JP2005123914A - Information display device and information display method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve convenience of a user in an information display device for displaying running situations together with navigation information. <P>SOLUTION: A recognition part 12 recognizes an object existing in front of its own vehicle on the basis of a color picture outputted by a camera and outputs color information on the object by picking up scenery in front of its own vehicle. A control unit 13 controls the display device so that a symbol showing the recognized object is displayed superimposed upon the navigation information. In doing this, the control unit 13 controls a display device 15 so as to display the symbol by using a display color corresponding to the color information of the outputted object. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an information display device and an information display method, and more particularly, to a method for displaying a traveling situation ahead of the host vehicle on navigation information.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known an information display device that displays a traveling state ahead along with navigation information on a display provided in a vehicle. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle display device that displays, on a display screen, a partial image corresponding to a region where a host vehicle travels, among infrared images captured by an infrared camera, superimposed on a map image. It is disclosed. According to this Patent Document 1, it is possible to improve the cognitive properties such as the type and size of an obstacle by superimposing an infrared image with a less necessary part cut on a map image. Patent Document 2 discloses an information display device that displays the position information of surrounding vehicles and following vehicles on a road shape generated from map information in a cruise control device. According to this Patent Document 2, a mark indicating the position of the own vehicle, a mark indicating the position of the following vehicle, and a mark indicating the surrounding vehicle position other than the following vehicle are displayed on the road in different colors and patterns, respectively. The
JP-A-11-250396 JP 2002-46504 A

  However, according to the methods disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 described above, the color of the object that actually exists in front may not correspond to the color of the object displayed on the display device. Therefore, there is a possibility that the color difference between the two may give the user a sense of incongruity. Such an information display device is a device for enjoying a safe and comfortable drive, and ease of use for the user adds value and motivates purchase. For this reason, this type of device is easy to use and requires a unique function.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to improve user convenience in an information display device that displays a traveling situation in front of navigation information.

  In order to solve such a problem, the first invention is to capture a scenery in front of the host vehicle and output a color image, a navigation system that outputs navigation information according to the traveling of the host vehicle, and an output A recognition unit for recognizing an object existing ahead of the host vehicle based on the color image thus obtained, outputting color information of the recognized object, a display device for displaying the information, and a recognized object The display device is controlled so that the symbol to be displayed is superimposed on the output navigation information, and the display device is controlled to display the symbol using a display color corresponding to the color information of the output object. An information display device having a control unit is provided.

  Here, in the first invention, a sensor that outputs distance data indicating a two-dimensional distribution of the distance ahead of the host vehicle may be further included. In this case, the recognition unit recognizes the position of the object based on the distance data, and the control unit associates the position of the object in the real space with the position of the object recognized by the recognition unit. It is preferable to control the display device to display the symbols. In the first invention, the camera is the first camera, and a color image is output by capturing a scene in front of the host vehicle, and the camera functions as a stereo camera by cooperating with the first camera. You may further have the 2nd camera to do. In this case, the sensor preferably outputs the distance data by stereo matching based on the color image output from the first camera and the color image output from the second camera.

  Furthermore, in the first invention, when the recognition unit determines that the output color information of the object is different from the actual color of the object, the recognition unit outputs the object in advance over time. The color information of the target object is specified based on the color information of the target object, and the control unit may control the display device to display a symbol using a display color corresponding to the specified color information. preferable. In the first invention, the control unit displays a display device for displaying a symbol indicating the object using a predetermined display color for an object for which color information is not output from the recognition unit. It is preferable to control.

  In the second invention, the computer recognizes an object existing ahead of the host vehicle and generates color information of the recognized object based on a color image obtained by capturing a scene in front of the host vehicle. A first step, a second step in which the computer obtains navigation information according to the traveling of the host vehicle, and a display in which the computer displays a symbol indicating the recognized object superimposed on the navigation information. And a third step of controlling the display device so as to display a symbol using a display color corresponding to the color information of the generated object.

  Here, in the second invention, the information display method further includes a fourth step of recognizing the position of the object based on distance data indicating a two-dimensional distribution of distances ahead of the host vehicle. May be. In this case, it is preferable that the third step includes a step of controlling the display device so as to display a symbol corresponding to the position of the object in the real space, based on the recognized position of the object.

  In the second invention, if the first step determines that the color information of the generated object is a running situation that is different from the actual color of the object, The step of specifying the color information of the target object based on the color information of the target object generated in step (3) includes displaying a symbol using a display color corresponding to the specified color information. Preferably, this is a step of controlling the display device. Furthermore, in the second invention, in the third step, the display device is controlled so that a symbol indicating the object is displayed using a predetermined display color for the object for which color information is not generated. It is preferable that it is a step to perform.

  According to the present invention, an object existing in front of the host vehicle is recognized and color information of the object is output based on a color image obtained by capturing a front scene. Then, the display device is controlled so that the symbol indicating the recognized object is displayed so as to overlap the navigation information. In this case, the displayed symbol is displayed using a display color corresponding to the color information of the output object. Therefore, the driving situation actually recognized by the driver and the symbol displayed on the display device correspond to each other in color, and the color difference between them can be reduced. Therefore, since the visibility of the user can be improved, the convenience of the user can be improved.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the information display apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. A stereo camera that captures a scene in front of the host vehicle is attached, for example, in the vicinity of a room mirror. This stereo camera is composed of a pair of cameras 2 and 3. The main camera 2 captures a reference image necessary for performing stereo image processing, and the sub camera 3 captures a comparative image. Each of the cameras 2 and 3 has a separate image sensor for each of red, green, and blue (for example, a three-plate color CCD), and from each of the cameras 2 and 3, three images of a red image, a green image, and a blue image are provided. A primary color image is output. Therefore, a total of six images are output by the pair of cameras 2 and 3 at one shooting timing. In a state where each other is synchronized, each analog image output from the cameras 2 and 3 is converted into a digital image of a predetermined luminance gradation (for example, 256 gradation gray scale) by the A / D converters 4 and 5. Is converted to

  The image correction unit 6 performs brightness correction, image geometric conversion, and the like for each of the three digitized primary color image pairs (total of six primary color images). Usually, there is an error in the mounting position of the pair of cameras 2 and 3 although there is a difference in degree. Therefore, a shift caused by the error occurs in the left and right image pairs. In order to correct this deviation, geometrical transformation such as image rotation or translation is performed using affine transformation or the like.

  Through such image processing, reference image data corresponding to the three primary color images is obtained from the main camera 2, and comparison image data corresponding to the three primary color images is obtained from the sub camera 3. These image data are a set of luminance values (0 to 255) of each pixel. Here, the image plane defined by the image data is expressed in the ij coordinate system, with the lower left corner of the image as the origin, the horizontal direction as the i coordinate axis, and the vertical direction as the j coordinate axis. The reference image data corresponding to one frame and the comparison image data are output to the subsequent stereo image processing unit 7 and stored in the image data memory 9.

  The stereo image processing unit 7 calculates distance data related to a captured image corresponding to one frame based on the reference image data and the comparison image data. Here, the “distance data” is a set of parallaxes calculated for each small area on the image plane defined by the image data, and each parallax is associated with a position (i, j) on the image plane. ing. Each parallax is calculated for each pixel block of a predetermined area (for example, 4 × 4 pixels) constituting a part of the reference image plane. In this embodiment in which three primary color images are output from the respective cameras 2 and 3, this stereo matching is performed separately for each primary color image of the same color.

  When calculating the parallax regarding a certain pixel block (correlation source), a region (correlation destination) having a correlation with the luminance characteristic of this pixel block is specified in the comparison image. The distance from the cameras 2 and 3 to the object appears as an amount of horizontal displacement between the reference image and the comparison image. Therefore, when searching for the correlation destination in the comparison image, it is only necessary to search on the same horizontal line (epipolar line) as the j coordinate of the pixel block as the correlation source. The stereo image processing unit 7 shifts the correlation between the correlation source candidate and the correlation destination candidate while shifting one pixel at a time on the epipolar line within a predetermined search range set based on the i coordinate of the correlation source. Sequential evaluation (stereo matching). In principle, the amount of horizontal deviation of the correlation destination (one of the correlation destination candidates) determined to have the highest correlation is defined as the parallax of the pixel block. In other words, the distance data is a two-dimensional distribution of the distance ahead of the host vehicle. Then, the stereo image processing unit 7 performs stereo matching between the primary color images of the same color, and outputs the result to the subsequent fusion processing unit 8. Thereby, three parallaxes (hereinafter, referred to as “primary color parallax”) are calculated for one pixel block in the reference image.

  The fusion processing unit 8 fuses the three primary color parallaxes calculated for a certain pixel block, and calculates a uniform parallax Ni for the pixel block. Fusion of primary color parallax is performed by a product-sum operation based on a parameter (specifically, a weighting factor for each color) obtained from the detection target selection unit 8a. A set for one frame of the parallax Ni thus obtained is stored in the distance data memory 10 as distance data. The detailed system configuration and system processing of the fusion processing unit 8 and the detection target selecting unit 8a are disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-343801 already filed by the present applicant, and are referred to if necessary. I want.

  The microcomputer 11 includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, an input / output interface, and the like, and includes a recognition unit 12 and a control unit 13 when functionally grasping this. Based on the primary color image stored in the image data memory 9, the recognition unit 12 recognizes an object existing ahead of the host vehicle, and generates color information of the recognized object. The object to be recognized by the recognition unit 12 is typically a three-dimensional object, and examples thereof include automobiles, two-wheeled vehicles, and pedestrians. Information on the object recognized by the recognition unit 12 and the generated color information are output to the control unit 13. The control unit 13 controls the display device 15 provided in the subsequent stage so as to display a symbol indicating the object recognized by the recognition unit 12 so as to overlap the navigation information. In this case, the symbol corresponding to the object is displayed using a display color corresponding to the color information of the output object.

  Here, the navigation information is information necessary for displaying the current position of the host vehicle and the planned route of the host vehicle together with the map information on the display device 15, and can be acquired from the known navigation system 14. Although not shown in FIG. 1, the navigation system 14 is mainly configured by a vehicle speed sensor, a gyroscope, a GPS receiver, a map data input unit, and a navigation control unit. The vehicle speed sensor is a sensor that detects the speed of the vehicle, and the gyroscope detects the amount of change in the azimuth angle of the vehicle based on the angular velocity of the rotational motion applied to the vehicle. The GPS receiver receives radio waves transmitted from a GPS artificial satellite via an antenna and detects positioning information such as the position and direction (traveling direction) of the vehicle. The map data input unit is a device for inputting map information data (hereinafter referred to as “map data”) stored in a recording medium such as a CD-ROM or DVD to the system 14. The navigation control unit calculates the current position of the vehicle on the basis of the positioning information obtained from the GPS receiver or the moving distance of the vehicle and the direction change amount of the vehicle according to the vehicle speed. The calculated current position and the map data corresponding to the current position are output from the navigation system 14 to the microcomputer 11 as navigation information in accordance with the driving situation.

  FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a procedure of information display processing according to the present embodiment. The routine shown in this flowchart is called at predetermined intervals and executed by the microcomputer 11. First, in step 1, distance data and image data (for example, reference image data) are read. In the present embodiment in which three primary color images are output by the respective cameras 2 and 3, three image data corresponding to the respective primary color images (hereinafter referred to as “primary color image data”) are read.

  In step 2, a three-dimensional object existing in front of the host vehicle is recognized. In the three-dimensional object recognition, first, noise included in the distance data, that is, the parallax Ni that seems to be low in reliability is removed by the group filter processing. The parallax Ni generated by the mismatch due to the influence of noise or the like has a characteristic that the area of the group having the same value as the parallax Ni is relatively small and the area of the group having the same value as the parallax Ni is relatively small. Therefore, the parallax Ni calculated for each pixel block is grouped so that the amount of change from the parallax Ni in the pixel blocks adjacent in the vertical and horizontal directions is within a predetermined threshold. Then, the size of the area of the group is detected, and a group having an area larger than a predetermined size (for example, two pixel blocks) is determined as an effective group. On the other hand, the parallax Ni belonging to a group having an area of a predetermined size or less is determined to have low reliability of the calculated parallax Ni and is removed from the distance data.

  Next, based on the parallax Ni extracted by the group filter processing and the coordinate position on the image plane corresponding to the parallax, a position in the real space is calculated using a well-known coordinate conversion formula. Then, by comparing the calculated position in the real space with the position of the road surface, the disparity Ni located above the road surface, that is, the disparity corresponding to the three-dimensional object (hereinafter referred to as “three-dimensional object parallax”). ) Ni is extracted. The position of the road surface can be specified by calculating a road model that defines the road shape. The road model is expressed by a linear equation in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction in the coordinate system of the real space, and is calculated by setting the parameters of the linear equation to values that match the actual road shape. Based on the knowledge that the white line drawn on the road surface is higher in luminance than the road surface, the image data is referred to. Based on this image data, the position of the left and right white lines on the image plane is specified by evaluating the luminance change in the width direction of the road. When the position of the white line is specified, the luminance change may be evaluated for each of the three primary color image data. For example, a specific primary color image data such as only a red image or only a red image and a blue image may be evaluated. The brightness change may be evaluated for. Based on the position of the white line on the image plane, the position of the white line in the real space is detected using the distance data. The road model is calculated by dividing the white line on the road into a plurality of sections in the distance direction, approximating the left and right white lines in each section with a three-dimensional straight line, and connecting them in a polygonal line shape.

  Next, the distance data is sectioned in a grid pattern, and a histogram related to the three-dimensional object parallax Ni belonging to each section is created for each grid pattern section. This histogram shows the distribution of the frequency of the three-dimensional object parallax Ni included per unit section. In this histogram, the frequency of the parallax Ni indicating a certain three-dimensional object is high. Therefore, in the created histogram, the three-dimensional object parallax Ni whose frequency is equal to or higher than the determination value is detected, and the detected three-dimensional object parallax Ni is detected as a candidate for a three-dimensional object existing in front of the host vehicle. At this time, the distance to the candidate for the three-dimensional object is also calculated. Next, three-dimensional object candidates whose calculated distances are close to each other are grouped in adjacent sections, and each group is recognized as a three-dimensional object. The recognized three-dimensional object is associated with the left and right end positions, the center position, the distance, and the like as parameters. A specific processing procedure in the group filter and a specific processing procedure for three-dimensional object recognition are disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-285582, so refer to them if necessary.

  In step 3, it is determined whether or not the current traveling state is a state suitable for generating color information of a three-dimensional object. As will be described later, the color information of the three-dimensional object is generated based on the luminance value of each primary color image data. In normal driving conditions, color information generated based on primary color image data can accurately reproduce the actual color of a three-dimensional object. However, in the case where the host vehicle is traveling in a tunnel, the color information of the three-dimensional object generated on the image base may be different from the actual color information due to a decrease in illumination or illuminance in the tunnel. . Therefore, in order to avoid erroneous generation of color information, the determination in step 3 is provided before the recognition process in step 4. Whether the host vehicle is traveling in the tunnel can be determined from the fact that the luminance characteristics of each primary color image data output in time series are shifted to the low brightness area, the lighting state of the headlights, and the like. it can. Since the headlight may be out of lamp, the headlight operation switch state may be detected instead of the headlight lighting state.

  If an affirmative determination is made in step 3, that is, if the driving situation is suitable for generating color information, the process proceeds to step 4. In step 4, color information is generated for each recognized solid object as a processing target. In this color information generation process, first, in a two-dimensional plane (ij plane) defined by distance data, a position group on an image plane associated with a three-dimensional object parallax Ni corresponding to a group recognized as a three-dimensional object. (A set of (i, j)) is specified. Next, the luminance value of the specified position group is detected in each primary color image data. In this embodiment using three primary color image data, the luminance value of the position group in the red image (hereinafter referred to as “R luminance value”), the luminance value of the position group in the green image (hereinafter referred to as “G luminance value”), and blue The luminance value of the position group in the image (hereinafter referred to as “B luminance value”) is detected. Then, in order to identify the characteristic color of the three-dimensional object, based on the luminance value detected in each primary color image data (more precisely, a set of luminance values corresponding to the position group), The average luminance value of the position group is recognized as the color information of the three-dimensional object. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the color information of the three-dimensional object is a set of three color components of the R luminance value, the G luminance value, and the B luminance value. For example, for a preceding vehicle with a white body color or a pedestrian in white clothes, the color information is generated as an R luminance value “255”, a G luminance value “255”, and a B luminance value “255”. is there.

  On the other hand, if a negative determination is made in step 3, that is, if the driving situation is inappropriate for generating color information, the process proceeds to step 5. In this case, the color information of the three-dimensional object is specified based on the color information of the three-dimensional object generated in an appropriate traveling situation, that is, the color information generated previously with time (step 5). First, it is determined whether or not the three-dimensional object currently recognized is recognized in the cycle executed previously. Specifically, a three-dimensional object is sequentially selected from currently recognized three-dimensional objects, and a positional comparison with a three-dimensional object recognized a predetermined time ago is performed. In general, even if the traveling state changes with time, it is unlikely that the amount of movement in the vehicle width direction and the amount of movement in the vehicle height direction for the same three-dimensional object will change significantly. Therefore, it is recognized in a previously executed cycle by determining whether or not the amount of movement of the three-dimensional object in the vehicle width direction (and also the amount of movement in the vehicle height direction) is equal to or less than a predetermined determination value. It is determined whether or not it is a three-dimensional object (ie, determination of the identity of a three-dimensional object recognized at different times).

  In this determination, the color information of the three-dimensional object recognized for the first time in this cycle is identified as “unrecognizable” when there is no object identical to the three-dimensional object recognized a predetermined time ago. On the other hand, already generated color information is specified as the color information for the three-dimensional object that is continuously recognized from the previous cycle. In this case, since the color information has already been obtained in the process of step 4 for the three-dimensional object for which the color information is generated in an appropriate traveling situation, the generated color information is specified as the color information for the three-dimensional object. Is done. On the other hand, for the three-dimensional object recognized while traveling in the tunnel, since the color information has not been generated in the previous cycle, the color information remains “unrecognizable”.

In step 6, display processing is performed based on the navigation information and the recognition result by the recognition unit 12. Specifically, the control unit 13 controls the display device 15 so that the display forms shown in the following (1) and (2) are obtained.
(1) In three-dimensional object recognition using distance data in which a symbol representing a three-dimensional object is displayed superimposed on navigation information, the position of the three-dimensional object is a coordinate system (in the present embodiment, a three-dimensional coordinate system). ). Therefore, the control unit 13 associates the symbol indicating the three-dimensional object with the position of the object in the real space based on the position of the recognized object based on the current position of the host vehicle obtained from the navigation system 14. And overlay it on the map data. In this case, the symbol can be displayed at a more accurate position by referring to the road model and making the road position on the map data correspond to the position of the three-dimensional object based on the road model.
(2) Symbols that are displayed by being superimposed on map data for displaying symbols in a predetermined display color are displayed in a display color corresponding to the color information generated and output for the object. That is, a symbol indicating a three-dimensional object to which red color information (for example, R luminance value “255”, G luminance value “0”, and B luminance value “0”) is output is the same as the output color information. Displayed in display color. Further, a symbol indicating a three-dimensional object (“unrecognizable”) for which color information is not generated or specified is displayed using a preset display color. The display color is preferably a color different from the color information that can be recognized in a traffic environment, for example, purple.

  FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a display state of the display device 15. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an actual running state, in which a three-dimensional object existing in front of the host vehicle and a color of the three-dimensional object (for example, a body color) are shown. In FIG. 3, in the case where only three automobiles and one two-wheeled vehicle are recognized as a three-dimensional object (see FIG. 4), map data is displayed using a so-called driver's eye technique. Symbols indicating each three-dimensional object are displayed in an overlapping manner. In FIG. 3, as an example, a symbol representing a three-dimensional object uses a design simulating a cube, and is displayed with a display color corresponding to the color information of the recognized three-dimensional object.

  In addition to the above conditions (1) and (2), the control unit 13 may change the size of the displayed symbol relative to the size of the recognized three-dimensional object, as shown in FIG. The display device 15 may be displayed differently. Further, the display device 15 may be controlled so that a sense of perspective is expressed in the symbol. In this case, according to the distance from the recognized three-dimensional object to the host vehicle, the three-dimensional object that is far away is displayed so that the display size of the symbol becomes smaller. Further, in the case where the symbol displayed far away in position overlaps with the symbol displayed at a position closer thereto, the control unit 13 places the former symbol on the upper side of the latter symbol. The display device 15 may be controlled so as to be displayed. As a result, distant symbols are obscured by nearby symbols, making it easier to see the symbols and expressing the positional context between the symbols.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, an object (a three-dimensional object in the present embodiment) existing in front of the host vehicle is recognized based on a color image, and color information of the three-dimensional object is generated and output. Is done. A symbol indicating the recognized object is displayed so as to overlap the navigation information. In this case, the display device 15 is controlled so that the displayed symbol has a display color corresponding to the color information output for the object. Therefore, the driving situation actually recognized by the driver and the symbol displayed on the display device 15 correspond to each other in color, and the color difference that occurs between them can be reduced. Further, by making the display correspond to the color of the actual driving environment, it is possible to improve the visibility by the user (typically a driver). As a result, it is possible to improve convenience by using a function that is not present in the past, and therefore it is possible to improve the appeal of the product from the viewpoint of user friendliness.

  Note that displaying all the symbols corresponding to all recognized three-dimensional objects is advantageous in that the driving situation is displayed in detail, but the amount of information displayed on the screen increases. That is, information that is not directly related to driving may be displayed, such as a preceding vehicle that is far away from the host vehicle. Therefore, from the viewpoint of eliminating unnecessary information, a plurality of three-dimensional objects close to the host vehicle may be selected, and only symbols corresponding to the selected three-dimensional objects may be displayed.

  In this embodiment, when displaying a symbol, the display is performed using a display color that completely matches the color component of the generated color information (that is, the R luminance value, the G luminance value, and the B luminance value). It is not limited to. That is, the display color may be adjusted as appropriate within a range where there is no visual difference between the users. Furthermore, in addition to the display method such as the driver's eye, the present invention can be applied to other bird's-eye view methods (for example, bird view) and display methods using a plan view method.

  In addition, by configuring a stereo camera with a pair of cameras that output a color image, both a function as a camera that outputs a color image and a function as a sensor that outputs distance data by the image processing system in the subsequent stage are achieved. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In addition to this, by using a monocular camera that outputs a color image and a known sensor that can calculate distance data, such as a laser radar or a millimeter wave radar, the same function as in the present embodiment can be obtained. Further, if the color information of the three-dimensional object existing in front of the host vehicle is recognized and the symbol is displayed using the display color corresponding to the color information of the recognized three-dimensional object, a sensor that outputs distance data is provided. It is not always necessary to provide it. In this case, a three-dimensional object can be recognized from the image data by using a well-known image processing technique such as an optical flow or a method of detecting a color component different from the road surface. However, by using the distance data, the position information of the three-dimensional object can be accurately recognized. Therefore, the reproducibility of the actual driving situation in the display can be improved by reflecting this position information in the display process.

  Further, when the recognition unit 12 determines that an alarm to the driver is necessary based on the recognition result of the object, the recognition unit 12 can operate the display device 15 or the speaker 16 to prompt the driver to call attention. Moreover, the recognition part 12 may control the control apparatus 17 as needed, and may perform vehicle control, such as downshift and brake control.

The block diagram which shows the whole structure of the information display apparatus concerning this embodiment The flowchart which showed the procedure of the information display process concerning this embodiment Explanatory drawing which shows the display state of a display apparatus Schematic diagram showing the driving situation ahead

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Information display apparatus 2,3 Camera 4,5 A / D converter 6 Image correction part 7 Stereo image processing part 8 Fusion processing part 9 Image data memory 10 Distance data memory 11 Microcomputer 12 Recognition part 13 Control part 14 Navigation system 15 Display Device 16 Speaker 17 Control device

Claims (9)

In the information display device,
A camera that outputs a color image by imaging the scenery in front of the host vehicle;
A navigation system that outputs navigation information according to the travel of the host vehicle;
Recognizing an object existing ahead of the host vehicle based on the output color image, and a recognition unit that outputs color information of the recognized object;
A display device for displaying information;
The display device is controlled to display a symbol indicating the recognized object superimposed on the output navigation information, and the display color corresponding to the color information of the output object is used to control the display device. And a control unit that controls the display device to display symbols. A sensor that outputs distance data indicating a two-dimensional distribution of the distance ahead of the vehicle;
The recognizing unit recognizes the position of the object based on the distance data;
The control unit controls the display device to display the symbol corresponding to the position of the object in real space based on the position of the object recognized by the recognition unit. The information display device according to claim 1. A second camera functioning as a stereo camera by outputting a color image by imaging the scenery in front of the host vehicle and cooperating with the first camera. In addition,
3. The sensor outputs the distance data by stereo matching based on a color image output from the first camera and a color image output from the second camera. Information display device described in 1. When the recognition unit determines that the output color information of the target object is different from the actual color of the target object, the target object output before time Based on the color information of the object, the color information of the object is specified,
4. The information according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the display device to display the symbol using a display color corresponding to the specified color information. 5. Display device.   The control unit controls the display device to display the symbol indicating the target object using a predetermined display color for the target object for which color information is not output from the recognition unit. The information display device according to claim 1, wherein: In the information display method,
A first step in which a computer recognizes an object existing ahead of the host vehicle based on a color image obtained by capturing a scene in front of the host vehicle, and generates color information of the recognized object;
A second step in which the computer acquires navigation information according to the travel of the host vehicle;
The computer controls a display device to display a symbol indicating the recognized object superimposed on the navigation information, and uses a display color corresponding to the color information of the generated object. And a third step of controlling the display device to display symbols. A fourth step of recognizing the position of the object based on distance data indicating a two-dimensional distribution of the distance ahead of the host vehicle;
The third step includes a step of controlling the display device to display the symbol corresponding to the position of the object in real space based on the position of the recognized object. The information display method according to claim 6. In the first step, when it is determined that the color information of the generated object is a traveling situation that is different from the actual color of the object, the first information generated before Identifying the color information of the object based on the color information of the object,
8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the third step is a step of controlling the display device to display the symbol using a display color corresponding to the specified color information. Information display method.   The third step is a step of controlling the display device so as to display the symbol indicating the target object using a predetermined display color for the target object for which the color information is not generated. 9. The information display method according to claim 6, wherein the information display method is provided.

Images