JP2023081202A - vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a vehicle that can secure smooth driving.SOLUTION: A vehicle according to the present disclosure has: a first wheel; a second wheel; a vehicle body; and an agent body. The vehicle body is coupled to the first wheel and second wheel. The vehicle body is movable in a prescribed advancing direction by the first wheel and second wheel. The agent body has: a fabric; and a main body. The fabric is integral with an interior wall within the vehicle body. The fabric blocks a hole of the interior wall. The fabric has elasticity. The main body can be accommodated in a space between the vehicle body and the interior wall via the fabric. The main body can ascend/descend in a direction intersecting the interior wall via the hole of the interior wall while at least apex part closely contacts with a lower plane of the fabric.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

The present disclosure relates to vehicles.

In some cases, a vehicle is equipped with a realistic animal or human-like doll (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

JP-A-11-319328 JP-A-10-38601

A doll installed in a vehicle can function as an agent that acts on behalf of a fellow passenger for the role that the fellow passenger can play for the driver in the car, and can improve driving comfort. However, if the doll imitates a real animal or a human being, the driver may be distracted by the doll while driving the vehicle, which may interfere with smooth driving.

The present disclosure provides a vehicle that can ensure smooth driving.

A vehicle according to the present disclosure has a first wheel, a second wheel, a vehicle body, and an agent body. A vehicle body is coupled to the first wheel and the second wheel. The vehicle body is movable in a predetermined traveling direction by the first wheels and the second wheels. The agent body has a fabric and a body. The fabric is integrated with the interior walls inside the vehicle. The fabric closes the hole in the interior wall. The fabric has elasticity. The main body can be accommodated in the space between the vehicle body and the interior wall via the fabric. The main body can move up and down in a direction intersecting the interior wall through a hole in the interior wall while at least the top portion is in close contact with the lower surface of the fabric.

According to the vehicle according to the present disclosure, smooth driving can be ensured.

1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle according to an embodiment; FIG. The figure which shows the appearance structure of the agent body in the vehicle interior in embodiment. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of an agent body in the embodiment; FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an agent body in the embodiment; FIG. The figure which shows the structure of the indicator in embodiment. Sectional drawing which shows schematic operation|movement of the agent body in embodiment. The perspective view which shows the operation|movement of the raising/lowering mechanism in embodiment, and a rotation mechanism. The perspective view which shows the deformation|transformation state and display state of the fabric in embodiment. 4 is a flow chart showing a schematic operation of an agent body in the embodiment; The figure which shows the control instruction|indication information in embodiment. 4 is a flowchart showing detailed operations of an agent body in the embodiment; 4 is a flow chart showing the startup operation in the embodiment; 4 is a flowchart showing a listening operation in the embodiment; 4 is a flow chart showing an utterance action from an agent body in the embodiment. 4 is a flowchart showing a reverse warning operation in the embodiment; 4 is a flowchart showing a caution road operation in the embodiment; 4 is a flowchart showing default operation in the embodiment; 4 is a flow chart showing a termination operation in the embodiment; The figure which shows the structure of the indicator and light guide member in the 1st modification of embodiment. The figure which shows the structure of the indicator in the 2nd modification of embodiment. The figure which shows the structure and operation|movement of the main body in the 3rd modification of embodiment. The figure which shows the structure and operation|movement of the main body in the 4th modification of embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of a vehicle according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

(embodiment)
The vehicle according to the embodiment is equipped with a simple agent body capable of functioning as an agent, thereby ensuring smooth driving. An agent is a mascot-like entity that acts on behalf of the passenger in the role that the passenger can play for the driver in the vehicle, presents information to the driver, and transmits information from the driver to the vehicle. shall refer to

For example, the vehicle 1 is configured as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the appearance configuration of the agent body 4 in the vehicle interior according to the embodiment. Hereinafter, the traveling direction of the vehicle 1 is defined as the X direction, the vehicle width direction is defined as the Y direction, and the direction orthogonal to the X and Y directions is defined as the Z direction.

A vehicle 1 has a plurality of wheels 2 - 1 to 2 - 4 , a vehicle body 3 , an agent body 4 , a car navigation system 5 and a vehicle control device 100 .

Wheels 2-1 to 2-4 are each rotatable around the Y-axis. Wheels (second wheels) 2-3 and 2-4 are arranged on the -X side of the wheels (first wheels) 2-1 and 2-2, and correspondingly, the +X side axle and the -X A side axle (not shown) is provided. The wheels 2-1 and 2-2 are connected to the -Y side and +Y side ends of the +X side axle extending in the Y direction, respectively. The wheels 2-3 and 2-4 are respectively connected to the -Y side and +Y side ends of the -X side axle extending in the Y direction. FIG. 1 illustrates a configuration in which the vehicle 1 has four wheels 2, but the number of wheels 2 may be 3 or less or 5 or more.

The vehicle body 3 rotatably supports axles, and wheels 2-1 to 2-4 are connected through the axles. The vehicle body 3 can move in the X direction by rotating the wheels 2-1, 2-2 and the wheels 2-3, 2-4. A vehicle compartment 6 is configured in the vehicle body 3 . The vehicle interior 6 is partitioned within the vehicle body 3 by interior walls 7a to 7d and the like. The driver's 300 driving field of view 301 also includes the front window 3a and the interior walls 7a and 7b, as indicated by the dashed line in FIG. Instruments such as a speedometer 8 are arranged on the interior wall 7a, and the interior wall 7a is also called a dashboard.

As shown in FIG. 2, the car navigation system 5 is arranged on the interior wall 7a and assists the driver 300 in driving. The car navigation system 5 displays a display for assisting driving on the display unit toward the driver 300 and outputs voice for assisting driving from the speaker toward the driver 300 .

The agent body 4 is arranged on the interior wall 7a and functions as an agent. The agent body 4 may be arranged on another interior wall 7b or the like as long as it is an interior wall included in the field of view 301 of the driver 300. FIG. When the driver 300 is driving, the agent body 4 receives an utterance from the driver 300, performs a predetermined action in response to the utterance, or causes the car navigation system 5 to perform a predetermined action in response to the utterance. do. When the driver 300 drives the vehicle, the agent body 4 outputs a predetermined sound from the speaker to the driver 300 when a predetermined condition is satisfied. For example, the agent body 4 may converse with the driver 300 or may give driving advice or the like to the driver 300 .

The agent body 4 can simply express the expression and movement of a fictitious creature by changing the display form on the three-dimensional object. For example, the agent body 4 may be represented as a creature with glowing eyes by projecting and displaying eye images on a three-dimensional object. A glowing eye can be represented as talking, smiling, blinking, etc., depending on the shape of the image. The image of the tail of the agent body 4 may be projected and displayed on a three-dimensional object, and the orientation of the back may be represented by light.

The agent body 4 has a fabric 41 (see FIG. 2) and a body 42 (see FIG. 1). The fabric 41 is integrated with the interior wall 7a. The fabric 41 closes the hole 7a2 of the interior wall 7a. The end of fabric 41 may be fixed to the inner surface of hole 7a2. The hole 7a2 includes the main body 42 inside when viewed through from the Z direction. The fabric 41 has flexibility and stretchability. The fabric 41 is permeable to light. The color of the fabric 41 may be the same as the color of the interior wall 7a, or may be a color close to the color of the interior wall 7a (with a color difference within a predetermined value).

The main body 42 can be accommodated in the space 7a1 via the fabric 41. As shown in FIG. The space 7a1 is a space between the vehicle body 3 and the interior wall 7a. The main body 42 can move up and down in the Z direction through the hole 7a2 of the interior wall 7a while at least the top portion is in close contact with the lower surface 41b of the fabric 41 .

When the vehicle 1 is stopped, the body 42 of the agent body 4 is housed in the space 7a1, and the fabric 41 covers the hole 7a2 of the interior wall 7a, so that the agent body 4 does not appear substantially and is hardly conspicuous.

When the vehicle 1 is started, the main body 42 rises from the space 7a1 through the hole 7a2 of the interior wall 7a while at least the top portion is in close contact with the lower surface 41b of the fabric 41. As shown in FIG. At this time, the state in which the fabric 41 is integrated with the interior wall 7a is maintained. The body 42 is capable of projecting an image of the eyes and tail onto the fabric 41 from the inside. Further, the agent body 4 can recognize the speech of the driver 300 and output the speech to the driver 300 . That is, the driver 300 recognizes that the agent body 4 rises and appears due to the change in the external shape of the fabric 41 when the vehicle 1 is started. The agent body 4 can simply express the expression and movement of a fictitious creature by changing the display form on the raised fabric 41 . Since the expression and movement of the agent body 4 are expressed simply, it does not stand out even after it appears.

When the vehicle 1 stops, the main body 42 descends into the space 7a1 through the hole 7a2 of the interior wall 7a while at least the top portion is in close contact with the lower surface 41b of the fabric 41. As shown in FIG. At this time, the state in which the fabric 41 is integrated with the interior wall 7a is maintained. The main body 42 is housed in the space 7a1 again, and the fabric 41 closes the hole 7a2 of the interior wall 7a, does not appear substantially, and is hardly noticeable.

Since the agent body 4 is simply configured, it is less conspicuous before the driver 300 drives, and less likely to hinder the driver's 300 attention to start driving. In addition, it is less noticeable when driver 300 is driving, and is less likely to hinder driver 300's attention to driving.

Agent body 4 may be configured as shown in FIGS. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the agent body 4. As shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the agent body 4. As shown in FIG. In addition to the fabric 41 and the body 42, the agent body 4 has a microphone 43, a speaker 44, a body ECU (Engine Control Unit) 45, a motor driver 46, a motor driver 47, and display drivers 48-1 to 48-3.

The fabric 41 is a cloth body made of flexible fibers or resin, and has flexibility and stretchability. An interior wall 7a (dashboard) of the vehicle 1 has a circular or substantially rectangular hole 7a2. The fabric 41 covers and closes the hole 7a2, and its outer end is fixed to the inner wall of the hole 7a2. The fabric 41 is integrated with the interior wall 7a.

The fabric 41 is arranged on the +Z side of the main body 42 and extends generally along the XY directions. As the main body 42 rises in the Z direction, the fabric 41 can rise near the center in the XY directions in a shape corresponding to the top of the main body 42 .

The main body 42 is arranged on the −Z side of the fabric 41 and configured to be movable up and down in the Z direction. The main body 42 has a shell 421 , a plurality of indicators 422 - 1 to 422 - 3 , a rotating mechanism 423 and an elevating mechanism 424 .

The shell 421 has a surface convex to the +Z side and an inner surface concave to the +Z side, and constitutes the top of the main body 42 . The shell 421 may have a hollow hemispherical shape, or may have a shape in which hollow hemispheres are connected to a cylinder. The shell 421 is transmissive or translucent to light. The shell 421 may be made of transparent or translucent plastic, glass, or the like.

The elevating mechanism 424 can elevate the shell 421 and the plurality of displays 422-1 to 422-3 in the Z direction under the control of the main body ECU 45. FIG. The lifting mechanism 424 has a top plate 424a, a plurality of legs 424b to 424e, a bottom plate 424f, and lifting motors 424g and 424h.

The bottom plate 424f may be fixed to the vehicle body 3 by being placed on the bottom of the space 7a1, or may be fixed to the vehicle body 3 by being coupled to a predetermined fastening member. The rotating mechanism 423 is placed on the +Z side surface of the upper plate 424a.

Each leg 424b-424e is rod-shaped. Legs 424b and 424c are respectively disposed between top plate 424a and bottom plate 424f in the Z direction. The legs 424b and 424c are connected to the upper plate 424a at their +Z side ends so as to be slidable in the Y direction, and are connected to the bottom plate 424f at their -Z side ends so as to be slidable in the Y direction. The legs 424b and 424c are connected to each other via a connecting member near the center so as to be rotatable around the X axis.

Legs 424d and 424e are respectively disposed between top plate 424a and bottom plate 424f in the Z direction. The legs 424d and 424e are connected to the upper plate 424a at their +Z-side ends so as to be slidable in the Y direction, and are connected to the bottom plate 424f at their −Z-side ends so as to be slidable in the Y direction. The leg portions 424d and 424e are connected to each other via a connecting member near the center so as to be rotatable around the X axis.

The lift motors 424g and 424h are respectively arranged on the bottom plate 424f. The lift motor 424g is driven by the motor driver 47 under the control of the body ECU 45 to change the Y-direction distance of the -Z side ends of the legs 424b and 424c. The lift motor 424h is driven by the motor driver 47 under the control of the body ECU 45 to change the Y-direction distance of the -Z side ends of the legs 424d and 424e. The motor driver 47 can change the Z-direction height of the top plate 424a with respect to the bottom plate 424f by synchronizing the operation of the lift motor 424g and the lift motor 424h.

By changing the Z-direction height of the top plate 424a relative to the bottom plate 424f, the lifting mechanism 424 lifts and lowers the shell 421 and the plurality of indicators 422-1 to 422-3 in the Z-direction.

A plurality of indicators 422 - 1 to 422 - 3 are arranged inside the inner surface 421 a of the shell 421 . Each display 422-1 to 422-3 can project an image onto the fabric 41 through the shell 421. FIG.

The light source in the display 422 may be a dot LED light source including a plurality of LEDs (Light Emission Diodes) 4221, as shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of the display 422. As shown in FIG. A display surface 422 a of the indicator 422 faces the inner surface 421 a of the shell 421 . Indicator 422 may be positioned such that indicator surface 422 a is in non-contact and close proximity to inner surface 421 a of shell 421 . The display 422 is rotated around the Z-axis while maintaining a state in which the display surface 422 a faces the inner surface 421 a of the shell 421 . FIG. 5A illustrates a case where the display surface 422a is positioned along the YZ direction.

A plurality of LEDs 4221 may be arranged two-dimensionally on the display surface 422a of the indicator 422, as shown in FIG. 5(b). The arrangement of the plurality of LEDs 4221 may be a matrix arrangement or a zigzag arrangement. FIG. 5B illustrates a matrix arrangement. The display 422 can display a predetermined image according to the pattern of lighting or extinguishing of the plurality of LEDs 4221 .

The display 422-3 shown in FIG. 3 is driven by the display driver 48-3 under the control of the body ECU 45, and can project the tail image IM13 (see FIG. 8(b)) on the shell 421. FIG. This allows the display 422-3 to project the tail image IM3 (see FIG. 7(b)) onto the fabric 41 through the shell 421. FIG. For example, the indicator 422 can express the tail by lighting the LEDs 4221 included in the shape of the tail among the plurality of LEDs 4221 and turning off the remaining LEDs 4221 .

The displays 422-1 and 422-2 are driven by the display drivers 48-1 and 48-2 under the control of the main body ECU 45, and the eye images IM11 and IM12 (see FIG. 8(c)) are displayed on the shell 421. Can be projected. This allows the displays 422-1 and 422-2 to project eye images IM1 and IM2 (see FIG. 7(c)) onto the fabric 41 through the shell 421. FIG. For example, the indicator 422 can express smiling eyes by turning on the LEDs 4221 positioned on the convex semicircular arc and turning off the remaining LEDs 4221 among the plurality of LEDs 4221 .

The rotation mechanism 423 can rotate the plurality of display devices 422-1 to 422-3 around a rotation axis along the Z direction under the control of the main body ECU 45. FIG. The rotating mechanism 423 has a plurality of arms 423a-1 to 423a-3, a shaft 423b, and a rotating motor 423c. A plurality of arms 423a-1 to 423a-3 correspond to a plurality of indicators 422-1 to 422-3. Each arm 423a radially extends from the shaft 423b in XY plan view. Each arm 423a has one end coupled to the shaft 423b and the other end coupled to the indicator 422 . The shaft 423b is connected to the rotating shaft of the rotary motor 423c. The rotating motor 423c is driven by the motor driver 46 under the control of the body ECU 45, and can rotate the display 422 around the Z-axis through the shaft 423b and the arm 423a.

The shell 421 may have a rotationally symmetrical shape, and the extension of the rotation axis of the rotary motor 423c may pass through the vicinity of the shape center of the shell 421 . The arms 423a-1 to 423a-3 may have approximately equal distances between the display 422 and the shell 421 in the XY directions. Thereby, the rotating mechanism 423 can rotate the plurality of indicators 422-1 to 422-3 around the rotation axis while keeping the XY distances between the indicator 422 and the shell 421 substantially equal.

The microphone 43 is arranged on the −Z side of the fabric 41 and arranged adjacent to the main body 42 in the XY directions. During driving by the driver 300 , it receives speech from the driver 300 and supplies the received voice information to the main body ECU 45 . The microphone 43 is arranged in the vicinity of the fabric 41 so that it can detect an utterance directed toward the fabric 41 from the driver 300 .

The speaker 44 is arranged on the −Z side of the fabric 41 and arranged adjacent to the main body 42 in the XY directions. When the driver 300 drives the vehicle, the speaker 44 outputs predetermined audio information to the driver 300 when predetermined conditions are satisfied under the control of the main body ECU 45 . The speaker 44 is arranged near the fabric 41 so that it can output sound to the driver 300 through the fabric 41 . This allows the driver 300 to recognize that the agent body 4 is speaking as an agent.

The main body ECU 45 is communicably connected to the car navigation system 5 and the vehicle control device 100 via a communication medium. The communication medium may be, for example, CAN (controller area network) or LIN (Local Interconnect Network). The main body ECU 45 can control the agent body 4 in an integrated manner according to instructions received from the car navigation system 5 and/or the vehicle control device 100 via communication media. The vehicle control device 100 has an agent ECU 101 , a vehicle ECU 102 and a communication ECU 103 . Communication ECU 103 may be able to communicate with cloud server 400 through a wireless communication line or the like.

For example, the agent ECU 101 may access the cloud server 400 via the communication ECU 103 in response to an utterance from the driver 300 or autonomously to acquire the voice recognition processing program. The agent ECU 101 accesses the cloud server 400 via the communication ECU 103 in response to an utterance from the driver 300 or autonomously, and generates and acquires voice information for utterance on the cloud server 400. good. The agent ECU 101 may access the cloud server 400 via the communication ECU 103 in response to an utterance from the driver 300 and perform remote operations such as locking the driver's 300 house.

The car navigation system 5 may autonomously receive a GPS (Global Positioning System) signal via the communication ECU 103 and generate current position information such as the latitude, longitude and altitude of the vehicle 1 based on the GPS signal. The car navigation system 5 may be registered in advance with map information indicating geographical positions to be noted. The car navigation system 5 may notify the agent ECU 101 when the vehicle 1 approaches a geographical position requiring attention based on the current position information and the map information. As a result, the agent ECU 101 can control the agent body 4 to speak to the driver 300 that the vehicle 1 has approached a geographical position requiring attention.

The main body ECU 45 can transmit information regarding control of the agent body 4 to the car navigation system 5 and/or the vehicle control device 100 via a communication medium. Upon receiving the voice information from the microphone 43, the body ECU 45 may transmit the voice information to the car navigation system 5 and/or the vehicle control device 100 via the communication medium.

The main body ECU 45 may operate the elevation motors 424g and 424h via the motor driver 47 according to the instruction to raise and lower the main body 42 . The main body ECU 45 may operate the rotary motor 423c via the motor driver 46 according to the instruction, and may control the indicator 422 to rotate with respect to the shell 421 . The main body ECU 45 operates the displays 422-1 to 422-3 via the display drivers 48-1 to 48-3 according to the instruction, and a predetermined image is projected and displayed on the fabric 41 via the shell 421. You may do so. When receiving audio information from the car navigation system 5 and/or the vehicle control device 100 via a communication medium, the main body ECU 45 may output a predetermined audio from the speaker 44 in accordance with the audio information. Alternatively, the agent body 4 may receive an instruction from the car navigation system 5 and, in response to the instruction, output voice such as driving advice instead of the car navigation system 5 or in cooperation with the car navigation system 5. .

Next, schematic operations of the agent body 4 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8. FIG. 6A and 6B are cross-sectional views showing a schematic operation of the agent body 4. FIG. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing operations of the lifting mechanism 424 and the rotation mechanism 423. FIG. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the deformed state and display state of the fabric 41. FIG.

When the vehicle 1 is stopped, the body ECU 45 accommodates the body 42 in the space 7a1 as shown in FIG. 6(a).

As shown in FIG. 7(a), the main body ECU 45 causes the lifting mechanism 424 to stand by in a state in which the top plate 424a is lower in the Z direction than the bottom plate 424f. As a result, the top of the shell 421 is in non-contact or point contact with the lower surface 41b of the fabric 41, and the fabric 41 has a flat surface 41a as shown in FIG. 8(a). . A fabric 41 is integrated with the interior wall 7a. Thereby, the fabric 41 and the interior wall 7a form a substantially continuous surface, and the driver 300 can be made to recognize that the agent body 4 does not appear.

When the vehicle 1 is activated, the vehicle ECU 102 notifies the agent ECU 101 of the activation of the vehicle 1 . The agent ECU 101 transmits a raise instruction to the main body ECU 45 via a communication medium in response to the notification that the vehicle 1 is started. Activation of the vehicle 1 includes starting the engine in a gasoline engine vehicle, starting a motor in an electric vehicle (EV) or hybrid vehicle (HV), and turning on an accessory power source in the vehicle. When the main body ECU 45 receives the raise instruction, the main body ECU 45 pushes up the fabric 41 from below the fabric 41 (-Z side) as shown in FIGS. 6(b) and 6(c). , preferably in a direction perpendicular to the fabric 41 (+Z direction). The body ECU 45 causes the body 4 to protrude from the interior wall 7a to the +Z side through the fabric 41. - 特許庁

The body ECU 45 controls the lifting mechanism 424 so that the Z-direction height of the upper plate 424a relative to the bottom plate 424f is higher, as shown in FIG. 7B. As a result, the shell 421 rises in the +Z direction while the top of the shell 421 is in close contact with the bottom surface 41b of the fabric 41 . The shell 421 thereby provides tension to the fabric 41 . As shown in FIG. 8B, the surface 41a of the fabric 41 deforms into a shape protruding from the interior wall 7a toward the +Z side while maintaining the state in which the fabric 41 is integrated with the interior wall 7a. The raised shape may constitute, for example, a truncated cone, a frustum, or a surface whose corners are R-planes or C-planes. The body 42 is invisible to the driver 300 . The amount of rise of the shell 421 may be variable depending on the time of day, the illuminance in the passenger compartment 6, and other scenes.

As shown in FIG. 6(c), the main body ECU 45 generates a tail image IM3, eye images IM1, IM2, etc. on the surface 41a of the fabric 41 when the main body 42 protrudes from the interior wall 7a to a predetermined Z height. is projected.

The body ECU 45 controls each indicator 422 as shown in FIG. 7(b). Thereby, each indicator 422 projects light from the inside of the fabric 41 through the shell 421 onto the fabric 41 to produce a light spot on the surface of the fabric 41 . The main body ECU 45 can project and display the image IM on the surface 41 a of the fabric 41 .

The main body ECU 45 positions the indicators 422-1 and 422-2 on the +X side of the shaft 423b, and positions the indicator 422-3 on the -X side of the shaft 423b. Each indicator 422 is at this position immediately after the vehicle 1 is started. If not in this position, the body ECU 45 controls the rotation mechanism 423 to position the indicators 422-1 and 422-2 on the +X side of the shaft 423b, and the indicator 422-3 on the -X side of the shaft 423b. It may be positioned on the X side. The eye images IM11 and IM12 are projected and displayed on the +X side of the shell 421, and the tail image IM13 is projected and displayed on the -X side of the shell 421. FIG.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 8B, the eye images IM1 and IM2 are projected and displayed at the positions on the +X side on the surface 41a of the fabric 41 that is raised on the +Z side from the interior wall 7a, and on the surface 41a of the fabric 41 An image IM3 of the tail is projected and displayed at the position on the -X side.

That is, the eye images IM1 and IM2 are projected and displayed on the front side of the vehicle 1 on the surface 41a of the fabric 41, and the tail image IM3 is projected and displayed on the rear side of the vehicle 1. FIG. As a result, the main body ECU 45 can make the driver 300 recognize that the agent 4 is riding in the vehicle 1 with the driver 300 facing forward.

The body ECU 45 can change the display positions of the tail image IM3 and the eye images IM1 and IM2 on the surface 41a of the fabric 41, as shown in FIGS. 6(c) and 6(d). FIG. 6(d) illustrates a case where the display position of the tail image IM3 and the display positions of the eye images IM1 and IM2 are opposite to those in FIG. 6(c) in the XY plane direction.

As shown in FIG. 7(c), the main body ECU 45 controls the rotation mechanism 423 according to the rotation instruction from the agent ECU 101 to position the indicators 422-1 and 422-2 on the -X side of the shaft 423b. and the indicator 422-3 may be positioned on the +X side of the shaft 423b. The agent ECU 101 can transmit a rotation instruction and a display instruction to the main body ECU 45 in accordance with a predetermined condition (for example, detection of speech by the driver 300 via the microphone 43). The eye images IM11 and IM12 are projected and displayed on the −X side of the shell 421, and the tail image IM13 is projected and displayed on the +X side of the shell 421. FIG.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 8(c), the eye images IM1 and IM2 are projected and displayed at the -X side positions on the surface 41a of the fabric 41 which is raised on the +Z side from the interior wall 7a, and the surface 41a of the fabric 41 is displayed. An image IM3 of the tail is projected and displayed at the position on the +X side of .

That is, the eye images IM1 and IM2 are projected and displayed on the rear side of the vehicle 1 (that is, the driver 300 side) on the surface 41a of the fabric 41, and the tail image IM3 is projected and displayed on the front side of the vehicle 1. FIG. Thereby, the main body ECU 45 can make the driver 300 recognize that the agent 4 is facing the driver 300 and getting into the vehicle 1 . In the case of FIG. 6(c)→FIG. 6(d), the main body ECU 45 controls the agent 4 according to a predetermined condition (for example, detection of speech by the driver 300 through the microphone 43). can be expressed as if it turned around to the driver 300 .

The agent body 4 is represented by an image display on the surface 41a of the fabric 41 raised on the +Z side. This simply expresses the behavior of the mascot-like existence. In the agent body 4, moving parts can be reduced compared to the case of constructing a realistic mascot. In addition, since the display position of the image IM is changed by rotating each indicator 422 within the shell 421, it can be performed while the shell 421 is stopped, and wear of the lower surface 41b of the fabric 41 can be prevented. can.

When the vehicle 1 stops, the vehicle ECU 102 notifies the agent ECU 101 that the vehicle 1 has stopped. The agent ECU 101 transmits a lowering instruction to the main body ECU 45 via a communication medium in response to the notification that the vehicle 1 has stopped. Stopping the vehicle 1 includes stopping the engine in a combustion engine vehicle, stopping the motor or engine in an electric vehicle (EV) or hybrid vehicle (HV), and turning off the accessory power supply in the vehicle. In response to the lowering instruction, the main body ECU 45 moves the interior wall while keeping at least the top portion of the main body 42 in close contact with the lower surface 41b of the fabric 41 as shown in the order of FIG. 6(c)→FIG. 6(b)→FIG. The main body 42 is lowered into the space 7a1 through the hole 7a2 of 7a. At this time, the fabric 41 is kept integrated with the interior wall 7a. The body ECU 45 accommodates the body 42 in the space 7a1 as shown in FIG. 6(a).

The body ECU 45 returns the lifting mechanism 424 from a state in which the Z-direction height of the top plate 424a with respect to the bottom plate 424f is high to a state in which it is low, as shown in the order of FIG. 7(b)→FIG. 7(a). As a result, the top of the shell 421 is in non-contact or point-contact with the lower surface 41b of the fabric 41, and the fabric 41 is in contact with the surface as shown in the order of FIG. 8(b)→FIG. 8(a). 41a returns to a flat state from a state of protruding on the +Z side. At this time, the fabric 41 is integrated with the interior wall 7a. As a result, the fabric 41 and the interior wall 7a form a substantially continuous surface, and the driver 300 can be made to recognize again that the agent body 4 has not appeared.

Next, a schematic operation of the agent body 4 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing the general operation of the agent body 4. As shown in FIG.

The body ECU 45 waits until an instruction is received from the car navigation system 5 and/or the vehicle control device 100 . When the main body ECU 45 receives the instruction, it confirms whether or not the instruction is an ascending instruction (S1).

If the instruction is a raise instruction (YES in S1), the main body ECU 45 raises the main body 42 of the agent body 4 (S2). That is, the main body ECU 45 brings the main body 42 up from the space 7a1 through the hole 7a2 of the interior wall 7a while keeping at least the top portion of the main body 42 in close contact with the lower surface 41b of the fabric 41 . At this time, the state in which the fabric 41 is integrated with the interior wall 7a is maintained.

If the command is not a rise command (NO in S1), the main body ECU 45 confirms whether the command is a descent command (S3).

If the instruction is a lowering instruction (YES in S3), the main body ECU 45 lowers the main body 42 of the agent body 4 (S4). That is, the main body ECU 45 lowers the main body 42 into the space 7a1 through the hole 7a2 of the interior wall 7a while keeping at least the top portion of the main body 42 in close contact with the lower surface 41b of the fabric 41 . At this time, the state in which the fabric 41 is integrated with the interior wall 7a is maintained.

If the instruction is not a descent instruction (NO in S3), the main body ECU 45 inquires of the agent ECU 101 whether the instruction is a control instruction (S5). If the instruction is an instruction related to a control instruction (YES in S5), the agent ECU 101 executes the control instruction via the main body ECU 45 (S6), and returns the process to S1. If the instruction is not a control instruction (NO in S5), the agent ECU 101 regards it as an unregistered instruction and returns the process to S1.

The control instruction to be checked in S5 may be registered in the agent ECU 101 (see FIG. 4) in advance. For example, control instructions as shown in FIG. 10 may be registered in the agent ECU 101 in advance. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing control instruction information 101a. As shown in FIG. 10, in the control instruction information 101a, an identifier 101a1, name information 101a2, eye direction information 101a3, eye brightness information 101a4, time information 101a5, and feature information 101a6 are associated with a plurality of control instructions. ing.

The control instruction with the identifier "1" expresses the action of the agent body 4 to "turn around". In the control instruction with the identifier "1", the display positions of the eye images IM1 and IM2 are shifted from the "advancing" direction side of the vehicle 1 to the "driver" side by "rotating for 1.5 seconds", and the eye images IM1 and IM2 are displayed. The brightness changes from "weak → strong → medium" in "FIX 1 second".

The control instruction with the identifier "2" expresses an action in which the direction of the agent body 4 is "returned". In the control instruction with the identifier "2", the display positions of the eye images IM1 and IM2 are shifted from the "driver" side to the "advancing" direction side of the vehicle 1 by "1.5 seconds of rotation", and the eye images IM1 and IM2 are displayed. The brightness changes from "middle → strong → weak" in "FIX 1 second".

The control instruction with the identifier "3" expresses an operation in which the agent body 4 is "standby". In the control instruction with the identifier “3”, the display position of the eye images IM1 and IM2 is on the “driver” side, the brightness of the eye images IM1 and IM2 is “weak”, and the brightness of the eye images IM1 and IM2 is “low” and “blinks once every 10 seconds”. By changing the lighting pattern in a way that looks like it's getting darker, an atmosphere of "expressionless, small eyes" is expressed.

The control instruction with the identifier "4" expresses the "watching" action of the agent body 4. FIG. In the control instruction with the identifier "4", the display positions of the eye images IM1 and IM2 are on the "advancing" direction side of the vehicle 1, the brightness of the eye images IM1 and IM2 is "weak", and the brightness of the eye images IM1 and IM2 is "weak" and "in 5 seconds By changing the display position as if looking around for the first time, the atmosphere of "expressionless, big eyes" is expressed.

The control instruction with the identifier "5" expresses the action of the agent body 4 "during a conversation". In the control instruction with the identifier “5”, the display position of the eye images IM1 and IM2 is on the “driver or speaker” side, the brightness of the eye images IM1 and IM2 is “medium”, and the brightness is “in three seconds”. By changing the lighting pattern as if blinking once, a “calm expression during speaking” is expressed. A “speaker” refers to a fellow passenger who speaks when there is a fellow passenger in the vehicle 1 other than the driver 300 . Also, a microphone 43 and a speaker 44 are used for conversation with the "driver or speaker" of the agent body 4. FIG.

For example, the agent ECU 101 receives speech information from the "driver or speaker" via the microphone 43 and the main body ECU 45, performs language analysis on the content of the speech corresponding to the speech information, and generates appropriate response speech information. A sound corresponding to the sound information is output from the speaker 44 via the body ECU 45. - 特許庁The agent ECU 101 can carry out a conversation with the "driver or speaker" by repeating this operation.

The control instruction with the identifier "6" expresses the "greeting" action of the agent body 4. FIG. In the control instruction with the identifier “6”, the display position of the eye images IM1 and IM2 is on the “driver or speaker” side, the brightness of the eye images IM1 and IM2 is “medium”, and the brightness is “for two seconds. A greeting with a "smile" is expressed by changing the lighting pattern to make it look like a "smile". Also, after "smile", it shifts to "conversation", and the microphone 43 and speaker 44 are used for conversation with the "driver or speaker" of the agent body 4, as in the case of the identifier "5". .

The action of "listening" of the agent body 4 is represented by the control instruction with the identifier "7". In the control instruction with the identifier “7”, the display position of the eye images IM1 and IM2 is on the “driver or speaker” side, the brightness of the eye images IM1 and IM2 is “medium”, and the brightness is “in two seconds”. By changing the lighting pattern as if the driver is nodding once, it is possible to express that the driver is listening while the driver is speaking. As in the case of the identifier "5", the microphone 43 and the speaker 44 are used for listening and nodding to the "driver or speaker" of the agent body 4. FIG.

The control instruction with the identifier “8” expresses the “happy” state of the agent body 4 . In the control instruction with the identifier “8”, the display positions of the eye images IM1 and IM2 are on the “driver or speaker” side, the brightness of the eye images IM1 and IM2 is “strong”, and the brightness of the eye images IM1 and IM2 is “strong”. ” lighting pattern changes to “standard x 2 times” to express a happy state.

The control instruction with the identifier "9" expresses that the agent body 4 is paying attention. In the control instruction with the identifier “9”, the display position of the eye images IM1 and IM2 is on the “driver or speaker” side, the brightness of the eye images IM1 and IM2 is “strong”, and the brightness of the eye images IM1 and IM2 is “high”. By changing the lighting pattern like "strong", the state of paying attention is expressed.

The control instruction with the identifier "10" expresses the "rear monitoring" operation of the agent body 4. FIG. In the control instruction with the identifier “10”, the display positions of the eye images IM1 and IM2 are on the “rear” side of the vehicle 1, the brightness of the eye images IM1 and IM2 is “medium”, and the brightness of the eye images IM1 and IM2 is “medium”. When the driver 300 shifts the gear to R, the action of the agent body 4 watching the rear is represented by changing the display position as if the driver's eyes were slightly looking around.

Although not shown, the agent ECU 101 may register condition information in which identifiers and trigger conditions are associated with a plurality of trigger conditions "TC1" to "TC10". Trigger conditions "TC1" to "TC10" correspond to identifiers "1" to "10", respectively.

For example, when the trigger condition "TC1" is established, the agent ECU 101 refers to the condition information and determines that the control instruction with the identifier "1" should be executed. The agent ECU 101 refers to the control instruction information 101a and issues one or more instructions (for example, an instruction to rotate the rotating mechanism 423, an instruction to change the brightness of the displays 422-1 and 422-2, etc.) in response to the control instruction with the identifier "1". ) are sequentially issued and transmitted to the main body ECU 45 . As a result, the agent ECU 101 executes the control instruction with the identifier “1” via the main body ECU 45 .

When the trigger condition "TC10" is established, the agent ECU 101 refers to the condition information and determines that the control instruction with the identifier "10" should be executed. The agent ECU 101 refers to the control instruction information 101 a , sequentially issues one or more instructions corresponding to the control instruction with the identifier “10”, and transmits the instructions to the main body ECU 45 . As a result, the agent ECU 101 executes the control instruction with the identifier “10” via the main body ECU 45 .

Next, detailed operations of the agent body 4 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing the detailed operation of the agent body 4. As shown in FIG.

The agent ECU 101 determines whether or not the vehicle 1 has started to operate (S11). When the vehicle 1 is activated, the vehicle ECU 102 notifies the agent ECU 101 of the activation of the vehicle 1 .

If the agent ECU 101 has not been notified that the vehicle 1 has been activated within a predetermined period from a predetermined time ago to the present (NO in S11), the agent ECU 101 waits.

If the agent ECU 101 has been notified that the vehicle 1 has been activated within a predetermined period (YES in S11), the agent ECU 101 transmits an instruction to raise the agent body 4 to the main body ECU 45 via the communication medium (S12). When receiving the lift instruction, the main body ECU 45 raises the main body 42 preferably in a direction perpendicular to the fabric 41 (+Z direction) so as to push up the fabric 41 from below the fabric 41 (−Z side) in response to the lift instruction. . The body ECU 45 causes the body 4 to protrude from the interior wall 7a to the +Z side through the fabric 41. - 特許庁At this time, the state in which the fabric 41 is integrated with the interior wall 7a is maintained. When the main body 4 has finished rising, the main body ECU 45 transmits a rising completion notice to the agent ECU 101 via the communication medium. The agent ECU 101 performs a start-up operation (S13) in response to the ascent completion notification.

In the startup operation (S13), the processes of S31 to S33 shown in FIG. 12 may be performed. FIG. 12 is a flow chart showing the operation at startup.

Upon receiving the ascent completion notification, the agent ECU 101 assumes that the trigger condition "TC6" is met, refers to the condition information, and determines that the control instruction with the identifier "6" should be executed. The agent ECU 101 refers to the control instruction information 101a (see FIG. 10) and issues one or more instructions (for example, an instruction to rotate the rotating mechanism 423, an instruction to display instructions, speech instructions for the speaker 44, etc.) are sequentially issued and transmitted to the main body ECU 45. As a result, the agent ECU 101 executes the control instruction with the identifier "6" via the main body ECU 45 (S31).

In response to this, the agent 4 changes the display positions of the eye images IM1 and IM2 to the "driver or speaker" side, sets the brightness of the eye images IM1 and IM2 to "medium", and sets the brightness to "2 seconds." The lighting pattern changes so that it becomes a smile. As a result, a greeting with a "smile" is expressed. Also, after the "smile", the process shifts to "conversation", and the agent 4 outputs the voice "Hello" from the speaker 44, for example.

In response to the execution of S31, the agent ECU 101 assumes that the trigger condition "TC5" is established, refers to the condition information, and determines that the control instruction with the identifier "5" should be executed. The agent ECU 101 refers to the control instruction information 101a (see FIG. 10) and issues one or more instructions (for example, an instruction to rotate the rotating mechanism 423, an instruction to display instructions, speech instructions for the speaker 44, etc.) are sequentially issued and transmitted to the main body ECU 45. As a result, the agent ECU 101 executes the control instruction with the identifier "5" via the main body ECU 45 (S32).

In response to this, the agent 4 changes the display position of the eye images IM1 and IM2 to the "driver or speaker" side, the brightness of the eye images IM1 and IM2 to "medium", and "in 3 seconds". The lighting pattern changes like blinking once. This expresses the action of "having a conversation". As the "conversation", the agent 4 outputs, for example, the voice "Please drive safely today" from the speaker 44. FIG.

In response to the execution of S32, the agent ECU 101 assumes that the trigger condition "TC2" is established, refers to the condition information, and determines that the control instruction with the identifier "2" should be executed. The agent ECU 101 refers to the control instruction information 101a (see FIG. 10) and issues one or more instructions (for example, an instruction to rotate the rotating mechanism 423, an instruction to ) are sequentially issued and transmitted to the main body ECU 45 . As a result, the agent ECU 101 executes the control instruction with the identifier "2" via the main body ECU 45 (S33).

In response to this, the agent 4 changes the display position of the eye images IM1 and IM2 from the "driver" side to the "advancing" direction side of the vehicle 1 by "rotating for 1.5 seconds", and the eye images IM1 and IM2 are displayed. The brightness changes from "middle → strong → weak" in "FIX 1 second". As a result, the action of "returning" the direction of the agent body 4 is expressed.

Returning to FIG. 11, the agent ECU 101 determines whether there is voice input to the microphone 43 (S14). When there is voice input to the microphone 43, the body ECU 45 transmits the voice information to the agent ECU 101 via the communication medium. When the agent ECU 101 receives the voice information, the agent ECU 101 holds the voice information.

The agent ECU 101 determines that there is voice input to the microphone 43 (YES in S14) and performs a listening operation (S15) if voice information is held for a predetermined period from a predetermined time ago to the present.

In the listening operation (S15), the processes of S41 to S48 shown in FIG. 13 may be performed. FIG. 13 is a flow chart showing a listening operation.

In response to voice input to the microphone 43 for a predetermined period, the agent ECU 101 assumes that the trigger condition "TC1" is satisfied, and should refer to the condition information and execute the control instruction with the identifier "1". I judge. The agent ECU 101 refers to the control instruction information 101a (see FIG. 10) and issues one or more instructions (for example, an instruction to rotate the rotating mechanism 423, an instruction to ) are sequentially issued and transmitted to the main body ECU 45 . As a result, the agent ECU 101 executes the control instruction with the identifier "1" via the main body ECU 45 (S41).

In response to this, the agent 4 changes the display positions of the eye images IM1 and IM2 from the "advance" direction side of the vehicle 1 to the "driver" side by "rotating for 1.5 seconds", and the eye images IM1 and IM2 are displayed. The brightness changes from "weak → strong → medium" in "FIX 1 second". This expresses the action of the agent body 4 to "turn around".

When there is voice input to the microphone 43, the body ECU 45 transmits the voice information to the agent ECU 101 via the communication medium. Upon receiving the voice information, the agent ECU 101 performs voice recognition according to the voice information (S42), and determines whether or not the contents of the speech from the driver 300 can be implemented (S43).

If the content of the utterance can be executed (YES in S43), the agent ECU 101 judges that the trigger condition "TC7" is satisfied, refers to the condition information, and determines that the control instruction with the identifier "7" should be executed. The agent ECU 101 refers to the control instruction information 101a (see FIG. 10) and issues one or more instructions (for example, an instruction to rotate the rotating mechanism 423, an instruction to display instructions, speech instructions for the speaker 44, etc.) are sequentially issued and transmitted to the main body ECU 45. As a result, the agent ECU 101 executes the control instruction with the identifier "7" via the main body ECU 45 (S44).

In response to this, the agent 4 changes the display positions of the eye images IM1 and IM2 to the "driver or speaker" side, sets the brightness of the eye images IM1 and IM2 to "medium", and sets the brightness to "in 2 seconds." The lighting pattern changes as if nodding once. Thus, the action of "listening" of the agent body 4 is expressed. In addition, the agent 4 outputs, for example, the voice "yes" from the speaker 44 as "speech" accompanying listening.

In response to the execution of S44, the agent ECU 101 assumes that the trigger condition "TC6" is established, refers to the condition information, and determines that the control instruction with the identifier "6" should be executed. The agent ECU 101 refers to the control instruction information 101a (see FIG. 10) and issues one or more instructions (for example, an instruction to rotate the rotating mechanism 423, an instruction to display instructions, speech instructions for the speaker 44, etc.) are sequentially issued and transmitted to the main body ECU 45. As a result, the agent ECU 101 executes the control instruction with the identifier "6" via the main body ECU 45 (S45).

In response to this, the agent 4 changes the display positions of the eye images IM1 and IM2 to the "driver or speaker" side, sets the brightness of the eye images IM1 and IM2 to "medium", and sets the brightness to "2 seconds." The lighting pattern changes so that it becomes a smile. Thus, the "greeting" action of the agent body 4 is represented. In addition, the agent 4 outputs, for example, the voice "please wait a while" from the speaker 44 as the "utterance" accompanying the greeting.

On the other hand, the agent ECU 101 determines that the trigger condition "TC7" is satisfied and refers to the condition information, and the identifier "7 ” should be executed. The agent ECU 101 refers to the control instruction information 101a (see FIG. 10) and issues one or more instructions (for example, an instruction to rotate the rotating mechanism 423, an instruction to display instructions, speech instructions for the speaker 44, etc.) are sequentially issued and transmitted to the main body ECU 45. As a result, the agent ECU 101 executes the control instruction with the identifier "7" via the main body ECU 45 (S46).

In response to this, the agent 4 changes the display positions of the eye images IM1 and IM2 to the "driver or speaker" side, sets the brightness of the eye images IM1 and IM2 to "medium", and sets the brightness to "in 2 seconds." The lighting pattern changes as if nodding once. Thus, the action of "listening" of the agent body 4 is represented. In addition, the agent 4 outputs, for example, the voice "Excuse me" from the speaker 44 as "speech" accompanying listening.

In response to the execution of S46, the agent ECU 101 assumes that the trigger condition "TC6" is established, refers to the condition information, and determines that the control instruction with the identifier "6" should be executed. The agent ECU 101 refers to the control instruction information 101a (see FIG. 10) and issues one or more instructions (for example, an instruction to rotate the rotating mechanism 423, an instruction to display instructions, speech instructions for the speaker 44, etc.) are sequentially issued and transmitted to the main body ECU 45. As a result, the agent ECU 101 executes the control instruction with the identifier "6" via the main body ECU 45 (S47).

In response to this, the agent 4 changes the display positions of the eye images IM1 and IM2 to the "driver or speaker" side, sets the brightness of the eye images IM1 and IM2 to "medium", and sets the brightness of the eye images IM1 and IM2 to "2 seconds The lighting pattern changes so that it becomes a smile. Thus, the "greeting" action of the agent body 4 is expressed. In addition, the agent 4 outputs, for example, the voice "cannot execute" from the speaker 44 as the "utterance" accompanying the greeting.

In response to the execution of S45 or S47, the agent ECU 101 assumes that the trigger condition "TC2" is established, refers to the condition information, and determines that the control instruction with the identifier "2" should be executed. The agent ECU 101 refers to the control instruction information 101a (see FIG. 10) and issues one or more instructions (for example, an instruction to rotate the rotating mechanism 423, an instruction to ) are sequentially issued and transmitted to the main body ECU 45 . As a result, the agent ECU 101 executes the control instruction with the identifier "2" via the main body ECU 45 (S48).

In response to this, the agent 4 changes the display position of the eye images IM1 and IM2 from the "driver" side to the "advancing" direction side of the vehicle 1 by "rotating for 1.5 seconds", and the eye images IM1 and IM2 are displayed. The brightness changes from "middle → strong → weak" in "FIX 1 second". As a result, the action of "returning" the direction of the agent body 4 is expressed.

Returning to FIG. 11, the agent ECU 101 returns the process to S14 when the listening operation (S15) is completed.

On the other hand, the agent ECU 101 judges whether or not to speak (S16) if voice information is not held for a predetermined period from a predetermined time ago to the present and there is no voice input to the microphone 43 (NO in S14). If there is information to be conveyed to the driver 300 and the agent ECU 101 should speak (YES in S16), the agent performs speech operation (S17).

The processing of S51 to S55 shown in FIG. 14 may be performed in the utterance operation from the agent body (S17). FIG. 14 is a flow chart showing an utterance action from an agent body.

In response to the judgment that the user should speak, the agent ECU 101 judges that the trigger condition "TC1" is met, refers to the condition information, and judges that the control instruction with the identifier "1" should be executed. . The agent ECU 101 refers to the control instruction information 101a (see FIG. 10) and issues one or more instructions (for example, an instruction to rotate the rotating mechanism 423, an instruction to ) are sequentially issued and transmitted to the main body ECU 45 . As a result, the agent ECU 101 executes the control instruction with the identifier "1" via the main body ECU 45 (S51).

In response to this, the agent 4 changes the display positions of the eye images IM1 and IM2 from the "advance" direction side of the vehicle 1 to the "driver" side by "rotating for 1.5 seconds", and the eye images IM1 and IM2 are displayed. The brightness changes from "weak → strong → medium" in "FIX 1 second". This expresses the action of the agent body 4 to "turn around".

In response to the execution of S51, the agent ECU 101 assumes that the trigger condition "TC5" is established, refers to the condition information, and determines that the control instruction with the identifier "5" should be executed. The agent ECU 101 refers to the control instruction information 101a (see FIG. 10) and issues one or more instructions (for example, an instruction to rotate the rotating mechanism 423, an instruction to display instructions, speech instructions for the speaker 44, etc.) are sequentially issued and transmitted to the main body ECU 45. As a result, the agent ECU 101 executes the control instruction with the identifier "5" via the main body ECU 45 (S52).

In response to this, the agent 4 changes the display position of the eye images IM1 and IM2 to the "driver or speaker" side, the brightness of the eye images IM1 and IM2 to "medium", and "in 3 seconds". The lighting pattern changes like blinking once. This expresses the action of "having a conversation". Also, as information to be conveyed to the driver 300, the agent 4 outputs, for example, a voice "My house is locked" from the speaker 44. FIG.

When there is voice input to the microphone 43, the body ECU 45 transmits the voice information to the agent ECU 101 via the communication medium. Upon receiving the voice information, the agent ECU 101 performs voice recognition according to the voice information (S53), and recognizes, for example, that the driver 300 has uttered a word of thanks "thank you".

In response, the agent ECU 101 assumes that the trigger condition "TC8" is satisfied, refers to the condition information, and determines that the control instruction with the identifier "8" should be executed. The agent ECU 101 refers to the control instruction information 101a (see FIG. 10) and issues one or more instructions (for example, an instruction to rotate the rotating mechanism 423, an instruction to display instructions, speech instructions for the speaker 44, etc.) are sequentially issued and transmitted to the main body ECU 45. As a result, the agent ECU 101 executes the control instruction with the identifier "8" via the main body ECU 45 (S54).

In response to this, the agent 4 determines that the display positions of the eye images IM1 and IM2 are on the "driver or speaker" side, that the brightness of the eye images IM1 and IM2 is "strong", and that "eyes ∩ ” lighting pattern changes to “standard x 2 times”. As a result, the "happy" state of the agent body 4 is expressed. In addition, the agent 4 outputs, for example, the voice "You're welcome" from the speaker 44 as the "utterance" that accompanies the happy state.

In response to the execution of S54, the agent ECU 101 assumes that the trigger condition "TC2" is established, refers to the condition information, and determines that the control instruction with the identifier "2" should be executed. The agent ECU 101 refers to the control instruction information 101a (see FIG. 10) and issues one or more instructions (for example, an instruction to rotate the rotating mechanism 423, an instruction to ) are sequentially issued and transmitted to the main body ECU 45 . As a result, the agent ECU 101 executes the control instruction with the identifier "2" via the main body ECU 45 (S55).

In response to this, the agent 4 changes the display position of the eye images IM1 and IM2 from the "driver" side to the "advancing" direction side of the vehicle 1 by "rotating for 1.5 seconds", and the eye images IM1 and IM2 are displayed. The brightness changes from "middle → strong → weak" in "FIX 1 second". As a result, the action of "returning" the direction of the agent body 4 is represented.

Returning to FIG. 11, the agent ECU 101 returns the process to S14 upon completion of the speaking action from the agent body (S17).

On the other hand, agent ECU 101 determines whether or not vehicle 1 is traveling in reverse (S18) if there is no information to be conveyed to driver 300 and there is no need to speak (NO in S16). When the vehicle ECU 102 recognizes that the gear has been put into R (reverse driving), it notifies the agent ECU 101 that the vehicle is in reverse driving.

The agent ECU 101 determines that the vehicle 1 is traveling backwards (YES in S18) and performs a backward warning operation (S19) if there is a notice that the vehicle is traveling backwards during a prescribed period from a predetermined time ago to the present.

In the backward warning operation (S19), the processes of S61 to S63 shown in FIG. 15 may be performed. FIG. 15 is a flow chart showing the backward warning operation.

When the gear is put into R (reverse running), the agent ECU 101 assumes that the trigger condition "TC10" is satisfied, refers to the condition information, and determines that the control instruction with the identifier "10" should be executed. to decide. The agent ECU 101 refers to the control instruction information 101a (see FIG. 10) and issues one or more instructions (for example, an instruction to rotate the rotating mechanism 423, an instruction to display instructions, speech instructions for the speaker 44, etc.) are sequentially issued and transmitted to the main body ECU 45. As a result, the agent ECU 101 executes the control instruction with the identifier "10" via the main body ECU 45 (S61).

In response to this, the agent 4 changes the display position of the eye images IM1 and IM2 to the "rear" side of the vehicle 1, the brightness of the eye images IM1 and IM2 to "medium", and "one time every two seconds." The display position changes so that the eyes are slightly resting. This expresses the "rear monitoring" operation of the agent body 4. FIG.

In addition, the agent 4 outputs, for example, a voice "I am backing up. Please be careful around the vehicle" from the speaker 44 as the "utterance" associated with the reversing warning.

The vehicle ECU 102 notifies the agent ECU 101 of the completion of reverse travel when the gear is returned to neutral or shifted to other than R. The agent ECU 101 repeats S61 until the completion of reverse travel is notified (NO in S62).

When the completion of reverse travel is notified (YES in S62), the agent ECU 101 assumes that the trigger condition "TC2" is met, refers to the condition information, and determines that the control instruction with the identifier "2" should be executed. . The agent ECU 101 refers to the control instruction information 101a (see FIG. 10) and issues one or more instructions (for example, an instruction to rotate the rotating mechanism 423, an instruction to ) are sequentially issued and transmitted to the main body ECU 45 . As a result, the agent ECU 101 executes the control instruction with the identifier "2" via the main body ECU 45 (S63).

In response to this, the agent 4 changes the display position of the eye images IM1 and IM2 from the "driver" side to the "advancing" direction side of the vehicle 1 by "rotating for 1.5 seconds", and the eye images IM1 and IM2 are displayed. The brightness changes from "middle → strong → weak" in "FIX 1 second". As a result, the action of "returning" the direction of the agent body 4 is represented.

Returning to FIG. 11, the agent ECU 101 returns the process to S14 when the backward warning operation (S19) is completed.

On the other hand, agent ECU 101 determines whether or not the current position of vehicle 1 is a geographical position to which attention should be paid (S20) if the vehicle is not traveling backward (NO in S18). In the car navigation system 5, map information including geographical positions to be noted is registered in advance. Based on the current position information and the map information, the car navigation system 5 notifies the agent ECU 101 when the vehicle 1 approaches a geographical position requiring attention. If the agent ECU 101 receives a notification indicating that the vehicle 1 has approached a geographical position to which attention should be paid within a predetermined period from a predetermined time ago to the present, the agent ECU 101 determines that the current position of the vehicle 1 is a geographical position to which attention should be paid (YES in S20). , a caution road operation (S21) is performed.

In the caution road operation (S21), the processes of S71 to S73 shown in FIG. 16 may be performed. FIG. 16 is a flow chart showing a caution road operation.

In response to the fact that the current position of the vehicle 1 is a geographical position to which attention should be paid, the agent ECU 101 assumes that the trigger condition "TC9" is established, refers to the condition information, and executes the control instruction of the identifier "9". We judge that it is. The agent ECU 101 refers to the control instruction information 101a (see FIG. 10) and issues one or more instructions (for example, an instruction to rotate the rotating mechanism 423, an instruction to display instructions, speech instructions for the speaker 44, etc.) are sequentially issued and transmitted to the main body ECU 45. As a result, the agent ECU 101 executes the control instruction with the identifier "9" via the main body ECU 45 (S71).

In response to this, the agent 4 sets the display positions of the eye images IM1 and IM2 to the "driver or speaker" side, sets the brightness of the eye images IM1 and IM2 to "high", and " The lighting pattern changes so that the light is strong. This expresses how the agent body 4 is paying attention.

In addition, the agent 4 outputs from the speaker 44, for example, a voice "please be careful while driving ahead" as "utterance" that accompanies the state of paying attention.

Based on the current position information and the map information, the car navigation system 5 notifies the agent ECU 101 when the vehicle 1 has passed through a geographical position requiring attention. The agent ECU 101 repeats S71 until it is notified that the vehicle 1 has finished passing the geographical position to which attention should be paid (NO in S72).

When it is notified that the vehicle 1 has passed the geographical position to which attention should be paid (YES in S72), the agent ECU 101 assumes that the trigger condition "TC2" is met, refers to the condition information, and identifies the identifier "2". control instruction should be implemented. The agent ECU 101 refers to the control instruction information 101a (see FIG. 10) and issues one or more instructions (for example, an instruction to rotate the rotating mechanism 423, an instruction to ) are sequentially issued and transmitted to the main body ECU 45 . As a result, the agent ECU 101 executes the control instruction with the identifier "2" via the main body ECU 45 (S73).

In response to this, the agent 4 changes the display position of the eye images IM1 and IM2 from the "driver" side to the "advancing" direction side of the vehicle 1 by "rotating for 1.5 seconds", and the eye images IM1 and IM2 are displayed. The brightness changes from "middle → strong → weak" in "FIX 1 second". As a result, the action of "returning" the direction of the agent body 4 is expressed.

Returning to FIG. 11, the agent ECU 101 returns the process to S14 when the caution road operation (S21) is completed.

On the other hand, if the current position of the vehicle 1 is not a geographical position to which attention should be paid (NO in S20), the agent ECU 101 determines whether or not the driving of the vehicle 1 ends (S22). When the vehicle 1 stops, the vehicle ECU 102 notifies the agent ECU 101 that the vehicle 1 has stopped.

The agent ECU 101 assumes that the operation of the vehicle 1 is not terminated (NO in S22) and executes the default operation (S23) unless the vehicle 1 is notified to stop during the predetermined period from a predetermined time ago to the present.

In the default operation (S23), the process of S81 shown in FIG. 17 may be performed. FIG. 17 is a flow chart showing default operation.

In response to the fact that the driving of the vehicle 1 is not terminated, the agent ECU 101 assumes that the trigger condition "TC4" is met, refers to the condition information, and determines that the control instruction with the identifier "4" should be executed. The agent ECU 101 refers to the control instruction information 101a (see FIG. 10) and issues one or more instructions (for example, an instruction to rotate the rotating mechanism 423, an instruction to ) are sequentially issued and transmitted to the main body ECU 45 . As a result, the agent ECU 101 executes the control instruction with the identifier "4" via the main body ECU 45 (S81).

In response to this, the agent 4 changes the display positions of the eye images IM1 and IM2 to the "advance" direction side of the vehicle 1, the brightness of the eye images IM1 and IM2 to "weak", and "in 5 seconds The display position changes like looking around for the first time. As a result, the "watching" action of the agent body 4 is expressed.

Returning to FIG. 11, when the default operation (S23) is completed, the agent ECU 101 returns the process to S14.

On the other hand, the agent ECU 101 determines that the operation of the vehicle 1 is terminated (YES in S22) if the stop of the vehicle 1 has been notified within a predetermined period from a predetermined time ago to the present, and performs a termination operation (S24). .

In the ending operation (S24), the processes of S91 and S92 shown in FIG. 18 may be performed. FIG. 18 is a flow chart showing the termination operation.

In response to the termination of the driving of the vehicle 1, the agent ECU 101 assumes that the trigger condition "TC1" is satisfied, refers to the condition information, and determines that the control instruction with the identifier "1" should be executed. The agent ECU 101 refers to the control instruction information 101a (see FIG. 10) and issues one or more instructions (for example, an instruction to rotate the rotating mechanism 423, an instruction to ) are sequentially issued and transmitted to the main body ECU 45 . As a result, the agent ECU 101 executes the control instruction with the identifier "1" via the main body ECU 45 (S91).

In response to this, the agent 4 changes the display positions of the eye images IM1 and IM2 from the "advance" direction side of the vehicle 1 to the "driver" side by "rotating for 1.5 seconds", and the eye images IM1 and IM2 are displayed. The brightness changes from "weak → strong → medium" in "FIX 1 second". This expresses the action of the agent body 4 to "turn around".

In response to the execution of S91, the agent ECU 101 assumes that the trigger condition "TC6" is established, refers to the condition information, and determines that the control instruction with the identifier "6" should be executed. The agent ECU 101 refers to the control instruction information 101a (see FIG. 10) and issues one or more instructions (for example, an instruction to rotate the rotating mechanism 423, an instruction to display instructions, speech instructions for the speaker 44, etc.) are sequentially issued and transmitted to the main body ECU 45. As a result, the agent ECU 101 executes the control instruction with the identifier "6" via the main body ECU 45 (S92).

In response to this, the agent 4 changes the display positions of the eye images IM1 and IM2 to the "driver or speaker" side, sets the brightness of the eye images IM1 and IM2 to "medium", and sets the brightness to "2 seconds." The lighting pattern changes so that it becomes a smile. As a result, a greeting with a "smile" is expressed. Further, after the "smile", the process shifts to "conversation", and the agent 4 outputs, for example, a voice "Thank you for your hard work driving" from the speaker 44.

Returning to FIG. 11, the body ECU 45 transmits a termination operation completion notice to the agent ECU 101 via the communication medium in response to completion of the termination operation (S24). The agent ECU 101 transmits a descent instruction to the main body ECU 45 via a communication medium in response to the end operation completion notification. The main body ECU 45 lowers the main body 42 into the space 7a1 through the hole 7a2 of the interior wall 7a while keeping at least the top portion of the main body 42 in close contact with the lower surface 41b of the fabric 41 in response to the lowering instruction. At this time, the fabric 41 is kept integrated with the interior wall 7a. The body ECU 45 accommodates the body 42 in the space 7a1.

As described above, in the embodiment, the agent body 4 is mounted inside the vehicle 1 . The agent body 4 has a main body 42 and an elastic fabric 41, and can move up and down in the Z direction through the hole 7a2 of the interior wall 7a while at least the top of the main body 42 is in close contact with the lower surface 41b of the fabric 41. For example, when the vehicle 1 is started, the agent body 4 lifts the fabric 41 and rises up, so that the driver 300 sees the shape of the fabric 41 integrated with the interior wall 7a. In addition, by projecting and displaying an image of the eyes and the tail on the surface of the fabric 41 by illumination from the back side, the movement and appearance of a fictitious creature are expressed. As a result, the agent body 4 functioning as an agent can be configured simply, so that the agent body 4 is less conspicuous during driving and the like, and is less likely to hinder attention to driving. As a result, smooth driving by the driver 300 can be ensured.

The member integrated with the interior wall 7a in the agent body 4 may be a stretchable film member such as a translucent rubber film instead of the fabric 41. FIG. The membrane member is integrated with the interior wall 7a. The film member closes the hole 7a2 of the interior wall 7a. The end of the membrane member may be fixed to the inner surface of the hole 7a2. The membrane member has flexibility and stretchability. The film member can transmit light. The color of the film member may be the same as the color of the interior wall 7a, or may be a color close to the color of the interior wall 7a (with a color difference within a predetermined value).

For example, when the vehicle 1 is started, the agent body 4 lifts the membrane member and rises up, so that the driver 300 sees the shape of the membrane member integrated with the interior wall 7a. In addition, by projecting and displaying an image of the eyes and tail on the surface of the membrane member by illumination from the back side, the movement and appearance of a fictitious creature are expressed. This also makes it possible to simply configure the agent body 4 that functions as an agent.

The agent body 4 may display an eye image on the surface 41a of the fabric 41 without displaying a tail image. In this case, the body 42 may omit the indicator 422-3 shown in FIG. As a result, the agent body 4 expresses the expression and movement of a fictitious creature by the display position and display mode of the eye image on the surface 41a of the fabric 41, so that the agent body 4 can be configured more simply.

The agent body 4 may display a tail image on the surface 41a of the fabric 41 without displaying an eye image. In this case, the main body 42 may omit the indicators 422-1 and 422-2 shown in FIG. As a result, the agent body 4 expresses the expression and movement of a fictitious creature by the display position and display mode of the tail image on the surface 41a of the fabric 41, so that the agent body 4 can be configured more simply.

In the agent body 4, as shown in FIG. 5(a), the inner surface 421a of the shell 421 has a concave upward curved surface shape, but the light-emitting portion, that is, the display surface 422a of each indicator 422 has a planar shape. Light from 422a to inner surface 421a has a two-dimensional optical path difference. Therefore, when the display surface 422a and the inner surface 421a are separated from each other, the image projected on the inner surface 421a tends to be blurred due to the difference in the degree of light diffusion depending on the two-dimensional optical path difference.

On the other hand, as a first modified example of the embodiment, a light guide member 425 may be arranged between the display 422 and the shell 421 as shown in FIG. FIG. 19 is a diagram showing the configuration of the display 422 and the light guide member 425 in the first modified example of the embodiment. A light guide member 425 guides the light from the display 422 to the shell 421 .

In FIG. 19( a ), a fiber optic plate (FOP) 4251 is illustrated as the light guide member 425 . The FOP 4251 has a flat entrance surface on the display 422 side and a curved exit surface on the shell 421 side. The incident surface of the FOP 4251 may be substantially in contact with the display surface 422a of the display 422 and fixed by an adhesive or the like. When the display 422 is rotated by the rotation mechanism 423, the FOP 4251 is also rotated. The FOP 4251 may be arranged such that the exit surface is maintained two-dimensionally substantially equidistantly close to and out of contact with the inner surface 421a during rotation.

Light emitted from a plurality of two-dimensionally arranged LEDs 4221 (see FIG. 5B) can be guided to the inner surface 421a of the shell 421 while being kept collimated by the FOP 4251 (parallel light). As a result, the degree of two-dimensional light diffusion can be made uniform, so that the image projected on the inner surface 421a of the shell 421 can be a fine image.

In FIG. 19B, a lens 4252 having a positive refractive power is illustrated as the light guide member 425 . The lens 4252 has a flat entrance surface on the display 422 side and an upwardly convex curved exit surface on the shell 421 side. The incident surface of the lens 4252 may be substantially in contact with the display surface 422a of the display 422 and fixed by an adhesive or the like. When the display 422 is rotated by the rotation mechanism 423, the lens 4252 is also rotated. Lens 4252 may be arranged such that its focal plane remains substantially coincident with inner surface 421a during rotation.

Light emitted from a plurality of LEDs 4221 (see FIG. 5B) arranged two-dimensionally is refracted by a lens 4252 so as to be focused on a region 421a1 narrower than the display surface 422a on the inner surface 421a. be. As a result, two-dimensional diffusion of light is suppressed in the region 421a1, so that the image projected on the inner surface 421a of the shell 421 can be a fine image.

Alternatively, the light source in the display 422 may be a light source other than the dot LED type light source (see FIG. 5(b)). For example, as a second modification of the embodiment, the light source in the display 422 may be a laser type light source including a laser light source 4222 and a laser deflection mechanism 4223 as shown in FIG. FIG. 20 is a diagram showing the configuration of the indicator 422 in the second modified example of the embodiment.

FIG. 20(a) illustrates a configuration in which the laser light source 4222 and the laser deflection mechanism 4223 are housed inside the housing of the display 422. FIG. The laser light source 4222 emits laser light according to control by the main body ECU 45 . The laser deflection mechanism 4223 is arranged near the emitting portion of the laser light source 4222 between the laser light source 4222 and the inner surface 421 a of the shell 421 . The laser deflection mechanism 4223 changes the traveling direction of the laser light so that a predetermined image is drawn on the inner surface 421a by scanning according to control by the main body ECU 45 . The laser deflection mechanism 4223 may be an optical member such as a mirror or prism whose orientation is variable.

In this case, the body ECU 45 can change the display positions of the eyes and tail images on the surface 41 a of the fabric 41 by controlling the laser deflection mechanism 4223 without rotating the display 422 . Therefore, the rotation mechanism 423 may be omitted from the main body 42 .

FIG. 20(b) illustrates a configuration in which the laser deflection mechanisms 4223a to 4223c are distributed. The laser deflection mechanism 4223a is accommodated in the housing of the display 422 together with the laser light source 4222, and arranged near the emitting portion of the laser light source 4222. As shown in FIG. The laser deflection mechanisms 4223 b and 4223 c are arranged between the laser deflection mechanism 4223 a and the inner surface 421 a of the shell 421 . The laser deflection mechanism 4223a changes the traveling direction of the laser light so that a predetermined image is drawn on the inner surface 421a by scanning via the laser deflection mechanisms 4223b and 4223c in accordance with the control by the body ECU 45. The laser deflection mechanism 4223a may be an optical member such as a mirror or prism whose orientation is variable. The laser deflection mechanisms 4223b and 4223c may be optical members such as mirrors or prisms whose orientation is fixed.

Alternatively, the light source in the display 422 may be a flexible display such as liquid crystal or organic EL, although not shown. In this case, the indicator 422 may be attached to the surface or inner surface 421a of the shell 421, or may be inserted between the surface of the shell 421 and the inner surface 421a. Accordingly, by displaying an image on the surface of the shell 421 , it may be possible to project and display the image on the fabric 41 . Also, the movement of the agent body 4 may be expressed by displaying an image on the surface of the shell 421 as an animation.

Further, the shape of the shell 421 in the main body 42 of the agent body 4 may be any shape other than a hollow hemispherical shape as long as at least the top portion can be in close contact with the lower surface 41b of the fabric 41 when the main body 42 is raised.

For example, the shell 421 may have a conical shape with a hollow inside as shown in FIG. 21(a). 21A and 21B are diagrams showing the configuration and operation of the main body 42 in the third modified example of the embodiment.

In this case, the main body ECU 45 brings at least the top portion of the main body 42 into close contact with the lower surface 41b of the fabric 41 as shown in the order of FIG. 21(b)→FIG. 21(c)→FIG. While doing so, the main body 42 is raised from the space 7a1 through the hole 7a2 of the interior wall 7a. At this time, the fabric 41 is kept integrated with the interior wall 7a.

In response to the lowering instruction, the main body ECU 45 moves at least the top portion of the main body 42 into close contact with the lower surface 41b of the fabric 41 as shown in the order of FIG. 21(d)→FIG. 21(c)→FIG. The main body 42 is lowered into the space 7a1 through the hole 7a2 of 7a. At this time, the fabric 41 is kept integrated with the interior wall 7a.

Alternatively, the shell 421 may have a frusto-conical shape with a hollow interior as shown in FIG. 22(a). 22A and 22B are diagrams showing the configuration and operation of the main body 42 in the fourth modified example of the embodiment.

In this case, the main body ECU 45 brings at least the top portion of the main body 42 into close contact with the lower surface 41b of the fabric 41 as shown in the order of FIG. 22(b)→FIG. 22(c)→FIG. While doing so, the main body 42 is raised from the space 7a1 through the hole 7a2 of the interior wall 7a. At this time, the fabric 41 is kept integrated with the interior wall 7a.

In response to the lowering instruction, the main body ECU 45 moves at least the top portion of the main body 42 into close contact with the lower surface 41b of the fabric 41 as shown in the order of FIG. 22(d)→FIG. 22(c)→FIG. The main body 42 is lowered into the space 7a1 through the hole 7a2 of 7a. At this time, the fabric 41 is kept integrated with the interior wall 7a.

While several embodiments of the invention have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as the scope of the invention described in the claims and equivalents thereof.

1 vehicle 2, 2-1 to 2-4 wheel 3 vehicle body 4 agent body 41 fabric 42 main body 422 indicator 423 rotating mechanism 424 lifting mechanism 425 light guiding member

Claims (10)

a first wheel;
a second wheel;
a vehicle body coupled to the first wheel and the second wheel and movable in a predetermined traveling direction by the first wheel and the second wheel;
A stretchable fabric that is integrated with an interior wall in the vehicle body and closes a hole in the interior wall, and a stretchable fabric that can be accommodated in a space between the vehicle body and the interior wall through the fabric, and at least a top portion is the lower surface of the fabric. an agent body having a main body capable of moving up and down in a direction intersecting the interior wall through a hole in the interior wall while adhering to the interior wall;
vehicle with 2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the main body rises from the space through a hole in the interior wall while at least a top portion thereof is in close contact with the lower surface of the fabric when the vehicle is started. 3. The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the main body descends into the space through the hole in the interior wall while at least a top portion thereof is in close contact with the lower surface of the fabric when the vehicle stops. The body is
a shell that is convex upward;
an elevating mechanism capable of elevating the shell in the direction;
4. The vehicle of any one of claims 1-3, further comprising: The fabric is permeable to light,
4. A vehicle according to any preceding claim, wherein the body includes one or more displays capable of projecting images of eyes onto the fabric. The fabric is permeable to light,
4. A vehicle according to any preceding claim, wherein the body includes one or more displays capable of projecting tail images onto the fabric. The body is
a shell that is convex upward and has transparency or semi-transmission to light;
an elevating mechanism capable of elevating the shell and the one or more indicators in the direction;
7. A vehicle according to claim 5 or 6, further comprising: The vehicle according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the main body further includes a rotating mechanism capable of rotating the one or more indicators around a rotation axis along the direction. the body further comprises an upwardly convex shell that is transmissive or translucent to light;
7. Vehicle according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the one or more indicators are arranged inside the inner surface of the shell and are capable of projecting an image onto the fabric through the shell. the main body further includes a light guide member arranged between the one or more indicators and the shell to guide light from the one or more indicators to the shell;
10. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the one or more indicators are capable of projecting images onto the fabric through the light guide member and the shell.

Images