crossing the eye region of the driver with respect to the pivot point by the control of the control unit.

8. Head-up display device according to claim 1,

the head-up display device includes a resin transparent OLED disposed in close contact with an inner side of a windshield, and the content is displayed on the OLED by the controller.

9. A head-up display apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising an illumination unit that is disposed on a vehicle body roof and irradiates light, an illumination state of the illumination unit being changed in a manner corresponding to a driving mode of the vehicle.

10. Head-up display device according to claim 9,

the illumination means presents information relating to the driving pattern of the vehicle to pedestrians and other vehicles around the vehicle.

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