JP2021000961A5 - - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a display device installed in a vehicle, a display control device and a display control method for controlling the display device, and a program.

As a display device for a vehicle, for example, a head-up display (Head-Up Display, hereinafter also referred to as HUD) is known. In particular, as a HUD to which augmented reality (AR) is applied, for example, in Patent Document 1, in a virtual image of warning information visually recognized by a user, a virtual image distance which is a visible viewing distance is vibrated. A display device or the like that calls the user's attention is disclosed.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2017-035792

By the way, in a conventional display device such as a HUD, a virtual image may not be properly visually recognized by a user.

Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a display control device or the like capable of appropriately visualizing a virtual image by a user.

In order to solve the above problems, the display control device according to one aspect of the present disclosure projects an image onto a translucent display medium provided in a vehicle and reflects the image to the user as a virtual image. A display control device that controls a display device to be visually recognized, the acquisition unit that acquires the traveling speed of the vehicle, the selection unit that selects at least one of the first content and the second content as a selection image, and the selection. The determination unit includes a determination unit that determines the viewing distance of an image, and a control unit that projects the selection image onto the display device so that the selection image appears as a virtual image at the viewing distance determined by the determination unit. (I) When the first content is selected as the selected image by the selection unit, (i) determines the viewing distance of the first content according to the traveling speed acquired by the acquisition unit. ii) When the second content is selected as the selected image by the selection unit, the viewing distance of the second content is determined according to the object detected around the vehicle.

Further, the display device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes the display control device described above and a projection device for projecting an image on the display medium.

Further, the display control method according to one aspect of the present disclosure controls a display device that makes the user visually recognize the image as a virtual image by projecting an image onto a translucent display medium provided in the vehicle and reflecting the image. In the display control method to be performed, the acquisition step of acquiring the traveling speed of the vehicle, the selection step of selecting at least one of the first content and the second content as the selection image, and the viewing distance of the selection image are determined. The determination step includes, and a control step of projecting the selected image onto the display device so that the selected image appears as a virtual image at the viewing distance determined in the determination step. When the first content is selected as the selected image in the selection step, the viewing distance of the first content is determined according to the traveling speed acquired in the acquisition step, and (ii) in the selection step. When the second content is selected as the selected image, the viewing distance of the second content is determined according to the object detected around the vehicle.

Further, the display control method according to one aspect of the present disclosure controls a display device that makes the user visually recognize the image as a virtual image by projecting an image onto a translucent display medium provided in the vehicle and reflecting the image. In the display control method, the acquisition step of acquiring the traveling speed of the vehicle, the selection step of selecting at least one of the first content and the second content as the selection image, and the selection step in which the selection image is visually recognized. It includes a determination step of determining a display position on a display medium and a control step of projecting the selected image onto the display device so that the selected image appears as a virtual image at the display position determined in the determination step. In the determination step, (i) when the first content is selected as the selection image in the selection step, the display position of the first content is set according to the traveling speed acquired in the acquisition step. (Ii) When the second content is selected as the selected image in the selection step, the display position of the second content is determined according to the object detected around the vehicle.

Further, one aspect of the present disclosure can be realized as a program for causing a computer to execute the display control method described above. It can also be realized as a computer-readable recording medium in which the program is stored.

According to the present disclosure, the virtual image can be appropriately visually recognized by the user.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a usage example of the display device according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a first diagram illustrating a basic function of the display device according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a second diagram illustrating a basic function of the display device according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the principle of viewing distance adjustment of the display device according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a display control device according to an embodiment. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the display control device according to the embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a virtual image at low speed according to the embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a virtual image at high speed according to the embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a virtual image of the first content and the second content according to the embodiment.

(Findings that led to this disclosure)
A display device mounted on a vehicle such as a HUD makes a user such as a driver who operates the vehicle visually recognize all information about the vehicle as an image (for example, visual information including figures such as numbers, letters, and arrows). It is a device. In particular, the HUD uses a windshield (windshield) installed in front of the cockpit of the vehicle as a display medium, and projects an image onto the windshield to reflect the image so that the user can visually recognize the image as a virtual image. At this time, since the windshield has translucency, the light incident from the outside of the vehicle is visually recognized by the user together with the virtual image as the scenery seen through the windshield.

In recent years, it has become possible to express a virtual image in the perspective direction in such a HUD. That is, it has become possible to superimpose a virtual image on a position in the perspective direction corresponding to an object or the like detected around the vehicle in the scenery seen through the windshield so that the user can visually recognize the scenery together with the scenery. As described above, a HUD (that is, AR-HUD) to which AR that expands the visually recognized real scenery by superimposing virtual images has also been proposed.

For example, in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, the user for warning information displayed as a virtual image by vibrating the virtual image distance, which is the viewing distance at which the virtual image is displayed, and making the user visually recognize the virtual image as if it is moving back and forth. A display device and the like that call attention to the above are disclosed.

Here, the driver of the vehicle operates the vehicle based on the scenery seen through the windshield. When operating the vehicle, the driver properly operates the vehicle while visually recognizing the object far from the vehicle (that is, the long viewing distance) and the object close to the vehicle (that is, the short viewing distance). do. The viewing distance is the distance from the user's eyes such as a driver to the object. Further, the virtual distance from the user's eyes to the virtual position where the virtual image is projected will also be described as a viewing distance.

In addition, the faster the vehicle travels, the more the vehicle user sees the object at a position farther from the vehicle. More specifically, since the user's field of view narrows according to the traveling speed of the vehicle, the ratio of visually recognizing an object located far from the vehicle corresponding to the center of the field of view by unconsciously gazing at the center of the field of view. Will increase.

Further, here, the image visually recognized by the user as a virtual image using a display device such as a HUD includes an image that does not need to be superimposed on the actual scenery. For example, speed limit of the travel path on which the vehicle travels, road traffic information such as traffic congestion, and road sign information such as lane reduction and width reduction can be mentioned. Conventionally, a display device is controlled so that an image that does not need to be superimposed on such a real landscape is visually recognized by a user as a virtual image having a fixed viewing distance.

However, as described above, when the traveling speed of the vehicle increases, the user tends to visually recognize an object located far from the vehicle, so that there is a difference between the fixed viewing distance of the virtual image and the viewing distance of the object visually recognized by the user. May occur. For such a difference in viewing distance, it is necessary to adjust the visual field so that the user intentionally sees a virtual image with a fixed viewing distance. In addition, such a difference in viewing distance may cause the user to overlook a virtual image with a fixed viewing distance.

Therefore, it is an object of the present disclosure to provide a display control device capable of appropriately visualizing a virtual image by a user.

Specifically, the display control device in the present disclosure determines the viewing distance of a virtual image when an image that does not need to be superimposed on the actual scenery is visually recognized by the user according to the traveling speed of the vehicle. As a result, the user can visually recognize a virtual image having a viewing distance equivalent to the viewing distance of the object to be visually recognized even if the traveling speed of the vehicle is high. That is, it is possible to visually recognize the virtual image without adjusting the visual field while keeping the visual field in which the object is visually recognized. Further, since a virtual image having a viewing distance equivalent to the viewing distance of the object to be visually recognized appears, the user can reduce the possibility of overlooking the virtual image. Therefore, the virtual image can be appropriately visually recognized by the user.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. All of the embodiments described below are comprehensive or specific examples of the present disclosure. Therefore, the numerical values, the components, the arrangement positions and connection forms of the components, the steps, the order of the steps, and the like shown in the following embodiments are examples and do not limit the present disclosure. Therefore, among the components in the following embodiments, the components not described in the independent claims indicating the highest level concept of the present disclosure are described as arbitrary components.

Further, each figure is a schematic view and is not necessarily exactly illustrated. Therefore, the scales and the like do not always match in each figure. In each figure, substantially the same configuration is designated by the same reference numeral, and duplicate description will be omitted or simplified.

(Embodiment)
[overview]
First, an outline of the display control device according to the embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a usage example of the display device according to the embodiment. FIG. 1 shows an overview view of the vehicle 101 on which the display device is installed as viewed from the inside. In FIG. 1, the traveling path 11 is shown as a part of the scenery outside the vehicle 101 seen through the windshield installed in front of the cockpit and the passenger seat.

As shown in FIG. 1, the display control device 100 (see FIG. 4 described later) is a display device mounted on the vehicle 101 that allows the user of the vehicle 101 to visually recognize a virtual image of the projected image by projecting the image. It is a device to control. The display device uses the windshield provided in the vehicle 101 as a display medium, and projects an image onto the display medium to reflect the image so that the user can visually recognize the image as a virtual image in the display area 10.

The display area 10 is an area that can be displayed by the display device, and may change depending on conditions such as the optical system of the display device, the configuration of the windshield of the vehicle 101, and the installation location of the display device in the vehicle 101. Therefore, the figure shows an example of the display area 10 under specific conditions.

Here, the windshield has translucency, and the light outside the vehicle 101 is transmitted to the inside of the vehicle 101 through the windshield. Therefore, the user can see the light incident from the outside of the vehicle 101 through the windshield as a view of the outside of the vehicle 101.

Here, as shown in FIG. 1, the display area 10 is designed to be substantially in front of the cockpit of the vehicle 101. Thereby, the display device can make the driver of the vehicle 101 visually recognize an image showing all the information about the vehicle 101 as a virtual image. The position and size of the display area 10 are not limited to this, and may be substantially in front of the passenger seat or the entire surface of the windshield, which is different from the windshield such as a side window. May be good. At this time, the display device may have a configuration and an installation position having an optical system suitable for the position and size of the display area 10.

Next, the basic functions of the display device according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 is a first diagram illustrating a basic function of the display device according to the embodiment. Further, FIG. 3 is a second diagram illustrating a basic function of the display device according to the embodiment. 2A and 3A show a view of the vehicle 101 from the side. Further, (b) of FIG. 2 and (b) of FIG. 3 show an example of a landscape and a virtual image visually recognized by the driver of the vehicle 101 through the windshield.

The basic function of the display device in the present embodiment is a function of projecting an image so that a virtual image visually recognizable by the user appears at a position determined according to an object detected around the vehicle 101. Such an object may be detected by, for example, LIDAR (Laser Imaging Detection And Ranking), millimeter wave, infrared rays, or the like.

Specifically, in addition to the positions in the vertical and horizontal directions when viewed from the user, the position in the perspective direction (that is, the viewing distance) is determined, and the user can visually recognize the virtual image appearing in the determined position in the perspective direction. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, when a pedestrian 15 is detected in front of the travel path 11 of the vehicle 101, a caution display 13 is projected by the display device, and the driver is placed at a position determined according to the pedestrian 15. , The virtual image of the caution display 13 as shown by the broken line circle can be visually recognized. That is, in this case, the position determined according to the object is the position on the road surface of the traveling path 11 where the object exists.

Further, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, when the intersection 11a corresponding to the left turn instruction by the car navigation system is detected on the travel path 11 of the vehicle 101, the left turn display 17 is projected by the display device, and the driver can use the intersection 11a. A virtual image of the left turn display 17 as shown by the broken line arrow can be visually recognized at the position determined according to the above. That is, in this case, the position determined according to the object is a position along the course when turning left at the intersection 11a which is an object.

As described above, the display device according to the present embodiment can express a virtual image in the perspective direction as seen by the user of the vehicle 101.

Further, here, an example of expressing a virtual image in the perspective direction by a display device, that is, adjusting the viewing distance of the virtual image will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the principle of viewing distance adjustment of the display device according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 shows a schematic configuration of a display device when viewed from the left side in the traveling direction of the vehicle 101. Further, in FIG. 4, among various components constituting the display device, only the components related to the viewing distance adjustment of the virtual image 49 are shown, and the others are omitted. Further, FIG. 4 also shows the user's eyes 40 and the virtual image 49 in addition to the components constituting the display device.

As shown in FIG. 4, in the display device, the light source 41 emits the light indicated by the broken line arrow in the figure and transmits the light through the liquid crystal panel 43. At this time, the liquid crystal panel 43 transmits the light of the pixel corresponding to the image to be visually recognized by the user as a virtual image 49. The light transmitted through the liquid crystal panel 43 is subsequently reflected by the reflector 45. Further, the light reflected by the reflector 45 is projected onto the display medium 47. That is, an image to be visually recognized by the user is projected on the display medium 47 as a virtual image 49. The image projected on the display medium 47 is reflected and incident on the user's eye 40, so that the image is formed on the retina in the user's eye 40. At this time, since the display medium 47 has translucency, the user has the illusion that the image formed on the retina is incident light from the front side (left side of the paper surface) of the display medium 47. That is, the user visually recognizes the virtual image 49 based on the image, which exists in front of the display medium 47.

The viewing distance from the user's eye 40 to the virtual image 49 coincides with the optical path length from the reflector 45 to the user's eye 40. That is, it is defined by (the length from the reflector 45 to the display medium 47) + (the length from the display medium 47 to the user's eyes 40). Here, as shown in FIG. 4, due to the design of the optical system of the display device, the virtual image 49 has a viewing distance from the user's eye 40 of L1 in the upper part of the virtual image 49, L2 in the central part, and L3 in the lower part. It is possible to have different viewing distances. Therefore, the viewing distance of the virtual image 49 when the virtual image 49 of the projected image is visually recognized can be adjusted depending on which position in the vertical direction the image is projected on the display medium 47. In particular, in the optical system in the figure, the more projected onto the upper part of the display medium 47, the more visually recognized as a virtual image 49 appearing on the front side.

The above adjustment of the viewing distance of the virtual image 49 is an example, and as the display device in the present embodiment, a display device capable of expressing the virtual image 49 in the perspective direction can be arbitrarily selected and applied.

[Display control device]
<Structure>
Next, a specific configuration of the display control device 100 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a display control device according to an embodiment. Further, in FIG. 5, in addition to the display control device 100, the HUD, which is an example of the display device, and other peripheral devices related to the operation of the display control device in the present embodiment are also shown.

As shown in FIG. 5, the display control device 100 in the present embodiment includes a content generation unit 31, an acquisition unit 33, a content mapping unit 35, and an output image generation unit 37.

The content generation unit 31 is a processing unit that generates an image for the user to visually recognize as a virtual image 49 by using a display device. The content generation unit 31 is realized by a processor and a memory in which a program related to the operation of the content generation unit 31 is stored. The content generation unit 31 is connected to other peripheral devices such as a vehicle CAN (Control Area Network) 21, a navigation system 23, a multimedia control unit 25, or an ADAS (Advanced Driver-Assistance System) 27, and is connected to other peripheral devices such as these peripheral devices. From the information output by each, an image to be visually recognized by the user is generated.

The vehicle CAN 21 is a network used for exchanging data between ECUs (Electronic Control Units) for controlling various mechanisms related to the operation of the vehicle 101. In the present embodiment, the content generation unit 31 acquires, for example, control information of various mechanisms related to the operation of the vehicle 101 from the vehicle CAN. The navigation system 23 is a system that guides the vehicle 101 to the destination by using the map information and the own vehicle position information estimated by GPS (Global Positioning System) or the like. The multimedia control unit 25 is a processing unit that controls a device for viewing multimedia such as audio data or video data in the vehicle 101. The ADAS 27 is a system that includes various safety devices that support the driver so that the operation of the vehicle 101 can be safely performed.

In the present embodiment, the content generation unit 31 may acquire control information of various mechanisms related to the operation of the vehicle 101 from the vehicle CAN, for example. Further, the content generation unit 31 may acquire information regarding guidance of the vehicle 101 from, for example, the navigation system 23. Further, the content generation unit 31 may acquire information about the multimedia to be viewed in the vehicle 101 from, for example, the multimedia control unit 25. Further, the content generation unit 31 may acquire information regarding driver support for safe operation from, for example, ADAS27. Further, the content generation unit 31 may acquire information for generating an image for the user to visually recognize from other peripheral devices (not shown).

In this way, the content generation unit 31 generates an image for allowing the user to visually recognize the information as visual information including figures such as numbers, characters, and arrows, based on the information acquired from various peripheral devices.

The content generation unit 31 may not be provided in the display control device 100. For example, the display control device 100 may directly acquire an image for the user to visually recognize as a virtual image 49 from other components such as the vehicle CAN 21, the navigation system 23, the multimedia control unit 25, or ADAS.

The acquisition unit 33 is a processing unit that acquires the traveling speed at which the vehicle 101 travels. The acquisition unit 33 is connected to, for example, the vehicle CAN 21, and acquires the traveling speed of the vehicle 101 from the ECU via the vehicle CAN 21. The acquisition unit 33 may be in any form as long as it can acquire the traveling speed of the vehicle 101. The acquisition unit 33 may be a speedometer that directly measures the traveling speed of the vehicle 101.

The content mapping unit 35 is a processing unit that determines a position on the display medium 47 when the image generated by the content generation unit 31 is projected onto the display device. The content mapping unit 35 includes a selection unit 35a and a determination unit 35b. Here, the image generated by the content generation unit 31 includes the first content and the second content classified according to the type.

The first content is an image that does not correspond to an object around the vehicle 101, and examples thereof include a notice to the user of various road conditions such as a traveling speed of the vehicle 101 and a decrease in lanes, a speed limit, and a place name. The first content is also referred to as non-AR content. On the other hand, the second content is an image corresponding to an object around the vehicle 101, and is a left turn that guides the vehicle 101 at an intersection 11a to be turned left by a caution display 13 indicating that a pedestrian 15 is present and a navigation system 23. The display is 17 mag. That is, the second content is an image or the like related to the basic function of the display device exemplified in FIGS. 2 and 3. The second content is also referred to as AR content.

The selection unit 35a is a processing unit that selects at least one of the first content and the second content of the generated images as the selection image. Further, the determination unit 35b is a processing unit that determines the viewing distance (in other words, the viewing distance of the virtual image 49) when the selected image selected by the selection unit 35a is visually recognized by the user as a virtual image 49.

Specifically, when the selected image is the first content, the determination unit 35b determines when the virtual image 49 of the first content is visually recognized by the user according to the traveling speed of the vehicle 101 acquired by the acquisition unit 33. Determine the viewing distance of. On the other hand, when the selected image is the second content, the determination unit 35b determines the viewing distance when the virtual image 49 of the second content is visually recognized by the user according to the object detected around the vehicle 101. do. The object may be any object, for example, a pedestrian 15, an animal, a building, an intersection 11a, a point where many traffic accidents occur, a lot number, a road, a terrain, or the like, regardless of the presence or absence of an entity. The selection unit 35a and the determination unit 35b perform the above processing for each acquired image.

That is, the content mapping unit 35 acquires an image, identifies whether the acquired image is the first content or the second content, and whether the image is the first content or the second content. The method of determining the viewing distance of the virtual image 49 is switched according to the above. As a result, the content mapping unit 35 determines the viewing distance of the virtual image 49 for each of the acquired images.

The output image generation unit 37 is a processing unit that generates a projection image corresponding to the viewing distance of the virtual image 49 for each determined image. The output image generation unit 37 outputs the generated projection image to the HUD 29, which is an example of the display device. That is, the output image generation unit 37 is an example of a control unit that projects the projected image onto the HUD 29, which is a display device, so that the projected image, which is the selected image, appears as a virtual image.

The HUD 29 projects the projection image output from the output image generation unit 37 onto the display medium 47 of the vehicle 101 using a projection device composed of various optical systems. The projected projected image is reflected and incident on the user's eye 40. As a result, the user visually recognizes the virtual image 49 having a viewing distance determined for each image.

In addition, such a display control device 100 may be integrated with a display device such as HUD29. That is, the present embodiment can be realized as a display device including the display control device 100 and the projection device.

<Operation>
Hereinafter, the operation of the display control device 100 having the above configuration will be further described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the display control device according to the embodiment.

First, the acquisition unit 33 carries out an acquisition step (S101) in which the traveling speed of the vehicle 101 is acquired. Further, for example, a detection step (S102) in which an object around the vehicle 101 is detected by a detector included in ADAS27 or the like is performed.

Here, the content generation unit 31 generates an image based on the information obtained from the peripheral device connected to the display control device 100, and transmits the image to the content mapping unit 35. The content mapping unit 35 implements a selection step of selecting at least one of the first content and the second content as the selection image among the generated images. Further, a determination step is performed to determine the viewing distance when the selected selected image is visually recognized by the user as a virtual image 49.

Specifically, first, it is determined whether or not the first content is selected as the selected image (S103). When it is determined that the first content is selected as the selected image (Yes in S103), the viewing distance of the first content is determined according to the traveling speed (S104). If it is not determined that the first content has been selected as the selected image (No in S103), step S104 is omitted.

Next, it is determined whether or not the second content is selected as the selected image (S105). When it is determined that the second content is selected as the selected image (Yes in S105), the viewing distance of the second content is determined according to the object detected around the vehicle (S106). If it is not determined that the second content has been selected as the selected image (No in S105), step S106 is omitted.

That is, in the present embodiment, it is specified whether the acquired image is the first content or the second content. If the image is identified as the first content, the viewing distance is determined according to the traveling speed, and if the image is identified as the second content, the viewing distance is determined according to the objects detected around the vehicle. To decide. The method of determining the viewing distance of the virtual image 49 is switched depending on whether the acquired image is the first content or the second content.

Subsequently, a control step (S107) is performed to control the display device to project the selected image so that the selected image appears as a virtual image 49 at the determined viewing distance.

Hereinafter, an example of the virtual image 49 in the display device controlled by the display control device 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7, 8 and 9.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a virtual image at a low speed (here, 20 km / h) according to the embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a virtual image at high speed (here, 80 km / h) according to the embodiment. 7 (a) and 8 (a) are views seen from above of the vehicle 101 for explaining the position of the virtual image 49 visually recognized by the user. Further, FIG. 7B and FIG. 8B are views of the display area 10 as viewed from the inside of the vehicle 101.

7 (a) and 8 (a) show a visual field range 10a that defines the end of the display area 10. Further, the display area 10b, which is an area in the visual field range 10a in which the virtual image 49 can be visually recognized by the user by using the display device, is shown with hatching. The display area 10b in the present embodiment is an area 23 m or more and 250 m or less in front of the vehicle 101. The above numbers are examples, and the display area 10b is defined by the shape of the vehicle 101, the configuration of the optical system of the display device, and other factors.

In FIG. 7, an image (that is, the first content 19) showing a notice to the user of the width reduction and the speed limit is displayed on the traveling path on which the vehicle 101 is traveling. When the traveling speed of the vehicle 101 is as low as 20 km / h, the virtual image 49 of the first content 19 appears at a point 30 m ahead of the vehicle 101. That is, the viewing distance of the virtual image 49 of the first content 19 at this time is 30 m. Since the traveling speed of the vehicle 101 is relatively low, the driver can visually recognize the virtual image 49 of the first content 19 at any viewing distance without adjusting the visual field.

On the other hand, in FIG. 8, the same first content 19 as in FIG. 7 is displayed on the traveling path on which the vehicle 101 is traveling. When the traveling speed of the vehicle 101 is as high as 80 km / h, the virtual image 49 of the first content 19 appears at a point 100 m ahead of the vehicle 101. That is, the viewing distance of the virtual image 49 of the first content 19 at this time is 100 m. Since the traveling speed of the vehicle 101 is relatively high, the driver can visually recognize the virtual image 49 of the first content 19 by appearing at a distant point in front of the vehicle without adjusting the visual field. ..

In this way, the faster the traveling speed of the vehicle 101, the more the virtual image 49 appearing farther is visually recognized by the user. That is, when the first content 19 is selected as the selected image by the selection unit 35a, the determination unit 35b sets the viewing distance of the first content 19 to a longer (far) viewing distance as the traveling speed of the vehicle 101 increases. decide. The first content 19 is visually recognized as a virtual image 49 that appears in the distance according to the user's field of view when the user's field of view is narrowed and the user's field of view becomes easy to see due to the increase in the traveling speed of the vehicle 101. To. The user can visually recognize the virtual image 49 of the first content 19 without adjusting the field of view, and the complexity is reduced.

Here, as shown in FIG. 8B, the virtual image 49 of the first content 19 is displayed above the display area 10 as compared with the low speed in FIG. 7B. This is because, as described with reference to FIG. 4, the portion of the display region 10 where the viewing distance of the virtual image 49 becomes long is above the display medium 47 due to the design of the optical system. That is, the determination unit 35b determines the viewing distance at which the virtual image 49 of the first content 19 is visually recognized, which is longer as the position projected on the display medium 47 is higher. In other words, the first content 19 in which the viewing distance of the virtual image 49 is determined to be long is projected onto the display medium 47, so that the virtual image 49 having the determined long viewing distance is visually recognized by the user.

Further, since the size seen from the user becomes smaller as it is originally displayed farther away, the first content 19 in FIG. 8B is a virtual image 49 smaller than the first content 19 in FIG. 7B. The person who has it is visually recognized by the user without feeling any discomfort. However, by making the display smaller, the visibility by the user is lowered and it becomes difficult for the user to receive the information indicated by the image. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the virtual image 49 having a constant size appears regardless of the viewing distance. The projection is performed by the display device. In order to make the user visually recognize the more natural virtual image 49, the display device may project the first content 19 so as to appear as a virtual image 49 having a size corresponding to the viewing distance.

As described above, the display control device 100 in the present embodiment controls the display device so that the driver can easily see it and the virtual image 49 is appropriately seen by the driver.

Next, an example of the virtual image 49 when the first content 19 and the second content are mixed will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a virtual image of the first content and the second content according to the embodiment. FIG. 9A shows an example of a virtual image 49 visually recognized by the driver when the traveling speed of the vehicle 101 is as low as 20 km / h. Further, FIG. 9B shows an example of a virtual image 49 visually recognized by the driver at a high speed of 80 km / h.

In FIG. 9, a virtual image of the first content 19 is shown as in FIG. 7 (b) and FIG. 8 (b). Further, FIG. 9 shows a virtual image of the attention display 13 which is the second content appearing at the viewing distance determined according to the pedestrian 15 which is the detected object.

As shown in FIG. 9, the first content 19 has a viewing distance of 30 m at a low speed of 20 km / h and 100 m at a high speed of 80 km / h, depending on the running speed of the vehicle 101. Each is visually recognized as a virtual image that appears at a viewing distance. On the other hand, since the second content is visually recognized as a virtual image appearing at a viewing distance determined according to the detected object, even in the figure, if the position of the pedestrian 15 is not moved, the virtual image of the caution display 13 is displayed. The viewing distance is also constant.

<Effects, etc.>
As described above, the display control device 100 according to the present embodiment projects an image onto a translucent display medium 47 provided in the vehicle 101 and reflects the image, thereby visually recognizing the image as a virtual image 49 to the user. A display control device 100 that controls a display device such as the HUD 29 to be generated, and the acquisition unit 33 that acquires the traveling speed of the vehicle 101, and a selection that selects at least one of the first content 19 and the second content as a selection image. A unit 35a, a determination unit 35b that determines the viewing distance of the selected image, and an output image generation unit 37 that projects the selected image onto a display device so that the selected image appears as a virtual image 49 at the viewing distance determined by the determination unit 35b. Control unit) and. (I) When the first content 19 is selected as the selected image by the selection unit 35a, the determination unit 35b determines the viewing distance of the first content 19 according to the traveling speed acquired by the acquisition unit 33. (Ii) When the second content is selected as the selected image by the selection unit 35a, the viewing distance of the second content is determined according to the object detected around the vehicle.

Such a display control device 100 determines the viewing distance of the virtual image 49 when the first content 19 is visually recognized by the user according to the acquired traveling speed of the vehicle 101. As a result, the user can visually recognize the virtual image 49 having a viewing distance equivalent to the viewing distance of the object to be visually recognized even if the traveling speed of the vehicle 101 is high. That is, the virtual image 49 can be visually recognized without adjusting the visual field while keeping the visual field at which the object is visually recognized. Further, since the virtual image 49 having a viewing distance equivalent to the viewing distance of the object to be visually recognized appears, the user can reduce the possibility of overlooking the virtual image 49. Therefore, the virtual image 49 can be appropriately visually recognized by the user.

Further, for example, when the first content 19 is selected as the selected image by the selection unit 35a, the determination unit 35b determines the viewing distance of the first content 19 to be longer as the traveling speed is faster. May be good.

According to this, as the traveling speed of the vehicle 101 becomes faster, the viewing distance of the virtual image 49 in which the first content 19 is visually recognized can be determined according to the user's field of view that is biased to a distance. Therefore, the virtual image 49 can be appropriately visually recognized by the user.

Further, for example, in the determination unit 35b, when the first content 19 is selected as the selected image by the selection unit 35a, the position where the viewing distance of the first content 19 is projected onto the display medium 47 is higher. A longer viewing distance may be determined.

According to this, according to the design of the optical system of the display device, when the upper part of the display medium 47 corresponds to a long viewing distance, the first content 19 is projected onto the upper part of the display medium 47 to display the first content 19. It can be visually recognized by the user as a virtual image 49 having a long viewing distance.

Further, for example, in the output image generation unit 37, when the first content 19 is selected as the selected image by the selection unit 35a, the selected image is determined by the determination unit 35b regardless of the viewing distance of the first content 19. The selected image may be projected onto the display device so as to appear as a virtual image 49 of a certain size.

According to this, the virtual image 49 having a long viewing distance can be visually recognized by the user as a virtual image 49 larger than the actual one. Therefore, the user can visually recognize the virtual image 49 which does not become smaller even if the viewing distance becomes longer. Therefore, the virtual image 49 can be appropriately visually recognized by the user.

Further, the display device according to the present embodiment includes the display control device 100 according to any one of the above, and a projection device for projecting an image on the display medium 47.

According to this, the display device determines the viewing distance of the virtual image 49 when the first content 19 is visually recognized by the user according to the traveling speed of the vehicle 101 acquired by the display control device provided in the display device. As a result, the user can visually recognize the virtual image 49 having a viewing distance equivalent to the viewing distance of the object to be visually recognized even if the traveling speed of the vehicle 101 is high. That is, the virtual image 49 can be visually recognized without adjusting the visual field while keeping the visual field at which the object is visually recognized. Further, since the virtual image 49 having a viewing distance equivalent to the viewing distance of the object to be visually recognized appears, the user can reduce the possibility of overlooking the virtual image 49. Therefore, the virtual image 49 can be appropriately visually recognized by the user.

Further, the display control method in the present embodiment is a display of a HUD 29 or the like that makes the image visible to the user as a virtual image 49 by projecting an image onto a translucent display medium 47 provided in the vehicle 101 and reflecting the image. The display control device 100 that controls the device, the acquisition step of acquiring the traveling speed of the vehicle 101, the selection step of selecting at least one of the first content 19 and the second content as the selection image, and the selection image. It includes a determination step of determining the viewing distance and a control step of projecting the selected image onto the display device so that the selected image appears as a virtual image 49 at the viewing distance determined by the determination unit 35b. When the first content 19 is selected as the selected image by (i) the selection unit 35a, the determination unit 35b determines the viewing distance of the first content 19 according to the traveling speed acquired by the acquisition unit 33. (Ii) When the second content is selected as the selected image by the selection unit 35a, the viewing distance of the second content is determined according to the object detected around the vehicle.

According to this, the viewing distance of the virtual image 49 when the first content 19 is visually recognized by the user is determined according to the acquired traveling speed of the vehicle 101. As a result, the user can visually recognize the virtual image 49 having a viewing distance equivalent to the viewing distance of the object to be visually recognized even if the traveling speed of the vehicle 101 is high. That is, the virtual image 49 can be visually recognized without adjusting the visual field while keeping the visual field at which the object is visually recognized. Further, since the virtual image 49 having a viewing distance equivalent to the viewing distance of the object to be visually recognized appears, the user can reduce the possibility of overlooking the virtual image 49. Therefore, the virtual image 49 can be appropriately visually recognized by the user.

Further, the program in the present embodiment causes a computer to execute the display control method described above.

According to this, the display control method described above can be executed by using a computer.

(Other embodiments)
Although the display control device and the like according to the present disclosure have been described above based on the above-described embodiment, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, it can be realized by arbitrarily combining the components and functions in each embodiment to the extent obtained by applying various modifications to each embodiment that can be conceived by those skilled in the art, or to the extent that the gist of the present disclosure is not deviated. Morphology is also included in this disclosure.

In the above embodiment, an example of the case where the traveling speed of the vehicle is low speed and high speed has been described. However, for example, when the traveling speed of the vehicle is medium speed, the virtual image at low speed and high speed is described. It may be a viewing distance in the middle of the viewing distance. Specifically, when the first content is selected as the selected image by the selection unit, the determination unit continuously changes the viewing distance of the first content according to the change in the traveling speed. May be decided. According to this, it is possible to determine an appropriate viewing distance of a virtual image according to the traveling speed of the vehicle.

Further, for example, the present disclosure can be realized not only as a display control device, but also as a program including a process performed by each component of the display control device as a step, and as a computer-readable recording medium on which the program is recorded. You can also. The program may be pre-recorded on a recording medium, or may be supplied to the recording medium via a wide area communication network including the Internet or the like.

That is, the above-mentioned comprehensive or specific embodiment may be realized by a system, an apparatus, an integrated circuit, a computer program or a computer-readable recording medium, and may be any of a system, an apparatus, an integrated circuit, a computer program and a recording medium. It may be realized by various combinations.

The present disclosure can be used for a display device or the like mounted on a vehicle and allowing an occupant such as a driver to visually recognize an image showing various information as a virtual image superimposed on a real landscape.

10, 10b Display area 10a Field of view 11 Driving path 11a Intersection 13 Caution display 15 Pedestrian 17 Left turn display 19 Content 21 Vehicle CAN
23 Navigation system 25 Multimedia control unit 31 Content generation unit 33 Acquisition unit 35 Content mapping unit 35a Selection unit 35b Decision unit 37 Output image generation unit 40 User's eyes 41 Light source 43 Liquid crystal panel 45 Reflector 47 Display medium 49 Virtual image 100 Display control Device 101 Vehicle

Claims (9)

A display control device that controls a display device that allows a user to visually recognize an image as a virtual image by projecting an image onto a translucent display medium provided in the vehicle and reflecting the image.
An acquisition unit that acquires the traveling speed of the vehicle, and
A selection unit that selects at least one of the first content and the second content as the selection image, and
A determination unit that determines the viewing distance of the selected image, and
A control unit for projecting the selected image onto the display device so that the selected image appears as a virtual image at a viewing distance determined by the determination unit is provided.
The decision-making part
(I) When the first content is selected as the selected image by the selection unit, the viewing distance of the first content is determined according to the traveling speed acquired by the acquisition unit.
(Ii) When the second content is selected as the selected image by the selection unit, a display control device that determines the viewing distance of the second content according to an object detected around the vehicle. Claim 1 determines that when the first content is selected as the selected image by the selection unit, the determination unit determines the viewing distance of the first content to be longer as the traveling speed is faster. The display control device described in. When the first content is selected as the selected image by the selection unit, the determination unit displays the viewing distance of the first content longer as the position projected on the display medium is higher. The display control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the distance is determined. When the first content is selected as the selected image by the selection unit, the determination unit continuously changes the viewing distance of the first content according to the change in the traveling speed. The display control device according to claim 1 or 2. When the first content is selected as the selected image by the selection unit, the control unit has a constant size regardless of the viewing distance of the first content determined by the determination unit. The display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the selected image is projected onto the display device so as to appear as a virtual image of the above. The display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
A display device including a projection device that projects an image onto the display medium. A display control method for controlling a display device that makes a user visually recognize an image as a virtual image by projecting an image onto a translucent display medium provided in a vehicle and reflecting the image.
The acquisition step for acquiring the traveling speed of the vehicle and
A selection step of selecting at least one of the first content and the second content as a selection image, and
A determination step for determining the viewing distance of the selected image, and
The control step of projecting the selected image onto the display device so that the selected image appears as a virtual image at the viewing distance determined in the determination step includes.
In the decision step,
(I) When the first content is selected as the selected image in the selection step, the viewing distance of the first content is determined according to the traveling speed acquired in the acquisition step.
(Ii) A display control method for determining the viewing distance of the second content according to an object detected around the vehicle when the second content is selected as the selected image in the selection step. A display control method for controlling a display device that makes a user visually recognize an image as a virtual image by projecting an image onto a translucent display medium provided in a vehicle and reflecting the image.
The acquisition step for acquiring the traveling speed of the vehicle and
A selection step of selecting at least one of the first content and the second content as a selection image, and
A determination step for determining a display position on the display medium on which the selected image is visually recognized, and
A control step of projecting the selected image onto the display device so that the selected image appears as a virtual image at the display position determined in the determination step.
In the decision step,
(I) When the first content is selected as the selected image in the selection step, the display position of the first content is determined according to the traveling speed acquired in the acquisition step.
(Ii) When the second content is selected as the selected image in the selection step, the display position of the second content is determined according to the object detected around the vehicle.
Display control method. A program for causing a computer to execute the display control method according to claim 7 .