JP2024020978A - Output device for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an output device for a vehicle, which can easily guide a face of a driver toward a front of the vehicle.

SOLUTION: An output device 1 for a vehicle comprises: a front camera 2 for the vehicle, which acquires an attention target W in front of a vehicle as target information; a control unit 12 which acquires a face direction of a driver D in a median plane MP as face direction information; and a sound output unit 5 disposed along the median plane MP of the driver D, and for outputting sound according to a frequency of each direction determination band in a plurality of direction determination bands in the median plane MP. When plural pieces of the target information are acquired, the control unit 12 selects target information corresponding to an objective attention target, which is the target to which the driver D should be most alerted, from among the plurality of attention targets. The control unit 12 determines a sound image direction G based on a comparison between a face direction obtained from the face direction information and a face direction facing a front of the vehicle 100 in the median plane, and causes the sound output unit 5 to output sound at a frequency in the direction determination band corresponding to the determined sound image direction G.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

COPYRIGHT: (C)2024,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle output device.

In recent years, vehicles such as automobiles are equipped with a head-up display (HUD) that allows the driver to see a virtual image by projecting a display image displayed on a display device onto a windshield or the like. There is. Some head-up displays can display virtual images superimposed on surrounding vehicles, pedestrians, traffic lights, signs, traffic lanes, etc. in the real scene in front of the vehicle, in order to support safe driving by the driver.

By the way, conventionally, a warning sound is sometimes sounded to urge the driver of the vehicle to pay attention to the surroundings of the vehicle, but since the warning sound alone does not tell you what is occurring, for example, it is necessary to pay attention to the meter. It is possible to display the meaning of the evocation. On the other hand, if there is a high degree of urgency, having the driver visually check the meter may result in a more dangerous situation, and the driver should be made directly aware of the situation around the vehicle.

Patent Document 1 discloses a driving support device in which LEDs are provided and blinked in areas where the driver's awareness is desired to be guided, and warning sounds are generated from left and right front speakers. In Patent Document 2, from among a plurality of images displayed on an instrument display, a gazed image that the driver should watch is selected, and a marker is moved and displayed so as to guide the driver's line of sight to the gazed image. A line-of-sight guiding device is disclosed. In Patent Document 3, a camera or the like is used to detect a gaze point based on the direction of the driver's face, line of sight direction, focal length, etc., and the target of the driver's gaze is determined based on the driver's line of sight direction and the gaze point. discloses a driving support device that guides the driver's line of sight or gaze point in any appropriate direction that the driver should originally be looking at. In Patent Document 4, a direction D for the driver to gaze at is obtained, an image in which a marker moves in the direction D is displayed on a plurality of display units, and at least a part of the image is displayed on the plurality of display units. A vehicle display device is disclosed in which an image is displayed in which a marker moves on a trajectory passing through a region in a direction D. In Patent Document 5, a sound presentation unit utilizes a frequency in a direction determining band corresponding to a presentation direction, synthesizes a signal such as a frequency-modulated sine wave, and another signal serving as a reference, and uses a sound source, etc. A direction indicating device for a vehicle that outputs sound is disclosed. Non-Patent Document 1 states that when a listener hears narrowband noise obtained from a specific characteristic curve in the median plane, the direction of the resulting sound image depends on the center frequency of the narrowband noise, regardless of the direction of the sound source. It is disclosed that it is perceived as such.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-299050 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2012-113672 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2015-26185 JP2017-90996A JP2017-224165A

Keiji Hiwatari (ed.), “Introduction to Audiovisual Information” Shokodo, July 1987, p.128

By the way, in the above-mentioned Patent Document 5, sound is output using the frequency of the direction determining band depending on the presentation direction, but if the driver is looking down, for example, the sound output alone will not be enough to make the sound inside the instrument panel I often end up looking at the meter, so there is room for improvement.

An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle output device that can easily guide a driver's face toward the front of the vehicle.

In order to achieve the above object, a vehicle output device according to the present invention includes a target information acquisition unit that acquires a target of attention in front of a vehicle as target information, and a target information acquisition unit that acquires a target of attention in front of a vehicle as target information, and a target information acquisition unit that acquires a target of attention in front of a vehicle as target information, and a target information acquisition unit that acquires a target of attention in front of a vehicle as target information, and a target information acquisition unit that acquires a target of attention in front of a vehicle as target information, and a A face orientation information acquisition unit that acquires face orientation information, and is arranged along the median plane of the driver and is capable of outputting sound based on the frequency of each direction determination band in a plurality of direction determination bands on the median plane. a sound output unit; and a control unit that causes the sound output unit to output the sound according to the acquired target information, and the control unit is configured to output the face direction obtained from the face direction information; determining a sound image direction based on a comparison with a direction of the face facing forward of the vehicle in a median plane, and causing the sound output unit to output sound at a frequency in the direction determining band corresponding to the determined sound image direction. It is characterized by

Further, in the output device for a vehicle, a display image is projected onto a projected member of a vehicle, a virtual image corresponding to the display image projected onto the projected member is displayed in front of the vehicle, and a driver of the vehicle The controller further includes an image display unit that causes the driver to visually recognize the target attention object, which is the target object that should most alert the driver among the plurality of attention objects, when the plurality of target information items are acquired. Corresponding target information is selected, the sound is outputted by the sound output section, and a virtual image corresponding to the selected target information is displayed on the image display section.

Moreover, in the above output device for a vehicle, the control section causes the image display section to display a virtual image corresponding to the target information in conjunction with the output of the sound by the sound output section.

Further, in the vehicle output device, the control unit may output sound at a center frequency of the direction determining band corresponding to the determined sound image direction, and the control unit may output sound at a center frequency of the direction determining band corresponding to the determined sound image direction, and from a front center frequency in the direction determining band to a target center. It changes the frequency continuously over a short period of time.

The vehicular output device according to the present invention has the effect of easily guiding the driver's face toward the front of the vehicle.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle equipped with a vehicle output device according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the vehicle output device according to the first embodiment. 3(A), FIG. 3(B), and FIG. 3(C) are diagrams showing the relationship between the listener and the perceived direction. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the vehicle output device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a virtual image projected onto a windshield of a vehicle by the vehicle output device according to the first embodiment. FIGS. 6(A) and 6(B) show the vertical direction of the sound output when guiding the face direction of a driver in a forward or downward state to a target object in the vehicle output device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing differences in sound image directions. 7(A) and 7(B) show the vertical direction of the sound output when guiding the face direction of a driver in a forward or downward state to a target object in the vehicle output device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing differences in sound image directions. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing synchronization between sound and image display in the vehicle output device according to the first modification of the first and second embodiments. 9(A), FIG. 9(B), and FIG. 9(C) are schematic diagrams showing an example of arrangement of the sound output section in the vehicle output device according to the second modification of the first and second embodiments. . FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the arrangement of the sound output section in the third modified example of the vehicle output device according to the first and second embodiments. FIGS. 11(A) and 11(B) are schematic diagrams illustrating an example of the arrangement of sound output units in a vehicle output device according to a fourth modification of the first and second embodiments. 12(A), FIG. 12(B), and FIG. 12(C) are schematic diagrams showing an example of a schematic configuration of a sound output section in a vehicle output device according to a fourth modification. 13(A), FIG. 13(B), and FIG. 13(C) are schematic diagrams showing examples of the general configuration of the sound output section in the vehicle output device according to the fifth to seventh modified examples.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Below, a vehicle output device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below. Components in the following embodiments include those that can be easily imagined by those skilled in the art, or those that are substantially the same. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, and changes may be made to the constituent elements in the following embodiments without departing from the gist of the invention.

[First embodiment]
A vehicle output device according to a first embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle equipped with a vehicle output device according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the vehicle output device according to the first embodiment. 3(A), FIG. 3(B), and FIG. 3(C) are diagrams showing the relationship between the listener and the perceived direction. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the vehicle output device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a virtual image projected onto a windshield of a vehicle by the vehicle output device according to the first embodiment. FIGS. 6(A) and 6(B) show the vertical direction of the sound output when guiding the face direction of a driver in a forward or downward state to a target object in the vehicle output device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing differences in sound image directions. In addition, FIG. 3(A) is a diagram showing the relationship between relative frequency and frequency, FIG. 3(B) is a plan view showing the listener and direction, and FIG. 3(C) is a left side view showing the listener and direction. It is. In the graph of FIG. 3(A), the vertical axis represents relative frequency [%], and the horizontal axis represents frequency [Hz]. FIG. 6(A) shows the sound image direction of the sound output when guiding the face direction of a driver in a forward-facing state to a target object. FIG. 6(B) shows the vertical sound image direction of the sound output when guiding the driver's face facing downward toward the target object.

In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the illustrated X direction is the width direction of the vehicle in this embodiment, which is the left-right direction. The Y direction is the longitudinal direction of the vehicle in this embodiment, and is a direction perpendicular to the width direction. The Z direction is the up-down direction of the vehicle in this embodiment, and is a direction orthogonal to the width direction and the front-back direction. It is assumed that the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction are orthogonal to each other. For convenience, in the X direction, the X1 direction is the left direction, the X2 direction is the right direction, in the Y direction, the Y1 direction is the forward or vehicle traveling direction, and the Y2 direction is the rear, and in the Z direction, The Z1 direction is defined as an upward direction, and the Z2 direction is defined as a downward direction. For example, the Z direction follows the vertical direction of the vehicle.

The vehicular output device 1 according to the present embodiment is mounted, for example, on a vehicle 100 such as an automobile shown in FIG. 1. The vehicle output device 1 projects the display image displayed on the display 30 onto the windshield 104 in front of the driver D of the vehicle 100, and creates a virtual image S corresponding to the display image projected onto the windshield 104. The image is superimposed on the actual scene in front of the vehicle for driver D to visually recognize. In the cabin of the vehicle 100, a roof 103 is connected to the upper side of a windshield 104, and an instrument panel 102 is provided below. A steering wheel 101 rotatably supported by a steering column 105 is provided behind the instrument panel 102 . Driver D is a passenger seated in the driver's seat 106 of the vehicle 100 provided behind the steering wheel 101, and can visually check the front of the vehicle 100 through the windshield 104. The windshield 104 is an example of a member to be projected. The windshield 104 is semi-transparent and reflects the display light L incident from the vehicle output device 1 toward the driver's D eyepoint EP. The eye point EP is the viewpoint position of the driver D seated in the driver's seat 106. While seated in the driver's seat 106, the driver D can visually recognize the display image projected onto the windshield 104 as a virtual image S existing in front of the vehicle 100 in the traveling direction. The vehicle output device 1 of this embodiment outputs sound at the center frequency of a predetermined direction determining band in the vehicle interior to guide the driver D's face direction toward the front of the vehicle, and to direct the driver D's face toward the front of the vehicle. Among the objects of attention W appearing in front of the vehicle, the object of attention W corresponding to the virtual image S is called to be alerted.

Here, the direction-determining band is the narrowband noise obtained from the three characteristic curves Cv, Ch, and Co. When narrowband noise is heard by a listener (for example, driver D) in the median plane MP, the direction of the resulting sound image is perceived depending on the center frequency of the narrowband noise, regardless of the direction of the sound source. A frequency band that determines such a sound image direction is defined as a directional band.

The relative frequency perceived by the listener as the forward direction shown in FIGS. 3(B) and 3(C) is expressed as a characteristic curve Cv shown in FIG. 3(A). The relative frequency perceived as backward direction is represented as a characteristic curve Ch. The relative frequency perceived as upward is represented as a characteristic curve Co.

In the characteristic curve Cv shown in FIG. 3(A), high relative frequencies are obtained in the frequency band of 315 to 500 [Hz] and the frequency band of 3 to 5 [kHz]. In the characteristic curve Ch shown in FIG. 3A, high relative frequencies are obtained in the frequency band of 800 to 1600 [Hz] and the frequency band of 10 to 12.5 [kHz]. In the characteristic curve Co shown in FIG. 3(A), a high relative frequency is obtained in a frequency band around 6 [kHz].

In this way, even if the sound source is located in the median plane MP, the direction (sound image direction) perceived by any listener changes depending on the frequency of the direction determination band (Fig. 3(A)). That is, the above-mentioned two frequency bands obtained from the characteristic curve Cv shown in FIG. 3(A) can be used as a direction determining band for making the listener perceive the forward direction as the sound image direction. Further, the above-mentioned two frequency bands obtained from the characteristic curve Ch shown in FIG. 3(A) can be used as a direction determining band for making the listener perceive the rear direction as the sound image direction. Further, the above-mentioned frequency band obtained from the characteristic curve Co shown in FIG. 3(A) can be used as a direction determining band for making the listener perceive the upward direction as the sound image direction. The center frequency of the direction determining band is, for example, 3 [kHz] in the forward direction determining band, 6 [kHz] in the upward direction determining band, and 1 [kHz] in the backward direction determining band.

As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle output device 1 in this embodiment includes a vehicle front camera 2, a driver camera 3, and a device main body 4, and is connected to an audio output section 5.

The vehicle front camera 2 is part of the target information acquisition section. The vehicle front camera 2 continuously captures images of the actual scenery in front of the vehicle through the windshield 104, and obtains the captured images as a front image. The vehicle front camera 2 is arranged on a roof 103 or a rearview mirror (not shown) in the interior of the vehicle 100. By looking at the real scenery in front of the vehicle while seated in the driver's seat 106, the driver D can visually recognize the virtual image S displayed superimposed on the real scenery in front of the vehicle. The vehicle front camera 2 can, for example, capture an actual scene in front of the vehicle as a moving image, and obtain a still image obtained from the captured moving image as a forward image. The vehicle front camera 2 is connected to the device main body 4 and sequentially outputs forward images to the device main body 4. Note that the vehicle front camera 2 may output the captured video to the device main body 4 as is.

The driver camera 3 is part of the facial orientation information acquisition section. The driver camera 3 is arranged in the cabin of the vehicle 100, and continuously captures images of the face of the driver D, and obtains the captured images as a driver image. The driver camera 3 is arranged, for example, above the steering column 105 in the vehicle interior and behind the steering wheel 101 when viewed from the driver D. The driver camera 3 can, for example, image the face of the driver D as a moving image, and obtain a still image obtained from the captured moving image as a driver image. The driver camera 3 is connected to the device main body 4 and sequentially outputs driver images to the device main body 4. Note that the driver camera 3 may output the captured video to the device main body 4 as it is.

The device main body 4 projects a display image onto the windshield 104. The device main body 4 is arranged, for example, inside the instrument panel 102 of the vehicle 100. An opening 102a is provided on the top surface of the instrument panel 102. The device main body 4 projects a display image by emitting display light L toward the windshield 104 through the opening 102a. The apparatus main body 4 in this embodiment includes an image analysis section 10, an image projection section 11, and a control section 12. The image analysis section 10 and the control section 12 are sections that function on a microcontroller having, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), memory, various interfaces, and the like.

The sound output unit 5 outputs sound, and includes, for example, a buzzer, a speaker, or the like. The sound output unit 5 is arranged along the median plane MP of the driver D who is in a seated state. For example, the sound output section 5 is a buzzer in a meter 107 installed on the instrument panel 102, as shown in FIG. The meter 107 is, for example, a combination meter, and includes a speedometer, an odometer, a trip meter, a tachometer, and the like. The sound output unit 5 is connected to the control unit 12 and outputs sound in response to a blowing signal from the control unit 12. The sound output unit 5 can output sound based on the center frequency of each direction determination band in a plurality of direction determination bands in the median plane MP of the driver D.

The image analysis unit 10 is an example of a target information acquisition unit. The image analysis section 10 is connected to the vehicle front camera 2, the driver camera 3, and the control section 12, and analyzes image signals input from the vehicle front camera 2 and the driver camera 3, and transmits the analysis results to the control section 12. This is what is output to. When a front image is input as an image signal from the vehicle front camera 2, the image analysis unit 10 detects an attention target W in the actual scenery in front of the vehicle based on the front image using a known image analysis method (see FIG. 5). This attention target W includes, for example, surrounding vehicles, pedestrians, traffic lights, signs, lanes, etc. in the actual scenery in front of the vehicle. Surrounding vehicles include oncoming vehicles and preceding vehicles of the host vehicle, parked vehicles, vehicles running parallel to the vehicle, and the like. These surrounding vehicles also include light vehicles such as bicycles. Pedestrians include those who cross the road, those who walk on the road or sidewalk, etc. Examples of traffic signals include traffic signals, railroad crossing signals, and the like. Signs include road signs. Lanes 111 and 112 are legal lanes (FIG. 5). The image analysis section 10 acquires the detected object of attention W as object information, and sequentially outputs the object information to the control section 12. This object information includes, for example, the content, position (coordinates), etc. of the object of attention W.

Further, the image analysis unit 10 is an example of a face orientation information acquisition unit. When a driver image is input as an image signal from the driver camera 3, the image analysis unit 10 acquires the direction of the driver's D's face based on the driver image using a known image analysis method. The image analysis unit 10 sequentially outputs the acquired face direction of the driver D to the control unit 12 as face direction information.

The image projection section 11 is an example of an image display section. The image projection unit 11 is connected to the control unit 12 and projects a display image input from the control unit 12 onto the windshield 104. The image projection unit 11 projects the display image displayed on the display 30 onto the windshield 104, displays a virtual image S corresponding to the projected display image in front of the vehicle 100, and makes it visible to the driver D of the vehicle 100. It is something that makes you The image projection unit 11 includes a display 30 and a reflection mirror 31. The display device 30 emits a display image projected onto the windshield 104 as display light L. The reflecting mirror 31 is, for example, a concave mirror, and reflects the display light L emitted from the display 30 toward the windshield 104.

The control section 12 is connected to the image analysis section 10, the image projection section 11, and the sound output section 5, and controls these. The control unit 12 controls the image projection unit 11 based on the target information acquired from the image analysis unit 10, and performs display image control to cause the image projection unit 11 to display a virtual image S corresponding to the target information. When a plurality of pieces of target information are acquired, the control unit 12 selects the target information corresponding to the target attention target Ws, which is the target to which the driver D should be most alerted, from among the plurality of caution targets W. The target object of attention Ws is, for example, an object of attention that is expected to cause a collision with the vehicle 100, and is determined based on the type of the object of attention W, the distance between the object of attention W and the vehicle 100, the relative approaching speed with the object of attention W, etc. selected based on.

The control unit 12 generates a sound image for directing the driver's D's face toward the front of the vehicle based on a comparison between the face orientation obtained from the face orientation information and the face orientation toward the front of the vehicle 100 in the median plane MP. The direction G is determined, and the sound output unit 5 is caused to output sound at a frequency in the direction determination band corresponding to the determined sound image direction G. For example, when the face of the driver D obtained from the face orientation information is in a downward state, the control unit 12 changes the sound image direction G in an upward direction because it is necessary to turn the face upward so as to face the front of the vehicle. (sound image direction Gt) (FIG. 6(B)). In this way, when the face of the driver D is facing downward, the sound image direction G is the sound image direction Gt. On the other hand, when the face of the driver D obtained from the face orientation information is in a forward-facing state, the control unit 12 sets the sound image direction G to the forward direction (sound image direction Gf) (FIG. 6(A)). In this way, when the face of the driver D is in a forward facing state, the sound image direction G remains the sound image direction Gf.

The control unit 12 causes the sound output unit 5 to output sound at a frequency in the direction determination band corresponding to the determined sound image direction G. For example, when the determined sound image direction G is the sound image direction Gt, since the direction determination band corresponding to the sound image direction Gt is in the upper direction, the control unit 12 obtains the characteristic curve Co shown in FIG. 3(A). The direction determining band is used to output sound at the frequency of the direction determining band. As described above, the direction determining band obtained from the characteristic curve Co shown in FIG. 3(A) is a relatively narrow frequency band around 6 [kHz], and the frequency is 6 [kHz]. The control unit 12 causes the sound output unit 5 to output sound at a frequency of, for example, 6 [kHz]. On the other hand, when the determined sound image direction G is the sound image direction Gf, the direction determination band corresponding to the sound image direction Gf is the forward direction, so that the control unit 12 obtains the characteristic curve Cv shown in FIG. 3(A). The direction determining band is used to output sound at the frequency of the direction determining band. As described above, the direction determining bands obtained from the characteristic curve Cv shown in FIG. 3(A) are the frequency band of 315 to 500 [Hz] and the frequency band of 3 to 5 [kHz]. The control unit 12 causes the sound output unit 5 to output sound at a frequency of, for example, 3 [kHz].

The control unit 12 causes the image projection unit 11 to display the virtual image So corresponding to the selected target information together with the sound output unit 5 outputting the sound. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the virtual image So is "Beware of pedestrians crossing the street!". The virtual image So may be a symbol, a number, or a figure in addition to letters, but it is preferable that the driver D can easily identify the object of attention W by recognizing the virtual image So.

Next, the operation of the vehicle output device 1 will be explained with reference to FIG. 4.

In step S1, the image analysis unit 10 detects an object of attention W appearing in front of the vehicle 100 based on the front image captured by the vehicle front camera 2.

In step S2, the control unit 12 determines whether the attention target W was detected in step S1. If the attention target W has not been detected, the process returns to step S1. On the other hand, if the attention target W is detected, the process advances to step S3.

In step S3, the control unit 12 determines whether there is a plurality of detected objects of attention W. If a plurality of objects of attention W have been detected, the process advances to step S9. On the other hand, if there is not a plurality of detected objects of attention W, that is, if only one piece of object information has been acquired, the target information is selected as the target object of attention Ws, and the process proceeds to step S4.

In step S9, the control unit 12 selects target information corresponding to the target attention object Ws, which is the object to which the driver D should be most alerted, from among the plurality of detected attention objects W, and proceeds to step S4. move on.

In step S4, the image analysis unit 10 detects the direction of the driver's D's face based on the driver image captured by the driver's camera 3.

In step S5, the control unit 12 determines the sound image direction G based on a comparison between the face direction of the driver D detected in step S4 and the face direction facing toward the front of the vehicle in the median plane MP, and determines the sound image direction G. The frequency of the direction determination band corresponding to direction G is determined.

In step S6, the control unit 12 generates a display image corresponding to the target attention object Ws selected in step S3 or step S9.

In step S7, the control unit 12 causes the sound output unit 5 to output sound at the frequency of the direction determining band determined in step S5. The control unit 12 may stop outputting the sound at the timing when the virtual image So is displayed, or after a certain period of time (for example, several seconds to several tens of seconds).

In step S8, the control unit 12 causes the image projection unit 11 to display the virtual image So corresponding to the display image generated in step S6 in response to the sound output in step S7, and ends this process. Although the control unit 12 is configured to display the virtual image So after the sound is output, the virtual image So may be displayed before the sound is output, or may be displayed at the same timing as the sound is output.

The vehicle output device 1 described above includes a control section 12 that causes the sound output section 5 to output sound according to the acquired target information. The control unit 12 determines a sound image direction G based on a comparison between the face orientation obtained from the face orientation information and the face orientation facing forward of the vehicle 100 in the median plane MP, and corresponds to the determined sound image direction G. The sound output unit 5 is caused to output sound based on the frequency of the direction determining band. Thereby, even if the direction of the driver's D's face is upward or downward in the median plane MP, it is possible to easily output a sound for directing the direction of the face toward the front of the vehicle. For example, it is possible to easily guide the driver D, who is looking down, toward the front of the vehicle. Furthermore, by easily recognizing objects in front of the vehicle that should be noted, it is possible to easily prompt the driver D to take appropriate actions. In addition, if the vehicle 100 is a vehicle capable of autonomous driving, when a sudden handover occurs, a corresponding sound (for example, a sound to direct the occupant's face toward the front of the vehicle) can be output, so that the driver can drive automatically. It is possible to prompt the crew member who assists the passenger to promptly perform handover procedures.

In addition, in the vehicle output device 1, when a plurality of pieces of target information are acquired, the control unit 12 corresponds to the target attention target that is the target to which the driver D should be most alert among the plurality of attention targets. Select target information. Thereby, the vehicle 100 can select, on behalf of the driver D, an object that the driver D should pay attention to from among a plurality of objects to be careful of in front of the vehicle. As a result, compared to a device that simply uses sound to draw attention to an event occurring ahead, driver D does not have to judge which event to pay attention to even if multiple events occur. Therefore, it is possible to prevent driver D from delaying judgment or making wrong judgment due to hesitation in selecting an event to respond to. Further, the control unit 12 causes the sound output unit 5 to output sound, and causes the image projection unit 11 to display the virtual image So corresponding to the selected target information. Thereby, the driver D's face direction is guided to the front of the vehicle by the outputted sound, and the virtual image So displayed in front of the vehicle allows the driver D to easily grasp the object to be careful of. As a result, the driver who has directed his head toward the front of the vehicle using sound based on the frequency of the direction determining band can easily recognize the object to be noted in front of the vehicle.

Further, in the vehicle output device 1, the sound output section 5 is a buzzer in a meter 107 installed on the instrument panel 102. In this way, by using the existing audio equipment in vehicle 100, an increase in cost can be suppressed.

In the above embodiment, the sound output unit 5 is a buzzer in the meter 107 disposed on the median plane MP of the driver D in the seated state, but is not limited to this. It may be a speaker disposed within the instrument panel 102 as long as it is disposed within the instrument panel 102.

[Second embodiment]
Next, a vehicle output device according to a second embodiment will be described. 7(A) and 7(B) show the vertical direction of the sound output when guiding the face direction of a driver in a forward or downward state to a target object in the vehicle output device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing differences in sound image directions. The vehicle output device 1 according to the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the center frequency of the direction determination band corresponding to the determined sound image direction G is changed.

The control unit 12 can output sound at the center frequency of the direction determination band corresponding to the determined sound image direction G. The control unit 12 continuously changes the center frequency in each direction determination band from the front center frequency toward the target center frequency in a single time period. In FIG. 7A, for example, when the current face direction is forward-facing, the control unit 12 controls the forward center frequency (for example, in FIG. (approximately 4 kHz in the characteristic curve Cv) toward the target center frequency (for example, approximately 8 kHz in the characteristic curve Co in FIG. 3(A)). In FIG. 7(B), for example, when the current face orientation is downward, the control unit 12 controls the forward center frequency (e.g., FIG. 3(A) (approximately 3 kHz in the characteristic curve Cv of FIG. 3A) toward the target center frequency (for example, approximately 5 kHz in the characteristic curve Cv of FIG. 3(A)). In this way, the front center frequency is included in the direction determining band obtained from the characteristic curve Cv shown in FIG. 3(A).

In the vehicle output device 1 according to the second embodiment described above, the control unit 12 can output sound at the center frequency of the direction determining band corresponding to the determined sound image direction, and Continuously change the center frequency toward the desired center frequency in a short period of time. As a result, the direction of the sound image changes, and this change allows the driver D to feel the movement of the localization position of the sound, thereby increasing the visual guidance effect for the driver D.

[Modified example]
Next, a modification of the first and second embodiments will be described. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing synchronization between sound and image display in the vehicle output device according to the first modification of the first and second embodiments. In the vehicle output device 1 according to the first modification, the control unit 12 causes the image projection unit 11 to display the virtual image S corresponding to the target information in cooperation with the sound output unit 5. Different from the form.

The control unit 12 outputs a sound signal for causing a buzzer, which is an example of the sound output unit 5, to sound, to the buzzer. As shown in FIG. 8, the blowing signal basically has a waveform that repeats blowing and stopping at regular intervals. The sound output section 5 generates a buzzer sound based on the blowing signal from the control section 12 . The control unit 12 of this embodiment converts the display signal of the display image projected onto the windshield 104 by the image projection unit 11 into a waveform that repeats display and non-display at a constant cycle, and The sound signal of the sound output section 5 is synchronized. In this manner, in the vehicle output device 1 according to the first modification, the control unit 12 adjusts the waveform of the sound output signal output from the sound output unit 5 and the waveform of the display signal that repeats display/non-display of the virtual image S. synchronize. Thereby, recognition of the object of attention can be further improved. In addition, due to the ventriloquism effect, the direction in which the driver D's face is directed by the sound and the front of the vehicle where the virtual image S is displayed becomes more likely to match, and it is possible to suppress recognition of the wrong direction due to individual differences.

Note that in the first modification of the first and second embodiments, the case where the sound output section 5 is a buzzer has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and it may be a speaker or the like. In this case, the control unit 12 may be configured to output a drive signal for intermittently outputting sound from the sound output unit 5 to the sound output unit 5, and synchronize the drive signal and the display signal. .

Next, a vehicle output device 1 according to a second modification will be described with reference to FIGS. 9(A) to 9(C). FIGS. 9(A) to 9(C) are schematic diagrams showing examples of the arrangement of sound output units in a vehicle output device according to a second modification of the first and second embodiments. The vehicle output device 1 according to the second modification differs from the first modification in that the sound output units 5B, 5C, and 5D are housed in the device main body 4.

The sound output unit 5B shown in FIG. 9(A) is arranged in the device main body 4 on the side in the traveling direction of the vehicle 100 with respect to the opening 102a, along the median plane MP of the driver D in the seated state. The sound output section 5B is composed of, for example, a buzzer, a speaker, a vibration speaker, a parametric speaker, and the like. The sound output unit 5B is arranged so that the sound output is directed toward the driver D side. A facing surface 4a, which is a part of the device main body 4, is formed at a position facing the sound output section 5B. For example, when the sound output unit 5B is a parametric speaker, the sound has high directivity, so the output sound waves (ultrasonic waves) M are reflected by the opposing surface 4a and the windshield 104, respectively, and are directed toward the driver D. Configured to reach you.

The sound output unit 5C shown in FIG. 9(B) is arranged in the device main body 4 on the opposite side of the traveling direction of the vehicle 100 with respect to the opening 102a along the median plane MP of the driver D in the seated state. . The sound output section 5C is composed of, for example, a vibration speaker. The sound output unit 5C is arranged so that the sound output is directed toward the side opposite to the driver D. In other words, the sound output section 5C is arranged so that the sound output is directed toward the front of the vehicle, for example, the windshield 104.

The sound output unit 5D shown in FIG. 9(C) is arranged inside the device main body 4 along the median plane MP of the driver D in a seated state. The sound output unit 5D is, for example, a general speaker or a buzzer. Although the sound output section 5C is arranged so that the sound output is directed upward, that is, toward the opening 102a, the sound output section 5C is not limited thereto, and may be directed in other directions.

Next, a vehicle output device 1 according to a third modification will be described with reference to FIG. 10. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the arrangement of the sound output section in the third modified example of the vehicle output device according to the first and second embodiments. The vehicle output device 1 according to the third modification differs from the first and second modifications in that the acoustic output section 5E is disposed on the vehicle interior side of the windshield 104.

The sound output unit 5E is arranged along the median plane MP of the driver D in close contact with the side surface of the vehicle interior at the upper end of the windshield 104, and is arranged so that the sound output is directed toward the vehicle interior. . The sound output section 5E is composed of, for example, a vibration speaker. In the vehicle output device 1 according to the third modification, the sound output section 5E is arranged on the passenger compartment side of the windshield 104, so that the sound output section 5E can be used not only when assembling the vehicle 100, but also when the finished vehicle It is possible to install it as an afterthought.

Next, a vehicle output device 1 according to a fourth modification will be described with reference to FIGS. 11(A), 11(B), and 12(A) to 12(C). FIGS. 11(A) and 11(B) are schematic diagrams illustrating an example of the arrangement of sound output units in a vehicle output device according to a fourth modification of the first and second embodiments. FIGS. 12(A) to 12(C) are schematic diagrams showing an example of a schematic configuration of a sound output section in a vehicle output device according to a fourth modification. The vehicle output device 1 according to the fourth modification differs from the first to third modifications in that the sound output section 5F is provided in the sun visor 108.

The sound output unit 5F is built into the sun visor 108, and is arranged along the median plane MP of the driver D. The sun visor 108 is disposed at the front end of the roof 103 and is attached to be rotatable in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 100. The sound output section 5F is configured integrally with the sun visor 108. The sound output section 5F is arranged so that the sound output is directed outward from each of both surfaces of the sun visor 108. The sound output unit 5F can output sound to one direction and the other direction of the sun visor 108, respectively. The sound output unit 5F is configured to be able to output sound from the surface facing the vehicle interior when the sun visor 108 is not in use and when it is in use. In the vehicle output device 1 according to the fourth modification, the sound output section 5F is mounted on the sun visor 108 and is configured to be able to output sound from both sides of the sun visor 108, so the sound output section 5F is made conspicuous. This allows the output sound to reach the driver D directly. Further, the sound output section 5F can be installed not only when the vehicle 100 is assembled, but also as a retrofit to a completed vehicle.

Note that in the vehicle output device 1 according to the fourth modification, the sound output section 5F is built into the sun visor 108, but the present invention is not limited to this. 13(A), FIG. 13(B), and FIG. 13(C) are schematic diagrams showing examples of the general configuration of the sound output section in the vehicle output device according to the fifth to seventh modified examples. The sound output unit 5G shown in FIG. 13(A) is built into the headrest 109 in the driver's seat 106. The sound output section 5G is configured integrally with the headrest 109. In the vehicle output device 1 according to the fifth modification, the sound output section 5G is mounted on the headrest 109 and is configured to be able to output sound toward the driver D, so the sound output section 5G is made conspicuous. This allows the output sound to reach the driver D directly. Furthermore, the sound output section 5G can be installed not only when the vehicle 100 is assembled, but also as a retrofit to a completed vehicle.

The sound output section 5H shown in FIG. 13(B) is arranged inside the roof 103 above the driver's seat 106. In the vehicle output device 1 according to the sixth modification, the sound output section 5H is arranged inside the roof 103 and is configured to be able to output sound toward the driver D. It can be placed without attracting attention, and the output sound can be delivered directly to the driver D.

The sound output unit 5I shown in FIG. 13(C) is arranged above the steering column 105 in the vehicle interior and behind the steering wheel 101 when viewed from the driver D. In the vehicle output device 1 according to the seventh modification, the sound output unit 5I is arranged above the steering column 105 in the vehicle interior and is configured to be able to output sound toward the driver D. This makes it possible to directly deliver the sound to the driver D. In this case, the driver camera 3 may be arranged, for example, in a housing in which the vehicle front camera 2 is housed, instead of at the top of the steering column 105 inside the vehicle interior.

The sound output unit 5J according to the eighth modification may be a transparent speaker attached to the front part of the driver D on the vehicle interior side of the windshield 104, as shown in FIG. In the vehicle output device 1 according to the eighth modification, the sound output section 5J is located on the cabin side of the windshield 104 and is configured with a transparent speaker attached to the front part of the driver D. The sound output unit 5J can be arranged without making it stand out, and the output sound can be directly delivered to the driver D.

In the above embodiments and modifications, the direction of the face of the driver D in the median plane MP is acquired as face direction information, and the direction of the face obtained from the face direction information and the direction toward the front of the vehicle 100 in the median plane MP are determined. Although the sound image direction is determined based on comparison with the direction of the face, the present invention is not limited to this. In this case, two direction determination bands corresponding to two sound image directions, Gt and Gf, are determined regardless of the current face orientation state of the driver D. In this case, since the direction of the driver's D's face is not detected and the face direction information is not acquired, the operation processing of the vehicle output device 1 can be lightened.

Further, in the above embodiment and modification, the virtual image So is displayed as "Beware of pedestrians crossing!" as shown in FIG. 5, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, it may be a stop, a lane change, or a driving change.

Further, in the above embodiments and modified examples, only one sound output section 5 to 5F is disposed in each vehicle 100, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a plurality of sound output units may be arranged along the median plane MP of the driver D in the seated state in the vehicle 100. In this case, the control unit 12 may be configured so that the plurality of sound output units 5 simultaneously output sounds having frequencies in the determined direction determining band. Further, the control unit 12 causes one of the plurality of sound output units 5 to output sound having a frequency in a direction determining band corresponding to the upward direction, and causes the other to output sound having a frequency in a direction determining band corresponding to the forward direction. It may also be configured to output.

Further, in the above embodiments and variations, the vehicle output device 1 projects the display image onto the windshield 104 of the vehicle 100, but is not limited to this, and for example, the vehicle output device 1 projects the display image onto the windshield 104 of the vehicle 100. It may also be projected onto a combiner or the like. Further, the vehicle output device 1 is not limited to a HUD as long as it displays a display image in front of the vehicle, and a display device with a small angle of depression may be used.

Further, in the above embodiments and modifications, the vehicle output device 1 is applied to the vehicle 100 such as a car, but is not limited to this, and may be applied to, for example, a ship or an aircraft other than the vehicle 100. .

1 Vehicle output device 2 Vehicle front camera 3 Driver camera 4 Device main body 5, 5B, 5C, 5D, 5E, 5F Sound output section 10 Image analysis section 11 Image projection section 12 Control section 30 Display 31 Reflection mirror 100 Vehicle 104 Windshield 107 Meter 108 Sun visor D Driver S Virtual image

Claims (4)

a target information acquisition unit that acquires a target of attention in front of the vehicle as target information;
a face orientation information acquisition unit that acquires the face orientation of the driver of the vehicle in the median plane as face orientation information;
a sound output unit disposed along the median plane of the driver and capable of outputting sound at a frequency of each direction determining band in a plurality of direction determining bands on the median plane;
a control unit that causes the sound output unit to output the sound according to the acquired target information,
The control unit includes:
determining a sound image direction based on a comparison between the face direction obtained from the face direction information and the face direction facing forward of the vehicle in the median plane, and the direction determining band corresponding to the determined sound image direction. causing the sound output unit to output sound at a frequency of
A vehicle output device characterized by: The image display unit further includes an image display unit that projects a display image onto a projection target member of a vehicle, displays a virtual image corresponding to the display image projected onto the projection target member in front of the vehicle, and allows a driver of the vehicle to view the virtual image. ,
The control unit includes:
When a plurality of pieces of target information are acquired, selecting target information corresponding to a target attention target that is the target to which the driver should be most alert among the plurality of attention targets;
outputting the sound by the sound output unit and displaying a virtual image corresponding to the selected target information on the image display unit;
The vehicle output device according to claim 1. The control unit includes:
Displaying a virtual image corresponding to the target information on the image display unit in conjunction with the output of the sound by the sound output unit;
The vehicle output device according to claim 2. The control unit includes:
A sound having a center frequency of the direction determining band corresponding to the determined sound image direction can be outputted,
Continuously changing from the front center frequency in the direction determining band toward the target center frequency in a short period of time,
The vehicle output device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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